Medtronic

Corporate Business Solar Electric Installation Project Profile

To control rising energy costs and employ environmentally conscious business practices, Medtronic flipped the switch to solar. Novato and Sonoma-based SolarCraft designed and installed the 321 kW solar electric system at the main Santa Rosa campus of Medtronic, a global leader in medical technology. The company's primary North Bay facility, located in the Fountaingrove area of Santa Rosa, is now partly powered by free energy from the sun.

The new energy system offsets electric usage at the main building and the testing labs, providing an expected net-savings of approximately $1.8 million over the next 20 years. The ground-mounted system utilizes 1,344 SunTech 275-watt panels and spans more than 28,100 square feet. The system will generate approximately 560,000 kilowatt hours of energy annually, providing clean power for Medtronic's operations and reducing the strain on the local utility grid during peak usage hours.

The system will enable Medtronic to generate enough electricity each day to power more than 186 average homes. It will spare the air nearly 250 tons of harmful greenhouse gases annually. Over the next 30 years, the air pollution saved will be equivalent to eliminating more than 16 million miles of driving or planting 50 acres of air-filtering trees.

With a 25-year warranty and 30 year design life, this solar power system will provide sustainable, clean energy for decades to come.

Customer Profile

Medtronic, Inc. (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Minneapolis, is committed to alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life. Medtronic's Santa Rosa-based businesses make coronary stents and aortic stent grafts, among other medical devices and technology used in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.