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FRISCO — Three large sets of solar panels standing about 21 feet tall will soon power barns and a home at the historic Giberson Ranch overlooking Frisco.
Ranch operator Ron Alexander — a local since 1953 — said he had the $74,000 photovoltaic system installed after learning of the benefits from friends. The 42 panels are well out of reach of the livestock roaming the area.
“He's got them goats out there and they like to jump on stuff,” said Curtis Scheib, CEO and founder of Eco Depot of Salida, which installed the system.
Alexander and his wife, Peggy, have seven goats and four horses on the 180 acre ranch, which produces hay and may soon be home to a few head of cattle as well.
The system, to begin producing electric power this week, is visible on the side of the hill northeast of the Interstate 70 roundabout.
“If you look up, you can see it all the way down Summit Boulevard,” Alexander said.
He expects the panels to provide all the power needed for his home and about five other structures at the ranch.
“Anything we don't use goes into the grid,” Alexander said. “We get credits back.”
Xcel Energy contributed about $34,000 in rebates toward the system as part of its incentive programs, and Alexander said he expects about a $10,000 tax credit from the federal government.
Scheib said the panels will likely generate nearly 10,000 kilowatts per year. Alexander said that before installation, Eco Depot determined the ranch uses about 10,700 kw per year.
He said he checked with two or three other installers before selecting Eco Depot because of its emphasis on American-made materials.
Scheib said his company has installed similar systems on “quite a few” ranches as well as homes and businesses across Colorado. He said the panels have a 25-year warranty and can continue functioning after 40 years.
“They also increase property value a little bit,” he said.
His company has installed a system on University of Colorado's mountain research center in Nederland and is planning “big jobs for all the prisons in Colorado.”
“They're wanting us to develop an educational certified program to teach inmates in work-release programs how to do it — they'll help install (the systems),” Scheib said.
The Giberson ranch is one of few local agricultural operations that has remained in the same family since it was homesteaded in 1909. Alexander's wife, Peggy is a fourth-generation Summit County resident.
Solar panels have recently been popping up across Summit County — including the new Colorado Mountain College site in Breckenridge and even the Breckenridge Historic District — as people seek savings on power bills as well as a means for living more eco-friendly.
Robert Allen can be contacted at (970) 668-4628 or rallen@summitdaily.com.
Ranch operator Ron Alexander — a local since 1953 — said he had the $74,000 photovoltaic system installed after learning of the benefits from friends. The 42 panels are well out of reach of the livestock roaming the area.
“He's got them goats out there and they like to jump on stuff,” said Curtis Scheib, CEO and founder of Eco Depot of Salida, which installed the system.
Alexander and his wife, Peggy, have seven goats and four horses on the 180 acre ranch, which produces hay and may soon be home to a few head of cattle as well.
The system, to begin producing electric power this week, is visible on the side of the hill northeast of the Interstate 70 roundabout.
“If you look up, you can see it all the way down Summit Boulevard,” Alexander said.
He expects the panels to provide all the power needed for his home and about five other structures at the ranch.
“Anything we don't use goes into the grid,” Alexander said. “We get credits back.”
Xcel Energy contributed about $34,000 in rebates toward the system as part of its incentive programs, and Alexander said he expects about a $10,000 tax credit from the federal government.
Scheib said the panels will likely generate nearly 10,000 kilowatts per year. Alexander said that before installation, Eco Depot determined the ranch uses about 10,700 kw per year.
He said he checked with two or three other installers before selecting Eco Depot because of its emphasis on American-made materials.
Scheib said his company has installed similar systems on “quite a few” ranches as well as homes and businesses across Colorado. He said the panels have a 25-year warranty and can continue functioning after 40 years.
“They also increase property value a little bit,” he said.
His company has installed a system on University of Colorado's mountain research center in Nederland and is planning “big jobs for all the prisons in Colorado.”
“They're wanting us to develop an educational certified program to teach inmates in work-release programs how to do it — they'll help install (the systems),” Scheib said.
The Giberson ranch is one of few local agricultural operations that has remained in the same family since it was homesteaded in 1909. Alexander's wife, Peggy is a fourth-generation Summit County resident.
Solar panels have recently been popping up across Summit County — including the new Colorado Mountain College site in Breckenridge and even the Breckenridge Historic District — as people seek savings on power bills as well as a means for living more eco-friendly.
Robert Allen can be contacted at (970) 668-4628 or rallen@summitdaily.com.
