From Dairy Farm to Dora’s Home: A Solar Referral Story
At Northwind Solar, some of our strongest solar referral chains start not in boardrooms or webinars, but in fields, barns, and local community halls, where people share their real experiences and encourage others to take the first step.
That’s exactly the case with Hans of Breitenmoser Family Farms, a lifelong Wisconsin farmer whose decision to go solar over a decade ago has helped power his dairy operation, cut his energy costs, and quietly inspire others, including his friend Dora, who went solar on her home in 2025.
A Lifetime on the Farm, and a Long-Term View
Hans has been on his family’s farm his entire life.
“I have been on this farm my whole life and solar has helped power it starting in 2012. We added another array in 2017,” he says. For him, solar wasn’t a quick trend or a flashy gadget. It was a long-term decision tied directly to the realities of running a dairy farm, managing energy costs, and caring for the land.
“We concluded that solar was a way we could do well by doing good,” Hans explains.
“The changing climate is what moved us originally and the need for power on our dairy farm made solar a good long-term investment.”
Doing Well by Doing Good: Solar on Breitenmoser Family Farms
In 2012, Hans worked with Northwind Solar to install his first 20 kW grid-tied solar array at Breitenmoser Family Farms, a system designed to offset a portion of the farm’s significant electricity needs. As the system proved itself, he doubled down on solar in 2017, adding another 20 kW rooftop solar array on the farm.
“Our original array provides about 10% of the power we use on our main farm,” Hans says, “and the 2017 array provides us with 100% of the power we need during the summer months at our home/heifer facility. These systems have paid for themselves so…free power!”
For a working dairy farm, that combination of climate responsibility and long-term financial sense is hard to beat.
Working With Northwind: Professional, Practical, and Strategic
Hans describes his experience with Northwind Solar simply: “We had a great experience with Northwind Solar. Very professional and great to work with.”
But the value went beyond a smooth installation.
“They really understood the grant landscape and also were able to interpret our utility usage information,” he says.
That combination of hands-on professionalism plus deep knowledge of incentives, grants, and utility data helped make solar not just a values-based decision, but a smart business move for the farm.
What ultimately made Hans comfortable recommending Northwind to others comes down to one word:
“Integrity. Northwind is not going to sell you something just to make a sale. They are gonna do what’s right.”
From Farmer to Solar Advocate
Over the years, Hans hasn’t kept his experience to himself. As an advocate with the Wisconsin Farmers Union, he’s participated in speaking engagements and conversations where he shares both his farming story and his solar story, how the systems work for his operation, what they’ve meant financially, and why they fit his values.
Those conversations are how
Dora first became interested in solar and heard about Northwind. Hearing directly from someone she trusted, who had already put solar to work on a real farm, helped make the idea feel both credible and achievable.
Breitenmoser Family Farms Goes Solar
Breitenmoser Family Farms Expands its Solar Capacity
Dora Gorski Goes Solar
Dora’s Turn: Bringing Solar Home
In 2025, encouraged in part by Hans’s example and recommendation, Dora installed a 6 kW grid-tied, roof-mounted solar array on her home.
“I have heard from friends how excellent Northwind Solar was to deal with, I was not disappointed!” she says. “There were no problems with communication, and at the end of the day, everything was left in perfect order.”
That clear, well-managed experience turned Dora not just into a satisfied customer, but into an advocate herself.
She believes we need to do more to spread the word: “Somehow we as consumers need to educate more homeowners and businesses on the fantastic benefits of solar energy.”
From farmer to homeowner, that throughline is the same: people who experience the benefits of solar for themselves are often the ones who are best positioned to help others take that first step.
Looking Ahead: “Do It. It Makes Financial Sense.”
Hans’s advice to those who are thinking about going solar but haven’t taken the first step yet is as straightforward as his approach to farming: “Do it. It makes financial sense. Plus you can be part of the cool kid club…😉”
Dora echoes that spirit in her own way, pushing for more education and awareness so more people can see what’s possible.
Together, their stories show how a decision made on a dairy farm in 2012 can ripple outward more than a decade later, helping homeowners like Dora go solar in 2025 and inspiring more advocates who will keep “sharing the solar love” in their own communities.
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