Solon Springs School District
LOCATION: Solon Springs, Wisconsin | CAPACITY: 109 kW | COMPLETION DATE: July 2020
SOLAR CONTRACTOR: Carlson Electric
Solon Springs School is a Wisconsin public K-12 education organization located in Solon Springs, Wisconsin, in the northwest part of the state.
The Challenge
For most schools, it is the expense of installing solar, tied to buy-in from the school board and the eventual buy-in of the community, that are barriers. It all starts from an idea and an individual or individuals to champion this idea and see it to fruition. When one of Solon Springs School’s science and math teachers heard this idea directly from a community member, she saw the educational opportunities for students.
She said: “The idea of generating our own electricity (and perhaps selling some downstream) fits directly into my curriculum and is the direction I believe the entire country should be heading. As a teacher, I can show students directly what is going on with solar generation at our school instead of just looking at something in a textbook or online. I can get real numbers from our bookkeeper to show how much we are saving and sometimes how much revenue we are producing.”
Solar Solution
With the assistance of Legacy Solar Co-op, they were able to partner with a local for-profit entity that could utilize the federal tax credits. In addition, LSC helped analyze the different system proposals and educate District personnel about the differing system makeups.
Outcome
Legacy Solar Co-op partnered with co-op member and solar installer Carlson Electric (Hayward & Hudson, WI) to help Solon Springs School District get 109.5 kilowatts of solar (300 panels) on 2 flat roofs at their Baldwin Street, K4-12 school building.
In addition to lowering the school’s operating costs, students will experience and learn about renewable energy first-hand. Prior to the announcement to this project, the district had already decreased their energy consumption by replacing old lighting with LEDs and installing new heating and cooling systems. The solar array now supplies about 50% of the school’s annual electricity needs.
The Solon Springs School District was awarded a $124,500 grant by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC), which provided half the cost of the solar array. Through a public-private partnership set up by Legacy Solar Co-op and this grant, the district paid just 20% of the cost of the entire project. Mark Stensvold of Bennett, a member of the Solon Springs Educational Foundation, said “Once I understood what Legacy Solar Co-op was doing, it just made sense.”
Thank you to the district staff, administrators, school board, and all the local and state professionals and volunteers who helped make this happen!
Dahlberg Light & Power Company serves Doulgas, Bayfield and Washburn Counties and now has 20 customers running on solar power and Solon Springs School District will be their largest.
Testimonial
“I am excited that we have been able to partner with so many individuals, organizations and companies to have most of this project funded by different grants and solar investment programs. This solar project will serve as a model for other schools to consider and with the energy use kiosk that will be located on-site, students will experience firsthand knowledge of the use of solar and its savings to the environment and budget.” ~ Frank Helquist, District Administrator
Project Gallery
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