VANDER WOUDE DAIRY

Solar was long on our radar as we searched for a way to increase our sustainability and self-sufficiency. After much consideration, we contracted with Pickett Solar to construct a solar field on 5 acres of land. In July of 2015, our completed solar field contained a total of 3,690 tracker-set panels that can convert 1.1 MW of power to offset 2, 123, 230 kWh for our dairy, an approximate 60% of our energy usage. Because of the actions we took to implement this solar field, we have been able to lower our utility costs as well as reduce our carbon footprint. Just one more step we take to ensure we are as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible!

We have added another 1.1 MW solar system in January of 2024. With the addition of many fans on the dairy to cool the cows, additional pumps to feed our methane digester, and irrigation pumps to collect and distribute flood water to mitigate ground water consumption our electricity needs have increased. This additional solar will help hedge utility expenses for years to come.