West Burlington Hospital Saves $250,000 Annually with Solar

The Great River Medical Center in West Burlington built a 4 MW system that will reduce electricity consumption from the grid by 25%. This will save the hospital an average of $253,000 per year, totaling $6.3 million over 25 years.

Dorr Hog Farms Save $2.3 Million With Solar

Dorr Hog Farms sees more than 60,000 hogs pass through the gates of their farm each year. Keeping costs down is key, so they turned to a 595 kW solar project. This project supplies 95% of the facility’s energy needs and will save them over $2.3 million during the solar array’s lifespan.

Polk County to Save Taxpayers $5.1 Million with Rooftop Solar

The Polk County Government approved funding to install solar on the Polk County Administration building, North Side Community Center, and River Place. This will save the county and taxpayers $5.1 million, more than double the cost of the project.

Quad Cities River Bandits Hit a Homerun with Solar

The Quad Cities River Bandits placed solar panels on the roof of Modern Woodmen Park. River Bandits Owner Dave Heller installed these with his own funds and made Modern Woodmen Park the first municipally owned building in Davenport with rooftop solar.

Farmers Electric Cooperative in Kalona Switches on 1,000 kW Solar Project

Farmers Electric Cooperative, one of the country’s smallest Rural Electric Cooperatives, installed a 1,000 kW solar array. This project as made possible thanks to the $685,337 grant from the USDA.

Greene County Schools Start Switch to Solar

The Greene County School Board is advancing plans to build rooftop solar on schools throughout the district. The district spends $500,000 on heating, cooling, and electricity, and this will dramatically reduce those costs, passing savings on to Iowa taxpayers.

Iowa State Students Receive $1.8 Million to Study Land Under Solar Panels to Grow Crops

Students from Iowa State received $1.8 million from the Department of Energy to study agrivoltaics, which involved growing crops under a solar array. So far, the students have already had success growing broccoli, bell peppers, summer squash, grapes, raspberries, and honey berries.

Alden Hog Farmer to Receive Over $327,000 for Solar Array

GrowAg Investments received over $327,000 from the Rural Energy for America Program. This will help the hog farm producer generate an additional $46,200 per year in energy sales and generate enough electricity to power over 30 homes.

Eastern Iowa Community College District Offers Students Chance to Shape the Future of Solar Energy

Eastern Iowa Community College Districts launched a self-paced program that will help students gain an understanding of the advantages of solar PV to enhance decision-making capabilities setting them apart as a knowledgeable professional in the industry.

Indianola Water Plant to Use Solar to Save $4 Million for Iowans

Indianola Municipal Utilities broke ground on a solar project that will power the city’s water plant. This solar array will generate 6.1 million kWh of electricity per year and save the city $4 million over 25 years.

Stanley Center for Peace and Security Opens Solar Powered Building in Muscatine

The Stanley Center for Peace and Security is a globally renowned foundation that works worldwide to prevent the use of nuclear weapons and limit mass violence and atrocities. The facility has a rooftop solar array to help reduce costs while promoting peace.

Fareway Stores to Build 1 MW Solar Facility in Boone

Fareway Stores partnered with Alliant Energy to build a 1 MW solar project at their campus in Boone, Iowa. This is Alliant’s first customer-hosted solar project and will help Fareway reduce electricity costs and meet sustainability targets.

Iowa Manufacturer Vermeer Makes Equipment for Safer, More Efficient Solar Installation

Vermeer manufactures a variety of machines at their facility in Iowa to help solar developers. This includes machinery to help clear the land as well as pile drivers to help hold the solar panels in place. These machines will lead to quicker and more efficient installations, which will help lower costs of solar project development.

Retired Navy Seal Builds a Successful Solar Company

Troy Van Beek, a former Navy Seal, founded Ideal Energy as a way to provide reliable rooftop solar for Iowans. Van Beek noted he sees positive effects from solar, like economic growth, resource security, and bringing communities together.

Ten Buildings in Perry Iowa to Receive 100% of Electricity from Rooftop Solar and Save the City $5 Million

Perry added 10 solar arrays to rooftops, bike trails, and pavilions around the city at no cost to taxpayers thanks to an agreement with Iowa-based Red Lion Renewables. The solar arrays will provide 100% of the electricity needs for government buildings, saving the city and taxpayers over $5 million over the project’s lifetime.

Dyersville I-Beam Manufacturer Now Energized by Solar

Engineering Services and Products Co. placed a 450.1 kW solar array on its roof at their Dyersville manufacturing facility. This will offset over 100% of the facility’s energy usage and save them $50,000 per year in energy costs.

Cedar Rapids Church Powered by 45kW Solar Array

The Christ Episcopal Church in Cedar Rapids Iowa installed a 45 kW solar array that will provide 100% of the church’s electricity need. This will save the Church $10,000 per year and will pay for itself in under 7 years with electricity savings.

Dairy Farm in Atkins Saves With Solar

Schanbacher Acres installed solar panels on their barn roof. This has drastically reduced the dairy farm’s electric bills and will help the 400-cow farm save money over the next 25 years.

Vermeer Distribution Center in Pella Uses Solar to Fuel Operations

Vermeer, a key global agriculture equipment manufacturer, turned into a 2,735 kW rooftop solar array. This will pay for itself in less than 6 years and lead to an over 17% return on investment for the company.

Des Moines Landfill Solar Project to Provide Power to Municipal Buildings

A $2 million solar project on a former landfill site opened in late July. The Harriet Street Solar Field will provide clean electricity for the Des Moines animal control and greenhouse facilities.

Agri-Industrial Plastics Uses Solar-and-Storage to Power Manufacturing

Agri-Industrial Plastics uses a 517 kW solar array paired with a 430kWh storage system to power its 28 manufacturing machines. This will save the fuel tank and agricultural equipment manufacturer over $40,000 per year.