News

White Earth Tribal Government addresses energy efficiency, renewable energy

With a very large energy usage footprint the White Earth Nation tribal government is becoming more involved in implementing energy conservation measures and adopting renewable energy technologies. The tribal nation encompasses all of Mahnomen County and two northern tiers of townships in northern Becker and several townships western Clearwater counties, totaling more than 937,400 acres.

An eight-year journey with renewables, conservation, and efficiency at Audubon Center of the North Woods

CERTs thought it would be fun to shine a spotlight on the inspiring projects that some of Minnesota’s residential environmental learning centers have been implementing. These extraordinary places provide fun, formative experiences for people of all ages and foster a connection to the natural environment.

Financial impacts of building retrofits for public and business sectors in Southwest MN

Nearly 70 people joined Senator Al Franken and CERTs at Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Worthington on April 2, 2012 to learn about financing tools and opportunities that are currently available to local governments and business leaders, and connect with one another.

Solar Boat Regatta making a splash with renewables: Compete, volunteer, or attend on May 19

What is a Solar Boat Regatta, you ask? At the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES) Solar Boat Regatta teams demonstrate knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to design and build boats powered by the sun.

Manufacturing solar thermal hot water systems in Alexandria: Interview with Kurt Koegel of Solar Skies

In 2003, an entrepreneur named Randy Hagen developed, manufactured, and sold a solar-powered ventilating system for aircraft. Out of this early endeavor sprang Solar Skies Manufacturing LLC, which today produces a full line of solar thermal collectors, tanks, and mounting systems to address the needs of consumers who wish to reduce energy costs and produce their own solar-powered hot water.

Eden Prairie couple combines solar electricity with efficiency and durability (they did their homework)

After meeting David and Anne Florenzano at a CERTs event at the Silicon Energy solar manufacturing plant in Mountain Iron, I caught up with David recently to ask him more about their project and how they decided to go solar.

Does solar work in Central MN? Solar experts, owners, manufacturers, and 80 attendees say YES!

Over 80 people were enlightened at a solar workshop in St. Cloud this past Wednesday. Central, Metro, and West Central Clean Energy Resource Team (CERT) Regions converged at the Riverside Park Pavilion to host a tri-region resource event that provided a plethora of information about solar photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies.

Are you saving more energy than your friends on Facebook? Opower hopes you want to find out!

A new application from Opower, Facebook, and NRDC lets users manage home energy consumption on a Facebook dashboard, comparing their usage with friends, with the end goal being to save energy.

Opower, Facebook, and the Natural Resources Defense Council joined with 16 utilities to launch the social energy app, with an initial reach of 20 million households.

Local governments discuss Minnesota GreenStep Cities best practices and building benchmarking

On March 1st, 41 people gathered at the League of Minnesota Cities to learn more about the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program. Attendees participated in small group discussions about specific best practice actions and got a primer on using the B3 Benchmarking energy management system.

Getting your game on for energy savings: Race you to the energy efficiency line!

A great article by the Rocky Mountain Institute, a Colorado-based independent, entrepreneurial, nonprofit think-and-do tank, summarizes some of the innovations at the South by Southwest Interactive event. I’ve mentioned “gamification” before, but his article really brings some concepts home and offers a great example of how gamification can be applied to transportation.

West Central Minnesotans 'kick the tires' on City of Franklin biomass energy project

Original West Central Tribune article by Tom Cherveny.

The Minnesota Valley Alfalfa Producers are striving to concoct the right recipe for rural economic development and energy independence. Their test kitchen is the small Renville County community of Franklin, population 475.

Screen printing with wind power: Interview with CONTEMPL8 T-Shirts

I recently got the chance to chat with Christopher Loch, owner of CONTEMPL8 T-Shirts, a 100% wind-powered screen printing operation in south Minneapolis, where they’re also doing everything they can to save energy.

Congregation saving over $16,000 a year with energy efficiency improvements: Tour highlights opportunities

The First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis recently won the EPA ENERGY STAR Battle of the Buildings competition in the House of Worship category, competing against 245 other buildings to reduce their energy use. The congregation has saved over $16,000 in the first year almost entirely from no-cost and low-cost opportunities.

How many decisions does it take to replace a light bulb?

There are a lot of considerations these days when buying a new light bulb, all captured in a recent article from Leslie Brooks Suzukamo at the Pioneer Press that features the CERTs Right Light Guide. Keep reading for a preview, or click here for the full article.

Excerpt: Brian James needed a light bulb. Just one little bulb to replace a 40-watt light that burned out in his stairwell.

Heating the Midwest Conference & Expo the gathering of the year for renewable biomass energy!

April 25-27, hundreds of people will be gathering in Eau Claire, Wisconsin for the first annual Heating the Midwest with Renewable Biomass Conference & Expo, which will provide a unique opportunity to build momentum for biomass heating in the Midwest. CERTs is pleased to be part of the event as a co-sponsor.

Biodiesel shines at 2012 Twin Cities Auto Show with 16 vehicles on display

Among the shiny new cars and trucks on display at the recent 2012 Twin Cities Auto Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center was a new exhibit, the Biodiesel Green Room.

Six Minnesota Power case studies about energy-saving programs for schools and homeowners

Over the last couple of years, Minnesota Power has been compiling several energy efficiency success stories under the headings Learn & Earn and Save & Benefit, and we’re taking this opportunity to share them! Read below to learn more about these exciting projects.

Extending Growing Seasons in Cold Climates: Greenhouses Powered by Clean Energy

03/20/2012

Many places in Minnesota have found a way to extend the warm growing season into the colder winter months. This isn’t that surprising, greenhouses have been around, by some accounts, since the time of the Roman Emperors, and their objective remains the same: providing fresh, local produce for people to enjoy at any time of the year.

Drive Electric Minnesota partnership charged up, rolling, and welcoming newcomers

Drive Electric Minnesota is a partnership of local and state government, our largest utility, private business and nonprofit entities working in collaboration to bring electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in charging infrastructure to Minnesota. We spoke with Fran Crotty at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to learn more. Joel Haskard: Tell us a little bit about Drive Electric Minnesota.

Minnesota CARD Grant Program aims to make energy efficiency programs more effective

The Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources seeks proposals from organizations and individuals interested in receiving a Conservation Applied Research and Development (CARD) grant.

Savvy, young eco-geeks want to work for you: GreenCorps program seeks hosts

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is now accepting applications for organizations interested in participating as a Host Site for the 2012-2013 year of the Minnesota GreenCorps program.

Solar-powered car charging stations to grace St. Paul's Como Park

Original Star Tribune story by Rochelle Olson.

Witness the harnessing of the mighty power of the sun at St. Paul’s Como Park. The city is set to fire up two solar-powered electric car charging stations at Como Lake and the nearby McMurray Fields. The official opening is expected within a couple of weeks.

The sites are the latest in St.

OPOWER: Feedback and norming for energy savings in Minnesota

In 2007, bringing together the call to save energy and research on social psychology and behavior change, OPOWER launched a utility customer engagement platform that revolutionizes the way the average consumer relates to their energy bill.

Bush Fellowship Program the perfect opportunity to improve your leadership practice and community

The Bush Fellowship is an opportunity for individuals to increase their capacity for and improve their practice of leadership while working with others to solve tough problems in their communities.

The Bush Foundation is currently accepting applications for new fellows from all over Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Growing a solar-powered tree business in Central MN: Interview with Snowy Pines Reforestation

Based in Browerville, Minnesota, Snowy Pines Reforestation is a family-owned and operated business with the mission “to create meaningful, rewarding work for our family and friends that improves the natural environment.” Greg Nolan and his family manage a 40-acre forest and have planted over three million trees. They specialize in tree planting, salvage logging, and wood flooring.

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