VIROQUA, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – Ever since its founding in 2005, Viroqua’s Wonderstate Coffee has been using its roastery to create coffees from all around the world. However, in 2015, Wonderstate decided they wanted to do more for the community… and the planet… by becoming one of the first roasteries in the world to utilize solar power. “Going solar, for us, was an opportunity to mitigate the stress we’re putting on the place where we live. It was also an opportunity to take that next step, take responsibility for the impact we’re having, and move the needle. We believe that business can be a force for positive impact.”Co-owner Caleb Nicholes says the $35,000, 30-kilowatt grid-tied solar array now provides all of the energy to the roastery. 10 years after installation, it continues to provide more than enough clean energy. “In the days that it’s not sunny, we’re able to tap into the grid to use power from the grid. Then in the days that this overproduces, it feeds the grid. We keep track of how much we produce, how much we use. We’re overproducing about fifteen percent more power we’re creating through the solar setup than what we’re using.”...
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- - Volume: 25 - WEEK: 44 Date: 10/27/2025 1:29:43 PM -