Madison Gas and Electric has chosen Pewaukee-based Sunvest Solar Inc. to design and manufacture a 1,400-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system for Madison Area Technical College. Pieper Power of New Berlin will install the system on the roof of the Truax Campus.

Sunvest also designed and built photovoltaic systems for Lawrence University, Concordia University and Wisconsin Lutheran College. MGE will provide a grant of up to $500,000 for the photovoltaic system and Madison College will provide an additional $1.8 million.

Installation of the solar panels is scheduled to begin in summer 2018 and should be completed in a few months. The system could save the campus more than $200,000 per year in electricity costs.

Madison College is a national leader for renewable energy education at two-year colleges and serves as a model for other institutions. The college has received multiple grants from the National Science Foundation to develop curriculum, create new educational programs and train faculty and students throughout the country in renewable energy.

Implementation of this project will save energy and reduce airborne emissions for local residents. In addition to cost savings, the PV solar system will offer numerous benefits to Madison College students and community members. The proposal includes solar electric monitoring technology to provide energy output data for analysis by students and the public.