Several of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBGs) that were distributed to towns and counties across Minnesota focused on increasing the efficiency of commercial buildings that serve the public. Among the businesses that used EECBG funding to make efficiency improvements were food service businesses, municipal liquor stores, and retail stores.
The cities of Minneapolis and Buffalo also developed local pilot programs focusing on commercial efficiency. The Buffalo effort, called the Buffalo Commercial Building Energy Conservation and Benchmarking Pilot Program, aimed to engage local businesses on energy efficiency by providing energy audits and referring businesses to efficiency rebates. The program ended up with 26 total participants that included restaurants, non-profits, churches and light industrial facilities. Minneapolis launched the Energy Efficiency Business Loan & Grant Program, through which local businesses could apply for a grant that would cover 20% of the project cost, up to $5,000, after any utility rebates were applied. Businesses considering more costly improvements also had the option to apply for a zero-interest loan of up to a maximum of $75,000, with a maximum loan term of 10 years.
In addition to these pilot commercial efficiency programs, we have some other exciting stories, such as a solar outreach project focusing on local businesses in the Kingfield neighborhood of Minneapolis, the renovation of an old elementary school in Silver Bay into a thriving business center, and an effort to reduce the amount of energy wasted by vending machines at buildings throughout St. Paul using the energy-saving technology, VendingMisers.
Stay tuned to learn more about each of these projects and to gather tips for improving the efficiency of your own business!
About the Local Government Energy Action Series:
This effort tells the stories of Minnesota municipalities, counties, and schools and the tangible results of their energy-saving efforts to inspire others to take their own actions.
