Solar at the Anchorage Museum

The Anchorage Museum is installing solar panels as part of a long-term effort to reduce energy costs, strengthen the Museum’s energy infrastructure, and contribute to Anchorage’s efforts to meet its future energy needs.

Solar panels are being installed on the Museum roof in phases and put Anchorage’s long summer daylight to work generating electricity for a large public building that operates year-round.

Why solar at a museum?
Museums use a significant amount of energy. Environmental systems operate around the clock to maintain stable conditions for collections, exhibitions, visitors, and staff throughout Anchorage’s changing seasons.

Generating some of that electricity on site makes practical sense. Solar can reduce the Museum’s utility costs and, during periods of high production, reduce the amount of electricity the building draws from the grid. Generating some of our electricity on site is a practical way to reduce long-term operating costs, use resources more efficiently, and make a smart investment in the Museum’s future.

The project also has a larger civic dimension. Anchorage is working to ensure that the city has reliable and affordable energy for the future. There will not be a single solution. Solar is one resource that can contribute, particularly during Alaska’s long summer days when production is strongest. As a major public building in downtown Anchorage, the Museum can put that idea into practice at a visible scale, learning from how the system performs here and sharing what we learn with visitors and the community.

Making energy visible
Most of the infrastructure that powers a city is easy to overlook. This project offers an opportunity to make one part of that system more visible.

Along with the rooftop installation, a solar panel and interpretive information in the Museum’s Discovery Center will help visitors understand how solar generation works in Anchorage, what it can contribute in a northern environment, and how energy connects to the buildings and systems we use every day.

A phased project
The Museum anticipates phases of solar array installations through 2030. When complete, the array could generate enough electricity to offset one of the Museum’s electric meters for approximately six months of the year.

The project is one part of the Museum’s ongoing work to operate its facilities responsibly and manage long-term costs, as well as strengthen the resilience of a building held in service to the community.

Community support
The Museum’s solar project is made possible through support from individuals, foundations, and community businesses who share an interest in Anchorage’s future.