Smith farm enters the new millennium with solar energy

Local farmers will now rely on the sun to energize their plants – and their buildings.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter
Family farmers T.S. Smith & Sons Inc. celebrated the ribbon-cutting for 178 solar modules with representatives of government and economy on May 13. The solar energy system will produce 43 kilowatts to power a cold-storage facility.

The historic T. S. Smith and Sons Inc. farm is striding into the future with the addition of 178 solar panels at their Bridgeville location.

With their farm also honored as a Delaware Century Farm, Walt Smith and his sons Charlie, Matthew and Thomas will use the 43 kilowatts generated by the solar panels to power their entire cold-storage facility, with some energy to spare.

“All farming is a gamble,” said Charlie Smith. “But you’re guaranteed sun.”

The Solair green energy company installed the solar panels, which were manufactured in Newark, Del.

The Smiths said they were first intrigued by Solair’s booth at a 2010 agricultural fair.

Solar energy falls in with the farm’s other sustainable agriculture practices, such as trickle irrigation, said Charlie Smith.

“My brother and I like the conservation program,” said Matt Smith. “We’d like to eliminate our carbon footprint.”

Representatives of government, economic and tourism groups came to show their support at the May 6 ribbon cutting at the farm. Dignitaries from local, state and federal government commended T. S. Smith & Sons for its green initiative.

“Their decision to use solar panels and a Delaware-based company really shows a dedication to Delaware’s future,” said Bernice Whaley, deputy director of the Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO).

Whaley said that course of action embodies DEDO’s own goal of providing growth and stability in Delaware.

Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee admired the “family farm’s adoption of new technology to stay competitive in producing food.”

Dan Burton of Solair said this is first farm Solair has served, and one of the larger solar systems they have installed.

Because the panels will generate more energy than the farm’s cooling system uses, Burton said, the excess electricity can return to the power grid and help supply nearby homes. Plus, Delaware metering law grants the farm credit from the electric company for the excess power they put into the grid.

Within five years, the century-old farm is expected to see their investment returned by the project.