Richfield City Council Approves Major Solar Energy Expansion

RICHFIELD, MN — The Richfield City Council Tuesday approved a plan to deploy solar panels on eight city-owned buildings.

The eight city locations receiving solar energy systems include:

• The public works facility
• Outdoor pool
• Ice arena
• Veterans Park shelter
• Cedar Avenue liquor store
• Lyndale Avenue liquor store
• Penn Avenue liquor store
• Fire Station No. 2.

"Deploying solar panels on city buildings is economically prudent, great for the environment and makes a lot of sense for Richfield," Councilmember Simon Trautmann said in a statement.

The original solar energy proposal was created by the city’s "Green Team." The Green Team consists of representatives from every city department and is charged with exploring green initiatives.

The Green Team then met with six different solar energy companies to determine which company best catered to the city’s needs. In the end, the Green Team decided to partner with Ideal Energies.

In the solar energy agreement with Ideal Energies, the city will not have to make a down payment for the installation of the solar panels.

The city can purchase the solar panels after 14 years.

There is also a guaranteed savings, or net zero, on energy costs, officials said. Even if electricity rates fluctuate, the city will never pay more than if there were not any solar panels.

“The main goal of Richfield’s Green Team is to show residents that the city does care about green energy,” said Green Team Member and Public Works Department Analyst Taylor Brandt. “As a team, we want to set a good example for residents that green energy is good energy.”

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