Sunday, March 30, 2025

The Fond du Lac Public Library will soon be powered by the sun.

Installation has begun on an array of 500-watt solar panels on the roof of the library. When complete, 240 solar panels will harvest energy from the sun, providing power to the Fond du Lac Public Library.

“We are excited to have this project started,” said library director Jon Mark Bolthouse, who spearheaded the solar project. “After almost three years of planning and fund-raising, the solar panels were delivered to the library Thursday.” 

These solar panels are expected to be installed by April 4 and integrated into the library’s electrical system by the end of May.

The library will remain easy and safe to access throughout the project.  Equipment and materials will remain far away from both the south entrance adjacent to the parking lot as well as the north entrance by Sheboygan Street. Chapter 52 Bookstore, which is the library’s bookstore located next door, also will not be impacted. The library will remain open for its regular hours throughout the duration of the project.

When the installation is complete, the new solar panels are expected to generate up to 400 kilowatts a day, which is enough electricity to cover more than 25% of the library’s electrical needs. Library leadership expects the project to save the Fond du Lac Public Library more than $17,000 a year.

“Every dollar saved is another dollar that we can use toward vital services and materials for the Fond du Lac community,” Bolthouse said.

The library’s collection serves every age group, from picture books for pre-readers to a robust equipment collection, and much more. Online services supported by the library include a streaming service for movies and series (Kanopy); an e-book, audiobook, and online magazine app (Libby); a language learning app (Mango), and much more.

Eventually, visitors to the library will be able to literally see the savings. A special display will be installed later this year near the library’s south entrance; it is expected to display live updates about how much electricity the panels are generating for the library and more.

Financial support for the solar project was provided through a combination of Capital Improvement funds from the city of Fond du Lac and funding from the Friends of the Fond du Lac Public Library, as well as private donations from community members.