Solar panels have saved the day for a New York dairy, which are expected to save the facility $30,000 a year on its electric bill.
Around 1,000 solar panels, costing more than 900,000, were recently installed on 1.3 acres at Spafford-based Fesko Dairy, theAssociated Press reported. It’s projected they’ll generate 303 kilowatts of electricity for the company – or about 80 percent of what the 600-cow operation uses in a year.In 2006, the farm considered building a windmill to capture the wind energy sweeping across the ridge where the farm is located above Skaneateles Lake, Kimberly Brayman, one of the farm's owners, told The Post-Standard in an article by Charley Hannagan. Residents didn’t like that idea, however.
"People thought we were going to cover the hill with windmills and ruin the vista," Brayman said, but noting the solar panel field is already generating tourists. People considering solar projects of their own are stopping by, she said.
The dairy received help from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which provided a $368,000 grant for the project. PD
—Summarized by PD staff from cited sources
