Join UMD engineering students, Ecolibrium3, and the community for an open house to celebrate the launch of the Lincoln Park Solar Garden.
The event will be held on Saturday October 24, from 12:30–3 p.m. at 1320 West Michigan St. in Duluth, Minnesota. A ribbon cutting for the solar garden kicks off the event. It includes a long ribbon for physical distancing and lots of scissors.
Immediately after the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to enjoy free ice cream and prizes. Visitors are asked to park on Superior Street and walk down the hill. The site is next to the Gospel Tabernacle.
From the Beginning to Ground Breaking
The project was done in conjunction with the Shines! Program, with help from UMD students. Mary Christiansen, civil engineering associate professor, said, " UMD was proud to have been involved in the start of the project and the students and faculty are excited to see it come to fruition." The first iteration of the Shines! program, in 2014, centered on projects located in Lincoln Park, a low-income area of Duluth, and focused on the design of solar PV and solar thermal systems. In 2015, the projects were focused primarily on the UMD campus and included an investigation of the best locations for solar PV and the design of a more efficient irrigation system for watering athletic fields. This project brought UMD students back to Lincoln Park in a partnership with Ecolibrium3, to design, build, and install a solar energy system for the community. For information about the UMD programs, contact Mary Christiansen at [email protected] and Alison Hoxie, mechanical & industrial engineering associate professor, [email protected].
Note: A virtual solar celebration will be held on Thursday, October 22 from 12–12:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Park Solar Garden at 1320 West Michigan St.., Duluth, Minn. 55806.
About Ecolibrium3
About Ecolibrium3 serves as the neighborhood convening organization in Duluth’s low-income Lincoln Park neighborhood, working on all aspects of sustainable revitalization that advance opportunities for residents and businesses. They focus on community sustainability and resiliency including aspects of energy transition, housing stock improvement, economic security, and health.
Ecolibrium3 really appreciates the student efforts over the years to help design the space. Getting the solar in is just the beginning of implementing many of the ideas.
About the UMD Civil Engineering Program
About the UMD Electrical Engineering Program
About the UMD Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Program