Metro Case Studies
February is not only the start of the semester at Macalester College, but also the campus’ energy-themed month. Suzanne Savanick Hansen and her crew of sustainability students hit the ground running this winter with workshops and a host of new resources for the campus community.
This program was designed to combat the two key shortcoming of existing energy efficiency programming. They are: (1) the low level of implementation of energy-saving actions (found in both residential audits and strictly educational programs) and (2) the low number of participants in most conservation programs. To address poor implementation, the home...
The Bakken, Minneapolis’ museum of Electricity in Life, is devoted to educating the public about the role of electricity in our lives. Their exhibits cover every aspect of electricity from our own brain function to the inner workings or our televisions. Since its founding in the 1970s the mission has been to “inspire a passion for science and its...
How do you help new homeowners financially beyond the initial purchase of their homes? One approach is to renovate the homes with energy use and operating costs in mind. Now the question becomes what is the best use of limited renovation funds? City of Lakes Community Land Trust (CLCLT), a nonprofit in Minneapolis committed to providing housing for...
Keeping costs low is a constant concern for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Nonprofits might be excluded from having to pay taxes, but they don’t escape energy costs just like every other business. In fact, since nonprofits tend to struggle with cashflow, investing in energy efficiency can be more difficult for them than for their for-profit...
What would you do with an extra $192 in your pocket? For some, that might be a gap in money for food or for medicine. $192 is the average annual savings in energy costs of Saint Paul homeowners who received a Home Energy Squad visit where trained crews installed energy efficient materials in their homes.
A new wind is sweeping across the North Metro: Collaboration and a shared vision for a better, more sustainable community. It is a vision that is held by many, but seldom actually implemented. In Mahtomedi, Minnesota, the winds of sustainability are blowing, especially near the high school.
In 2009, a motivated group of fifteen households in the Como Park neighborhood of St. Paul set out to create an energy success story in their community. CHEEP is a pilot program focused on measuring home energy consumption and developing cost-effective strategies to reduce overall energy usage.
Teachers, students, and administrators at Chisago Lakes Middle School joined forces to install a 10kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system on the school. Learn about their planning, fundraising and installation, educational opportunities that the project provides for students and the community, and their plans to share Project Independence as a model moving...
Metro CERT has been working to address rental housing split incentives, particularly in the Phillips neighborhoods of South Minneapolis. This community consists of nearly 70% renters, with a large low-income population and an older housing stock. Ventura Flats, an apartment building in the neighborhood, was of particular interest because of the...
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