Column: Central Wisconsin ’empowered’ by solar purchasing program
By Jordan Pupols
Special to the Metro Wire
The pandemic has prompted many people to think differently, including the important role that energy consumption plays in our daily lives.
That realization—the importance of energy—has spurred a strong interest in solar energy investment, and one local program, Grow Solar Central Wisconsin, has made this process easier and more affordable for 28 central Wisconsin property owners to commit to going solar in 2020.
Powered by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA), Grow Solar is a solar education and group-buy program empowering communities across the Midwest to invest in solar energy. The MREA has been coordinating Grow Solar Central Wisconsin since 2017.
Grow Solar Central Wisconsin began in 2017 with the help of local organizations and a partnership between Mid-State Technical College, the cities of Stevens Point and Wausau, and the MREA. Since then, Grow Solar Central Wisconsin has resulted in over 1,089 kW of installed solar on 174 central Wisconsin properties.
This year, despite a global pandemic, the Central Wisconsin program proved once again that interest in solar is booming. The 2020 program will see another 180 kWs of solar added to Lincoln, Marathon, Portage, and Wood Counties.
Program participants earned an almost 6 percent rebate for their Grow Solar systems, in addition to already lower-than-market prices through the group buy. The newly installed 180 kW of capacity will offset over 356,580 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and collectively saving solar homeowners roughly $24,019 on electricity bills in their first year of operation alone.
But, Grow Solar is not just about purchasing solar. The program also set out to help educate the community about solar energy. As part of this mission, Grow Solar Central Wisconsin hosted 12 Solar Power Hour webinars, with 66 folks who registered to learn about solar energy. Providing solar and energy efficiency education today pays sustainability dividends in the future when these folks decide to act, even if it is not as part of this year’s program.
With the successes of the 2017-2020 program years, the team is excited to start thinking about Grow Solar Central Wisconsin 5.0, launching in the spring of 2021.
In the meantime, residents looking for more information about the program can visit CWSolar.org to sign up to receive important updates about the launch of next year’s program.
