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399 <br />Mr. Weir responded if they are putting panels on the roof, they would be past the <br />400 <br />development period and would have a financial partner by then. All of the solar <br />401 <br />gardens in Minnesota are owned by utility companies and they get the tax credits. <br />402 <br />403 <br />Mr. Culver inquired what the typical life cycle of a solar panel was. <br />404 <br />405 <br />Mr. Weir responded they are under warranty for 25 years but will produce for 30 <br />406 <br />to 40 years. NASA has panels that are over 40 years old. They degrade 0.25 percent <br />407 <br />per year and that is why the kilowatt hours go down each year. <br />408 <br />409 <br />Mr. Culver stated at the end of 25 years, they might possibly have an option to <br />410 <br />purchase them and produce energy for another 10 to 15 years. <br />411 <br />412 <br />Mr. Weir noted they could also negotiate a contract and get a payment from Neel. <br />413 <br />414 <br />Member Misra inquired if the proj$cts done in 1991 are all original panels. <br />415 <br />416 <br />Mr. Weir stated they are all original panels and mostly residential, and they are still <br />417 <br />producing. However, the efficiency and size of the panels have changed over time. <br />418 <br />419 <br />Chair Cihacek inquired about next steps. <br />420 <br />421 <br />Mr. Weir explained they could provide a subscription agreement with them which <br />422 <br />can then be shared with the City Attorney for review. They are willing to do more <br />423 <br />evaluation to help decide what makes the most sense. <br />424 <br />425 <br />Member Wozniak inquired if other rooftop locations had been considered, such as <br />426 <br />the gas canopy, the salt storage structure or the property across Woodhill that was <br />427 <br />recently purchased. He also inquired how rooftop solar costs compare with other <br />428 <br />installations. <br />429 <br />430 <br />Mr. Culver responded the Fire S�ation is the only other location that has been talked <br />431 <br />about. <br />432 <br />433 <br />Mr. Weir stated carports add about 25 or 30 percent to the cost because a structure <br />434 <br />needs to be built to hold it. This is typically done in warm climates where energy <br />435 <br />is expensive and there is a limitation on land. Ground and roof mounts are similar <br />436 <br />in cost. <br />437 <br />438 <br />Member Misra inquired if modifications would be required on the existing <br />439 <br />structures. <br />440 <br />441 <br />Mr. Weir stated modifications would not be needed, but they would want a <br />442 <br />structural engineer to look at the Skating Center more in depth. Some additional <br />443 <br />bracing may need to be added to the bracing inside. <br />444 <br />Page 10 of 16 <br />