Middleton’s Holy Wisdom Monastery announced that within one year it will produce 100% of its energy needs on-site from renewable resources, making its retreat center the only net-zero energy retreat center in Wisconsin.
The organization’s net-zero energy project will be accomplished in three phases, the first phase being the installation of a 300-kilowatt ground-mounted solar array and interconnection of the array to the electrical grid. Installation of the new array is complete, and Holy Wisdom is working with Madison Gas and Electric to connect this new source of sustainable electricity to the grid this fall.
The second phase will be the installation of a battery storage system that can store excess electrical production for later use by the monastery. The 110-kilowatt-hour battery is scheduled to be delivered and installed this winter.
The final phase of the project is the removal of an old natural gas-fired HVAC system from the Monastery’s Retreat and Guest House and its replacement with a sustainable geothermal system. Digging of the geothermal wells will take place in February 2024. The removal of the old HVAC system and replacement with the geothermal-powered system will happen between July and September 2024.
More than $2.2 million for this project has already been funded through incentives and grants, including $575,000 from the Wisconsin Office of Energy Innovation. Holy Wisdom will be funding the remainder of the $890,000 project with donations.
Holy Wisdom Monastery will be hosting a free, virtual information session about its net-zero energy project on Nov. 16 from 12:30–1:15 p.m. Learn more and register here.
