CHRISTMAS TREE FARM POWERED BY SUN

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are your branches!
In beauty green will always grow
Through summer sun and winter snow.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are your branches!
…from O Christmas Tree (English version of O Tannenbaum, traditional)

Opening sentence from an article in The Daily Times by Laura D’Alessandro: “The clatter on the roof at Bruce Nichols' Christmas tree farm this week isn't from the feet of reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh, although the sound may signal a few gifts are coming: no more electric bills and a little bit of solar power left to go around.”

Nichols is installing a solar system to run his farm.

Here’s the answer to that first question every consumer asks:

Nichols’ commercial-sized system cost ~$90,000. He received ~$30,000 in grants and will have on-going tax benefits. The system will pay itself off over its 20-year life span. But that does not include the biggest benefit, the personal satisfaction. Nichols' monthly payment is about what anybody else pays to keep the lights on but he is not paying for energy generated along with greenhouse gas emissions and other ecological devastations. He is paying for energy that causes no harm to the atmosphere or environment and comes from a source that is virtually inexhaustible.

Danny Ervin, professor, Salisbury University and director, Shore ENERGY: "Right now it requires creative thinking and tax incentives from the state and federal governments to induce people to install it…And then you have people who are just willing to pay."

A solar system installation is not economic right now because the solar energy industry has not achieved the economies of scale that will eventually bring manufacturing costs down. Experts suggest solar energy-generated electricity will reach grid parity - where its costs are the same as other electricity-generating sources - by the middle of the next decade.

Meanwhile, for doing a good thing, solar energy enthusiasts are likely to win the best of Santa’s bounty, even if their rooftops require him and Rudolph to clatter cautiously.

From the National Christmas Tree Association: Making An Eco-Friendly Choice: The Environmental Debate Settled

For next week: Trees can be recycled as mulch.

Installing solar panels at the Christmas tree farm. (click to enlarge)

Christmas tree farm branches out to catch solar energy in Hebron; Power not used will supply grid
Laura D’Alessandro, December 4, 2008 (The Daily Times)

WHO
Bruce Nichols, owner, Hebron Christmas tree farm; Choptank Electric Cooperative; Chief Electric; Eclipse Solar Specialists (Anthony Lockwood, co-owner)

WHAT
Nichols is installing a solar power system at his Christmas tree farm.

A Delaware Christmas tree farm. (click to enlarge)

WHEN
20 years: The time Nichols has invested in the past, watching solar energy for the right time to buy and the amount of time Nichols will have to wait for break even on the cost of his system.

WHERE
- Nichols’ Christmas tree farm is in Hebron, Delaware.
- The system will be on the roof of an equipment shed.
- Nichols hopes to power the farm and feed electricity back to the grid.

WHY
- Nichols' 10-kilowatt system will power a 300-acre Christmas tree farm.
- Chief Electric is installing the system.
- Choptank Electric Cooperative will credit Nichols with the power he feeds back to the grid.
- Eclipse Solar Specialists recently managed the solar system installation at Delaware Gov.-elect Jack Markell's home.

click to enlarge

QUOTES
- Cecil Chris, employee, Choptank Electric: "It's sort of like using the grid as a bank…The few hours he generates more will be put into the grid."
- Danny Ervin, professor, Salisbury University and director, Shore ENERGY: "Solar is generally two or three times more expensive than buying electric from Delmarva Power or one of the co-ops…You can't discount the feel-good benefit that you get…You feel like you're doing something to help the environment."
- Anthony Lockwood, co-owner, Eclipse Solar Specialists: "We're doing pretty good these days…There are a ton of people interested, and the competition is starting to grow. When we started (three years ago) there were three or four companies in Delaware. Now there are seven or eight."