Solar setup leading to a bright future
By Sean Hyland, American Family Insurance Program Facilities Manager
Sixteen months after American Family’s record-setting number of solar panels started harvesting the sun’s power at our National Headquarters, we’re using the experience and harnessing the data to make adjustments, plan for the future and engage with the community.
In the first full year after we flipped the switch to power up the 4,488 solar panels in Madison, Wisconsin, we have generated slightly more than the projected 1.25 million kilo-watt hours of electricity. That’s enough energy to offset 6.7 percent of the energy consumption of from our headquarters.
Put another way, our panels would have provided electricity to 157 homes. But there is more to value about the investment beyond the hard numbers.
Beyond the numbers
Alternative energy is one of my passions, along with data analytics. I’m tracking the panel installation output on an hourly basis to help us pinpoint trends and watch for anomalies.
As you might expect, the vast amount of snow Madison had in February blanketed the solar panels longer than usual. It meant we weren’t producing power for a couple of weeks. As time goes on, we’ll be able to better anticipate how the system will perform in a variety of situations based on our modeling.
The installation has triggered national attention and strong local interest about the value of solar energy and its process and maintenance. American Family was honored to receive a citation from a state legislator for our efforts, and we’ve spoken on the radio and to various journalists. We’re also tapped as experts to share knowledge with other businesses, and we headline at sustainability conferences.
More companies are using solar to impact their bottom lines, but just as important is the altruistic element that many consumers appreciate. Solar energy benefits the environment. Using electricity from renewable energy like the sun means we aren’t using as much fossil fuel, so we’re reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.
So far, our solar project prevented the emission of 313 tons of carbon dioxide.
Solar across the American Family Insurance enterprise
While American Family’s National Headquarters installation is our largest, we are learning from other setups across our enterprise of companies. American Family has solar panels at our Eden Prairie, Minnesota, facility, and East Regional Building (also in Madison). And, we’re actively planning for a larger, ground-based solar installation at the East Regional Building, where we are confident we can use the sun’s energy to our advantage.
Whether you appreciate our solar efforts for their impact to expenses or their environmental benefits, renewable energy is making an impact. Stay tuned. We’re just getting started.
Sean Hyland is a facilities program administrator for American Family Insurance.
