Wisconsin’s solar electric installations reach 1 megawatt
From a press release issued by Focus on Energy:
MADISON, Wis. (March 27, 2008) – On March 1, 2008, Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, achieved a combined generation capacity of 1 megawatt (MW) with its 330th co-funded solar electric system. The 330 residential and commercial solar electric systems were installed with the help of Focus on Energy and have a combined value of $9 million dollars. The 330 systems should continue to generate clean solar power through the year 2045.
“The renewable energy industry is booming — In fact, Focus on Energy co-funded installations are growing by 80 percent each year,” said Niels Wolter, solar electric program manager for Focus on Energy’s Renewable Energy Program. “At this rate we should reach 2 MW in just over one year.”
Wolter went on to explain that the growth of renewable energy projects has a parallel effect on Wisconsin’s job market, as the number of solar electric installers and site assessors grows too.
The influence of these solar electric systems on Wisconsin’s energy landscape is significant as they are expected to generate enough electricity to power 138 average Wisconsin homes a year, that’s the equivalent of removing 221 cars from the road. In addition, collectively the systems will offset the burning of 685 tons of coal each year (the equivalent of 2,693 barrels of oil), preventing more than 3 million pounds of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere per year.
