RISE Ltd., a small non-profit organization in Northeast Iowa, has provided services to adults and children with intellectual disabilities, mental illnesses, brain injuries and other developmental disabilities for 45 years. RISE has two main offices, one in Elkader to serve Clayton County and one in Oelwein (added in 2018) to serve Fayette County. The organization offers multiple services including day habilitation, supported community living, and respite. These services focus on keeping individuals independent, encouraging active involvement in their community. In addition, they manage several small apartment buildings, providing affordable housing opportunities.
The current Executive Director, Jessie Pensel, started in the field as a direct care staff member at an agency similar to RISE during her summer and holiday breaks while in college. Drawn to helping others, she has worked at RISE for 26 years. Serving as Executive Director for the last 7 years, Pensel is always searching for ways to reduce operational costs, leaving more room in the budget for maintaining critical client services, updating facilities, and offering competitive staff wages. Pensel connected with the Clayton County Energy District (CCED) through previous Program Director Joleen Jansen and Energy Coach Chris Gregorson in 2022. CCED offered a free energy assessment program for commercial entities at the time and Pensel had heard about the benefits realized through assessments at other local businesses.
Chris Gregorson provided an energy assessment at the Elkader office building in spring of 2022, first recommending a simple change to LED lighting. RISE swapped 21 fluorescent bulbs saving 3,000 kilowatt hours annually, or around $400. The savings didn’t end there, however, as the report also provided a base solar analysis resulting in favorable solar potential. By May of 2023, Pensel hired Ken’s Electric to install 2 roof-top solar systems totaling 36.9 kw. These systems produce around 47,500 kilowatt hours annually, offsetting most of the RISE office building’s electricity usage. In early 2024 Jansen continued working with Pensel as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) introduced Direct Pay, a new opportunity for renewable energy savings. Direct Pay allows non-taxable entities, like RISE and other non-profits, to receive a reimbursement check for 30% of the cost of a renewable energy system instead of a traditional tax credit. With this new opportunity presented by the IRA, RISE had a prime opportunity for significant savings.
Altogether RISE spent $78,000 on the systems before receiving a direct payment for $23,000 in spring 2025. This brought their costs down to $55,000 and lowered their payback period to only 6 years. Prior to connecting the solar system, RISE paid between $600 and $950 each month in electricity costs. The system went online in November of 2023, reducing that month’s energy bill to just over $400. By summer 2024, electric bills dropped to around $20 per month. These low and predictable electricity bills achieved through solar reduce the impact of future increases in energy costs. Over the lifespan of the system (25 years) RISE will save around $175,000 on electricity costs ensuring long-term program offerings, facility improvements, and staff wages.
Pensel admits the application process was not without obstacles. RISE struggled with new and complicated tax requirements, especially as an entity who does not file traditional tax documents. Pensel emphasized the importance of working with a solar company who understands the tax credit requirements, Ken’s Electric assisted with the paperwork requirements, making the overall process much easier. She also recommends working with accountants and tax experts with specific knowledge of IRA credits to help complete the process. Beyond the tax filing, however, Pensel described the rest of the process as straight forward and easy to complete. Regardless of any difficulties, Pensel has not wavered on the benefits of the IRA offering. RISE is currently in the process of adding a similar system to their office building in Oelwein. While they haven’t finalized the details yet, Pensel credits the success of the first project as inspiration for going through the process again.
Community represents one of our most important assets in rural Iowa. The Clayton County Energy District is committed to strengthening communities by reducing energy costs, promoting wise energy use, and ensuring everyone can access clean energy benefits. Former Program Director Joleen Jansen and the CCED Board implemented an effective technical assistance program to deliver these benefits to RISE Ltd., an organization providing critical services in Northeast Iowa. Without the skilled expertise and caring companionship of RISE staff, many families in the community would not have access to trusted guidance and tailored services to help their loved ones thrive. Moving forward, CCED will continue prioritizing this work, delivering clean energy technical assistance to the residents of Clayton County through energy auditing services for low- to moderate-income households across the county.