Solar at Richfield Public Schools

We are thrilled to share that we have made significant progress in our commitment to clean energy. Over the past decade, we've added 1.15 megawatts of solar across five of our schools, making us a shining example of rooftop solar for school districts.

We started our journey toward sustainability in 2012 with three small solar arrays, supported by the state's Made in Minnesota rebates for projects using locally-manufactured panels. In recent years, we've worked to expand and upgrade those installations with the help of newer incentive programs.

Today, our solar installations supply about one-fifth of our district's total electricity needs. Not only does this help us in our goals to be environmentally friendly, but it also makes financial sense for our school district. We're also proud to incorporate the systems into our STEM curriculum, educating our students about the importance of clean energy and how solar works.

Our success has helped inspire other schools to follow suit, and we're proud to be a leader in Minnesota's solar-friendly policies. We're excited to see bills advancing at the Minnesota Legislature that would build upon the success of the Minnesota Solar for Schools program. These bills would boost solar installations for local and tribal government facilities across Minnesota, and we're looking forward to them advancing through the legislature.

Schools with solar arrays: Richfield Middle School, Sheridan Hills Elementary, Richfield STEM Elementary, Centennial Elementary and Richfield High School.