Lake Superior Zoo Project Profiles

The Lake Superior Zoo is located in the beautiful lakeside city of Duluth, and is one of only 180 zoo's and aquariums (out of more than 1800) in the United States to have achieved the ranking of an Accredited Institution of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). The Lake Superior Zoo is dedicated to the responsible stewardship of our natural environment through exhibition of living animals and plants and programs in conservation and wildlife education.

Visit the Lake Superior Zoo Website

More information from the Solar Tour brochure (pdf)

top

Background

The City of Duluth, a Cities for Climate Protection City, is committed to serve as a model for the reduction of greenhouse gases and air pollution emissions. The Lake Superior Zoo’s photovoltaic garage produces electricity used to run two electric maintenance vehicles. The animal barn, housing farm animals in the Children’s Zoo, uses solar hot water to provide heat needed to prevent ice formation during winter months and hot water to clean the animals and the barn.

History :In 2002, the Lake Superior Zoo was identified as an opportune site to launch the first Rebuild Minnesota renewable energy demonstration project in northern Minnesota. With over 150,000 visitors per year the Zoo projects are highly visible to a diverse audience. Partners in the projects include the City of Duluth, the Rebuild Minnesota Initiative, the Lake Superior Zoo, ComfortSystems (Duluth Public Works & Utilities Department’s sewer, gas, water and storm water utility), Lake Superior Zoological Society, Johnson Controls, Minnesota Power, and LHB Architects and Engineers.

Reason for installation:The Lake Superior Zoo was chosen as the site for northeastern Minnesota's first Rebuild Minnesota renewable energy demonstration project. It's designed to improve energy and environmental performance at the zoo while demonstrating the benefits to a large and diverse audience. The projects also serve as an example of a grid-connected system.

The neighborhoods surrounding the zoo, Spirit Valley to Fond du Lac, may be areas where the use of Neighborhood Electric Vehicles* is appropriate. Future installation of a public use electric vehicle charging station is being considered.

*Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) are federally approved low speed vehicles which if certain safety standards are met, may be driven on community streets.

Critical Success Factors/key players: It's always about building strong relationships committed to a common goal whereby participants want to see/make projects happen.

top

Photovoltaic Garage for Electric Vehicles

Type: Photovoltaic (PV) panels approximately 12' x 30'
Installation: Connected to grid, April 2004
System Size: 18-165 Watt Sharp PV panels for a total of 2kW of PV panels with a 4kW grid intertie inverter.
Energy Production: 3084 kWh/year
Location: Duluth Zoo north of Main Building (The garage was originally planned for the Zoo parking lot or on the top of a building directly in front of the main entry to the Zoo.)
Site Characteristics: Garage has panels facing south and will house two electric maintenance vehicles.
Cost of the Project: $60,000
Lessons Learned: We believe that this is one of the first applications of a PV-based fueling stations in the U.S. and that we are a model for the larger community. The creation of partnerships and flexibility was essential to make this project a success.

Electric
Vehicle

Photovoltaic Panels

top

Solar Hot Water for Animal Barn

Type: Solar Panels and Storage Tank-Six 84" x 80 vacuum tube collectors connected to two 92 gallon storage tanks.
Installation: March 2004
System Size: 20-100 watt PV panels for a total of 2kW of PV panels with a 4kW grid intertie inverter.
Energy Production: Provides 60% of hot water needs or 180 gallons daily. Energy equivalent to 5256kWh per year.
Location: Animal Barn at the Duluth Zoo.
Site Characteristics: The Animal Barn is positioned to face almost directly south.
Cost of the Project: $75,000
Lessons Learned: The protection of the investment in this technology needed to be included in the project. The potential for vandalism needed to be addressed as well as inadvertent exposure to zoo visitors. Enclosure
at the lower levels of the collectors were necessary.

Solar panels
on
Animal Barn

top	Home	About Us	Partners	Incentives/Programs
top	Links	Contact Us	Project Profiles	Educational Opportunities/Events