Solar Powered Chickens! The 11th Annual West Virginia Small Farms Conference Feb 26 - 28

The 11th Annual West Virginia Small Farms Conference is again featuring an Energy Track on Thursday February 26.  This day features a series of sessions focused on making and saving power.

Topics include:

8:30-9:20

MicroHydro: Producing Electric Power with Water Power

            Mickey Janowski - Off-the-grid Homeowner

            Webster Springs, WV

            Mike King – Morris Creek Watershed Association, Inc.

            Montgomery, WV

“We use creek water to power our house….”.   This letter to the editor appeared in the Charleston Gazette in January 2013.  Hear the author; Mickey Janowski, as well as Mike King from the Morris Creek Watershed Association discuss their respective small-scale hydro-electric projects.

9:30-10:20

Ground Source Heat Pumps

            Dan Halloran - Long-time HVAC/Geothermal Contractor

            Charleston, WV

Dan will talk about installing and using a ground source heat pump to heat and cool a residence.  The overview includes a discussion about how the technology can be adapted  to a range of sites to provide a more efficient means of heating and cooling in some parts of the state.

10:30-11:20

Solar Around the Farm: Pump water, re-charge batteries, and have power where you didn’t use to

            Matt Sherald – PIMBY Energy, LLC

            Thomas, WV

Use electricity from the sun to supply power to places far from utility lines.  Go beyond fence charges to uses such as pumping water, shop lighting, and running power tools. This talk includes an introduction to basic off-the-grid power system components required for producing, storing and using electricity.

LUNCH

1:30-2:20

Energy Efficiency: Reducing Costs for Small Farmers in the Home and in the Field

            Emmett Pepper – WV Citizens Action Group/Energy Efficient West Virginia

            Charleston, WV

Energy efficiency projects can be an inexpensive way to reduce your monthly bills and enjoy a more comfortable home.  Energy Efficient West Virginia is an advocacy group that promotes the adoption of energy efficient policies in the state.  Emmett Pepper will discuss the group’s work including their 2013 block-by-block energy efficiency competition in Charleston’s East End neighborhood.

2:30-3:20

Grid-tie Solar PV: Becoming a Solar Power Plant

            Matt Sherald – PIMBY Energy, LLC

            Thomas, WV

Did you know that you could own your own electrical power plant?  The price of solar PV modules is at a historic low and federal incentives are excellent – this makes solar more affordable than it has ever been.  Hear how home and business owners in the state have invested in solar to off-set their future electricity costs through the generation of clean energy from the sun.

3:30-4:20

Federal Grants, Loans & Tax Benefits for Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects

            Jesse Gandee – USDA Rural Development

            Morgantown, WV

            Mark Ribas – Pennsylvania Tax Institutes, Inc.

            State College, PA

Are you interested in how you might fund a renewable energy or energy efficiency project?  Find out if you have a project that might qualify for federal grant dollars or guaranteed loan and get a full understanding of how you can take advantage of tax credits and depreciation to make the most of your investment.