DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara, Wilmington Mayor Dennis P. Williams and Delaware Tech Executive Vice President Mark Brainard joined with Environment America Advocate Adam Graber to announce Wilmington’s ranking as one of the nation’s “Solar Stars” – a top city in the U.S. for solar energy.
In the report, Shining Cities – At the Forefront of America’s Solar Energy Revolution, released by Environment America Research & Policy Center, Wilmington is ranked third among cities nationwide for solar capacity per capita in 2013. According to the report, Wilmington boasts more solar power capacity than Houston, Tex., which is 55 times its size. Houston is the home of many of the nation’s oil companies.
In another report released last year by Environment America, Delaware was among the states leading the nation in solar energy – ranked 7th per capita for cumulative solar installations and 5th per capita for solar installations in 2012.
The rapid deployment of solar, the costs of Bloom Energy fuel cells as well as the use of out-of -state wind power that employs no Delawareans is not universally praised.
Critics claim the mandate for alternative energy is overly aggressive and contributes to high electricity costs that discourage companies from locating to the state. The cost of electricity to Delawareans struggling to make ends meet is also cited. Work is under way to let consumers know more about the cost of alternative energy on their Delmrva Power bills.
At the same time, however, solar power is becoming more competitive, due to a sharp decline in solar panel prices.
From Dec. 2008 – 2013, the city’s solar capacity grew from 0.5 megawatts o 7 megawatts – a 14-fold increase. To date, nearly 200 solar energy systems have been installed on businesses, schools, homes and government buildings.
The announcement was held at the Wilmington Campus of Delaware Technical Community College In December, Delaware Tech became host to Delaware’s largest combined use of rooftop, carport and ground mount arrays with an 800-kilowatt solar installation statewide. These arrays, completed in collaboration with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, are located at each of Delaware Tech’s four campus locations.
This 2,645-panel solar project, constructed under a Power Purchase Agreement with Standard Solar, Inc., is expected to produce approximately 6 percent of the college’s annual total energy needs. The majority of the project’s solar modules, a product of Motech Americas LLC, Glasgow were installed by Delaware companies. The solar panels installed at the Wilmington Campus include both roof mounts on the West Building and a 230-kilowatt carport.
“Working closely with the local solar industry, Delaware has emerged as a national leader in solar energy by adopting progressive policies and programs that have led to a 29 fold increase in new solar installations since 2008,” said Secretary O’Mara.
The Renewable Portfolio Standard (25 percent of the state’s electricity will come from renewable energy sources by 2025) and the solar “carve out” (3.5 percent from solar by 2025) are creating vigorous markets for solar energy, according to a DNREC.
Delaware has offered financial incentives encouraging businesses and homeowners to switch to solar power. Since 2002 the Delaware Green Energy Program has funded almost $30 million in solar rebates for more than 1,600 systems for homeowners, small businesses, schools and non-profit agencies. A $250,000 Delaware’s Green Energy Fund grant was awarded to Wilmington’s Porter Water Filtration Plant solar project in 2011.
Any statistical analysis that uses Delaware and Per Capita is distorted. In the past Delaware lead the nation with the worst per capita infant mortality rate in the Country. In a following year when there were 3 less deaths Delaware shot up in the rankings and the politicians came out of the woodwork to claim credit for drastically improving conditions. Jack and company should focus on Wilmington’s more dubious claims to fame.
These statistics are the real deal. The solar industry closely tracks installations. A drive up and down the state is proof that Delaware is moving aggressively on solar.
The rating is completely erroneous and almost laughable. Go read the report and its methodology. They counted every solar facility with a Wilmington mailing address (which would include, for example, zip codes 19803, 19807, and 19810) as being in Wilmington. Wilmington gets credit for, among others, the facilities at Astra Zeneca (one large and two small arrays totaling 1,692.35 kw), Friends School (199 kw), Brandywine CAD (28.88 kw), the du Pont Experimental Station (37.8 kw), Silverside Church (65.8), Arden’s Buzz Ware Center (14 kw), Stonegates (142.87 kw), St. Marks UMC (107.1 kw) and numerous smaller installations, none of which are in the city of Wilmington. Correctly calculated, Wilmington isn’t even on the list.