99 residents packed the Woodbury City Council Chambers for a SolarWorks workshop on March 1st, which was co-sponsored by the Metro Clean Energy Resource Team and the Woodbury Environmental Advisory Commission. There is clearly a lot of interest in solar energy in the area, demonstrated not only by the enthusiastic turnout for this event, but also by the City of Woodbury, which is installing a 35 kW solar array on their Public Safety garage using Minnesota-made panels from tenKsolar in Bloomington.
Solar educator Todd Fink gave an overview of the various “flavors” of solar technology available—including photovoltaic, solar space and water heating—and the estimated costs of each. He explained the incentives and rebates that are currently available for installing solar energy, including Xcel Energy’s Solar*Rewards program*Rewards_-_MN, the Minnesota Made bonus, and the federal solar tax credit.
Todd also reiterated the importance of addressing your home’s current energy use before considering installing renewable energy, and taking steps to reduce that load. “Putting solar on a drafty, inefficient house is like pouring beer into a leaky cup” he explained. Metro CERT Director Diana McKeown echoed that message by reminding attendees, “In your journey towards solar energy, make sure to schedule a stop at energy efficiency.” Home Energy Squad staff from the Neighborhood Energy Connection were on hand at the event to sign residents up for their home visit program, where they install basic energy saving materials such as energy-efficient lighting, programmable thermostats, high-efficiency shower heads, and weather stripping.
A panel of local residents and business owners then spoke about their experience installing solar power systems on their homes or buildings. Arlen Marcus and his family installed solar panels at their home in 2010, which they have since expanded into a 6.9 kW system on their pole shed. His solar photovoltaic panels are paired with a geothermal system, so their home is heated and powered with renewable energy.
Woodbury homeowner Kerry Smith then spoke about his eleven-panel ground-mounted tracker system, which he just installed in November of 2011, fulfilling his dream of powering his home partially with solar energy.
The third panelist was Rick Schroeder, Vice President of construction for Robert Muir Company. He spoke about the four solar systems they installed on two of the shopping centers they own in Woodbury, including the Shoppes at Woodbury Village and Woodbury Village Green, totaling 130 kW of solar energy. The savings from the energy produced by those solar systems go to the tenants in the mall, and power the common area lighting in the shopping centers.
Read more:
- CERTs: Solar project a ‘dream fulfilled’ for Woodbury homeowner Kerry Smith
- Finance & Commerce: Three shopping centers going solar in Woodbury
- Woodbury Bulletin: Woodbury family first to install solar panels
See a video below with insights from solar owners or click here to watch the whole event.
See photos from the event below or on Flickr
This workshop was the 4th in a series of SolarWorks workshops hosted by Metro CERT, with the intention of helping residents and business owners navigate the process of installing solar systems. RSVP for upcoming workshops in St. Cloud and Minneapolis, and stay tuned for an event in Mahtomedi.
