High above the skaters at Aldrich Arena in Maplewood, currently covered by snow, are solar arrays that are part of the improvements Ramsey County Parks and Recreation is making to the county’s ice rinks.

While some of these improvements might not be obvious at the county’s 10 rinks, the results are smarter, greener facilities that are also brighter and warmer — with optimal ice conditions.

Here’s a look at some of the improvements, as well as future hopes for Aldrich.

The solar panels for Aldrich Arena and TCO Sports Garden in Vadnais Heights — the county’s largest arenas — are part of Ramsey County’s climate equity action plan.

“As part of that plan, there are goals to reduce our energy consumption and then green energy goals,” says Mark McCabe, director of Ramsey County Parks and Rec

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