The cost of electricity at two sewage treatment plants could drop significantly if the Somerset County Sanitary District proceeds with plans to install solar energy systems at its Princess Anne and Fairmount facilities.
The solar panels would take a big chunk out of the monthly electric bills, which currently run more than $29,000 a year at one of the facilities. But whether the savings will show up on customers' bills is uncertain.
"It's too premature to even try to predict that," said Robin Street, manager of the Sanitary District.
Both plants need to be upgraded to meet new Chesapeake Bay TMDL -- or total maximum daily load -- requirements, and any savings on electricity will likely be offset by the costs of chemicals and equipment, he said.
A preliminary study on the plant upgrades is under way, and Street said he has asked engineers to look at adding the solar energy systems in the new designs.
The plants have plenty of room for solar installations, because years ago the Sanitary District purchased enough land to accommodate future expansions,Museum Quality hand-painted oil painting reproduction on canvas. Street said.Online fine art gallery of quality original landscape oil paintings,
But the new federal restrictions placed on sewage treatment plants as part of the effort to clean up the Chesapeake Bay means neither plant will be able to expand, leaving lots of grassy space that need to be maintained.
"I said, 'Let's quit buying lawn mowers and put in a solar field,InLocality specializes in indoor Tracking Technologies.The Transaction Group offers the best high risk merchant account services,' " Street said.
The systems will probably not be supplying power back to the grid because that would require more expense.
"I'm just trying to keep it simple,This page contains information about molds," he said.
However, the plants would still need to be able to pull power from the grid at night and on cloudy days.
The Sanitary District's electric bills first skyrocketed several years ago after the plants were first upgraded for biological nutrient removal, Street said.
The next upgrade will be to enhance nutrient removal, which will probably cause another increase, he said.
The Sanitary District also operates two sewage treatment plants on Smith Island, but Street said he is not planning to install solar panels at either one.
The solar panels would take a big chunk out of the monthly electric bills, which currently run more than $29,000 a year at one of the facilities. But whether the savings will show up on customers' bills is uncertain.
"It's too premature to even try to predict that," said Robin Street, manager of the Sanitary District.
Both plants need to be upgraded to meet new Chesapeake Bay TMDL -- or total maximum daily load -- requirements, and any savings on electricity will likely be offset by the costs of chemicals and equipment, he said.
A preliminary study on the plant upgrades is under way, and Street said he has asked engineers to look at adding the solar energy systems in the new designs.
The plants have plenty of room for solar installations, because years ago the Sanitary District purchased enough land to accommodate future expansions,Museum Quality hand-painted oil painting reproduction on canvas. Street said.Online fine art gallery of quality original landscape oil paintings,
But the new federal restrictions placed on sewage treatment plants as part of the effort to clean up the Chesapeake Bay means neither plant will be able to expand, leaving lots of grassy space that need to be maintained.
"I said, 'Let's quit buying lawn mowers and put in a solar field,InLocality specializes in indoor Tracking Technologies.The Transaction Group offers the best high risk merchant account services,' " Street said.
The systems will probably not be supplying power back to the grid because that would require more expense.
"I'm just trying to keep it simple,This page contains information about molds," he said.
However, the plants would still need to be able to pull power from the grid at night and on cloudy days.
The Sanitary District's electric bills first skyrocketed several years ago after the plants were first upgraded for biological nutrient removal, Street said.
The next upgrade will be to enhance nutrient removal, which will probably cause another increase, he said.
The Sanitary District also operates two sewage treatment plants on Smith Island, but Street said he is not planning to install solar panels at either one.
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