A new report released by the Iowa Environmental Council says solar energy could be the perfect complement to Iowa’s wind energy production. The council used the analysis of a national renewable energy lab that evaluated the potential for solar energy in all 50 states. The study looked at how much sunshine each state gets plus the available land for giant solar panels.
The Energy Program director for the IEC, Nathaniel Baer says Iowa has great potential for sun power but needs to do a lot of work to catch up. “Iowa’s solar potential is pretty good. It’s in the top third of states, but we haven’t really begun to tap that potential and that we have some work to do. And as we tap that potential and build more solar that there are a range of benefits that we’ll see.”
Baer says the cost of solar energy production is declining and is readily available. “One of the attractive things about solar energy, it has a wide range of applications. It’s very versatile and it can be expanded over time,” Baer says. “A home owner can put some on a roof top, a farmer can put some you know on a barn.”