Tina and Bruce Duemler - Baraboo, Wisconsin
Solar lights the way for Wisconsin artist
As an artist, Tina Duemler works in her rural studio near Baraboo, Wisconsin, overhead a 3.6 kW Photovoltaic (PV) installation silently provides the power that gets her through the day. Tina and husband Bruce’s solar panel project was finished in April 2009, but she reports the route to completion took time.
The Duemlers started on the path to solar by attending the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) Fair in Custer, Wisconsin. "It was kind of overwhelming at first," Tina reports. "There was a lot to absorb."
Simultaneous with their solar research, Tina and Bruce had an energy audit of Tina's studio and their century-old farmhouse. Among their findings was an old, inefficient chest freezer that was cracked and burning up energy to stay cold. "It was a real eye opener to find out where all the leaks are and how little things like caulk can do so much," Tina observes.It took four or five years to implement all the recommended energy-efficiency measures, and meanwhile the Duemlers continued their research. They interviewed PV system installers and talked extensively with others who already had PV installations. Everyone was extremely helpful and willing to share their experiences, according to Tina.
What began as simple curiosity and their first energy fair visit has become a reality for the Duemlers. "The installation looks great, which is important to me as an artist. And what’s more, it's raised our awareness of our energy use and gives us a good feeling to know we're generating our own power, and anything beyond what we use goes back to the community," Tina concludes. http://www.alliantenergy.com/SaveEnergyAndMoney/SuccessStories/Residential/
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