Solar Power Coming to Kress Pavilion

Egg Harbor’s Kress Pavilion will have a solar installation at the location shown above by this summer. Submitted.

The Village of Egg Harbor’s trustees approved a public bid by Eland Electric of Green Bay to install ground-mounted solar panels at the Kress Pavilion, the village’s community center and library. The project, set to be completed this summer, is the latest to coincide with Egg Harbor’s Green Tier initiatives and takes advantage of Solar for Good and Focus on Energy grants. 

The panels – donated by the Solar for Good program – are bifacial modules, which means they produce solar power from both sides. The project will convert 20 percent of the Kress Pavilion’s power to renewable energy and offset 18 tons of carbon dioxide each year.

“I am proud of the Egg Harbor community’s embrace of Green Tier initiatives,” said Angela Lensch, a Village of Egg Harbor trustee and Green Tier Initiative leader. “Egg Harbor is dedicated to weaving renewable energy into our projects. This supports our goal to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. By utilizing solar for our public building, it will decrease our community’s dependence on fossil-fuel-based electricity, reduce electric bills and support the expansion of community solar. This program can easily be replicated in other municipalities throughout Door County.”

In addition to the panels, the village installed four electric-car charging stations in 2020 that were donated by Tesla and Egg Harbor resident and electric-vehicle owner Bill Freyman. 

“It’s the 21st century, and electric vehicles are the future,” Freyman said.

Centrally located charging stations also support local businesses.

“Our station, located at the Kress Center, is particularly attractive because electric-car owners can take a short stroll to our restaurants and shops and enjoy everything the village has to offer, all while charging their cars,” Freyman said. 

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ voluntary Green Tier program recognizes and rewards environmental performance that exceeds legal requirements related to health, safety and the environment. Egg Harbor has been a Green Tier community since 2019.