On the roof of the Pettit Center, crews are digging through snow to make way for a massive solar upgrade. It's a project they say will save energy, save money, and power the future of this Milwaukee staple.The Pettit Ice Center has been here for more than 30 years and is one of the most energy-hungry buildings in the area. Now, a massive new solar project will help change that."It's a 200,000 square foot facility. With 97,000 square feet of ice, our power consumption is pretty large," Pettit Center general manager Paul Golomski said. The project will offset about 20% of the Pettit Center's annual energy use, and in the summer, it could power the entire building."There may be times where we're middle of the day, consuming no power from the grid," Golomski said.The system is fully funded by the Volo Foundation, which pushed the Pettit to explore renewable energy, support they say will strengthen its future.Watch: Pettit Ice Center harnesses solar power to fuel Milwaukee skating tradition Pettit Ice Center harnesses solar power to fuel Milwaukee skating tradition"Reducing our energy spend, using renewable energy sources, is really going to ensure that this facility is here for all the next generations to come," Golomski said.I climbed a ladder up to the roof myself for a first-hand look at the work underway. Arch Solar crews are clearing snow to start installing nearly 1,200 panels covering 70% of the roof, almost the equivalent of a city block. "It's a staple for Milwaukee and the Midwest and we're super honored and excited to partner with the Pettit and put solar on it," Arch Solar business development supervisor Andrew Holmstrom said.Holmstrom used to live nearby and has used the Pettit himself. He says the scale is massive, equal to removing 800,000 pounds of coal from the air, or enough to power more than 120 homes."I did the calculation when that thing's fully producing, it can power 653 miles of Christmas lights. That's like to North Carolina from here," Holmstrom said. Crews expect to wrap up by early spring and say the Pettit won't see any disruptions. Just a greener future for one of Milwaukee's most iconic venues.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip ...read more read less