Nelson’s Hardware Shining a Light on Renewable Energy in the Flathead

In the summer of 2021, Mariah Joos, owner of Nelson’s Hardware in Whitefish, Montana realized her dream of utilizing renewable energy sources as means of powering her store. Joos, whose family has owned and operated Nelson’s for generations, had always viewed solar panels as a possibility for the store and in August of last summer, the store was officially utilizing solar as a sustainable energy solution.

“For us, putting panels on the roof was a no-brainer,” said Joos. “I’ve always had an interest in renewable energy. We sell LED light bulbs in the store, have plans to install electric vehicle charging stations, so setting up solar was the right thing for us as a business in this community.’

Today, Nelson’s is the most visible commercial property in Whitefish currently utilizing solar energy. According to the Montana Department of Transportation, the annual average daily traffic count on the portion of US Highway 93 in front of Nelson’s is just under 21,000 vehicles. Northstone Solar owner Curran Edland views the visibility of the photovoltaic array at Nelson’s as a critical component of growing renewable energy and more specifically solar here in the Flathead Valley.

“The fact that hundreds of people can look up and see a significant solar panel system on a successful business like Nelson’s, that is a pillar of our community, is huge,” said Edland. “Outside of the environmentally conscious perspective of solar, it is important to see businesses and homeowners utilizing solar energy in Montana, and disproving the misnomer that it is not viable in this part of the country.”

Edland, who recently purchased Northstone Solar from founder Lee Calhoun, was the company lead on the Nelson’s project. Edland and the Northstone team were able to install the 78 panel system at Nelson’s in a matter of weeks, but Edland worked with Joos to develop a comprehensive plan that included securing a Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Grant from the US Department of Agriculture.

“Curran’s tenacity was one hundred percent the reason this project happened,” said Joos. “The biggest way to get me to say yes, is to think of all the reasons I would say no, and Curran did that.”

Today, Nelson’s solar array is operating at full capacity. As Spring approaches, the system should produce enough energy to account for a significant amount of Nelson’s energy needs. In September 2021, the first month with the fully operational system, the 78 panel system produced 3.34 megawatt hours taking care of roughly one third of the store’s energy needs. In the summer months, this number should continue to rise to closer to half of the store’s energy needs.

“For us it’s more than just providing our client’s with a renewable system that is aesthetically pleasing,” said Edland. “It’s awesome to see that the system is fully functional and significantly lowering Nelson’s reliance on the grid. I am confident that more businesses, as well as homeowners, will follow suit.”

For additional information on solar opportunities, contact Northstone Solar and schedule a free consultation today.