Watch CBS News

Wisconsin college readies largest rooftop solar array in state

Solar power may cut college's tuition bill
Solar power may cut this college's tuition bill 01:01

In New York or California, $1 million can get you a middle-of-the-road house in a trendy part of town. At Wisconsin's Madison College, that could just about pay your electric bill for a year.

The community college, which has about 37,000 students, spends about $1 million every year to power the main building on its Truax Campus. So to keep costs down, the college started construction this month week on a massive solar rooftop project. It's set to be the biggest solar project in Wisconsin when it's completed in the fall.

"It's about 20 tractor-trailers' worth of equipment," said Ken Walz, a Madison College instructor who is leading the project. 

"We have a really big energy footprint," Walz explained. That's in part because of the programs at the school, a community college with many vocational programs.

"We have a lot of computer screens running all day. We have a lot of welders. We run an automotive program," he said. 

When done, the project is expected to save the college up to $250,000 a year, Walz estimated. On a sunny July day, the panels can generate two-thirds of the building's power needs. 

The project costs a total of $3 million, Walz said, with the school putting in $2.5 million of that. In other words, it will pay for itself within 10 years. It's expected to last three times that long. Elsewhere, the college makes use of a wind turbine and geothermal heating systems as another cost-saving measure.  

"Anytime we can hold the costs down, it allows us to hold down the costs for the taxpayers; it helps us holds down tuition," he said. 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.