Solar Panels

Back when PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem turned 60, conventional wisdom suggested he would navigate one more difficult TV negotiation before leaving the enterprise for one of his deputies. That was four years ago. The TV deals — a surprising nine years' worth — were signed last fall. Finchem, though, isn't going anywhere. The commissioner on Wednesday accepted a four-year contract extension through June 2016. He would be 69 if he stays on the job for the full hitch.

There is undoubtedly an unpleasant knee-jerk reaction whenever you hear someone criticize an organization whose sole purpose is to provide humanitarian assistance to people in most need. We generally feel better about living in a community that supports nonprofits and their activities. So when representatives of The Chimes, a Dixon Hill-located nonprofit, announced at a community association meeting their desire to install an array of ground-mounted solar panels on their property, the opposition to their plan may seem harsh and unwarranted ("Mount Washington residents criticize plan to build solar panels," Jan. 3)

WEATHER Today's forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies, with occasional flurries before 1 p.m., and a high temperature around 33 degrees. It is expected to be cloudy with a low temperature around 21 degrees tonight. TRAFFIC Here are today's morning traffic issues . FROM LAST NIGHT... Reisterstown's Almond set to head Balto. Co. Council in 2012 : When Baltimore County Council members hold their first meeting of 2012 on Tuesday, they're scheduled to pick their leader for the year -- and for the first time in nearly three decades, it's set to be a woman.

A proposal to build solar panels on a historic property in Mount Washington has drawn criticism from neighbors who believe it will be an eyesore for some nearby houses. The Chimes, a Baltimore-based nonprofit, plans to put solar panels in a grassy area between two Victorian houses it owns in the Dixon Hill neighborhood of Mount Washington. The panels would produce electricity for the residences on the property. "The plan is to put a small ground-mounted system between two of the buildings," said Martin S. Lampner, the president and CEO of The Chimes.

The town of Sykesville is hoping nature and its power will be the answer to some of its power problems. Whether it be geothermal, wind or solar power, town officials are collecting bid proposals to create a renewable energy source for the town's use at the Public Works Building, the Sykesville Police Station and the Sykesville Town House. Tapping a renewable energy source is an idea town officials have been talking about for the past six years, according to town manager Matt Candland.

Let me see if I have this right. We are going to pay $60 million for a solar project at Mount Saint Mary's University for which the kilowatt hour rate is "well-above current cost" ("Largest solar power project under way," Sept. 30). The solar panels may well be made in Malaysia or Germany, and a grand total of two permanent workers will be added to the payroll? I'm no rocket scientist, but I can divide $60 million by 2 employees and figure out the latest boondoggle promoted by Gov. Martin O'Malley is costing $30 million per employee.

It might not seem to be a bright investment right now, after weeks of seemingly endless clouds and rain, but solar panels are popping up on rooftops all over Maryland. With government help in the form of tax credits and grants, companies making equipment available through long-term lease and economies of scale bringing prices down, the industry is seeing steady and continuing growth in demand for drawing power from the sun. And Maryland is among the states experiencing a rapid expansion, with an increasing number of companies getting into sales, installation and leasing of the panels to homeowners and businesses.

Solar panels under construction at a long-capped landfill in Howard County will soon be used to offset energy costs at a nearby elementary school. The county began installation of the solar arrays this week at the former New Cut Landfill, an 83-acre tract in Ellicott City that shut down operations more than 30 years ago. Officials expect the $462,000 project will be completed in about eight weeks and the panels will begin drawing energy from the...

After Hurricane Irene, power to my entire block in Hampden was out - except at my house, thanks to my solar panels. While the panels obviously didn't work during the night of the storm, by the next morning my fridge was still ice cold, my sump pump was back on and I was able to tend my yard without the din of a generator. By the time nightfall came and my panels were starting to switch off, I had been able to accomplish all my electric chores. I spent the rest of the day chatting with neighbors and enjoying a peaceful evening.

Baltimore's Constellation Energy Group, which agreed last month to sell itself to Exelon Corp., announced Wednesday that it will build the largest solar roof installation in the United States at a Toys "R" Us distribution center in New Jersey. The 5.38-megawatt solar rooftop project will be the largest at a single building, according to the Solar Energy Industry Association. Constellation will build and own the solar system, while the toy retailer will purchase all of the electricity generated by the solar panels under a 20-year power purchase deal.