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The county's Household Hazardous Waste Facility is 10 years old this year, and as part of its anniversary celebration staff also got to tout the new solar power system at the site.

The county's Household Hazardous Waste Facility has been generating almost 75 percent of the electricity used at the building, since July, through solar energy.

Chisago County got a grant from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 to install the system. Carr Creek Electric Service won the bid and the installation became active in July. There are 14 photovoltaic panels on the rooftop of the facility, located in the industrial park in North Branch. The storms this summer that brought straightline wind damage to structures in the industrial park and homes in town didn't hurt the solar array at all, visitors were told.

Paul Dennison, facility manager, reported that the HHWF has consumed 1,190 kilowatt hours of solar panel generated electricity-- out of the facility's total 1,630 metered kilowatt hours. The system is "seamless" he added, saying that there is nothing noticeable during the day when the power consumption moves from solar to regular and back again.

The panels are capable of generating an estimated 3,200 watts, depending on weather and other factors, and on a sunny day it has been providing the facility with nearly all its electric operating needs. The system also feeds into the Municipal Water & Light utility grid in North Branch when generation exceeds on-site demand.

Dennison said part of the solar program includes connection to a website that displays solar production in many places across the U.S. See https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com.

The HHWF solar production is charted on the website, so Dennison said if there are property owners in North Branch, interested in solar energy, they can see actual real time data from this North Branch system.

Contractor Chris Jarosch of Carr Creek Electric, said he was very excited to get this project because this is a great location for the public to see an installation and be able to ask questions and learn more about solar energy.

The Household Hazardous Waste Facility opened in late 2000.

It has accepted/processed two million pounds of waste since it opened. In 2010 the facility served 2,000 customers who provided information for the disposal log.

The facility is open noon to 7 p.m. Mondays and the last Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Old mercury thermometers can be recycled there and they'll give you a non-mercury one in exchange.

The county's "exchange" program is also part of the overall recycling outreach. The exchange is periodically updated; listing items people want to get rid of that can be re-used and people searching for something can post on-line as well.

There's also a "re-use" area inside the facility that people can look over and find products that have been checked out by staff. Everything from car care items to paints and lawn care products are generally available.

If you have a special request or have a question about disposing of a hazardous product call the facility at 213-8920 or see the county website at www.co.chisago.mn.us.

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