It is tricky to do solar with manufactured (mobile or trailer) homes. Even though the energy savings solar provides can be substantial, the roofs of the homes are usually not able to structurally host the solar panels and racking. Similarly, the park residents usually don’t own the land that their homes are located on, making ground-mounted solar impossible.
Community solar gardens can be a game changer when it comes to increasing access to the savings that solar brings.
Thirty residents at Cimarron Park in Lake Elmo have recently become subscribers in the Cooperative Energy Futures 1,223.75 kW Lake Elmo Solar Garden. This solar garden is located less than 5 miles from the park and will help these residents lower their electricity bills — potentially 10-20% off — for the next 25 years.
We connected with Bryn Shank, senior outreach and engagement representative with Cooperative Energy Futures, to learn more.
Q: How did you do outreach with the park residents about this opportunity?
A: We used a variety of methods. Some of these include engaging with teens at the park to leave flyers at all the homes, tabling at the food distribution events, hosting three community dinners for folks to come to learn about the opportunity, posting in the resident Facebook group, and working with the residents association to attend the annual meeting.
