Fire Station Solar Electric Demonstration Project

With funding from NorthWestern Energy's Universal Systems Benefits (USB) fund, fire stations in Montana are recieving gried-connected solar electric systems at no cost. All systems installed under this project include a battery bank to provide un-interruptible power supply (UPS). The UPS is an important feature of the system because it stores backup power that can be used for critical operations during a power outage—opening overhead doors and power computers, for example.

Each grid-connected system is capable of generating two kilowatts of electricity and will provide a portion of the building's electricity needs, thus saving money for the community. Any excess electricity produced by the system is fed into the utility grid through a net metering agreement.

The project was established in 2003. Nineteen stations received systems during the first three years.

2003 Participants

2004 Participants

2005 Participants