County Conservancy unveils solar panel exhibit

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Students visiting the Howard County Conservancy for nature walks or animal diversity will now get a new lesson — one on solar energy.

For the latest exhibit at the nonprofit in Woodstock, 12 solar panels have been mounted on the roof of the bank barn to demonstrate solar power and generate electricity.

“When anyone comes here, we really want to be an example of clean practices and sustainable practices,” said Meg Schumacher, executive director of the conservancy.

The panels, intended to prompt discussions about solar energy, are an extension of the conservancy’s environmental building features, Schumacher said. The complex includes rain gardens, recycled tire flooring and stones from a local quarry.

When the new building was completed a few years ago, the small nonprofit couldn’t afford this final piece. Now the timing was right for Chesapeake Solar, a Jessup-based company, to step in and donate the panels.

“A big part of what we do revolves around educating people around energy and how that affects the environment,” said Richard Deutschmann, chief executive officer of Chesapeake Solar.

A dozen 165-watt panels make up the 1.98-kilowatt system, which is the typical solar energy system used for small commercial buildings and homes, Deutschmann said.

The panels are mounted on the historic barn because of its “perfect southern exposure” to the sun, he said.

The exhibit, installed a few weeks ago, will include a sign detailing how solar power works and eventually a computer monitor providing real-time details on how many watts are being generated by the panels, Schumacher said.

The panels will offset some of the costs to power the education building.

Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, who recognized Chesapeake Solar with a Green Salute award for making strides in going green, said, “Solar is such a powerful example of energy conservation, because it’s so visible and it really captures the imagination.”

smichael@baltimoreexaminer.com