A Sunny Investment for Green Gate Guest Houses at Giants Ridge

Sean Callahan, proprietor of Green Gate Guest Houses in Biwabik, MN, was inspired to create unique, sustainable lodging after traveling through the Andes. He discovered his property—originally home to dilapidated barns—and spent the next decade developing it into historically themed, energy-efficient guest houses. With an engineering background, he prioritized sustainability from the start, including plans for solar energy. Funding support from the IRRRB, Minnesota Power, and PACE financing made the solar installation affordable and accelerated the project timeline. The system now produces roughly three times the daily energy used on-site, allowing excess power to be banked on the grid. Over the year, it’s expected to offset nearly 100% of the energy needs for all four homes.