Eaton Helps Sustainably Power Wisconsin’s Second Net Zero, All-Electric School

• Clean energy project at Maplewood Intermediate/Middle School supports significant energy savings and advances regional decarbonization goals
• Flexible, resilient power supported by Eaton’s latest microgrid controller and battery energy storage system
• Eaton highlights electrification projects driving energy resilience and affordability at the Reuters Energy Transition North America 2024 event

Intelligent power management company Eaton will provide a renewable energy microgrid at Maplewood Intermediate/Middle School in Menasha, Wisconsin, to support affordable, resilient and sustainable power. The system will be the largest of its kind in the state and is anticipated to help the Menasha Joint School District save $190,000 in annual energy costs. Scheduled for completion in 2025, the project aims to achieve net zero energy status and will serve approximately 1,000 students.

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Eaton will provide a renewable energy microgrid to support affordable, sustainable and resilient power at Wisconsin’s second net-zero school. (Photo: Business Wire)

"One major goal for the district was to ensure our new facility was an energy efficient and sustainable model conserving taxpayer dollars and natural resources," said Brian Adesso, director of business services at Menasha Joint School District. “From project visualization to design and installation, Eaton's depth of expertise and comprehensive solutions have proven invaluable in our journey toward net zero.”

The Menasha Joint School District is constructing Maplewood Intermediate/Middle School from the ground-up to provide a modern and sustainable learning environment that utilizes advanced energy conservation strategies and contributes to regional carbon neutrality goals. Eaton is helping the school build a solar-plus-storage microgrid that incorporates 1.3 megawatts (MWac) of solar PV panels, energy storage and natural gas generators to sustainably generate all the energy required for operations and provide carbon-friendly power. The project demonstrates how Eaton’s Buildings as a Grid approach helps customers build flexible energy systems to manage power far more effectively.

“From the critical community infrastructure to the world’s most demanding industries, we’re proud to provide the safe, sustainable and resilient solutions our customers need to simplify their transition to a low-carbon energy future,” said Nelly Maximous, vice president of energy transition sales at Eaton. “This project is a prime example of how sustainable electrification can support a stronger and greener future. We’re confident our proven expertise and clean energy management solutions will provide long-term value for the region, school district and environment.”

Eaton’s new microgrid controller and battery energy storage system are at the heart of the solution, enabling the school district to manage where, when and how electricity is consumed. The microgrid controller is fully integrated into a switchboard, which is a foundational electrical component used to help power facilities everywhere, making it easier and faster to deploy a microgrid right out of the box. Eaton’s xStorage™ battery energy storage system (BESS) enables the school to strategically store and dispatch energy to maintain uptime and maximize onsite solar consumption to reduce energy costs.

The Menasha Joint School District is pursuing Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits to maximize the project’s value. Eaton guided the microgrid design and equipment specifications to effectively address the IRA’s domestic preference requirements. To learn more about Eaton’s expertise and support for navigating the government stimulus funding process, visit Eaton.com/StrongerFuture.

Paul Ryan, Eaton’s general manager of connected solutions and EV charging, delivered a keynote focused on the practical strategies electrifying energy use during the Reuters Energy Transition North America 2024 event in Houston on December 4.

Learn more about Eaton’s Buildings as a Grid approach to the energy transition.

Eaton is an intelligent power management company dedicated to protecting the environment and improving the quality of life for people everywhere. We make products for the data center, utility, industrial, commercial, machine building, residential, aerospace and mobility markets. We are guided by our commitment to do business right, to operate sustainably and to help our customers manage power ─ today and well into the future. By capitalizing on the global growth trends of electrification and digitalization, we’re accelerating the planet’s transition to renewable energy sources, helping to solve the world’s most urgent power management challenges, and building a more sustainable society for people today and generations to come.

Eaton was founded in 1911 and has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange for more than a century. We reported revenues of $23.2 billion in 2023 and serve customers in more than 160 countries. For more information, visit Eaton.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

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