CERTs Monthly Update - September 2009
Hello CERT members and friends, and welcome to the September 2009 edition of our Monthly Update!
We would like to thank our citizen-led steering committee members across the state for their time and effort this month crafting our CERTs seed grant request for proposals (RFP), planning future tours and clean energy forums in their regions, and supplying feedback and leadership around CERTs programs and projects. And remember, applications for CERTs seed grants are due next month—get them in and help us spread the word!
Students in southwest Minnesota learn about the energy use of basic household items in an interactive display on the Prairie Ecology Bus
Regional Highlights & Activities
Statewide
CERTs Seed Grants Available for Community Clean Energy Projects! The Minnesota Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) seek to provide limited financial assistance for energy efficiency and/or renewable energy projects requiring technical assistance. Project funding can support technical assistance services (labor costs only, such as for a consultant, design professional, installer or student labor) for projects across the state in all seven Minnesota CERT regions: Central, Metro, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest and West Central. Click here to learn more and apply >>
DRG Study: The newly released Minnesota Dispersed Renewable Generation Transmission Study Phase II Report can be found at http://tinyurl.com/OES-DRG-study.
AURI Renewable Energy Template: CERT staff facilitated a state-wide conference call with Regional Development Commission staff and other parties looking into the functionality and economic development potential of the AURI renewable energy template. Learn more >>
Tapping Into the Power of the Sun: Solar power was touted as a potential solution to the energy crisis of the 1970s, but it never really caught on after the crisis passed. Now, advocates say the technology exists for solar power to become a part of our energy portfolio. Click to read full article at MPR >>
U of M Hopes to Win Solar Competition: Today on the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota, you can take a look at a fully-equipped house that is powered entirely by solar energy and is designed to use less power than it generates. Later this month, the house will be taken apart and shipped to Washington, D.C. where it will be reassembled on the National Mall for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition. Click to read full article at MPR >>
Federal delays stall alternative energy projects: Another bottleneck in the federal stimulus pipeline is coming to light: bureaucratic delays are tying up payments for small-scale solar and wind energy systems in Minnesota. Click to read full article at MPR >>
Study: Small Power Projects Important to Minnesota Energy: Supporters of renewable energy projects say a new state study shows that small power projects can play an important role in changing Minnesota’s energy mix. The study shows it would cost about $121 million to connect another 600 megawatts of renewables to the grid. Click to read full article at MPR >>
Most Federal Weatherization Funding in MN Remains Unspent: Six months after Congress allocated billions of federal stimulus dollars to weatherize low-income homes and create jobs, much of the money remains unspent. Click to read full article at MPR >>
MRES Solar Flare: For all you solar enthusiasts, the Solar Flare put out by the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society is a GREAT resource. Check it out at http://www.mnrenewables.org/newsletter.
SEE Awards: Congratulations to the Schools for Energy Efficiency (SEE) 2009 Energy Milestone Winners! Click here to see them all >>
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
Central Minnesota Alternative Energy Collaborative: The Central Minnesota Alternative Energy Collaborative met September 29th to further their efforts in identifying and implementing energy projects that spur economic development within their region. Click to learn more >>
Metro Region
St. Paul Neighborhood Energy Service Kick-off: The Neighborhood Energy Service (NES) program in St. Paul launched in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood with a house party to recruit block leaders to invite their neighbors to participate in the program. The NES program is part of a statewide initiative, Energy Efficient Cities, to sign up 6000 homes across the state for energy efficiency workshops and home visits. The program will be rolled out by neighborhood and over the next two years it will be open to all neighborhoods in St. Paul, along with five other cities across the state. Metro CERT is leading the effort working in partnership with the Neighborhood Energy Connection, a St. Paul-based nonprofit organization that provides energy conservation information, services and programs to residents, businesses and communities across Minnesota. Along with NEC and the St. Paul District Councils, Metro CERT hopes to involve 2000 households over the next two years in the Neighborhood Energy Services program.
Longfellow Sustainable Homes Workshops: Diana gave a workshop on No Cost/Low Cost Strategies to Save Energy and Money on the evening of September 24th as a part of the Longfellow Sustainable Homes Workshops. The free workshops are part of the larger Energy Efficient Cities project. While Metro CERT is leading the effort in St. Paul, we are playing a support role in Minneapolis and Apple Valley.
Presentations with Ramsey/Washington County CAPs: Metro CERT has partnered with the Ramsey/Washington County Community Action Partnerships to do energy efficiency workshops in tandem with their energy assistance application days, when they visit low-income housing communities to assist residents in signing up for energy assistance. Metro CERT staff has put together a presentation tailored to each specific living facility to encourage low-cost/no-cost energy efficiency and conservation. These workshops are complementary to the energy assistance program in encouraging residents to lower their energy bills and have been well received. We hope this partnership will continue and grow.
Hennepin County steps up composting programs: A growing number of Hennepin County residents are taking a few minutes each week to separate their banana peels and pizza boxes from the rest of their trash. They’re participating in test programs that measure the environmental and financial benefits of organic recycling and composting. County officials say the projects are part of a larger effort to cut back on harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Click here to read the full MPR article >>
Macalester building receives highest LEED rating: A new building on the Macalester College campus in St. Paul has received the highest ranking available for green construction and operation. Markim Hall, which houses Macalester’s Institute for Global Citizenship, has been given LEED Platinum Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. It’s the first higher education building in the state to receive the top certification. Click here to read the full MPR article >>
Portable energy meters available at Hennepin libraries: Patrons of the Hennepin County Library will be able to check out more than just books and DVDs. Starting in October, the libraries will add portable energy meters to their catalogs. Click here to read the full MPR article >>
Northeast Region
New Video: Ely in the Balance: Ely in the Balance chronicles how solar power was introduced to Ely, MN with help from CERTs. The video features A Laundry Room, Inc, a full-service laundromat in Ely, MN that installed a solar thermal hot water system with grant funding from NE CERT and a whole lot of community support. Runtime is just 6 minutes. Click here to watch the video now >>
NE CERT Update: CERTs joined with the Lake Superior Energy Association at the annual Harvest Fest in Bayside Park. Approximately, 7000 members of the region came out on a beautiful day by the waters of Lake Superior to learn about conservation, efficiency, renewables and food. Doug Shoemaker, Director of the Minnesota Renwable Energy Society, was there to share his perspective on the growing interest in local energies. Doug has recently been honored for his service to Minnesota’s emerging 21st century economy —more lean and green. Mike LeBeau of Conservation Technololgies was actively engaged with the public in the Energy Tent, describing the necessary considerations for applying PV to homes. Tim Olloff of RREAL was the charming barker for solar thermal applications. Tim emphasizes that these RREAL products are made in Minnesota. David Stark, President of the LSEA, was there to emphasize water conservation by applying tanks, pumps and techniques to reuse a home’s freshwater as a local response to the growing global freshwater crisis. Dean Talbot from Minneosta Power’s Office of Conservation was busy the entire day explaining the opportunties for significant energy savings in residences and businesses. Bill Mittlefehldt, the NE CERTs Coordinator, worked with interested folks to connect these dots. The outcome was very postive as great sun and air, super foods, pleasant people and dogs generated a wave of synergy. Hope is clearly our most important and renewable shared resource.
Northwest Region
Idled Lumber Plants May Get Second Life in Bioenergy Business: Read the full article from MPR >>
Southeast Region
Carleton College Opens Two Eco-Friendly Residence Halls: Carleton College (MN) has opened Cassat Hall and Memorial Hall, two new dormitories on campus. The two buildings will house a total of 230 students and are registered for LEED Gold certification. The structures feature landscape designed with native vegetation, parking lots with porous paving, storage room with space for securing bicycles, high efficiency lighting, a solar thermal hot water system, and a radiant in-floor heating system. In addition, the main lounges have floors made from salvaged wood and 20 percent of building materials were manufactured within 500 miles of the construction site. Learn more >>
RE-fest: Over 1200 people attended the RE-fest in Austin September 19th. CERTs SE organizer Susan Waughtal reported, “Re-fest was fantastic! The weather was perfect, the crowds seemed to be enjoying themselves, turnout at the workshops was consistently a bit higher than last year and there were lots of families with children and – happily – lots of great kids’ activities.” Learn more at http://www.RE-fest.org.
Southwest Region
Ethanol plant in Lamberton holds grand opening: The Highwater Ethanol plant in the southwestern Minnesota town of Lamberton held its grand opening celebration recently. Click here to read the full MPR article >>
West Central Region
Wind in Willmar: Congratulations to Willmar Municipal Utility for their September 3rd Willmar Turbine Dedication! For more information, click here >>
Link of the Month
Project ReEnergize, a program distributing homeowner rebates, mailed directly to the homeowner, for energy efficient home upgrades was created as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Learn more today at www.ProjectReEnergize.org
Action Alert
CERTs Seed Grants Available for Community Clean Energy Projects!
APPLICATIONS DUE NOVEMBER 2nd — The Minnesota Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) seek to provide limited financial assistance for energy efficiency and/or renewable energy projects requiring technical assistance.
Project funding can support technical assistance services (labor costs only, such as for a consultant, design professional, installer or student labor) for projects across the state in all seven Minnesota CERT regions: Central, Metro, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest and West Central.
CERTs awarded seed grants to Minnesota projects in 2006, 2007, and 2008, funding nearly 80 projects during that time, and providing non-financial assistance to many more. Lists and maps of past CERTs-supported projects can be seen at http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org/community-projects/certs-supported.
“CERTs offers seed grants with two primary objectives in mind: to encourage implementation of community-based clean energy projects across the state, and to provide an educational forum for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and their economic, community and ecological benefits,” says Lissa Pawlisch, CERTs Statewide Coordinator.
Each region has a $40,000 pool of funding. Generally teams have funded projects in the $5,000 range, however should a larger project best help a team achieve its goals, that team may consider funding at a level up to $10,000. Each Regional Team’s Steering Committee will make its own selections and the funding level will vary by region. Projects approved for funding must be completed by December 30th, 2010.
Funding for these projects is provided through the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Office of Energy Security. Proposals must be submitted no later than November 2nd, 2009 at 4:30pm.
To learn more, visit www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org/community-projects/request-for-proposals.
Clean Energy Resource Teams