Sauk Prairie Optimist Club hears about solar power

At its December 6th meeting, the Sauk Prairie Optimist Club heard from members of the Core Committee of the Sauk Prairie Solar Schools group. The goal of the group is to assist the Sauk Prairie School District with a transition from reliance on fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. There are long-term financial savings by using solar energy, as well providing a more stable, home-grown source of energy. The group is raising funds to get the project started, with one-third of total being funded by donations and grants, one-third by the school district, and one-third from rebates in the Inflation Reduction Act. Initially, panels would be installed on the Administration Building, Bridges Elementary School, and Leola Hall in the River Arts Center. All these buildings were designed to handle solar panels at the time they were built. The payback period for the project is five years; after that savings will accrue to the school district. In addition to the financial savings, the project would provide learning opportunities for students of all ages. Older students and teachers would be able to track and compare solar production to fossil fuels. In the local area, both Evansville and Mount Horeb Schools have installed solar panels. More information can be found on the Facebook page for Sauk Prairie Solar Schools. The Sauk Prairie Optimists meet at the 6:8 Inc. dining room on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 7 a.m. Visitors are always welcome! Pictured, from left to right, Sauk Prairie Solar Schools members Ellen Paul, Trang Donovan, Jeff Virchow, and Tom Sullivan, along with Optimist Member Pam Reisinger.