West Central Blog Posts
Bringing you news about clean energy projects and opportunities happening across the state. Tell your story.
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Joel Haskard
Thu, 08/30/2012 - 6:55pm
Big things can happen with small-scale renewable energy systems. We caught up with Eric Buchanan at the U of M West Central Research & Outreach Center in Morris to learn more about what these systems have to offer residents and businesses.
Joel Haskard: What do you hope to accomplish with this guidebook?
Eric Buchanan: About 40% of total energy use in the U.S. is in buildings. Small-scale renewable energy systems are well suited to address this area of energy use, but there is a lack of unbiased performance and cost data for such systems. Most people that install renewable energy systems do not invest in monitoring equipment due to the extra cost, and information about how the systems work is usually either very technical for researchers or too general to be of much use when making purchase decisions. The main objective of...
Susan Waughtal
Wed, 08/22/2012 - 1:12pm
Although I completed my contract with the Clean Energy Resource Teams last month and am no longer working for them, recently the CERTs crew came to the farm for their annual summer staff gathering.
It was wonderful to see my old colleagues. I gave them the obligatory farm tour (including solar panels on the barn, of course) and they fed cow cookies to the bovines.
The rain held off while we made 10 delicious wood-fired pizzas. We made Rog’s sourdough crust, sauce (from farm tomatoes, garlic and herbs) and mozzarella (from farm milk) and everyone else brought their favorite pizza toppings—traditional to exotic.
We shared exciting news and little-known background info about ourselves.
For instance, Sarah Steinman, above on the right, rides a motorcycle.
Lissa (left) was a rugby player...
Dan Thiede
Mon, 08/20/2012 - 11:21am
The Do It Green! Directory has been promoting Minnesota’s green businesses and organizations online for a decade. With more than 13,000 visitors each month, it’s a great place to let sustainability-minded community members find out who you are and what you can offer them. The Directory is published by Do It Green! Minnesota, a local non-profit organization.
There has never been a better time to join the Do It Green! Directory! This year they’re upgrading the Directory—increasing its reach and making it an indispensible tool for the green community. They’re adding two NEW Directory versions:
A Print Directory: 10,000+ copies distributed free at high traffic Minnesota green businesses and green events.
A Downloadable Directory: free PDF download offered through Do It Green! Minnesota and various other green community...
MN Dept. of Commerce
Wed, 07/25/2012 - 8:32am
Is your school or local unit of government looking for ways to reduce your energy use and save money? A new program could be just what you’re looking for to finance your energy efficiency projects.
The Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources provides technical, contractual and financial assistance to state agencies, local government units, school districts, and institutions of higher learning that elect to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements through Guaranteed Energy Savings Contracts.
The state has negotiated master contracts with eleven Energy Services Companies (ESCOs) to provide Energy Savings Performance Contracting Services. The program will be available to local government units via a Joint Powers Agreement with the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
The intent of this program is to maximize job creation and operational...
Dan Thiede
Wed, 07/25/2012 - 8:31am
Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources, in partnership with the Clean Energy Resource Teams and many others, is excited to unveil the Energy Solutions Home Exhibit at the 2012 State Fair, so mark your calendar to visit our exhibit in the Eco Experience building between August 23 and September 3!
This year, the central part of the Eco Experience will house a new exhibit with a focus on enhancing home performance. It will demonstrate the many ways that homeowners can improve the efficiency, comfort, safety, and environmental impact of their home. Homeowners will have opportunities to learn how to improve their existing homes, and will head home with tangible energy-saving actions they can take.
Included in the exhibit will be:
A Renewables Siting area with a hands-on solar siting display that will allow fairgoers to simulate the action of the sun through...
Kathryn Draeger
Mon, 07/23/2012 - 2:29pm
The new Federal Resources for Sustainable Rural Development is a handy publication for locating potential funding resources and programs that may help your clean energy project along.
USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager today announced the publication of a guide outlining programs the federal government has available to support rural communities as they promote economic development and enhance the quality of life for rural residents.
“Rural communities across the country are working hard to build their economies and provide services to their residents,” Tonsager said during a speech here today at a conference of the National Rural Economic Developers Association. “Creating great places to live, raise families, provide recreational opportunities, and infrastructure for high paying jobs in rural America is very important to the Obama...
Maggie Kozak
Thu, 07/19/2012 - 3:47pm
This summer’s heat has gotten a lot of us thinking about air conditioning – and how much it costs! Especially for local units of government and schools on ever tighter budgets, reining in these energy costs can make a big difference. The question many local decision makers ask is, “How can we pay for upgrades?” Upcoming events hosted by CERTs across Minnesota will shine the light on this question and more.
These meetings are relevant for counties, cities, municipalities, school districts, townships, municipal utilities, and other local units of government in Minnesota. All are free and open to the public. Click on a link below to see agendas and register, or register immediately using one of the ticket forms below.
Metro CERT: Tools and Opportunities for Local Governments
Thursday, July 26, 2012 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM...
Lissa Pawlisch
Thu, 07/19/2012 - 8:06am
The Clean Energy Resource Teams want to help your community kickstart a clean energy project, and we’ve extended our application deadline to August 6th, 2012. Each of the seven CERT regional teams are looking to seed innovative, community-based clean energy projects, and yours could be a good fit.
The application process is simple and straightforward, and we offer lots of tools and resources to help you plan your project and put together the best proposal possible. We also hope that you’ll help us spread the word to others that you know who have great energy efficiency and/or renewable energy projects.
Applications must be submitted no later than Aug 6th, 2012 at 4pm.
To learn more & apply, visit http://rfp.mncerts.org today!...
Jeff Vetsch
Tue, 06/26/2012 - 6:02pm
When we moved into our house several years ago there was an old wooden dock leaning up against the garage. This summer we decided to pull it out and see if we could get it in the pond across the street. After a little cleaning up, repair and attaching of floats, it was ready to go in the water.
Only there was one problem: I was home alone with the kids and didn’t have anybody to help me move it. I was really anxious to see if it would float, so after a little head scratching I had an a-ha moment. I could use the new dock posts to roll this thing up the driveway and across the road!
Back around 1944, American inventor and energy philosopher Buckminster Fuller coined the term “energy slave”. No, this is not your teenager complaining about having to take out the garbage. The term refers to the average output of a hard-working man doing 150,000 foot...
Cheryl Glaeser
Tue, 06/19/2012 - 5:36pm
There are currently two open opportunities with the Youth Energy Summit (YES!), a program that empowers youth to partner with their community to create economic and environmental vitality through hands-on learning and team-based projects related to renewable energy and energy conservation. You can respond to one or both of them. Keep reading for more details!
About Southwest Initiative Foundation
The Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWMF) is seeking the services of individuals or agencies to coordinate team efforts and communications for the Youth Energy Summit (YES!) program. YES! is a collaborative effort between the Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) and Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center (PWELC) that began in 2007.
The Southwest Initiative Foundation is a regional community foundation dedicated to advancing southwest Minnesota through leadership,...
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