In May 2010 a 10kW solar system was installed at a residence in the Philadelphia region.Oftentimes, residential PV systems are installed on the owner’s roof top.In this case, the owner did not have a lot of space on the roof, but had lots of land.So, the system was ground mounted.Additionally, the owner wanted to maximize the output of the system while minimizing the installation cost. The system was designed so the tilt could be adjusted several times each year to capture more sunshine.
The construction started with digging eight holes that were each 6 feet deep and 2 feet in diameter.Six-inch diameter steel pipes were placed in the holes and then set in concrete and backfilled.The tops of the pipes were then cut to the proper height and a backbone was attached across the top.Twenty-two rails were then bolted to the backbone using brackets that can swivel on the backbone.This allows the owner to adjust the tilt of the system several times a year to follow the sun.In the summer the sun is high in the sky so the panels are tilted toward the sky.In the winter the sun is lower in the sky so the panels are tilted toward the horizon.
Next forty-four Solon 225 watt solar panels were attached to the rails.Then the electrical connections between all the panels were made and ground wires were added.Wires carrying the DC current were run underground from the PV array to an existing shed where the control system was installed.The shed houses the inverters, combiner box, subpanel, disconnects, and production meter.
The resulting AC current from the inverters runs underground from the shed to the owner’s garage.The wires are tied into the existing circuit breaker box that services the house.When the sun shines and the house is using fewer killowats than the PV system is using, the electric meter spins backwards!
I spoke to the owner recently.He reports the system is running well.It has already generated 8 megawatt hours (MWh).The system should produce about 12 MWh a year which is worth 12 Renewable Energy Credits (REC).There is a market for RECs.The price varies daily.A PV owner can sell them for the daily price or sign an agreement with a third party that will lock in the price for a number of years. For example,a REC might sell for $300 today or you could lock in a price of $265 for the next 5 years.
What kind of efficiency does $1,725,000 buy you? Read all about this LEED Silver certified home on 5 acres near Longwood Gardens at ForSalebyOwner.com.
Remember when Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma was poking fun of Al Gore back in February because Washington DC got a little snow? We hope that the Senator starts to get the idea that the weather and the climate are two separate things. Below is the NOAAs summary for the month of June for Dulles Airport in Washington DC. Note the part that says: "EVERY MONTH SINCE MARCH 2010 HAS RANKED IN THE TOP-THREE WARMEST OF ALL-TIME AT DULLES WITH MARCH AND JUNE BOTH BEING THE WARMEST ON RECORD."
HEAT WAS THE MAIN CLIMATE STORY IN JUNE 2010 AT DULLES.
THE AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS 76.8F...WHICH WAS THE WARMEST JUNE ON RECORD...BREAKING THE PREVIOUS WARMEST JUNE RECORD OF 76.1 DEGREES SET IN JUNE 1994. THERE WERE 12 DAYS WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES OF 90 DEGREES OR HIGHER. THIS WAS THE FOURTH JUNE ON RECORD OF AT LEAST 12 DAYS OF 90 DEGREES OR HIGHER AND THE FIRST SINCE 1994 WHEN THERE WERE FOURTEEN SUCH DAYS. THE JUNE 2010 MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS CLOSE TO WHAT IS MORE TYPICAL OF JULY.
EVERY MONTH SINCE MARCH 2010 HAS RANKED IN THE TOP-THREE WARMEST OF ALL-TIME AT DULLES WITH MARCH AND JUNE BOTH BEING THE WARMEST ON RECORD.
THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 97 DEGREES ON THE 24TH BROKE THE OLD DAILY RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 95 DEGREES SET IN 1966 WHILE THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 89 DEGREES ON THE 3RD TIED THE RECORD SET IN 1980.
A TOTAL OF SIX DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE EITHER BROKEN OR TIED...THREE NEW RECORDS WERE SET ON THE 3RD...24TH AND 29TH WHILE THREE WERE TIED ON THE 1ST...20TH AND 28TH.
JUNE WAS ALSO DRIER THAN NORMAL WITH DULLES ONLY RECEIVING LESS THAN A THIRD OF THE NORMAL RAINFALL FOR THE MONTH. THE 1.29 INCHES OF RAINFALL IS FOURTH DRIEST JUNE ON RECORD AND THE DRIEST JUNE SINCE 1988 WHEN ONLY 0.52 INCHES OF RAINFALL WAS MEASURED DURING THE ENTIRE MONTH. ABOUT HALF OF THE MONTH`S RAINFALL WAS RECORDED WITH A THUNDERSTORM ON THE 28TH.
The BP oil spill is the worst environmental disaster of its kind in our nation's history. My administration has deployed every tool at our disposal for the response efforts. Thousands are working around the clock, including some of the top scientists and engineers from around the world.
We are working to hold BP accountable for the damage to the lands and the livelihoods of the Gulf Coast, and we are taking strong precautions to make certain a spill like this never happens again.
But our work will not end with this crisis. That's one of the reasons why I invited lawmakers from both parties to join me at the White House to discuss what it will take to move forward on legislation to promote a new economy powered by green jobs, combat climate change, and end our dependence on foreign oil.
Today, we consume more than 20 percent of the world's oil, but have less than two percent of the world's oil reserves. Beyond the risks inherent in drilling four miles beneath the surface of the Earth, our dependence on oil means that we will continue to send billions of dollars of our hard-earned wealth to other countries every month -- including many in dangerous and unstable regions.
In other words, our continued dependence on fossil fuels will jeopardize our national security. It will smother our planet. And it will continue to put our economy and our environment at risk. We cannot delay any longer, and that is why I am asking for your help.
eparate things. Below is the NOAAs summary for the month of June for Dulles Airport in Washington DC. Note the part that says: "EVERY MONTH SINCE MARCH 2010 HAS RANKED IN THE TOP-THREE WARMEST OF ALL-TIME AT DULLES WITH MARCH AND JUNE BOTH BEING THE WARMEST ON RECORD."
We are working to hold BP accountable for the damage to the lands and the livelihoods of the Gulf Coast, and we are taking strong precautions to make certain a spill like this never happens again.
