Jim Knopik, head of family-owned North Star Solar Bears, is a third generation Nebraskan, farming the same land as his father and grandfather. Jim began installing solar for additional income once he saw the industry growth and job creation benefits solar would bring to the local community. Now, Jim and his clients farm the sun, using Stion’s solar modules.

North Star Polar Bears recently installed a Stion array in the path of the projected TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, in conjunction with clean energy alliance Bold Nebraska, highlighting that there are domestically produced sources of clean, renewable energy.

The array was installed in lieu of a $307,000 offer from TransCanada to buy the farmland of Jim and Chris Carlson to build the pipeline in their backyard. Instead, the Carlsons invested their personal funds in solar, hoping to shed light on the fact that there are alternate forms of energy that don’t put communities at risk or rely upon foreign imports of energy. Two additional Stion arrays are to be built along the pipeline route by North Star Solar Bears on September 16th near Atkinson and Naper, along the Keya Paha River.

“I am really happy to finally get to use and install U.S. made panels,” said Jim Knopik, owner of North Star Solar Bears. “The first question everyone has is ‘Where are the solar panels made?’ The Stion solar panels look great all around and seem to be of much better quality than the panels we have been using from other suppliers. I am looking forward to see what they will produce.”

Solar can safely replace the world’s energy needs and work with nature to clean up our environment. Stion is proud that its 100% U.S.-made modules are contributing to making the world’s tomorrow better, today.