August 2013
The Richville Senior Citizens Center
received an Operation Round Up grant
this spring to help pay for a new roof.
Co-op “Shines” with New Solar Project
Because electricity is such a critical part of
modern living, Lake Region Electric Cooperative utilizes an inclusive “all of the above”
philosophy to energy production. Along
with the use of traditional fuels like coal and
natural gas, the electricity delivered to cooperative members is also produced by hydro,
wind and trash-to-energy systems. While Minnesota lacks the deep earth geothermal resources to produce central station electricity,
our cooperative is promoting the use of low
temperature, surface geothermal systems as
a way to efficiently heat and cool residences.
If you are building a new home or changing
your HVAC system, it would pay to check out
Lake Region’s EarthWi$e program.
You’ve probably noted that solar was missing
from the list above. That will soon change,
however, with the introduction of our new
cooperative solution – Lake Region Community Solar!
Your board of directors recently approved the
creation of Lake Region Community Solar, a
project that will provide solar energy for Lake
Region’s members and place the cooperative
in a favorable position within the 21st century
energy industry. Lake Region will build a
40 kW community solar project consisting
of 96 panels located on a 4,000 sq. ft. site
northwest of the cooperative’s office. It will
interconnect directly into the cooperative’s
distribution circuit and produce an estimated
57,000 kWh per year. LREC will install and
maintain the community solar system.
A recent study found that some 80% of
homes in America are unsuited to the installation of solar on-site due to shading, structural,
or ownership issues. So, Community Solar
provides a simple, affordable, low-risk way
for LREC members to be part of the solar energy movement. LREC members will be able
to purchase the output of a panel (or panels) and have those kWh’s credited to their
monthly bill. Since a participating member’s
panel(s) production will offset their monthly
electric consumption, they will receive full
retail rate credit.
A feature of our cooperative solar solution
is that the project will be built primarily by
LREC employees. Partnering with us in this
ground-breaking development is the National Renewable Energy Cooperative (NRCO),
which is owned by electric cooperatives,
and Federated Insurance, also part of the
co-op family. Federated Insurance will invest
roughly 54% of the total project cost. The
financial structure created by NRCO for
Federated and LREC will qualify the project
for the monetization of federal investment
tax credits available for solar. The partnership
and financial structure will benefit all parties
involved but most notably, participants in the
community solar project and Lake Region
Electric Cooperative as a whole.
We have yet to finalize the sale price of
individual solar panels and the output they
represent. However, we’re making a list of
members who would like to participate.
Please call if you are interested.
I think the greatest thing about
this project is that everyone in
its value chain is either local
or a member of our cooperative family. The sun may shine
broadly, but with Lake Region
Community Solar, it’s
beaming on LREC.
Lake Region Community Solar – Next Steps
Your co-op is excited about the opportunity to offer participation in a community solar
program. We are in the process of finalizing engineering and financial details and still
plan to construct the array early this fall. We will publish participant pricing and financing options in an upcoming issue of NewsFlashes and on our website at www.lrec.coop
Join Operation Round Up
Give a little. Help a lot.
When you join Operation Round
Up, your contributions help
provide food, clothing,
shelter, health care and other
vital community services that
benefit people in need throughout our service area. Your monthly contribution could be as little as a
penny, but never more than ninety-nine cents.
The average Operation Round Up contribution is just fifty cents per month or $6 per
year — but that small amount makes a huge
difference in the lives that it touches.
Operation Round Up Grant Application
Deadline: September 15th
If your community or organization has a
project in need of funding, please submit an
application by September 15, 2013. Applications may be found on our website
www.lrec.coop or call our office
and one will be sent to you.
Beat the Summer Heat
Without a Big Bill
Don’t let your monthly electric
bill put a damper on the joy of
summer. Below are some tips for
keeping your home cool and your
electric bill in check.
Adjust the Thermostat
Set the temperature at 78 degrees rather than
72, and you can save up to 6% on cooling.
Keep Air Moving
Use fans to keep air moving. With your
thermostat setting up a few degrees, fans will
keep you much more comfortable. Fans cool
people, not rooms, so turn them off when you
leave.
Regular A/C Maintenance is Essential
Maintenance is very important in ensuring
your A/C unit runs efficiently. LREC recommends that you change the air filter and
have your A/C unit serviced according to the
manufacturer’s recommendation.
Energy Star Equipment
When it’s time to replace a cooling system,
purchase an Energy Star qualified model.
They can reduce energy costs by as much as
30%. Tax credits and/or rebates may be availLearn more about the solar panels selected for the project on the next page. able on qualifying Energy Star models.
www.lrec.coop • (800) 552-7658 • 1401 South Broadway • PO Box 643 • Pelican Rapids, MN 56572
LREC Community Solar to Feature
Minnesota Made Panels
tenKsolar® System Produces More Energy
Designed for Safety
It’s altogether fitting that LREC’s first Community Solar project will feature a solar photovoltaic (PV) system manufactured and assembled right here in Minnesota. The tenKsolar® system
is designed to be more efficient, productive, reliable and safer than other solar PV systems
available today.
In addition to increased energy
production, the tenK design provides
built-in safety. Traditional solar modules produce current any time they
receive sunlight—with DC voltages in
the 300VDC-600VDC range—and they
The tenK difference begins with their innovative, patented design. Unlike conventional PV
panels which are wired and connected in series, the PV cells within each tenK module and all cannot be turned off. tenKsolar® sysmodules in the array are connected in parallel. One advantage of the parallel matrix contems operate at a much lower 57VDC
nection is that a panel doesn’t have to be uniformly illuminated in order to produce electric- voltage and connected in parallel only
ity. This reduces the impact of shading and allows the module to accept reflected light. So, produce current when there is a comwhere there is empty space between rows of conventional solar modules, tenK adds a row
plete circuit. Maintenance personnel
of reflector panels to increase the output. The reflector panels, using a special 3M film, are
and firefighters can throw the discondesigned to reflect only the wavelength of light that can be used by solar cells - increasing
nect switch and shut off power to the
energy production as much as 44%.
array.
$10 Credit for
Auto-Payments
Sign up for automatic payment with your
checking account and get a $10 credit
on your account. Register by September
30th to be eligible for a grand prize drawing of a $200 bill credit.
The convenience of automatic payment
can set your mind at ease. And if you
sign up now, you’ll get a one-time $10
credit* on your account.
It’s easy to enroll:
» Go to our website and sign up at
“Access My Account”
» Print and mail completed form from
website’s “Forms & Information”
» Call one of our friendly Customer
Service Specialists today
* $10.00 credit for automatic payment from checking account only
Statement of
Nondiscrimination
Visit our YouTube and Facebook pages!
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. (Not all
prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director,
Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington,
D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider
and employer.
youtube.com/LakeRegionElectricCo
facebook.com/LakeRegionElectricCoop
Photo of Minnesota prairie by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
September 2013
Interest Builds for
Community Solar
Project
Momentum for the Lake Region Community
Solar Project continues to pick up speed. It
is exciting and gratifying to bring together
all of the elements needed to create this
ground-breaking project.
We are on-track to construct the 40 kW solar
energy array this fall. It will consist of 96
panels situated on a 4,000 sq. ft. site adjacent
to the cooperative’s office. Although we are
still working on finalizing the pricing details,
we are currently compiling a list of members
who would like to participate in the project.
We are pleased with the many calls and
inquiries from our members since the project
was announced last month. The project is receiving a high level of support, indicating that
Lake Region’s members have a favorable view
of solar energy. Cooperative members will
purchase the output of one or more panels.
The kilowatt-hours (kWh) produced by the
solar panel(s) will then be credited at the full
retail rate to their monthly electric bills.
Our members also seem to be exceptionally
pleased that the solar array will be the result
of Lake Region Electric Cooperative partnering with the National Renewable Energy
Cooperative and Federated Insurance. This
partnership results in the project’s qualification for monetization of federal investment
tax credits for solar energy. This will benefit
our member participants in the solar project,
as well as Lake Region Electric Cooperative
as a whole.
We will continue to update you as the project
moves forward. If you would like to support
the project with the purchase of a panel(s),
please contact Lake Region Electric Cooperative. Your name will be placed on a list and
we’ll contact you as the plans are finalized.
Lakeswind Wind Power Plant Project
Provides New Underground Lines for LREC
Although LREC won’t be purchasing energy
from the Rollag area $75 million Lakeswind
Power Plant, the cooperative will still benefit
from the project.
“We will get to convert approximately two
miles of overhead line to underground line at
no expense to our members,” explains Randy
Kvidt, staking supervisor with LREC.
Kvidt estimates that this conversion will
save the cooperative between $175,000 and
$200,000. LREC will also construct and pay
for an additional ¾ mile stretch to complete
the underground line section.
The massive wind energy project will result
in 32 wind turbines erected throughout the
region. Spanning an impressive 10,000 acres,
the wind farm is primarily located in Tansem
and Parke Townships. The project includes
parts of Clay, Becker, and Otter Tail Counties.
“The turbines should mostly all be erected
by early November,” reports Shane Litts, a
partner with Rockland Capital, the investment
firm behind the project. The construction
phase will be completed late this year, but
the wind power plant will not be operational
until early in 2014.
Although Lake Region has had minimal
involvement with the project, CEO Tim
Thompson says the co-op has been working
very cooperatively with Rockland Capital.
“The biggest benefit for us is that there are
certain points where they need to build their
transmission line and it intersects with our
lines. They are willing to compensate us for
putting our lines underground in those areas.
In addition to that, we are increasing the ca-
I want to express my sincere thanks to Lake
Region Electric Cooperative members for their
encouragement and support of
our Community Solar Project.
Pursuing solar energy will help
diversify our energy sources and
position our cooperative favorably as a 21st century electric
supplier.
www.lrec.coop • (800) 552-7658 • 1401 South Broadway • PO Box 643 • Pelican Rapids, MN 56572
pacity of those lines. It is a very good thing
for our members,” Thompson explains.
“As we are doing some upgrades to transmission lines there may be some temporary
disruptions in power to certain members,”
mentions Litts. “We certainly appreciate
everyone’s patience.”
The Lakeswind Power Plant will have the
capacity to produce nearly 50 megawatts
of power. The wind power that is generated
will join the regional power grid via the
Tamarac substation in Scambler Township,
Otter Tail County. From there it will be sold
to Great Lakes Utilities, a cooperative that
includes 24 communities in Wisconsin and
Michigan.
“Lake Region will not be purchasing any of
the power generated at the Lakeswind Power Plant,” Thompson emphasizes. He adds
how the cooperative is already meeting its
renewable portfolio standard (a regulation
that requires the increased production of
energy from renewable energy sources, such
as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal.)
The Lakeswind project is now well under way. Many of the foundations for the
turbines are already poured. “A semi load
of rebar goes into each turbine,” Kvidt says.
“Approximately 35 truckloads of cement are
also required for each turbine’s foundation.”
The turbines will stand 260 feet tall with
110-foot blades and will each generate an
estimated 1.5 megawatts.
“We’re excited about the project and happy
it’s moving forward,” said Litts.
Height of Land 69ers 4-H Club - Thank you
to all of the 4-H Club members who represented LREC in area parades this summer.
Don’t forget:
Operation Round Up
grant applications are
due September 16th