Airport to sell solar power back to MGE

Monday, February 09, 2009

From an article Marv Balousek in the Wisconsin State Journal:

Rooftop solar panels at the Dane County Regional Airport’s new rental-car return kiosk will bring in about $3,000 a year by selling power back to Madison Gas & Electric Co., county officials said Thursday.

The photo voltaic panels, expected to provide 12,000 kilowatt hours of power each year, cost $96,305 and the county received $27,215 back in a rebate from Wisconsin Focus on Energy. The airport uses about 3.5 million kilowatts annually.

The airport also is seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its new 2,000-square-foot exit plaza building, where 86 percent of the construction waste was recycled, paints and sealants with low levels of volatile organic compounds were used and efficient plumbing fixtures were installed.