CERTs 2009 | Solar Power: Home, Farm, Business
Session Audio
Moderator
Stacy Miller, Renewable Energy and Advanced Technologies, Minnesota Office of Energy Security
Solar America Cities: Minneapolis & St. Paul
Brian Ross, Principal, CR Planning: Brian is a co-founder of CR Planning, a planning consulting firm that works with communities on sustainable development, land use, natural resources, and energy policies, programs, and regulations. He has over twenty years of project management experience. His current projects include: Managing the “Solar Cities” initiative for Minneapolis and Saint Paul to remove barriers and transform the market for solar energy; Updating the State of Minnesota’s guidebook on sustainable development practices, From Policy to Reality: Model Ordinances for Sustainable Development, including new ordinances for helping cities meet climate protection goals; Incorporating agricultural and natural resource protection tools into the Stearns County zoning ordinance; and, Assisting in the development of GreenSteps City best practices for meeting climate protection and sustainability goals.
Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy: A Success Story at Merrick, Inc.
Mike Greenbaum, Finance and Development Director, Merrick, Inc.: Mike Greenbaum is the Finance and Development Director for Merrick, Inc. Merrick, a Vadnais Heights non-profit agency that provides vocational and social opportunities to adults with developmental disabilities, has created one of the most unique and environmentally friendly commercial buildings in the State of Minnesota. Merrick recently installed a 525 panel, 100 KW solar array on the roof of it’s 525,000 square foot facility. This is in addition to a geothermal heating and cooling system that provides 100% of its heating and air conditioning needs and 15 custom built sky lights that were installed to increase the natural lighting. Merrick has renovated what was previously a very inefficient commercial building into a model of energy efficiency.
Marketing Solar for Agricultural Users
Ralph Jacobson, Board Member, Minnesota Renewable Energy Society and Vice President, Energy Harvest Group: Ralph Jacobson is a certified solar installer and energy auditor with over twenty-five years experience as a building contractor. He is certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) for both solar electric and solar thermal systems . Ralph is one of only a few installers in Minnesota and Wisconsin that can make that claim. Ralph also has a B.S. in Materials Engineering from the University of Minnesota.
Clean Energy Resource Teams