![\"Lots](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/2c4981857769aeff651a5bc5624ae080.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n\r\nPictures by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange, 1 September 2017\r\n<\/p>\r\n
Parcel-0081A-001<\/a><\/H4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Parcel-0081A-001\"](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/99fd5c60398b1c3b1c2cdc84aa9a2a33.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nThese solar panels are on\r\n\r\nLowndes County parcel 0081A 001<\/a>,\r\nwhich is owned by the City of Valdosta, and which stretches all the way\r\nto GA 133 and to the Withlacoochee River.\r\n\r\nThese are the solar panels\r\n\r\non the Valdosta City Council agenda 10 August 2017<\/a>,\r\nand in their Minutes<\/a>:\r\n\r\n\r\nBIDS, CONTRACTS, AGREEMENTS, AND EXPENDITURES\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\r\n![\"Back](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/d5b6f3bab6de0df95ffe8ebd118dbcdc.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nConsideration of Easement Agreements with Georgia Power for solar\r\narrays on Val Tech Road at the old landfill near Valdosta State\r\nPrison and at the Police Department firing range.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\r\n![\"Solar](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/b6a6f9af43347961680d0bd4bd04ab1d.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nDavid Frost, Assistant Utilities Director, stated that the City of\r\nValdosta has been working with Hannah Solar and Georgia Power\r\nthrough a competitive process to be selected for a solar panel site\r\nwhere the City would allow Hannah Solar to use some of our excess\r\nproperty for placement of solar panels at both the old and new\r\nWithlacoochee Wastewater Plants<\/a>.\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Landfill](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/fb197a2289cca75ba64be1ac9a817ef8.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n In a 2016 Council Meeting, the City\r\nagreed to contract with Hannah Solar on utilizing two tracts of land\r\nfor them to build additional solar arrays by which they would sell\r\npower on the grid to Georgia Power. Instead of getting land lease\r\npayments from Hannah Solar, Hannah would build the City a separate\r\nsolar array to provide power to the new Withlacoochee Plant. At the\r\nend of six years, Hannah Solar would deed the solar array to the\r\nCity. Hannah would have all responsibility for construction, set-up,\r\noperation, and maintenance for the first six years.\r\n
\r\n\r\n![\"Row](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/e249320b55a0458c72115ad183e99736.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nThe solar array to be built and ultimately deeded to the City would provide 50kW of power, which would provide a portion of the power needed for the\r\nTreatment Plant.\r\nUsing solar power instead of electricity would\r\nprovide greater savings to the City than a land lease would generate\r\nin income. This same concept is now being utilized at the old and\r\nnew Withlacoochee facilities. The solar array would save the City\r\napproximately $9,000 per year and over $270,000 over a 30-year\r\nperiod in present day costs.\r\n
\r\n\r\n![\"Plastic](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/2c367d4c86cc0d847c3e647fcfe67cc9.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nGeorgia Power needs an easement for the\r\ndistribution line that will be going into the new solar fields at\r\nboth the old landfill and Police Department Firing Range sites.\r\nHenry Hicks, Utilities Director, reviewed the easements and Exhibit\r\nA’s and based on the maps, these easements will not encroach on any\r\nutility infrastructure. David Frost recommended that Council approve\r\nthe of Easement Agreements with Georgia Power for solar arrays on\r\nVal Tech Road at the old landfill near Valdosta State Prison\r\n
\r\n\r\n![\"Valdosta](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/c29bf184a53ff8e2b82a6488ec54cb06.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n and at\r\nthe Police Department firing range. Councilman Carroll inquired as\r\nto the timeframe when the Plant will be operating in part with solar\r\npower. David Frost stated that the Mud Creek Plant<\/a> is currently\r\non-line and has been since December, 2016 and the solar arrays that\r\nare under construction at the Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment\r\nPlant should be ready September 1, 2017.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Trash](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/fb8fec9e37085980ca6827a7478634eb.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nA MOTION<\/strong>\r\nby Councilman Carroll, seconded by Councilman Norton, was\r\nunanimously adopted (7-0) to approve the of Easement Agreements with\r\nGeorgia Power for solar arrays on Val Tech Road at the old landfill\r\nnear Valdosta State Prison and at the Police Department firing\r\nrange.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\nThose minutes mention \r\n“The solar array to be built and ultimately deeded to the City would provide 50kW of power, which would provide a portion of the power needed for the\r\nTreatment Plant.”\r\nThat apparently refers to one of the solar arrays at the old or new WWTP.\r\nThere is no mention of how much power the old landfill solar panels would produce.\r\nJust by eyeball I’m guessing they cover enough land to produce a megawatt,\r\nbut I don’t know.\r\n
Sungrow<\/a><\/H4>\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Sungrow\"](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/893955cbd4cc7f1de54b53b89c6da259.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nSungrow is a Chinese manufacturer<\/a> that makes\r\n“A range of grid connected string inverters with outputs of 1.5 to 30Kw, and maximum input voltages of 400 to 1000 volts, designed for small to medium sized installations, with some models being of transformerless design,”\r\naccording to Solar-Facts.\r\nINV 3.5<\/a><\/H4>\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"INV](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/413b527d564a460937b1bbacdf7b5ff8.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nBut these inverters don’t seem to say how much power they produce.\r\nThe “INV 3.5” label seems to merely refer to which DC collector this\r\ninverter converts.\r\nI would call Valdosta Utilities and ask, but today is a holiday.\r\n
\r\n\r\n![\"Inverters](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/33e1456832091541179a64daaef61a9a.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\nSouthface Georgia Energy Data Map<\/a><\/H4>\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Southface](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/ad04ac5cbf4fcf92e503f0ee7369fa0e.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nInterestingly, those Val Tech Road solar panels are not on the\r\n\r\nSouthface Georgia Energy Data Map<\/a>,\r\nalthough the solar installations<\/a> at the Mud Creek WTP<\/a> are\r\n(the (4) southeast of Valdosta) and the ones at the old and new Withlacoochee WTP are (the (2) west of Valdosta).\r\nAs are my two sets of solar panels totaling 15 KW<\/a> (the (2) at the north edge of Lowndes County).\r\nSo are\r\n\r\nthe 2 MW by Lakeland Solar Energy LLC on Burnt Church Road south of Lakeland in Lanier County<\/a>, just west of the Alapaha River (the sun symbol in the top right of the map).\r\n\r\nI don’t see the solar panels at the Valdosta Police Department firing range on there, but that may be because I don’t know where that is.\r\n
\r\nAnyway, yay Valdosta, for all these solar arrays!\r\n
\r\n -jsq\r\n<\/p>\r\n
\r\nPS: Who could have foreseen this?\r\n
\r\n\r\n![\"600x600](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/eeedec073403253352833b4dcbfd2057.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n
\r\n“Solar energy will not\r\npollute our air or water. We will not run short of it. No one can\r\never embargo the Sun or interrupt its delivery to us. But we must\r\nwork together to turn our vision and our dream into a solar reality.\r\n
\r\n—President Jimmy Carter, 20 June 1979<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nAnd now that solar photovoltaic panels cost 1% of what they did in 1979 with prices still dropping and solar deployments doubling every two years, we’re on track for most total U.S. electricity coming from solar power by 2013<\/a>.\r\nValdosta is helping with that.\r\n
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nThese solar panels are on\r\n\r\nLowndes County parcel 0081A 001<\/a>,\r\nwhich is owned by the City of Valdosta, and which stretches all the way\r\nto GA 133 and to the Withlacoochee River.\r\n \r\nThese are the solar panels\r\n\r\non the Valdosta City Council agenda 10 August 2017<\/a>,\r\nand in their Minutes<\/a>:\r\n \r\nBIDS, CONTRACTS, AGREEMENTS, AND EXPENDITURES\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nConsideration of Easement Agreements with Georgia Power for solar\r\narrays on Val Tech Road at the old landfill near Valdosta State\r\nPrison and at the Police Department firing range.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nDavid Frost, Assistant Utilities Director, stated that the City of\r\nValdosta has been working with Hannah Solar and Georgia Power\r\nthrough a competitive process to be selected for a solar panel site\r\nwhere the City would allow Hannah Solar to use some of our excess\r\nproperty for placement of solar panels at both the old and new\r\nWithlacoochee Wastewater Plants<\/a>.\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n In a 2016 Council Meeting, the City\r\nagreed to contract with Hannah Solar on utilizing two tracts of land\r\nfor them to build additional solar arrays by which they would sell\r\npower on the grid to Georgia Power. Instead of getting land lease\r\npayments from Hannah Solar, Hannah would build the City a separate\r\nsolar array to provide power to the new Withlacoochee Plant. At the\r\nend of six years, Hannah Solar would deed the solar array to the\r\nCity. Hannah would have all responsibility for construction, set-up,\r\noperation, and maintenance for the first six years.\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nThe solar array to be built and ultimately deeded to the City would provide 50kW of power, which would provide a portion of the power needed for the\r\nTreatment Plant.\r\nUsing solar power instead of electricity would\r\nprovide greater savings to the City than a land lease would generate\r\nin income. This same concept is now being utilized at the old and\r\nnew Withlacoochee facilities. The solar array would save the City\r\napproximately $9,000 per year and over $270,000 over a 30-year\r\nperiod in present day costs.\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nGeorgia Power needs an easement for the\r\ndistribution line that will be going into the new solar fields at\r\nboth the old landfill and Police Department Firing Range sites.\r\nHenry Hicks, Utilities Director, reviewed the easements and Exhibit\r\nA’s and based on the maps, these easements will not encroach on any\r\nutility infrastructure. David Frost recommended that Council approve\r\nthe of Easement Agreements with Georgia Power for solar arrays on\r\nVal Tech Road at the old landfill near Valdosta State Prison\r\n \r\n\r\n and at\r\nthe Police Department firing range. Councilman Carroll inquired as\r\nto the timeframe when the Plant will be operating in part with solar\r\npower. David Frost stated that the Mud Creek Plant<\/a> is currently\r\non-line and has been since December, 2016 and the solar arrays that\r\nare under construction at the Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment\r\nPlant should be ready September 1, 2017.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nA MOTION<\/strong>\r\nby Councilman Carroll, seconded by Councilman Norton, was\r\nunanimously adopted (7-0) to approve the of Easement Agreements with\r\nGeorgia Power for solar arrays on Val Tech Road at the old landfill\r\nnear Valdosta State Prison and at the Police Department firing\r\nrange.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n \r\nThose minutes mention \r\n“The solar array to be built and ultimately deeded to the City would provide 50kW of power, which would provide a portion of the power needed for the\r\nTreatment Plant.”\r\nThat apparently refers to one of the solar arrays at the old or new WWTP.\r\nThere is no mention of how much power the old landfill solar panels would produce.\r\nJust by eyeball I’m guessing they cover enough land to produce a megawatt,\r\nbut I don’t know.\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nSungrow is a Chinese manufacturer<\/a> that makes\r\n“A range of grid connected string inverters with outputs of 1.5 to 30Kw, and maximum input voltages of 400 to 1000 volts, designed for small to medium sized installations, with some models being of transformerless design,”\r\naccording to Solar-Facts.\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nBut these inverters don’t seem to say how much power they produce.\r\nThe “INV 3.5” label seems to merely refer to which DC collector this\r\ninverter converts.\r\nI would call Valdosta Utilities and ask, but today is a holiday.\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nInterestingly, those Val Tech Road solar panels are not on the\r\n\r\nSouthface Georgia Energy Data Map<\/a>,\r\nalthough the solar installations<\/a> at the Mud Creek WTP<\/a> are\r\n(the (4) southeast of Valdosta) and the ones at the old and new Withlacoochee WTP are (the (2) west of Valdosta).\r\nAs are my two sets of solar panels totaling 15 KW<\/a> (the (2) at the north edge of Lowndes County).\r\nSo are\r\n\r\nthe 2 MW by Lakeland Solar Energy LLC on Burnt Church Road south of Lakeland in Lanier County<\/a>, just west of the Alapaha River (the sun symbol in the top right of the map).\r\n \r\nI don’t see the solar panels at the Valdosta Police Department firing range on there, but that may be because I don’t know where that is.\r\n \r\nAnyway, yay Valdosta, for all these solar arrays!\r\n \r\n -jsq\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\nPS: Who could have foreseen this?\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nAnd now that solar photovoltaic panels cost 1% of what they did in 1979 with prices still dropping and solar deployments doubling every two years, we’re on track for most total U.S. electricity coming from solar power by 2013<\/a>.\r\nValdosta is helping with that.\r\n\r\n
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\nSungrow<\/a><\/H4>\r\n
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\nINV 3.5<\/a><\/H4>\r\n
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\nSouthface Georgia Energy Data Map<\/a><\/H4>\r\n
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a>\r\n
\r\n“Solar energy will not\r\npollute our air or water. We will not run short of it. No one can\r\never embargo the Sun or interrupt its delivery to us. But we must\r\nwork together to turn our vision and our dream into a solar reality.\r\n
\r\n—President Jimmy Carter, 20 June 1979<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n