Beacon Partners to Explore Adding Solar Panels to Minneapolis Buildings
Over the last several months, Beacon has been working to add rooftop solar arrays to a number of our Minneapolis properties. We have partnered with Cooperative Energy Futures (CEF), a Minneapolis-based renewable energy cooperative that is providing solar building assessments, design, and where feasible, install rooftop solar.
CEF is working with Beacon and other housing providers to design a replicable model where they will finance tenant-focused rooftop solar on affordable housing at no upfront cost to the tenant or property owner and with net monthly savings using the Xcel Energy Low–Income Solar* Rewards program. CEF outreach to residents will be supported by staff from a local energy democracy nonprofit, Community Power, who has supported residents in the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, and Faribault in understanding and signing up for local CEF solar gardens.
The goal of the project is to partner with these organizations to broaden access and build wealth for Minnesotans, especially those who are people of color and/or who have low/moderate incomes. Based on initial evaluation, there are ten properties in Beacon’s Minneapolis portfolio that could support about 755 kilowatts of solar panels. If all ten properties were deemed viable for solar arrays, annual potential savings on electric bills could be about $13,000 for Beacon and nearly four times that combined for Minneapolis residents of Beacon properties. Beacon, CEF and Community Power are evaluating building roofs and electrical structures and carrying out resident outreach to determine feasibility of solar at each location.
“We see this as a win-win for residents of Beacon buildings and the environment,” says Kevin Walker, Vice President of Housing for Beacon. “This will give participating residents more breathing room in their budgets, an opportunity for direct cooperative ownership of their energy, while helping us all move toward a more renewable and sustainable future. Beacon is grateful to participate in opportunities like this with partners like Cooperative Energy Futures and Community Power that invest in people, their homes, and responsible stewardship of the earth we all call home.”
Clean Energy Resource Teams (aka CERTs) is a public-private partnership staffed by four state organizations, including the Minnesota Department of Commerce through the Conservation Improvement Program. CERTS’ mission is to connect individuals and communities in Minnesota to resources they need to implement community-based clean energy projects. CERTS funds were made available to interested organizations across Minnesota. CERTS received 137 applications for this year’s CERTS Seed Grant round. Beacon received a $5,000 grant award to support our Minneapolis rooftop solar initiative.
This grant award will cover partial project expenses, such as project management by staff and Beacon leadership, additional outreach, and miscellaneous materials.
Success of this project will be measured by overall savings in electrical utility expense for residents who opt into this program and for the property operations as a whole.
You can learn more about CERTs at www.mncerts.org.
