A lifetime membership for only $25 allows you to:
You are not committed until you sign the Subscription Agreement that is customized based on your energy use and your needs. This gives you time to understand the project fully and answer any questions you have.
Click the SIGN UP button on our Community Solar page and we will add you to our Eden Prairie or Clara City Community Solar Garden if you are eligible. Alternatively, we can add you to our waiting list for our Lake Elmo, Mankato or Midtown Community Solar Gardens.
CEF has previously offered four rounds of Preferred Stock:
Class A Preferred Stock, offered April 2017-March 2018 to members living in MN:
Class A-1 Preferred Stock, offered April 2019-March 2021 to members living in MN:
Class B Preferred Stock, offered June 2019-June 2020 in specific states:
Class B-1 Preferred Stock, offered July 2021-June 2022 to accredited investors nationwide:
To host a community solar garden (CSG) for your community, you need to own a large roof or other unshaded open area, such as a field or parking lot. We need unobstructed rooftops of at least 80,000 sq. ft or open land of at least 5 acres. CEF will lease access to the site from the building owner or landowner for 25 years. For a 1MW CSG, CEF pays around $6,000-$10,000/year, depending on the site. Smaller projects may be viable, but would receive proportionately less compensation.
If you know a potential location interested in serving as a host site of a community solar array, you can send a recommendation to Solar Site Assessor Bruce Konewko at bruce@cooperativeenergyfutures.com, 651-808-2242. Please include your name, contact information, the specific address (street, city, state, zip) of the site you are recommending, and a sentence or two about your connection to the site and its owner.
Research from the Minnesota Department of Commerce has estimated that the amount of current energy waste due to inefficient energy use and outdated technologies is around 50% of the energy we use in Minnesota. Cooperative Energy Futures has offered a number of services to members across Minnesota to improve home energy, including DIY weatherization work parties, group contracting initiatives for weatherization, and more. In the future, Cooperative Energy Futures is excited to participate in new program models that open access to energy efficiency to everyone in our community, including renters and those who lack the upfront cash or access to loans to pay for home energy upgrades themselves.
In the meantime, if you'd like to learn more about us, feel free to visit the 'About Us' section of our website. We appreciate your enthusiasm and look forward to potentially welcoming new team members in the future. Submit a Resume and a Written Statement explaining why you are interested in the position(s) you are applying for to hiring@cooperativeenergyfutures.com. Please include which position(s) you are applying for in the Subject Line. We will send additional follow up questions and interview scheduling to candidates we wish to interview. These positions will remain open until filled.
CURRENT OPENINGS:
Project Development Director - This person is primarily responsible for organizing and coordinating the team that secures, builds, manages, and maintains our solar projects. This includes our community solar gardens and our rooftop solar projects for low-income households (single family and multi-family housing). This position will also be responsible for managing internal and external partners to review ongoing solar project performance and making adjustments with external maintenance partners to ensure the projects are operating optimally.