Solar Story: How the Friess Family Built Solar Into a Life of Sustainability
The two met at UW–Stevens Point in the early 1970s and married shortly after. After renting locally for a few years, they bought their home on College Avenue in 1975, a house originally built around 1880, and they have lived there ever since. Over the decades, they have transformed and improved the home piece by piece, raising a family there and now helping raise a second generation: their grandson and granddaughter.
From the beginning, Jack and Jeanette have been committed to conserving energy and living sustainably. They chose small, fuel-efficient vehicles, high-efficiency appliances, and everyday practices like gardening, composting, and recycling. They also poured years of work into improving their home, from gutting and remodeling rooms one at a time to building a large addition with sun and play rooms.
Adding solar, Jack says, simply felt like an extension of what they had already been doing for years.
For the Friess family, one of the biggest surprises has been how much their solar system changed the way they think about energy use. More than just lowering bills, it gave them a clearer picture of when and how their home uses electricity. Being aware that they were drawing from stored battery power
overnight motivated them to reduce their home’s electricity use even further. During the day, they now plan larger energy demands, like EV charging
or running the electric dryer, to line up with solar production when the sun is shining.
That awareness has paid off in practical ways. Jack says they enjoy combined summer gas and electric bills of around $20, and they especially love knowing they are, in his words, “driving on sunshine.”
Their Northwind Solar system has evolved over time, beginning with the installation of 20 panels and battery backup. Later, Northwind added four large bifacial “winter panels” mounted at a 60-degree angle on a specially built solar dormer, a unique feature that helps maximize production in the colder months.
Jack describes the experience of working with Northwind as outstanding from start to finish. Whether they were discussing early design ideas or receiving engineering and technical support later on, he says Northwind’s team consistently provided service that went “above and beyond.”
When people ask whether solar is worth it, Jack and Jeanette are honest and practical. They joke that their system might take a century to pay for itself, then ask what the payback is on someone else’s new gas-fueled vehicle. For them, the return on solar is about more than a simple financial calculation. It is about lowering their carbon footprint, reducing utility bills, increasing their property value, and enjoying a better way of living.
Northwind helped make that possible, and Jack says they are always happy to share their experience with others who are curious about solar and this new approach to “living the dream.”
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At Northwind Solar, we’ve seen firsthand how powerful a referral can be. When past customers share their story, what the process was like, how their system performs, and why they chose solar, it helps others feel confident taking the next step. That's exactly how five Stevens Point firefighters spread the solar spark! Over time, a close-knit group of retired firefighters turned decades of firehouse camaraderie into something bigger: a five-home solar ripple. Through trusted conversations, real-life experience, and shared values, one solar installation helped “spark” the next. Victor Kedrowski, Doug Christianson, Dennis Kitowski, Todd Becken, and Dennis Flanigan each chose to go solar with Northwind, and helped others feel confident doing the same through the kind of recommendation that only comes from people you truly trust.
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