HHS Solar Panels
The Mequon-Thiensville School District is committed to strong fiscal stewardship and continuously explores innovative solutions to address financial challenges while reducing operating costs. Among these efforts is the Fall 2024 installation of solar panels on the rooftop of Homestead High School—a project expected to save the district over $2.6 million during its lifespan. Approved by a 6-1 school board vote in May 2024, the 300 kW AC solar field features 714 solar panels tilted at 15° and three AC inverters, converting direct current into usable alternating current. This initiative not only provides immediate savings to the district’s operating budget ,but also counters rising utility costs, such as the recent 11% electricity rate hike by We Energies. With a lifespan exceeding 30 years, these bi-directional panels will offset over 700,000 pounds of CO₂ annually, equating to a reduction of more than 350,000 pounds of coal burned.
In addition to financial and environmental benefits, the project enhances educational opportunities for students. Hands-on learning experiences with renewable energy companies like Arch Solar and On Point Energy, as well as interactive kiosks displaying real-time energy usage, will complement Homestead’s curriculum. Funded through the district’s Fund 46, which is designated for facility investments, the $678,344 project is eligible for over $264,000 in state and federal incentives, fostering long-term savings and sustainability. With an estimated six-year payback period and a 30-year internal rate of return exceeding 15.8%, the solar panel project demonstrates a strong return on investment and a commitment to fiscal responsibility and environmental stewardship.
Solar Panel Project Facts
- The solar panel project was approved by the MTSD Board of Education during their May 20 Regular Business Meeting.
- The project, eligible for over $264,000 in state and federal incentives, will total $678,344. In its first year, it will save approximately $55,357 on the Buildings and Grounds Department’s operating budget.
- Instead of being funded through the general fund, the project was funded out of Fund 46, a fund that allows the District to take fund balance, or money left over at the end of the school year, and put it into a fund that will grow over time that can be used for facility investments.
- The project features a 300 kW AC — kilowatt alternating current — solar field installed on top of the Homestead High School field house and equipment that includes 714 solar panels at a 15° elevated tilt with three AC inverters.
- The panels are bidirectional, meaning energy is generated from both the front and the back of the panels. When the roof is snow-covered, energy will reflect onto the back side of the panels.
- The panel’s lifespan is over 30 years, and the inverters are projected to last 15 years.
- The project is projected to save the District more than $2.6 million over its lifespan.
- The solar panel system will ultimately decrease energy expenditures and have a positive effect on future budget deficits, especially given We Energies’ new 11% electricity rate increase.
- The annual energy consumption mix will be 83.6% utility and 16.4% Solar PV, and there will be minimal maintenance and no noise associated with the system operations.
- The system will save 700,000 pounds of CO2 a year, equal to 350,000 pounds of coal.
- In addition to its cost-saving and environmental benefits, the panels will provide hands-on learning opportunities for students, whether that involves working with companies such as Arch Solar and On Point Energy, LLC or engaging with kiosks displaying real-time usage placed throughout the school’s common areas.
- Project partners include On Point Energy, owned and operated by Steve Fivenson, a Mequon resident and MTSD parent, and Arch Solar. On behalf of the District, Mr. Fivenson wrote a grant for "Solar on Schools" that resulted in the charitable donation of 93 of the 714 panels necessary for the project, saving the District $17,475.
Project Partners
Solar Panel Project Gallery
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