SAY WHAT? Solar advocates see bright opportunity in northern Maine

While I have long been a user of a solar array on my camp that is off the grid, and I support those who want to put solar arrays on their own home, here in Maine, 4.2 usable hours of wintertime sun is hardly a "bright opportunity."  That is just 17.5% of usable power for the array.  As long as this is used by private homes or businesses, I have no problem, but this sounds like wealthy investors might jump into the market for the massive subsidies available.

http://bangordailynews.com/2015/08/30/news/aroostook/solar-advocate...

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Comment by Pineo Girl on August 31, 2015 at 11:18am

I am also a solar user and I love it - My WiFi is working right now using solar energy! Any amount of time I don't need to use the "Arab" as we call our generator is a good thing!! For those who want to make the investment in the panels and the batteries over time it pays off! And I am personally delighted with the diversion of the focus off of wind.

Comment by Eric A. Tuttle on August 31, 2015 at 11:05am

1 The average home in Maine, uses 31 kWh per day (Government statistics to justify the need for more energy production from renewables)

2 Is the photo of the lower efficiency Array, or the newer more expensive 43% efficient more expensive units (at taxpayer expense since a county facility)

3 How much of this 6.8 kw is consumed by the computers & motor devices for tracking when the sun is shining or not shining each 24 hour period whether producing or not. [ A 1hp motor @ 120V takes about 7 amps, for an annual average of a 12 hour day this would be 10kw of power consumption. 1x7x120x12=10,080 W. {} 4.2x6.8kw=28.56 - 10 = 18.56 Kw for other uses?]

4 30% federal tax credit? [Random inquiry images]  (does not show hardware for additional requirements)

($4200 tax credit. (over how many years)

(average Maine home at 950 kWh / mo @.15 /kWh = $1710 (8.18 year))

Now to keep up with current usage you would need maybe 4 such for 31kW daily use.

(16,800 tax credit. ?) (8.18 x 4 ?  33 years ? ) Note their After Tax Credit Cost per kWh.....

In the article it states 250 Watt panels at $250, however this does not include frames, wiring, controls, and shipping from manufacturer. (up to an additional $1000 as noted in AD above)

Read the Article with questions, research, and be very cautious. Commercial Grid systems of long distances have a built in loss of at least 10%.

Comment by Eric A. Tuttle on August 31, 2015 at 9:47am

They (solar grid proponents) are already frothing about receiving the same Credits as Wind and (new) Biomass Utility projects. Where those such as Wind start receiving the benefits from near the beginning stage of their project, Solar must wait until the date it comes online, after proving its abilities through commissioning in most states. Though my research shows Maine with an annual average of 5.1 hours of productive sunlight, these figures most likely were derived from government used statistics. These figures, I have found are nearly always high and probably a biased reporting to the government, through the NREL. The NREL documents I have encountered often start with a disclaimer of any accuracy, when utilizing and compiling data as they are from the industrial sectors reports. When engaging in an online conversation with a suspected NREL worker/defender, upon presenting this fact of disclaimer, the conversation ceased. The reason of suspecting the person was his past conversations (98+) always claimed that others were always wrong, including Scientists and Professors.

Maine, at Dexter and some other communities, sits at the 45th parallel, and thus to receive 100% productive capacity the panels would have to be at the angle of incidence of 45° on the spring and fall equinox. This angle allows for a direct angle. The surface of glass and other materials tend to reflect some of the light off the surface similar to a mirror at any indirect angle thus less than 100%. Solar tracking systems are designed to try to overcome this. Not only the change in latitude but along with the daily changes in longitude. These use some of the power created, or use outside sources. On days the sun is not shining and not productive, these auto tracking devices still track where the sun should be on that given day, still using power. ( or using power within a computer to re engage if days pass and allow for an autotrack system to shut down )

As with any electrical energy, the further it is moved, the more losses. Point of Use generation is best, with any excesses being contributed to a community grid through a net metering or other co op method. Micro hydro, solar, wind, geothermal, solar thermal.

However there already exists a plan to tax our independence within Maine, after people and small businesses take the bait of the new offer of state and federal assistance. 4 states have already done so. 

So Beware these Trojan Horses.

 

Maine as Third World Country:

CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power

 

Click here to read how the Maine ratepayer has been sold down the river by the Angus King cabal.

Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT

******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********

(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/

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Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law

Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future

"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."

https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/

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