Go Green 2022

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THE SOLAR SCENARIO A LOOK AT THE FE ASIBILIT Y OF S OL AR P OWER IN THE VALLE Y WITH NE X T STEP ENERGY WORDS BY JAMES JOHONNOTT • PHOTO BY ANDREA PAULSETH

AS SOLAR POWER BECOMES FAR MORE MAINSTREAM,

ANNUAL NET METERING. When asked about how

and with a surging interest to remove dependency on fossil fuels, residential and business solar PV (photovoltaic) energy systems are becoming more common. But with conversations about solar come a number of recurring questions: “What about when the sun doesn’t shine?” and “Doesn’t it cost too much to install?” Hoping to get some practical answers to these persistent questions, I sat down with Jared Schroeder and Zeus Stark at Next Step Energy in Eau Claire to learn about solar power systems in the Chippewa Valley.

seasonality and sunlight availability in the Chippewa Valley might affect how practical solar power is here, Jared explained a wonky yet important concept called Annual Net Metering used by Xcel Energy and a number of other utilities. Using this pricing system, any excess power your property produces is fed back into the electrical grid, and you receive a credit that goes toward the months where you use more than you draw from the sun.

In practice, this means that what you don’t use on sunny days pays for what you do use on cloudy days. “Xcel’s policies have made solar power locally much more valuable for the homeowner,” Jared explained.

ON/OFF-GRID. While many consumers might dream of solar as a way to “get off the grid,” a truly offgrid system is among the biggest price jumps for your solar PV options. “It’s really not practical for most consumers,” Jared explained, “unless you’re powering a cabin, or something remote.” For urban residents of the Chippewa Valley, installing a streamlined solar PV system that’s still plugged into the grid is a more practical option.

PRICE DECLINE. Overall, the price of solar power installation has dropped considerably over the last 10-15 years. Zeus recalled times when solar panels were priced at $8/watt, and are now closer to $2.50/ watt. Due to the ever-present issues caused by the supply chain shakeup, prices have plateaued and may be on a momentary rise, but are still far lower than they were 10-15 years ago.

INCENTIVES. According to both Jared and Zeus, local utility and national policies make this a great time to get a solar PV system, but that could soon change. Currently, there is a tax credit valued at 26% of the installation cost on systems installed before the end of 2023, but that’s soon expected to drop to 22%, and may not see an extension beyond the next two years. “There’s really no way to predict where the national policies are headed,” Zeus said.

PAYOFF. Depending on your property and type of installation, Jared offered an estimation that in his experience, solar PV systems take 10-15 years to pay back their installation costs in saved energy

“XCEL ENERGY’S POLICIES HAVE MADE SOLAR POWER LOCALLY A LOT MORE VALUABLE TO THE HOMEOWNER.” –Jared Schroeder, Next Step Energy costs. While that might seem daunting, he also mentioned that in many cases local financing options exist for long-term loans for solar power with monthly payments lower than your former energy costs. Now that solar power is more mainstream, professionally installed systems generally increase the resale value for a property as well.

KEEPING IT LOCAL. A solar PV system isn’t inexpensive, so it’s important to be wary of markups and exploitative pricing. Zeus lamented the arrival of a number of out-of-state contractors that are advertising to the area via social media, with roughly 30% price markups.

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SUSTAINABLE & QUALI-TEA LOCAL BL ACK KE T TLE TE A SHOPPE’S LOO SE-LE AF TE A MADE WITH HOME GROWN CARE WORDS BY MCKENNA SCHERER

FIRST OPENING IN 2021, BLACK KETTLE TEA SHOPPE OWNER BRIANNA VODVARKA created the organic loose-leaf tea biz out of a then-new passion: growing her own tea.

A one-woman show, Vodvarka runs Black Kettle herself, growing much of the product in her own backyard in E.C., including peppermint, lavender, lemon balm, basil, and more. What she doesn’t harvest from her own garden she sources from farmers she personally knows, and even from local farmers markets.

“Wild crafting is also a huge part of what I do,” Vodvarka explained. “A lot of plants we have right in our backyards that so many people use weed killer on or treat as a pest.”

Although she hopes to expand Black Kettle in the future, bringing product further into Wisconsin and into Minnesota and hiring folks to help with gardening work, harvesting and making the tea is fairly simple, she said. After harvesting the plant, she leaves enough to ensure it will still grow, then takes what she picks into her kitchen to let it dry,

oven-drying most of it. Then, she mixes specific herbs together to create Black Kettle’s unique blends and hand-packages it (among the blends is the comically named “Resting Witch Face”).

“There are obviously a few things I can’t grow in this climate but I source those from farmers I have personally spoken to and have the same vision for sustainability as I do,” she said. “I also get quite a bit from farmers markets in the Eau Claire

area and up to the Twin Cities, (and) source seeds from local garden centers like May’s Floral.”

Vodvarka began the tea journey organically, as it was purely a hobby in the beginning. After taking some classes, she began delving into her own research. “Honestly, it’s been a ton of research.

Books upon books. I really think it’s important to always be learning even when you’re older.”

Currently, Black Kettle tea and merchandise – all of which are created locally, tops screen-printed at The Sticker Spot in Banbury Place, and beanies created by Pretty Cool Beanies up in Minneapolis – can be found throughout the Valley at Broom & Crow (1726 N. Clairemont Ave.), The Local Store (205 N Dewey St.), Lunchbox EC (800 Wisconsin St., Suite 210), Curvue Tree Farm (6760 Curvue Road), Menomonie Market Co-op (1117 S. Farwell St.), Wisconsin Makers Market Store (106 E. Grand Ave.), and Silver Creek Herbals in Turtle Lake (162 13 1/2 14th Ave., Turtle Lake) Check out blackkettleteashoppe.com or their Facebook, @blackkettletea, for more info.

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VIA UNSPLASH

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IF YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO A ZERO-WASTE STORE BEFORE, YOU’LL GET YOUR CHANCE SOON! The Juggery is going to be poppin’ up – literally – by August in the Eau Claire area.

Greta Gunnarson, a La Crosse native who moved to Eau Claire in 2020 after graduating from UW-Platteville, is tackling small-biz life thanks to her growing passion for sustainably, which planted its roots after moving to the Valley, she said. “(Sustainability) is something I’ve always sort of thought about in a health and going green way in general, but I didn’t do it very well for a long time because it’s just not something I was taught,” Gunnarson explained. “Really, when I moved here is when I learned more about it. I didn’t know all the ways you could do things that are better for the

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NEW ZERO-WASTE SHOP COMING TO E.C. THE JUGGERY WILL BE P OPPIN’ UP S OON WORDS BY MCKENNA SCHERER

Earth, more than just recycling.”

The Juggery will encourage a zero-waste lifestyle, even if done imperfectly. In Gunnarson’s view, approaching zero-waste living with the expectation of just doing what you can, is more than enough for those starting out.

In Wisconsin alone, nearly 750,000 tons of plastic were found in landfills during 2020-2021, with plastic bottles specifically making up a large amount of that, as reported by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

“There’s a whole phrase like, ‘We need more people to do it imperfectly than some people doing it perfectly.’ I’d rather have people pick and choose what they want to do with zero waste and find out what works for them,” Gunnarson said.

Essentially, The Juggery will begin as a one-

stop pop-up space for people to bring their own reusable containers and fill them up, paying just for the amount they pick up. Gunnarson said she will start out carrying essentials like various kinds of body soap, shampoo and conditioner, liquid and powder laundry detergent, lotion, and other reusable or biodegradable products.

“Part of the name, ‘The Juggery,’ is because a lot of the stuff is going to be sold in big jugs where you bring your own container and fill it with whatever you need,” she explained. “Kind of like a lemonade or drink container (with a faucet head).”

The Bridge Street and Mall Drive Festival Foods farmers market will be home to the first popups, hopefully by August, on Sundays and Mondays.

Follow The Juggery on Instagram (@thejuggery) to keep up on their first pop-ups.

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RASSBACH MUSEUM FUNDRAISES FOR SOLAR INSPIRED BY W WII VIC TORY G ARDENS, MUSEUM R AISE S MONE Y F OR OWN VIC TORY G ARDEN WORDS BY SAW YER HOFF

“THERE’S ALWAYS BEEN THE IDEA,” SAID MELISSA KNEELAND, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DUNN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. “Like, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to have solar panels?’ But it always seemed a little too big for us.”

That idea is now becoming a reality as the Rassbach Museum in Menomonie’s Wakanda Park edges closer to its monetary goal that will allow for solar panels to be installed behind the museum.

During a capstone class at UW-Stout, students brought proposals for ways the museum could be more sustainable and even suggested companies to get solar panel estimates from.

This proposal showed the museum that not only was this possible but very much in their wheelhouse.

The City of Menomonie has set a goal to be completely carbon-free by 2050, and Kneeland said this project is the museum’s way of moving toward that goal.

The solar panels will be installed on the ground, instead of the roof, so people can learn more from them. The panels are also bi-facial, which means they can collect energy from light reflected off the snow in the winter. Hopefully, if all goes according to plan, the panels will be

installed by the end of this year.

The museum decided to name this project the Solar Victory Garden due to its parallels with the Victory Gardens grown during World War II. “We’re connecting them to the Victory Gardens of World War II because those were all about the community coming together with a shared goal and doing something to affect larger change,” Kneeland explained.

“We’re not growing food, but we’re growing energy,” she laughed. “It’s our way of connecting the past to the present.”

Currently, the project has received $65,000 in grant funding and more than $50,000 in donations, but $40,000 is still needed to pay off the project, with an added stretch goal of $21,000 for added sensors.

Donations of any amount can be made on the Dunn Historical Society website.

The museum isn’t stopping here when it comes to sustainability: They are switching to LED lightbulbs, as well as making their landscape sustainable with three prairie gardens, a rain garden, and a butterfly garden – all to make Wakanda Park as Earth-friendly as possible.

Learn more and donate at dunnhistory.org.

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GO GREEN & KEEP GOING! GE T INVOLVED WITH THE SE LOCAL & RE GIONAL AC TION GROUP S & BUILDERS KEEPING THE VALLE Y SUSTAINABLE LISTINGS BY JAMES JOHONNOTT

GREEN-FOCUSED BUILDERS Badger State Inc. (715) 874-7777 • info@badgerstateinc.com • badgerstateinc.com This plumbing

er of renewable energy and solar HVAC systems, battery backups, on and off-grid systems, and EV charging stations.

and heating contractor now offers residential and commercial solar water heating, low water pressure solutions, high efficiency HVAC systems, and more for your green construction needs.

Red Cedar Steel Menomonie • (715) 235-0618 •

Heritage Builders Menomonie • (715) 235-

SDS Architects Eau Claire • (715) 832-1605 •

7910 • info@heritagebuildersmenomonie.com • heritagebuildersmenomonie.com Projects include

home repair and new construction and green services include insulation, heat recovery, passive solar, locally supplied wood and rock, programmable thermostats, planted solar shading, green flooring, low-emissions windows and storms, and more.

MEP Associates (715) 832-5680 • info@mepas-

sociates.com • mepassociates.com This consulting

firm specializes in designing sustainable mechanical, electrical, plumbing, medical gas, and geothermal systems for commercial and industrial purposes.

Next Step Energy Systems Eau Claire • (715)

830-9337 • nextstepenergy.com A full service install-

redcedarsteel.com/project/solar Red Cedar Steel

does solar power assessments as well as installations across the Midwest.

info@sdsarch.com • sdsarch.com This LEED-cer-

tified architectural firm offers consulting, design, and construction management services and specializes in buildings for school districts, universities, government facilities, and private businesses.

Solar Chippewa Valley (715) 720-5825 • sol-

archippewavalley.com Designs personalized solar solutions based off of your property, budget, and energy usage. Offers free analysis.

SpaceGrower Menomonie • (715) 231-6174 •

info@spacegrower.com • spacegrower.com Pro-

vides interior and architectural green design services.

Interior services include furniture, recommendations, lighting, and layout. Architectural services include drawing, modeling, site layout, space programming, design, documentation, sustainable material research, and more.

Water Source Heating & Cooling Eau Claire •

(715) 833-9001 • watersourcegeothermal.com Services include geothermal heat pumps, radiant floor heating, solar PV systems, geothermal loop systems, and ductwork, air filters, and humidifiers.

SUSTAINABILITY FOCUSED GROUPS Chippewa Valley Transit Alliance (CVTA) (715)

835-4835 • chippewavalleytransitalliance@gmail. com • facebook.com/chippewavalleytransitalliance CVTA is a united voice for transit riders, bicyclists, and pedestrians in Eau Claire and neighboring counties of West Central Wisconsin. Meets monthly.

Citizens Climate Lobby - Eau Claire Chapter

(715) 829-8620 • eauclaire@citizensclimatelobby.org • citizensclimatelobby.org A non-profit,

grassroots advocacy organization focused on national policies to address climate change. Trains and supports volunteers to reclaim their democracy and engage elected officials and the media to generate the political will for solutions that will stabilize the Earth’s climate.

Eau Claire Climate Action Now (CAN) (612) 220-

Lower Chippewa River Alliance (LCRA) (715)

835-4829 • ellewolf1@hotmail.com • wisconsinrivers.org Supports the conservation, preservation

and stewardship of the Lower Chippewa River and Lower Chippewa River Basin extending from the Dells dam in the City of Eau Claire to the Mississippi River. LCRA organizes two educational open-car train rides into the Tiffany Bottoms each year, the proceeds from which are donated to prairie and oak savanna restoration, invasive species eradication, and scientific research projects.

The Prairie Enthusiasts: Chippewa Savannas Chapter stahland@centurytel.net • theprai-

rieenthusiasts.org/chippewa_savannas A chapter

of The Prairie Enthusiasts, a non-profit grassroots conservation organization. Works throughout Dunn, Eau Claire, and Pepin counties, to restore remnants of prairie ecosystems still remaining in the Chippewa Valley that have not already been lost to development or habitat degradation.

River Country RC&D (715) 579-5229 • Info@

RiverCountryRCD.org • rivercountryrcd.org A

Non-Profit Organization that brings people and resources together to address issues and opportunities in order to conserve our natural resources, provide sustainability and improve the quality of life for the people who live and work in the River Country Area.

Sierra Club - Chippewa Valley Group (608)

256-0565 • john.muir.chapter@sierraclub.org • wisconsin.sierraclub.org/chippewa This is a local

chapter of the international environmental group based in San Francisco. Programs include slide presentations of trips, talks about environmental issues, guest speakers & seminars, and suggestions & campaigns for action.

Sustainable Dunn sustainabledunn.org This grass-

roots organization is devoted to promoting decisions that meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations. Monthly programs are held covering a variety of sustainability topics.

Its website includes green news, a discussion group, and more.

GreenSense connect.uwstout.edu/greensense/

Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters - Eau Claire (715) 225-3344 • info@conservationvoters.

zation since 1990. GreenSense cleans up Galloway Creek, participates in an Adopt-a-Highway program, cleans up the campus, and manages annual events at UW-Stout including RecycleMania, Earth Week events, a film festival, and they sponsor environmental speakers.

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together in a mutually sustaining relationship with the Earth so the integrity for all is preserved and honored.

They educate and inspire others to get involved in preserving our quality of life in the Chippewa Valley.

Tainter Menomin Lake Improvement Association, Inc. rverdon@att.net • tmlia.org Atively en-

home/ UW-Stout’s student environmental organi-

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org JONAH’s Environmental Task Force aims to live

1970 • eauclairecan@gmail.com • facebook.com/ EauClaireClimateActionNowcan CAN’s mission is

to organize to fight climate change through education, advocacy, and bold proposals that sharply reduce fossil fuel extraction and emissions by fostering a clean energy economy and creating sustainable communities. CAN takes on the moral responsibility to use their collective power to influence the city, county, state, nation, and world to respond appropriately and end climate change.

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Joining Our Neighbors, Advancing Hope (JONAH): Environmental Task Force jonahjustice.

gaged in activities to promote Tainter Lake and Lake Menomin, along with those bodies of water which are immediate to the lake, namely the Red Cedar River and the Hay River. Their aim is to support the protection and improvement of Lake Menomin and Tainter Lake waters by providing educational information on water quality and environmental issues affecting these bodies of water and their corresponding watersheds.

org • conservationvoters.org A nonprofit, nonpar-

tisan organization dedicated to electing conservation leaders, holding decision makers accountable and encouraging lawmakers to champion conservation policies that effectively protect Wisconsin’s public health and natural resources.

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