North Minneapolis Community Resiliency Hub Project

Project History 

• Renewable Energy Partners (REP) was selected by Xcel Energy through a competitive process in 2021. This is part of the Resilient Minneapolis Project (RMP) in partnership with the City of Minneapolis and Xcel Energy. 
• The project will develop a solar-plus-battery microgrid and community resiliency hub across four Minneapolis Public School buildings.

• This is part of the Resilient Minneapolis Project (RMP) in partnership with the City of Minneapolis and Xcel Energy. 

What Are Microgrids?

• Microgrids integrate on-site solar energy with battery storage for reliable, sustainable power.
• The system operates daily but can also “island” itself to function independently during grid outages.
• These community resiliency hubs provide food, shelter, and device recharging during emergencies. 

Project Details

Solar Capacity: 1,257 kW-dc of rooftop solar across four schools:

• Hall Elementary
• Franklin Middle School
• Nutrition Center
• Maintenance & Operations (M&O) Facility

Project Financing

$4.8M sub-award from Xcel Energy & U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) (October 2024). Matching funds include:

• – $1.2M loan from Minnesota Climate Innovation Finance Authority (MnCIFA).
• – Grants & capital contributions from Minneapolis Public Schools.
• – Tax equity from the Investment Tax Credit (ITC).

Project Financing

$4.8M sub-award from Xcel Energy & U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) (October 2024). Matching funds include:

• – $1.2M loan from Minnesota Climate Innovation Finance Authority (MnCIFA).
• – Grants & capital contributions from Minneapolis Public Schools.
• – Tax equity from the Investment Tax Credit (ITC).

Project Details

Battery Storage:

• Nutrition & M&O: 3,440 kWh battery systems
• Hall & Franklin: 90 kW battery systems

Additional Resiliency:

• Nutrition Center includes an upgraded gas generator for 100% backup power.
• Advanced software controls from OATI optimize energy usage and support grid stability.