MMAM completes new rooftop solar array

A new solar array on the rooftop of the Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM) was celebrated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 17 and will be cause for celebration for years to come as the solar power delivers benefits for MMAM, the community of southeast Minnesota, and visitors to the museum.

The ribbon-cutting event featured MMAM and its partners in the solar project:

• The Minnesota Climate Innovation Finance Authority (MnCIFA), which helped finance the solar project via a $250,000 loan;
• Solar Bear, the project solar developer;
• Clean Energy Resource Team (CERTs), which provided technical advice on the project. 

Additional project partners include solar installer BlueSky Electric, the Frankenthaler Foundation, and Morgan Family Foundation, which provided additional financial support for the project. 

“The solar on the rooftop of the Minnesota Marine Art Museum is a wonderful extension of MMAM’s work to connect art, culture, and sustainability,” said MMAM Board Chair Bill Hoel. “We plan to educate and engage the public on the benefits of tapping into nature to power our energy, to save money, and to protect our Minnesota lands and waters. This solar array also moves MMAM closer to our goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.”

MnCIFA Interim Executive Director Pete Klein said, “This investment by the Minnesota Marine Art Museum will reduce its environmental impact and its annual operating costs for the foreseeable future. MnCIFA appreciates the opportunity to assist with making the organization more sustainable. I hope that more organizations will invest in renewable energy projects like this when they realize the positive economic impact that they make.”

Solar power benefits 

• The rooftop solar will generate enough electricity to cover half of MMAM’s electricity needs each year, estimated at $33,000 annually, with the opportunity for MMAM to reinvest those savings into museum programming and other costs.
• Visitors to MMAM, which draws over 35,000 visitors annually, will learn about renewable energy and will be able to see in real time the energy generated by the rooftop solar. The educational opportunities will connect MMAM’s roots in the history of the Mississippi River’s arts and culture to a vision for the community’s future. 
• MMAM has drawn national philanthropy and federal government funding for the project:
• $75,000 grant from the Helene Frankenthaler Foundation, which focuses on advancing energy efficiency and sustainability within the visual arts sector throughout the U.S.;
• $150,000 grant from the Morgan Family Foundation for capacity to support MMAM’s Building Climate Consciousness and Culture support for an Associate Curator of Clean Water and Climate for two years.
• $149,300 federal Investment Tax Credit the project is expected to qualify for, covering 40% of eligible costs, including a 10% bonus for sourcing the solar panels from a U.S.-based manufacturer.

For more about the rooftop solar project, visit the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, mmam.org, and the Minnesota Climate Innovation Finance Authority, mncifa.mn.go.