I have never heard a person disagree with the idea that life is a winding road. What one learns and believes is constantly changing as we adjust to the tides of living. If a person or group gets stuck in the proverbial mud, they are unable to learn new things, find new pathways or open their eyes to a constantly changing tapestry of life. They become blind to life’s ever changing magnificence.
Recently, I met a person who challenged my beliefs on energy. Mark Haynes, a new friend of mine, made me look inside and question some notions that I felt strongly about. As you may know, I have several solar technologies here at my home. I have a 20 ft X 50 ft hot water solar array that heats my swimming pool 8 months out of the year. In addition I have an heat exchange hot water heater for my domestic hot water. Finally, I have a 20 ft X 50 ft photovoltaic array that provides about 70% of my electric needs here in the house. To say I am a solar enthusiast is probably an understatement. I believe these were all good investments that have lowered my carbon footprint substantially.
Several weeks ago I met Mark Haynes. He told me of a current possibility of a very large solar farm outside of Capon Bridge. For those of you who are unaware, Energix, a large Israeli owned company is considering installing a very large solar voltaic array in the valley just west of Capon Bridge, WV along Route 50. We call these solar farms because of their immense size. When I first saw these solar farms cropping up in other areas I had mixed feeling. I was pleased that we humans were making an attempt at reducing our CO2 footprint but I knew enough to realize that this answer may not be the one we are looking for in the long run. Being well versed in the technology I have learned many positive and negative attributes of solar voltaic energy.
PROS:
- They provide usable electricity to the power grid.
- They allow people to survive in areas where there is no power source.
- They can be placed on houses, in back yards or most any where you please.
- The price of a watt/sq meter is dropping quickly.
Cons
- Large solar farms can take away valuable farm land and forest for decades which will damage plant and animal habitat, carbon storage, ground water recharge, soil building, scenic beauty and also be a watershed which provides many folks with drinking water.
- After these farms have reached their life expectancy, (panels last between 20-25 years) they are very difficult to remove, expensive to recycle and it is very expensive to restore the land
- Solar panels only work when the sun is out which may not be when demands are high. Short winter days, snow and cloud cover all effect solar gain.
- Solar farms will reduce the absorption of CO2 by the land thus negating some of the reason they were initially installed.
- As with all manufactured things, it takes enormous amounts of energy to produce them, which generally releases substantial amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere.
- Due to the inherent density of sunlight, geography of the area and the latitude of the site, this solar farm will never operate at peak efficiency and will require massive amount of acreage. Companies always quot the max capacity of the panels which is somewhat misleading.
- Most jobs during construction will be filled by employees from out of the area and when the project is finished, will leave. A small team of maybe 5 or 6 will be employed to monitor and maintain the array.
- Defoliants (probably ROUNDUP) will be used to keep greenery under control.
Currently the federal government is providing large amounts of money to companies who wish to create these solar farms. Energix is currently exploring the idea of putting in a 500 acre, approximately 50 megawatt array in the area mentioned above. They will make a large amount of money from our tax dollars and we will lose the beauty and serenity associated with farms and forest. Can you imagine many of these projects appearing throughout our county? Below are some pictures of what other projects of this size look like.
Are we ready to give up our beautiful landscapes? If you feel strongly about this abuse of our county land, contact your representative.
I have learned that the state is considering passing a law that would take away a county’s control over these type of issues.
Darren Thorn.
| darren.thorne@wvhouse.gov | (304) 340-3157 |
Rick Hillenbrand
| rick.hillenbrand@wvhouse.gov | (304) 340-3176 |
Cosmic Charley's Blog 
Well-considered analysis, beginning with the author’s proof of his willingness to be flexible in the face of additional knowledge. Think it over, everyone.