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Renewable Energy

As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability and preserving the environment, The Johnson Foundation is now generating and purchasing renewable energy.

The traditional sources of energy (from which electricity is generated) are coal, natural gas, oil and nuclear power, which emit great amounts of CO2 or create radioactive waste.  Renewable energy produces much less, if not zero, carbon or waste.

WE Energies defines renewable energy as “energy from natural resources that never runs out.” The five sources used most often include solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal and biomass. Solar energy is derived from the sun; wind energy is derived from wind; hydro energy comes from water; geothermal energy is produced from heat within the earth; and biomass energy is generated from plant and animal waste products.

The Foundation had a site assessment and considered all the alternative methods before finally choosing solar energy, also known as photovoltaic. We based this decision on cost, size, maintenance, noise, appearance, and more.

For some time, we have been purchasing renewable energy, with a rated capacity of 16.15 kW. Under the WE Energies Customer Project Incentives and the Wisconsin Focus on Energy Rewards program, we received grants covering 63% of our costs to install the system. We sell the electricity back to WE Energies, which will recover almost 30% of the project cost over the next 10 years. We then end up paying only 7% of the total costs.

On an annual basis it is estimated that the system will produce 18,092 kW.  Right now it is producing approximately 6% of the current Guest House annual electric needs. The PV system is reducing our annual carbon footprint by 15.4 metric tons. During peak daylight hours, the system is capable of producing approximately 40% of the Guest House electric demand.
  
The array is approximately 110 feet long by 13 feet wide. It rises just 13 feet into the air. Following the initial site assessment and determination of the best system, construction took about 3 weeks. The panels are the least obtrusive of all the choices, emit no noise, have a nominal environmental impact and only require small amounts of maintenance two or three times a year to ensure maximum effectiveness.

A data logger tracks power production and sends this information to the inverters manufacturer’s web site via WI-FI signal on the Foundation’s internet connection, where it is publicly available. Click here to see the data logger and pictures of the array on the grounds.

For more information on renewable energy and the Focus on Energy program and grants, go to the WE Energies web site: www.we-energies.com.

EPA Green Power Partner

We also are a Green Power Partner in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy for Tomorrow – Renewable Energy Program. We purchase 28% of our electricity from renewable energy sources. One separate account for our storage building uses 100% renewable energy. At these levels, we reduce CO2 emissions by 160 tons.

For more information on the EPA Green Power Program, go to: www.epa.gov/greenpower.

Watch this space for updates as we expand and add new programs as part of our commitment to renewable energy.