Whenever someone pitches the idea of solar power in West Virginia, there is invariably someone else who immediately responds, “That will never work here.”
We may finally be able to settle the argument once and for all.
West Virginia University engineers will be partnering with First Energy and developer High Technology Foundation to build a “solar testbed” at the I-79 Technology Park in Fairmont. The project will be funded by a $2.3 million U.S. Department of Energy grant.
WVU’s Anurag Srivastava, professor and chair of the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, will be studying battery storage, grid integration and cybersecurity.
These, of course, are the main questions haunting solar power in the Mountain State. But what if batteries can efficiently store and release power to avoid bursts of power surges followed by low-power lags? What if solar power could be integrated almost seamlessly into the existing power grid? What if enough protections could be put in place to make solar arrays at least as secure as fossil fuel production sites, if not more so?
Which is exactly why we need this solar testbed at the I-79 Technology Park and others like it. Because we suspect we know the answers, based on similar situations in other states, but we — and solar’s detractors — will never know until we put solar power to the test here in West Virginia.
As we figured out over Christmas, even coal and natural gas are not fool-proof energy sources. PJM Vice President for State Policy and Member Services Asim Haque was questioned by the West Virginia Senate after the power grid failed ahead of the holiday and left many without power on some of the coldest days and nights of the year. Ultimately, Haque said, demand was higher than they expected and energy producers didn’t step up to the plate. Natural gas, in particular, failed to show up, accounting for over 70% of the shortfall.
A more balanced power grid is a more stable power grid. Any system that is too heavily dependent on a single element — such as a power grid that leans too much on natural gas — is vulnerable to disruptions. Is West Virginia ready to convert to renewables only? Of course not, and no one is suggesting it does. But there is no harm in diversifying our energy sources. There is even less harm in studying the real-world advantages and challenges of alternatives like solar.
We look forward to seeing how the solar testbed in Fairmont performs and hearing about Srivastava’s findings. In the meantime, and in the future, we hope West Virginia will support similar projects.
