Here comes the sun! This summer, Seward Co-op is catching some rays — solar rays, that is. The co-op has entered a long-term partnership with Solarflow Energy to install a 32-kilowatt photovoltaic system on the roof of our store. On June 17, the co-op teamed up with Solarflow to throw a commissioning party, which drew a crowd of members and neighbors.

Up on the co-op's roof, Solarflow staff explained the system to groups of people, while co-op staff served cake, lemonade and iced coffee (courtesy Peace Coffee). Solarflow also distributed free home energy efficiency kits. The Brazilian drumming group Batucada du Norte added a beat throughout the afternoon.  

Solarflow is a Minnesota-based company located in Seward that offers the first-of-its-kind solar lease in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. In 2008, Solarflow started offering custom-designed solar systems for homes and small business. Their business model is based on capturing grant monies to cover most of the installation costs. Remaining costs, including maintenance, are covered by a lease paid by the energy savings generated by the solar panels.

The co-op’s photovoltaic system is comprised of 140 panels that generate about 37,250 KWh per year. It was made possible by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act federal stimulus dollars and Xcel Energy’s Renewable Development Fund. The co-op lease will be for 18 years. After five years, the co-op will begin to capture some of the savings from the energy generated by the panels.

This lease will allow the co-op to realize our vision of being at forefront of environmental sustainability by using our rooftop for solar energy production.

"This is a great opportunity to realize solar without significant cost to the co-op," General Manager Sean Doyle says. "Installing solar was envisioned but was not financially feasible with our recent expansion. It is a win-win situation and great for the environment."