What is a community solar garden?
A solar garden is an array of solar panels producing electricity that can be bought by individuals or businesses in the community to replace electricity generated by fossil fuels like coal. In Chisago County, the local utility company, Xcel Energy, accepts this “green” electricity coming on to its grid.
How many community solar gardens does Chisago County have?
Twenty!
Give me an example.
The county’s first community solar garden was set up by Ed Eichten of Center City. He rents 21 acres of previous farmland to IPS-Solar, a St. Paul-based company, which erected solar panels. The electricity produced on those 21 acres is bought by local businesses–the Chisago Lakes School District (40%) and Ecumen (40%); the remaining 20% is bought by various smaller businesses and individuals.
How does the concept work?
The land owner leases his land to a company—in Eichten’s case, IPS-Solar, and receives an annual check from them. IPS-Solar locates investments groups that buy the lease and provide the capital to set up the array. All the electricity produced goes to the grid, owned by Xcel Energy. Consumers who want to use “green electricity” (zero carbon emissions) in their homes, can subscribe to a local solar garden. Research your options on-line at Xcel Energy’s Web site: “Renewable Energy Options for Residential”.
How much electricity is produced?
Eichten’s first solar garden, the 21 acre one, produces 5 megawatts (MW); Xcel plans to bring another 310MW of electricity from renewable sources on-line by the end of 2019. By comparison, the biggest power plant in Minnesota, the Sherco plant at Becker, has three units, producing 680MW, 682 MW, and 876 MW, with the capacity to supply 1.67 million homes. It is powered by coal.
What about Chisago County’s moratorium on solar arrays?
The moratorium is not county-wide, and the township moratoria is a “pause” so elected officials can figure how to proceed in this very popular endeavor.
Won’t these solar arrays take farmland out of production?
Eichten responds: my garden is producing enough electricity to power 800 homes!
Anything else to know?
Eichten has planted wildflower beneath the panels to feed native pollinators. He monitors the sowing to see what germinates. Local honey producers are poised to set up bee hives adjacent to his array.
Also, an unexpected consequence: last summer, Eichten noted that the brackets supporting the panels angle at 45 degrees, and are being used by birds as nest sites. Stay tuned for this season’s report!
Want to read more?
IPS Solar’s Web site: “Eichten’s Hidden Acres Solar Garden”
MNPost Web site: “Chisago County has Become a Case Study in the Possibilities & Politics of Solar Energy in Greater Minnesota”
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