Capturing Sunshine: Solar Energy on the Farm (intensive)
Dickinson College Farm
Boiling Springs, Cumberland County
Thursday, August 5, 2010
10am - 4pm, optional tour of farm afterwards
$15 PASA members, $25 all others; lunch will be provided.
Registration limited to 30 participants.
Matt Steiman, Dickinson College Farm
Farmers seeking to reduce their environmental footprint, build energy independence, and reduce energy costs are turning to solar energy to enhance their operations. Solar electricity and solar heating systems have numerous applications for reducing the fossil energy demands of our farms. New state and federal incentives combined with reduction in equipment costs are making solar energy financially viable in Pennsylvania.
This workshop will introduce participants to solar electric and solar heating systems from the inside out. We will start with an explanatory slide show and discussion of solar applications, equipment options, and design parameters. After the slide show, we’ll enter a hands-on "solar lab", where participants will work with live solar panels to measure electrical parameters. The afternoon will feature an in-depth tour of the solar projects at Dickinson College Farm. These include two utility interactive PV systems, a battery based home-scale project, a solar electric vehicle, and solar fans, fence charger, and water pump. Solar hot water systems for greenhouse space heat and domestic hot water will also be displayed.
The group size for this workshop is limited to 30 people to facilitate focused learning.
About the Presenter
The Dickinson College Farm is a 180-acre working farm and educational resource that provides produce to the college’s dining hall, a local food bank and members of the farm’s co-op. Located a short drive from Dickinson College campus in Boiling Springs, PA, the farm includes state-of-the-art sustainable operations, such as solar-electric and solar-hot-water systems. It is run by staff members and student workers and interns. Presenter Matt Steiman is the Assistant Manager at Dickinson College Farm. He has designed and installed numerous solar projects and has been teaching college students about solar energy since 2004. Matt is also the Technical Advisor for Dickinson Biodiesel.
Click here for directions, available on the Google Maps page.
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