A busy parking ramp at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse is now helping to power the hospital – and make Gundersen one of the largest private owners of solar energy in the Tri-state area.
This spring, crews installed a solar canopy on top of the hospital’s Blue parking ramp. The solar canopy, located on Seventh Street South and Gundersen Drive, will offset 10% of the hospital's electrical usage, resulting in an annual savings of more than $100,000. The covering will also improve staff efficiency by minimizing snow removal during winter months.
“This project is a great visual representation of Gundersen’s continued commitment to lowering the cost of care and improving the health of our communities,” says Alan Eber, director of Gundersen Envision. “Over the past 15 years, Gundersen has led the way in sustainable energy in healthcare. Our approach has reduced our operating expenses by around $6 million a year and reduced harmful emissions by more than 50%. These are the benefits of envisioning a better future and then acting on it.”
The canopy is expected to generate 1,000MWh of electricity annually for the hospital. That’s enough to power 10,600 homes each year with clean renewable energy.
This is the latest innovation in Gundersen Envision’s portfolio of renewable energy projects. In 2014, Gundersen was the first U.S. health system to have achieved days, weeks and months of energy independence.
Several community and state partners joined in this effort, including Stanek Electric, Modern Mechanical, Fowler and Hammer and Focus on Energy.