The panels are expected to replace 60% or more of electricity delivered by power plant to the senior living facility. A Solar for Good grant from RENEW Wisconsin has extended the rooftop project to also include The Haven, Attic Angel’s memory care unit, in spring 2019. A test rig has been in use at Attic Angel Prairie Point to determine the best type of solar panel that best fits the community’s requirement.
Researchers included four graduate students at the University of Wisconsin College of Engineering, working under the direction of Professor Emeritus Jon McCarthy, an Attic Angel resident, and Bjorn Thompson, chair of the Sustainability Committee of Attic Angel Community. Research continues with an eye toward placing solar panels within Prairie Point to benefit the 123 Attic Angel ranch-style homes in that neighborhood.
As of fall 2018, more than 30 Prairie Point residents had signed on to invest in the solar technology and leave a legacy for the future.