Green Energy in Wicomico County
In Wicomico County, there are several ways you can address energy concerns to help mitigate climate change. From supporting local renewable and clean energy projects such as the Ocean City wind turbine project to installing energy efficient appliances in your home, climate change can be addressed from both the supply and demand side of the energy industry. The following are 3 ways you can support or use green energy to help reduce carbon emissions:
Local Green Energy Project: Ocean City Wind Farm
By actively supporting large-scale green energy projects, you are able to help reduce carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. Nearby in Ocean City, there is a proposed plan to construct an offshore wind farm consisting of 15 wind turbines just under 30 miles offshore [1]. While many town officials and residents feel this wind farm offshore of Ocean City would degrade the aesthetic quality of the beachfront, others claim that the haze produced by the ocean mist blowing off the surface will reduce visibility enough so that the wind farm cannot be seen from the beachfront[2, 3]. Although the proposed plan has not yet been accepted by the Maryland House of Delegates, passage of this proposal would bring hundreds of jobs to Maryland in order to construct the wind farm, which is proposed to begin as early as 2021. Additionally, the 120 mega-watts of clean energy produced by these turbines will create enough electricity to serve 35,000 homes on Maryland's Eastern Shore [1]. By supporting this project you can help provide clean energy to thousands of homes right here on Maryland's Eastern Shore, contributing to the effort to reduce carbon emissions and offset global warming. Not only will this project benefit the local economy, but it will also put Maryland one step forward in working to address climate change impacts.
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Click here to learn more about Skipjack Wind Farm, the offshore wind farm proposed in Ocean City
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Other Local Green Energy Installers
Click to expand the sections below to read more about installing wind turbines or solar panels at your residential or business location! These installers are located right here in Wicomico County!
Wicomico county wind power installation
The state of Maryland has wind power installers in every county, with generous rebates both federally and from the state for wind turbine and wind generator systems, which can reduce installation costs by as much as 50% [4]. Wicomico County has local wind power experts who will assist in wind power installation, which can be connected to a grid through net metering, or completely off the grid. The county also provides a free wind evaluation for homes and businesses [4].
Wind turbines can dramatically reduce electricity bills in addition to carbon emissions, so installing green energy systems at your home or business can help both your pocket and the earth! With payback in as few as 4-8 years, consider investing in wind power today! [4] |
For more information about wind power in Wicomico County, check out the link below:
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paradise energy solutions
Paradise Energy Solutions is a solar panel installer for Maryland's Eastern Shore, located in Salisbury, MD. They complete "every aspect of converting your home or business to solar power, from the system design and panel installation to the tax credit paperwork" [5]. They are the leading solar installer for the Eastern Shore and provide installation for farms, homes, and businesses. To learn more about Paradise Energy Solutions, check out their website found here:
436 Snow Hill Road, Salisbury, MD 21804
Local Phone: 410-845-2829; Toll Free: 888-272-0542 |
Solar power is one of the most commonly used forms of renewable energy, as it can easily be installed on rooftops to provide energy to homes and businesses. There is some controversy surrounding the solar industry, though, because solar panels can take up large areas of land if they are installed as solar fields on hundreds of acres. In particular, this can take land area away from agriculture and farming. However, when placed strategically on land not used for farming, or on rooftops, solar can be a great way to reduce carbon emissions as it is an efficient and cost-effective source of clean energy. On average, a solar panel installation will pay for itself in about 6 to 8 years [6].
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What You Can Do At Home as an Energy Consumer
In addition to supporting large-scale clean energy projects, there are ways you can increase the energy efficiency of your home that will also help to offset carbon emissions and reduce your personal carbon footprint.
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Use LED Lighting
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Install Energy Efficient Appliances
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Refrigeration
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LEDs are highly energy efficient, with nearly 80% of their energy being transmitted as light (rather than heat, as with incandescent bulbs). Globally, replacing less-efficient bulbs with LEDs in homes alone means "7.8 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions could be avoided" [7].
How do LEDs compare?
Below is a list of light bulb energy efficiency, comparing some of the most common light bulbs [8].
12W LED: 80% energy efficient 60W Traditional CFL: 75% energy efficient 43W Energy-Saving Incandescent: 25% energy efficient 60W Traditional Incandescent: no energy savings |
Though you may not realize it, old and outdated appliances can add to your energy bill. When purchasing appliances, such as washing machines, look for energy efficient machines, such as those with an Energy Star® label. In 2016, Energy Star® reduced electricity demand in the US by 400 billion kilowatt hours, translating into roughly a 320 million metric ton reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, along with several other air pollutants [9]. Additionally, installing heat pumps is another way to reduce electricity costs. Global carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 6% if just 30% of the building sector adopted appropriate heat pumps [7].
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According to research conducted by the team of researchers and staff who wrote Drawdown, a comprehensive plan of the 100 most substantive solutions to address climate change, refrigeration ranks #1. Refrigerants are used in refrigerators, supermarket cases, and air conditioners, and contribute to carbon emissions throughout the extent of their use. However, the largest issue with refrigerants is at their disposal, with 90% of refrigerant emissions occurring at this point [7]. By avoiding refrigerant leaks and destroying refrigerants properly at the end of their life, "87% of refrigerants that may be released can be contained, avoiding emissions equivalent to 89.7 gigatons of carbon dioxide" [7].
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Want to know what else you can do to help mitigate climate change? Check out these pages below to learn more about ways you can reduce carbon emissions!
"In the United States, the wind energy potential of just three states - Kansas, North Dakota, and Texas - would be sufficient to meet electricity demand from coast to coast."
- Drawdown
References
- Skipjack Wind Farm. (2018). Deepwater Wind. Retrieved from http://dwwind.com/project/skipjack-wind-farm/
- Dance, S. (2018). Ocean City’s effort to keep windmills far offshore fails as Maryland delegates reject proposal. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved from http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/environment/bs-md-offshore-wind-distance-20180312-story.html
- Personal communication, Craig Ramseyer, PhD, professor of Geography and Geosciences at Salisbury University, 10 April 2018, Salisbury University.
- Wicomico County Wind Power Installation. (2018). DASolar.com. Retrieved from https://www.dasolar.com/home-wind-power/maryland/wicomico-county
- Solar Panel Installer for Maryland’s Eastern Shore. (2018). Paradise Energy Solutions, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.paradisesolarenergy.com/locations/maryland/
- How to Calculate Solar Panel Payback Period (ROI). (2017). Energysage. Retrieved from https://news.energysage.com/understanding-your-solar-panel-payback-period/
- Hawken, P. (Ed.). (2017). Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming. New York, NY: Penguin Books.
- How Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs Compare with Traditional Incandescents. U.S. Department of Energy; Energy.gov. Retrieved from https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/save-electricity-and-fuel/lighting-choices-save-you-money/how-energy-efficient-light
- ENERGY STAR by the Numbers. (2017). ENERGY STAR. Retrieved from https://www.energystar.gov/about/origins_mission/energy_star_numbers
Photos used under Creative Commons from zakzak7, Max_G6, Goedeker's, Wenchao Wang Ian D