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MOORHEAD — The city of Moorhead is looking to the sun to reduce energy costs.
The city plans to install solar panels to two city buildings: one of Moorhead’s fire stations and The Loop, the new community center and public library.
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The panels are part of a host of energy efficiency projects the city plans to execute at various city facilities in the next couple years. Other projects include installing energy-efficient lighting and improving building exteriors to reduce energy use.
Moorhead Assistant City Manager Mike Rietz said the city plans to pay for the projects with money saved by reducing utility costs.
“It basically reduces the cost of our utilities in such a way that we can fund the improvements over time out of that savings, and make it budget neutral, so we don’t have to increase our budget to pay for these items,” Rietz said.
The financing arrangement is part of an agreement recently approved by the Moorhead City Council. On April 27, council members approved an agreement with McKinstry, a business that helps municipalities identify and build energy efficiency projects.
The estimated cost of improvements is $4 million. However, the council approved up to $6 million worth of improvements. Rietz said the next step in the process will be an investment grade audit to determine a final cost for the project.
“In doing this little bit deeper dive, they might find some additional projects that could be worth doing that could be more than the initial $4 million,” Rietz said.
According to McKinstry’s presentation at the City Council meeting, the city spends a little more than $1 million per year in energy costs. The proposed improvements could reduce energy costs by $165,000 to $240,000 per year, or by 16% to 23%.
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The solar panel portion of the larger project identified buildings with newer roofs where panels could generate most of the power used in the building.
The Loop is the recently opened Moorhead Public Library and community center. It features a large, flat south-facing roof. Panels there would offset 94% of energy costs, Rietz said.
The fire station identified as a potential location for solar panels is Fire Station No. 2. The station is on 20th Street, just north of Minnesota State Community and Technical College. At the fire station, solar panels would offset 92% of energy costs.
As council members approved the McKinstry agreement, some voiced concerns about placing solar panels on the fire station.
In a City Council workshop on March 10, Moorhead Fire Chief Jeff Wallin said Station No. 2 will require significant repairs in the future. The facility was built in 1971, and has seen multiple additions to accommodate larger fire crews. Issues include the building’s water and sewer infrastructure.
Rietz said he does not yet know how the city will proceed with putting solar panels on Station No. 2.
“The next step in the process is to do a deeper dive into these proposed projects, and really tighten up the numbers,” Rietz said. “So we’ve got some time to make that decision.”
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Rietz said he expects that deeper dive to wrap up sometime in July, with projects starting after. The city has a goal to finish projects by the end of 2027.
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