Solar on Schools is “Penny Smart”

Two hundred fourteen (214) schools throughout Wisconsin are lowering their energy costs by adding solar to their campuses.  Utility expenses are one of a school district’s most costly budgetary items.  Today, the opportunities for cutting these costs have never been greater, so school districts on tight budgets are taking advantage of these opportunities.  

However, the technologies in the energy generation and efficiency fields continue to evolve rapidly.  School districts working to tackle energy costs often feel overwhelmed and under-informed about the variety of technologies and processes involved.  Additionally, misperceptions about the affordability of upgrading HVAC systems and adding solar often discourage school districts from exploring these options.  

Driftless Area Land Conservancy (DALC) wants to help dispel the misperceptions concerning affordability.  Through its Clean, Local Energy Alliance – Now (CLEA-N) program DALC launched the Penny Smart ad campaign.  Over a recent eight-week period, Penny Smart ads appeared in the Dodgeville Chronicle and the Democrat-Tribune newspapers.  Each ad presented a fact concerning the affordability of improving efficiencies and adding solar.  Then a quiz contest ran in the papers with three $100 cash prizes awarded for the lucky participants whose names were drawn from all the correct respondents...

(See the rest of this story in the February 15, 2024 Chronicle issue)