Local officials at Worton Solar Field dedication, Tuesday, July 10
The roster of Kent lawmakers and public officials huddled under a tent at the new Worton Solar Field on Tuesday to dedicate a “first” in Maryland’s renewable energy portfolio, which will produce the energy needs of three school facilities, the Kent County Community Center, and the Kent County Department of Public Works building on Morgnec Road.
“This project has incorporated several ‘firsts,’” said Standard Solar President Scott Wiater, whose company built and will operate the 1.2 Megawatt facility for Washington Gas Energy Services. “It is the first aggregate net metering project for a municipality…in Maryland.”
There are many solar projects on the Eastern Shore but the Worton Solar field is unique in that it does not sell just the excess of its energy needs to the power company–but rather sells 100 percent of the energy output to the grid for a “dollar for dollar credit,” which is applied to the energy bills of the designated county facilities, Wiater said at the dedication on Tuesday.
This means every dollar the solar field sells to the grid is directly deducted from the electric bills of the designated county facilities.
“Generating electricity close to where it is going to be consumed is the wave of the future,” Wiater said.
“The project cost around $5 million to build,” said Sanjiv Mahan, Vice President of Business Development for Washington Gas Energy Services, which owns the solar field.
Sanjiv Mahan, Vice President of Business Development for Washington Gas Energy Services says Maryland is a renewable energy friendly state
Mahan said his company has been looking for ways to diversify its portfolio over the last two years in the face of a “changing world” and a “carbon constrained” environment.
“So about two years ago we asked how we should go about diversifying ourselves, and a clear example is what you see behind us today,” Mahan said as he pointed to the seven-acre solar field which hosts an array of 5,376 solar panels.
Mahan applauded his company’s relationship with the Kent County Commissioners and local agencies in developing the project. He said the State of Maryland was also a very important stakeholder and facilitator of renewable energy projects.
“The state is forward thinking in how it looks at energy for the state and is offering incentives and opportunities by requiring [energy] companies have renewable portfolios,” Mahan said. “That’s very critical for us. It allows corporations the opportunity to invest in [renewables] long term.”
Rob Busler of Standard Solar tests kid’s understanding of solar energy in a Q&A at Tuesday’s dedication
Mahan said his company started investing in small projects two years ago of around $3 million—but the company has now committed over $150 million to alternative and renewable energy projects.
“We believe this is the right way as a nation, a state, and a community to best our environment as a whole,” Mahan said. We believe this is how we need to balance…dependency on fossil fuels.”
Kent County School Superintendent Barabara Wheeler said the school system has been an enthusiastic stakeholder of the project from the beginning and plans to use the solar field as a laboratory for a renewable energy curriculum.
“This initiative will reduce costs by billions of dollars over time and shrink our carbon foot print,” Wheeler said. “At the same time we are eager to incorporate new lessons on solar energy into our curriculum—giving students the opportunity to learn about solar power and monitor their own energy consumption.”
“Solar energy is being used throughout the globe, and it is essential that students begin to understand where the energy comes from that turns on our lights, powers our computers, and keeps our refrigerators cold,” she said.
Students from Kent County High School and Worton Elementary got a tour of the facility in May and were introduced to a curriculum developed by the school system to monitor energy production from the solar field.
A monitor has been placed in the high school to show how energy is being used and saved, Wheeler said. She also said many activities will center on the new solar field, which is only 200 yards from the High School.
“Students will…use the project as a catalyst for research,” Wheeler said. “[And] teachers will be engaged in the Fall with professional development activities that will help them to invent solar energy concepts into their lesson [plans].”
Standard Solar President Scott Wiater and Sanjiv Mahan, Vice President of Business Development for Washington Gas Energy Services congratulate each other in the control room of the Worton Solar Field while 1st District Democratic candidate Wendy Rosen looks on. July 10, 2012
Maryland’s 1st District Democratic Candidate Wendy Rosen said renewable energy projects like the Worton Solar Field were critical to national security and domestic job security.
“This is part of the new economy,” Rosen said. “We have to start thinking in these ways because this is where the new jobs are coming from and this is also an issue of national security. The less dependent we are on foreign fossil fuels, the more secure we are as a nation.”
Del. Jay Jacobs, R-Kent, said “Once again Kent County is at the forefront of another technology breakthrough in the State of Maryland. We have the largest solar panel population on the Eastern Shore now.”
A joint press release from Kent County Government, the school system, Washington Gas, and Standard Solar listed the benefits to the environment and the jobs that will be created from the seven-acre solar field.
The solar field will reduce the CO2 emissions of 215 passenger cars over a year’s time, or the equivalent of six rail cars of coal. The field will also produce “60 full- and part-time jobs,” the press release said.
The output from the solar field will be prioritized over the five locations. Kent County High School will have its electric bill paid first from the revenue generated from the solar field–followed by Worton Elementary, the Kent County Community Center, and the broadcast antenna for the high school’s radio station, WKHS. Standard Solar estimates the remaining output can cover up to 50 percent of the electric bill for the public works building on Morgnec Road.
mary wood says
Congratulations to all who were involved in bringing this project to Kent County.
I hope Chestertown and other Shore Counties can find ways to use solar power.
joe diamond says
This looks really good!
I wonder what the equation looks like in dollars :
Farm Acres (FA) + Solar Pannel Installation (SPI) = Farm Acres + Agricultural Annual Operations (AAO)
X(FA) +(SPI) = X (FA )+ (AAO)
Or to put it the other way, how many farm acres would it take to replace the same number of farm acres in agriculture? Could you farm solar power? How big would the farm area have to be? OR What does an acre of solar panels produce in now dollars v.s. and acre of ag land in now dollars?
Anybody?
Joe
Carla Massoni says
Congratulations!! Wow! Now this is something we can be proud of accomplishing! Democrats and Republicans working together to plan for the future. Let’s hope when Wendy Rosen gets to Washington as the new congressperson from the 1st District she will be able to bring this wonderful work ethic along with her!!
Marge Fallaw says
Quoting from the piece above:
“The field will also produce ’60 full- and part-time jobs,’ the press release said.”
I’d be interested to know more about these jobs, specifically what and where will they be?
Lainey Harrison says
Shine Baby Shine!
John L. Seidel says
Congratulations to everyone involved in this project, as well as the installations in Kennedyville and Rock Hall. Kent County is putting its best foot forward.
That said, the story told here is not complete. I am aware of numerous other dedicated individuals who devoted countless hours to this effort: writing RFPs, holding team selections, meetings, teleconferences, site reviews, plan reviews, research, discussions with utility companies, etc., that played a huge part of the overall project and contributed significantly to the finished product.
So, for getting the grand idea on paper and keeping the ball rolling, kudos go out to: Wayne Morris, Director of Kent County Public Works; Jim Wright, County Engineer; John Johnson, Kent County Public Schools Supervisor of Environmental Services; Charles MacLeod, attorney for Kent County Board of Ed; and Briggs Cunningham, Climate Action Coordinator at Washington College’s Center for Environment & Society. Their diligence behind the scenes made this project a great success.
Carla Massoni says
Yahoo!!!
Rebecca Poston says
What a great message and learning experience to be giving to our school children. Solar panels can also be installed on flat roofs, which are installed on most schools, as well as southern facing roofs and walls. Solar technology also has a thin film that can be installed on metal roofs. Will the school please report on what their past utility bills have been and how much of that expense the taxpayers have been paying? I very much value farmland and I also value trees and the enormous benefit they provide to clean air and water. Another research project: Have students compare the return on investment created by the installation of solar panels to the return on investment that mountain top removal creates as it devastates thousands of acres of land, trees, streams and ecosystems to get to each ribbon of coal. I’ve heard the phrase, “Out of sight, out of mind.” Possibly if the mountains being blown apart were in our back yard- solar panels would look more attractive. Thank you for such a great article and the wonderful news.
Ralph L. Keilholtz says
I’v been in business a long while doing ground maintance and after looking at your site in Kent County Maryland I have 1 question. How are your solar fields maintained as far a ground cover. Is mowing required in these field and if so , how. Is there any special equipment required for this type job ? Are there any health hazards involved when working in solar field constantly ? Would sure like a reply on these matters if someone has any answers.