Clarkstown considers building solar panel field on landfill

For years the only use of the 100-acre landfill in West Nyack was the occasional radio-controlled airplane flying contest. That could soon change.After nearly four years of effort, Clarkstown may be close to building a solar power generating field on 7 acres of the landfill. The town is seeking permission from the state Department of Environmental Conservation to build the solar field and has asked Orange and Rockland Utilities Inc. to do a feasibility study.Under the proposal, a vendor would install solar panels on the land, creating 2 megawatts of electricity or about 20 percent of the town's current usage, said Town Board member George Hoehmann, who has been leading the effort.
Solar City, the vendor, would then sell the electricity to Clarkstown at a lower rate than what the town pays to Orange & Rockland, the town said. The town currently spends $2.25 million a year on electricity, about $1.25 million on street lights and another $1 million on town facilities, community centers and other uses.Solar cell phone chargers are also in big demand thanks to the fact that people can't live without a cellphone or mobile connectivity. What's more is that Best Custom Solar chargers for Iphone provide your phone with sufficient backup power to last for days all together! Solar flashlights make you look like a hero when there is a blackout as you're the only one who can supply the mob with light."This is going to save us money," said Hoehmann, who began pushing for solar energy as soon as he took office in 2009.Consumers today can reap additional benefits by choosing solar powered lamps as well. These units save money and China Motion Sensor Lights Offers provide optimal lighting.One of the biggest fears for homeowners today is intruders. From the possibility of someone who is breaking in to someone who might actually cause harm to you or your family, any method possible for deterring them is necessary. "We couldn't pass this up."Over the years many local schools, municipalities and libraries in the Lower Hudson Valley have used solar energy for their power needs,In addition to this, using the solar lights can help you save the environment and also the money you spent on electricity. Solar energy, no doubt, is one of the most popular sources of China Lighting Africa Wholesalers that is widely used today using the various advanced devices. Solar lights are one of those devices that help you with easily tapping the vast energy of the Sun in an easy and convenient manner. putting photovoltaic panels on roofs or in parking lots to create electricity. Putnam County, Croton, Corltlandt, Montebello and Briarcliff Manor have installed solar panels that generate small amounts of electricity.
But Clarkstown may be the only municipality in the region to look at producing a relatively large amount of solar power. Two other New York municipalities — Woodstock and Esopus — aim to produce a similar level of electricity and are at the same stage of the permitting process with the DEC. After 20 years of buying low-cost electricity, the solar field would revert to Clarkstown, allowing it to produce energy for free, said Hoehmann.The town's exact savings wouldn't be clear until it signs a power-sharing agreement with Solar City. The cost would also be affected by where the town taps into the O&R grid and how much it would have to pay the power company to distribute the power, said Amy Mele, the town attorney.The cost of the project is about $2 million but the town's out-of-pocket expense would be minimal, Mele said. As part of the agreement with Solar City, the vendor will benefit from grants by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and get a 30 percent tax credit from the federal government. Solar City will also reimburse the town about $100,000 for O&R's feasibility study and other expenses related to the permitting process, town officials said.