North Loop’s First Apartments With Solar Panels
In the past few weeks, Borealis became the first apartment building in the North Loop to install large sections of solar panels on its rooftop.
The building’s management company, Solhem, expects the panels to generate 10-15% of the energy needed by Borealis residents per year. “Over time, the Borealis array will offset 182 tons of CO2 per year – the equivalent of adding roughly 1,000 acres of trees to our forest,” said Megan Glover, marketing manager for Solhem. “We know our residents care about this and so do we.”
Glover said it has been a priority for Solhem to develop buildings with green features such as passive solar, low flow toilets, organic composting and green roofs. “Rooftop solar is taking this commitment to the next level,” she said.
While not disclosing how much it cost to purchase and install the panels, Glover said Solhem’s sister renewables company, Renew22, was a key partner in the initiative, which also involved the city of Minneapolis’s Green Cost Share program.
Another Solhem project in the North Loop, The Archive, is under construction on 1st Street North.