Innovative new technology allows St. Paul Corner Drug to double solar system size and provide unique architectural esthetic to 90 year old landmark.

January 2012, St Paul, MN - It wasn’t much of a street back then, but it was a location that could serve a growing neighborhood.  When the St. Paul Corner Drug opened for business in 1922 it had a destination soda fountain where you could enjoy a Phosphate and an ice cream cone while your prescription was filled in the back.  Ninety years on they still provided all the essentials – part General Store, part Soda Fountain, and, of course, full-service pharmacy. The Corner Drug is unique in a world dominated by big box pharmacies: On your first visit you may walk in a stranger, but in moments you’ll feel right at home and will leave as a friend.  It’s the convivial friendship and commitment to community that makes this place thrive.

“Part of our community commitment is about doing the right thing,” says owner John Hoeschen,  “When I heard about Sundial and their solar program I thought – we can do this!”  Sundial Solar specializes in commercial and industrial solar development and especially loves challenging installations such as this.  Although they service projects world-wide, much of their work is the Midwest where the headquarters is located.  

Once introduced to the idea, Hoeschen quickly decided he wanted as much solar as he could possibly get on his roof.  There was, however, one serious problem:  Half of the available roof space was on a single-story roof sunk between two-story sections of the building.  “John had a choice,” says Sundial Solar CEO Jon Kramer, “give up half of the potential size or go the extra mile to span between the two roofs and put a PV array on it.”