Wisconsin's largest Solar Farm is Epic

[Scuba]

http://www.jsonline.com/business/123206273.html

<snip>

Verona - By the end of the year, the largest solar project yet built in Wisconsin will take shape in the rolling countryside that Epic Systems calls home. And by the middle of next year, the new solar "farm" will double in size again.

The company is moving to wean itself off fossil fuels in a big way.

Already, most buildings on the sprawling campus are heated and cooled with a ground-source heat pump system, which means the campus needs no natural gas for heating and no electricity for cooling in the summer.

The company is a developer of health care IT software that helps hospitals move toward electronic medical records. Epic sales grew 27% in 2010. Revenue reached $825 million in 2010, compared with $76 million in 2001.

<end snip>



Epic is an interesting company, founded and owned by an interesting woman, Judy Faulkner. Epic software is used by hospitals and clinics across America. Kaiser in California signed a mega-deal with Epic several years ago. Their software is considered more reliable, more highly functional, and easier to use than products from competitors like Cerner, GE Medical and Siemens.

The software provide online medical records, provider order entry with alerts and interventions and a variety of other functions designed to improve patient safety and increase clinician efficiency.

[Cant trust em]

1. This is a state that snowed on May 1st, BTW.

If it can happen in Wisco, then this can probably be replicated elsewhere.

[Scuba]

7. I haven't seen a snowflake in almost two weeks.

[ewagner]

9. Same here...

Putting off taking my wool topcoat to the dry cleaners for its annual recycling...might need it before the4th of July

[Cant trust em]

10. I'm getting married in the state in two weeks.

Let's hope we get a real summer and fast.

[Viking12]

11. mid-80s in northeast WI as I type.

Summer is here!

[Cant trust em]

12. Sweet.

I just hope it holds up in River Falls on the 18th.

[buddysmellgood]

13. But there was golf ball sized hail in Sauk County overnight

[Scuba]

14. Ouch. Hope all are OK.

[FBaggins]

2. Clever. Looks like it's over a parking deck

So it has the added benefit of keeping all those cars from baking in the sun all day (ignoring the fact that this is WI we're talking about).

[Jackpine Radical]

5. Wisconsin summers are plenty hot.

And with all our lakes & rivers, the heat often comes with some impressive humidity.

[Odin2005]

6. Ditto with Minnesota and North Dakota.

It's 90F right now in Fargo, YUCK.

[FBaggins]

8. By comparison to Canada? Sure! :-)

Your average high temp gets (just barely) over 80 for what... one month out of the year?

It's like saying that Georgia winters are plenty cold. Yeah... it snows there once in awhile, but let's get real. :)

[Jackpine Radical]

22. 100º F in LaCrosse today.

[elocs]

15. Car baking in the sun here in La Crosse was over 120 degrees inside in an hour.

So yes, cars do bake in the summer sun in Wisconsin.

[FBaggins]

20. It's a matter of degrees.

Pun intended of course.

You can easily get to 120 in a parked car in April here. In Florida it might happen in December.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlx1xNSe74o

The point wasn't that it never gets warm in WI... just that the benefit of shaded parking isn't as substantial as it would be in the sunnier parts of the country (just like the benefits of solar itself).

It's still a clever idea.

[ErikJ]

3. Exemplary!

Well done Epic

[Uncle Joe]

4. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Scuba.:thumbsup:

[bvar22]

16. I wonder HOW they keep them clear of snow, and protect from hail.

In 2002 - 2004, my wife & I lived off the grid on a Solar Powered Houseboat (750 watt array) in the Mississippi River outside St Paul Minnesota. Snow removal from the panels was tedious (and dangerous). We also had to cover the panels with old carpets when hail was expected. Taking care of all those panels in Wisconsin looks to be a big job.

We loved the Solar Panels,
but hated the ton of lead/acid batteries it took to store the power.

[Scuba]

18. Good question. I would presume the panels could use their own...

...stored energy to melt snow. Hail can dent steel; there must be some kind of protective shield, or perhaps flexible panels.

[Lucian]

17. We should do that with every parking lot in America.

[Scuba]

19. Better yet.....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x209325

[Kaleva]

21. w do the pumps for the heat source system run without electricity?

"Already, most buildings on the sprawling campus are heated and cooled with a ground-source heat pump system, which means the campus needs no natural gas for heating and no electricity for cooling in the summer."

My guess is that the article meant to say the solar system provides enough electrical power to keep the heat pump system fully functional off grid.