CERTs Monthly Update - November-December 2009
Hello CERT members and friends, and welcome to the November & December 2009 edition of our Monthly Update!
CERTs has two major announcements for this installment of the Monthly Update (A and B below), in addition to the usual items.
Cheers,
Lissa, Joel, Netty, Diana & Dan
CERTs 2010 Seed Grant Recipients
As we kick off 2010, we are excited to announce the projects awarded CERTs seed grants in each of the seven Minnesota CERTs regions. These catalyzing grants of up to $11,000 will help projects garner further funding and bring communities together in identifying and implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. CERTs received 122 proposals requesting a total of $829,224; of these, 55 proposals were funded for a total granting amount of $280,000. Thanks to everyone who submitted a proposal! Click here to see all projects >>
Introducing…New CERTs Staff!
Angela Headlee named Central CERT-CMAERC Coordinator: Through a unique partnership of CERTs and the Central Minnesota Alternative Energy Regional Collaborative (CMAERC), a collaborative administered by the Region Five Development Commission, Angela Headlee has been named the Central CERT- CMAERC Organizer. Angela will provide coordination assistance to various groups and individuals to identify and implement new, emerging and established community-scale energy efficiency and clean energy projects across the Region. Angela has completed the Dunwoody Energy Audit training and has experience with and interest in regional and community-scale clean energy efforts. The Central CERT-CMAERC Organizer will benefit from connections and direction provided by the Central CERT Steering Committee and the CMAERC members, however welcomes the opportunity to correspond with other interested regional residents at 218.894.3233 or aheadlee@regionfive.org.
Check out Angela’s newsletter on the latest news from Central CERT!
Jeff Vetsch named Southwest and West Central CERTs Coordinator: Jeff has just been named Southwest and West Central CERTs Coordinator and will provide coordination assistance to various groups and individuals to identify and implement new, emerging and established community-scale energy efficiency and clean energy projects across the Region. Jeff has spent the last four years working at the Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center and was involved with many renewable energy projects on their campus. You can contact Jeff to welcome him to the CERTs team and talk to him about anything else at 320.212.4405 or jeff@cleanenergyresourceteams.org.
Maggie Kozak named CERTs Event Programming Coordinator: Maggie is very excited to join CERTs as our Event Programming Coordinator. She will be working mainly from the St. Paul office to plan events. In her spare time, Maggie organizes events for the Minnesota Returned Peace Corps Volunteer group. In the past, she worked to ensure the success of the HIRE MN coalition’s outreach and advocacy efforts. Any events that you would like to have put on the CERTs online events calendar should be sent to Maggie. You can get a hold of her at 612-626-0555 or makozak@umn.edu.
Regional Highlights & Activities
Statewide
CERTs Announces 2010 Seed Grant Recipients Across State: As we kick off 2010, we are excited to announce the projects awarded CERTs seed grants in each of the seven Minnesota CERTs regions. These catalyzing grants of up to $11,000 will help projects garner further funding and bring communities together in identifying and implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. CERTs received 122 proposals requesting a total of $829,224; of these, 55 proposals were funded for a total granting amount of $280,000. See all projects that received funding >>
Maggie Kozak named CERTs Event Programming Coordinator: Maggie is very excited to join CERTs as our Event Programming Coordinator. She will be working mainly from the St. Paul office to plan events. In her spare time, Maggie organizes events for the Minnesota Returned Peace Corps Volunteer group. In the past, she worked to ensure the success of the HIRE MN coalition’s outreach and advocacy efforts. Any events that you would like to have put on the CERTs online events calendar should be sent to Maggie. You can get a hold of her at 612-626-0555 or makozak@umn.edu.
Up-to-date Stimulus Info: For the latest on the stimulus funds, click here and then click on “Federal Stimulus Energy info” on the far right side of page.
2010 Minnesota Grant Opportunity for Commercial & Industrial Building Energy Improvements: The federal stimulus bill gave money to state governments earmarked for energy-savings initiatives. Minnesota is using $4.1 million of its federal funding to provide grants to commercial, industrial and nonprofit property owners planning to make substantial energy-efficiency and/or renewable-energy improvements in 2010 and 2011. Some of the money will be given directly to property owners making energy improvements and some will go to 501©3 nonprofits and economic development organizations seeking to create their own grant funds. The due date is February 12, 2010 by 4pm. See this summary from Energy Smart for more info >>
Local Government Stimulus Webinar: CERTs recently coordinated viewings across the state to help people learn more about the Energy Efficiency Community Block Grants (EECBG). The webinar, created and hosted by the Office of Energy Security, can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/locgovt-stimulus-webinar. Here is a list of the viewing locations:
- Central Lakes College
- East Grand Forks Water & Light
- Green Institute
- Hunt Utilities Group & City of Pine River
- Northern Municipal Power Agency
- Region Nine Development Commission
- Southwest Initiative Foundation
- Southwest Regional Development Commission
- Swift County RDA
- Upper Minnesota Valley RDC
- West Central Telephone Association
Energy Conservation in Minnesota: Meeting the Challenge: A recent forum, Energy Conservation in Minnesota: Meeting the Challenge, was hosted by the Minnesota Environmental Initiative (MEI). The event featured presenters who overviewed the history of Conservation Improvement Programs (CIPs) and energy conservation in Minnesota, described how Minnesota’s efforts compare to other states’, and explained what is included in the current Minnesota savings goal. The program concluded with a panel of experts who discussed the challenges of meeting the 1.5% energy savings mandate, and their perspectives regarding the future of energy conservation in the state. Download presentations from the event >>
MRES Solar Flare: Check it out at http://www.mnrenewables.org/newsletter.
CERTs Testimonials: Read what individuals in Minnesota have to say about the Clean Energy Resource Teams, and submit your own CERTs testimonial! Visit testimonials >>
Central Region
CERTs is excited to have recently hired Angela Headlee as the part-time Central Region coordinator! Angela will be working with the Region Five Development Commission and CERTs to help communities identify and implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Angela has hit the ground running, and among her first few weeks at work she has:
- Connected with the City of Baxter Industrial Park regarding potential energy efficiency/conservation, renewable energy projects.
- Helped create a Lakeland Public Television Energy Show.
- Connected with City of Nisswa regarding energy efficiency and renewable energy options.
- Met with Happy Dancing Turtle regarding Energy Education
- Met with Stearns Electric representative regarding promoting their energy conservation efforts.
- Participated in the GreenSteps meeting in Pine River at the Hunt Utility Group campus – the bulk of the meeting centered around how the group can assist Bi-CAP with utilizing the weatherization funds in the Pine River area in conjunction with the GreenSteps city program.
- Teleconferenced with Carl Samuelson with Metro CERT /Green Institute regarding Neighborhood Energy Connection residential energy efficiency workshops
- Followed up with schools within the Central Region regarding CERT grant application deadline.
Make Your Own Electric Car? Engineer says future lies in homebrew electric vehicles (Sartell, MN). Read full article at MPR >>
Metro Region
Energy squads find and stop waste: As the biggest storm of the season so far descends on the Twin Cities, some lucky homeowners are getting expert help battening down the hatches and lowering their utility bills. The bonus? It’s costing them peanuts. Two Twin Cities nonprofits are making homes more energy-efficient. The cost to homeowners: $30 each. Their utility-bill savings average $127 a year. The Center for Energy and the Environment (CEE) in Minneapolis and Neighborhood Energy Connection (NEC) in St. Paul, both nonprofits dedicated to energy efficiency, began pilot programs in the fall in select neighborhoods. Metro CERT is supporting organizing efforts in St. Paul. Read full stories at Star Tribune and Twin Cities Daily Planet.
Neighborhood Energy Service Workshop: On November 5th Metro CERT, the Neighborhood Energy Connection and the District 7 planning council and District 8, sponsored the second energy efficiency workshop for the Neighborhood Energy Service (NES) program in St. Paul. We had 55 people in attendance for and scheduled 45 more home visits.
The Green Institute Metro Host for Local Government Webinar: On November 10th, the Green Institute hosted the Metro region for a webinar put on by the Office of Energy Security about Stimulus Programs local governments. Representatives from the parks department, renewable energy installers and consultants were all in attendance to get updates on the latest OES programs. The event was an opportunity both to get information from the state on their programs, as well as a chance to network with others who are hoping to submit a project to be funded by the stimulus programs.
ReUse Center Hosts Workshop Highlighting Techniques for Using Salvaged Materials: November 19th, Metro CERT staff helped to support another workshop in a series hosted by the ReUse Center. This workshop focused on ways to use salvaged building materials in projects. Speakers included an architect, Paul Neseth, and reclaimed floor provider, Steve Belrose. This workshop is a part of series put on by the Green Institute ReUse Center to educate customers and community members on energy conservation, green building and effectively using salvaged building materials.
Student group taking steps to help energy conservation: Members of the Power Police spent Thursday and Friday installing power strips and digital timers in Vincent Hall. Read more >>
Northeast Region
Updates from NE CERT Coordinator, Bill Mittlefehldt: NE CERT regional coordinator Bill Mittlefehldt has been working with UMD students in the campus Sustainability Coalition as they formulate their goals and process for the Schools Cutting Carbon grant for 2010.To see a front page article in the Duluth News Tribune about Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon, please visit http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/154116/. Bill is working to help the City of Duluth, the Duluth School District and UMD design and implement a process of mentoring students with community leaders. The process hopes to encourage improvement in business, environment and community health over the years. The NE CERTs Coordinator has been working with a local videographer to re-tell the story of “Prospecting for 21st Century Energy in Ely.” This DVD will be available for the Holidays as a stocking stuffer. It tells a dramatic and timely story of one community’s efforts to tap local leaders, institutions, businesses and technologies to improve their shared odds. And the Coordinator has been involved in two faith communities sharing a DVD production the “Twin Ports Interfaith Initiative on Global Warming.” This DVD explains the urgency of our climate and energy situtation and shares five stories of area faith-teams and how they have managed a successful and measured reduction in their carbon footprints. It’s a great story.
Duluth man builds, sells, solar heating window blinds: The next big product for green energy might not come from a high-tech laboratory. It could be from a next door neighbor tinkering in the basement. A Duluth area man is hoping he’s come up with the next big thing. He’s selling a heat-collecting window blind he rigged up at home. Read full article at MPR >>
Northwest Region
Join CERTs as a Coordinator in the Northwest Region! NW CERT is hiring a coordinator to help staff their region of Minnesota. The Coordinator will be instrumental in working with various organizations and individuals to move community-scale projects forward within the region by connecting people with the technical resources they need to identify and implement local energy efficiency and clean energy projects. See press release and full job description >>
Minnesota teacher hopes affordable cordwood homes catch on: A northern Minnesota school teacher will soon move into an unusual new home built of firewood logs. Read full story at INFORUM >>
Project encourages alternative energy careers for students: A cooperative project between colleges in Minnesota and North Dakota is encouraging high school students to consider alternative energy careers. Read more at MPR >>
NW CERT Meeting: Over thirty people met on November 10th for the Northwest CERT meeting at East Grand Forks Water & Light to discuss residential energy efficiency and watch the EECBG webinar.
Southeast Region
Updates from SE CERT Coordinator, Susan Waughtal: SE CERT Regional Coordinator Susan Waughtal has been busy. She helped people submitting CERT seed grant proposals, worked with staff at the Southern MN Initiative Foundation for a workshop series planning & proposal outline, talked with Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center folks regarding site options, program, local energy case studies. She also updated the SE CERT blog and website, worked with a Stewartville business owner supplying resources for putting solar panels on his downtown buildings, and connected with SE Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon, reminding them of the grant deadlines and offered assistance. Finally she worked with several people regarding potential biomass projects in the region.
Southwest Region
Jeff Vetsch named Southwest and West Central CERTs Coordinator: Jeff has just been named Southwest and West Central CERTs Coordinator and will provide coordination assistance to various groups and individuals to identify and implement new, emerging and established community-scale energy efficiency and clean energy projects across the Region. Jeff has spent the last four years working at the Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center and was involved with many renewable energy projects on their campus. You can contact Jeff to welcome him to the CERTs team and talk to him about anything else at 320.212.4405 or jeff@cleanenergyresourceteams.org.
Wind Power in WDG: The Worthington Daily globe paper ran as series of several articles recently on wind development! Check them out at http://www.dglobe.com.
Battery Research Aims To Store Renewable Energy: The biggest chemical battery in the United States is located near Interstate 90 in the small town of Luverne, Minn. The 80 ton device—the size of two tractor-trailers stacked on top of each other—stores as much energy as about 3 million rechargeable AA batteries and can power about 3,000 houses for more than an hour when discharging at its maximum rate. Read more at PhysOrg.com >>
West Central Region
Jeff Vetsch named Southwest and West Central CERTs Coordinator: Jeff has just been named Southwest and West Central CERTs Coordinator and will provide coordination assistance to various groups and individuals to identify and implement new, emerging and established community-scale energy efficiency and clean energy projects across the Region. Jeff has spent the last four years working at the Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center and was involved with many renewable energy projects on their campus. You can contact Jeff to welcome him to the CERTs team and talk to him about anything else at 320.212.4405 or jeff@cleanenergyresourceteams.org.
C-BED in Renville: The Renville County Commissioner’s approved a C-Bed resolution on Nov 24th for the Norfolk Wind Project. More at http://www.norfolkwindenergy.com.
Link of the Month
Home Improvement Loans for Minnesota Homeowners
It has already been a cold winter, and we are just getting started! Before too much of that air you are heating sneaks out of your home, consider doing some work to tighten up your home and make it more efficient and comfortable this winter. In the end, your pocketbook will be thanking you!
To help you get the work done, the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency offers three key home improvement loan options for Minnesota homeowners, all with a central focus on energy efficiency—but also including eligibility for solar and wind energy systems.
Learn more about home improvement loans for Minnesota homeowners at the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency’s website >>
Action Alert
Find Holiday Light Recycling Locations Near You!
This map shows all of the locations officially participating in the winter 2009-2010 Recycle Your Holidays™ program where you can drop off your non-LED holiday lights to be recycled!
Look at the map right away to get your holiday lights in—some locations will only be accepting lights through Thursday, January 14th!
What is Recycle Your Holidays™? The Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM) in partnership with WCCO TV, Xcel Energy, Snyders Drug Stores and the Clean Energy Resource Teams, announces the launch of Recycle Your Holidays™. This is a first-of-its-kind effort in the country starting mid-November and going through January 2010 all throughout the state.
Click here to learn more about the program and find recycling locations near you >>
Clean Energy Resource Teams