St. Cloud moves forward on community solar garden

Oct 20 - McClatchy-Tribune Content Agency, LLC - Jenny Berg St. Cloud Times, Minn.

 

The city's first community solar garden is expected to be completed by this time next year.

The St. Cloud City Council approved Monday rezoning a 37-acre tract of land northeast of the wastewater treatment plant from a planned industrial district to a planned unit development.

The energy company SunEdison will install a 5 megawatt solar array on the land, which is currently farmed and utilized for the spreading of biosolids. The city would be able to use a maximum of 40 percent of the energy generated, and SunEdison would sell the remaining energy.

Construction is expected to start in May and be completed by next October, according to Pat Shea, public services director.

One person spoke at a public hearing during the meeting, citing concerns about wildlife near the treatment plant and possible glare coming from the solar panels. Shea responded by saying bright glares from panels are one of the misconceptions about solar energy.

"They are using a tempered glass with low glare," Shea said. "They are designed to absorb light. So if their system is giving off a sharp glare, they aren't capturing that solar energy."

Plans include the installation of a fixed system, meaning the panels will not rotate. The solar panels will be three to four feet above the ground, with rows of solar panels installed in rows oriented from east to west, according to agenda documents.

The project is the first of four solar energy projects the city hopes to undertake in the coming year. Other projects include a solar project that would provide energy directly to the wastewater treatment facility, a residential program with solar panels on city-owned buildings, and a subscription agreement for 15 gardens within Stearns County.

The proposed solar garden is intended to offset the city's energy consumption from nonrenewable sources with solar energy. The Minnesota State Legislature is requiring public utility companies to generate a minimum of 1.5 percent of their electricity from solar installations by 2020.

"If things get moving forward... we estimate about 87 percent of the city's electrical consumption can come from solar," Shea said.

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