Rural Minnesota Solar Initiative

The Rural Minnesota Solar Initiative is a resource to help farmers and small business owners learn more about how solar can work for them, and provide the needed assistance to catalyze projects.

Why here? Minnesota is a great place for solar energy, with more annual solar energy potential than Houston, TX and nearly as much as Miami, FL! There are already more than 700 solar installations in Minnesota, with new projects harnessing the sun each week.

Rural Minnesota Solar Initiative Want to learn more about solar and get started? Here’s what you can do:

Explore model projects for farms & businesses
Learn more about events
Find local solar dealers and installers
Learn about Minnesota solar manufacturers
Utility incentives and other resources
Chat with someone at CERTs

The Rural Minnesota Solar Initiative is generously funded by USDA Rural Development in Minnesota.

The USDA is currently accepting proposals for new projects. To learn more, read the press release about the Rural Energy for America Program: USDA Invites Farmers and Rural Small Businesses to Submit Applications for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Projects

Model Solar Energy Projects in MN

Solar Thermal Hot Water for Laundromats or Commercial Laundries

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A Laundry Room in Ely, MN: In 2007 Rebecca Spengler decided to revamp an existing laundromat in Ely, Minnesota. She opened A Laundry Room Inc. that June, worked to make the building and her operations as energy efficient as possible, and then installed five solar thermal hot water collectors manufactured in Alexandria, MN by SolarSkies. The system, which helps supplement the existing propane system, includes two 120 gallon tanks and can heat water up to 120 degrees.

Find out how your laundromat or commercial laundromat can benefit from a solar hot water system with the resources below!

Solar Thermal Hot Water for Dairy Operations of All Sizes

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Reese Dairy Farm in Goodhue County, MN: Dairy farmers are an industrious group by nature, and farmer and entrepreneur Peter Reese of Goodhue County has eyes for common sense and untapped opportunities. The basic concept of Perpetual Harvest, LLC, came from Peter’s thoughts about how our economy is under-utilizing available and renewable local resources. Solar thermal water heating was a clear best option for the Reese Farm Dairy Farm, and in the resources below Peter details exactly how he made it happen.

Find out how your dairy farm can benefit from a solar hot water system with the resources below!

Solar Thermal Air Heat for High Tunnel Season Extension

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Flynn Farm in Frazee, MN: Dallas Flynn and his wife raise vegetables and shiitake mushrooms on a small farm just south of Frazee that they sell at a nearby farmer’s market. They are now using solar thermal air heat collectors to heat the soil and extend the growing season in high tunnel vegetable production. Read the case study and the presentation below to learn more about how this approach can work for you.

Find out how your vegetable-growing operation can benefit from solar air heating!

Recent Solar Energy Events

Solar manufacturer Silicon Energy open for business (and a tour)

On January 11, 2012 CERTs was joined by over 150 Minnesotans to tour Silicon Energy’s new solar PV manufacturing facility in Mt. Iron.

Several educational speakers filled us in on the rising importance and presence of solar energy on the Iron Range and across the state, followed by a presentation and tour from president Gary Shaver and lots of networking time.

Here’s what the agenda looked like:

Welcome & Introductions – Joel Haskard & Bill Mittlefehldt, CERTs
Commissioner’s Remarks – Commissioner Tony Sertich, IRRRB
Local Utility Incentives for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy – Tina Koecher, Minnesota Power; Tanuj Gulati & Tyler Barrell, Energy Management Solutions/Mt. Iron Municipal Utility; Leo Wilenius, Lake Country Power
Senator’s Remarks – Senator David J. Tomassoni, Minnesota Senate
Mayor’s Remarks – Gary Skalko, Mayor of Mountain Iron
Opportunities for Residential, Business, and Farms – Joel Haskard, CERTs
Presentation & Tour of Silicon Energy’s Manufacturing Plant – Gary Shaver, President

Watch a slideshow of images from the event below or see our set on Flickr with the same photos.

We received lots of nice media attention for the event. Take a look:

Going nuts for solar-powered greenhouses at Hazelnut Valley Farm

Over forty people from around southeast Minnesota visited Norm and Mary Erickson’s solar-powered greenhouse and hazelnut farm recently in Lake City as part of a Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) free tour focusing on energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Norm and Mary Erickson of Hazelnut Valley Farm retired and started a hazelnut farm in Lake City, MN. Their nutty adventures into the business of growing, harvesting, and processing the crop led them to install a solar-heated greenhouse with many innovative features. They look forward to a future where hazelnuts can be profitably converted into biodiesel.

“We now have over 4,200 bushes in the ground and nut production keeps on growing—from 10 pounds in 2006 to over a ton in 2011,” said Mr. Erickson. He passed around hazelnuts and hazel nut oil for people to sample. “Our market focus has shifted from biodiesel to the edible local kernel and oil markets because product values are currently much higher there.”

Beyond hazelnuts, people were interested in the Erickson’s highly efficient green house, which also incorporates renewable energy systems into the design. A unique low-temperature energy storage system is in the earthen berm behind the greenhouse. The Erickson’s filled three hundred and twenty 55-gallon polyethylene drums with water, and sealed and buried them in the storage area to increase the energy storage capacity and to speed energy flows to and from the ventilation system.

In addition, a solar thermal panel collects energy to heat potable water, with electric backup for cloudy periods. An array of solar thermal panels east of the greenhouse heats a storage system that can be tapped for heating a food dehydrator 24/7 and to warm the floor in the work area.

“This is a great example of entrepreneurship that incorporates local foods, energy efficiency and solar energy,” said Joel Haskard, co-director of CERTs. “Businesses of all different types and sizes are finding ways to reduce their energy usage and even create some of their own energy on-site. It can be a real win-win.”

View more photos from the event in this slideshow:

For more information, check out our case study on the project, Going Nuts for Clean Energy: Solar-Heated Greenhouse and Biodiesel from Hazelnuts

Minnesota Solar Manufacturers

SolarSkies: Solar Thermal Hot Water Collectors

106 Donovan Drive
Alexandria, MN 56308
1-877-SOLAR-57

Learn more:

Rural Renewable Energy Alliance: Solar-Powered Furnace

2330 Dancing Wind Road SW #2
Pine River, MN 56474
218-587-4753

Learn more:

tenKsolar: Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Panels

9549 Penn Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55431
952-303-7600

Learn more:

Silicon Energy: Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Panels

8787 Silicon Way
Mt. Iron, MN 55768
218 789-1710

Learn more:

Minnesota Solar Dealers & Installers

Now is a great time to add a solar to your farm or business! The CERTs Solar Installers Map, coupled with planning resources from the Minnesota Division of Energy Resources, Department of Commerce and CERTs, will provide everything you need to get started.

View full screen map

These documents from DOC-DER can also help you find a company and plan a project:

Utility Incentives & Other Resources

Solar incentives from Minnesota utilities:

Organizations and programs of note:

Know of anything we’re missing? Email Joel Haskard to let us know.

Talk with CERTs about Solar

Are you a business owner or farmer interested in one-on-one follow up regarding solar? Please contact Joel Haskard, CERTs Co-Director, at haska004@umn.edu or 612-625-8759.