Minneapolis receives grant to build largest urban solar array in the Midwest
|
The City of Minneapolis has been selected to receive a $2 million grant to construct the largest urban solar array upper Midwest. The grant is funded through the Xcel Energy Renewable Development Fund, and will allow Minneapolis to build a 600 kilowatt array. The solar array is currently planned to be constructed on the roof of the City’s Public Works Currie Maintenance Facility. The array will be made up of 3,000 panels, which would generate enough electricity to power nearly 80 homes. |
The current solar array at the Currie Facility generates 4.2 kilowatts of power |
The electricity will be used at the Currie facility, and could allow the City to expand its fleet of plug-in hybrids, which would be able to recharge at Currie using solar energy. Minneapolis currently has 28 hybrids in its fleet, which could be converted to plug-in hybrids.
Minneapolis already has three solar arrays producing power at Fire Station No. 6, the Currie and Royalston Public Works facilities. The three solar installations produced a total of 11.8 kilowatts of power and last year they saved the City $1,250 dollars on its electricity bill and reduced carbon dioxide output by 21,400 pounds. By comparison, the new array will generate more than 100 times more power than the City’s current largest array (five kilowatts at Fire Station No. 6).
Minneapolis has worked to decrease emissions in its vehicle fleets, trimming its fleet by more than 150 vehicles since 2003. Some Minneapolis staff now use HOURCAR, a unique car-sharing program that uses hybrids. Minneapolis also has 134 flex-fuel vehicles that can use E-85, and it uses B-20 biodiesel in most of its heavy equipment.
Reducing emissions from its vehicles is just one way Minneapolis works to protect our environment. In April 2007, the City released the first-of-its kind report, Minneapolis GreenPrint, which details the many successes Minneapolis has had in its efforts to protect our environment and the challenges it still faces. To learn more about sustainability in Minneapolis, and to view the GreenPrint report, visit www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/sustainability.
December 10, 2007