01.09.2007

By STEPHANIE JORDAN
Staff Writer

LAUREL, Del. — More and more people are getting turned on to solar power for their homes to help with the high cost of fuel. And Delmarva’s poultry industry is getting in on the action.
A poultry house on a farm in Laurel, Del., will be the subject of a research project that brings together various entities, including the University of Delaware’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; the University of Delaware’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy; the Delaware Science and Technology Council; Allen Family Foods Inc.; WorldWater & Power Corp.; and GE Energy.
The project will focus on determining whether solar power can provide an economic benefit to growers.
“We’re very excited about the project,” said Robin Morgan, dean of the University of Delaware’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “The people invested in it see it as a real possibility.”
The three-year project will monitor the solar-powered system’s efficiency in catching and using solar power, as well as collecting weather data. Solar energy will be converted to electricity on sunny days and excess power will be directed to a backup battery bank for use at night. Some of that power also will be sent back to the grid.
“Energy costs are an unpredictable aspect of raising poultry,” Morgan said. “It’s an expense born by the grower. There was interest in solar power for a long time, but it was not economically viable for a while.”
But those with solar-powered systems are eligible for some state and federal rebates and tax credits. The project will cost $500,000, but is eligible for a $250,000 rebate from the Delaware Green Energy Program. The program’s incentive package for a commercial operation is a 50 percent rebate for up to a $1 million investment, provided that the operation meets certain criteria.
Morgan said figuring out what credits and rebates those with solar-powered systems are eligible for is one of the reasons for the project. The goal is to give growers an idea of how to go through the process of investing in the system and then applying for the tax credits and rebates, as well as applying for renewable energy grants.
“We want to go through the whole process,” she said. “How does it really work?”
The solar panels will be mounted on the ground rather than on the roof; if there is a lot of snow in the winter, the roof wouldn’t be able to support both the snow and the solar panels. And it’s easier to mount the panels on the ground rather than retrofitting an older house to hold the panels.
“Solar power provides a clean, safe and sustainable energy source that has the potential to eliminate standby generators and their subsequent pollution,” stated John Hughes, secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, in a press release.
And providing that energy source at a fraction of the cost of fuel might be able to keep growers in agriculture.
Morgan said it’s important to remember the version of the system used in the project will be much fancier than the average grower will actually need. She said the university and its partners wanted to demonstrate all possible uses of the technology.
“I was happy to have the opportunity to collaborate on a research project that has the potential to reduce costs for these growers,” stated Chick Allen, chairman and CEO of Allen Family Foods, in a press release. The pilot project is located on a farm owned by the company. “I want to do anything I can to maintain the economic viability of the Delmarva poultry industry.”
The project is expected to be operational during the first quarter of this year.