With just over 2,200 panels in total situated on the south side of the new campus, McFarland Clinic in Marshalltown now boasts one of the largest private solar arrays in Iowa, and clinic leaders and staff came together with the Chamber Ambassadors, Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce President/CEO John Hall and Chamber Vice President Sarah Smith for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of the project on Friday afternoon.

Even cloudy skies and chilly temperatures couldn’t dim the enthusiasm of McFarland Executive Director Deb Wollam and Executive Director of Facilities Management Ron Frantzen as they spoke about the array during a brief recognition ceremony. Wollam described the project as a key component of the clinic’s efforts to increase energy efficiency and sustainability and go “net zero” — meaning they will generate enough energy through the panels that they will no longer incur utility expenses.

Wollam praised Frantzen for his guidance throughout the process and did not feel that it would have been possible without him. She also thanked members of the McFarland board of directors, executives, members of the steering committee, energy partners from Current R/E, Resources Consulting Engineering, RMH Architects and Alliant Energy, UnityPoint and the Iowa Valley Community College District (IVCCD) for writing letters of support, the Chamber and specifically Hall for his advocacy, the city council, city staff, Mayor Joel Greer and Mayor-elect Mike Ladehoff.

“Thank you all for your support and encouragement in making this happen,” Wollam said.

Frantzen spoke next and explained the “net zero” concept while also expressing his gratitude for all of the partners who played a role in making the solar project come to life. He solicited a round of applause for the representatives of Current R/E and then shouted out other businesses Wollam had not previously mentioned all the way down to the local restaurants that kept workers fed while they were constructing the array.

“The achievement reflects the power and cooperation in the shared vision from all of you. Thank you,” he said.

Frantzen highlighted an overhead drone shot of the site and broke down some more specific details on the benefits the project will create — in the six weeks since it went live on Oct. 9, he said, it has already saved over 175,000 pounds of CO2, or 8,900 gallons of gas equivalent to powering 46 homes for seven days.

The life of the project will be well over 25 years with a return on investment in 6.7 years, and Frantzen said that the panels still generate energy even on cloudy days like Friday. The array is surrounded by landscaping and a fence to minimize its visibility.

After the ribbon cutting was complete, Frantzen told the T-R it was “extremely exciting” to get the system fully operational.

“We couldn’t hardly wait to turn it on, could we Deb?” Frantzen asked.

The idea was first hatched in 2023 after the move into the new facility on East Merle Hibbs Boulevard, and both Frantzen and Wollam believe the project once again highlights the clinic’s long-term commitment to the Marshalltown community.

“I think all of the projects that have already been mentioned have emphasized that we want to be part of this community. It’s our honor to serve this community, and we’re just really privileged to be here in Marshalltown,” Wollam said.

Along with solar, Frantzen noted the geothermal and insulation components to make the facility as energy efficient as possible.

“This particular site came at 43 percent lower than all buildings being built for energy consumption in 2023. We just hit it out of the park,” he said.