Case Study: Protecting Critical Animal Care with a Resilient Microgrid

St. Joe Veterinary Clinic Modernizes Facility with Solar + Storage Microgrid

Project Profile
Client	St. Joe Veterinary Clinic
Location	Evansville, Indiana
System	30 kW Solar PV + (4) Tesla Powerwalls + EV Charging
EPC Contractor	Morton Solar
Funding	USDA Rural Energy for America Program

Project Overview

When St. Joe Veterinary Clinic sought to modernize its Evansville facility, the objective extended far beyond reducing monthly utility costs. For a veterinary hospital, maintaining continuous electrical service is a matter of patient safety. Extended power outages not only disrupt regular checkups—but they also compromise temperature-sensitive medications, threaten patients undergoing surgical procedures, and limit the clinic’s ability to provide critical emergency services.

To solve this challenge, Morton Solar designed and implemented a resilient distributed energy system featuring a 30 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) array fully integrated with four Tesla Powerwall battery systems and EV charging infrastructure.

As one of the first USDA REAP-funded solar-plus-storage installations in Indiana, the system was designed to generate approximately 40,000 kWh of clean energy annually. This grid-tied microgrid significantly lowers daily operating expenses while guaranteeing seamless, automatic backup power during utility disruptions.

Resilience First: Protecting Critical Operations

At Morton Solar, we believe a microgrid should do more than just offset carbon emissions—it must actively protect your operations. As a values-driven Certified B Corporation, our mission is to deploy renewable energy that builds true community and operational resilience.

For St. Joe Veterinary Clinic, the battery energy storage system (BESS) was engineered to provide instant continuity of service. When the utility grid goes down, essential building loads remain energized. This allows veterinarians to finish surgeries safely, keeps refrigeration units running, and ensures the clinic remains a reliable refuge for animal care during local emergencies.

This project perfectly mirrors the core objectives of modern grid modernization initiatives—such as regional microgrid resilience programs—which prioritize:

• Enhancing local grid resilience and reliability.

• Protecting critical public, commercial, and medical facilities.

• Lowering predictable operational energy costs.

• Strengthening overall community climate readiness.

  
  

Engineering Beyond Solar

Unlike standard solar contractors who focus strictly on "putting panels on a roof," Morton Solar approaches every project as a comprehensive electrical infrastructure and controls integration challenge.

By leveraging our deep institutional expertise and working alongside our industrial sister company, Morton Electric, we bring a multidisciplinary engineering approach to complex microgrids. Our team combined specialized expertise across several critical fields to bring this project online:

[Custom Solar Array Design] ➔ [Power Distribution Upgrades]
                                             ↓
[Utility Interconnection & Controls] ➔ [Tesla Powerwall Storage Integration]
                                             ↓
                                [Optimized Critical Load Backup]

As a NABCEP PV Certified Installer, Morton Solar ensures that every piece of equipment—from high-efficiency modules to smart transfer switches—is engineered to endure, perform, and transition seamlessly between grid-tied and islanded backup modes without dropping critical medical loads.  

From Small Clinics to Large Campuses: Scalable Principles

While this microgrid protects veterinary patients in Southern Indiana, the same engineering principles apply directly to larger institutions, including municipal facilities, school districts, and university campuses.

Morton Solar has long been a pioneer in this space, having engineered and commissioned trailblazing clean energy projects across the Tri-State—including the nation’s first net-zero public library (Chrisney, IN) and the nation's first net-zero school (Richardsville Elementary). The design methodology used at St. Joe Veterinary Clinic translates directly to safeguarding larger critical infrastructure, such as:  

• Research Laboratories: Protecting years of irreplaceable scientific data, climate controls, and samples.

• Data Centers & IT Infrastructure: Preventing costly network downtime and hardware data loss.

• Medical & Health Services: Ensuring patient safety, critical refrigeration, and diagnostic capabilities remain live.

• Emergency Communications & Public Safety: Keeping public safety networks fully operational when regional grids fail.

  
  

A successful microgrid is ultimately an intelligent ecosystem. By combining distributed solar generation, battery storage, and smart controls, organizations of any size can transform their facilities into independent resilience hubs.

Why Morton Solar

Morton Solar delivers more than renewable energy projects—we build resilient electrical infrastructure designed for the future. With over two decades of experience navigating complex utility interconnections, pushing for expanded net-metering laws, and deploying cutting-edge storage solutions, we are the Tri-State's most trusted solar partner.  

Our goal is never to construct a project and walk away simply. As an Amicus Solar Cooperative member and Certified B Corp, we act as a long-term engineering partner, helping businesses, farms, and public institutions harden their infrastructure, capture federal grant funding (like USDA REAP), and take control of their energy security.  

Looking to secure your facility's energy future? [Contact the Morton Solar team today] to discuss how a custom solar-plus-storage microgrid can protect your critical operations.