Business
Parrfection Produces Solar Too
David Parr and Victoria Solomon, of Parrfection Produce, LLC in Green County outside of Monticello, Wisconsin, went solar to grow their business long term. They grow, aggregate, and distribute produce in the upper Midwest. Having learned …
American Family Insurance Rooftop Solar Array
American Family Insurance powered up Wisconsin’s rooftop solar array November 2017 at its national headquarters in Madison, WI. The 1.03 megawatt solar system contains 4,488 panels that will supply 7% (or 1.26 million kWh) of …
Gordon Bubolz Nature Center Microgrid, Appleton
The Gordon Bubolz Nature Center, an 18,000 square foot building on 725 acres near Appleton, WI is powered by the most advanced microgrid in the Midwest. The Center (top photo) is able to be powered …
Johnson Controls Headquarters Solar Energy System
At Johnson Controls Headquarters, 1,452 ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) panels generate 320,000 kWh of electricity per year, while 14,355 SF of roof-mounted PV panels generate an additional 150,000 kWh per year. One of the largest …
Solar Abounds in Bayfield Wisconsin
On a summer trip to Bayfield, the landscape was painted with solar on businesses. Highland Valley Farm, Bayfield Ferry Building, Gone Solar sign at rural craft store with a ground-mount PV system, and North Wind …
Solar at Slipstream headquarters in University Research Park
Pole mounted solar in Slipstream parking lot and pervious paving to increase stormwater infiltration. Madison, WI
IKEA Green
IKEA Group plans to produce as much renewable energy as it consumes by 2020 globally, a goal it has achieved already in its Nordic stores. The first IkEA store in Wisconsin, that will open mid-May …
Evergreen Credit Union is Carbon Neutral for Electricity
Evergreen Credit Union (ECU) in Neenah, Wisconsin earned ENERGY STAR certification in 2015 then installed a 56.4 kW photovoltaic system that produces enough electricity to meet 80 percent of their remaining annual electricity demand. The …
Components Company Inc. Installs Solar PV Offsets Half their Electric Use
Components Company Inc., a manufacturing company in Brookfield, WI that installed a 78.12 kW PV system in October 2015, is meeting approximately 50% of their electric load with solar energy. The $185,000 cost of the …
Isthmus Engineering Achieves Carbon Neutrality
Isthmus Engineering & Manufacturing, Madison Wisconsin, that designs and builds custom automation equipment, added an additional 100kW of solar energy to their existing solar installation, making their manufacturing bays carbon neutral. Madison, Wisconsin Photo courtesy …
Letterhead Press Installs Solar
Letterhead Press Inc., New Berlin, WI, recently installed 1,300 solar panels, making this 337 kilowatt system one of the largest solar projects of 2015. This solar system will generate one quarter of Letterhead’s annual energy …
Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Cheese
Emmi Roth, a Swiss specialty cheese producer with a plant in Platteville, WI, installed over 1,600 solar panels (527 kW) on the roof of their Wisconsin facility. The installation, by Eagle Point Solar of Dubuque, …
Epic Systems Solar Power Farm
In this segment of Today’s Home Remodeler, Todd Sullivan of The Morse Group takes the viewer on a tour of the Epic Systems Solar Power Farm located in Verona, WI.
Kickapoo Coffee Fully Electrified by Solar
Kickapoo Coffee, Viroqua, Wisconsin, is one of the first commercial coffee toasters in the U.S. powered entirely by solar energy. Kickapoo installed a 25 kW, 80 panel solar array that eliminated all their electricity purchases. …
Solar Hot Water System on Gundersen Health Child Care Center
Child Care Center offsets 85% of its hot water needs producing 505 therms annually of solar heated hot water. La Crosse, Wisconsin Photo courtesy of Gundersen Health System
Bishops Creek Dormitory Solar Roof
11kW solar array. Energy On WI May tour. Milwaukee, Wisconsin Photo courtesy of Sherrie Gruder
Central Waters Brewery Solar Energy Systems
Solar thermal system in front offsets 18% of natural gas use; 20 kW photovoltaic system in back produces 20% of electrical use. Combined annual savings of ~$4,000/year. Amherst, Wisconsin Photo courtesy of Paul Graham
Ale Asylum Solar
SunPeak installed a 100kW solar PV electric system with funding from Focus on Energy. After energy efficiency measures, the solar system will generate approximately 20% of the Ale Asylum’s electricity use. Also, they signed onto …
Milwaukee Brewing to build solar hot water system
By Thomas Content of the Journal Sentinel December 05, 2012 Green beer apparently isn’t brewed only on St. Patrick’s Day. Milwaukee Brewing Co. will install a solar hot water system at its brewery in Walker’s …
Helios Solar Manufacturing
Auto-solder Optimus Attaching junction box Soldering Strings Helios Solar Works was a Milwaukee-based company that manufactured high-performance mono-crystalline solar modules for solar electric systems. High-quality components and an advanced, automated manufacturing platform created modules that …
Local & Tribal Government
Racine Leases Land to We Energies for Solar Now
The City of Racine leases land to We Energies through the Solar Now program in Olsen Prairie Park for a 600 kW solar system. SunVest is the Wisconsin contractor hired by We Energies for their Solar Now …
Wauwatosa Effectively Moving to a Clean Energy Future
In December 2019, the City completed a 370 kW solar PV system on the roof of their public works building that is estimated to offset 96 percent of the 140,000 square foot facility’s annual electricity consumption. They …
Bayfield County Reaches 100% Carbon-Free Electricity in 2020
Bayfield County (population 15,008) will achieve 100 percent carbon-free electricity for government operations this year, 30 years in advance of the governor’s Executive Order #38 goal of 100 percent by 2050. Having passed an Energy …
La Farge Solar Plus Storage: A Story of Climate Resilience
Having lost power for days in the summer 2018 due to a 13 inch rain event that caused severe flooding, La Farge Lawton Memorial Library, Green Apple Inn and a small housing coop are now …
Middleton Operations Center Hosts MGE Community Solar
Madison Gas & Electric uses the roof on the Middleton’s Municipal Operations Center for its Shared Solar program. This is a 500 kW community solar project where MGE customers purchase green power locally from the …
Middleton’s Terrace Ave. Pavilion
Middleton’s Terrace Ave. Pavilion, the site of the local farmer’s market and trolly stop, hosts a 16 kW solar array. It powers an Electric vehicle charging station and a pump that irrigates the hanging plants …
Middleton Police Building
This 100 kW solar PV system was developed by MGE for the City of Middleton as part of a shared solar initiative in return for Middleton providing the roof of its operations center for a …
City of Madison Solar Workforce Training
Madison solar trainees install 5.7kW solar PV at city well pump. Photo courtesy of City of Madison
Solar Canopy at Madison Public Pool
Solar Canopy at Madison Public Pool provides shade and electricity. Photo courtesy of Sherrie Gruder
Solar Financing for Wisconsin Rapids’ McMillan Library
In 2017, the McMillan Memorial Library Board took a leadership role in clean energy for the City of Wisconsin Rapids and Wood County by investing in a large 235kW solar PV system that covers 13,000 …
Oneida Nation of Wisconsin solar array
Oneida Nation of Wisconsin 10kW ground mounted solar array.
Brown County Sheriff’s Office pole-mounted solar arrays
Brown County Sheriff’s Office pole-mounted solar arrays. Photo courtesy of UW-Madison Extension
City of Washburn’s Robust Financing Shines with the Sun
The Washburn Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and the Greater Bayfield Wastewater Treatment Plant each are producing solar energy with the commissioning of their 100 kW ac systems installed by Eagle Point Solar. How the small …
Solar to Benefit Iowa County Health, Safety, and Bottom Line
Iowa County installed a 100 kW ac solar PV system on the roof of it Health and Human Services building because it provides core functions to the safety and well-being of the county. The building …
Wood County’s First Solar Array
Wood County’s 8.3 kW solar array at Nepco Lake County Park shelter along Highway 13 started generating power November 1, 2019. With funding from Focus on Energy and savings from the Central Wisconsin Solar Group Buy, the county will realize …
City of Beaver Dam Solar Installation
North Wind Renewable Energy Cooperative installs a 105 kW solar array in June 2019 on the City of Beaver Dam’s police department/municipal court building. The array will save the City $800,000 over the next 25 …
Stevens Point Water & Sewage Department Solar
Stevens Point Water & Sewerage Department garage 130kW rooftop solar. The Sewer operation produces on average 80 percent of its own electricity and 90 percent of its own heat. Photo courtesy of the City of Stevens Point
City of Beaver Dam Solar Financials
Beaver Dam’s city hall plus fire department building is all decked out in 308 solar panels for Halloween 2018. For the City, this 105 kW solar system is a sweet treat of $62,000 of Focus …
Fitchburg Solar Celebration
The City of Fitchburg held a solar celebration in May 2018 marking the completion of 362 kW across 4 solar rooftop PV installations of more than 1,000 panels on City Hall, the Library, Public Works …
City of Monona’s Third-Party Solar PV
City of Monona’s third-party solar PV project consists of solar systems on four city buildings for a total generation capacity of 156 kW or 30% of the buildings’ electricity use. In addition to no up …
WPPI Kaukauna Municipal Building Solar Project
The 80.6 kW PV solar system on Kaukauna City Municipal Building roof started producing energy September 1st, 2016. The system is net metered. The project was funded with the assistance of a WPPI Energy grant …
Jefferson Solar Park
The City of Jefferson contracted with Half Moon Ventures to develop a 1MW, 3,600-panel solar park on 7 acres of city-owned land in its North Industrial Park. Half Moon Ventures plans to own the project over its …
Madeline Island Resiliency Project
First installation of Madeline Island Resiliency Project in the town of La Pointe was in 2016. The 18.2 kW array provides 112% of the electricity needs for the town library and medical clinic. The next phase of the …
Madeline Island Recycling Solar Arrays
A 22.8 kW roof-mounted solar PV array at the Madeline Island Materials Recovery Center to supply all of the electricity for their operations such as glass crushing. The $50,000 array was funded through multiple sources …
Solar in Rural Wisconsin
Sawyer County Housing Authority (SCHA) partnered with Carlson Electric to install 52 renewable energy rooftop mounted solar systems across six housing development sites in rural Wisconsin. The solar energy project will offset approximately 90 percent …
Dane County Solar Array
Article originally published by Office of the Dane County Executive, September 26, 2014 Wisconsin’s Largest Municipal Solar Array Completed When it came time for the busy Dane County Regional Airport to build an airfield maintenance …
Lighthouse at Sand Island
The 1881 lighthouse on Sand Island, one of the Apostle Islands and a National park, uses solar light replacing 600 gallons of kerosene oil per season. Sand Island Bayfield, WI Photo courtesy of National Park …
Solar Facade for Milwaukee Public Museum Rehab
Article by Steve Schultze of the Journal Sentinel September 02, 2013 The 50-year-old Milwaukee Public Museum building exterior is getting a high-tech makeover, including a sleek bank of solar panels that will grace the south …
Eau Claire Awarded SolSmart Gold Award for Commitment to Solar Energy
The City of Eau Claire was awarded a SolSmart Gold designation in October 2017. The gold-level designation is the the top honor awarded by SolSmart, a U.S. Department of Energy-supported nonprofit program that connects local …
Schools & Higher Ed
Madison Area Technical College’s 1.85 MW Solar System
Madison Area Technical College’s 1.85 megawatt solar system installation of 5,700 solar panels on the roof of the Madison Truax Campus. The project engaged Wisconsin employers, including solar developer SunVest, electrical contractor Pieper Power, and …
Solar Thermal Heats Up MSOE
H&H Solar recently completed the installation of a solar thermal system on the roof of the Milwaukee School of Engineering Public Safety Building. The solar thermal system includes 14 flat plate solar panels and 3, …
Lakeland Union High School Solar Array
LUHS, In Minocqua, WI, installed the largest solar array of any public K-12 school in the state in December 2016.The 280 kW project along with major energy efficiency upgrades were paid for under Act 32, …
Royal Oaks Elementary School Solar
STEM Center informational kiosk displaying solar generation and energy savings information Students, under the direction of a second grade teacher at Royal Oaks Elementary School in the Sun Prairie Area School District, Dane County, helped …
Lake Mills Elementary’s EcoScreen
Photo of Lake Mills Elementary EcoScreen. The EcoScreen educates students about their building’s energy use and green features. As a LEED v4 Beta project, Lake Mills Elementary includes geothermal heating and cooling, solar electric and …
Solar Thermal System: Osceola Middle School
32 panels heat the 200,000 gallon indoor pool and save an estimated 3,842 therms and $6,850 in natural gas costs annually. Osceola, WI Photo courtesy of Osceola School District
Coleman Elementary School Solar Array
Coleman School District Superintendent Brian Walters (right) watches as Eland Electric workers Paul Mahlik (left) and Rick Brice install solar panels on the roof of Coleman Elementary School as a part of the SolarWise for …
Madison College 2.86 MW Solar Dedication
Madison College Solar PV system ribbon cutting where Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes joins Madison College President Dr. Jack Daniels, MGE CEO Jeff Keebler, and Madison College professor Ken Walz in flipping on inverters. The ribbon …
Student presents Change to Madison College Trains Solar Workforce
Madison College student presents research on self- cleaning solar panels at ribbon cutting for Madison College’s 1.86 MW solar PV rooftop system. The rooftop solar system, which is wheelchair accessible, serves as a teaching lab …
NWTC Mobile Smart Grid Training Lab
The 53-foot Smart Grid Training Lab of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) is a mobile training facility for electric utilities and other organizations interested in operating a smart grid. Operable on the grid or as a micro-grid, …
Northland College 3 PV systems and Wind
Northland College 3 PV systems. Photo courtesy of Sherrie Gruder
Solar Parking Canopy for Oconomowoc school buses
Solar Parking Canopy for Oconomowoc school buses
Darlington School Solar
Darlington Community School District held a Ribbon Cutting for the largest solar energy system of any k-12 school district in Wisconsin on June 1, 2016. Energizing the elementary and middle school buildings, the 156 kW rooftop …
Residential
Solar Puts Homeowners Near Net Zero Carbon for Electricity Plus Tranportation
It took a while, but Sherrie Gruder and Wayne Harris are finally getting what they’ve been working toward for months– a 7 kW ground mount bifacial solar array for their home. They began the process …
Multifamily Housing with Affordable Units Shines with Solar PV
Stagecoach Trails Apartments, a 46 unit multifamily building completed in 2019 in the City of Middleton, hosts a 24.8 kW solar PV system that helps offset electricity in the common areas of the building. TIF funding …
MadiSUN Solar Group
MadiSUN solar group buy program for residential and small business solar.
Residential Solar, City of Fitchburg
Photo courtesy of Sherrie Gruder, UW-Madison Extension
Redtail Ridge Retreat: Off-grid Residence
Off-grid house powered by 1.2 kW solar PV with battery storage, 1.0 kW wind, solar hot water system, and wood for the wood-fired hot tub. Brooklyn, Wisconsin Photo courtesy of Cheryl Rezabek
Faith Based
Catholic Multicultural Center installs a Photovoltaic System
The Catholic Multicultural Center in Madison, WI recently installed a 15.5 kW solar photovoltaic system. Savings are expected to provide 10,000 meals a year through their community meal program. To read more, visit the December …
Solar for Good’s First Project
Beth Israel Center in Madison, WI was the first grantee to install a 62 kW photovoltaic system with funding from RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good grant program. Madison, WI 3-2018 Photo courtesy of RENEW Wisconsin
Holy Cross Solar
The Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross in Green Bay are turning to solar to reduce their annual electricity costs. Among the top 25 largest solar PV systems in the state, the Sisters’ …
Sisters Turn to the Sun
News coverage of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross’s 112 kilowatt (kW) solar project.
Non Profits
NeighborWorks – A Rising Sun of Green Bay
NeighborWorks, a nonprofit that creates affordable housing by revitalizing buildings in Green Bay, WI, worked with Arch Electric to install and fund a 64.8 kW solar PV system on their downtown office building, October 2019. …
Urban Ecology Center Solar Roof-Riverside Park
44.4 kW solar electric roof produces about 30% of electricity needs and offsets $10,000 or 45% of energy costs annually. Milwaukee County Photo courtesy of Gustavo Mayorga
Urban Ecology Center Solar Chimney-Menomonee Valley
Solar chimney preheats air to the Heat Recovery Ventilator in the winter saving energy and cost to bring the fresh air from outside ambient temperature up to room temperature. Milwaukee County Photo courtesy of Gustavo …
Small Village, Big Solar in Amherst
The 22 kW solar PV system at the Jensen Community Center (CC) in Amherst, WI was developed through a collaboration between Central Waters Brewing Company and Blenker Companies with the Jensen CC board. These two …
Solar Sunflower at Olbrich Botanical Gardens
This eight module solar array produces 700 kWh each year. Madison, WI 12-2011 Photo courtesy of Sherrie Gruder
Solar array at Growing Power
Meeting attendee Dean Wolf of Milwaukee Solar, LLC was kind enough to give us a pre-tour of the solar array he installed for Growing Power. Milwaukee, WI Photo courtesy of Megan Levy
Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center Solar
100kW ground mounted solar PV array at Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center began operation January 2017 offsetting 42 percent of the Center’s electricity use. Extensive energy efficiency upgrades to the center in early 2017 will …
Burnett County Humane Society Shines
The Humane Society of Burnett County (HSBC) will be installing a 19.72 kW ground mounted solar array that should supply half the electric needs of their new facility to open in Webster, Wisconsin early next …
Willy Street Co-op East Community Solar Project
Willy Street Co-op East 25 kilowatt Community Solar Project Financed in Less than 1 Month. The Co-op and 9 members invested $38,500 to pay for the balance of the solar array after the 30 percent …
Solar Gardens
Middleton Operations Center Hosts MGE Community Solar
Madison Gas & Electric uses the roof on the Middleton’s Municipal Operations Center for its Shared Solar program. This is a 500 kW community solar project where MGE customers purchase green power locally from the …
Dane County Completed Largest Single Customer Owned Solar Array in Wisconsin
Dane County and Madison Gas & Electric (MGE) just completed the largest solar PV system in Wisconsin owned by a single customer. The 9 MW solar field is located on 58 acres of Dane County …
MGE & Middleton 5 MW Solar Shares Groundbreaking
Middleton Mayor declares Solar Power Day, at the sunny October 28 groundbreaking for the Madison Gas & Electric 5 MW Shared Solar community solar garden on Middleton Municipal Airport Morey Field land. The City purchased …
Eau Claire Community Solar Garden
The 1 megawatt (MW) Solar Connect Community solar garden in Eau Claire began generating power in late October 2017. The more than 3,000 solar panels are located on a city-owned abandoned landfill. Xcel hired Pristine Sun as …
Community Solar Shines on Chequamegon Bay
Xcel Energy’s 1MW Solar*Connect Community solar garden in Ashland, WI is sited next to Xcel’s field office. This is Xcel’s 3rd community solar installation in Wisconsin. Subscribers are able to offset up to 100 percent of their average …
Vernon Electric Cooperative Solar Farm
Solar and sheep co-located at Vernon County Electric Cooperative’s community solar garden. Vernon Electric Cooperative (VEC) partnered with Clean Energy Collective (CEC), a national community solar developer, on a community-owned utility-scale solar project in Wisconsin. …
Sunflower I Community Solar Garden – Saint Croix Electric Coop
St. Croix Electric Cooperative’s 103 kW community solar garden became operational in July 2014. Called Sunflower 1, the solar PV array is expected to produce enough electricity annually to power 13 homes. Wisconsin’s second community …
Sunflower II Solar Field
Sunflower II, in Warren, WI in St Croix County, became energized in May 2017. The 2.34 MW solar field, consisting of 9,360 solar-tracking panels, is Dairyland Power’s latest project. After completion, Dairyland will have installed …
Solar & Agriculture
The Little Farmer Solar Project
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 …
Cutler Country Farm
An organic, self reliant vegetable, fruit and cattle farm, uses solar panels to heat a 300-gallon storage tank that provides hot water and heat for the farmhouse. Their greenhouse is heated with a geothermal system and watered …
Solar with Agriculture
(Top) Solar and sheep co-located at Vernon County Electric Cooperative’s community solar garden. Photo courtesy of Vernon Electric Cooperative (Bottom) A sunflower and solar farm by Convergence Energy in Delavan, WI, produced both sunflowers for …
Griggs Cattle Farm Solar System
Griggs Cattle Farm, Ashland county, installed a 15 kW ground mounted solar system that generates 19,000 kWh per year. Ashland County 6-2018 Photo courtesy of Next Energy Solution