Finland, Minnesota is on the path to incorporating renewable energy education into the construction of its new community center. With the implementation of geothermal technology, the new community center will serve as an educational model for other initiatives, as well as for the community that utilizes the building.
It didn’t take much persuasion for several residents of Finland, MN to vocalize their support for the construction of a new community center equipped with clean energy technologies. Honor Schauland, a leader of this project, helped organize the community around this initiative, but had many willing participants: “A few forward-thinking members of the local government and community spearheaded the project,” she shared, “These folks began a community planning process that involved almost the entire community in planning for the new building and the future of the town. After that, the entire project has been community driven. Citizens are constantly giving input and approval to the project.”
While the nearby Co-op Light and Power facility uses geothermal energy, these technologies are not open to the public for educational purposes. The Finland Community Center will differ in this regard, Schauland explains, “Because a wide range of visitors will be using the new community building, we see this as an opportunity to educate people in the region about a range of alternative energy systems by including systems in the new community enter and providing educational and informational signage throughout the building to inform people who enter and use the building about its approaches to energy reduction.”
The new building will save the town about $2,000 per year in heating and cooling costs despite its being approximately two times the size of the old facility. Support for the new, energy-efficient building came from local businesses, families, individuals, and organizations. Talk about community-based!
