Solar Powered Ice Cream. Delicious.

The Story

Leroy’s ice cream stand was built in 2006 as a non-profit business that contributes its profits to schools throughout Blaine County. It was donated to the KCDC in 2007 by founders Jake and Trina Peters and is now an anchor of Ketchum Town Square, where it was relocated in 2010.

It’s most recent development is the addition of a solar thermal system that will not only provide hot water to the stand and decrease utility costs to the city, but also provide heat during colder months so that the stand can remain open longer and, thus, contribute more funds to local schools.

What

The solar thermal panel on the south-facing roof of Leroy’s, contributed by Sagebrush Solar, is the most visible portion of the energy efficient upgrades to the stand. Anderson Insulation also donated material and service to fully insulate the building with high-performance spray foam and Elias Construction donated services to help our a concrete floor to cover the radiant tubing that will heat the stand when the weather turns cold.

The solar thermal system will be used to keep an 80-gallon water storage tank heated, removing the need to keep the water warm by electric heating, thus decreasing the energy consumption of Leroy’s.

Where

Leroy’s is a landmark of Town Square, sitting on the corner of East Avenue and Fourth Street.

When

The solar thermal panel was put in place by the KCDC and Sagebrush Solar in September, with the remaining work going in over the following few weeks.

How

The Leroy’s Solar Thermal Project received its seed funding from the Ketchum City Council. In turn, the KCDC leveraged that $5,000 in a project that would have truly cost closer to $15,000.

Why

The Leroy’s Solar Thermal Project was conceived as not only a way to reduce the energy consumption of the stand and make it operable in colder months, but also as a way of demonstrating the community’s commitment to using more alternative energy sources and the potential benefits. Unique for this case, one of the most important benefits is the ability to raise even more funds for the local school system.

“So, who is Leroy? The business is named for Leroy Kingland, a part-time Wood River Valley resident and former Seattle-based ski-rep. Kingland skis approximately a hundred days a year, shares a contagious smile and boasts an incredible memory of those he meets.

“‘He is the most wonderful man you have ever met. He is a friend and mentor to thousands of people,’ said Jake Peters, who with his wife, Trina Peters, created Leroy’s Ice Cream. Kingland’s kindred spirit offers a friendly smile from a framed picture hanging in the stand. Hopefully, the ice cream, and its profits, will bring similar joy to children throughout the valley.” (Excerpted from Megan Thomas, “Here’s the Sccop,” Idaho Mountain Express, June 7 2006.

Special thanks to: Sagebrush Solar, Anderson Insulation, Elias Construction, Toni Bogue, Dale Bates, and Jake and Trina Peters.