We’re slowly starting to go green here at the Register.
A couple of years ago we had electric heat and cooling pumps installed when we renovated the newsroom.
And starting this month, we’re hooked up to solar power via 13 solar panels positioned on our roof.
My husband and I also installed 14 panels at our home, where we’ve seen a 40 percent reduction in our electric bill. In December 2021, we used 1,020 kilowatts compared to 696 kilowatts for December 2022.
At the Register, each solar panel produces 490 watts at peak performance. For the year, they’ll generate about 10,000 kilowatts, or about 37 percent of what we typically use.
The difference between the two buildings is that our house roof is pitched, while the Register’s is flat. 
Here’s the Register’s average monthly electricity consumption. The solar energy our panels will produce is in green.
At both places we could have opted for more panels, but that meant we would have wasted energy, which sounds counter-intuitive.
Because Kansas is a very sunny state, over the course of a year we would produce way more energy than we could use. Here in Iola, there’s currently no way to “share,” or be compensated, for that overproduction.
Cities that offer net metering tie the electricity generated from individual producers into the overall grid. If you generate more watts than what you use, then municipalities give you a 1-for-1 credit for every kilowatt. In other words, the electricity you produce is equal in value to the electricity you receive from your utility.
I believe Iola will someday make that decision, which is why we’re fully prepared to jump on the bandwagon when that day arrives.
For the Register, we see the solar panels on our roof not only as an investment in the environment, but one that also ensures our ability to be a part of this community for decades to come.
Both are equally rewarding.
