A solar panel array; photo courtesy of Farmers Electric Cooperative
The Farmers Electric Cooperative in Kalona has partnered with Iowa Wind and Solar to engineer, finance, and construct a new solar array. The new array is located north of Kalona at 1912 520th Street SW, consists of 2,880 panels, and will provide 950.4 kilowatts of energy per year. The total amount of solar energy provided by the new and existing arrays will be nearly two megawatts, the most in the state of Iowa, and will be able to provide enough energy to power 200 homes for a year.
The installation began October 3rd and is expected to be completed by October 17th, and anyone interested can watch the installation live over the internet. Jen Kranz of IWS said to her knowledge, no one has ever live-streamed a solar installation. Seeing as how this is a large-scale project, they wanted to go all out and promote it live. They are utilizing drones and traditional cameras that run day and night to capture every minute of the installation. Kranz said the FEC’s goal is to reduce outside energy purchases by 25% before the year 2025, and IWS is happy to help them achieve that goal. For more on the solar array installation, listen to the In Touch with Southeast Iowa interview with Kranz. To view the live-stream, click on the link below.