Solar & Wind News
The Made in Minnesota (MiM) Solar Program is a lottery-based incentive available to Minnesotans who install solar equipment that is made in Minnesota. Metro CERT Director Diana McKeown sat down with Kim Havey, Made in Minnesota Solar Program Coordinator at the Minnesota Department of Commerce, to learn more about the program and how it’s working in the state.
Diana McKeown: How do you describe the Made in Minnesota Solar Program to people?
Kim Havey: Made in Minnesota (MiM) is a program designed to grow jobs within the solar industry in Minnesota and support the installation of solar... Continue reading
There are now ten new solar thermal units installed on White Earth tribal members’ homes on the reservation, providing indoor space heating from the sun.
“Our tribal community suffers from rampant fuel poverty and a high drain of our energy economy,” says Tom Ferrarell, project coordinator of the White Earth Solar Thermal Install and Training project. “One quarter of our tribal income is spent on energy, and since our community has the poorest county in the state of Minnesota, it is critical that we address this through two mechanisms—efficiency and local control over energy. This project... Continue reading
Solar projects in parks can be a great way for the general public to get familiar with the technology while at the same time reducing energy costs for the city.
With the help of a CERTs Seed Grant, Duluth did site assessments of several locations: the Duluth Rose Garden, Sister City Park above Duluth’s Lakewalk, the Lakeview Chalet on Seven Bridges Road (where the solar PV installation would serve the Amity/Lester Ski Trail lighting) and the music stage at Duluth’s Bayfront Festival Park.
DyAnn Andybur, the Energy Coordinator for the City of Duluth during the grant period, noted the... Continue reading
The Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES), a non-profit that promotes solar energy in Minnesota through education and the demonstration of practical application, has been conducting the Minnesota Solar Tour for about 14 years via volunteers or staff located in the Twin Cities area. The goal of the tour is to increase people’s confidence that they can make improvements to their own homes or businesses by giving them a “hands on” experience with working products and a friendly interaction with someone who is an owner and user, rather than a sales person.
MRES has found the Greater... Continue reading
Over thirty people gathered in Austin, Minnesota on Wednesday, August 5th at Jay C. Hormel Nature Center to hear from community members and civic leaders taking clean energy action across multiple sectors on a wide range of projects in Austin. The event was a Southeast Clean Energy Resource Team (SE CERT) regional meeting.
Media: The event got a lot of attention from local media outlets. In fact, you can see stories from KIMT TV, KTTC TV, and the Austin Daily Herald.
Recap & Presentations:
Michelle Palm gave an overview of CERTs (download the presentation). Then Janet Anderson... Continue reading
As the sun beats down on a hot summer day in downtown Bemidji, the question begs: How much energy could be harnessed if solar panels covered the roofs, awnings, and parking lots of our homes and businesses?
A report conducted by the Institute for Local Self Reliance suggests 24 percent of Minnesota’s electricity needs could be met by installing current solar technologies on existing residential and commercial rooftops right here in the state. Yet, currently in Minnesota, less than one-tenth of 1 percent of our electricity comes from solar. Integrating and storing intermittent... Continue reading