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 One of the new arrays soaks up the early morning sun.
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The Center now runs on solar!24.Sep.2010 The Craftsbury Outdoor Center recently made a big move to become more sustainable, installing eight large solar panel arrays in the upper soccer field. This system will provide 36% of the Center’s electricity without relying on fossil fuels, requiring any inputs, or creating any waste. The panels were manufactured and installed by AllEarth Renewables, a Williston, Vermont manufacturer dedicated to the “triple bottom line”: people, planet, and profits. The Center was excited to work with a local company so that its investment can benefit fellow Vermonters. Each array consists of 20 panels. The arrays are unique in that they use a global positioning system (GPS) to rotate around their center support and track the sun as it moves across the sky. The “trackers” produce 35 to 45% more energy than a fixed panel system, which generates most of its electricity around noon. The tracking arrays also have peak energy production at midday, but the dropoff in the morning and afternoon is relatively slight. Altogether, the eight arrays will produce approximately 45,120 kilowatt hours per year. This will reduce the Center’s carbon footprint (the amount of carbon dioxide emitted) by about 5,570 pounds, or more than two tons, each year. Over the past two and a half years, the Center’s daily use averaged 344 kilowatt hours, so the energy produced by the new trackers will be the equivalent of about 36% of the Center’s total electricity consumption – or enough to power Cedar and Tamarack Lodges and all of the cabins, where visitors can stay. The Center will use net metering to sell the electricity back to the grid for credit against their electricity consumption, eliminating the need to somehow store the electricy on-site. As a result, the electricity from the trackers does not directly power any buildings at the Center. However, at least mentally, visitors can now turn on the lights in their room and know that they aren’t hurting the environment! The panels themselves are under warranty for twenty-five years, while the components like the inverter have a ten-year warranty. Production will decline by a small percentage every year as the panels age, but AllEarth Renewables estimates that the arrays should last about 50 years, and still be producing meaningful amounts of electricity at that point. While installing the arrays was a big financial move, current tax incentives made them a good investment. In addition to the reduced purchase price of the panels, the electricity which they generate will insulate the Center against fluctuations and increases in the price of electricity over the next several decades; rates are expected by many to double or triple in the next 10-15 years. Even taking the decline in productivity into account, in a sense, the Center has already paid for a third of its electricity for the next 25 or more years! Perhaps most importantly, the panels can take a hit from a baseball, soccer ball, or Frisbee without being any worse for the wear, so the upper soccer field is still available for recreation of all kinds, albeit with some new scenery! |