June 21, 2011, Dassel, MN – Over the past few years, the use of solar power for commercial and residential applications has seen substantial growth in Minnesota. The interest was evident as over 40 people gathered to hear from industry experts and entrepreneurs at an event highlighting solar opportunities in Minnesota. The event was hosted by West Central Clean Energy Resource Team (WC CERT) and the Southwest Initiative Foundation, June 21st , 2011, at the Dassel History Center.
Jeff Vetsch, Coordinator for WC CERT, welcomed attendees and introduced the panelists.
Eric Buchanan, Renewable Energy Scientist with the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center, began by giving the group an introduction to Minnesota’s solar resource. “Minnesota has a surprisingly good solar resource,” said Buchanan. He demonstrated how solar resource can vary based upon latitude, season, time of day, shading and clearness index. Though Minnesota sits at a high latitude, its relatively high clearness index makes it a good fit for solar.
Buchanan then discussed the different technologies that have practical use for Minnesotans who want to turn sunlight into energy. While demonstrating the different ways in which photovoltaic solar panels are made, Buchanan stated that a National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) study of solar panels made since the year 2000 predicts that they will still be operating at 78% of rated performance after 50 years. “So even though they are usually warranted for 20-25 years, they should generate electricity for a much longer time,” said Buchanan. He went on to demonstrate how solar thermal panels work and highlighted things to be aware of when considering a solar installation.
After a round of questions from the audience, Buchanan’s talk was followed up by a presentation from Randy Hagen, owner of Solar Skies, a solar thermal manufacturing company from Alexandria, MN. Hagen gave an overview of his company and said they are in their fifth year of manufacturing solar panels. He stated that the panels are Solar Rating & Certification Corporation (SRCC) certified, are sold across the United States, and have recently been approved for sales in Canada.
Hagen demonstrated how Solar Skies panels are assembled and showed different examples of projects that his company has been involved in. “There is a lot of potential for solar thermal utilization in the U.S.” said Hagen. He estimates that in 2010 there were 130 solar thermal systems installed in Minnesota alone, and he stated that solar thermal is expected to grow to a $2 to $4 billion industry nationally in the next seven years.
Minnesota manufacturers and installers of photovoltaic solar panels rounded out the discussion of solar options. Tim Lipetzky of Green Energy Products from Springfield, MN, said that his company is a dealer for SunPower solar panels. In response to a question regarding reliability, Lipetzky said that SunPower dealers must complete SunPower’s certified training in order to become a dealer, and that the company regularly sends representatives out to conduct inspections assuring quality control.
Jim Loseleben, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for tenKsolar spoke next. Jim described tenKsolar’s panels as a “third generation PV system” and said their innovations include connecting the solar cells in a matrix making them more shade tolerant, adding reflectors to capture more light, and developing an integrated racking system that requires no roof penetrations. When asked about the future of solar, Loseleben state that tenKsolar has added 90 jobs in the past year and only sees the industry growing. Loseleben’s presentation was followed up by a short talk from local tenK dealer, Tim Zinniel of Zinniel Electric in Sleepy Eye, MN. Zinniel said that he sees solar as a natural fit and a way to diversify his family’s electrical business.
Following a round of questions from the audience for the solar businesses, Kellye Rose of Rose Consulting spoke about grant opportunities for solar projects. Kellye focused on the Renewable Energy in America Program (REAP) and the 1603 Treasury Grant. Rose described the way in which REAP proposals are scored and talked about what specific attributes of a project might help it to score higher. She said that REAP grants can fund 25% of a renewable energy project up to $500,000, and that the program included guaranteed loan funds as well.
Meeting attendees networked after panelists responded to questions from the audience. A light reception prepared by Elbows Allowed Distinct Catering was enjoyed by all.
“We hope this forum helped folks gain a better understanding of the different solar technologies that exist and also that Minnesota can be a good location for a solar project” states Jeff Vetsch, WC & SW CERT Coordinator. “We also saw that there are many different opportunities for funding a project and that customers need to be aware of what is available to them. As this forum demonstrated, there is a lot of interest and expertise in Minnesota, and communities should connect with these speakers if they’re interested in learning more.”
Download presentations from the event:
- Eric Buchanan, WCROC
- Randy Hagen, Solar Skies
- Jim Loseleben, tenKsolar
- Kellye Rose, Rose Consulting
See more photos in the slideshow below, or click here to see the album on Flickr.
