Des Moines' First Municipal Solar Field Set To Go Online

Press Release

Des Moines, Iowa- Friday, July 26, 2024 - As crews finish the final details, the City of Des Moines is proud to announce the completion of its first municipal solar field, the Harriet Street Solar Field. At just over $3 million, this project represents a significant step towards achieving the City's goal of carbon-free electricity.

Situated between the two buildings it was designed to power, the newly built Animal Services and Greenhouse facilities, the solar field will produce approximately 690 kW AC. To put that number into perspective, the power generated is enough to supply energy to roughly 570 homes.

"We have the recent climate action plan, Adapt DSM, and a lot of the points in it take time to develop," City Architect Ann Sobiech-Munson said. "So, seeing something like this take shape and provide renewable energy to these two new buildings is really gratifying."

Historically, the area has been used as an unregulated dump site and in proximity to heavy industrial-use businesses for many years, so finding a more traditional in-fill use for the land was challenging.

"We try when building City-owned facilities to incorporate as much renewable energy production on site as possible," Sobiech-Munson said. "In this case, the land where this project sits presented us a pretty unique opportunity."

In addition to the solar field, the city is planting approximately eight acres of pollinator habitat and nine acres of native grass plantings around the site. This innovative use of land transforms the area into a valuable asset for environmental sustainability.