To the Editor:
The following letter was addressed; Dear Neighbors and Hard Working Advocates for The Common Good
Due to physical issues, I was unable to keep up with the proposed Brickyard Road solar array "investment" by MCPS. However, Mary Kimm's excellent article in the Almanac and the Dec.10 Coalition newsletter have piqued my interest and I am providing some points of concern below. You all have covered many of the local impact concerns, whereas mine are mostly dealing with technical/cost issues as well as county procedures. There are probably some local impacts evolving from my "inquisition":
1) What is the proposed lifetime of the array before replacement? Cost? If over 10 years, some justification (e.g. new technology) should be provided.
2) What is the "routine maintenance" provided for cleaning of the array, noting our heavy pollen dumps in fall and spring and the salt dumps we get from our many nor'easters. Cleaning probably at night when array is inert.
3) What are the daily average outputs for each of the four seasons in watt hours? We rarely have perfectly clear skies, and even in good weather (paper calls "sunny") passing puffies can really tear up a power profile.
4) How is it proposed to get the power from the array into the power grid? You can't just run a line up a pole (even a new one) and plug it in! To transmit this power to the grid, I believe, requires conversion from DC to AC, and this probably requires a conversion device on site. If so, what sort of device is this, what is the fuel source, does it make noise (obviously not at night)?
5) Insertion into the power grid may require transmission over a long distance, and then it must be integrated into the grid. Who pays for such installation and upkeep? How is the amount of power monitored so that credit can be given? Would there be a need for more power lines across Potomac? Or would it just add to the ridicuously overloaded power/comm lines on Falls Road which are just waiting for the "Perfect Storm" to wreak havoc on our lives and our commuters, not to mention agonizing delays for first responders.
6) Is any cash paid out by the utilities to MCPS, or is it credited against MCPS electric charges? The latter is a clean way to do it. To receive money is dangerous, no telling what these people would do with that bounty, and it probably would not be in the taxpayer-controlled budget.
7) How is it that two market competitors come along with proposals at about the same time? Was this in response for a Request for Proposal (RFP) by MCPS and was that RFP in the public domain? If not, why not? If not a MCPS sponsored RFP, were the potential contractors otherwise prodded by a person or persons, and, if so, who? Could this be another "sunshine case"?
8) Good point in newsletter about fire. Will there be a need to train Cabin John VFD and/or provide special equipment in fighting fires at "Arrayville"? If so, once again, who pays?
9) How will this installation affect our property taxes? How will this affect our property values, particularly those within blocks of the site?
10) Finally, I have great concern about MCPS getting in a "for pay" situation. They should be a non-profit agent for the county taxpayers, delivering quality education to county students and controlling costs within the mandated budget, not getting into schemes!
Thank you for your patience. If you have any questions about background, I will gladly respond, only more succinctly.
Mac Grant
Potomac