When the lights come on at the children's museum in Downtown Helena next year, a portion of the power will be solar-generated and viewable among the museum's permanent exhibits.

ExplorationWorks!, now under construction in the Great Northern Town Center, received a $39,750 grant from NorthWestern Energy's Universal System Benefits Program for a solar photovoltaic system.

The grant pays for 75 percent of the $53,000 solar project and will help the museum become one of the first buildings in Montana certified as a Leader in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

"As a model program, there aren't many LEED-certified buildings in the state," said Suzanne Wilcox, the museum's executive director. "For us, it's about educating people about energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies."

The photovoltaic system will include an array of solar panels capable of producing about 7 kilowatts - enough energy to power a home that doesn't use baseboard electric heating.

The panels will feed power to three inverters. The inverters will be connected to the utility grid in a "net-metering" arrangement. A meter will be mounted in the exhibit space showing the amount of power the system is producing.

"People will be able to see the solar panels, at least in part, and the meter inside the building to show how much power is being generated," Wilcox said. "The students will be able to see the difference between a sunny day and a cloudy one."

John Campbell, utility engineer with NorthWestern Energy, said his company budgets around $1 million each year on its USB program.

The program encourages the development of renewable-energy resource projects, or green-technology, to generate electricity. The museum's high visibility and educational mission helped it win the grant, he said.

"Theirs is a pretty large system, actually," said Campbell. "There's going to be a lot of panels out there. We like to see that visibility."

Even as high energy costs have left many looking for other ways to generate power, Campbell said, green technology is still considered expensive. It takes about 20 years for the equipment to pay for itself in savings.

"But most people (who) do small-scale energy projects do it for environmental reasons, or are looking for backup power," he said. "We've been getting a lot of calls lately. I've been fielding a lot of calls on renewable energy."

Initial engineer testing suggests that the new museum will save 60 percent of energy used by a typical facility of its size. Energy-efficient efforts include a super-insulated building shell, passive solar, evaporative cooling towers, and efficient mechanical components. Wind power will also be used.

Wilcox said that $1.8 million in grants and donations have been raised for the museum's development in addition to the land donated by the Nicholson family. Phase one of the 22,000-square-foot building will open in March 2007.

"We're appreciative to NorthWestern for providing the grant," Wilcox said. "The energy choices made today can impact our planet tomorrow. Part of our goal is to make an impact on Montana's technology choices that will impact sustainability and the Earth."

Reporter Martin Kidston can be reached at 447-4086, or at helenair.com">mkidston@helenair.com.