It is an expansion unlike any other in Chautauqua County.
The 2,000-square-foot facility of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 106 has been expanded to five times its original size. But for Business Manager David Wilkinson, the real source of pride comes from its silent source of power barely visible above the roofline.
"We're on the leading edge of solar power," Wilkinson said. "If you don't change with the changing electric field, you are bound to get left behind."
Under Wilkinson's leadership, the IBEW Local 106 on James Street has embarked on a partnership with the city of Jamestown to install and demonstrate the first commercial-grade solar power project in the city. But he added the current setup is just the beginning of broader plans.
"We had to get the system installed for our own benefit," he said, because if the local IBEW is going to train for this kind of work they needed to show a functioning example.
The six panels, 32 feet in total length, provide the perfect on-site training for solar installation, Wilkinson said. This specific instruction, known within the industry as "photovoltaic" installation, has been added to the fifth year of the apprenticeship program, and there are currently 3 qualified trainers to lead to the class. The next round of apprentices begin their training Sept. 14.
David Painter, who leads membership development at the local IBEW, said electrical wiremen who receive their training at the facility are then certified to install solar devices throughout New York State.
Nationwide, the IBEW promotes green-job training, and a report from last summer said more than 70 local training centers offer training in new energy solutions such as solar power.
FUTURE OF SOLAR
With its grasp of new technology, IBEW Local 106 hopes to engage the public and private sector in the community.
"The BPU has been involved the whole way," said Wilkinson, and there is room to expand on the joint project.
Painter added a BPU crew will soon install meters to see how the electric current feeds back into the area power grid. With the potential for three new sets of six panels, he said they hope to one day sell a surplus of generated energy back to the utility company.
In the meantime, the panels provide eight amps of power which is distributed to the classrooms and offices below. The DC power derived from the panels are sent to an inverter which converts it to AC electricity, and replaces part of the 34 amps used on average by the facility.
"Whatever power we produce from solar, it cuts from our electric bill," said Painter, and he said they can also track their adjusted carbon footprint. A digital meter shows the operation in total has prevented 250 pounds of carbon emissions, which would otherwise have been released from a traditional coal burning generator.
But the IBEW does more than demonstrate technology and train apprentices, said Wilkinson. The local chapter represents 190 wiremen from the area, from territory covering all of Chautauqua and parts of Cattaraugus and Allegheny counties.
"Chances are, if someone is out there doing electric work, they are from the IBEW," Painter added.
Across the street, union members will be installing solar panels at the new science center of Jamestown Community College.
Wilkinson confirmed the future of solar power in the area is a shining prospect.
"It's going to be a big deal," he said, "and we intend to install all the solar that we can. We know a lot of people are looking at it."
