Install a public sector/municipally-owned renewable energy technology, such as solar electric (PV), wind, biomass, solar hot water/air, or micro-hydro.
Best Practice of this action
Keywords
schools
Rating Guideline
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Describe any public sector project and report installed capacity in kW. Report city purchase of green tags and community solar garden subscriptions under BPA 15.2; report purchases that support local, Minority, Disability, and Women-Owned businesses under BPA 15.3; report wastewater biogas projects under BPA 20.6; solid waste anaerobic digestion under BPA 22.5; geothermal under BPA 1.7; brightfield projects under BPA 25.5. |
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Install at least two different RE technologies and report installed capacity in kW; report municipal utility ownership; report city council direction to its muni (via board appointments, annual goals/reports/funding) to accelerate work on city clean energy goals; show that a RE installation has shaved on peak energy demand and allowed the monthly utility demand charge to be decreased; report installed battery storage. |
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Install RE capacity in excess of 100 kW; report combined heat and power generation, parking lot PV canopies, pollinator habitat under a PV array. |
Resources
- See also resources under action 26.6. The Great Plains Institute and Clean Energy Resource Teams work with a group of cities - the Community Energy Network - interested in increasing access to renewable energy.
- CERTs provides a local government solar procurement guide (2019), and direct technical assistance for solar procurement.
- The Office of Enterprise Sustainability has a master contract for solar energy procurement.
- Elk River is notable, being known as Energy City since 1997, showcasing efficient and renewable energy technologies such as solar PV, landfill gas-energy, a wind turbine, geothermal, etc.
- The MN Division of Energy Resources, through the Local Government Technical Assistance Program helps jurisdictions assess how to approach and advance a clean energy project including insights on methods of contracting, issuing requests for proposals, and providing independent third-party proposal review.
- Low-interest funding for projects $100,000 or more is available to jurisdictions through the Energy Savings Partnership.
- Renewable Energy and Schools (Minnesota Renewable Energy Society: 2011), a step-by-step guide for evaluating, acquiring, installing, promoting, and using renewable energy systems in K-12 schools. The Clean Energy Resource Teams provides assistance to K-12 schools interested in solar procurement as well as guidance, case studies and resources. In 2021, legislation passed to include funding to advance solar power at schools across Minnesota.
Order Number
5
Action Type
Finite