Columbus High School Installation Will Harness Power from the Sun

Thanks to a recently installed demonstration project, Columbus citizens interested in the use of green power will now have a first-hand look at renewable energy technology used locally to harness energy from the sun.  Columbus Water & Light (CWL) and the City of Columbus celebrated the completion of a community-based, solar electric demonstration project on Monday, June 6, 2011. Representatives for the city’s Greater Columbus Energy Commission, CWL, Wisconsin Focus on Energy, and the Columbus School District joined workers from Prairie Solar Power & Light and Sunsation to inaugurate the new system, which sends solar-generated electricity into Columbus High School, 1164 Farnham Ave., Columbus.

"The solar electric system consists of two arrays mounted on single pedestals with a crank mechanism to adjust their tilts for maximum energy production," said Eric Anthon, CWL’s Assistant Superintendent. "We hope that the school location will enable students to explore this technology first-hand. We believe they will be likely purchasers of solar energy equipment when they become home-buyers," Anthon added. Russ Krause of Sunsation, Columbus, and Rich Bannen of Prairie Solar Power & Light, Steuben, directed the installation. The two arrays can generate up to 5,200 Watts of electrical power when the sun’s rays hit the panels perpendicularly. In Wisconsin, this type of system will produce about 8,000 kilowatt-hours of electrical energy over a typical year."