Our Story
From garage project to global impact
RREAL was founded in the garage of Jason Edens and BJ Allen, a young couple trying to solve for high heating costs during Minnesota's cold, long winters. From the beginning, they wanted to help others in the same situation, so they created Rural Renewable Energy Alliance to bring renewable solutions to others.
RREAL’s initial offering was the Solar Powered Furnace (SPF), a heat exchange system leveraging heat collector panels and a blower moving heated air into the home. Manufacturing and installing these units spawned our first workforce development program.
In the 2010s, the organization added Solar Photovoltaics (PV) to our offerings and expanded the workforce development into solar installation. The solar powered furnace patent and capabilities were relaunched as 8th Fire Solar, an Indigenous-owned business that is still operating today.
The Solar PV installation business was incorporated as Real Solar in 2014, a social enterprise for the benefit of RREAL. RREAL continued its focus on making solar accessible to all, working with Native nations, schools, non-profits, and partner organizations working in low-income housing.
Our work with schools—like Pine River-Backus in 2016-2017—spurred the creation of a K-8 solar energy curriculum. It was updated to align to science standards in 2020.
Work with Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and White Earth Nation spawned our Community Solar for Community Action program. This program created the first community solar projects built with philanthropic funding such that all income received from the electricity generated is distributed to the Tribal energy assistance programs.
Opportunities to expand the Community Solar for Community Action beyond Minnesota's borders led to projects in Vermont, Liberia, and Uganda.
In 2020-2021 Workforce development curriculum was moved to White Earth Tribal and Community College and Leech Lake Tribal College to more closely associate with broader educational programs.
In 2022, REAL Solar was dissolved with several employees moved (and major assets sold) to Wolf Track Energy. LLC. Wolf Track has been leasing space in our Backus building as a satelite location for their Duluth/Two Harbors headquarters.
The organization more recently has focused on fulfilling the original mission of making renewable energy accessible to all in Central and Northern Minnesota, specifically focused on rural communities and historically disadvantaged people and families.
Solar for Hospitals
in Liberia
RREAL developed a partnership with the Bold Women of the ELCA and ELCA synods across Minnesota to install solar arrays at Phebe and Curran Hospitals in Liberia to power essential services, reduce reliance on dirty, expensive, hard to get diesel fuel, and help to provide secure health care for more people in SubSaharan Africa.
In 2021, working with Pickering & Associates, RREAL's work in Liberia came to a successful conclusion as projects were completed and updated and 890 panels were shipped to assist Pickering & Associates in providing small solar systems to power rural clinic in remote parts of Liberia.
Huge thanks to all who made this work possible. Special thanks to the Ilsababy Foundation for financial support and Global Health Ministries for logistical support.
Solar to Reduce Energy Poverty
RREAL installed the first low-income community solar array integrated into energy assistance on the Leech Lake Ojibwe Reservation in 2016.
Two more community solar arrays serving veterans were installed at Tri-County Community Action Partnership in Little Falls, MN in 2019 and 2020. Another array was constructed in 2019 with Southeastern Vermont Community Action. All arrays continue to offset energy costs for low-income residents.
African Children Today in Rakai, Uganda
In 2020, RREAL completed the installation of a 100 kW solar microgrid at the African Children Today Junior Academy in the Rakai district of Uganda. Working with Minneapolis based African Children Today, this solar array powers a bakery and school for about 1,500 children, nearly all of whom have been orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
This microgrid provides a sustainable, long-term, more affordable energy solution that frees up resources for other critical needs and essential services. Huge thanks to our friends at African Children Today for making this project possible.
Awards and Recognition
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2019 DOE Solar in Your Community Challenge
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2018 Energy Globe Award
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2018 Brian D. Robertson Memorial Fund Award
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2018 Environmental Initiative Award
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2017 Outstanding Service Provider in MN Region 5
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2016 Great Energy Challenge Innovator Award
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2016 Climate Adaptation Partnership Award
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2015 Environmental Initiative Award for Climate & Energy
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2013 Minnesota Nonprofit Mission Award for Innovation
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2009 Initiative Awards Outstanding Green Venture
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2009 Social Entrepreneur's Cup
2019
Bush Prize
Winner
