Past Campaigns
Recycle Old Holiday Lights in Minnesota 
Reduce Waste and Save Energy
This campaign helped Minnesotans get rid of old, broken, inefficient light strands and upgrade to new, efficient LED holiday lights from their local hardware store. CERTs partnered again with the Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM), for the 2011-2012 holiday season on Recycle Your Holidays™. RAM recycles every part of the light strings—the metal wires, the plastic casing, and even the lights themselves. We provided a map of drop-off locations that accepted holiday lights, and it was also possible to sign up as a collection site.
Take the Minnesota Energy Challenge 
Save Energy at Home & Join CERT Region
September-October 2011
Since 2006, the Minnesota Energy Challenge has helped over 27,000 people statewide learn about energy saving actions they can do in their own homes, and at the same time save gobs of money on their utility bills. We’re big fans of the work they have done, and they in turn have special tracking set up for each of our Regional CERTs. We hosted our own little challenge in Fall 2011 to get folks across the state to sign up with their CERT team, with prizes!
Spray to Save 
Spray Valve & Aerator Bulk-Buy Program
May-October 2011
High-Efficiency Pre-Rinse Spray Valves are designed to provide the same pressure and the same quality performance that you expect from your current spray valve, with 57% less water! The Clean Energy Resource Teams, in partnership with Niagara Conservation, ran a bulk-buy program for pre-rinse spray valves and faucet aerators to help restaurants, businesses, schools, local governments, congregations, and more save water and energy.
Become a Wiser Energy Miser 2
VendingMiser Bulk-Buy Program
February-May 2011
Back by popular demand, CERTs and EnergyMisers, LLC partnered up to offer a second statewide bulk-buy for VendingMisers. The average beverage vending machine costs around $300 to power every year. Installing a VendingMiser can potentially reduce a beverage vending machine’s energy usage by as much as 46%, saving up to $130 per year! This campaign helped 50 businesses, schools, and local governments collectively save 400,000 kWh annually.
Recycle Your Holidays™ 
Holiday Light Recycling
Winter 2010-2011
CERTs worked with the Recycling Association of Minnesota to help Minnesotans recycle their old holiday lights instead of throwing them away. Minnesotans were encouraged to drop off their old, broken holiday lights at any participating Ace Hardware or the WCCO TV Plaza during the holiday season. A map of all participating drop-off locations was provided by CERTs on their website. The WC CERT also provided seed grant funding to support the recycling preparation done at the Adult Training and Habilitation Center.
Come Home to Comfort and Energy Savings 
Home Programmable Thermostat Rebate
August-December 2010
CERTs and Honeywell teamed up to offer an exclusive rebate for up to $10 back on a new Do-It-Yourself programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats allow homeowners to pre-set the home’s heating and cooling system to work around a schedule, providing convenience and home comfort. Programmable thermostats can save an Upper Midwest home about $200 a year in heating and cooling costs. CERTs kicked-off its campaign at the Minnesota State Fair, giving away 100 programmable thermostats in the EcoExperience Building. The program received over 1,000 rebate applications. CERTs includes 650 of those and other confirmed installations as installed and programmed in our energy savings metrics.
Hot Rebates for Solar Thermal 
Promoting Minnesota Solar Manufacturers
July 2010 – April 2011
CERTs promoted state solar thermal rebates offered by the Division of Energy Resources (formerly the Office for Energy Security) while providing an easy way for individuals and organizations to connect with Minnesota solar air and water heating panel manufacturers. Rebates offered Minnesota businesses and multi-family housing units rebates up to $25,000, and homeowners up to $2,000 (25% of costs). One of the reported projects that came through the CERTs promotional campaign is saving 9.2 million BTUs/year of air heating with a new solar furnace manufactured right here in Minnesota.
Become a Wiser Energy Miser 
VendingMiser Bulk-Buy Program
April-May 2010
CERTs and EnergyMisers, LLC partnered up to offer a statewide bulk-buy for VendingMisers. The average beverage vending machine costs around $300 to power every year. Installing a VendingMiser can potentially reduce a beverage vending machine’s energy usage by as much as 46%, saving up to $130 per year! This campaign helped 70 businesses, schools, and local governments install over 600 units, collectively saving 850,000 kWh annually.
Green Up Your Fleet 
Project Green Fleet
Spring-Fall 2010
CERTs partnered to support Environmental Initiative’s Project Green Fleet, an efforts to reduce diesel emissions from school buses. Diesel vehicles only account for 10% of traffic on Minnesota roads, but contribute more than 50% of all traffic related air pollution. Project Green Fleet offered a free simple retrofit that reduced bus emissions by 30-50%. The retrofits not only reduce emissions, but also dramatically improve the air quality inside the cabin by reducing Carbon Monoxide, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter exposure to individuals riding the bus. Together, with CERTs outreach, Project Green Fleet retrofitted over 1,500 buses in Minnesota.
Recycle Your Holidays™ 
Holiday Light Recycling
Winter 2009-2010
The Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM) in partnership with WCCO TV, Xcel Energy, Snyders Drug Stores and CERTs, launched Recycle Your Holidays™ for the 2009-2010 holiday season. CERTs helped with drop-off location recruitment and collection as well as hosted a map of participating drop-off locations across the state. The program collected 100,000 pounds of holiday lights and promoted LED holiday lights as an energy-efficient replacement.
Clean Energy Resource Teams