In 2010, Ron Knuth bought an abandoned 1920s farm on top of a bluff in Stockholm, WI. The view from the farm looks out on Lake City across Lake Pepin, a particularly spectacular lookout when the leaves are turning.
Knuth has a four-acre field where he thought wind energy might work. After a wind assessment, it was deemed feasible, but the annual maintenance on a tower was not economical. So he chose a solar power solution instead, and started with a small system installed by a local heating company.
“When we bought the property, we built around the original abandoned farmhouse, which caused compromises with the insulation. I have geothermal heating, so I am all electric; it made sense to go down solar path. The payback, aside from a few hiccups, is around 12 years. Compare that with energy prices, which go up every year with the utility company,” said Knuth. “And the low maintenance of solar was attractive to me.”
When Knuth rehabbed a small farmhouse in 2016, he decided to add a solar power solution on the barn. This time he chose All Energy Solar. He saw they were the largest installer in Minnesota and he wanted a company dedicated to solar. “All Energy was great. They put a 60-degree angle system on a Dutch gambrel roof that faces straight south, so that’s my winter rock star. My original system is on a 16-degree shed—my summer rock star.”
Finally, in 2018, Knuth hired All Energy to install a system on the 30-degree angle of the barn as energy for the shoulder season.
Knuth has had some issues with inverters and optimizers, but All Energy has been very helpful in correcting those. “I had an issue with my original system that All Energy did not install. But they were still able to diagnose the problem in a heartbeat and get it up and running,” said Knuth.
The solar installations are keeping Knuth’s bills down. “Our bill this for whole year for air conditioning and heat, for 2000 square feet, will be less than $1,000. We also have a shop that we heat,” noted Knuth. “I am 65 and hate utility bills. So I am happy with our solar power.”
