News

The Minnesota Retiree Environmental Technical Assistance Program (RETAP) employs skilled, retired professionals to provide facility assessments and community sustainability assistance to small businesses, institutions, and communities in Minnesota. Recommendations may be simple behavior changes, maintenance improvements, or more complicated retrofits.

The story from Lake Crystal shows that leadership must not necessarily come from the top; interns can do a great deal of directing positive change in a city. With AmeriCorps member Joan Van Grinsven at the helm, the city has reengaged with B3 Benchmarking in the past year and is making improvements based on the results.

You might remember seeing a survey in February asking a few questions about Community Solar Gardens (CSGs). CSGs are a way for Minnesotans to subscribe to a portion of a large solar project and receive credit on their energy bill for their portion of the project’s electricity production—just as they would if the panels were on their own roofs.

A pilot project in Minneapolis is testing the idea that business advocates might be the key to unlocking energy efficiency in the small business sector.
 

The Challenge

 
Energy efficiency advocates often look for where the highest efficiency gains can be achieved for the lowest amount of cost and effort.

The big National Drive Electric Week event is coming up this weekend—Sunday, September 21st from 1:00 to 4:00pm at the State Capitol Mall. To learn more about the event and electric vehicles (EVs) in general, we spoke with Matthew Blackner, Founder of ZEF Energy.

More and more electric vehicles (EVs) are entering the national marketplace and hitting Minnesota roads. CERTs is doing a series of interviews with EV drivers to learn about their experiences.

Meet Jim: Jim Beecher of St. Louis Park drives an EV (Nissan Leaf 2013) because he decided he didn’t want to buy gasoline anymore.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is currently accepting applications from individuals interested in AmeriCorps service with Minnesota GreenCorps for immediate placement during the 2014-2015 program year in the City of Maplewood.

Minnesotans came together at Carleton College’s Weitz Center in Northfield on Thursday, August 21st to learn about community solar gardens and three projects around the Southeast CERT region. This open event was held to educate people about what a few groups in the region are trying and what they have learned from starting community solar garden projects.

This story by Frank Jossi is republished from the original at Midwest Energy News.

Bethel Evangelical Lutheran and Minnesota Community Solar came together earlier this year to promote a solar garden that will sit atop the roof of the Minneapolis church.

Love energy efficiency, renewables, and helping others save money? Like to work with local units of government on helping them finance their clean energy projects? Then consider joining CERTs!

We have a new position open—a Local Government Outreach Coordinator. Read on for more information. If you’re interested in applying, click here for more details.

This article is republished from the original by Britta Arendt at the Herald Review.

In 2011, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton issued two Executive Orders, creating a comprehensive energy savings plan for state facilities. It required all state agencies to reduce facilities energy usage by 20 percent by the end of 2015.

Katelyn Larsen, Minnesota GreenCorps member for the Recycling Association of Minnesota, recently completed a pilot study on bulk milk dispensers at a K-12 public school in Minnesota. The study was designed to test the feasibility of using bulk milk dispensers in K-12 public schools as well as provide a sustainable alternative to milk cartons in areas where carton recycling is not possible.

The Center for Renewable Energy Education & Demonstration (CREED) program strives to help teachers strengthen their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curricula by integrating energy education into their lessons.

CREED hosted K-12 teachers from across Minnesota at the Laurentian Environmental Center (LEC), as well as touring energy efficiency and renewable energy sites.

This article was written by Fernando Vasquez who recently graduated from Burnsville High School.

Energy conservation is something that most people know about, but few actually incorporate into their daily routines. Good information and awareness are the keys for more people to conserve energy.

The Minnesota National Guard and Minnesota Power will join forces to build a major solar energy project at Camp Ripley, the largest military base in Minnesota.

The Minnesota National Guard and Duluth-based Minnesota Power today signed a memorandum of understanding outlining plans to build a 10-megawatt utility-scale solar energy array spanning 100 acres at Camp Ripley.

Original story by Michael Brun in the Red Wing Republican Eagle.

Goodhue County Planning Advisory Commission gave a unanimous thumbs-up last week to ordinance amendments regulating solar energy systems, which at least two companies have shown interest in building in recent months.

Minnesota’s solar power industry is in a growth spurt that’s about to accelerate. The industry, once focused largely on installing solar photovoltaic panels for homes, businesses, and government, now is seeing a surge in investment by electric utilities. Sparking the surge is a 2013 state law requiring investor-owned utilities to get 1.5 percent of their electricity from solar by 2020.

October 4th, 2014 from 10am-4pm the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society will be hosting the Minnesota Renewable Energy Tour, which features 50+ exemplary homes, businesses, and institutions that have incorporated renewable energy systems into the design and operation of their buildings.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce announced on August 12, 2014, the incentive amounts for the second year (2015) of its 10-year, $15-million-a-year Made in Minnesota Solar Incentive Program.

Solar is becoming more and more popular among families and businesses interested in installing renewable energy projects in Minnesota, especially as new opportunities to participate are developed.

More and more electric vehicles (EVs) are entering the national marketplace and hitting Minnesota roads. CERTs is doing a series of interviews with EV drivers to learn about their experiences.

Meet Brad: Brad Benn of Edina makes a lot of Metro area trips and always thought it would be a good idea to drive electric.

More and more electric vehicles (EVs) are entering the national marketplace and hitting Minnesota roads. CERTs is doing a series of interviews with EV drivers to learn about their experiences.

Meet Sam & Fam: Blaine, MN residents Sam Villella and his wife both drive EVs because of their vehicle performance, the economy, and for fuel independence (and their daughters love them, too).

More and more electric vehicles (EVs) are entering the national marketplace and hitting Minnesota roads. CERTs is doing a series of interviews with EV drivers to learn about their experiences.

Meet Susie & Fam: Susie Kukkonen of Saint Paul drives an EV (Nissan Leaf 2012) because her husband works as an EV consultant and advocate—and because she loves it.

More and more electric vehicles (EVs) are entering the national marketplace and hitting Minnesota roads. CERTs is doing a series of interviews with EV drivers to learn about their experiences.

Meet Paul: Paul Wicklund of Brooklyn Park drives an EV (Nissan Leaf SV 2013) because he commutes Monday through Friday from Brooklyn Park to Chaska. He reports that his fuel costs are only $60.