Over the past year, Metro CERT has supported the energy conservation and development aspect of the Chisago Lakes Area’s community revitalization plan for their entry into the America’s Best Communities (ABC) competition they have been participating in for nearly two years. The Chisago Lakes Area includes the communities of Chisago, Lindstrom, Center City, Shafer, and Taylors Falls.

Diana McKeown chats with local business owner

Over sixty Winona county residents crowded into the Winona City Hall on a recent brisk March Saturday morning to learn the “Seven Steps to a Solar Ready Home.” Because every dollar spent on energy efficiency reduces the size of a needed solar electric generating system energy, efficiency can actually reduce a homeowner’s cost for a solar system by three to five times.

8.5kW Winona residential solar installation by Innovative Power Systems in 2010

Community solar programs are gaining increasing interest from electric utility customers across the nation. Unlike individual solar PV systems, community shared solar systems, also known as Solar Gardens, create an opportunity for multiple individuals and organizations to receive the benefit of a larger solar installation without requiring it to be located on-site.

Mayor Peter Lindstrom shows off solar panels atop Falcon Heights City Hall

The Minnesota Department of Commerce just announced their 2017 Made in Minnesota Solar PV Incentive Program lottery results. This year the program will support 679 new projects and 10.23 MW of capacity—that’s a lot! Minnesota Power’s SolarSense Program also expanded this year.

Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive

Every week there has been news of solar installations breaking ground, getting installed, and pumping clean electricity into Minnesota’s grid. It appears we’re definitely in the midst of a solar boom! We pulled together a few of the best recent stories for your perusal.

Interest in reducing the energy consumption of livestock has certainly grown, not only from a consumer’s perspective, but also from producers—for both cost-saving and environmental reasons.

For example, within swine facilities, electricity is used in two major areas. First, for delivering feed and water, and secondly, for removing heat in the summer and providing heat in winter.

2017 Midwest Farm Energy Conference

Over 40 people stopped by the Sprout Growers and Makers Fair in Little Falls on Saturday, March 25th to learn more about electric vehicles. On display was a sleek black Tesla Model S owned by Jessee Holmes, and a sporty-looking blue 2016 Nissan LEAF owned by Jeff Riegle.

Attendees kick the tires on electric vehicles in Little Falls

Later this year the nation’s first “integrated” wind and solar hybrid project will begin producing power outside a small city in northwest Minnesota.

Developed by Juhl Energy, Inc., the Red Lake Falls Project combines two 2.3 megawatt (MW) General Electric 116-meter rotor turbines with a 1 MW solar photovoltaic installation.

Credit: Gerry Machen

There is A LOT happening in the world of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) here in Minnesota. We asked Jukka Kukkonen with PlugInConnect, LLC, to tell us a bit more. The Overview   “This is a year of great developments in Minnesota,” says Jukka.

nissan leaf

No, it isn’t Christmas time again, but you might think that with all the new LED lighting that illuminates the recently remodeled Holiday Gas Station in Grand Marais!

To promote energy efficiency strategies, the Grand Marais Public Utilities Commission issued a rebate to Mike’s Holiday, Inc. for their extensive use of LED technology.

Shown from left to right are Jan Smith, Courtney Quaife, Payton Quaife, Tim Quaife, Karl Hansen, and Tim Kennedy. Photo by Rhonda Silence, WTIP.

A recent Finance & Commerce article highlighted the installation of a new geothermal system at Cargill Philanthropies in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The article served as a great reminder that geothermal is an excellent—and often forgotten—energy technology.

Minnesota Geothermal Heat Pump Association Conference

The CERTs statewide staff are housed at the University of Minnesota on the St. Paul campus. There is a lot of interesting research happening around here, and when we recently read that researchers were working with high-tech silicon nanoparticles to collect solar energy in windows, man, that got us pretty excited.

OK, it might be a few years away, but hey, still exciting. We spoke with Dr.

University of Minnesota researcher Samantha Ehrenberg uses a plasma reactor to create silicon nanoparticles that are the key ingredient in the solar concentrators. Credit: Patrick O'Leary, University of Minnesota

LED linear tube lights are an emerging energy-efficient technology. With the popularity of the CERTs Right Light Guide, we decided it was high time to offer some basic guidance on LED tubes.

This is the second version of the guide with slight revisions from the original.
 

Why are people considering LED tubes?

 
Fluorescent lighting is everywhere. Fluorescent lighting is universal.

CERTs Right Light Guide for LED Tube Lights

A new analysis of energy use for 417 public and commercial buildings in Minneapolis reveals that they have the combined potential to save $27 million per year on energy costs by increasing their energy efficiency to reduce consumption by 15 percent.

Minneapolis benchmarking report now available

Friends of the Finland Community had one simple goal in mind: to help the Clair Nelson Finland Community Center become more energy efficient and cost effective. A Northeast CERT Seed Grant helped them get it done!
 

LEDs were the perfect solution

 
Friends of the Finland Community’s aim was to replace ten metal halide light fixtures located on the outside of the building with LED lights.

Clair Nelson Finland Community Center

Ecolibrium3’s Giving Comfort at Home project provides energy efficiency upgrades for Duluth homeowners that may be unable to do so on their own, and the program recently got a boost from a Northeast CERT Seed Grant.
 

Understanding the problem

 
“Duluth housing stock is old, and many of our most vulnerable citizens experience energy poverty, particularly during the winter months.

Pilot home for Giving Comfort At Home gets a thumbs up for air sealing

The Minnesota Women in Energy series highlights influential women who are part of our state’s energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. CERTs is highlighting these leaders during the month of March in 2017, which is Women’s History Month.

As part of the series we interviewed J.

J. Drake Hamilton

The Minnesota Women in Energy series highlights influential women who are part of our state’s energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. CERTs is highlighting these leaders during the month of March in 2017, which is Women’s History Month.

Shalini Gupta

The Minnesota Women in Energy series highlights influential women who are part of our state’s energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. CERTs is highlighting these leaders during the month of March in 2017, which is Women’s History Month.

Elizabeth Dunbar

The Minnesota Women in Energy series highlights influential women who are part of our state’s energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. CERTs is highlighting these leaders during the month of March in 2017, which is Women’s History Month.

Ellen Anderson

The Minnesota Women in Energy series highlights influential women who are part of our state’s energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. CERTs is highlighting these leaders during the month of March in 2017, which is Women’s History Month.

Jenny Edwards

The Minnesota Women in Energy series highlights influential women who are part of our state’s energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. CERTs is highlighting these leaders during the month of March in 2017, which is Women’s History Month.

Aimee Witteman

The Minnesota Women in Energy series highlights influential women who are part of our state’s energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. CERTs is highlighting these leaders during the month of March in 2017, which is Women’s History Month.

Leah Hiniker

The Minnesota Women in Energy series highlights influential women who are part of our state’s energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. CERTs is highlighting these leaders during the month of March in 2017, which is Women’s History Month.

Julia Frost Nerbonne

The Minnesota Women in Energy series highlights influential women who are part of our state’s energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. CERTs is highlighting these leaders during the month of March in 2017, which is Women’s History Month.

Laura Babcock

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