NEPA Solar

Finding Solar Noon from the shadow of a stake

2012-02-23T13:43:00.001-08:00

I'm currently taking a course in Solar Power, and one of the assignments was to determine solar noon by taking multiple measurements of the length of the shadow of a stake from a location between the hours of 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. While the weather this winter has been unseasonably warm in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it hasn't been consistently sunny, and being able to find a sunny day when I was available to do this exercise was a bit of a trick. But today was the day: the sun was shining and my schedule was clear!

The first trick was to find an appropriate stake. After a few tests with a five-foot tomato stake that left shadows that extended into places where I couldn't measure, I settled on a plastic utility stake with a metal spike and a flat foot. As this stake was 38.5" tall after being planted, it wasn't too hard to find a location where its shadow could be conveniently measured.

The next trick was measuring the shadow. Having managed to misplace all of my tape measures, I had to use two yard sticks laid end to end in the path of the stake's shadow. The white yardsticks made the shadow more visible on the dormant grass of my lawn. But the grass itself presented a problem with getting precise measurements. I would have been better off laying down a flat platform - a sheet of plywood, perhaps - and measuring the shadows there. Because of my measuring difficulties, I decided to measure to the nearest half-inch.

Then there were the clouds. The sky was only partly cloudy, but occasional wisps of cloud around the sun made the sunlight diffuse enough to cast fuzzy shadows. I started off taking measurements at roughly half-hour intervals, but realized I should take more frequent measurements as the sun was available. I had originally planned to take five measurements, one on each hour from 10:00 to 2:00, and then decided to take nine measurements, one every half-hour. In the end I took thirteen measurements - though forty-seven minutes passed between the next-to-last and last measurements, due to an extended period of cloud cover. (The break in the clouds I took advantage of for the last measurement lasted about five minutes.)

Here's the graph of my measurements. (Right-click to see full-sized.)

With the simple spreadsheet/graphing package I was using, I couldn't simply plot measurements against my irregular measurement times. I had to set this up as a "scatter plot", with the x-axis representing minutes elapsed from the start of the measurements. The inelegance of the critical region - between 125 and 135 minutes from the start of observations at 10:07 AM - is probably the result of the crudeness of my measurements. In this region length was changing much more slightly over time, so more precise measurements would have been better. Still, this program calculated that solar noon for my location on this day was about 12:17 PM, which was 130 minutes from the start of observations - right in the range of 125-135!

Harmony Beverage goes solar

2011-08-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

Harmony Beverage in Blakeslee on Route 940 is a great place to pick up cases of adult beverages and the freshest fresh-roasted peanuts. And now it's all powered by the sun!

Sun Keeps Beer Cold - WNEP

From the linked article:

"Harmony Beverage's electric bill averaged anywhere from, in the softer months, from $1,200 per month, to say July and August when we use a lot of power, air conditioning, refrigeration, up to around $2,400 per month. That electric bill is gone. We have no more electric bill," said John McElroy of Harmony Beverage.

On an acre and a half behind harmony beverage, there are more than 360 solar panels, producing on average 450 kilowatt hours of power per day, even on cloudy days.

Bad news for the future of clean energy in Pennsylvania under Tom Corbett

2011-08-03T21:45:00.000-07:00

Among the cuts and changes: "Forbidding executive agencies to enter into contracts for green power in the next fiscal year. At the dawn of 2011, Pennsylvania was buying 50 percent of its energy from renewable sources, making our state a national leader in the development of the clean energy economy. This abrupt change sends a powerful signal to renewable energy companies that Pennsylvania’s leadership is not interested in renewable energy."

Read all about this disturbing change of direction here:

Penn Future - Press Releases - Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future: Working to Protect Pennsylvania's Environment and Economy

Faithful flock to Green Energy Fair in Scranton - The Times-Tribune

2011-07-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

This would have been an interesting thing to learn about ahead of time. But I find the thing about Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light fascinating.

Faithful flock to Green Energy Fair in Scranton - News - The Times-Tribune

Local electrical union goes green - Citizens Voice

2011-07-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

This is old news, but I just noticed one aspect of this install yesterday.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (I.B.E.W.) building off the Sans Souci Parkway in Hanover Township has been sporting a "beach umbrella"-style pole-mounted solar array for some time now. Casual observers might not realize that this array actually tracks the sun for maximum efficiency.

Being a good driver, I rarely take my eyes off the road in front of me, except to check my mirrors, my blind spots, and for traffic approaching from the sides. So it wasn't until yesterday that, thanks to an observant passenger in my car, I found out that the I.B.E.W. building itself is covered with solar panels. According to this article, this was part of the plan all along. I don't know if those panels have recently been added, or have been on the roof since the pole-mounted array went up. In either case, they're a great thing to see!

Local electrical union goes green - News - Citizens Voice

15-acre solar farm opens at Allentown's Air Products - mcall.com

2011-07-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

There hasn't been much news on the solar front in Northeastern Pennsylvania lately. But here's something from just south of here, in Lehigh Valley. Maybe Air Products will follow suit with its Hanover Township facility?

15-acre solar farm opens at Allentown's Air Products - mcall.com

Pennsylvania: Sixth largest Photovoltaic state

2011-06-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Pennsylvania comes in sixth in this ranking of installed solar photovoltaic capacity, ahead of sunny states like New Mexico, Florida, and Texas. Surprisingly, New Jersey has three times Pennsylvania's installed PV capacity!

The Top 10 Solar States of 2010: Did Yours Make the List?

Google makes $280 million investment in solar energy

2011-06-14T15:51:00.000-07:00

Even though this doesn't directly affect Northeastern Pennsylvania, this is big news. It isn't the first time Google has made an investment in solar power, but it is a very large investment.

Rather than trying to summarize this story, here is the story as reported by several different outlets:

Wall Street Journal: Google Invests $280 Million In Residential Solar Installations - WSJ.com

The Washington Post: Google Scaling Solar, Commits $280 Million To Finance SolarCity Installations

Los Angeles Times: Google, SolarCity, solar: Google creates $280-million solar power fund - latimes.com

Reuters: Google invests $280M in SolarCity solar roof fund

Huffington Post: Google's SolarCity Fund: $280 Million Invested In Solar Energy For Private Homes

Fight for solar power heats up | The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Scranton PA

2011-06-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

An article on the current crisis facing the solar industry in Pennsylvania, and the uphill battle to make things right. The Corbett administration, which is very eager to embrace "alternative energy" from natural gas extraction, comes across as very reluctant to do anything to promote the expansion of solar.

Fight for solar power heats up The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Scranton PA

Solar power at Pocono Raceway

2011-06-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

Pocono Raceway as seen on Google Earth. The 25-acre solar farm is at the top left..

This is the weekend of the Pocono 500, or as it's officially known this year, the "5-Hour Energy 500," and many NASCAR fans are catching their first glimpse of the massive 3 megawatt 25-acre solar farm installed at Pocono Raceway last August.

Pocono Raceway solar farm will power today's race -The Scranton Times-Tribune

From the official Pocono Raceway Solar Project page:

In August of 2010 the 3MW Pocono Solar Project came online after just 3 months of construction. Consisting of nearly 40,000 American made photovoltaic modules covering 25 acres, the Project will produce more than 72 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy over the next 20 years. The environmental attributes associated with the system will offset more than 3,100 Metric Tons of carbon dioxide annually, Carbon Dioxide emissions from 106,529 propane BBQ grills and it will generate enough power to provide the electricity needs for close to 1,000 homes beyond the power needs of the Raceway.

According to the article that appeared on nascar.com last year, this is the largest solar-powered sports facility in the world, more than twice as large as the runner-up, a 1.2 megawatt stadium in Taiwan.

NASCAR.COM - Pocono prepares to reap benefits of its solar farm - Jul 30, 2010

The solar farm is just a part of Pocono Raceway's "Go Green" program - albeit a massively impressive part!

Go Green Solar Project - Pocono Raceway

Business Wire: The Hershey Company to Unveil New Solar Arrays at Hershey’s Chocolate World

2011-06-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

As with the Ikea news, this isn't something that directly involves those of us in Northeastern Pennsylvania - but it's something to look for the next time you visit Hershey's Chocolate World!

The Hershey Company to Unveil New Solar Arrays at Hershey’s Chocolate World Business Wire

PPL Electric Utilities Completes 2011 Solicitation for Solar Renewable Energy Credits

2011-06-02T21:59:00.000-07:00

The results of PPL's latest SREC solicitation. Next solicitation will be in July, to purchase 24,000 SRECs for an eight-year period beginning in June 2012.

PR Newswire: PPL Electric Utilities Completes 2011 Solicitation for Solar Renewable Energy Credits

Solar installations at Ikea

2011-05-31T08:39:00.000-07:00

Northeastern Pennsylvania doesn't have any Ikea stores yet, but this is good news from any retailer. I have long hoped that Walmart, Lowes, or Home Depot would lead the way in retail solar installation, since they have enormous amounts of rooftop square footage and could synergistically sell solar panels to homeowners. But if Ikea is going to take the initiative, I'll be happy to keep my eye open for their installations the next time I'm near one of their stores!

Ikea A Rooftop Solar Juggernaut

Pottsville Republican Herald: Schuylkill County plants turning to solar power

2011-05-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

Solar projects and problems in Schuylkill County.

Schuylkill County plants turning to solar power - News - Pottsville Republican Herald

Representative Chris Ross discusses the future of solar energy in Pennsylvania

2011-05-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

Also, some backround information on Solar Renewable Energy Credits.

See here for more from Chris Ross on this topic.

Penn Future -Solar Jobs Bill will create employment,protect Pennsylvania’s businesses, and clean up our environment

2011-05-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

A press release from Penn Future regarding HB 1580, the Solar Jobs Bill.

Penn Future: Solar Jobs Bill will create employment,protect Pennsylvania’s businesses, and clean up our environment

Scranton Times-Tribune: Don't let sun set on Pa. jobs

2011-05-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

An opinion piece that appeared in the Scranton Times-Tribune this week regarding the collapse of Pennsylvania's SREC (Solar Renewable Energy Credit) market, and what state legislators could do to remedy the situation.

Don't let sun set on Pa. jobs - Opinion - The Times-Tribune

Calfinder: Last Call for Pennsylvania Solar Rebates

2011-05-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

Is time running out for Pennsylvania homeowners to get solar rebates?

Calfinder: Last Call for Pennsylvania Solar Rebates

East Lycoming School District solar project

2011-05-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

The East Lycoming School District threw the switch yesterday on a 600 kW ground-based solar array located near the Hughesville High School.

Solar project kicks off at high school - Williamsport Sun-Gazette

Mike Kroboth, president of PPL Renewable Energy, said 2,550 solar panels will produce 700,000 kilowatt-hours of green energy each year. The amount of energy could power 60 homes. The project will reduce the district's annual greenhouse gases by 1.1 million pounds of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to planting 100 acres of pine forest or removing 95 cars from the road.

East Lycoming Goes Green - Solar Power

The East Lycoming School District solar project was also featured on a segment of WNEP's The Power to Save.

Is there an oversupply of solar power in Pennsylvania?

2011-05-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

While solar power development in Pennsylvania is still in a relatively nascent stage, the all-important solar renewable energy credit (SREC) market has become glutted, resulting in a crash in the prices offered for SRECs. Is there a legislative solution to this problem? Or is the Pennsylvania government too committed to natural gas extraction to care about renewable energy?

Pennsylvania's solar-energy industry suffering from success - Philly.com

Spring Solar Training Conference - Philadelphia, June 9-11

2011-05-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

This news from the Penn State Center for Sustainability:

Northern Mid-Atlantic Solar Center partner ONTILITY will host the Spring Solar Training Conference at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott Hotel on June 9-11. The conference opens with two days of workshops led by leading solar industry manufacturers, followed by a full day of solar sales training provided by ONTILITY. For NABCEP Certified PV Installers, continuing education credit will be offered. On Thursday evening, participants are invited to tour the Clean Energy Campus at the Navy Yard. The tour will be followed by a reception hosted by Eaton Industries. Attendees of the SIPD 402 Solar Instructor Professional Development from June 6 through 10 will attend part of this conference on Friday, June 10.

More information: http://www.ontility.com/training/manufacturer-workshops

In related news, the Northern Mid-Atlantic Solar Education and Resource Center has put out an application for participation in the Solar Instructor Training Network Summer 2011 Hands-on Workshop SIPD 402 - Advanced Solar PV Assembly and Commissioning, being held in Philadelphia June 6th through June 10th. See Northern Mid-Atlantic Solar Education & Resource Center for more details.

Federal Consumer Energy Incentives

2011-05-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

Directly from the Department of Energy, information about consumer energy incentives.

Department of Energy - Tax Breaks

The bit about solar incentives:

Consumers who install solar energy systems (including solar water heating and solar electric systems), small wind systems, geothermal heat pumps, and residential fuel cell and microturbine systems can receive a 30% tax credit for systems placed in service before December 31, 2016; the previous tax credit cap no longer applies.

Solar Rebates and Incentives for Pennsylvania

2011-05-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

Solar Rebates and Incentives for Pennsylvania

Excellent information on solar rebates and incentives in Pennsylvania. Also includes a list of useful links.

10 MW PA Solar Park to be built in Nesquehoning

2011-05-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

This is news from last Summer, but I just found out about it a few weeks ago. Still, very exciting!

GreenEnergyFinder - NEW - 10 MW PA Solar Park

HARRISBURG, Aug. 7 – State Rep. Keith McCall, D-Carbon, was joined by officials from Kovatch Enterprises and Green Energy Capital Partners to announce that a site adjacent to the Green Acres Industrial Park in Nesquehoning will be home to a 10.6 megawatt ground-mounted solar-energy-generating plant – the largest solar plant in Pennsylvania and one of the largest in the nation.

SEEDS

2011-05-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support)

While this site is currently undergoing some renovations, their History page has information about the organization:

http://seedsgroup.net/about/history/

SEEDS is a community-based organization in Northeastern Pennsylvania committed to developing a local renewable energy infrastructure and promoting more sustainable living in our area. SEEDS was founded in 2008 by a group of passionate, engaged communities members and in 2009, registered as an official 501c3 non-profit.

Over the past two years, SEEDS has held 12 open forums on various topics ranging from geothermal heating to small-scale wind to solar thermal hot water systems. These events have been well attended, providing free information to over 800 residents of northeastern Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Renewable Energy Festival

2011-05-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

The Pennsylvania Renewable Energy Festival

Sept. 16, 17, & 18 2011 at the Kempton Community Center, Kempton, PA
A three-day festival about renewable energy, natural building construction, sustainable agriculture, land-use planning, forestry and healthy living practices in general.

The PA Renewable Energy Festival: Festival Information

PA Sunshine Solar Program

2011-05-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

PA Sunshine Solar Program

Excellent resource page from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

From their page:

What is the Pennsylvania Sunshine Program?

The Pennsylvania Sunshine Solar Program will provide $100 million in rebates to help fund solar electric (solar photovoltaic, or PV) and solar hot water (solar thermal) projects for homeowners and small businesses in Pennsylvania.

Funding will be deployed in the form of rebates for residential and small business projects. Rebates will be awarded on a first-come-first-served basis to approved applicants. Households may receive one solar photovoltaic (PV) rebate for up to 10 kilowatts(kW) of installed PV generating capacity plus one solar thermal rebate not to exceed $2,000. A small business may only submit one PV and one solar thermal application at a time and must complete the project and rebate process prior to submitting another application.

PA Solar

2011-05-20T21:03:00.001-07:00

PA Solar

From their "About Us" page:

We are The Commission on Economic Opportunity

http://www.ceopeoplehelpingpeople.org/

The Commission on Economic Opportunity (CEO) was established in 1965. CEO is a non-profit community based organization whose base of operations is located in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, PA. We also operate the Pennsylvania Weatherization Providers Task Force, a statewide organization representing 42 Weatherization Service Providers. As part of the nationwide US Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program CEO applied for and was awarded a Partnership in the Million Solar Roofs Initiative. For us that wonderful program ended December 31, 2006, but because our Executive Director felt so strongly about the solar information services we provide and the potential impact we may have on our energy future, we have evolved into PA SOLAR.

Solar Energy News - Green Business Daily

2011-05-20T19:29:00.003-07:00

Solar Energy News Green Business Daily

A resource for people looking for the latest solar energy news.

Solar Instructor Training Network

2011-05-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

Solar Instructor Training Network

Launched in 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy established the Solar Instructor Training Network (SITN), composed of nine Regional Training Providers (RTPs) to help fulfill a critical need for high-quality, local, and accessible training in solar system design, installation, sales, and inspection through train-the-trainer programs. The nine RTPs are well-established solar training institutions that offer expert trainers and first-class training facilities across the U.S.

For the Northern Mid-Atlantic States, Pennsylvania State University is the RTP. By engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders, the Pennsylvania State University's Northern Mid-Atlantic Solar Regional Training Center will support a comprehensive training infrastructure for sales, design, installation, commissioning, and service of both solar PV and solar heating and cooling technologies. Contact David Riley for more information.

http://www.sitnusa.org/rtps-instructors/northern-midatlantic

Luzerne County Community College Certificate in Sustainable Energy Technology

2011-05-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

For anyone interested in pursuing a career in Sustainable Energy, Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke offers a two-semester Certificate in Sustainable Energy Technology.

From the course description:

The Sustainable Energy Program is designed to prepare individuals for entry level technician positions in various energy fields. This includes sectors such as wind, solar, geothermal and biomass energy. Clean coal and smart grid technology are also considered. Additionally, sustainability is addressed in the context of efficiency of energy use and carbon footprint.

2010/2011 Catalog - Certificate in Sustainable Energy Technology

Luzerne County Community College - About

Solar Power System Installation by Home Depot

2011-05-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

The other major home improvement chain also provides solar services.

Solar Power System Installation - The Home Depot - Get Your Solar Power System Installed by the Experts

Lowe’s and Sungevity Announce Solar Partnership - Forbes

2011-05-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

Coming to a home improvement store near you!

Lowe’s and Sungevity Announce Solar Partnership - Osha Gray Davidson - Edison 2.0 - Forbes

Solar in Northeastern Pennsylvania

2011-05-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

Sun pillar at sunrise, Nanticoke

Alternative energy is the way of the future - and today! Solar energy is at the forefront of alternative energy. Many people are surprised to learn that Northeastern Pennsylvania provides an excellent climate for generating electricity from solar energy. In fact, the degree of solar energy available is comparable in many ways to Germany, the nation that leads the world in conversion of solar energy to electricity. (This should come as no surprise in either case: Both regions are covered in organic solar energy converters - trees - and have deposits of coal that represent solar energy stored in the past by vegetation.)

NEPA Solar, aka Solar in Northeastern Pennsylvania, will strive to be a central resource for individuals seeking information about solar energy, solar panel purchase and installation, and the economic benefits of solar energy.