Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
EVEN WITH overcast skies, the Mercer Public Library's new solar panels generate energy Monday. The library celebrated the new system, which was purchased by the Friends of the Library and could save the library $1,000 a year in energy costs.
By RICHARD JENKINS
MERCER, Wis. - A crowd of approximately 66 people gathered in the Mercer Public Library Monday to celebrate the unveiling of the library's new solar panels.
The panels were purchased by the Friends of the Mercer Library and can generate a maximum of 16.12 kilowatts.
"What started as a spark of an idea in January 2015 has finally resulted in our 16.12 kilowatt photovoltaic solar energy system, that is now at this moment ... giving some power to the library and the community center," Friends president Wendy Theide said during the informal ceremony.
She thanked all the people who worked to make the effort possible.
The system consists of 18 Canadian solar modules, which can be rotated to match the position of the sun throughout the year and generate power into an inverter that converts it into alternating current for the library's use. While Theide told the Daily Globe after the event it is too early to tell exactly how much power the system would generate; it was creating power Monday, even with the overcast skies.
"The friends of (the Mercer) library dedicate this solar system to Mercer area residents," Theide said during the event. "May you learn from it and may it save you money for years to come."
The system is expected to save the library around $1,000 a year, according to Theide, and cost the Friends roughly $22,000.
She said an individual interested in solar energy would likely find cheaper options, as there are tax credits available that couldn't be used for the project due to the group's non-profit status.
After Theide, Town Chairman John Sendra talked about the process of getting the solar panels approved. Sendra said the effort was "exciting" at times, noting the project initially failed to get town board approval.
Part of the reason he supported the project was its potential educational value.
"Even though I heard the return on investment was not that good, and it will take 20 years to pay back and so on; I heard something that really hit home, ... this is for our students (to learn from)," Sendra said. "From this project they can learn more about solar power, and who knows what the future of solar energy may be.
"One of our students may some day - learning from this project - be that scientist that really makes an efficient type of energy, an energy that is non-polluting, an energy that helps us all."
For Library Director Teresa Schmidt, the solar panels are a part of the library's overall mission. Even though the library circulated 10,000 books last year, Schmidt said the mission to educate the public has expanded.
"Libraries in the 21st century are about a lot more than just books - although books will never go away," Schmidt said. "We engage in learning opportunities of all kinds. Just last week we had a computer class, we had crafts for kids, we had a cooking class - we serve as an education point and a social outlet for the community of Mercer, to learn about and do whatever they are interested in.
"I think this project really just adds to that mix. It gives us another opportunity to learn about something that is important to our world, important to our community and can be an important source of jobs in future."
