By DAN HEATH
MOOERS -- Connie and Gary Menard of Happy Haven Farm in Mooers shared their sunny outlook on solar energy when they hosted an open house.
The Menards' 12.6 kilowatt solar energy system, 72-panels on six arrays, has been on-line since December.
Representatives of Cornell Cooperative Extension, the United States Department of Agriculture and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority discussed solar energy benefits and incentives with about 40 people in the Menards' kitchen after they had a chance to see the solar array.
Cornell Cooperative Assistant of Franklin County Horticulture and Natural Resources Programs Assistant Richard Gast started things off.
"I'm hoping everyone here will be able to move forward with their plans for solar energy now and in the future," he said.
Gast said electricity is far and away the most expensive way to supply power, while sunlight is free and causes no harm to the environment.
The Menards' system was installed by Triangle Electric, a NYSERDA-certified installer of solar energy systems. Gast said using a certified installer is required to receive incentives.
He said a NYSERDA energy audit is an important part of the process, but those costs are reimbursed once work begins.
Later, NYSERDA Senior Project Manager Adele Ferranti said the authority's solar incentive program is based on the size of the photovoltaic system. The incentives can typically cover 40 to 50 percent of the cost of a system, she said.
Farmers are also eligible for federal tax credits, while homeowners are eligible for federal and state tax credits. Systems installed under the NYSERDA incentive program have a five-year parts and labor warranty.
Scott Collins, assistant to the state director for the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development, said that agency funded 25 percent of the Menards' total project cost through its Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency program. That is one of more than 40 programs under the USDA Rural Development umbrella.
"It funds several types of energy generation and energy improvements," he said. "They are designed to fund farms and rural small businesses. Eligible applicants don't include homeowners."
Congress included $23 million for the program in the 2002 Farm Bill, and has provided about that much every year since, he said. Most of it is grant funding, but some is through guaranteed loans, he said.
Last year, there were about $50 million in eligible applications, with about $18 million in grants and about $5 million in loans distributed nationwide, Collins said.
Ann Heidenreich, NYSERDA's North Country Energy Smart Communities Coordinator, said that program tries to make sure success stories such as the Menards get out. Heidenreich said she planned to talk with the Menards on how efficiently their system was operating.
"When you start to generate your own power, you get a better feeling how much you are using," she said. "It's much cheaper to save energy than to buy energy."
Mrs. Menard said the system has been working well. Her husband recently adjusted the trackers that move the panels to keep them positioned for optimal sunlight.
"They were facing more southerly. Now with the sun higher in the sky, he moved their position more to the north," she said.
Other measures have been taken at the farm to improve efficiency, Mrs. Menard said. They include cleaning the ventilation fans that keep the cows cooler and using fluorescent lighting.
"These are things that people can do (to conserve energy) without solar energy," she said.
dheath@pressrepublican.com
