In 2020, as the community became even more concerned about the climate crisis, the city identified a need for a Climate Action Planning effort. These efforts resulted in the release of the city’s CAP. With the release of their first Climate Action Plan (CAP) in 2021, the City of Edina set forth goals to cut their carbon emissions 45 percent by 2030, with a long-term goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.
Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) were identified to improve energy efficiency and reduce building emissions throughout the city. The measures include energy efficiency upgrades with building electrification, on-site solar electricity generation, and alternative source carbon reduction strategies. Through the partnership, HGA has contributed to a list of 200 actions the city has identified as necessary to reach their 2030 goal.
“The City of Edina has an aggressive 2030 goal, and our work with HGA is helping us to put these goals into action with tangible solutions and recommendations. HGA’s team of engineers, landscape architects, and architects has allowed us to work with a partner familiar with the city and our goals across a variety of needs,” said Derik Otten, Facility Manager with the City of Edina.
The interdisciplinary team of architects and engineers at HGA worked together in implementation of the first ECMs at Edina’s City Hall after the space needs study assessed the buildings condition, evaluated energy use, and provided options for implementation to comply with current building codes, the state of Minnesota’s B3 guidelines, as well as ADA guidelines. The ECMs included building envelope improvements, LED lighting and control upgrades, HVAC control improvements, and a new, 120 kW rooftop photovoltaic solar array leading to a more functional, secure, flexible, and resilient City Hall.
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HGA’s team of landscape architects partnered with the City of Edina in the improvement of City Hall’s landscape design, with the goal of restoring underperforming plant communities and creating a more impactful entry experience. Improvements incorporated drought tolerance plants that offer value to surrounding wildlife and guidance on maintaining the site’s existing trees, as well as sustainable maintenance practices for the future.
“Our ability to help cities reach their decarbonization and energy goals is due largely in part to the nature of an interdisciplinary firm. These goals take planning and coordination and with engineers, architects, and researchers working closely, HGA is well poised to offer solutions and put these plans into action,” said Wade Cooper, Engineering Principal with HGA.
HGA offers a range of engineering services including energy consulting services that help clients achieve decarbonization goals, energy conservation goals, net zero energy, or integrated renewable and high-performance systems like geothermal and solar photovoltaic. In addition to projects completed with the City of Edina, HGA provided data for the City Council on the city’s main buildings’ performance.
