Catching Some Renewable Rays
utility providers connect with solar revolution
Five hundred years ago, the realization that the sun was at the center of our solar system revolutionized science. Today, another revolution is taking place, and once again the sun is at the center. This revolution has to do with how we power our society – making the shift from carbon-emitting fossil fuels to renewable energy sources such as solar power.
In the Chippewa Valley, two utility providers are on top of the trend. Xcel Energy, will soon launch on a one-megawatt solar garden on Eau Claire’s south side. Meanwhile, the Eau Claire Energy Cooperative is already turning the sun’s rays into electricity in a field a few miles outside the city. In both cases, investment from conscientious customers is making the projects possible.
XCEL ENERGY
When complete, Xcel’s Solar Connect Community will be the biggest community solar garden program in the state. Locally, it will involve a solar array on 7½ acres along West Hamilton Avenue, just across the street from Xcel’s Wisconsin headquarters. The property was a city landfill from the 1940s to the 1960s, but it’s been vacant since. Ground will be broken on this project in the fall, and the solar garden will be operating by the end of the year, said David Donovan, general manager of customer and community services for Xcel. A similar garden will be built in La Crosse County as well.
The solar gardens are part of Xcel’s long-term effort to transition to more renewable energy sources and reduce carbon emissions, Donovan said. By 2030, he said, the utility firm wants to reduce carbon emissions by 60 percent and to have a 63 percent carbon-free mix. Getting to that goal means burning less coal and relying more on the sun, wind, and natural gas (which produces less C02 than coal when burned).
“While the amount of generation from these solar facilities is quite small in comparison to the overall electrical needs of our Wisconsin customers, what we will learn from these facilities for use in the future is invaluable,” Donovan said. For example, the program will help Xcel determine how much solar power costs to generate, how it impacts their distribution system, and how much customer demand there is for solar energy.
On the latter point, at least, the answer has been promising: The Solar Connect program is funded entirely through customer subscriptions, and so far 80 individuals and businesses have committed to being part of the program (many more have expressed interest). After an upfront investment (for residential customers, the deposit is $200 per kilowatt and the total subscription cost is $1,780 per kilowatt), customers will receive bill credits for 25 years. While the program is “revenue neutral” for Xcel, it allows customers access to solar power without having to build and maintain their own rooftop solar systems.
If you’re an Xcel customer and want to learn more about the program, visit xcelenergy.com/SolarConnectCommunity or call (800) 824-1688.
EAU CLAIRE ENERGY COOPERATIVE
The co-op – which serves more than 10,000 members across west-central Wisconsin – officially plugged in its MemberSolar project in January. Nearly 3,000 solar panels cover about 4½ acres near the co-op’s office between Eau Claire and Fall Creek. While the details of the program are different, broadly speaking it’s similar to Xcel’s: Energy co-op customers pay upfront for a share of the solar production, then receive credits on their electricity bills for the next 20 years. Mary Kay Brevig, the co-op’s communications manager, said subscribers have claimed about 55 percent of the solar panels, which means eco-conscious customers can still get in on the action. If that sounds intriguing, visit ecec.com and click on “MemberSolar.”
As MemberSolar entered the summer of its first year, it became green in more ways than one: With the help of Lambalot Acres of August, Eau Claire Energy Co-op retained the services of 25 ewe lambs to control vegetation growing around the solar panels. Using lambs to gobble the greenery keeps the co-op from having to be in the ironic position of burning fossil fuels to mow around the solar array. Plus, raising the lambs helps Dylan Klindworth – whose parents own Lambalot Acres – with his 4-H and agriculture class projects.
