Bad Planning

The problem with a solar array in Minnesota is simple: We are cloudy, overcast and covered in snow for half of the year.

A project that has been in the works for months was formally commissioned atop Hennepin County's Public Works facility in Medina Monday, April 6.

A large solar panel array was installed and has been working effectively as planned, converting the sun's rays into usable energy.

The project is a part of Hennepin's Cool County initiative, which aims to implement green improvements and projects to better serve both the county and the environment. Construction of the array began in late December, yet planning for the project had been under way for some time before that.

"The construction took a few months as it was delayed due to weather, but the longest part of the operation was the preparation," said Andy Leith, Senior Environmentalist with Hennepin County.

A massive expense for a projected(and wrong) 5% savings in future energy costs. It's not possible that those numbers are prorating either the installation cost or replacement cose(15-15 years) of the array. The county has just flushed money down the toilet in the name of "savings".