There are a number of things that attract residents and businesses to Edina in the the Twin Cities metro area—among them is the city’s focus on sustainability.
Over 50 Edina residents came to the City Hall for a Solar Works! in Edina workshop on November 15th to listen to community members’ stories about their solar systems and the available rebates and incentives for solar energy. The Edina Energy and Environment Commission hosted the event, in partnership with the Metro Clean Energy Resource Teams and Xcel Energy.
Introductions: The workshop started off with a greeting from Edina Mayor Jim Hovland, who spoke about Edina’s role in improving clean energy in the city, and some of the great initiatives the Edina Energy and Environment Commission have started. Next, Joel Haskard of the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) gave a quick presentation about what CERTs does and how we help communities connect to resources and technical assistance.
Solar and efficiency: Todd Fink, an instructor at Century College, gave attendees an overview of the basics of solar energy systems. He spoke about the systems available, including solar water heating, solar air heat and solar photovoltaic (PV), and how well solar works in Minnesota. Fink placed a huge emphasis on starting off with making the entire home energy efficient. According to Fink, “A solar installation is a great step, but it should be the last one. There are plenty of cost-effective steps to save energy and money to do first.” Fink also went further into the utility rebates, and tax incentives available for residents, and the advantages to applying for them now.
Businesses leader: After learning about the basics of solar, residents listened to Edina community members who have used these incentives and rebates on their homes or businesses. Rick Murphy of Murphy Automotive Inc and presiding manager of Grandview Tire & Auto gave a particularly impressive overview of his system and the process leading up to the installation. Murphy Automotive has always had a reputation for energy efficiency, but the new 27kW solar PV system on top of Grandview Tire & Auto is definitely one of the businesses’ best green achievements.
Putting PACE to work: What makes the project truly stand out is the use of Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing to do the upgrade. PACE financing allows property owners to invest in upgrades without bearing up front the full brunt of the steep installation costs. The owner repays that capital in increments as “special assessments” paid alongside property taxes. Murphy’s solar project is the first PACE financed project outside of California! Even without the solar installation, the facility is extremely energy efficient: “This heating system, plus a white PVC roof and some insulation improvements, equate to enough natural gas savings to heat nearly 10 average Edina homes,” Murphy said.
Solar-powered residents: Workshop attendees then got to listen to Edina homeowners Eric Oberle and Chuck Prentice give their respective presentations about the solar systems on top of their homes. Both residents have been able to save a good deal of money, and are now always on the lookout for more ways to conserve. Chuck Prentice, who also owns a Nissan Leaf (an electric car) is very satisfied with his family’s savings: “When it’s very sunny, we’re often selling our solar-generated electricity back to Xcel Energy so it can be used by our neighbors. In four out of the five months that we’ve had our solar panels and electric car so far, our electric bills from Xcel have showed credit amounts.”
Wrap up: Overall, the workshop proved to be a huge success. After all the presentations, workshop attendees and presenters networked and even got to talk to Edina’s mayor about his thoughts on solar!
Resources: Want to plan your solar project? Check out our Solar Technology Resources page, and in particular our new Simple Steps to Solar guide.
Video: Also, you can view the workshop online below:
Photos: Here are more photos from the event:
