Solar is slowly emerging as a significant contributor to the power grid in the Sheboygan area as two solar fields were dedicated by Alliant Energy last Wednesday.
The City of Sheboygan Solar Field is a 1-Megawatt facility on Gateway Drive in Sheboygan’s southside industrial park, consisting of 3,042 panels capable of powering 177 homes. The Kohler Solar Field on Erie Avenue just west of I-43, also dedicated last Wednesday, is more than twice that size, with 9,000 solar panels providing 2-and-a-quarter Megawatts of electricity capable of powering 580 homes. Both projects were developed in partnership with SunPeak, a Madison-based solar project developer.
While the two projects are the latest – and largest in the area so far, more development is, no doubt, in the future, some of that likely to be less visible.
Sheboygan City Administrator Todd Wolf was asked last Wednesday if there were thoughts of using rooftop space on city-owned buildings to accommodate solar installations there. He told WHBL News that “Yes, and actually I brought that up to some of the heads of Alliant today when I was at the ribbon-cutting this morning. I did bring that up because there’s a lot of city footage – meaning on top of buildings and things – and we, the City, would really like to see additional green technology…green energy savings, and this would be a great opportunity for a partnership if anything.”
Wolf said there are no plans on paper yet, but he did say that “We’re going to put something together”.
Aerial View of the Sheboygan Solar Field Dedicated Last Wednesday. Photo Courtesy of SunPeak
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