Solar

There are many careers in the clean energy industry and more are being added every day. Alex Poster and Carl Ludewig, interns with TruNorth Solar, are learning just how many different ways there are to contribute to this growing industry. We talked to them each about their time with TruNorth, how their internships have evolved over the past months and what they look forward to in their futures.

Recently, Tiffanie Connelly, CEEM’s Digital Marketing Manager, and her husband, Tom, installed an 11.2-kilowatt solar array on their Plymouth home. Learn more about the choice and process.

The concept of energy storage is simple, it is technology that stores energy produced at one time for use at another time. The potentials, however, are anything but simple. Energy storage, or battery storage, could be the key to harnessing clean energy solutions. One big criticism of wind and solar energy has always been, “what do we do when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining?” The answer, scale up battery storage technology so that it is reliable and cost effective and deploy it en masse to ensure clean, reliable and affordable energy.

The solar industry is growing at a rapid and exciting pace, pushing the country closer and closer to a clean energy future with every megawatt installed. While demand is higher than ever, supply is in flux in large part because of the U.S. Department of Commerce investigation into potential tariff circumvention.

Since its first greenhouse gas inventory in 2008, Carleton College in Northfield, MN has reduced its carbon footprint by 68%. In 2021, the College completed its Utility Master Plan, a plan that focuses on upgrading campus facilities to reduce operating costs and emissions, with the goal of making the college carbon neutral by 2050.

In 2020, Minnesota generated 29% of its electricity from renewable sources, and 3.1% from solar. With all these solar panels, questions have arisen about how those projects will be treated at the end of their life. How do you create a good program to recycle solar panels?

In 2019, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School decided to take advantage of several programs that gave them a path to installing solar on its school building, that didn’t require any upfront capital. The team at iDEAL Energies introduced them to Minnesota’s Solar*Rewards program, combined with the city of Minneapolis’ green cost share program which made solar a viable option for the school, with full ownership transferred to the school after 18 years.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, communities in Greater Minnesota were facing uncertain futures. Now, nearly six months into a peacetime emergency that was first declared by Governor Tim Walz on March 13, 2020, the impacts of COVID-19 have only exacerbated the economic development challenges Greater Minnesota has faced for years. Farm incomes are at historic lows, local government revenues are down, and thousands of jobs have been lost.

A small group of Wayzata senior high school students didn’t let the pandemic keep them from trying to persuade the Wayzata School Board to invest in solar.