News

There are three separate opportunities currently open through the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources.

Two of them are for Conservation Applied Research and Development (CARD) projects, and the third is for combined heat and power (CHP) support.

Please look closely at deadlines as some of these RFPs have quick turnarounds.

The Youth Energy Summit (YES!) Team Westbrook-Walnut Grove Public Schools entered building and utility data into the B3 Energy Benchmarking System for ten buildings in the City of Westbrooke to learn about energy use, as well as help the city better track energy use and utility costs in public buildings.

Connexus Energy, a cooperative electric utility serving the northern Twin Cities suburbs, said recently that it plans to build one of the state’s ­largest community solar gardens. With 792 solar panels and an output of 245 kilowatts, the project is several times larger than other solar gardens now operating or under construction in Minnesota.

The “191 Battle of the Buildings” (modeled after the EPA’s national contest) was a challenge for Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191 to reduce their carbon footprint. Energy reductions (calculated from buildings that saved) resulted in nearly 9% in energy reductions for the district.

The Metro CERT Spring Resource and Networking Event on April 17th at the Como Zoo hosted an exciting group of speakers and energy professionals all focused on achieving the goal of cleaner and more sustainable energy use in our local communities.

USDA Rural Development State Director Colleen Landkamer today announced that USDA is seeking applications from rural small businesses and agricultural producers for funding to make energy efficiency improvements or to install renewable energy systems.

“Developing renewable energy presents an enormous economic opportunity for rural America,” Landkamer said.

Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church has announced that it will be the first community of faith in Minnesota to host a community solar garden. The Church has partnered with solar developer Minnesota Community Solar to host the project atop the education wing on Bethel’s south Minneapolis property.

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Minnesota Cities at the League of Minnesota Cities recently had a discussion with Philipp Muessig, GreenStep Cities program coordinator with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to learn more about the initiative. Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a free and voluntary program cities can join to help them improve their Earth-friendly efforts in a cost-effective way.

Lakeville, MN’s Dragonfly Solar and SolarWorld, the largest U.S. solar manufacturer since 1975, will partner to deliver a 517-kilowatt solar array to four electric utility cooperatives in the U.S. Midwest.

Both homeowners and renters can benefit from home improvements that promote energy efficiency and improve indoor air quality. Raising the bar on air quality and energy performance at home helps reduce heating and cooling costs, saves energy, and improves occupant health and comfort.

The Hometown BioEnergy anaerobic digester on the south edge of LeSueur, Minn., is the largest system of its type in the U.S., rated at 8 MW of electrical power from food processing and agricultural waste. Kelsey Dillon’s description of the construction schedule at Hometown BioEnergy LLC as “aggressive” is an understatement.

Over 40 people gathered at WoodMaster / Northwest Manufacturing in Red Lake Falls Wednesday, April 16th to learn about biomass opportunities in the region and across Minnesota at an event organized by Northwest Clean Energy Resource Team (NW CERT).

In support of the country’s goal of doubling renewable energy generation for a second time by 2020, the Energy Department announced yesterday $15 million to help communities develop multi-year solar plans to install affordable solar electricity for homes and businesses.

The United States continues to be a global leader in solar, with total U.S.

The hometown of SPAM is getting serious about saving energy. Local government leaders from the City of Austin and Mower County came together Tuesday to talk about ways to reduce overall operations and maintenance budgets, reduce energy use, and install upgrades in public buildings with the Guaranteed Energy Savings Program (GESP).

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Patrick started volunteering for Metro CERT in March of 2014, assisting with planning workshops and events as well as keeping our communications databases up to date. He is looking forward to becoming even more involved with the organization as an intern.

Patrick graduated from St. John’s University in 2011 with a BA in Natural Science.

CERTs Co-Director Joel Haskard spoke with Xcel Energy’s Senior Product Portfolio Manager Steve Mudd to get an update on Xcel Energy’s Windsource program.

Joel Haskard: Tell me a little about the Windsource program and how it is doing in Minnesota to date.

Local governments and businesses are looking at options to make their operations more energy efficient. This Wednesday, leaders met at St. Cloud City Hall for the 2014 St. Cloud Area Green Forum.

The Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES) is excited to announce the sites for 1st ever EcoMetro Sustainable Living Tour happening May 31st, 2014.

The EcoMetro tour will be highlighting eight very special sites that have worked hard to become beacons of sustainable living here in the Twin Cities Metro area. The tour features a diverse range of styles, from modest remodels to luxury living.

Solar panels, vegetation and buzzing bees could all appear on Southeast Como roofs this summer.

The Southeast Como Improvement Association received a $3,000 grant from Clean Energy Resource Teams, or CERTs, to survey all of the unused flat roof space in the neighborhood and Mid-City Industrial area and to gauge property owners’ interest in installing the three options on their roofs.

Finance upgrades in public buildings throughout your city utilizing the savings in wastewater treatment plant upgrades! This webinar recording will teach you the basics behind Minnesota’s Guaranteed Energy Savings Program (GESP). GESP is a state administered technical assistance program to finance upgrades in public buildings through energy performance contracting. More info at http://mncerts.

Let’s show some statewide support for the University of Minnesota Morris campus’ accomplishments in renewable energy and climate neutrality, eh?

The University of Minnesota, Morris is a finalist in the 2014 Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards, an annual competition among signatories of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).

The 3rd Annual Heating the Midwest Conference will be held from April 30th to May 1st, 2014 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Keynote speakers will include regional and national leaders in biomass energy.

CERTs Co-director, Joel Haskard, spoke with Science Instructor and Go Green Club Coach, Kate Schoonover, to learn more about the exciting endeavor the Go Green Club is currently undertaking. Students at Austin High School in Southeastern Minnesota are using crowd-funding to help them get solar on their school.