City Of St. Louis Park: Solar Sundown Helps Double Rooftop Solar In St. Louis Park

Press release from the City of St. Louis Park:

January 12, 2022 7:41 p.m.

Solar Sundown, the City of St. Louis Park’s rooftop solar cost share program, helped 43 households and five local businesses install solar in 2021.

The program’s goal is to double the amount of rooftop solar in the city and bring St. Louis Park closer to meeting its Climate Action Plan goal of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2030. Program participants installed over 1.2 megawatts of solar this year, more than doubling the amount of rooftop solar in the city. Permits for solar panels in the city also increased by almost 60% in 2021.

Many residents and businesses who applied to Solar Sundown took advantage of the 26% federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC), as well as Xcel Energy Solar*Rewards®, where monthly payments are made to the property owner in exchange for the Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) produced by the solar panels.

Lisa Weisman, owner of Minnetonka Park Mall on the corner of Minnetonka Boulevard and Dakota Avenue, participated in Solar Sundown as well as Climate Champions, an additional commercial energy efficiency cost share program offered by the city. Visit the climate champions page to learn more.

“I am deeply concerned about our worsening climate crisis,” said Weisman. “When I read about the City of St. Louis Park’s Climate Champions program and the resources and support they were providing, I jumped at the chance to have access to their knowledge and expertise to make some environmentally positive improvements at my commercial property. With the help of rebates and grants either provided by the City of St. Louis Park or other organizations that they referred me to, I was able to install a high efficiency roof top unit and 102 solar panels, reducing costs for my tenants as well as benefiting the environment.”

Brian Hoffman, City of St. Louis Park Director of Building and Energy, said, “This program clearly demonstrates that city incentives are a powerful tool to help achieve Climate Action Plan goals. The $115,000 for funding the program successfully leveraged $2.7 million in private investment in renewable energy in St. Louis Park, which will result in thousands of dollars of savings for those property owners over the life of those panels.”

Solar Sundown has been renewed for 2022, and additional information and the application will be available on the solar opportunities page.

If your property isn’t suitable for solar or you are a renter, you can still power your home or business with renewable energy by signing up for Windsource® from Xcel Energy or by subscribing to a Community Solar Garden.

This press release was produced by the City of St. Louis Park. The views expressed here are the author’s own.