The Southwest Minneapolis neighborhood of Linden Hills wants to do what it can to tap into renewable energy, and community solar is sure to be its next move.
Jamie Long, member of the Linden Hills Neighborhood Council and board member of Linden Hills Power and Light, said that these two groups partnered to work on this mutual interest in 2013, advocating within the community for a solar alternative and exploring options for how to make it happen. Mr. Long explained that community solar was appealing because it presented the opportunity to make solar power an option for homeowners and renters in the neighborhood who otherwise do not have access to a site with adequate sunlight or cannot afford to install panels on their property.
Commenting on the feedback from Linden Hills residents, Mr. Long noted that the undertaking has seen “extraordinary community interest.” He and the team hope that the project will be several hundred kilowatts in scale, receiving many positive responses after collecting the names of community members interested in subscribing. Subscribers will be able to buy one-kilowatt shares for upfront payments of an amount that is yet to be finalized.
Minneapolis-based Sundial Solar was chosen to develop the project after interviews with numerous community solar developers. The team used resources from CERTs to ask these organizations about the type of model they would use when working with a community group such as Linden Hills, along with other questions about the company’s price structure and track record with other solar projects.
The most challenging aspect of the project has been locating host sites for the solar arrays themselves in Linden Hills or Minneapolis. Sundial Solar worked with the team to evaluate solar potential in various neighborhood locations. Meetings with candidate sites have resulted in mixed reactions: responses range from hesitation due to the novelty of community solar to a lack of interest in physically adding anything to their roofs. Some sites demonstrated greater interest in owning solar themselves than pursuing the community option. Mr. Long reported that they have secured one site at the Linden Hills Coop and are in conversation with other potential locations.
Timing-wise, the completion of the project will depend on how quickly Xcel Energy processes Linden Hills’ application after submittal.
Want to learn more?
- Visit the CERTs Solar Garden webpage to learn more about community solar gardens
- Read a recent article in the Southwest Journal
- Read an article at lidenhills.com
- Visit the project page on the LHPL website
Community Solar Gardens are centrally-located solar photovoltaic (PV) systems that provide electricity to participating subscribers. Could it work for you?Are you interested in going solar but unable to do so on your own? Perhaps you live in an apartment, have a shaded roof at home, or don’t have space at your organization. Where do you want to start? |
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