rebuilding the grid with solar

The small solar panel farm West if the main post office in Christainsted was shredded by Maria.

The small solar panel farm West if the main post office in Christainsted was shredded by Maria.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking but the one near Home Depot which is a lot larger looks OK.

You should see the solar farm near Home Depot on STT. Demolished

Over at the Blue Water Terrace, they mounted them flat against the ground on a cement slab.
They said only one got damaged by some flying debris.

As usual, there's always a trade off. I'm sure the angled panels generate more electricity, but...

The one at the STX Federal Courthouse was totally destroyed.

That's the one West if the Richmond post office in Christainsted.

Hmmm.

The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has accepted the Hawaiian Electric Companies' plan charting the near-term actions that will lead to 100 percent of Hawaii's power generation needs coming from renewable resources by 2045.

On Molokai, Maui Electric is working with the community on options for reaching 100 percent renewable portfolio standard by 2020.

Regulators accept Hawaiian Electric Companies' plan to reach 100% renewable energy

I have 48 panels, on a cement slab on the ground, with earth berms taller than the panels on each side of the slab. No damage.
I am shocked the panels by the Animal Shelter on STX survived.
I am not surprised the STT panels by Home Depot or the Federal Building STX were destroyed. Poor design for hurricanes.

I only lost 4 panels off my roof (and one more impaled with flying debris) & I'm on the south west corner.

Luckily we only need 17* of pitch for panels here so it's pretty easy to mount them on the ground or a strong roof, my rail system [url= http://www.ironridge.com/ ](Iron Ridge)[/url ]is rated to 140mph.

I have 48 panels, on a cement slab on the ground, with earth berms taller than the panels on each side of the slab. No damage.
I am shocked the panels by the Animal Shelter on STX survived.
I am not surprised the STT panels by Home Depot or the Federal Building STX were destroyed. Poor design for hurricanes.

I have 30 panels on my roof. Mike Bruno installed them. I actually think his installation made my roof stronger. Not one was damaged.

The way that the designs were for the solar farms made no sense...... With the way that the panels were angled, combined with the fact that the bases were not enclosed, it ensured that you basically had a large array of solar sails.... If the bases had been more blocked off the winds would not have gotten underneith the panels as much...

the angle is important for solar harvesting, 17* here is ideal.

My roof is pitched at 18* so mine are basically flush with the roof (they stand off about 3 inches or so) which is probably why I only lost 4 panels.

The way that the designs were for the solar farms made no sense...... With the way that the panels were angled, combined with the fact that the bases were not enclosed, it ensured that you basically had a large array of solar sails.... If the bases had been more blocked off the winds would not have gotten underneith the panels as much...

You mean setting solar panels like airfoils isn't a good idea?:S

Mike's about to reinstall mine. Lost 14, good to hear about his work.

In regards to Hawaii's plan,
I believe a lot of their plan includes tapping into active/dormant volcanos for a heat source to create steam for their turbines.

Like using Hover Dam to power Las Vegas, they're great options... If you have them.

I don't believe those kinds of options exist here in the Virgin Islands. I cant see, with current technology, solar and wind generating 100% for us.

In regards to Hawaii's plan,
I believe a lot of their plan includes tapping into active/dormant volcanos for a heat source to create steam for their turbines.

Perhaps but

"To maintain reliability of electric service, the plan calls for adding energy storage and other grid technologies to accompany new renewable resources.

The plan includes continued growth of private rooftop solar and describes the work to expand and upgrade grid infrastructure and to use the newest generations of inverters, control systems and energy storage to help reliably integrate an estimated total of 165,000 private systems by 2030, more than twice today’s total of 79,000.

The Hawaiian Electric Companies already have the highest percentage of customers using rooftop solar of any utility in the U.S. The national average is one percent while the percentage in the Hawaiian Electric Companies service territories is 17 percent."

Energy storage isn't needed for geothermal which is available 24/7 on demand.

It sounds great, really.
But like everything else, it comes down to the one thing the the USVI dosen't have...
$$$

I see a lot of new telephone poles and line crews around and that's great, but I guess the price tag of burying lines along the main roads was unfortunately too prohibitive?
That sounded like a great idea, but again...
$$$

Burying the power lines will take time (and $$$$) that we don't have right now. We need to get power restored as quickly as possible. There's been no indication that burying the lines has been forgotten. Mapp has a team to look at all options to help hurricane proof the VI in the future including burying the lines. Likely part of the fed disaster assistance funding Mapp is lobbying for would go to burying the power lines, at least the main feeders.

MAPP ANNOUNCES ‘VI HURRICANE AND RESILIENCY ADVISORY GROUP’, CREATED TO GUIDE RECOVERY OF USVI

I read "the source" article about the advisory board last night. Sounds like a good thing, lots of good people involved. I'm sure ideas and good intentions will come out of it, I only hope there's a way to secure funding for the improvements we need.