They caught my attention immediately.
It’s funny how something so obvious and expected can stop you in your tracks. A casual observation on my first day in Fairbanks was the missing company of the sun in the sky. At noontime I altered course from the dog sled race to find it, eventually turning a corner onto a street that lead to the softly glowing orb hanging low in the sky. Now seeing the huge photovoltaic arrays outside of the Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC), facing south at 75 degrees from horizontal, the connection was unavoidable and stunning at the same time.
Lisa Seff and Juan Botella standing by the Cold Climate Housing Research Center Photovoltaic Array. February 9, 2012.
Cold Climate Housing Research Center Photovoltaic Array. February 9, 2012. Photo by Lisa Seff.
Wow, what a difference between the angle of these arrays and the ones back on the roof at Springs School! Of course! With the Alaskan sun so much lower in the sky than the our sun’s position back home, the solar panels would have to be adjusted significantly to get the most energy benefits. Our school installed photovoltaic arrays several years ago on the roof and I’ve climbed the ladder several times to check them out.
Lisa Seff up on the roof of Springs School measuring the angle of the photovoltaic panels. March 9th, 2012. Photo by Dan Newman.
Our arrays are set at approximately 10 degrees from horizontal, a difference of 65 degrees from the ones at the CCHRC in Alaska! So many distinct contrasts between Alaska and Long Island, but momentarily I was struck by the primary cause of these differences, the suns apparent motion and position across the celestial sphere.
“Come on you guys!” Whoops! Time to stop staring at the arrays and head inside for our tour of the Cold Climate Research Center!