We're excited to announce that our new 60-kilowatt solar panel installation is now fully operational at our Mason City processing facility. This is a milestone we've been working toward for over two years.
The system consists of 150 panels mounted on our south-facing warehouse roof. Based on Iowa's average solar insolation, we expect the array to generate approximately 75,000 kWh per year — enough to cover roughly 40% of our facility's electricity consumption.
The environmental math is straightforward: 75,000 kWh of solar electricity displaces an equivalent amount of grid power, which in Iowa is still heavily coal-dependent. That translates to roughly 53 metric tons of CO₂ avoided per year.
Combined with our biomass boiler (which burns our own sawdust to heat the kiln), we're now generating or offsetting over 60% of our total energy consumption from renewable sources. Our goal is to reach 80% by 2026.
The financial case was compelling too. With federal tax credits, state incentives, and Iowa's net metering policy, the system will pay for itself in under seven years. After that, it's essentially free electricity for the remaining 20+ years of the panels' lifespan.
This investment reflects our core belief: a reclaimed lumber business should practice what it preaches. We're in the business of keeping usable material out of landfills and reducing demand on forests. Running our facility on fossil fuels would undermine that mission.
We want to thank the team at Midwest Solar Solutions for a professional, on-time installation. If you're visiting our facility, look up — those panels are working hard to make your reclaimed lumber even greener.