The clinic’s Rochester location will install solar panels on the roof of one of its buildings as part of an ongoing effort to use renewable energy sources.
The Mayo Clinic said Monday that it will install about 500 solar panels on the roof of the parking ramp at its Rochester location—a project that it claims will be the largest commercial solar energy project in southern Minnesota and the third largest in the state.
The Mayo Clinic said that the solar panels are part of its ongoing effort to find ways to use solar power and other renewable energy sources throughout the organization.
"As we evaluate possibilities for renewable energy sources at Mayo Clinic, we try to anticipate our needs and the needs of the community," Donald DeCramer, chair of the Mayo Clinic's Division of Architectural and Engineering Design Services, said in a statement. "This solar project is a good fit for both. Peak energy consumption for Mayo Clinic is in the summer. Peak performance of solar energy generation is in the summer, as well. The solar energy will reduce Mayo's power demand from other sources when that reduction is needed most."
Construction on the project will begin in June with the replacement of the parking ramp roof. The solar panels will be installed throughout the summer and fall, and the system is expected to be fully operational by October.
A portion of the installation expenses will covered by Rochester Public Utilities through a solar rebate program. The Mayo Clinic is also exploring other possibilities for rebates and discounts through the State of Minnesota.
Mayo Clinic treats more than half a million people each year and operates two of Minnesota’s largest hospitals based on number of available beds—Saint Mary’s Hospital and Rochester Methodist Hospital. It has sites in Rochester; Jacksonville, Florida; and Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona.
—Christa Meland
([email protected])