News

The development of community solar gardens is a potentially exciting opportunity that will allow individuals to join with others in their community to advance clean energy projects. CERTs is working to develop materials and resources to help individuals and communities better understand what this opportunity does—and doesn’t—mean for them.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce announced on Nov. 22 the 2014 incentive amounts for its 10-year, $15-million-a-year Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive Program, to launch Jan. 1 2014.

Made in Minnesota was one of several initiatives enacted by the 2013 Legislature to increase deployment of solar energy throughout the state.

There are a lot of great educational resources out there to help people understand their clean energy options, but often language barriers can get in the way. Now, for Spanish-language learners, there is a nice collection of clean energy resources available.

Nearly 30 people gathered at the historic Depot in Wadena Friday, Sept. 13th, to learn about heating alternatives for communities on delivered fuels at an event co-hosted by Central Clean Energy Resource Team (Central CERT) and University of Minnesota Extension.

The City of New Ulm achieved $98,000 in energy savings in one year after the installation of new aeration blower motors, variable speed drives, controls, and air distribution system in their Waste Water Treatment Plant. After the first year of measurement it is projected that the upgrades will have a 5 year payback.

Ever wonder what to do with the tangled mess of lights that marks the start of many Minnesotans holiday season? Ring in the holidays by getting rid of old, broken, inefficient light strands and upgrading to new, efficient LED holiday lights!

CERTs is partnering again with the Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM) for the 2013-2014 holiday season on Recycle Your Holidays™.

As cities look to improve services without increasing taxes, energy efficient public buildings are gaining traction. At the League of Minnesota Cities on Tuesday, November 12th, thirty people representing fifteen Minnesota cities attended a workshop on “Better Buildings: Measuring, Retrofitting, and Financing.

On November 6, 2013 in Mankato the Energy Service Coalition in Minnesota hosted a workshop for government, energy service company, and utility staff to talk about the Guaranteed Energy Savings Program (GESP), a technical and financial solution to install energy efficiency upgrades and renewable technologies in publicly owned buildings.

The first community-wide test of LED streetlights in Minnesota is already producing big energy savings for the city of West St. Paul. The results could lead to lots of others making the same move. “Other cities need to pay attention to this,’’ Mayor John Zanmiller said. “This is the way it’s going, and we’re fortunate that we were the test lab.

Have you ever wondered why “fall cleaning” isn’t as popular as “spring cleaning?” With winter comes more time indoors and more indoor entertaining.

The energy savings potential of LED lighting systems and other energy efficiency opportunities in poultry barns were described in a “Field Day” on Oct. 11 in Willmar, MN that attracted poultry farmers, utility reps, and energy efficiency specialists from the Upper Midwest.

Nearly 40 people gathered at Deep Portage Learning Center outside of Hackensack Tuesday, August 6, 2013, for a clean energy tour sponsored by Northwest Clean Energy Resource Team (NW CERT) and Central Clean Energy Resource Team (Central CERT). Deep Portage is a non-profit residential environmental education and outdoor recreation center located in Cass County, Minnesota.

The story of Noah and the Ark, a man building a gigantic boat in preparation for a flood that no one else believed was coming, is familiar to most. Crosslake Presbyterian Church has recently taken a page out of Noah’s book and begun their own major undertaking that was initially dismissed by some.

Driving through rural Minnesota you are apt to see impressive displays of renewable energy: wind farms, solar arrays, and ethanol plants come to mind. Additional efforts to promote renewable energy and energy conservation have been popping up in rural Minnesota communities thanks to Youth Energy Summit (YES!) teams.

Four Seward neighborhood businesses installed solar energy on their roof tops. With a combination of rebates, these businesses did their research and it is paying off for them in a very big way. One company saved up to $164,000 by applying for a combination of state and federal rebates.

The Redwood Area Development Corporation (RADC) developed a new website with a renewable energy portal on the homepage.

Julie Rath with RADC is excited about the new site and content: “Having the portal right on the homepage will open up opportunities for citizens and businesses to find easier access to the tool they need for their own projects, energy rebates, funding sources, etc.

Northfield, Minnesota, (located halfway between Minneapolis and Rochester) takes pride in its historic and architecturally interesting buildings.

Saint Paul Energy Coordinator Jim Giebel knows the importance of saving energy for a city government. He oversees the energy usage of over 160 city facilities in Saint Paul, with 3.2 million square feet of space whose collective energy costs total around $8.5 million annually.

A new report by the Great Plains Institute shows that ENERGY STAR Certified buildings in Minnesota are on the rise, having grown from 3 buildings in 1999 to 561 buildings as of September 2013. The report highlights school districts and cities that are leading with the most certified buildings, as well as how Minnesota is progressing towards its state goal of 1,000 certified buildings.

Sanjay comes to Metro CERT as a participant in the Environment and Sustainability program of HECUA (Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs). After he completes a semester with HECUA, Sanjay will finish his bachelor’s degree in Geography with focuses in sustainability and GIS at the University of Minnesota.

On September 10, 2013 about 50 people, mostly city staff, attended a workshop to learn more about how to create the environment in their communities to provide the pathway for developing local solar resources. The workshop was co-sponsored by the GreenStep Cities partnership and Met Council; organized by the National Association of Regional Councils.

This past year at the CERTs 2013 Conference, a new interactive session was tried. Regional groups met and brainstormed potential community energy efficiency projects that could be implemented specifically in their region. One such idea involved installing LED lights on the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) campus.

Detroit Lakes Community & Cultural Center has been working to improve lighting efficiency over the course of the past few years. Overall, 409 light fixtures were affected by the retrofit. We are 100% pleased with the lighting project,” said Stu Omberg, DLCCC’s chief executive officer.

Everyone would like to save money on utility bills, and most people want to conserve our natural resources, right? Well, in Southwest Minnesota, what initially started as an effort to raise awareness among tenants, management, and community members about the importance of the responsible use of natural resources such as energy and water turned out to make connections among generations.

Comprehensive energy program at Discovery Middle School achieves big energy savings and healthier indoor air quality. Alexandria’s Discovery Middle School has trimmed its energy use by nearly 50 percent, thanks to a host of energy improvements.