Photo by Samantha Davis Minnesota West President Terry Gaalswyk, left, and Minnesota Department of Commerce program manager Mandi Schienebeck stand in front of the new solar array on the Canby campus and “turn on” a light switch to publicly showcase the panel. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held right after, and the solar array was made possible through the Minnesota Solar for Schools grant program.

CANBY — The Minnesota West Community and Technical College hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on its Canby campus Thursday afternoon to celebrate the opening of its new solar array, an installation that was made possible with a grant received from the Minnesota Department of Commerce Solar for Schools Program.

“This project truly reflects a commitment to the responsible stewardship by utilizing non-productive land for an alternative energy source,” Minnesota West President Terry Gaalswyk said. “I talk about this frequently. I think people sometimes don’t fully appreciate who southwest Minnesota is … We have limited resources, we have smaller teams than most places across this great state, and what we do is we just come together.”

The Minnesota Solar for Schools Grant Program launched in January 2022, and 92 Minnesota schools have been awarded grants with an additional 47 applications being reviewed, according to the Department of Commerce, with the goal to provide schools with more educational opportunities and a way to convert sunlight into electricity for renewable energy and cost savings.

“This milestone would not have been possible without the collaboration and vision of our partners. I want to express our gratitude to Otter Tail Power Company, the Minnesota Department of Commerce and the Minnesota Energy Center of Excellence,” Gaalswyk said. “Their support has helped bring this project to light, allowing Minnesota West to serve as a model for responsible and efficient energy use.”

The solar field has a 40-kilowatt capacity, and is designed to save a significant portion of energy consumption while contributing to long-term sustainability.

According to Gaalswyk, the total investment of the project stood at $131,000. Otter Tail Power Company offered a $60,000 incentive, $48,000 was contributed from the Solar for Schools Program, and the rest came from the Minnesota State Energy Center of Excellence and Minnesota West.

“This project offsets an estimated $30,000 in energy costs, the total payback period of about five to six years,” Gaalswyk said.

The college is also implementing a Solar Technician Program.

“Beyond cost savings, this project provides new educational opportunities,” Gaalswyk said. “The solar field enhances hands-on learning for our students, reinforcing the importance of alternative energy and preparing them for careers in an evolving energy sector.”

Minnesota West Solar Photovoltaic Technician and Electrician Instructor Judy Drown also showed excitement for the project, and has been heavily involved in the process in making it happen.

“This is a dream come true for me personally. I have been working on this project for well over three years,” Drown said. “A little bit of the background is my dean at the time … and I were thinking outside the box how we could offer the solar program to students.”

Drown said she took a sabbatical to work in the solar field to gather more experience.

“It was almost two years I worked in the field installing solar all around Minnesota. I brought that knowledge back with me and said, ‘All right, we had already developed some of the curriculum prior to that … Let’s get this (Solar Technician Program) rolling.’ So, we did,” Drown said. “We offered it for the first time during the school year, and we just didn’t have participation in it … We said, ‘Well, let’s offer a solar camp. Let’s offer it so when we’re done with the semester and graduation, let’s offer it to all of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities electrician students, and see if they want to come and take this three and a half week course of solar.’ It was a hit.”

Drown said she shortly after discovered the Solar for School grant and began the process alongside other faculty support.

“I also teach with Tim Zinniel … He runs Zinniel Electric down in southwest Minnesota. The two of us tag-team the solar program here. Our students learn a lot,” Drown said. “I’m so excited to have this 40-k system out there that we can also do maintenance on. We can check it and can teach on it.”

Gaalswyk, faculty, community members that supported the project, Minnesota Department of Commerce officials, Otter Tail Power Company representatives and others gathered outside in front of the new solar array to host a ribbon cutting.

“We are going to learn a lot, and we are going to make energy,” Drown said.