Dubois REC to supply renewable energy through new solar park near Dale

From left: Don Book, Dubois REC general manager, Steve Smith, President and CEO of Hoosier Energy and Steve Seibert, President and CEO of Southern Indiana Power cut the ribbon at the new solar park.

A newly operational 11-acre solar park southeast of the Dale exit on Interstate 64 will provide up to 1 megawatt of electricity on sunny days.

Representatives from Hoosier Energy and Dubois REC held a ceremony introducing the new park Wednesday.

Dubois REC provides over 11,000 members in Dubois, Pike, Martin, Orange and Perry counties with power supplied through Hoosier Energy. The new park will be powering homes and businesses in the electrical cooperative’s footprint.

The park features 4,100 solar panels that mechanically follow the sun through the day before returning to face the next day’s rising sun each evening. According to Heath Norrick, Hoosier Energy’s Renewable Energy Manager, the panels are controlled by an algorithm that works in conjunction with the time of year and sun’s location in the sky. Two motors powered by the solar panels move the panels.

Renewable Energy manager Heath Norrick describes the process in which sunlight is turned into electricity. The panels absorb sunlight rather than reflect it, making it safe to have adjacent to the interstate.

All the power goes to Hoosier Energy’s distribution grid, where it is dispersed as needed through its member cooperatives like Dubois REC. This is the fourth such park built by Hoosier Energy. The company has 10 planned for Indiana.

“Solar power is part of our commitment to provide reliable and affordable power to our member systems and co-op consumers,” Steve Smith, president and CEO of Hoosier Energy, said during the dedication. “We think the best way to do that is an all-of-the-above power mix. That includes coal, natural gas, energy efficiency and of course renewables.”

The park can produce enough energy to fuel 150 homes annually on average.

“When it comes to electrical supply, members increasingly ask us about renewable energy options. When Hoosier Energy asked us if we wanted to take part in this project, we said yes. The reason is simple, concern for community is one of the cooperative’s seven principles,” said Don Book, general manager for Dubois REC. “Thanks to this project, we are in a better position to learn together how best to tap into the power of the sun to bring renewable energy to our communities.”