Main Street History: What's Behind Maple Grove's Wind Turbine?

MAPLE GROVE, MN — One of the most iconic landmarks in Maple Grove is the wind turbine that is visible from Interstate 694. Great River Energy's 200-kilowatt wind turbine began generating power in 2008 when the power company opened its new headquarters on Elm Creek Boulevard.

The turbine originated in Denmark, Minnesota Public Radio reported.

But the turbine is just one aspect of what is one of the most energy-efficient buildings in Minnesota. On Sept. 19, 2008, Great River Energy's Maple Grove campus received a platinum-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the United States Green Building Council.

The building was Minnesota's first LEED-certified building. More than 900 have followed in its footsteps, including:

• Target Field
• U.S. Bank Stadium
• RiverCentre/Xcel Energy Center
• Several in Maple Grove, such as
  • Arbor Lakes Senior Living Community
  • Maple Grove Starbucks
  • Maple Grove Kohls

However, non are quire like the Great River building. A 2011 case study in High Performing Buildings magazine discussed how the building's designers used dozen of innovations to make the building "green," including an array of solar panels that span the roof and front yard.

There's also a 20,000-gallon cistern that collects and filters rain and snowmelt from the roof. That water is then used to flush toilets.

A 6-acre gravel pit was turned into the man-made "Arbor Lake" to be used for Geothermal energy. Around 36 miles of close-loop tubing makes the heating and cooling exchange possible.

The computerized, artificial lighting system that adjusts based on how much sunlight is shining through the wall of windows that wrap around the entire building. The lighting system also communicates with the HVAC systems to reduce reliance on the building's heating and cooling systems.

Great River Energy Coop is Minnesota’s second-largest electricity provider, and its Maple Grove headquarters is a living showcase for how renewable energy can power and conserve the planet.

What's your favorite thing about Maple Grove? Let us know below in the comments!

This content is brought to our community in partnership with T-Mobile.