Bringing solar to diverse communities

With a grant to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB), the Xcel Energy Renewable Development Fund supported the installation of 200 kW of solar PV in the Minneapolis parks system to provide  renewable energy into public amenities. The installations provide a variety of solar designs. They’re advertised in high-traffic public areas, with the potential to reach 23 million visitors per year. The project provides education while demonstrating an eco-friendly and sustainable answer for public works to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions, while promoting local solar businesses. The MPRB Solar Demonstration Project had specific aims: install 200 kW photovoltaic capacity throughout the Minneapolis park system,  utilize state made solar panels to support the local solar industry and to display solar designs and  to encourage increase the awareness of solar through education and incentives.  The Xcel Energy Renewable Development Fund, is financed by Xcel Energy electric ratepayers, supports start-up, expansion and attraction of renewable electric energy projects and companies in the utility’s service area.
 

Engaging through  solar education

Minneapolis is an economically and ethnically diverse town. One of the aims for this project was to disperse installations among the city’s park districts. Spreading the installations reached neighborhoods with varied characteristics such as income and ethnicity. The project leverages the potential audience at some of the most popular, public facilities to display creative examples of urban solar energy installations. Each site has  interpretive signs to help educate park users such as a social media video, rooftop news conference, and periodically updated web page. The project went through a community discussion to assess public priorities and retrieve feedback. More than 50 proposed sites were evaluated for potential of  visibility, safety and security, environmental impact, structural challenge, and budgetary restrictions.
 

Some of the sites chosen are noted below; 

1. Parade Ice Garden Arena: The arena has the largest  electrical usage of MPRB facilities. A 153-kW roof-mounted ballasted array is expected to produce 184,000 kWh per year. The solar array has a few completed energy efficiency upgrades.

2. Webber Park Natural Swimming Pool: It’s the first public natural swimming pool in North America. It uses filters and plants to cleanse its water. A 4.6-kW roof-mounted solar array was installed and is expected to produce about 6,433 kWh per year.  

3. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center: This 18.5-acre park serves the King Field neighborhood with recreational opportunities to those of color and offers services to low-income residents. The 6.2-kW roof-mounted solar array is expected to produce about 8,670 kWh per year. 

If you want to move into the future and join the solar revolution, or if you want to find out what solar panels are right for you, go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. You can see how much a system will cost, and how much you can save over the next 20 years. For more information relating to going solar, don't forget to visit our solar blog section for more handy guides and articles.