THE INNOVATORS A solar-panel array installed by Solar Heat and Electric.
Why Solar Is an Intelligent Investment for Irrigators
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s a state with cool weather and a lot of sun, Nebraska is an ideal location for solar-energy installations. Michael Shonka, the founder and president of Omaha-based Solar Heat and Electric, has been in the solar industry for over 30 years. In 2013, he installed a 25-kilowatt solar power installation on a center pivot for the first time. Since then, he has installed a number of other water pumping applications. In this interview with Irrigation Leader Managing Editor Joshua Dill, Mr. Shonka discusses why solar power is a wise investment for irrigators, how it helps the environment, and the ways in which solar power stands to benefit Nebraska’s energy future. Joshua Dill: Please tell us about your professional background.
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IRRIGATION LEADER
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MICHAEL SHONKA.
Michael Shonka: I started in solar in 1983 at the encouragement of my father. We worked with solar-thermal at that time—warm air and hot water systems. That was the predominant technology in the 1980s, especially because there was a 40 percent tax credit available at the time. Once the tax credit expired under the Reagan administration, the entire solar industry imploded and almost completely disappeared by the end of 1986. I continued to work in the solar field, installing the occasional system and doing repairs, but I also took on other positions. I went into the telecom industry and
stayed there until about 1998; then I transitioned back to solar full time. I’ve essentially been working in the solar industry for over 30 years. The technology in the 1980s was predominantly solar-thermal. The hotwater controllers, pumps, and solar collectors used in solar-thermal energy have Michael Shonka, president of not changed significantly Solar Heat and Electric. in design since then. Some initial solar-electric systems existed back in the 1980s as well, but those have been developed continuously since that time because of advances in the basic sciences, physics, and chemistry. There were developments in the materials in the United States and developments in manufacturing methods that were made in Germany during their solar revolution in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In the late 1990s, I installed a system in my home in preparation for Y2K—it was one of my subspecialty areas at the phone company to vet all our vendors for Y2K—and I was amazed at how much the technology had evolved. Photovoltaics (PV) have become the dominant force since that time.
