At the CERTs 2013 Conference, a half day of in-depth workshops and an evening reception on February 20th, 2013 will be followed by a full day of sessions, networking time, and exhibits on the 21st.
With the conference less than three weeks away, we’re excited to share with you the full agenda for both days of the conference, complete with workshop and session descriptions and speaker names. If you were wondering what the conference holds in store for you, it doesn’t get much more clear than this!
See all of the details below…
Pre-Conference Workshops & Reception
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
| 11:00AM-12:00PM | Registration, Networking & Exhibitor Time (Terry Haws Hall C) |
| 12:00-1:00PM | Lunch, Networking & Exhibitor Time (Terry Haws Hall C) |
| 1:00-5:00PM | Your Choice of Three In-Depth Pre-Conference Workshops |
| Utilities: Sharing Best Practices to Meet Conservation Goals (Herberger Suite) | |
| Break 3:00-3:30PM |
This workshop will highlight case studies from utilities and their partners across Minnesota to see what effective energy savings programs might be replicable across service territories. Programs include specific sector targeting, behavior change opportunities, scalable technology-focused projects, and smart measures, among others. |
| Moderators: Jessica Burdette & Joe Plummer – Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources | |
| Rob Scott-Hovland – Missouri River Energy Services | |
| Carl Nelson – Center for Energy and Environment | |
| John O’Neil – Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency | |
| Jeff Haase – Great River Energy | |
| Todd Berreman – CenterPoint Energy | |
| Nick Mark – CenterPoint Energy | |
| Local Governments: Moving Efficiency & Renewable Energy Projects Forward (Opportunities Suite) | |
| Is your local government looking for rules of thumb for energy efficiency or wondering if renewable energy is the right fit for you? This workshop will emphasize the sorts of energy-saving projects that local units of government should do now, and focus on why certain technologies are a good fit for certain uses. | |
| Moderators: Lissa Pawlisch – CERTs; Abby Finis – Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources | |
| Tony Mancuso – St. Louis County | |
| John Paulson – City of Hutchinson | |
| Garrett Mosiman – Center for Sustainable Building Research | |
| Wayne Roehrich – City of Brooklyn Park | |
| Rebecca Spengler – Ely Alternative Energy Task Force | |
| Solar: Simple Steps to Solar Energy (Stockinger Suite) | |
| Join solar professionals, Minnesotans with installed projects, and peers to talk about real, concrete steps toward moving your solar project forward. There will be opportunities to discuss your project with a variety of solar professionals. To prepare, feel free to come with your virtual solar site assessment and photos of your site. | |
| Moderators: Troy Goodnough – University of Minnesota – Morris; Jim Dontje – Gustavus Adolphus College | |
| Stacy Miller – Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources | |
| Eric Jensen – Minnesota Renewable Energy Society | |
| Matt Karl – Minnesota Renewable Energy Society | |
| Laura Cina – Minnesota Renewable Energy Society | |
| Jeff Vetsch – WC CERT | |
| Diana McKeown – Metro CERT | |
| 5:00-8:00PM | Reception at the Kelly Inn (Grand Ballroom) |
Conference & Exhibition
Thursday, February 21, 2013
| 7:30-8:30AM | Registration, Light Breakfast, Networking & Exhibitor Time (Terry Haws Hall C) |
| 8:30-9:00AM | Welcome & Kick-Off (Terry Haws Hall C) |
| 9:00-10:30AM | Your Choice of Five Breakout Sessions on Renewable Energy Technologies |
| Emerging Technologies: Electric Vehicles & Smart Homes (Herberger Suite) | |
| Learn about emerging technologies, including electric vehicles and new building technologies (such as smart meters, phone apps, and remote control), and projects that are incorporating these technologies. | |
| Moderators: Trevor Drake – Metro CERT; Jeff Vetsch – WC CERT | |
| Jukka Kukkonen – PlugInConnect | |
| John Carmody – University of Minnesota Center for Sustainable Building Research | |
| Geothermal & Air-Source Heat Pumps: Harness the Earth’s Temperature (Bell & Alexander Rooms) | |
| Learn about the best applications for geothermal and air-source heat pumps, as well as innovative uses of these technologies in projects throughout Minnesota. | |
| Moderator: Lise Trudeau – Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources | |
| Dean Havel – Electro Industries and Northern Heat Pump | |
| Jeff Haase – Great River Energy | |
| Wind Options: Residential, Community & Commercial (Wilson Suite) | |
| Come learn the latest information about the wind industry in Minnesota, from large-scale commercial development to single turbine projects at farms and schools. | |
| Moderator: Cheryl Glaeser – Southwest Initiative Foundation | |
| Kathy Draeger – U of M Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships | |
| Katie Ledermann – Mahtomedi High School Eco Club | |
| Jeff Ledermann – Minnesota Department of Education & MAGI | |
| Shanelle Montana – EDF Renewable Energy | |
| Biomass Energy: Homegrown Heat for Minnesota (Weidner, Clark & Edelbrock Rooms) | |
| Learn about community biomass projects throughout Minnesota, how you can do your own, and what technologies and resources are available. | |
| Moderator: Al Doering – Agricultural Utilization Research Institute | |
| Rebecca Spengler – Ely Alternative Energy Task Force | |
| Dan Reek – ZB Engineering | |
| Wendy Pederson – City of Franklin | |
| Solar for Your Community: Technologies, Resources & Financing (Stockinger Suite) | |
| Learn about interesting solar community-ownership and bulk-purchase programs, emerging financing models, differences in markets by technology, opportunities and challenges, and resources to bring back to your community. | |
| Moderator: Diana McKeown – Metro CERT | |
| Rosie Hoyem – Minnesota Renewable Energy Society | |
| Steve Nisbet – Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association | |
| Jim Dontje – Gustavus Adolphus College | |
| Timothy Den-Herder Thomas – Cooperative Energy Futures | |
| Stacy Miller – Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources | |
| Laura Cina – Minnesota Renewable Energy Society | |
| 10:30-10:50AM | Break |
| 10:50AM-12:20PM | Your Choice of Five Breakout Sessions on Energy Efficiency by Sector |
| Business Efficiency: Improving Your Bottom Line (Herberger Suite) | |
| Join this interactive session to discuss and learn how your business can analyze return on investment (ROI), meet project partners, discover resources and tools, and reap the rewards of energy efficiency. | |
| Moderator: Jill Curran – Minnesota Waste Wise – Energy Smart | |
| Carl Samuelson – Eureka Recycling | |
| Ryan Verhulst – Minnesota Waste Wise – Energy Smart | |
| Mark Powers – Minnesota Technical Assistance Program | |
| Farm Efficiency: Reaping the Rewards (Bell & Alexander Rooms) | |
| This session highlights recent initiatives in developing farm energy efficiency as a price-competitive energy resource. Come learn about farm energy audits, how an audit will help identify proper energy efficiency improvements on the farm, and super-efficient LED light technology that can boost farm profitability. | |
| Moderator: Fritz Ebinger – The Minnesota Project | |
| Shannon Jerabek – McLeod Cooperative Power | |
| Dana Petersen – Iowa State University – Farm Energy | |
| John Zimmerman – Zimmerman Farms in Rice County | |
| School Efficiency: Energized for Savings (Wilson Suite) | |
| Learn about innovative projects happening in schools across Minnesota and how they have involved students and the community in benchmarking, energy efficiency, and more. | |
| Moderators: Cheryl Glaeser – Southwest Initiative Foundation; Don Graves – Hibbing Community College & Iron Range Partnership for Sustainability; Bill Mittlefehldt – Northeast CERT | |
| Erika Bailey-Johnson – Bemidji State University | |
| Patrick Merrick – Westbrook-Walnut Grove YES! Team | |
| Rick Wilson – Kennedy Community School | |
| Home Efficiency: Moving from Audit to Action (Weidner, Clark & Edelbrock Rooms) | |
| You have heard about all of the ways you can reduce your energy use and save money, and now it’s time to act. Learn how to get past key obstacles on your journey toward energy efficiency! | |
| Moderators: Sarah Hayden – Central CERT; Terry Webster – Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources | |
| Rebecca Olson – Neighborhood Energy Connection | |
| Terry Webster – Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources | |
| Stacy Boots-Camp – Center for Energy and Environment | |
| Local Government Efficiency: Benchmarking & Financing Tools (Stockinger Suite) | |
| B3, GESP, and PACE. What do these acronyms have to do with me? Come learn how these tools and programs can help you foster energy efficiency in your local government operations and in your community! | |
| Moderators: Abby Finis & Peter Berger – Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources | |
| Mike Bauer – City of Rogers | |
| Katy Gehler – City of Prior Lake | |
| Scott Neal – City of Edina | |
| 12:20-1:45PM | Lunch, Networking & Exhibitor Time (Terry Haws Hall C) |
| 1:45-3:30PM | Regional Sessions on Kickstarting Community-Driven Clean Energy Projects |
| Join attendees from your CERT Region to identify five energy efficiency or renewable energy projects in (35 projects statewide) that can be implemented by the next CERTs Conference in February 2015. Whether you have an idea to share or are eager to work with others, there’s a role for everyone! Learn more about the Regional Sessions. | |
| Central (Schilplin & Whitney Rooms) | |
| Metro (Herberger Suite) | |
| Northeast (Wilson Suite) | |
| Northwest (Clark & Edelbrock Rooms) | |
| Southeast (Mitchell & Swisshelm Rooms) | |
| Southwest (Weidner Room) | |
| West Central (Bell & Alexander Rooms) | |
| 4:00PM | Bus Leaves for Twin Cities |
