Originally published August 15 2005
Solar power aids farm production
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Farms in New Jersey are using solar power to heat their homes and help them produce crops, leading to fewer natural resources being used and a better environment.
A further lure is a unique program that uses state rebates, credits and investor funds to cover all the upfront costs of the expensive solar power systems, including maintenance.
Tombari said she knows of no such programs elsewhere, noting experts consider New Jersey to have the best combination of financial incentives and policies to encourage renewable energy.
Barely a year into what's called the Power Crop Initiative, two dozen farms have solar power systems running or are getting them installed soon, and dozens more are planned.
"It's a great concept," said Ronny Lee, owner of Lee Turkey Farm in suburban East Windsor, which also produces fruits, vegetables and flowers.
Lee, who last fall became the first farmer to get a solar system under the project, said his system on sunny days produces more energy than he uses.
Lee had his system installed on a barn roof that faces due south, where it captures the most sunlight and shades the roof, keeping turkeys inside cooler during the summer.
He said farmers could also set up solar systems over marshy areas to produce electricity from unusable land.
The initiative is a partnership of the New Jersey Farm Bureau and Flemington-based Sun Farm Network, which designs, installs and maintains solar systems on farms, homes, churches and other buildings.
The partnership uses rebates from the state Board of Public Utilities' Office of Clean Energy to cover about half the system's costs, said Pamela Frank, Sun Farm's director of marketing and public relations.
Under a second state program to encourage production of clean energy, credits called renewable energy certificates, for the solar power the farmers produce, are sold to utilities or companies wanting to support renewable energy.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml