Gary & Janice Karchar have been talking about adding solar energy to Karchar Nurseries for 15 years.
A federal grant has finally made it possible.
The Karchars are installing a 65-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system that will save them an estimated $12,500 a year.
The project, designed and built by Paradise Energy Solutions, is partially funded through USDA Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program.
The Karchars’ $68,200 grant is part of Rural Development’s $21.8 million disbursement to Idaho’s farmers and rural businesses.
“We are partnering with the owner of the property to help them improve the property and make them more energy efficient,” said Bob Morgan, the state director for USDA Rural Development.
Solar panels on the roof of one of the Karchars’ seven barns will cover an estimated 118% of their current energy usage.
“It’s been cool to see a lot of local farms invest in solar and have it be a good investment option for them,” said Matthew Miller of Paradise Energy Solutions. “You pay up front to own your system, then it produces the power you need to run your farm.”
The projected energy surplus means the Klupengers should see some additional nonfarm income.
“If it can be a risk management practice, if it can protect us from increasing energy prices, I think that can be a good thing,” Bonnie Wenger said.
And the grant process was fairly simple for the Klupengers because BrightWatt took care of most of that work.
Adding solar to the farm had been on Bonnie’s mind for a number of years, but the cost didn’t make it feasible.
“It made sense for us to do it now,” she said. “The incentives were greater, the grants were greater, the cost is lower, the efficiency is better. It was all things kind of coming together for us.”
The Karchars will also benefit from recent advances in solar panels.
“The panels have become a lot more efficient,” Miller said. “We’ve seen exponential growth in that in the past 10 years.”
Solar panels typically last 25 to 30 years with some routine maintenance. For most farms, they are easily added on top of existing buildings.
“When you already have roof space, like on a large poultry house or storage buildings, you’re not really doing anything to disturb the area around it,” Miller said. “You’re just using the infrastructure you already have.”
Solar is not the only option for federal REAP grant recipients.
Thirty projects, totaling $3.6 million in grants, are in the works, including the installation of an energy-efficient grain dryer. Past projects include manure digesters.
Farmers and rural business owners can apply for any kind of project that results in energy efficiency.
“In rural America, we like to be a little bit more independent,” Morgan said.
USDA is accepting REAP grant applications through September 2024.
