Grow Solar Jackson County Reaches 100 kW Before Finish

Bulk-Purchase Program Finds Success Even During Pandemic

Homeowners and businesses in Jackson County contracted 102.18 kW of
solar power through the Grow Solar Jackson County program, which officially ended this past fall.
The program surpassed its 50 kW benchmark milestone, leading to $216,000 in local
investments. The initiative emphasized solar education and volume purchasing to make solar
more affordable for businesses and homeowners.

“As a host of the program, we were thrilled to see the local enthusiasm in Jackson County,” said
Patrick Snell, Climate & External Affairs Associate for The Nature Conservancy in Iowa. “At the
end of the program, we had a total of 60 people attend the 16 informational sessions with
questions and excitement to see if solar is right for their home or business.”

“The collaboration between the Jackson County Energy District, MREA, The Nature
Conservancy in Iowa and several community partners made this year’s Grow Solar program a
success for residents and business owners,” said Bruce Fisher, Jackson County Energy District
chair. “The launch of this program in Jackson County has helped spearhead the option of solar
for people’s homes or businesses.”

Eagle Point Solar, based in Dubuque, was selected by a local advisory committee through a
competitive proposal process at the beginning of the program. Eagle Point performed the solar
installation on the Hurstville Interpretive Center, which was commissioned in September. They
also produced 36 solar site assessments/cost estimates for local home and business owners
through the program.

Solar systems installed through this program will avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to
91,420 lbs. of CO₂ every year. That’s like avoiding 207,871 miles driven by the average
passenger vehicle or 3,519 trash bags recycled rather than landfilled.

For more information, please visit Jackson.GrowSolar.org.