Submitted by Dan Thiede on Tue, 01/18/2011 - 6:11pm
You be the judge! The Clean Energy Resource Teams received 12 fantastic submissions for our CERTs 2011 Clean + Green Video Shorts Contest, and we need you to help determine the winners of $500 and other great prizes!
Everyone is the world is encouraged to vote once and spread the word! Voting will continue until midnight on Monday, January 31st. The finalists, as determined by you and hundreds of other clean energy geeks, will be screened at the CERTs 2011 Conference Reception on the evening of February 2nd, 2011.
Submitted by Dan Thiede on Tue, 01/18/2011 - 5:39pm
CERTs 2011 Clean Energy Convergence will unite you with other Minnesotans who are blazing the paths to a clean energy future by working on energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in their communities. Get ready to learn, connect, and act with CERTs and 600 engaged community members on February 2-3, 2011 in Saint Cloud, MN!
CERTs 2011 is a venue for both broad and in-depth learning opportunities, connecting and networking with engaged community members, and taking action on energy efficiency and clean energy projects. The event will begin with In-Depth Workshops and an Evening Reception on February 2nd, and continue with a Daylong Conference on the 3rd.
Pre-Registration Ends at 5pm on Monday, Jan 24th!
You won’t want to miss this opportunity to learn, connect, and act with your fellow Minnesotans! CERTs 2011 is February 2-3, 2011 in St. Cloud, MN. Register by 5pm next Monday, January 24th to save $20! All registration after that must be done at the door. Save time and money by pre-registering now! You can register for both days of CERTs 2011 or just one of them. Here’s the scoop:
February 2, 2011 – Workshops & Reception: $30
($40 at the door)
February 3, 2011 – Daylong Conference: $50
($60 at the door)
Watch a quick video about CERTs 2011!
Share with Others! There are lots of ways that you can help us spread the word about the CERTs 2011 Clean Energy Convergence! We put together promotional text, graphics, brochures, postcards, and more that you can use to tell your friends and colleagues about the event. Click to spread the word: http://bit.ly/certs2011share
Bonus!
Bus & Rideshare! To make it easier for you to get to and from the CERTs 2011 Conference, we will be providing a free bus from the Twin Cities and back on February 3rd, as well as a rideshare map so that you can find attendees near you to carpool with!
Free Do It Green! Magazine! We’re excited to announce that all CERTs 2011 attendees will be receiving a complimentary copy of Do It Green! Magazine, the perfect resource for those trying to live a more sustainable life! It offers over 100 educational articles on living green plus a directory of MN green businesses.
At the start of 2010 CERTs announced the funding of 55 projects from all over Minnesota with seed grants of up to $11,000. Those recipients have been hard at work for the past year, and we’re getting ready to share their successes and lessons learned!
In the coming months CERTs staff will be busy writing case studies about all of these great projects—so stay tuned for those. You should also register for the upcoming CERTs Conference on February 2-3 where many of the grant recipients will be joining us to talk about their efforts!
Below is a map of all of the funded projects. You can also see them in a past blog post.
Submitted by Michelle Vigen on Thu, 12/23/2010 - 10:29am
Let Honeywell send you a little holiday gift in the New Year! If you purchased a Honeywell Do-It-Yourself Programmable Thermostat before November 30th, you are eligible for up to $10 off your model with a special rebate from CERTs and Honeywell.
The deadline for postmarking your rebate form is December 31st, so be sure to fill out your form and mail it in. You can print the rebate form at http://rebates.mncerts.org if you still need to, or misplaced one you downloaded a few months back.
Submitted by Diana McKeown on Wed, 12/08/2010 - 8:37am
D&E Management’s lofts just got an energy boost.
The Minneapolis lofts just received a 12 kW solar array, which boasts a carbon offset equivalent of 21,602 pounds of carbon, 1,193 gallons of gas saved and the equivalent of 273 trees saved each year.
Solarflow Energy installed 52 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on the loft’s roof. This grid-tied installation uses 230 watt solar panels, an 11.96 kW DC system. D&E Management is part of an innovative solar leasing pilot project through Solarflow Energy. The building will offset more than 100 percent of its common-area electrical use through solar PV. Learn more about the D&E solar array.
The University of Minnesota retrofitted more than 7,400 inefficient, T12 lamped, magnetic ballasted fluorescent light fixtures with modern solid state ballasts and high efficiency T8 lamps in eight residence halls on the Twin Cities campus.
The lighting retrofit has improved the quality of light provided in the students’ living spaces, study areas, common areas and dining facilities. The retrofit also saves money and reduces the University’s carbon footprint. Xcel Energy awarded the U with a rebate of nearly $143,000! Find out more about the University of Minnesota’s lighting retrofit.
Submitted by Julia Eagles on Wed, 12/08/2010 - 8:05am
There are many groups in Minnesota trying to figure out how to save energy in multifamily properties, which has often been a challenge since residents don’t have the same financial incentives to save energy as homeowners do. Below are two examples of what’s working!
Owners of multifamily properties within the Energy Innovation Corridor (an emerging clean energy and transportation model that extends along the 11-mile Central Corridor light rail transit project route from downtown Saint Paul to Target Field in downtown Minneapolis) may be especially interested to learn that there are significant opportunities to reduce energy consumption in their type of buildings, as demonstrated by the recently awarded a rebate check for more than $415,000 from CenterPoint Energy to the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA).
Working with Honeywell, MPHA was able to install over 100 high-efficiency natural gas boilers and over 60 domestic water heaters in their high-rise buildings. This energy-saving initiative is part of a three-year project to install high efficient equipment in over 40 locations in Minneapolis.
“With great support from Honeywell, we were able to help MPHA and their residents save energy, money, while helping the environment,” said Tal Centers, division vice president for CenterPoint Energy. “Our convenient, money-saving rebates make it easier than ever for businesses to take advantage of our conservation programs and services.” Even though many of the buildings were outside the area that defines the EIC, it’s possible the type of CenterPoint Energy rebates that helped MPHA may benefit your business as well. Visit CenterPoint Energy to learn more.
MPHA is not the only one saving energy! 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 significant improvements the property manager and investor owners made around energy efficiency. Read this case study on the energy efficient upgrades and behavior change strategies being employed at Ventura Flats to learn more.
Submitted by Dan Thiede on Mon, 11/29/2010 - 11:11am
If you’re a small business in Minnesota that’s considered putting in a wind turbine, now is a great time to act! Minnesota’s Office of Energy Security recently introduced wind turbine rebates for businesses with 20 or fewer full-time employees (Non-profits also qualify assuming they meet all other criteria). The rebates are for up to 35% project costs, capped at $25,000.
Qualifying Applicants:
Installation Date: Applicants must not begin installation of the wind turbine until after the state has approved the rebate.
Assessment: In order to qualify, a business must first do some research to ensure they are a good candidate for generating wind energy. Typically this is done by hiring a professional wind contractor to do a site assessment, which includes measuring average wind speed at the prospective wind turbine location. The average wind speed must be at least 12 miles per hour to qualify for the new state rebates.
Capacity: Another important qualifier is that the wind turbine must not have a capacity of more than 35 kilowatt hours at 24 miles per hour wind speed.
Submitted by Dan Thiede on Wed, 11/24/2010 - 4:20pm
The CERTs 2011 Clean Energy Convergence will unite you with other Minnesotans who are blazing the paths to a clean energy future by working on energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in their communities. Get ready to learn, connect, and act with CERTs and 600 engaged community members on February 2-3, 2011 in Saint Cloud, MN!
Converge:CERTs 2011 is a venue for both broad and in-depth learning opportunities, connecting and networking with engaged community members, and taking action on energy efficiency and clean energy projects. The event will begin with In-Depth Workshops and an Evening Reception on February 2nd, and continue with a Daylong Conference on the 3rd.
Learn: At CERTs 2011 you will learn from experts and community members alike on what it takes to get projects done. Find out how individuals and communities are partnering, planning, funding, and implementing projects. Hear success stories and models that demonstrate how to become more energy efficient and harness clean energy while strengthening local economies and protecting the environment.
Connect:CERTs 2011 will provide networking opportunities for you to connect with Minnesotans of all stripes—community leaders, energy experts, local government staff, teachers and students, utility representatives, business owners, homeowners, farmers—and more. All have the same goals: saving energy, saving money, creating jobs, and powering our future renewably.
Act: Whether you’re looking to save energy in your home, business, school, or local government; passionate about installing a renewable energy system like solar, wind, or biomass; interested in educating your community about energy issues; or looking for good training opportunities in Minnesota, CERTs 2011 has what you’re looking for!
Early Bird Registration Now Through December 1, 2010!
Participant registration is now open for the CERTs 2011 Conference! Register today to join hundreds of other Minnesotans in saving energy, saving money, and building our shared clean energy future. Click here to register >>
Submitted by Dan Thiede on Wed, 11/24/2010 - 2:27pm
Find a camera and get ready!
Submit a digital short for a chance to win $500 or cool clean energy prizes! Videos are due on January 7th at 5pm. We will have an 18-day public voting period in January, and finalists will be screened at the CERTs 2011 Conference Reception on the evening of February 2nd, 2011!
All you need to do:
Find a camera
Use it to tell a story about clean energy or energy efficiency in your community in 3 minutes or less
Submit the video to CERTs
Tell all your family and friends to vote for your video online when the time comes. That’s it!
At the start of 2010 
Let Honeywell send you a little holiday gift in the New Year! If you purchased a Honeywell Do-It-Yourself Programmable Thermostat before November 30th, you are eligible for up to $10 off your model with a special rebate from 
D&E Management’s lofts just got an energy boost. 
The University of Minnesota retrofitted more than 7,400 inefficient, T12 lamped, magnetic ballasted fluorescent light fixtures with modern solid state ballasts and high efficiency T8 lamps in eight residence halls on the Twin Cities campus. 
There are many groups in Minnesota trying to figure out how to save energy in multifamily properties, which has often been a challenge since residents don’t have the same financial incentives to save energy as homeowners do. Below are two examples of what’s working!
Office of Energy Security: 
Connect: 
Submit a digital short for a chance to win $500 or cool clean energy prizes! Videos are due on January 7th at 5pm. We will have an 18-day public voting period in January, and finalists will be screened at the 
Clean Energy Resource Teams