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Natural Awakenings Twin Cities

Kudos to St. Olaf College

St. Olaf College has recently completed implementation of solar panels on its 40 acres of college-owned land. The college’s solar subscriptions, combined with the energy generated by its wind turbine, will enable them to achieve 100 percent carbon-free electrical power.

In addition to the solar project on college land, St. Olaf is subscribing to 21 other community solar gardens in nearby communities, including Northfield, Farmington, Rosemount and Claremont.

“We are one of the largest community solar garden subscribers and the largest Windsource customer in the state,” says St. Olaf Assistant Vice President for Facilities, Pete Sandberg. “With all of that in play, carbon per student is 47 percent less than it was in 2001. That’s one of the lowest numbers of any campus in the country.”

To further its commitment to green energy, St. Olaf matched its community solar garden subscriptions with a commitment to Xcel Energy’s Windsource program, which draws 100 percent of its energy from Minnesota wind farms.

Sources: StarTribune.com and StOlaf.edu