Menahga, MN – Anyone interested in solar power is invited to stop by the newly remodeled West Central Telephone/CNS office building in Menahga on Saturday, October 1, for the 3rd Annual Zenergy Solar Tour Open House. The event, which is part of the Minnesota Solar tour running throughout the state that day, has attracted over a hundred “solar tourists” from as far away as Minneapolis and Moorhead in its first two years.
The Zenergy Open House will run between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., when the Zenergy team will be serving refreshments and Minnesota-made Caribou coffee, freshly brewed using power from the Zenergy Solar Trailer. There will also be games, door prizes, merchandise on sale, and guided tours by Zenergy Master Electrician Clint Kyllonen during this time. Free Wi-Fi is provided in the “green space” picnic area for those needing to check their emails or access the internet.
In addition to the Solar Trailer, which provided electricity to the command center’s communications equipment after the Wadena tornado last year, visitors can also get an up-close look at many other solar solutions, including a solar air furnace used to offset the winter heating bill, a solar water heating system, and three different configurations of solar electricity being tested side-by-side. New this year will also be a demonstration of a remote solar water pumping kit.
The WCTA/CNS office is located on the corner of Highways 71 and 87 in Menahga, next to the VFW. The full line of refreshments will only be served during the Open House from 10:00 – 12:00 when the public is encouraged to attend, but the official statewide tour runs from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., so those who can’t make the open house can stop by and a staff member will be available to answer questions.
The tour is part of the American Solar Energy Society’s (ASES) National Solar Tour, said to be the largest solar event in the world. Now in its 16th year, the event offers people the opportunity to visit any one of thousands of solar powered homes and businesses across the nation in a free, self-guided tour. The Minnesota Renewable Energy Society, the Minnesota branch of ASES, is sponsoring the event for Minnesota, and details on the participating sites, pictures, and maps of the locations can be found on the MRES website: www.MNSolarTour.org.
About Zenergy
Zenergy by West Central is a service provided by West Central Telephone Association (WCTA) to bring renewable energy technologies to the region. Installation services available include small wind, solar electricity, solar thermal air and water, back-up battery and generator systems, and energy efficient lighting and equipment.
About West Central Telephone
West Central Telephone Association is a full service telecommunications company providing local and long distance services, advanced telephone, broadband Internet services, IPTV, business phone systems, complete telecommunications wiring services and much more.
About the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society
The Minnesota Renewable Energy Society is a member-run, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in Minneapolis in 1978 to promote the use of and advocacy for renewable energies in Minnesota through education and demonstration of practical applications. The Society is involved with education, awareness, and advocacy efforts for all forms of renewable energy technologies, with a particular emphasis on solar energy technologies. For more information about MRES and the Minnesota Solar Home Tour, go to www.mnRenewables.org.
About the American Solar Energy Society
For more than 50 years the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) has been leading the renewable energy revolution to advance the use of solar and renewable energy. ASES leads national efforts to promote solar energy education, public outreach, and advocacy. www.ases.org The National Solar Tour is expected to run in all 50 states this year. A complete list of scheduled events may be found at www.NationalSolarTour.org.
