Mequon Nature Preserve
- Location
- 8200 W. County Line Road
Mequon, Wis.
- Operational date
- Wind: November 2007, struck by lightning; back on line April 2010
Solar: November 2009
- Project
- 10-kilowatt wind turbine and 9.8-kW ground-mounted solar array
- Total project cost
- Wind: $72,000
Solar: $109,403
- Incentive
- Wind: $19,852. Solar: $39,133 from We Energies
Wind: $32,490. Solar: $24,364 from Focus on Energy
- Estimated savings achieved
- $3,200 per year in electricity savings
- Success
- In keeping with its values of reducing environmental impact, the Mequon Nature Preserve installed both a 10-kilowatt wind
turbine and a 9.8-kW solar electric (photovoltaic) system with financial assistance through the We Energies non-profit grant
program.
- The preserve adopted a master plan that included goals and guiding principles for sustainability. "Having a wind turbine
and a solar electric system fits in with our effort to feature sustainable design to educate the community," said Mayor
Christine Nuernberg, who was a champion of the green project. "Thus, it was a simple decision to include renewable energy
installations."
- The wind turbine generates about 17,000 kilowatt-hours annually, offsetting energy costs by about $1,900. The solar electric
system provides about 12,000 kWh for a savings of about $1,300 per year.
- The preserve offers a comprehensive educational program that welcomes K-12 students from throughout southeast Wisconsin to
supplement their classroom environmental education. University undergraduate and graduate students conduct field work at the
Mequon Nature Preserve, and adult education programs, including lecture series and workshops, are offered by environmental
education organizations from across the region.
- The preserve also serves as a neighborhood center where a variety of organizations from around the area use the building for
meetings and activities.
