Minnesota’s Dakota County Renewable Energy Project Earns Sustainability Award

Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association celebrates McKinstry client with prestigious Sustainability Project Award

Dakota County, Minnesota has been awarded the 2024 Gateway to Solar Sustainability Award by the Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association (MnSEIA) in recognition of project innovation and impact. A $8.4M renewable energy project is under construction and will quickly propel the county toward achieving its energy savings and sustainability goals.

Situated in the Southeast corner of the Twin Cities area, Dakota County is the third-most populous county in the state of Minnesota. The county was the first in the state to complete a greenhouse gas inventory, measuring the amount of greenhouse gases produced by county operations. The inventory served as a baseline to guide county efforts to improve energy and fuel efficiencies and explore renewable energy options. The county has partnered with McKinstry to support its energy efficiency and sustainability efforts.

Once completed, the McKinstry-delivered project will boast 1.1MW of solar capacity across four solar energy systems including one ground mount system and three carport systems. The project also includes lighting efficiency upgrades, existing building commissioningand building control upgrades. With the installation of solar and other project upgrades, the county will see a 27% reduction in carbon, $338,000 in annual utility savings and the creation of around 80 local living-wage jobs.

McKinstry is honored to partner with Dakota County and celebrates the project’s achievement as the largest county-led solar energy project in the state.