Nordic Ware’s headquarters features solar façade

A new $1 million solar array is giving Nordic Ware’s headquarters in St. Louis Park a distinctive look as well as a sustainable source of power.

Blaine-based Cedar Creek Energy partnered with Nordic Ware on the array, which generates about 450,000 kilowatts of electricity for the kitchenware company’s energy-intensive manufacturing building at 5005 Highway 7. Cedar Creek expects the project, which comes on the heels of a recent warehouse addition , to offset 5% of Nordic Ware’s yearly energy usage.

In an unusual twist, the solar project team installed the panels on the facade instead of the roof an approach that made sense in part because multiple building expansions had created a “patchwork” of roof lines, according to Cedar Creek, a Blaine-based designer and installer of sun-powered energy systems.

“It’s great to see companies that consume a lot of energy using their space to embrace green energy. The owners had a very specific aesthetic look they wanted, and we were able to accomplish it with our careful install crews, working around windows, doorways, downspouts, and lighting,” Erin Harvey, project developer for Cedar Creek Energy, said in a press release.

The array has been soaking up rays for several months now. In an interview, Harvey said the installation was completed in January.

Harvey said the decision to put the solar panels on the facade was largely based on aesthetics. The owner wanted to “almost make it like a siding project, so we could aesthetically tie the building together. However, that was harder as we would go from one section of the building to the next,” Harvey said.

One specific challenge was knowing exactly where the panels could be safely and securely installed. As part of its research, the Cedar Creek project team consulted the original building contractor, pored over plans and did some “pilot holes.”

“It’s just knowing where we can drill into the wall and make sure that we're doing things properly,” Harvey said.

Cedar Creek works with both residential and commercial clients, though its work is “heavier on the commercial side,” Harvey said. Business clients are motivated in part by a desire to be more sustainable in their operations, while taking advantage of state and federal incentives for renewable power.

It’s an approach that’s especially logical for a company like Nordic Ware, which uses a lot of power because it “makes things out of metal,” Harvey said.

David Dalquist, CEO of Nordic Ware, said in a press release that the kitchenware company has “never been afraid to innovate, and adding solar is a smart and efficient way to achieve green energy goals. Our facilities are a local landmark, and Cedar Creek Energy helped us make a bold aesthetic statement while designing a system that shows our commitment to greening up and diversifying our energy sources.”

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