******* We are now certified to install solar electrical generation systems*******

    In 2008, we went green  with the installation of a 12 killowatt solar panel (photovoltaic)  system that provides the power for all of our electrical requirements at the manufacturing plant.  By the end of 2009, we will have saved our atmosphere from dealing with twelve tons of carbon introduction, and this only multiplies through the years. 

   Steve and Bruce at West Adirondack worked alongside a nyserda certified installer to lay out the footprint, drill the holes, set the transit elevations, pour the sonotube foundations (60 piers) with concrete and rerod, anchor the treated lumber bottom plates, attach the aluminum rails to the plates, and finally install the actual solar panels. Two separate inverters were installed, and an underground feed was put in to connect all this to the grid. A bi-directional meter was installed by the power company, to indicate how much net power flows each month. A second meter keeps track of the amount of power the solar panels have produced.

    There was some doubt as to how much power can actually be produced here in the cloudy northeast. So far, we are actually producing more power in the winter than in the summer. Like an overheated electrical wire, if the panels are hot (summer), they are not as efficient as when they are cold (winter). We have seen a peak output in the winter of 90 KWH's per day, with the sun reflecting off the snow in the field. (those days when you get snow-blindness) Last fall, during testing, we could get a peak output of 45 kwh's per day. Arizona may get more sun than us, but our snow is a great reflector of photons, and our panels are much more efficient in the cold.

     The panels are elevated each season to a degree that sets them at a ninety degree angle to the sun's rays. This maximizes the amount of light that reaches the panels. Cloudy days will reduce the power output, sometimes as much as 75%, but those sunny days really spin the meter.

    Half of this country's electricity is produced with coal, and this type of production pollutes the atmosphere with carbon. If we are to further reduce our dependence on oil, much more electricity needs to be produced using carbon-free renewable energy resources like solar, wind, and even water power. This results in a huge reduction in our carbon footprint as a country.

      Hopefully, the current interest in green energy is not a passing fad.  It now appears that our government agencies have realized that something has to be done about our energy sources, and these agencies have provided the incentives to citizens to allow for less expensive installations of these smaller solar and wind plants. Speed is essential here if we are to install these systems in our backyards and on our rooftops, because the price of oil is sure to go back to $4 and beyond as soon as the economy makes a turn for the better.

     We have been planning for years to either install solar or wind energy at our place, and the economics, with the federal and state rebate programs now in effect,  allowed us to go forward with our project in 2008. NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) in particular was very helpful.

This type of installation goes hand-in-hand with our log home manufacturing, and it compliments our type of business well. There is also a certain satisfaction that goes with knowing that you are no longer polluting our earth, and you have eliminated your electric bill forever.

     Here are some pictures of our solar panels at different stages of the project.........

.