Power to Save: ‘Made in Scranton’ Solar Power

MADISON TOWNSHIP — So far, this summer has been a little lacking in sunlight, but still, one man’s new addition to his backyard in Lackawanna County is doing well.

When you meet Joe Dickey, two things are clear: he’s proud of his home near Moscow, and he cares a lot about the environment.

There’s a third reason why he’s especially excited about his latest lawn ornament, a free-standing solar panel.

Enter Jim Loven and his son Rob. Joe Dickey became one of their first customers, installing the sun-tracking solar panel that the Lovens make in south Scranton. It is mostly made out of materials you can buy at any hardware store. Their design is becoming a budding business.

“I just didn’t think anyone else was going to do it in today’s economic climate. I think young people, I have lots of children, they need an opportunity, so I was willing to take the risk,” Loven said.

Dickey said the tracker solar panel collects just as much energy as 20 stationary ones that he installed several years ago. With all the panels working together, Joe produces enough electricity to send some back into the grid. Enough to help power his neighbors’ homes.

“It works very well and it makes at least 100 percent more power than the stationary panels do. So, that’s the power to save!” Dickey said.

The Lovens’ solar panels rotate 180 degrees from east to west moving slowly throughout the day. The panel gets messages from a tiny infrared camera that tracks the sun.

“If you’re going to go with a ground mount system, why have it stationary? You know you should incorporate some sort of tracking so you get full sun all day long. So, I do think they’ll become more common,” added Rob Loven.

SOURCE: WNEP

Contact Sustainable Energy Management Systems for more information:[p][/p]

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