Caves of Faribault’s Solar Garden Sheds Light on Efficient and Sustainable Energy

Faribault, MN – Caves of Faribault reports that 90% of its power consumption used to run the plant for the 2019 calendar year was solar-powered, resulting not only in significant cost savings on the company’s electricity bill but a positive environmental impact for its community.

Caves of Faribault was able to achieve this feat by subscribing to what’s known as a “solar garden.”The concept of solar gardens center around converting energy from the sun into electrical energy that can power everything from equipment to lights. The plant first heard about the solar gardens in June of 2017, when they were in the process of being built. Five locations were set up in Dodge County consisting of solar panels tied to a power grid. Geronimo Energy, based out of Minneapolis, headed up the project.

According to their website, Geronimo’s mission is to “leave the world a better place than it was before we touched it.”Geronimo specializes in both solar and wind power solutions for businesses. With a farmer-centric philosophy in line with that of Prairie Farms Dairy, the parent company for the Caves of Faribault, the partnership was a perfect match. By subscribing to the solar garden, Faribault can use the clean, green energy created within the garden to power its plant, and this usage is credited back on the company’s electric bill.

“I think it is a great action to take as we are offsetting our carbon footprint,” says Steven O Neil, Plant Controller, who was instrumental in having Caves of Faribault become an early adopter of the service in the area.“It’s a win not only for our plant but for our community.”

For more information on solar garden technology, visit www.geronimoenergy.com