Politics & Government

Hempstead Town Notebook: 'Solar Field of Dreams,' Board of Appeals Meeting

A weekly look-in at news from around the Town of Hempstead.

Town Solar Field Unveiled

On Wednesday, the Town of Hempstead unveiled an enormous 60-kilowatt solar field at the town Conservation and Waterways administrative offices in Point Lookout, a project the town is calling a “solar field of dreams.”

The solar field is larger than the infield at a major league baseball stadium. In fact, 260 solar panels, each about 5 feet by 2 1/2 feet, are mounted in a field that measures 160 feet by 60 feet.

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The Conservation and Waterways administration building, which will draw upon the solar field to meet its energy needs, already boasts a 10K, roof-mounted photovoltaic energy system. These two projects will be accompanied by a geothermal system, which will address heating and cooling needs at the administration building. The stated goal of the town is to reach total self-sufficiency with renewable energy systems at the Conservation and Waterways facility, leaving a "zero carbon footprint."

One of the technologies found on each of the 260 panels are microinverters, which allow each unit to be controlled and monitored individually, rather than relying on a single inverter to power the entire field. This means that if one solar panel has a technical fault, workers can pinpoint the error without it affecting the entire field, thus increasing efficiency and helping to save money.

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The town used federal stimulus funds to pay for the estimated $240,000 worth of equipment for the solar field.

Board of Appeals to Meet Tuesday

The Town of Hempstead Board of Appeals will hold its regularly scheduled meetings on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

To submit your comments regarding an upcoming Board of Appeals hearing, you may do so online using the BoA Hearings Comment Form, or send your comments in writing to: David P. Weiss, Chairman of the Board of Appeals, One Washington St., Hempstead, NY 11550. Comments received prior to the close of the public hearing will be made part of the record.


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