Solar Panels to be Installed at 3 Minneapolis Parks this Fall

Solar panel projects will be installed at three Minneapolis parks this fall.

Several panels will be installed at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, East Phillips Park and Webber Park. Plans for a fourth park, Lake Nokomis Park, are in the works, according to the Kingfield Neighborhood Association.

The projects are the result of a $969,000 grant from the Xcel Energy Renewable Development Fund and $150,000 from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) Renewable Development Fund.

East Phillips Park
Location: Roof of East Phillips Community and Cultural Center
Size: 21 panels, 7 kW
Estimated annual production: 8,442 kW
Estimated percentage of annual park energy use supplied: 6.8 percent

Lake Nokomis Park
Location: Roof of new shade structure at Lake Nokomis Main Beach
Size: 18 panels, 7 kW
Estimated annual production: 8,856 kW
Estimated percentage of annual beach energy use supplied: 10.9 percent

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park
Location: Roof of multipurpose room
Size: 20 panels, 6.7kW
Estimated annual production: 8,040 kW
Estimated percentage of annual park energy use supplied: 4.8 percent

Webber Park
Location: Roof of Webber Natural Swimming Pool pump house
Size: 16 panels, 4.56 kW
Estimated annual production: 5,472 kW
Estimated percentage of annual pool energy use supplied: 3.7 percent

The first and largest solar panel project is already operating at Parade Ice Garden.

“Sustainability is a core value of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and we’re grateful for partners like Xcel Energy that make these big projects possible,” MPRB Superintendent Jayne Miller said in a statement in June.

“The exciting improvements at Parade Ice Garden and upcoming solar projects across Minneapolis parks will have a huge economic, environmental and educational impact for years to come.”

The solar project at Parade contains 374 solar panels in 21 sections, which generates roughly 15 percent of the building’s annual electrical consumption. Each solar panel is paired with a reflector panel to maximize energy density, according to a news release.

The solar project at Parade began operation in fall 2015 and was paired with significant building renovations that drastically increased energy efficiency at the 43-year-old rink.

All three rinks were removed and new refrigeration systems and ice surfaces were installed, along with new heating and cooling systems, a new roof and LED lighting.

Taken together, the energy efficiency upgrades are expected to save taxpayers more than $80,000 annually and offset 515 tons of annual CO2 emissions. The upgrades also allow year-round use of all three ice sheets and expand the building’s lifespan.

Image via Oregon Department of Transportation, Flickr, used under Creative Commons