News

On Saturday, April 23, 2016 a Green Innovator’s Expo addressing this year’s grand challenge of clean energy will take place as part of the 8th Annual Iron Range Earth Fest in Mountain Iron. The Expo is a presented jointly by the Iron Range Partnership for Sustainability (IRPS) and the Range Engineering Council (REC).

Here at CERTs we’re working to make an old adage out of the phrase “the cheapest energy is energy we don’t use.” There are many companies working in Minnesota to help folks save energy and money, but we don’t often look closer to see who’s behind this work.

Community solar gardens are really taking off in Minnesota. There are several solar developers behind this big push, and it’s nice to know more about them.

We recently took the opportunity to chat with a developer that is new to Minnesota, Community Energy. We spoke with Amy Failing with Community Energy to learn more about their work and upcoming efforts.

As part of our Renewable Energy for Greater Minnesota work, we’ve spoken with a lot of farmers and and small business owners that have taken advantage of the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

The Minnesota Department of Commerce today announced grants for nine research and development projects that will help Minnesota consumers and businesses save energy, cut utility bills and reduce carbon dioxide pollution.

The number of solar jobs in Minnesota more than doubled during the past two years and, thanks to solar-friendly state and federal policies, the job surge is expected to continue, according to the 2015 Minnesota Solar Jobs Census from The Solar Foundation, Minnesota Department of Commerce, and BW Research Partnership.

When Chuck Dougherty, owner of the Water Street Inn and Cover Park Manor in Stillwater, began researching solar panel installation, the high cost of the project made the upgrade seem unlikely. Then his preferred solar panel company recommended he apply for Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing.

Here at CERTs we have been getting a few questions recently about stray voltage with regards to clean energy project, so we thought it would be useful to share some resources for people to learn more.

While stray voltage can be a concern in certain situations, it’s unlikely to arise when work is done by professional contractors in partnership with electric utilities.

Based in Burnsvile, Minnesota, 75F caught our eye by winning a slew of awards in the last few years. We spoke with Jane Kaster, Marketing Director for 75F, to learn more about their high-tech solutions for helping people save energy.

Solar panels made in Minneapolis? You betcha! Itek Energy opened their Minneapolis facility just over a year ago, in January of 2015. We spoke with Paul Krumrich to learn more about their burgeoning business.

Getting settled: Headquartered in Washington State, Itek Energy started production of solar panels in 2011, and partnership with Spye Inc.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is accepting applications from organizations interested in participating as a host site for the 2016 – 2017 year of the Minnesota GreenCorps program. Applications from eligible organizations interested in hosting Minnesota GreenCorps members are due by 5:00 pm CDT on Friday, March 18, 2016.

The federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and Production Tax Credit (PTC) were recently extended. Set to expire at the end of 2016, both will now continue to support clean energy in Minnesota for several years.

What is REEGP?

 
The Renewable Energy Equipment Grant program (REEGP), provides Minnesota Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) providers grant funding to install renewable energy equipment in low-income households.

The City of Richfield has identified energy efficiency as an important way that homeowners can reduce residential utility bills, improve household maintenance and safety, and protect the environment by reducing pollution emitted from energy production.

SciTechsperience connects college students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines with paid internships that provide rewarding hands-on experience in small to mid-sized Minnesota businesses.

Objectives:

Develop Minnesota’s STEM workforce by providing hands-on learning opportunities to talented college students in dynamic Minnesota STEM industries.

We recently spoke with Dan Husted, Vice President of Energy Services with Lake Region Electric Cooperative, about an innovative program they have created to provide quality LED light bulbs to their membership.

After years of collaboration on other important issues, neighbors are now coming together to focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy.

In 2008, citizens of St. Anthony Park gathered at Micawber’s Books to discuss Pat Murphy’s Plan C: Community Survival Strategies for Peak Oil and Climate Change.

Taxpayers take note: If you made energy efficiency improvements to your home in 2015, or if you are planning upgrades in 2016, you may be eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $500.

The Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit originally expired at the end of 2014. But Congress recently renewed the credit, making it retroactive to January 1, 2015, and extending it to December 31, 2016.

Environmental Initiative is now accepting nominations for the 2016 Environmental Initiative Awards. This program annually honors projects that have achieved extraordinary environmental results by harnessing the power of partnership.

When building a new home all sorts of little details need to be decided: What color the walls will be, what the cabinets will look like, etc. Often the mechanical part of the home is given less attention. Options that cost more are easy to push off for something familiar and cheaper.

This article was originally published in Midwest Energy News by Frank Jossi.

Less than a week after a Minnesota co-op announced it had sold out shares of its formerly struggling solar garden, solar developer Sunshare announced it has sold out its first project in Waverly, a town 35 miles west of Minneapolis.

CERTs is pleased to announce that Kristi Fernholz, a Senior Planner at the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission (UMVRDC), will also be acting as our new West Central CERT Coordinator. Kristi has worked at UMVRDC on a variety of programs since 2000.

“Advocating for renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainability is the volunteer job I’ve been doing for several years” said Chris Meyer, who has just joined CERTs as the Southeast CERT Coordinator, “and now I’ll have an excuse to do it.

Two groups, Outsourced Innovations, a lighting consulting firm, and Tangletown Gardens, a greenhouse nursery and garden business, recently completed an 12-month study of greenhouse-specific LED lighting technology. This study was funded through a Minnesota Department of Commerce Conservation Applied Research and Development (CARD) grant.

The organization Minnesota Brownfields is hosting a session to explore the opportunities and challenges associated with developing solar energy on brownfield sites, much like the project that was completed in Hutchinson last month.