The University of Wisconsin and Alliant Energy have partnered on a solar and agricultural research project— they are planning to build it on a 15-acre site at the UW Kegonsa Research Campus.
The campus includes the Physical Sciences Lab and a research and development laboratory with state-of-the-art scientific instrumentation to assist complex research initiatives.
Alliant Energy will own and maintain the facility when completed, but UW faculty and students will have access for educational usage, according to Campus Energy Advisor Josh Arnold.
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Finding ways to increase the production of solar energy in Wisconsin is essential for reducing the state’s carbon footprint, Arnold said.
In addition to minimizing environmental harm, investing in renewable energy is more cost-efficient, according to Alliant Energy.
While the initial stage is centered around the production of renewable energy, this partnership will eventually explore additional projects to broaden the scope for educational and training purposes.
This project will provide UW with a facility that will enhance learning and enable students to do hands-on research while gaining a better understanding of how renewable energy can be embedded in a broader community setting, according to Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education Steve Ackerman.
In a UW news release, Chancellor Rebecca Blank said the solar energy installation will give students a chance to study how environmental factors like soil, water and animals react to the solar array integration in agricultural land.
“[The project] will help our understanding of the costs and benefits associated with siting solar energy in Wisconsin and beyond,” Blank said.
The project is expected to generate enough energy to power more than 450 homes at its maximum output, according to UW News.
This partnership will also bolster Alliant Energy’s goals to achieve net-zero carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity it generates by 2050, according to Alliant Energy’s Clean Energy Vision Goals.
“With this proposed solar project, and hopefully others to follow, we seek to demonstrate a possible path forward to balance future solar installation deployment in Wisconsin while respecting and regenerating agricultural communities and lands,” Arnold said.
