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Nonprofit group Solar United Neighbors announces the launch of the Fields and Forests Solar Co-op to offer north central Minnesota residents a solar option. The solar co-op is an opportunity for local homeowners and small businesses to learn about solar energy and if it is right for them.
Free public “Solar 101” information sessions to explain the ins and outs of going solar will be offered:
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6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 9, online webinar. RSVP at mobilize.us/solarunitedneighbors/event/907277/
6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, Initiative Foundation, 405 First St. SE, Little Falls. RSVP at mobilize.us/solarunitedneighbors/event/907303/
6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 9, Crow Wing County Land Services building, 322 Laurel St., Brainerd. RSVP at mobilize.us/solarunitedneighbors/event/907314/
6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 25, online. RSVP at mobilize.us/solarunitedneighbors/event/907293/
Sign up for the co-op or an information session at the solar co-op web page .
“If you’ve ever thought about going solar, now’s your chance,” John Anderson, Minnesota program director for Solar United Neighbors, said in a news release. “As energy costs continue to climb, going solar is a way to get a handle on your electric bill by taking control of where your energy comes from.”
The solar co-op is free to join and open to homeowners and business owners in Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd and Wadena counties. Solar co-op members will learn about solar energy and leverage their numbers to purchase individual solar systems.
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After a competitive bidding process facilitated by SUN, which remains vendor neutral, solar co-op members will select a single solar company to complete the installations.
Joining the solar co-op does not obligate members to purchase solar. Instead, members will have the option to individually purchase panels and electric vehicle chargers based on the installer’s group rate.
The Initiative Foundation and Rural Renewable Energy Alliance are partnering with Solar United Neighbors on the solar co-op.
“Solar energy helps communities thrive by generating power locally and reducing strain on the grid,” Elizabeth Mboutchom, clean energy and community resiliency program officer for the Initiative Foundation, said in the release. “A solar co-op makes it easier for community members to learn about going solar and how it can save them money on their utility bills.”
SUN has hosted 29 solar co-ops in Minnesota since 2018. According to the group’s estimates, the nearly 500 homes and businesses that now have solar panels because of co-ops represent: 4 MW of solar power, $12 million in local solar spending, and more than 98 million pounds of lifetime carbon offsets.
“Solar energy helps people control their energy costs and creates good, local jobs,” said Marc Morrison of the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance, which works on renewable energy projects in the northland and is partnering with SUN on the co-op. “This solar co-op is a great opportunity to bring solar’s benefits to north central Minnesota.”
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