ALBANY — On Monday, May 24, 2021, the Albertson Memorial Library in Albany, WI will open a new display that tells the story of its solar array installation from start (concept) to finish (on-line and operational). The display is a combined effort of the library, the photography class from the Albany High School, and Full Spectrum Solar of Madison.  

The photography class documented the various stages of the project construction and its efforts were augmented by some special drone aerial photography by the installers at Full Spectrum Solar.  

The display will be located in the library loft. The library is open for viewing Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2-6 p.m. All library visitors are required to wear a face mask covering the nose and mouth, and to maintain social distancing.

The Albertson Memorial Library solar array project is a 28 kilowatt system that features the installation of 72 Heliene solar panels. They will generate about 60% of the library’s current electrical use. It is projected that this will reduce the library’s annual electrical operating costs by about $3,500 per year (at current rates). This will increase the operating budget in future years without incurring any debt for the cost of the installation. The savings does not take into account additional savings to the library of not having to pay electrical price increases and the impact of inflation on the energy that this system will produce. This installation is really an investment because of the cost savings that the library will realize.  The return on this investment is calculated to be about 8% per year over the 30-year expected life of the solar array.

The impacts of taking advantage of alternative energy sources aren’t just financial. Making use of alternative energy sources impacts local lives and the world. Solar electricity has many benefits. Solar electric systems have no fuel costs, low operating and maintenance costs, produce virtually no emissions or waste while functioning, and even raise the value of homes.  

This solar installation at the Albertson Memorial library will reduce the library’s carbon footprint. Over the life of the system, 747 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) will be eliminated from the library’s footprint. 

The reduction in the library’s carbon footprint is equivalent to:

●  Planting 17,405 trees. 

●  Driving reduced by 1,494,000 auto miles, or 76,194 gallons of gasoline. 

●  Recycling 2,361 tons of waste instead of sending it to landfill. 

One of the most common initial barriers to installing solar arrays is finding the funding to pay for the cost of installing the project. It was the good fortune of the Albertson Memorial Library to receive a generous donation from the estate of Mary Ann Sucharski, a former librarian at the Albany library.  

The Library Board of Directors approved the use of part of the Sucharski donation for this solar project because of its long-term impact on the library and so the Albany community. It seemed appropriate that those funds be used for a project that would help sustain the library in the future as the installation of this solar array will. The Board recognized the importance of its role as stewards of both the monetary gifts that the Albany community makes to the library and the library’s central position as a center for learning in this community where its members can imagine, discover, and connect.  

Additional funding for this project was provided by the Friends of the Albertson Memorial Library through grants from RENEW Wisconsin and its Solar for Good project supported by the Couillard Solar Foundation and Focus on Energy.   

Solar energy starts on the sun. There is a journey it takes to get to the point where it is usable electricity in our daily lives.  

There is more solar energy falling on the surface of the earth in one hour than all of the energy used by all of the people on the earth in one year. Solar cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. One solar cell measuring four inches across can produce one watt of electricity on a clear, sunny day. However, its efficiency can be affected by many factors including the wavelength of light, the temperature, and reflection. There are also limits to how efficiently it can be collected and converted into electricity and stored.

To produce more electricity, cells are wired together into panels (about 40 cells), and panels are wired together to form arrays. In the library’s solar array installation, solar panels on the roof of the library will capture the electrical energy from the sun and transfer that via cables to the inverters located on the outside of the library building. The inverters convert the variable direct current (DC) output of a photovoltaic (PV) solar panel into a utility frequency alternating current (AC) that can be fed into the library’s electrical network. Those inverters connect the solar panel systems to an electric utility’s power-line system and the library’s electrical network.

The cost effectiveness of installing a solar array is complicated. The library could have installed a system that would have provided 100% of its electrical power needs, but because of current utility regulations that would have been less cost-effective than supplying 60% of the library’s electrical needs. The solar array installed on the library roof was carefully designed to be as cost-efficient as well as energy efficient as possible. 

Storing electricity generated on sunny summer days for use on cloudy winter days is another consideration. Today, the efficiency of available batteries and the resulting cost of having enough battery storage available to store that energy has not developed to the point where investing in battery storage makes financial sense. That’s a development we may revisit in our future.

The Heliene solar panels were manufactured in Mountain Iron, Minnesota. More information available at the library. This installation project is managed by Full Spectrum Solar of Madison. Full Spectrum has been installing solar systems in Wisconsin since 2002 and has installed over 750 solar energy systems. Their commercial work has included projects for the City of Monona, Holy Wisdom Monastery, Oregon High School, Brooklyn Elementary School, Willy Street Co-op, and Home Harbor Racine Assisted Living, as well as many residential projects.