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56 cities were recognized last week for participation in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program, a free and voluntary program designed to help Minnesota cities achieve their environmental sustainability goals through implementation of 28 best practices.

On June 24, 2013 the Solar Energy and Energy Efficiency Seminar in Slayton, Minn. went off without a hitch. The event, held in two two-hour blocks at the Pizza Ranch located within Slayton, was an informative seminar about both solar photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies. Curt Shellum, owner of Solar Connection Inc.

Making sure your home has adequate insulation in walls and attics, as well as being air-sealed, is a great way to reduce energy use and save money in the long run.

What is air sealing? Air sealing is filling holes, cracks, and gaps in the air barrier between the interior and exterior of your home.

The University of Minnesota, Morris will be hosting a youth camp and renewable energy tours again this summer. University Green Summer staff have designed hands-on experiences that will help people of all ages to develop a deeper understanding of renewable energy technologies and sustainability practices. Registration for these activities is now open.

The University of Minnesota, Duluth (UMD) is taking steps toward resource conservation with their car fleets! The UMD Business Office and UMD Admissions Office each recently added a 2013 Ford Fusion hybrid to their collection.

The new hybrids get an EPA-estimated 47 miles per gallon (combined city/highway) and look good doing it (see photo to right).

You’ve seen those huge, white, and twirling wind turbines on the horizon before, but have you ever wondered how they actually work? Let’s break it down! What is wind energy? Wind energy is electricity created from a wind turbine. (Side note: a common mistake is to call them windmills; however, the proper name is wind turbine.

The term “wastewater” may become a misnomer—or at least the “waste” part. The City of Brainerd investigated the possibility of using its wastewater as a resource to produce energy for municipal buildings.

Summer has barely begun, but planning has been underway for months on the Home Energy exhibit at the 2013 Minnesota State Fair. For the second straight year, the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources (DER) is sponsoring and coordinating the Home Energy exhibit, with expectations of making it bigger and better than last year.

Dr. David Schmidt of the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences is practicing what he preaches. The professor of the popular Renewable Energy and the Environment course has conducted his own study on phantom power in the home.

The 2013 session of the Minnesota Legislature passed an omnibus energy bill in May intended to significantly increase the generation of solar and other clean energy in Minnesota. From a solar mandate requiring public utilities to generate 1.

Golden Valley native, Rich Kronfeld has developed an electric-powered concept vehicle called Recumbent Automotive Human Transport, or Raht Racer for short. Kronfeld has no background in engineering, but had the vision and drive to create a new type of vehicle. Kronsfeld was interviewed by David Shaffer at the Star Tribune about his journey.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources has issued a formal invitation for potential contractors to submit White Papers concerning two topics in the State of Minnesota’s energy future.

The first topic to be addressed is microgrid development for energy assurance. Recommendations should address barriers and identify pathways to facilitate microgrid development.

Honeywell has announced that it will be launching a city-controlled thermostat system to be used in homes. When a city’s energy demand spikes, the municipalities will enable an energy-reducing strategy with an automated demand response (ADR) to the participating homes.

On June 5th, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented the regional 2012 President’s Environmental Youth Award to members of an environmental club at Mahtomedi High School for its Zephyr Wind Project.

Restaurants along University Avenue in Saint Paul are looking to lead their communities into energy efficiency thanks to a new program funded by the Corridors of Opportunity.

Duluth has seen a lot of changes over the last few years, some of them in energy conservation and efficiency. The Duluth Energy Efficiency Program (DEEP) focuses on getting home owners to go from just knowing about energy efficiency to acting in their own homes.

Story by Starrla Cray, Farm Horizons.

Heading into Lester Prairie from the north, one is likely to see Jerry Stibal’s new set of solar panels just off Babcock Avenue.

“Last year, with fuel prices so high, I decided it was time to do something different,” Stibal said.

Construction for the panels started the beginning of November, and they were ready to go about three weeks later.

Recently, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Sports Greening Project ranked the top 7 energy-efficient baseball stadiums in the MLB. Our hometown hero, the Minnesota Twins’ Target Field, came in second place with the Miami Marlins’ Marlins Park snatching the first place position.

The University of Minnesota is once again taking steps toward being more energy efficient. Within the U’s “It All Adds Up” campaign, the Parking and Transportation Services (PTS) has begun to make high-efficiency lighting changes. Starting in above ground locations, Northrop Auditorium Garage and Church Street Garage, PTS has been switching out fixtures to LED and adding sensors.