http://www.syracuse.com/poststandard/stories/index.ssf?/base/business-12 /1205485302259040.xml&coll=1&thispage=1
Besides subsidies, demographics help determine where you'll find solar power. Photovoltaic systems (PV systems for short) tend to be popular in college towns where higher education and environmental awareness go hand in hand - in other words, Ithaca. Ithaca shines as solar central. Ithaca is the solar power capital of the state, with 55 grid-connected photovoltaic systems. Including nearby villages such as Freeville and Trumansburg, Tompkins County boasts 78 grid-connected systems, with a maximum output of 349 kilowatts. That means approximately one out of every 250 owner-occupied homes in Tompkins County has a PV system. In more populous Oswego County, by comparison, there are three PV systems, a rate of less than 1 per 10,000 owner-occupied homes. Customers in many parts of the state must hire out-of-town contractors to install PV systems. Zipp and Vernay hired an Endicott firm. But Ithacans have at least four companies to choose from within their city. Art Weaver, who holds M.D. and Ph.D. degrees, founded one of them. Weaver worked as a staff scientist at Cornell University until five years ago, when he left to start Renovus Energy. The 10-person company installs about one solar project a week, three-quarters of which are within 50 miles of Ithaca, Weaver said. Weaver said he took a risk to change careers and start a business out of a belief that the world's energy and environmental problems were spiraling out of control. "I'm supposed to be making a contribution to our world, and making it a better place," Weaver said. "I just decided that I had to do something." _______________________________________________ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
