Going Green

Minneapolis has gone green with more than 80 green rooftops. The Central Library, the Target Center, a handful of underground parking garages and the lawn-bowling green at Brit’s Pub are just a few located in downtown. One of the oldest examples is the Hennepin County Government Center’s north plaza which is a park area above a cafeteria and office space. A 5,800-square foot roof at City Hall includes plantings and solar panels.

	MALL OF AMERICA > There is no heating system in the mall; it relies on the heat from lighting, skylights and the masses of people. It is 70 degrees Fahrenheit 365 days a year. > Leftover food from restaurants is picked up daily by a local hog farmer.
	TARGET FIELD > The ballpark is the second LEED-Silver-certified Major League Baseball field in the country. > The nearby Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) provides heat for the ballpark with captured waste energy.
	GOLD MEDAL PARK > Gold Medal Park encompasses 7.5 acres in the heart of Minneapolis’ Riverfront Mill District. The park includes close to 300 mature trees, all hand-picked and between 6 and 12 feet in diameter. The species include maples, lindens, hackberries, oaks and catalpas.
	MINNEAPOLIS CENTRAL LIBRARY > The 18,560-square-foot green roof atop the Minneapolis Central Library creates a model for other downtown buildings and developments and promotes a clean, sustainable city. > Low-growing prairie plants reduce cooling and heating loads and improves downtown air quality.
	MINNEAPOLIS CONVENTION CENTER > HVAC and lighting systems are monitored around the clock to save energy. > The building’s food waste is sent to local farms to be used as animal feed. > 2.2 tons per month of material (cardboard, cans, glass and plastic are recycled. > 95 percent of cleaning products are Green Seal certified. > The Minneapolis Convention Center is the site of the upper Midwest’s largest solar photovoltaic array at 600kw. There are 2,613 solar photovoltaic panels on the flat portions of the roof.