CAMPBELL, Wis. — Volunteers in La Crosse are helping to bring more renewable energy to their local school district. 

The organization, Solar on La Crosse Schools, raises money to bring solar power to campuses in the La Crosse School District.

What You Need To Know

  • Solar on La Crosse Schools raises money to install solar panels at schools in the La Crosse School District

  • The organization has installed solar panels to Summit Environmental School, Northside Elementary and Hamilton Elementary, with more planned

  • The La Crosse School District has saved $33,000 in electricity costs over two years

  • Summit Environmental School Principal Oscar Uribe said one of their goals is to also teach students about energy consumption

One of its first projects was the solar panel in front of the Summit Environmental School in Campbell.

Alysa Remsburg is the director of Solar on La Crosse Schools.

She said this project demonstrated what it could do with its partnership with La Crosse School District.

“It’s off the grid and just has a battery, connecting energy over to the sign and so it lights up the sign and this was our first small project to demonstrate that we had a model for fundraising and getting things done within the school district,” said Remsburg.

Later this year, Summit Environmental School will be building a new outdoor classroom. There will be a gazebo covered with 30 kilowatts of solar panels.

“The panels will be low enough that we can really appreciate that we are contributing to energy production for our school,” said Remsburg.

Summit Environmental School Principal Oscar Uribe said there is an important lesson the students can learn.  

“It will help with the student’s understanding of the production of energy and the consumption of energy,” said Uribe. “We live in a beautiful area, the Driftless area and we want to save it and preserve it and we want to help them to understand the impact that they have on the climate and the environment.”

Solar on La Crosse Schools has also helped bring solar power to other schools. That includes Northside and Hamilton Elementary.

Remsburg said the school district saved $33,000 in electricity costs over two years.

“We’re happy to contribute,” said Remsburg. “These panels will keep producing for at least 30 years with a warrant, so this is an exciting start and we hope to set an example for solar and renewable installation in other parts of planning for the city.”

For Remsburg, these solar projects are just the start of the work needed now to reduce the impact of climate change in the future.

Solar panels will also be added to the rooftop of La Crosse Polytechnic School this spring.

For more information on Solar on La Crosse Schools and how to get involved, click here.

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