Schmeeckle solar panel array
Solar panel array and EV charging station

Solar Panel Array & Electric Vehicle Charging Station


As part of Schmeeckle's sustainability initiatives, a 6.1 kW solar panel array was installed on the north side of the visitor center parking lot in November 2019. An additional 7.2 kW array was installed in March 2023. The solar arrays feed directly into the Wisconsin Public Service electrical grid and offset about 50% of the energy used in the visitor center annually. This reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 12.5 tons per year, which is the equivalent of a 13.4-acre forest.

A ClipperCreek 32-Amp Level 2 EV charging station is available for free on a first-come, first-served basis when the parking lot is open (6 a.m. to 11 p.m.). Two cars can be charged at a time (splits the power). No overnight parking is allowed.

This project was funded by the UWSP Green Fund, a student-led initiative that supports sustainability projects on campus. Additional community donors include Northwind Solar (donated the EV charging station), the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve, the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society, and Kent and Sue Hall. Northwind Solar installed the arrays.


To view real-time energy production by the solar panel array, click the button below.


Click here to view real-time solar energy production