We Energies customers powering their homes with energy from local, large-scale solar project

MILWAUKEE -- When you turn on a light this evening, a small part of that energy is coming from a roof in New Berlin. This, as We Energies has taken on a project that is brand new for the company.

Inside New Berlin Eisenhower, 8th-grade students are learning about engineering and energy conservation. And above their head, energy conservation is happening in real-time.

"All of the energy that is being produced right now is going to power people's homes right now, or their ovens," said Brendan Conway, We Energies.

The school is leasing its roof to We Energies -- where thousands of solar panels are now installed.

Joe Garza

"We Energies was looking for space. We had the space, why not partner? It was a no brainer," said Joe Garza, School district of New Berlin superintendent.

The school will make around $1.5 million over the 20-year lease -- and is hoping to use the solar panels as a teaching tool in the classroom.

"Between We Energies and SunVest, they are donating and giving us, and gifting us, equipment and tv monitors and monitoring software to allow our students to have access to what this solar measurement, the meter measurement and so on will mean," said Garza.

Placing a large scale solar project within a community is something We Energies have never done before.

This project is part of We Energies' commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by the year 2030.

The panels are part of a pilot program. We Energies is working to partner with other schools across Wisconsin.