The Little Farmer family orchard and farm market, located north of Fond du Lac, is investing in a solar energy project on their 139-acre property to help power pumps and aerators for a large pond planned for future construction. Last year’s drought created an irrigation problem for the orchard’s apples and pumpkins; constructing a large pond with a solar-powered pump and aerator system will help insulate the produce from drought conditions. Jim Funk of Energize LLC, based in Winneconne, WI, is installing the panels, and expects to have the system operating March 2014. The system is expected to produce 13,768 kWh annually from two separate arrays–an 8.5 kW array and a smaller 2.5 kW array. Funding for this project was provided, in part, by grants from the USDA and Focus on Energy, and excess electricity generated will be sold to Alliant Energy’s power grid.
Malone, WI
Photo courtesy of Jim Funk, Energize, LLC