Kentucky Coal Mining Museum converts to solar power

[BWG]

BENHAM, Ky. (WYMT) - An unlikely building is switching to solar powered energy.


The Kentucky Coal Mining Museum in Benham is owned by Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College. Communications Director Brandon Robinson told WYMT, they're hoping to save money by the switch.

Kentucky Coal Mining Museum converts to solar power

Coal miners seeing the light?


How many jobs will that cost, especially if the trend to cheaper and renewal energy continues?

 

[Common Sense 1]

It's the community College that made that decision and more then likely there was some other
government money used. Tax payers are footing the big bill for this.

Coal miners had nothing to do with this choice.

 

[ttwtt78640]

It's the community College that made that decision and more then likely there was some other
government money used. Tax payers are footing the big bill for this.

Coal miners had nothing to do with this choice.

Footing the bill for lower utility costs is a bad thing?

 

[VanceMack]

Why does everyone look at this as if coal and solar were enemies of one to the other? At some point it will be great if solar energy becomes truly efficient and affordable. Until then...the world still needs coal,a nd will for the foreseeable future.

It will be very telling to see if this building when completed will run solely on solar power or if will still require coal energy. One can only assume that a facility of that size will have considerable energy needs with AC and other major appliance to feed.

 

[Carjosse]

Why does everyone look at this as if coal and solar were enemies of one to the other? At some point it will be great if solar energy becomes truly efficient and affordable. Until then...the world still needs coal,a nd will for the foreseeable future.

It will be very telling to see if this building when completed will run solely on solar power or if will still require coal energy. One can only assume that a facility of that size will have considerable energy needs with AC and other major appliance to feed.

Coal is on the decline no matter how you look at it, natural gas has already largely replaced coal for most uses where it has not been replaced by renewable sources.

 

[VanceMack]

Coal is on the decline no matter how you look at it, natural gas has already largely replaced coal for most uses where it has not been replaced by renewable sources.

Swell. And when coal is no longer need at all, I'm sure the industry will die a death of natural causes and not one of strangulation by government mandate.

 

[Carjosse]

Swell. And when coal is no longer need at all, I'm sure the industry will die a death of natural causes and not one of strangulation by government mandate.

It is better to kill it now before it is too late to rescue those affected. There is no point to keep it alive.

 

[Moderate Right]

Swell. And when coal is no longer need at all, I'm sure the industry will die a death of natural causes and not one of strangulation by government mandate.

Very insightful. The left claims that coal is dying but the left feels the need to make it die because they don't trust it to die on it's own.

 

[VanceMack]

It is better to kill it now before it is too late to rescue those affected. There is no point to keep it alive.

Plenty of reasons. Its still an accessible viable resource.

 

[VanceMack]

Very insightful. The left claims that coal is dying but the left feels the need to make it die because they don't trust it to die on it's own.

The previous administration vowed to tax it into oblivion. The problem is that the green energy projects that they invested so many billions of dollars in...all failed miserably.

 

[apdst]

Footing the bill for lower utility costs is a bad thing?

If it's such a cost saving plan, it wouldn't need to be subsidized.

 

[apdst]

It is better to kill it now before it is too late to rescue those affected. There is no point to keep it alive.

Do you have a plan to replace all those jobs?

 

[Carjosse]

Do you have a plan to replace all those jobs?

Provide funding for education and relocation. Teach them to do something else and allow them to escape coal country. They are already dying, it is best to do something now.

 

[apdst]

Provide funding for education and relocation. Teach them to do something else and allow them to escape coal country. They are already dying, it is best to do something now.

A government program is the answer?

 

[BillRM]

Very insightful. The left claims that coal is dying but the left feels the need to make it die because they don't trust it to die on it's own.

Sorry the issue is do we wait until market forces act to force the coal plants to shut down knowing that waiting to take that slow route mean that public health and the very lives of those downwind of the coal plants are at unneeded risk for that period of time?

 

[Carjosse]

A government program is the answer?

Well the coal companies are not going to do it.

 

[Common Sense 1]

Footing the bill for lower utility costs is a bad thing?

It's going to be years before you see actual savings because of the upfront cost.


Solar power in Kentucky has been growing in recent years due to new technological improvements and a variety of regulatory actions and financial incentives, particularly a 30% federal tax credit

Kentucky offers state tax credits for renewable energy systems installed after Jan. 1, 2009. For most of these systems, such as passive solar hot water heating, or wind energy, the rebate covers up to 30 percent of the installation fees, for any amount up to $500. For photovoltaic systems, the rebate works a bit differently, and is calculated at $3.00 for each watt of direct current of the rated capacity of the system.


The average solar energy system size in the U.S is approximately 5 kilowatts (kW). Based on the average price of $3.36/watt, a 5kW system would cost $11,760 after tax credits. Below are some average 2015 quotes for other solar energy systems by size:

6kW solar energy system cost: $15,000
8kW solar energy system cost: $20,000
10kW solar energy system cost: $25,000

These prices reflect the cost of a solar energy system after deducting the federal solar tax credit, which reduces your solar system cost by 30 percent. Some states, local governments, and utilities also offer rebates and other tax incentives that can further reduce the solar system costs in your quotes from solar installers.

 

[Moderate Right]

Sorry the issue is do we wait until market forces act to force the coal plants to shut down knowing that waiting to take that slow route mean that public health and the very lives of those downwind of the coal plants are at unneeded risk for that period of time?

If coal is indeed dying then let it die on it's own. If you have to force it to die then it is not dying. Coal can be phased out while green energy is phased in but the process can happen without purposely passing laws to kill the industry, leaving many people out of work and taking not only those jobs away, but the rest of the economy that goes along with it. Most of the places where there is coal mining have absolutely zero other jobs available. We have to make the other jobs available first and it can't be in retail that will just die as soon as the coal mining jobs dry up.

 

[natsb]

I can see the benefit to the museum. Simply stated, they are getting a $666 savings per month on their electric bill, and they are not spending a dime on the panels. This is indeed a wonderful thing, but it cannot be extrapolated to common use. Most people do not get 80 750W panels and installation donated to them. If the museum had done this with their own money, the payback would not be for 30 years.

This appears to be yet another example of how great solar energy is as long as you are using OPM.

 

[phattonez]

Coal miners seeing the light?


How many jobs will that cost, especially if the trend to cheaper and renewal energy continues?

Dumb. Solar still makes no economic sense. And when it's night time, where do you think they'll be getting their electricity? From coal.

 

[phattonez]

Sorry the issue is do we wait until market forces act to force the coal plants to shut down knowing that waiting to take that slow route mean that public health and the very lives of those downwind of the coal plants are at unneeded risk for that period of time?

It's not dying it because it's still far more efficient than solar. The money being used to prop up a worthless industry should instead be used into research on cleaning up coal.

 

[phattonez]

Coal is on the decline no matter how you look at it, natural gas has already largely replaced coal for most uses where it has not been replaced by renewable sources.

Largely replaced? Please. Coal was still 33% of US energy production as of 2015.

 

[VanceMack]

Provide funding for education and relocation. Teach them to do something else and allow them to escape coal country. They are already dying, it is best to do something now.

Do you happen to have a feel for the current poverty levels in the Appalachian states? Do you see a ton of investment in relocating people?

 

[Carjosse]

Do you happen to have a feel for the current poverty levels in the Appalachian states? Do you see a ton of investment in relocating people?

Out of Appalachia, yes. There is there is no future for anyone.

 

[VanceMack]

Out of Appalachia, yes. There is there is no future for anyone.

But do you see it happening?

If they were smart they would take away the restrictions and let them get back to moonshining and maybe some pot growing. Agriculture jobs are nothing to sneeze at.


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