Photography by Matthew Ginn: photojournalism, portraiture, and editorial photographyGreen Energy
Photovoltaic cells at Lake Metroparks Farmpark in Kirtland, Ohio, power an aeration fountain in the park’s west pond during summer months, and feed energy to the grid when the fountain is turned off in the winter. With another, much larger grid in the park and a 10kW wind turbine, the park estimates it displaces up to 70 tons of CO2 production per year. (Photo by Matthew Ginn © 2013)
Energy production—or, more accurately, its conversion from one form to another—is one of the most fundamental activities that humans undertake. Over the years I have photographed a variety of assignments related to electric generation, from coal-fired power plants to hydro dam demolitions to solar array construction. In the past, electric power generation generally meant large-scale, centralized utilities producing megawatts of power to feed thousands of homes and businesses. One of the emerging trends, though, is small, distributed generation serving nearby needs first, and then supplying excess power to the grid. In many cases these systems protect the homeowners in case of a blackout. More importantly, though, since these “green energy” systems harness wind or solar power, they also reduce the production of greenhouse gases like CO2. I recently had the opportunity to visit and photograph a number of installations at homes, public institutions and businesses in northeastern Ohio. Here is a bit of what I saw. 
