Solar electricity works well at Indian Creek

I enjoyed Sen. Rob Hogg's Aug. 25 column (“Follow farmers' lead”) about solar electricity potential in Iowa.

The Indian Creek Nature Center has used three different photovoltaic, or solar electric, systems since the early 1990s. The current system, on the sunroom roof, is net-metered. This means that electricity it produces powers the Nature Center's fans, computers, lights and other items. When we are using more electricity than the system produces, we import power from the grid and our electric meter spins forward. When we produce more power than we use the meter spins backward, subtracting from our bill.

At the end of each month we pay the “net” amount, which is always less than if we did not have the system.

Over the course of a normal year, the photovoltaic system produces about one third of our total electric need. However in this hot, dry, sunny summer, the system has been very productive and on many days our electric meter stands still - all our electricity is being produced by solar energy.

The system was installed with full cooperation of Alliant Energy, the Iowa Energy Center, and the Iowa Renewable Energy Association. Photovoltaics require a significant upfront cost but produce electricity with no combustion, no moving parts, no noise, and essentially no maintenance.

Anyone wishing to see a net-metered photovoltaic system in place is welcome to visit the Indian Creek Nature Center.

Rich Patterson

Director,

Indian Creek Nature Center

Cedar Rapids