Business Details
26 Years
experience
Empowering Communities with Solar Energy Solutions
RREAL is dedicated to making solar energy accessible to all communities in Central and Northern Minnesota. Since 2000, we have focused on expanding solar capacity, education, and workforce development to strategically reduce energy poverty. Our partnerships with organizations like Habitat for Humanity and White Earth Tribal & Community College have enabled us to install solar arrays in low-income housing, schools, and tribal facilities. We pioneered the Solar for Humanity initiative, integrating solar into affordable housing to lower energy costs for families. Our K-8 Solar Curriculum, developed with science educators, empowers students with renewable energy knowledge aligned with state standards. Through the Solar Powered Furnace program, we provide innovative passive solar heating solutions for residential and commercial buildings.Our workforce development initiatives, including paid internships and accredited degree programs, prepare diverse talent for careers in the growing clean energy sector. Collaborations with Minnesota Power and academic institutions like the University of Minnesota have supported large-scale projects, including solar installations at schools and colleges. We measure success through tangible impacts on energy poverty reduction and community empowerment, as evidenced by our 20-year track record of delivering over 300 kW of solar capacity across Minnesota and beyond. Our mission remains rooted in creating long-term solutions that combine clean energy access with economic opportunity for underserved populations.
Services
Solar Installations
Workforce Development
K-8 Curriculum
Solar for Humanity
Community Projects
Details
- Year established: 2000
Highlights and features
- We have 20+ years of experience in community solar projects and energy poverty reduction.
- Our partnerships with tribal nations and academic institutions ensure culturally relevant solutions.
- We offer a patented Solar Powered Furnace technology for efficient heating systems.
- Our K-8 Solar Curriculum meets Next Generation Science Standards for STEM education.
- We provide workforce development programs with on-the-job training in solar installation.
Services
Solar Installations
We design and implement solar energy systems for low-income housing, schools, and tribal facilities. Our installations reduce energy costs while promoting clean energy independence. Projects include residential arrays, school solar farms, and tribal community solar initiatives.
Workforce Development
Our paid internships and accredited degree programs prepare individuals for solar industry careers. Partnerships with White Earth Tribal College and Minnesota Power provide hands-on training and job placement opportunities in renewable energy fields.
K-8 Curriculum
We offer a Next Generation Science Standards-aligned solar curriculum for grades K-8. The free, adaptable materials teach renewable energy concepts through hands-on experiments and digital tools like Python-based solar analysis.
Solar for Humanity
This initiative partners with Habitat for Humanity to install solar panels on affordable homes. The program reduces energy bills for low-income families while demonstrating the viability of solar-powered housing solutions in poverty reduction.
Community Projects
We develop solar-powered greenhouses and microgrids that address both food and energy poverty. Recent projects include 4,000 sq ft solar greenhouses in rural Minnesota and hospital solar systems in Liberia that improve healthcare access through reliable power.
People
Marc Morrison
Executive Director
Marc leads RREAL's strategic initiatives, overseeing solar project development and community partnerships. With decades of experience in renewable energy, he directs the organization's mission to reduce energy poverty through solar access and workforce training.
Laurie Chamberlain
Board Chair
As Board Chair, Laurie provides governance leadership while practicing law at Overcast Law Offices. Her legal expertise in nonprofit and community development supports RREAL's policy advocacy and partnership strategies.
George Lemelin
Solar Educator
George develops solar training programs and leads workforce development initiatives at White Earth Tribal & Community College. His expertise in solar technology and education shapes the accredited degree program that prepares students for solar industry careers.
Martha Risedorf
Curriculum Developer
Martha created RREAL's K-8 Solar Curriculum with support from environmental agencies. Her educational materials combine STEM learning with practical solar energy applications, reaching thousands of students across Minnesota schools.
Questions
What is RREAL's primary mission?
Our mission is to make solar energy accessible to all communities in Central and Northern Minnesota while reducing energy poverty through education and workforce development.
Which communities do you serve?
We focus on Central and Northern Minnesota, including tribal nations like White Earth, while maintaining international partnerships in solar poverty reduction projects.
How can families access solar installations?
Through our Solar for Humanity partnership with Habitat for Humanity, qualifying low-income families receive solar panels on newly built affordable homes to reduce energy costs.
Do you offer educational resources?
Yes, our free K-8 Solar Curriculum meets Next Generation Science Standards and includes hands-on experiments and digital tools for classroom use in renewable energy education.
Are there job training opportunities?
We provide paid solar internships and an accredited Associates Degree Solar Program in partnership with White Earth Tribal College and Minnesota Power for clean energy careers.
What solar technology do you develop?
We created the Solar Powered Furnace, a patented passive solar air heating system integrated into residential and commercial buildings for energy-efficient heating solutions.
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