Clean Energy Resource Teams

CERTs TV

is a new resource where you can view CERTs video clips and news sightings, as well as informative videos and full documentaries produced by CERTs partners! Click here to watch now >>
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
In 2007 a screen printing class at the University of Minnesota created an amazing set of posters focused on community clean energy and energy efficiency. We gave them out to lucky folks all over Minnesota over the last couple years, and now we’ve put them up on Flickr for the whole world to enjoy!

Click here to see a collection of our favorite custom-printed CERTs posters >>

 
“Going green” sounds good, but what can cities and counties really do in tight budget times? With a new program called Minnesota GreenStep Cities, we can build thriving, healthy, and prosperous communities without breaking the bank!

Community members and local government officials met in Grand Rapids, MN July 29th to learn about how this free, voluntary program can be a tool for making citizens’ vision for the future a reality. Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) and the Grand Rapids Wes Libbey Chapter of the Izaak Walton League co-hosted the event at Grand Rapids Area Library which was attended by local elected officials, community groups, and local citizens, including folks from Grand Rapids, LaPrairie, Bemidji, Virginia, Duluth, Rochester, and even Tennessee!

View photos from the event:

The event included the following presentations:

• Introduction – Art Norton, Grand Rapids Wes Libbey, Chapter of the Izaak Walton League
• GreenStep Cities Overview – Philipp Muessig, MN Pollution Control Agency (www.mngreenstep.org)
• Two Paths, One Choice – Bill Mittlefehldt, Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs)
• Storm Water Update – Tom Pagel and Steve Anderson, City of Grand Rapids
• Conservation Improvement – Dan Chase, Grand Rapids Public Program Utilities Commission
• Power of One Conservation Program – Tim Gallagher, Minnesota Power
• Collaborating for the Future – Michelle Schroeder, Izaak Walton League, Minnesota Division

Northeast CERT Coordinator Bill Mittlefehldt cited several examples of folks already taking action in communities across the Northeast! Tom Pagel, Steve Anderson, Dan Chase, and Tim Gallagher gave examples of actions that Grand Rapids is taking, such as rain gardens that reduce and clean stormwater while adding beatuy.

Lakeland Public Television’s Jenny Day covered the GreenStep Cities seminars on the evening news:

Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a challenge, assistance, and recognition program to help cities achieve their sustainability goals through implementation of 28 best practices. Minnesota GreenStep Cities can help cities of all sizes. Minnesota GreenStep Cities allows you to get recognition for the work you’re already doing and offers free advice and tools for the areas where you need help! As Minnesota GreenStep Coordinator Philipp Muessig and Michelle Schroeder of the Izaak Walton League explained, “We’ve done the research to save you time and money!”

Minnesota GreenStep Cities offers 28 best practices, along 5 categories: Buildings and Lighting, Land Use, Transportation, Environmental Management, and Economic and Community Development. Best practices focus on cost savings and energy use reduction, and encourage innovation.

The new Minnesota GreenStep Cities website outlines each of the best practices and includes actions you can take now, plus at-a-glance costs and benefits and the phone number for a GreenStep Advisor who can help you.

Visit http://www.mngreenstep.org to learn how Minnesota GreenStep Cities can help your community thrive and prosper!

Watch a video to learn more about GreenStep Cities:

 
The Office of Energy Security just released its most recent installment of current funding opportunities in the fields of energy and environment. Check out the opportunities now at http://funding.mncerts.org

But wait! Before you delve deep into that document, CERTs wants to bring your attention to four Minnesota-specific funding opportunities that expire soon:

• MN Office of Energy Security Renewable Energy for MN Schools and Local Governments: The Minnesota Department of Commerce Office of Energy Security (OES) requests proposals from Minnesota school districts and local governments for the Local Government Renewable Energy Grant Program funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 and authorized by Laws of Minnesota 2009, Chapter 138, Article 3, Section 5. Grants will be awarded competitively to eligible school districts and local governments for the following technologies and amounts: (1) Solar electric projects greater than or equal to 100 kilowatts rated capacity—the lesser of 40 percent of total project cost or $200,000; (2) Solar electric projects less than 100 kilowatts rated capacity—the lesser of 40 percent of total project cost or $100,000; (3) Wind projects less than 35 kilowatts rated capacity—the lesser of 35 percent of total project cost or $25,000; (4) Geothermal heating and cooling projects—the lesser of 35 percent of total project cost or $100,000; (5) Solar thermal projects—the lesser of 50 percent of total project cost or $75,000; and (6) Combined heat and power projects and district energy projects—the lesser of 35 percent of total project cost or $200,000. The Request for Proposals (RFP) is available through August 4, 2010. More at http://www.commerce.state.mn.us/EnergyRFP/LocGov_Renew.html.

• Minnesota Office of Energy Security Solar Thermal Air Heat and Hot Water Rebates: For a limited time only, the MN Office of Energy Security is offering a significant rebate for solar thermal installations on homes and businesses across the state! Start heating with a reliable, energy efficient, and cost-saving solar thermal system. Manufactured here in Minnesota, solar thermal panels can reduce your space heating and water heating bill! Businesses and multi-family housing units could see rebates up to $25,000, and home owners could save $2,000 (25% of costs) and or 2-3 family units could save up to $4,000 on the cost of a system. Up to $500,000 in solar thermal rebates are available for Minnesota businesses and residents. More at http://solarthermal.mncerts.org.

• Minnesota Office of Energy Security – Renewable Energy Systems Step-by-Step Guide for Schools: The Minnesota Department of Commerce, Office of Energy Security (OES) seeks proposals to create a step-by-step guide, model documents, and a resource list for Minnesota public school districts—Kindergarten through 12th grade—interested in renewable energy systems. This guide will help schools to identify and evaluate the actions that are necessary to effectively integrate a renewable energy system in their district operations. Up to $40,000 in funds will be used for this Informal Solicitation. Proposals must be received no later than Thursday, August 19, 2010. More at http://tinyurl.com/2eqj3c6.

• Clean up your Minnesota school’s bus emissions for free! The Minnesota Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) are partnering with the Minnesota Environmental Initiative’s (MEI) Project Green Fleet to improve the environmental standards of older school buses. Project Green Fleet provides and installs air quality retrofit equipment, normally valued at $1,500-2,000, at no cost to fleets or districts. Diesel vehicles account for 10% of traffic on Minnesota roads, but account for more than 50% of all traffic related air pollution. With a simple, free retrofit by Project Green Fleet, emissions can be reduced by 30 – 50% per vehicle. The emission reductions directly benefit students and employees that ride and work around the buses. Over 1,700 buses across the state have participated in Project Green Fleet so far. Together, CERTs and Project Green Fleet have the goal of retrofitting every eligible bus in the state. More at http://greenfleet.mncerts.org.

 
There have been quite a few postings lately for green jobs in the areas of energy efficiency and clean energy, so we wanted to make sure that you heard about them and spread the word to folks you know who are looking for work!

CERTs Coordinator for Northwest, MN: Do you lecture your family about turning off the lights? Would you consider a visit to a wind turbine a good use of vacation time? Do you like to talk with others about clean energy? We have a job for you! The Northwest Clean Energy Resource Team seeks temporary appointment of a Northwest CERT Regional Coordinator. The Northwest CERT Regional Coordinator will be instrumental in advancing the NW CERT’s mission to advance clean energy in the region by working with various organizations and individuals across the region and connecting them with the resources they need to identify and implement local energy efficiency and clean energy projects. The ideal candidate for this position will be someone with knowledge of clean energy practices, models and technologies and someone who likes to, and is good at, working with people. Send resume to Lissa Pawlisch, University of MN, 411 Borlaug Hall, 1991 Upper Buford Cir, St. Paul, MN 55105 or to PAWL0048@umn.edu by June 15th. See the job posting for further details!

CERTs Case Study Researcher Internship Opportunity, Summer 2010: CERTs is looking for a skilled writer who is interested in researching and authoring case studies on energy efficiency and clean energy projects! This will be a great chance to build on your portfolio of written work and meet people in the industry. CERTs supports community-based clean energy projects across the state with seed grants. Once the project is completed, the grantee submits a final report telling how the project was implemented. The final step is to create a case study to describe community models, technologies and lessons learned about projects CERTs has helped fund. These case studies are typically one to two pages long and are a helpful resource to communities who want to do similar projects. Interns will be given a byline (credit) for the case study they write (if they wish) and hopefully gain valuable insight into the variety of clean energy projects springing up across the state. Please submit a cover letter and your resume to Michelle Vigen at vigen010@umn.edu by Wednesday, June 9th at noon. See the job posting for further details!

Center for Energy and Environment Project Assistant: We are looking for an exceptional and hard working individual to provide assistance in implementing our residential programs. Specific tasks assigned to this individual would vary according to their capabilities, but would cut across many aspects of our programs. It would be an ideal above-entry level position for someone to gain some great hands-on experience in implementing some of CEE’s wonderful programs, and work with some of the leading practitioners in the energy efficiency field. Potential applicants should send applications directly to the email listed on the job announcement. Applications might not be accepted after June 4th—be sure to check with CEE. See the job posting for further details!

Center for Energy and Environment Policy Associate: We are looking for an individual with a little more experience, and with exceptional and proven analytical and persuasive skills to help implement CEE’s policy agenda. Again, specific tasks would vary depending on the individual’s experience, but would include monitoring and advocating in regulatory and legislative arenas. Some amount of program development would also be involved with this position. Potential applicants should send applications directly to the email listed on the job announcement. Applications might not be accepted after June 4th—be sure to check with CEE. See the job posting for further details!

Neighborhood Energy Connection Finance and Human Resources Manager: The Neighborhood Energy Connection (NEC), a 25-year-old nonprofit environmental organization, seeks a forward-thinking, entrepreneurial-minded, and highly-motivated individual to manage its finances. The NEC is a regional leader in the field of energy efficiency. With an expanding car sharing program and a long history in residential energy efficiency programs, the NEC is at the forefront of developing new tools for the burgeoning green economy. The Finance and Human Resources Manager is a qualified accountant responsible for managing the organization’s finances and benefits programs. Applications will be accepted through June 11, 2010. See the job posting for further details!

Other places to look: Minnesota-specific job boards that you should check include PCA’s NextStep and SEEK Job Listings, Minnesota Environmental Partnership Jobs List, and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Job Board. Other popular job search engines with energy listings include careerbuilder.com, idealist.org, indeed.com, job.com, monster.com, yahoo.com, and nationjob.com.

 
Do you lecture your family about turning off the lights? Would you consider a visit to a wind turbine a good use of vacation time? Do you like to talk with others about clean energy? We have a job for you! The Northwest Clean Energy Resource Team seeks temporary appointment of a Northwest CERT Regional Coordinator.

The Northwest CERT Regional Coordinator will be instrumental in advancing the NW CERT’s mission to advance clean energy in the region by working with various organizations and individuals across the region and connecting them with the resources they need to identify and implement local energy efficiency and clean energy projects. The ideal candidate for this position will be someone with knowledge of clean energy practices, models and technologies and someone who likes to, and is good at, working with people.

 
The average Minnesota student spends approximately one hour every day riding a school bus. Buses are the most common way for children to get to and from school, but the air quality inside buses can be up to five times as polluted as the air quality outside.

The Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) are partnering with the Minnesota Environmental Initiative’s Project Green Fleet to improve the environmental standards of older buses. Project Green Fleet provides and installs air quality retrofit equipment, normally valued at $1,500-2,000, at no cost to fleets or districts.

Act Now! Your school district can clean up its buses for free! Children will breathe easier and your local air quality will be improved, all with no impact on the performance of the buses. Learn more and take action at http://greenfleet.mncerts.org.

Why Act? Diesel vehicles account for 10% of traffic on Minnesota roads, but account for more than 50% of all traffic related air pollution. With a simple, free retrofit by Project Green Fleet, we can reduce emissions by 30-50% per vehicle.

The emission reductions directly benefit students and employees that ride and work around the buses. “Our company chose to participate in Project Green Fleet to take a proactive approach in helping reduce pollutants in the air we breathe for the safety of our children and employees,” said Jim Koonst, owner of Stier Transportation Services in Belle Plaine, MN. This strong leadership demonstrated by transportation managers, such as Koonst, coupled with proactive community action, has been key to the program’s success.

Diesel exhaust contains a variety of pollutants, which contribute to the formation of ground level ozone, or smog. These pollutants harm human health, increasing the risk of heart and lung disease and can trigger upper respiratory problems, such as asthma. Children are especially vulnerable to these ailments as they breathe more air per pound than adults, and their bodies are still developing.

Over 1,700 buses across the state have participated in Project Green Fleet so far. Together, CERTs and Project Green Fleet have the goal of retrofitting every eligible bus in the state. The voluntary measure has been successful due in part to the ease of installation. Some transportation directors were unsure of the process at the beginning. “I wanted to see that other districts had done this successfully before we retrofitted our buses. But I should not have worried. Everything went really smoothly for us—the installations were seamless,” said Denny Coughlin of Minneapolis Public Schools.

Take action today by visiting http://greenfleet.mncerts.org and learning more!

Video about Project Green Fleet:

Share: If you can’t influence a bus fleet directly but still want to let others know about this opportunity, help us by spreading the word!

 
These presentations were given as part of the April 21, 2010 Northwest Clean Energy Resource Team meeting on Smart Grid Technology in Northwest Minnesota. Together these presentations offer an introduction to smart grid technology general, and highlight its use in NW MN.

 
Smart Meter Basics and Benefits by Darryl Tveitbakk, Northern Municipal Power Agency

Download presentation >>

 
Smart Grid Technology Use at East Grand Forks Water and Light by Corey Thompson, Electronic and Information Systems Manager and Bonnie Abel, Customer and Energy Services Manager

Download presentation >>

 
Smart Grid & Beyond by Joe Jacobson, Eusco

Download presentation >>

 
The Minnesota Department of Commerce, Office of Energy Security (OES) is requesting proposals from Minnesota school districts, park districts, towns, cities, counties, and townships for the Facility Cost-Share Grant Program funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009.

On Thursday, April 29 from 10:00-11:30am, the Minnesota Office of Energy Security held a webinar to assist in the completion of the Facility Cost-Share RFP application, with an emphasis on the spreadsheet calculators. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to assist in the cost of making energy efficient improvements to existing buildings and facilities for Minnesota school districts, park districts, towns, cities, counties, and townships.

Click play below to watch the webinar.

Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to assist in the cost of making energy efficient improvements to existing buildings and facilities. Projects must be ready for immediate implementation; a 50% cost-share will be required. Eligible activities and requirements to receive a grant are defined in the Request for Proposals (RFP). Don’t forget, applications are due on May 24th!

For the RFP, visit http://bit.ly/mnfacilitycostshare. For the calculators and other supporting documents, visit http://bit.ly/facilitycostshareforms.

 
On April 26, 2010 Southwest CERT and Southwest Regional Development Commission held a workshop in Redwood Falls on wind energy development and land use to educate anyone interested in the issues and provide a forum for discussion and learning.

Introduction & Overview: Annette Bair, Physical Development Director for SRDC and Southwest CERT Coordinator, gave an introduction and overview to wind energy development and land use. Annette set the stage for the meeting by providing: a brief overview of wind in general; who regulates wind; installed capacities in MN from 1999 to 2009; project scale; wind resource maps and locations of state and local permitted turbines in MN, the generator interconnection queue map, and the transmission line map; indicators of project development in your area; and a list of useful resources. Flip through the presentation below.

Download presentation >>

State Permitting Process: Larry Hartman & Ingrid Bjorklund, Energy Facility Planners for the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Office of Energy Security, reviewed the Minnesota State permitting process for Large Wind Energy Conversion Systems (LWECS). Flip through the presentation below.

Download presentation >>

Zoning Panel: The presentations were followed by a local panel of zoning administrators who discussed issues they’ve dealt with regarding wind energy systems. The panelists included Jon Biren, Lyon County Zoning Administrator; Mandy Landkamer, Nicollet County Zoning Administrator; and Jean M. Christoffels, Murray County Zoning Administrator. Click here for the full meeting notes to read more about the panel discussion and Q&A session.