EDF Renewables, Solar EPC
Rochester, MN
The Westside Solar project was constructed in the winter to serve peak electricity loads in the summer.
The Westside Solar project was constructed in the winter to serve peak electricity loads in the summer.
Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) has a goal of utilizing 100% renewable energy by 2030. This 10 MW solar farm constructed on 140 to 160 acres provides 1.5% of the city’s needs and gets the community one step closer to its goal. EDF Renewables owns the solar farm and RPU buys the electricity it generates. KE was hired as the electrical and mechanical contractor.
As far as solar farms go, this is a big one, both in terms of the size of the site and the power it generates. KE worked through a difficult Minnesota winter to complete the job, procuring panels and meeting tight timelines. Underground work was completed before the ground froze, and winter work continued with installation of racking, setting modules, electrical wiring, testing and commissioning.
Work was completed in the spring of 2022, and the farm is operational. RPU has plans for continued investment in renewable energy sources over the next 10 years.