News

The goal of the Renewable Energy Outreach Project was to promote the benefits of solar heating systems, particularly for low-income households in Northwest Minnesota.

The Energy CENTs Coalition is collaborating with CenterPoint Energy this summer to offer the Low Income Rental Efficiency Program. Available for property owners renting to income-eligible tenants of 1-4 unit properties, this conservation opportunity will help to reduce energy costs for low-income tenants and their landlords.

Since 1972, Len Busch Roses has used environmentally friendly biomass boilers to heat its greenhouse. This Plymouth business, the only rose grower in the United States outside of California, employs over 150 people. Sprawling across 15 acres, the company produces seven million flowers each year.

Second-generation owner Patrick Busch credits this unique success to biomass fuel.

McLeod Cooperative Power held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the grand opening of its Community Solar Project on June 23. Some of the members participating in the community solar array, Coop directors and employees, and representatives from Great River Energy, participated in the event.

Thirty-nine cooperative members have subscribed to 82% of the panels in the array.

Cologne’s City Council unanimously agreed to source 100% of the city’s electricity needs from community solar. Located 30 miles west of Minneapolis in Carver County, this city of 1,519 will become the first local government in Minnesota to be powered completely by solar energy. The city will subscribe to a community solar garden at the nearby Bongards cheese plant.

Residents and businesses in Winona County have organized around the prospect of getting a one megawatt community solar garden project installed in their Xcel Energy service territory. They call the effort Power Up Winona Community Solar, and it’s really picking up steam. We interviewed Chris Meyer, a local resident and energy expert, to learn more about the partnership and their goals.

For public entities in Minnesota, a new statewide contract for electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE or charging stations) is now in place.

Vendor product and contact information is available on the Minnesota Department of Administration website. The purpose of this statewide contract is to relieve the burden of each entity having to perform a request for bid and award contract process.

On Earth Day last month, the University of Minnesota Duluth unveiled its new wind turbine and let it spin in the breeze for the first time. Located at the UMD farm, this 65 foot, 5-kilowatt turbine boasts very little friction, thanks to internal magnetic gears.

Nonprofits anywhere in Minnesota can take advantage of 0% loans from Center for Energy and Environment (CEE) before the end of June.

Farmers and rural small businesses are essential to the fabric of Minnesota—its economy, environment and communities. Helping them reduce costs with energy efficiency and take control of their energy expenses with renewable energy is the focus of a new program, Renewable Energy for Greater Minnesota, launching this week with support from USDA Rural Development.

From now until December 31st, 2016, anyone who owns or leases a plug-in electric vehicle in Great River Energy’s service territory will be upgraded for free to 100% renewable wind energy.

You can learn more about Revolt by visiting the program website and by reading a recent article from Midwest Energy News.

Southwest Minnesota Surgical Center (SMSC) Surgery Center in Marshall is the area’s only free standing same day surgery facility. In addition to state-of-the-art equipment and surgical techniques, the building features 30kW of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.

The building was designed to maximize the south-facing roof area and incorporate solar panels.

Story by Lynn Ketelsen.

The oldest form of renewable energy probably gets the least publicity as a source for power on farms. Solar power is one form of energy that may make sense for farmers across the country to consider. Mike Guentzel farms at Guentzel Family Farms near Eagle Lake, Minnesota.

After a July 2012 storm devastated a cabin on Judith Nelson’s property outside of Bemidji, her insurance company provided a frugal replacement cost. Rochell Carpenter, carpentry instructor at nearby Leech Lake Tribal College, embraced the project of building a two-bedroom home on a thrifty budget.

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) is a new way to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades to the buildings of commercial property owners in cities and counties that allow it.

Energy-saving measures pursued by the owners receive project financing and are repaid as a separate item on their property tax assessment for a set period.

Interest in community solar gardens has been exploding in recent months, and the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) has been busy keeping up with the demand for information and technical assistance. Minnesota has nearly two hundred utilities that can be categorized as investor-owned, cooperative, or municipal.

“I’ve always been for anything that would save,” says Gary Hoffman of Hoffman Farms, a 300+ head dairy with 800 acres just west of Chatfield, MN. Hoffman Farms recently saved energy and money on dairy technology through People’s Energy Cooperative energy savings rebates.

Minnesota GreenCorps is recruiting the next generation of environmental leaders… do you know someone who has what it takes?

Minnesota GreenCorps helps communities across Minnesota prepare for a strong and resilient future by using environmental best practices that achieve results.

Over 70 neighborhood leaders gathered at Mayflower Church in Minneapolis on Thursday, April 30th to learn about community solar gardens, including key considerations and specific roles for neighborhoods.

Many Minnesotans are adding solar to their homes, and some folks are doing even more. Sam Villella and his family are a few of those over achievers: in addition to solar PV on their roof, they heat and cool their home with geothermal and get around in two electric vehicles.

Excelen is an independent, nonprofit research and education organization that educates and assists orthopedic researchers as they develop innovative surgical and rehabilitative techniques. Located in downtown Minneapolis, with over 10,000 square feet of floor space, Excelen is currently one of the fastest growing research labs in the Twin Cities.

On April 9th, 85 environmental studies students from Saint Paul’s Central High School headed to downtown Saint Paul for a special day-long tour. The tour took the students through the new Saint Paul EcoDistrict: the Science Museum of Minnesota, the RiverCentre parking ramp, inside and on top of the RiverCentre and the Saint Paul District Energy plant.

The University of Minnesota won the grand prize at the Second Annual Department of Energy Race to Zero Student Competition. The winning group, team OptiMN, was made up of fourteen students from four different colleges that beat out 27 other colleges from the United States and Canada for the top prize.

Cities across Minnesota are finding real savings converting their streetlights to LEDs. In partnership with Lake Country Power (LCP), the City of Tamarack used a CERTs grant to upgrade its street lights from old sodium and mercury vapor lights to more efficient, longer-lasting, and more reliable LED lights. LCP also replaced the old wiring with more energy-efficient wiring.

During the CERTs 2015 Conference workshop on Accomplishing GreenStep Cities Energy Best Practices in March, The Weidt Group gave out awards to Minnesota GreenStep Cities to recognize them for their energy benchmarking efforts with “B3 Benchmarking” and more.