A growing number of Minnesota school districts are looking to the sun to stabilize their energy costs.

Lakeville is the latest Twin Cities school district to consider using solar power to save money. School board members are debating whether to join a nearby solar garden that could save the district $3 million to $10 million on electricity over the next 25 years.

“That is a pretty substantial savings in my mind,” said Sara Guyette, facilities director for the district. “I really don’t see a downside, other than the length of the contract.”

If board members give their blessing, Lakeville could join districts like nearby Farmington and West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan or Forest Lake and Mounds View in the north metro by drawing from the sun some of the millions of watts of electricity their schools use each year.

The Lakeville school board mulled the use of solar energy for much of the past school year. They got a nudge at a work session in May when fifth-graders from Lake Marion Elementary School made the case for solar power.

Principal Bret Domstrand said his students researched renewable energy as part of their science curriculum and found the benefits so compelling they decided to push the district to consider solar power.

“They were not intimidated. They knew their stuff and were excited,” Domstrand said of the students’ presentation to the board.

If board members OK solar power later this year, Domstrand says it will be an important example of students’ influence.

“The kids saw the possibility and how it could impact our school and our community,” Domstrand said. “I think when they see it happen, they will realize their work and effort produced something.”

Besides saving money, school districts hope to use a commitment to solar power to educate students. Guyette says if Lakeville buys power from a solar garden, teachers will receive real-time data about how much energy is being produced; the garden also could be a field trip destination.

Minnesota’s renewable-energy standard requires electric utilities to generate 25 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2025. Many companies help school districts take advantage of state incentives that encourage the use of solar power. Related Articles Oakdale man sentenced to 30 years for death of West St. Paul father shot as 2-year-old son slept beside him

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Burnsville-Eagan-Savage schools recently signed a deal with Ideal Energies to install about $1 million worth of solar panels. Under the deal, the district receives 25 percent of the electricity generated in the first 12 years and the rest goes to pay for the panels. Related Articles Oakdale man sentenced to 30 years for death of West St. Paul father shot as 2-year-old son slept beside him

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After that, the district keeps all of the energy that’s generated and expects to save about $1 million on energy costs during the solar panels’ 25-year warranty period.

Burnsville is also considering joining a solar garden to further reduce its energy costs.

“Knowing the cost of energy is increasing, everybody is thinking about what the alternatives may be,” said Lisa Rider, Burnsville’s executive director of business services.