By Stewart A. McFerran
Both falling water and shining sun produce power. To compare these two ways of generating electricity, consider Hodenpyl Dam in Mesick and CBS Solar, a business in nearby Copemish.
Hodenpyl Dam was built on the Manistee River in 1925. The power it produces fluctuates with the seasons and the level of the water. As stated on the Consumer’s Energy website, Hodenpyl Hydro Power Plant can produce “up to 17 megawatts” of electrical power when the Manistee River is flowing fast, and the generators turning within the dam can power “5,000 homes.” Consumers hangs thick cables from tall towers to move the power to where it is needed. While the current of the Manistee River changes with rainy and dry weather, consumers of power cannot expect the power output of Hodenpyl to increase beyond its current capacity.
Allan O’Shea, president of and sales director for Contractors Building Supply, Inc., said the family-owned company has been “in the renewable energy business for almost 40 years.” During this time, he estimates CBS Solar has installed five megawatts of generating power. Last year, CBS installed systems in 150 homes. The company also installed large arrays at commercial sites. The solar power from the rooftop and ground arrays is available to the homeowner. With a system tied to the grid, the inverter (an electronic device which changes DC to AC power) in a home will pass extra power to neighbors.
We can all expect the generating capacity of solar companies like CBS to significantly increase.There is no limit to the power of the sun.
It is safe to say that this Copemish solar energy company has designed, built and installed one-quarter of a Hodenpyl of electrical generating capacity. O’Shea said the demand for solar power is growing and CBS is busier than ever. He expects it will not take another 40 years for the company to reach half a Hodenpyl.
For its part, Hodenpyl is almost 100 years old and they are not making any new rivers. Still, hydro power and solar power work well together. Solar inverters in homes are the first link in a smart grid. Tesla’s “Power Wall,” and the energy storage systems like it that CBS Solar provides, is another link in the chain of the smart grid of electrical power.
The generators in the Hodenpyl Dam powerhouse turn all night long. When the sun comes up, solar cells go to work to provide power at peak times. In the future, a truly smart grid would balance power from the various sources and energy storage facilities.
