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General Renewables
Solar
Division of Energy Resources/Commerce Events Calendar
Clean Energy Resource Teams Events Calendar
MN Renewable Energy Society Events Calendar
Division of Energy Resources
MN Department of Commerce
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Green -- news you can use about renewable energy, including innovative
initiatives in our state, technological advancements, financial incentives,
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- Minnesota Department
of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources
Minnesota farmers, rural businesses get
46 REAP grants for energy projects
Forty-six
Minnesota farmers and rural small businesses will receive grants totaling about
$1.6 million for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects from the Rural
Energy for America Program (REAP), according to the final round of
grants
for 2012 announced recently by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Of
the total 244 grantees and more than $16 million in awards nationwide,
Minnesota received the second highest number of grants, with Iowa first at 48.
The grants for Minnesotans will help fund 22 small wind turbines, 19 grain
dryers, three ground source heat pump systems, one solar system, and one energy
efficiency project. The complete list of grantees is available here.
In
all for 2012, Minnesotans received 70 grants worth nearly $2 million from REAP;
projects included 32 grain dryers, 22 small wind turbines, 10 ground source
heat pump systems, two solar array systems, and four efficiency projects. Ron
Omann, energy coordinator for Minnesota REAP, said Minnesota and Iowa generally
lead the nation in REAP awards. “We have a good infrastructure of auditors and
grant writers to help with the application process in Minnesota,” Omann said.
“Grain dryers have dominated our grants in the past, but this year we achieved
more diversity in the types of projects.”
REAP
offers financial assistance, including guaranteed loans, to farmers, ranchers
and rural small businesses for projects that generate energy (renewable energy
systems) or save energy (energy efficiency improvements). To learn more about
REAP and how to apply for funding, visit the Minnesota REAP
website.
Guaranteed Energy Savings Program
workshop is Dec. 7 in Minneapolis
A
workshop about energy savings performance contracting (ESPC) and the state’s
new Guaranteed
Energy Savings Program (GESP) will be held on Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
at Xcel Energy (414 Nicollet Mall) in Minneapolis. The workshop is for executives, finance officers, and facility directors from:
-
Minnesota state agencies
- colleges and universities
- local units of government,
and
- K-12 school districts
This is an opportunity to learn about ESPC best practices and GESP. It will
describe the technical, contractual and financial assistance available to state
agencies, local government units, school districts, and institutions of higher
learning that are interested in implementing energy efficiency and renewable
energy improvements through GESP.
The
workshop is hosted by the Minnesota Department of Commerce and the Minnesota
Chapter of the Energy Services Coalition. Register online at http://bit.ly/T7eqal or call Eric
Rehm at 651-296-6446.
Will Steger, Fresh Energy lead forums on
clean energy, climate change
Will Steger and Fresh Energy’s J. Drake
Hamilton will continue their series of public forums on Clean Energy, Climate,
and Health with five presentations across the state. Steger, Minnesota’s
eyewitness to climate change, will document his account of climate change with
stunning photographs from his polar expeditions, while Hamilton, science policy
director for Fresh Energy, will discuss effective clean energy and clean air
solutions. The upcoming forums are free and open to the public. They will be
held:
-
Nov.
26 at Concordia College in Moorhead
-
Nov.
29 at John Marshall High School in Rochester
-
Dec.
3 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in St. Cloud
-
Dec.
4 at Vinje Lutheran Church in Willmar
-
Dec.
9 at Bethel University in St. Paul
 Photo: Will Steger
Minnesota Department of Commerce,
Division of Energy Resources staff will attend several of the forums and will
provide information and materials on energy-saving opportunities for homes and
businesses. For more information on the forums, visit the Fresh Energy website.
2013 CERTs annual meeting is Feb. 20-21
in St. Cloud
The
fifth statewide Clean Energy Resource Team (CERTs) meeting to explore and
celebrate successful energy efficiency and renewable energy projects is set for
Feb. 20-21 at the St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud. View
more information on
the conference.
Riverland earns IREC ISPQ accreditation
for wind, solar training programs
The
Riverland Community College in Albert Lea, Minn., recently earned Interstate
Renewable Energy Council (IREC) Institute for Sustainable Power Quality (ISPQ) accreditation
for its Wind Turbine Technician and Solar Installer training programs, making
it the first institution in Minnesota to receive such status.
The accreditation
means that Riverland’s curricula for its wind and solar training meets ISPQ standards
and that graduates of these programs have achieved the necessary knowledge and
skills to perform successfully on the job. IREC uses the ISPQ international
framework to assess content, quality and resources across a range of renewable
energy, energy efficiency and weatherization training programs.
The
Wind Turbine
Technician Program
is a 60-credit, two-year training that provides a new career path within
Riverland’s Construction Electrician and Industrial Maintenance and Mechanics
Program. The Solar Installer
Program
gives students a choice of training to be an entry-level construction
electrician with a specialty in solar installation, site evaluation, and
repair. For more on Riverland programs, visit www.riverland.edu.
Minnesota Solar
Challenge workshops, webinar set for local governments
Four
Minnesota Solar Challenge workshops and a webinar will take place to inform
local governments about solar energy best practices in planning, zoning, and
permitting, as well as the free assistance offered by the Minnesota Solar
Challenge. The free workshops are for elected and appointed officials,
planners, and zoning administrators, building and inspections administrators,
and sustainability staff.
The
workshops and webinar will review the rapidly evolving world of community-scale
solar energy markets, technologies, and regulation, with a special emphasis on
addressing renewable energy resources in plans, development regulation and
building code permitting.
The workshops will be held:
- Nov.
29, 12:30-4 p.m., Cascade Meadows Wetlands & Environmental Science Center,
Rochester
- Dec.
12, 12:30-4 p.m., Northland Arboretum, Brainerd
-
Jan.
15, 2013, 12:30-4 p.m., Harley Nature Center, Duluth
-
Feb.
6, 2013, 12:30-4 p.m., Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust, St. Paul
For
more workshop
information and to register…or contact Catherine
Dubbe at GTS Educational Events at cdubbe@mngts.org
or 651-222-7409 ext. 200
The webinar will be held
Dec. 5 from 9-10:30 a.m. Space is limited; reserve your spot now.
The
Minnesota Solar Challenge provides technical assistance to local governments
that are interested in solar energy best practices. Communities in need of
technical assistance should contact Laura Cina at laurac@mnrenewables.org. More
information on the Solar Challenge and the Solar Technical Assistance Helpline
is available here.
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