Two arrays of solar panels sit atop the buildings at Williams Pond Lodge, a Bucksport bed and breakfast that was part of the annual Maine Solar Tour Saturday. The statewide event opened 71 solar homes and businesses to the public as a way to promote solar power in Maine. Buy Photo
BUCKSPORT, Maine — The first thing you notice as you drive along the dirt road to the Williams Pond Lodge is that there are no utility lines along the narrow scenic road.
When you reach the lodge, a bed and breakfast run by David Weeda and Dominick Rizzo, you find out why. Atop the two buildings is an array of photovoltaic panels that, even on an overcast day such as Saturday, were collecting the sun’s energy to power the business.
The lodge was one of 71 homes and businesses throughout the state that were part of this weekend’s Maine Solar Tour, an annual event that opens buildings using different types of solar systems to the public.
“The idea is to let the general public see what is possible right now, today,” said Richard Komp, president of the Maine Solar Energy Association, which sponsors the event with the American Solar Energy Society. “Our motto is ‘Real homes for real people.”’
Although it is difficult to get an accurate count, Komp estimates there are 3,000 solar users in the state. They range from elegant, expensive homes to little cottages, he said.
“More than half of them are on the grid,” he said. “They’re selling electricity back to the utility companies.”
There is a growing interest among businesses in using solar technology to generate heat or electricity. In addition to Williams Pond Lodge, a number of commercial applications of solar technology were on display during the tour.
For example:
ä The Maine View Apartments in Orono has used a solar thermal system since 1988 to heat domestic hot water for all 24 apartments year-round and also preheats the water in the forced hot-water baseboard heating system.
ä The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association in Unity has a hot-air collector that heats a sprinkler building and a hot-water collector to heat the main building.
ä The Salt Water Grille in South Portland uses collectors to heat hot water for restaurant use in cooking and washing.
ä The Beachmere Inn in Ogunquit uses four active solar systems, one for electricity and three for hot water.
Weeda and Rizzo contemplated tying into the grid when they purchased their cottage on the shores of Williams Pond. That, however, would have involved installing poles and lines along the 0.8-mile road down to the lodge.
“The property was already off the grid,” Rizzo said. “The cost to bring power to the property was pretty high. It was way too expensive.”
The solar system was not cheap, either. But since it was installed, they have lived without a power bill.
In the summer months, the batteries are charged usually by noon each day, generating more power than they can use. Even on an overcast day such as Saturday, the panels were providing power to charge the bank of batteries.
Their off-grid system, designed and installed by Darrell DeJoy and his crew at Penobscot Solar Design in Penobscot, includes 50 115-watt photovoltaic panels located on six arrays. Two are on the original building; the rest are on a new building completed this year. They use a bank of six large batteries for storage.
Rizzo said he is not a technical expert, but he and Weeda have been able to operate the system, which requires little maintenance. All they do is add distilled water to the batteries four times a year. In the winter, they use a long-handled scraper to clear snow off the panels.
He said he does keep track of the voltage, amps and how much charge the batteries have. Monitors keep track of how much power is coming in and going out all the time. Rizzo pointed out how the numbers change when the water pump comes on, drawing power from the batteries, and how charge is built up again when it shuts off.
The bed and breakfast is a new business for Rizzo and Weeda, and they have not experienced using solar energy with guests in the lodge yet. But they spent most of the winter working on the new building, using power tools, without problems.
They have propane heat, which also heats the water. A backup generator automatically kicks in when the batteries occasionally run low.
Being off-grid, Rizzo said, they tend to be more aware of how they use electricity. They make sure to turn off lights when they leave a room, and schedule high-use activities, such as vacuuming and running the washing machine, for sunny days.
On 10/4/08 at 11:13 PM,
Johninphilippines wrote:
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This is the first "real deal" I have seen someone in Maine come up with in a long, long time! Congratulations, David and Dominick! With so much controversy being publically aired over the concerns of pollutants (and PPM's; parts per millions) of particleites in the air from natural fossil fuels and wood fuel sources, solar and wind energy has to be incorporated. The cost-benefit theory benefits the benefit side. My new wind turbine is already erected. It rests on a 7-foot square base, 4-feet high. The height runs 155-feet into the air; the blades (3) extend 25 feet higher at the top blade level. It is already operating my electric power requirements for my home. We were looking into solar, like David and Dominick have, but there are too many dangers of flying debris in severe weather here that could damage the panels. The turbine is slowly rotating the blades at this moment, as the speedometer (RPM's) of the blades are now at 130 rpm's. My batteries are already registering maximum storage, and I can rely on stored power for up to four weeks, i'm told. Whatever the system...seems like there are some pioneer's already making trails in Maine...(and I don't mean destructive trails such as the Casino and Plum Creek).
On 10/5/08 at 7:12 AM,
leumas wrote:
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My idea is put the but-ugly windmills in ANWAR where no one has to look at them.
On 10/5/08 at 8:13 AM,
Coolfusion wrote:
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Fire up Maine Yankee. Maine needs nuclear power generation to be competive and survive the century. All this solar and wind power helps, but is mostly silly in terms of efficiency and effectiveness and is a drop in a bucket to solve our long term energy problems.
On 10/5/08 at 12:07 PM,
Chloe334 wrote:
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To johninphillioines,
what do you mean about " Pioneer's alread making trails in Maine...and I don't mean destuctive trails such as the Casine and Plum Creek". ???? could you please explain? Thanks, Chloe
On 10/5/08 at 7:11 PM,
leumas wrote:
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He's proud of his windmill no matter how many bald eagles it chops up, they taste good grilled. And you can't have your developement or your casino because he's sitting pretty and the rest of you incompetant morons can just starve to death (or freeze).
On 10/5/08 at 7:34 PM,
Johninphilippines wrote:
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Thanks for the feedbacks, Chole and leumas. I just knew I would get hit with something I said. Coolfusion had a great idea, to begin with...Maine Yankee's MGO4 plant should be regenerated. I was present (with WABI-TV and Gordon Manuel) when they dedicated this plant. Chloe...what I meant about the Casino and Plum Creek are reflected in other comments I made this weekend in other areas of the BDN online news concerning these ventures. In my life, in the US and overseas, never, ever, have I seen developers come into any area with their proposal plans, build that development and then in some obvious and drastic way, over the future term, that development encroaches and is expanded in such a wide-angle effect, damage is done to the environments surrounding it. The Casino and Plum Creek are examples I used to make my point, as to destroy and/or alter natural habitats of wildlife, aquatic life, forest ranges, and the lives and employment of people who rely totally on Maine's woods by "pioneers" of business rather than "conservatory" mindset. And, yes, leumas...I happen to like this new wind turbine. it was expensive, but I do not have to worry about these local and system-wide "brownouts", power shutdowns during storms, or maintenance, from an hour up to several days anymore. My upshot not to use solar was described in the posting I made above. Yes, we have "Philippine Eagles" here, and they do not fly into these turbine blade systems...never heard of it. Neither do local birds, either. I have an aviation (navigation) red blinking light on top of the turbine to warn flying aircraft, also...but the aircraft fly at 40,000 feet above us, except for the military aircraft flying jets and helicopters several hundred feet above us. The blades do not spin or rotate as fast as the propeller on an aircraft, you should know. I happen to be retired and can well-afford to be "sitting pretty", but there are still concerns I have for the folks of Maine, of which I can validate my postings to that concern.
On 10/5/08 at 7:41 PM,
Johninphilippines wrote:
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Oh, Chloe334...now I see what you mean...."destructive trails"...etc! I meant that in the article by BDN editor Rich Hewett, he described several (71) homes and businesses throughout Maine that were part of some solar tour. I also noticed in the BDN online, that other businesses were incorporating some alternate energy into their businesses to generate hot water and other requirements. Hewett lists these businesses in the article under..."for example"... Sorry...I scanned the postings too fast and was disturbed by my wife and the maid crabbing about something and did not pay attention to exactly what you meant. That was what my reference as to "pioneers" meant...not the developers. Sorry.
On 10/6/08 at 2:45 PM,
Eugene wrote:
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We bought our three solar panels from Richard Komp in 1983 or '84. Three 75 watt panels @ $100 each.. Mr. Komp was just setting up business back then. We have not added any panels since. We did not need to grow our power sources by much as we refrigerate by gas and light 50% with gas lamps and a dozen or so fine keroseme lanterns. We have forgotten what it is like to have black outs, be fearful of storms or mild rain storms, or lose frozen foods in exteded power down time. Sun came up, sun went down. The original three panels still produce power adequate for our uses. We talk about installing more or different ones as the technology has come a long way since 1983 and more and more technical people are available to us. But we remain satisfied enough to leave it as is for now...and see. With alternative power one has so many choices which do not involve large, pay as you go and go forwever paying. Our son grew up playing outdoors, reading, writing, and always at an art project. Doing fine with small scale solar power for 26 years in far downeast Washington County.
On 10/6/08 at 2:53 PM,
SteveyDee wrote:
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So Eugene, you dont have to rely on the electric company? How do you het? Wood, Kerosene? How do you keep the cold ones cold?
On 10/6/08 at 3:01 PM,
SteveyDee wrote:
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het is heat .......Figured I would correct it before the spelling NAZI's arrive.
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