| In an odd juxtaposition of purpose and ideals, | | | | “brownouts” as the already overtaxed |
| Pottstown, Pennsylvania-based Buckman’s Ski | | | | Eastern Interconnect, which in 2003 saw massive |
| and Snowboard Shops recently announced it was | | | | failures, struggles to match electricity delivery with |
| installing 3,000 roof-mounted solar photovoltaic panels | | | | demand. |
| to supply electricity to the company’s | | | | In fact, solar electricity may be the only thing holding |
| warehouse and production facilities. | | | | back the darkness, as Exelon – one of the |
| Cooler temperatures are generally better for | | | | East’s largest generators – closes four |
| conventional (silicon-based) solar photovoltaic (PV) | | | | Pennsylvania generating units and considers further |
| panels. In fact, according to a recent study, | | | | cutbacks. |
| temperatures around 93 degrees Fahrenheit (34 | | | | Take a 2008 summary by the NextGen Energy |
| Celsius) began to affect solar PV performance, with | | | | Council, which predicts brownouts in 2009. A |
| temperatures over 107 degrees Fahrenheit causing a | | | | possibility supported by Rich Sergel (President of the |
| power drop, over time, of a whopping 40 percent. | | | | North American Electric Reliability Corp., the agency |
| The 620-kilowatt solar PV system for Buckman's Ski | | | | that oversees the nation’s power grid), who |
| is being developed by Kunkletown, | | | | says that the nation as a whole, and the Eastern |
| Pennsylvania-based Metro-Tek Electrical Services, is | | | | Seaboard in particular, has reached a point where |
| expected to provide 700,000 kilowatt-hours per year | | | | demand may exceed resources, even with the |
| of electricity. | | | | addition of renewable energy. |
| The calculations may be a little high. One kilowatt of | | | | In fact, according to the report, current baseload |
| solar generates between 750 and 1,600 | | | | reserve margins are down to about 15 percent, with |
| kilowatt-hours per year, depending on system | | | | at least 12 percent reserve needed to insure stability |
| efficiency and solar insolation values. | | | | of the nation’s electric system – a margin |
| Pennsylvania’s average solar insolation ranges | | | | that can’t be met without adding electricity |
| from 2.0 to 3.5, or about half that of the highest | | | | generation and transmission because demand is |
| insolation values (6.5) in the continental U.S. | | | | forecast to grow by 18 percent in the next ten |
| Still, assuming the estimate is accurate, the PV | | | | years alone. |
| system will add badly needed electricity to the | | | | Thus Buckman’s solar installation, which might |
| Eastern grid while also offsetting 503 metric tons of | | | | seem small in the grand scheme of things, is actually |
| carbon dioxide which would have otherwise been | | | | an incremental protection against that failure, and |
| generated by PECO Energy, a subsidiary of Exelon. | | | | many more are needed. |
| This is the same as removing 96 cars from the road | | | | Buckman's plans to do its part by adding both wind |
| or planting 12,890 trees. | | | | and solar thermal heating systems at each of its |
| The PV system will also be one of the largest in the | | | | shops once the 620-kilowatt solar installation is |
| state when completed, and will help prevent | | | | completed. |