CCED finds 400 percent growth in solar in Clayton County since 2015

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

The total kilowatts of solar in Clayton County has increased by 400 percent since 2015, according to data compiled by the Clayton County Energy District (CCED).

As of August 2020, CCED estimated there were 1,300 kilowatts of residential or business solar in the county, not including utility solar farms.

“I was blown away by the amount of solar investment,” said CCED Program Manager Joleen Jansen. “It shows solar begets solar. Sometimes it’s hard to talk about an idea, but if you can see your neighbors doing it, the idea is more interesting.”

CCED quantified the increase over the summer, when intern Jake Jansen collected solar installation data in the county and recorded it on an existing virtual solar map CCED has in partnership with the Winneshiek Energy District.

In addition to traveling the county, he used resources such as Google Maps, the county assessor map and solar installer websites to update the solar map. With his work, the map grew from 20 to 75 points. Each point includes installer info, the year installed, the size of the setup and an image of the solar installation.

“We’ve had the map in place since we got a CCED website. It was a tool where people could post their own solar or, if a contractor let us know, we could add it to the map,” said Jansen. “It really quantifies the solar that’s out there. And we know this isn’t comprehensive. We know we didn’t get them all, and there have been other projects since.”

Jansen said the increase in solar is largely economic. It’s become cheaper to install a system, plus residents save money on their energy bills.

That’s what convinced Ken Zichal and his wife Fran to install a roof mounted system on their Elkader home in 2019. 

“It was half of what we thought it would cost,” Zichal said, “and we probably get two-thirds to three-fourths of our energy from the panels. On cloudy days it doesn’t do much, and we had trouble in February with all the snow, but other months the sun comes out and it turns on. In the summer, we generate more energy than we use.”

Zichal described the panels as durable and unobtrusive.

“People said, ‘Oh my gosh, it’ll look terrible.’ But you get used to it. It blends in so well,” he shared.

Zichal, who’s also on the CCED board, expects to see even more solar growth.

“It’s like when the car first came out. People said it was never going to replace the horse. Then, five years later, everyone had a car,” he said. “It will save you money in the long run—this is free energy. The maintenance is non-existent, and it’s guaranteed to last 20 years or longer.”

Paul Rasmussen likes that renewable energy is good for the environment. He and his family used a small solar system and hydro generator system to provide electricity for two campers while their rural Monona home was constructed last year. With winter approaching, the Rasmussens tied into the grid and moved into their new home. Now, though, they are in the process of moving the small solar system to its permanent location for the house.  

“We also plan on getting the hydro going at the new house to supplement the solar, and also a windmill to help balance the load,” Rasmussen shared. “We also installed geothermal heating and cooling, so we don’t have a gas bill.”

He said not having to pay for electricity every month is great as well.  

“For us, the tax incentives and with building a new house, now was the perfect time to incorporate it into our new house build. With today’s technology, you can see on your phone how much electricity you are creating in real time and historically,” he added. “It’s also fun to talk to people who have solar to look at what they are producing and to be a part of that club. So, it’s a bit of a hobby also.”

Jansen said what’s good for residents or businesses with solar is also good for Clayton County as a whole.

“If you spend less on your energy bill, you have more to spend on your personal missions and in benefitting the local economy,” she stated. “CCED is all about strengthening the community by promoting and implementing the clean energy transition and advancing that movement.”

“I’m hoping people will see the installations and that it will encourage more,” Jansen added.

However, she said the local clean energy transition can’t continue without reform of Iowa’s solar credit system. She encourages local constituents and solar benefiting business owners to reach out to state representatives and ask them to prioritize the bill HF221 in their budget plans. 

“Solar owned by farms, businesses, households and institutions keeps wealth in local pocketbooks and communities, creating the prosperity that will grow and grow and grow for generations. This opportunity is threatened by oversubscription or the almost three-year waiting list [for solar] and the pending expiration of Iowa’s solar tax credit in 2022. This pending expiration is despite the federal extension,” Jansen said. “HF221 has truly bipartisan support to de-couple Iowa’s credit from the federal and continue it and to pay down the wait list and raise the annual cap to meet demand and create even more locally-owned clean energy prosperity.”

“You don’t want this to go away at a time when all these opportunities have been exposed and people are really considering doing it,” she continued.

For those who are interested in their own solar project, Jansen said CCED’s solar map is a good resource. A potential solar customer can go to the map, find people they know and reach out to them to learn more. The can also find setups they like and contact the installer. CCED’s website, claytoncounty.energydistrict.org, includes a solar contractor network as well.

Zichal stressed the importance of doing your research.

“Look into it and get two to three bids from different people,” he said. “But don’t be afraid to go ahead and experiment.”

Make sure your home is already energy efficient, added Jansen.

“Tighten up your home and become as efficient as possible. Switch to LEDs, convert appliances,” she said. “Reduce demand before you produce so you put up the amount of solar that’s really needed for the site.”

CCED is also encouraging solar owners to add their installations to the solar map, to make the listing more comprehensive. Find the map at claytoncounty.energydistrict.org, click “add my system,” click “login or set up your account” and create a new account if you don’t already have one. Reach out to CCED Communications Specialist Ashley Althoff at communications@claytoncounty.energydistrict.org with any questions. She can also help add solar sites.