Farmer sows solar panels, harvests energy (NJ)

http://www.nj.com/news/expresstimes/nj/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1149653625265260.xml&coll=2

FRANKLIN TWP. | In 1847, Josiah Wilson built a steam-powered gristmill and sawmill to power Oak Grove Plantation.

On Tuesday, Ted Blew's youngest son, Jonathan, flicked a switch and activated a solar panel system to power the family's 160-acre organic farm. They expect to generate 1.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity from the sun.

<snip>

About 567 total solar panels are in the system, according to Pam Frank, marketing director of the Sun Farm Network. The company is a solar power developer that has installed panels on three Hunterdon County farms and several other buildings in the county.

The energy flows to the power grid to operate the farm. Because all energy created is used, neighbors can use extra energy not used for Oak Grove.

<more>

:applause:

nt

Much of the Eastern US is patchwork of farmland - there are lots of south facing fence rows that could be used for PV arrays without impacting agricultural acreage.

I would rather see working profitable small farms with PV arrays, small wind turbines and methane digesters than new McMansionvilles (which are the True Enemy of small farms in the East).

Not only is that all wasted sunlight, it is actually an energy COST, as it creates heat we have to counter with AC.

And not a square inch of it would impact green-space.

I think that's a typo. They must be very big panels.

1.2 million WATT-hours might be believable.

I remember once seeing the time of a 10 km (i.e. 10,000) meter race given as the time to run 10,000 km -- same mistake.

...that New Jersey's crime, education and healthcare are now so under control, they can afford to hand out a quarter of a million dollars to one family.

And people complain about nuclear subsidies... :eyes: