Add as a preferred source on Google

Wisconsin’s New Berlin First Participant in Solar Now Pilot

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 07/24/19

Wisconsin’s School District of New Berlin is outfitting three of its schools this summer with solar panels. The project, with WE Energies and SunVest Solar, will install 8,076 panels at three schools this summer. The installations will primarily go on rooftops, but one school will also have a solar field with 2,134 modules. The installation, part of WE's new "Solar Now" program, will create 35 megawatts of renewable energy.

The system includes access to SolarEdge, which provides online monitoring of energy production and usage data.

Solar Now is a pilot program approved by the state's Public Service Commission. In discussion before the vote, solar advocates told commissioners that the program gives WE Energies a monopoly on solar implementations within the state. The program works like this: The company installs solar panels on customer properties, and the customer receives a monthly lease payment based in part on how much power the panels generate. According to regional reporting, this "rent-a-roof" model prevents customers from being able "to lease or finance equipment through private developers," which cuts those companies out of the business.

The project, with WE Energies and SunVest Solar, will install 8,076 panels at three schools this summer. The installations will primarily go on rooftops, but one school will also have a solar field with 2,134 modules.
Image source: WE Energies

In a presentation to the school district, WE estimated the rent payments for the four solar installations at $94,401 per year, totaling $1.89 million for the 20 years of the agreement. In the arrangement, the school district would be responsible for the cost of temporarily relocating the solar array if the various school roofs were to need replacement.

"We are proud to be the first participant in this innovative renewable energy program," said Superintendent Joe Garza, during the project announcement. He noted that along with adoption of renewable energy, the initiative will also give students "the unique opportunity to gain real life knowledge about the production of solar energy for years to come."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Los Angeles City College Breaks Ground on New Administration, Workforce Building

    Los Angeles City College (LACC) in Los Angeles, Calif., recently broke ground on a new $72-million administrative facility, according to a news release. The Cesar Chavez Administration and Workforce Building will stand four stories, cover 67,230 square feet, and play home to a wide variety of the school’s educational and administrative services.

  • Texas K–12 District to Build New Elementary, High Schools

    The High Island Independent School District on the Bolivar Peninsula in Southeast Texas recently announced that construction on a new elementary school and a new high school will begin in January 2026, according to local news. Funding will come from a $27.9-million bond passed in May 2025.

  • Pudu Robotics Launches AI-Powered, Large-Scale Floor Sweeper

    Pudu Robotics recently launched the newest member of its MT1 series of robotic floor sweepers, the PUDU MT1 Max, according to a news release. The AI-powered, 3D perception robotic sweeper was designed for use in large, complex cleaning environments both indoors and semi-outdoors, like parking garages and semi-open building atriums.

  • University of West Florida Opens New Laboratory Facility

    The University of West Florida recently announced that renovation work is complete on a new lab building for its campus in Pensacola, Fla., according to university news. Building 80 will serve as the home to the university’s civil engineering program and the Tyler Chase Norwood Construction Management Program.

Digital Edition