May 19, 2025
US Representative April McClain Delaney (MD-6) flips power switch during ceremony to celebrate solar panel installation at the UMCES Appalachian Laboratory. Also pictured are Mike Studholme, Dr. David Nelson, and Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm.
To make one trip around the Earth’s equator, you’d travel approximately 24,901 miles. Now imagine driving that distance 13 times in a gas-powered car. That’s about how much CO2 the newly installed solar panels at the UMCES Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg will offset in just one year.
In November, 2024, with funding from the Maryland Energy Agency (MEA), 381 solar panels were installed on the Laboratory’s roof by Mountain View Solar (mtvSolar), a locally owned and operated small business in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.
Following recommendations from a feasibility study completed in May 2023, a roof-mounted solar array, integrated with the existing power supply from Potomac Edison, was installed. The system, which is owned by UMCES, will supply about 18% of the Lab’s power needs annually, offsetting an estimated 286,000 pounds of CO2 per year. This is equal to the greenhouse emissions of those trips around the equator or the annual electricity usage of around 27 homes.
The solar array will help reduce the Appalachian Laboratory’s energy costs, providing as much as 100% of the facility’s electricity needs on sunny days and feeding additional electricity to the grid for its neighbors to consume. A dashboard allows visitors to see real-time data on the array’s energy production.
“It’s the most efficient way to go about meeting our energy needs,” said Mike Studholme of MTVSolar. “The real beauty of solar is that it’s generating power where it’s being consumed.”
In addition to providing savings to the institution, the installation of solar panels at the Appalachian Laboratory will also help meet sustainability goals for the facility.
“The research that we do on air, water, forests, wildlife and agriculture relates to environmental sustainability, and while our science aims to help society live more sustainably, it’s also critical that we ‘walk the talk’ and lead by example, taking actions like these to ensure the sustainability of our own facilities and operations,” said Dr. David Nelson, UMCES Appalachian Laboratory Professor and Director.
“I can’t think of a much better fit between what the Appalachian Laboratory represents and the statement made by having a solar array on its rooftop,” agreed Studholme.
UMCES Appalachian Laboratory building following installation of 381 solar panels.
In demonstration of its continued commitment to sustainability, the UMCES community celebrated Earth Week 2025 with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Appalachian Laboratory.
During the ceremony, the economic development opportunities made possible through investment in renewable energy and scientific research were highlighted.
Helping flip the ceremonial power switch for the panels at the event, U.S. Representative April McClain Delaney (MD-6) noted “This ribbon cutting is about more than infrastructure. It’s about lighting the way for science, for stewardship and for sustainability right here in Mountain Maryland and beyond.”
UMCES President Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm agreed. “The importance of climate, environment, and sustainability directly relates to economic development and growth, which hinges on the research that takes place in institutions like UMCES,” said Miralles-Willhelm, who also serves as the Vice Chancellor for Sustainability for the University System of Maryland.
In thanking the State of Maryland and MEA for their investment in renewable energy, Studholme added, ”It’s not only an investment in cleaner air and water but an investment in people and businesses that live and operate in the state, an investment that will pay dividends for decades to come.”
Also participating in the ceremony were Robin Summerfield, from the office of US Senator Chris Van Hollen (MD), Delanie Blubaugh, from the office of US Senator Angela Alsobrooks (MD), and Adam Strott, Economic Development Specialist with Allegany County.
To learn more about UMCES sustainability initiatives visit www.umces.edu/sustainability.
For additional coverage of the event, please visit the Cumberland Times News.
