Neshkoro Area Fire Department converts to solar panels for energy savings

On Nov. 9 the Neshkoro Area Fire Department officially converted to the use of solar panels for power.  The four solar arrays, which are a collection of smaller solar panels, were installed next to the fire house in mid-October.  The solar panels are expected to save the fire department thousands of dollars over the next several years.

The idea began after former Neshkoro Area Fire Department Board President Steve Sheldon had solar panels installed on his detached garage in October of 2020.  He took this step after extensive research, realizing that the electricity produced on his garage roof would cover his electric costs, and more, for his home.

Sheldon then approached the fire department board treasurer and discussed a 50% grant that was available for $500 for a study to see if installing solar panels next to the fire house building was feasible.  After getting the okay from the treasurer to move forward, a company called “Solar for Good” completed the study, determining that it was indeed feasible.  “After that, I received lots of information,” said Sheldon, in a recent interview.  After reviewing the information, Sheldon went to a board meeting and did a presentation about the solar panels and the money the fire department would save.

Getting the “go ahead” from the board, Sheldon began the process of acquiring the panels and eventual installation, which involved interaction and communication with other organizations:  Renew WI, All Sky Energy, Legacy Solar Co-op, the Couillard Foundation, and a solar panel investor, Emile Nadeau.  Alliant Energy also had to be involved, reviewing the feasibility and other aspects of the conversion. “Many ‘layers’ of reviewing had to be conducted by Alliant prior to the final approval,” said Sheldon.  “It was definitely a team effort to get this done.”

The panels are bi-directional panels, which means they can be adjusted to be perpendicular to the sun as the seasons change.  “They probably have to be adjusted twice a year,” said Sheldon.  “No matter whether it’s sunny or cloudy, there will be a savings.”

The fire department building electric bill was typically about $250 per month.  Sheldon expects the bill to now be approximately $80 per month during December and January and “in the summer months we may have Alliant sending the us a check,” said Sheldon.

Sheldon says that installing the solar panels was the smart thing to do, the right thing to do, and the patriotic thing to do.  He explained that all Wisconsin energy comes from out-of-state and even out-of-the-country. “Thirty-thousand carbon emissions will be saved, which is the equivalent of planting 223 trees per year,” said Sheldon.

He added that he suspects that in the future their rescue vehicles will be electric and that the electricity generated by the solar panels will be used to charge the batteries of those vehicles, which would be the equivalent of buying gasoline at $1.60 per gallon, with no money going to other countries who are exporting oil to us.  By installing the solar panels, Sheldon states that “we are future-proofing our energy costs.”