The Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport recently added a large solar air heat installation to their facilities, for which they are holding a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Wednesday, May 16th. We chatted with Jason Edens at the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance (RREAL) who manufactured and installed the project to learn more.
Angela Headlee: Tell me a little about RREAL.
Jason Edens: RREAL is a unique nonprofit organization that is both a solar integrator and solar manufacturer. Offering solar design-build services to the residential and commercial market, RREAL has been bringing solar thermal and solar electricity to the Midwest since 2000. RREAL also manufacturers solar thermal collectors and distributes nationally. RREAL is also proudly pioneering Solar Assistance: solar heat for low-income families as a lasting, clean and domestic solution to low-income fuel poverty.
Angela: Can you tell us more about the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport solar project?
Jason: In Minnesota, the heating season is long and heating costs are high and unpredictable. Throughout this region, there are millions of square feet of commercial buildings used for equipment storage, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution. Most of these buildings experience high heating costs and could benefit greatly from reduced operating costs. In addition to weatherization and energy efficiency upgrades, solar thermal can dramatically reduce heating costs and stabilize operating costs. The Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport is going to take advantage of the underutilized solar resource.
There is a common misperception that Minnesota has a poor solar resource, but in fact, Minnesota’s solar resource is equal to Houston, Texas! Solar energy is a viable and appropriate technology for Minnesota! Throughout the State, homeowners, business owners, and facilities managers are turning to solar energy to stabilize energy costs.
Courtesy of Region 5 Development Commission, the Initiative Foundation, the USDA and local solar installer and general contractor RREAL, the Brainerd Airport will be installing a supplemental solar thermal system on a large storage building with high heating costs. Like most airports, the Brainerd Airport has numerous buildings with high operating costs. Although most of these buildings can benefit from solar thermal, the airport has elected to install a supplemental solar thermal space heating system on a structure used primarily for snow removal equipment and related vehicles. This building is currently heated with propane, and the solar thermal installation will offer a cost competitive heating alternative.
A supplemental solar air heating system can provide space heat for many decades. The vertically mounted solar thermal array will harvest and provide space heat when both the solar resources is available and the building calls for heat. Being a forced-air heating system, the controls and air handling components are conventional off-the-shelf HVAC components with minimal operation and maintenance costs. The system will provide clean, renewable heat for the Airport for 3-4 decades.
Solar is certainly not a panacea, nor is it appropriate for all sites. However, it is an important tool in the tool kit. It can greatly benefit facilities with high heating costs by stabilizing heating costs for decades with clean, domestic, Minnesota-made energy.
Angela: How did RREAL get involved with this project?
Jason: In partnership with Region 5 Development Commission (R5DC), RREAL conducted a series of solar thermal site visits for Local Units of Government more than a year ago. The Brainerd Airport was able to move forward on the proposed project also in partnership with R5DC.
Angela: What is the total project cost? What is the estimated ROI?
Jason: $25,500 and 13 years.
Angela: What have been the results? Is the system performing well? Is the airport excited about the project?
Jason: Yes on all counts! The system is working great so far, and the airport staff are very excited.
Angela: What was your biggest challenge?
Jason: There were no major challenges with this system—it was a pretty straightforward installation.
Angela: Do you have any suggestions for other airports thinking about projects like this?
Jason: Act now!
Click here to see updated information about the project >>
The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Event details:
- Date: Wednesday, May 16, 2012
- Time: 11:00am-Noon
- Location: Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport, 16384 Airport Rd, Brainerd, MN 56401
- Who should come? This event is free and open to the public!
Presentations:
- Region Five Development Commission
- Rural Renewable Energy Alliance
- Angela Headlee, Clean Energy Resource Teams
- Initiative Foundation
- Airport Commission
- Colleen Landkamer, Director of Minnesota USDA Rural Development
- Matthew Dalbey, Director of Federal and State Division of EPA Office of Sustainable Communities
About the Local Government Energy Action Series:
This year-long effort tells the stories of nearly 50 Minnesota municipalities, counties, and schools and the tangible results of their energy-saving efforts to inspire others to take their own actions.
Local Government Energy Action is brought to you by the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources.
