Robbinsdale City Hall Solar Panels Go Online
Robbinsdale city leaders say the switch has been flipped on new solar panels on the roof of city hall, and within a couple of years they will begin to pay for themselves through a savings on energy costs.
The solar panels installed on the roof of Robbinsdale City Hall went online in June.
“City Hall’s a pretty passive building itself, you know? It doesn’t consume a ton of power,” said City of Robbinsdale Sustainability Coordinator Kayla Kirtz. “It’s our office space, it’s our DMV, but once 9-5 happens, the building shuts off, essentially.”
Kirtz said the panels and installation were paid for in part by a state grant and a tax credit from the federal government.
“Maybe it’s an opportunity for folks who have never even heard about solar power to learn about it and begin to consider it as an option for themselves,” said Kirtz. “We really we just want to demonstrate to our community, our residents, our businesses that we truly are dedicated to this climate crisis and want to limit our own footprint while we encourage others in the community to limit theirs.”
Last year, the solar panels on top of the city’s water treatment facility also went live.
“I think that solar panels on city hall are just a really smart investment for Robbinsdale,” said Ward 3 City Council Representative Mia Parisian. “I think we have the opportunity to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and reduce our energy costs over time, so I think that by putting solar panels on such a prominent municipal building, we are hopefully inspiring others to make sustainability a part of their daily life.”
