HomeMy WebLinkAboutSept 13 - Solar Launch
City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
Contact: Krystal Caron, Communications Coordinator
Phone 952-826-0347 • kcaron@EdinaMN.gov • EdinaMN.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Solar Launch Event Scheduled for Oct. 1
Edina, Minn., Sept. 13, 2018 – The City will hold a launch party 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 1, to celebrate the
installation of the solar garden at the Public Works & Park Maintenance Facility, 7450 Metro Blvd. The event
is free and open to the public. RSVPs are preferred at EdinaMN.gov/SolarLaunch.
Cooperative Energy Futures (CEF) leased the roof space for 25 years from the City; they began installation in
July. CEF is a local, member-owned energy cooperative working to make solar affordable by building large
solar arrays on sunny rooftops or open areas throughout the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro.
Attendees of the solar garden launch will hear from City officials and are invited to participate in tours of the
solar garden, weather permitting. Light refreshments will also be served.
“While the City does not own the renewable energy credits for this solar array, we are supporting more
renewable energy on our energy grid by leasing the rooftop to CEF and we’re pleased that the community has
supported this project and that all 68 subscribers are Edina residents,” said Sustainability Coordinator Tara
Brown. “Please join us and see the solar array for yourself. There will be people on hand to answer questions
and help others learn how they can support projects like this one.”
Community solar gardens offer members of a community a chance to subscribe to the solar array to offset
some of their electricity use and allow residents to reduce their monthly energy costs and lock in stable, long-
term electricity rates. Subscriptions to solar gardens are open for all residents who are Xcel Energy
customers. Residents have the opportunity to subscribe for up to 120 percent of their electricity use from a
solar array. Most homes use around 800 kWh of electricity per month, which totals 9600 kWh/year or 8 kW.
Xcel will deliver energy from the CEF array and credit subscribers’ bills for the energy it produces.
For more information, contact Brown at tbrown@EdinaMN.gov
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