News

If you’re wondering what to give this holiday season, consider gifts that save energy. Energy savings is a gift that keeps giving year round. Otter Tail Power Company offers these energy-saving gift ideas for the people on your list.

LED desk or piano lamps: For students, musicians, and people with home offices, consider sleek and modern LED lamps designed for desk or piano.

Minnesota Department of Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman is representing the State of Minnesota at the White House today. Rothman is meeting with U.S. Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu, top White House energy officials, and more than 60 CEOs, mayors, energy leaders, and labor representatives from states around the country.

This was originally posted as a press release from the Department of Commerce.

As cold weather settles across Minnesota and furnaces kick in to high gear, the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources (DER) issued a consumer alert reminding consumers of some basic energy-saving measures to practice in the frigid winter months ahead.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources (DER) requests proposals and fee schedules from qualifying firms and individuals to provide energy engineering services for the Local Government Public Buildings Enhanced Energy Efficiency Program (PBEEEP).

Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a challenge, assistance and recognition program to help cities achieve their sustainability goals through implementation of 28 best practices.

Each best practice can be implemented by completing one or more specific actions from a list of four to eight actions.

Windustry and the Region Nine Renewable Energy Task Force are managing a Small Wind Bulk Buy Program to help rural enterprises take advantage of the state’s wind resources and net-metering laws.

The bulk purchase will be for machines ranging in size from 2.4 kW to 35kW, including Bergey 10kW, WTIC Jacobs 20kW, and Endurance 35kW wind turbines.

Originally posted on Midwest Energy News as Army goes solar at Minnesota training site by Dan Haugen.

One of the Midwest’s largest—and tallest—pole-mounted solar installations is being completed this week at a Minnesota military site. More than 370 solar panels shade, but don’t obstruct, the grounds of the Arden Hills Army Training Site, just north of St. Paul.

Hibbing Daily Tribune story, Silicon Energy makes first Range delivery, by Anna Kurth, staff writer.

Silicon Energy made its first Iron Range delivery of solar panel modules Tuesday to Hibbing Community College’s Photovoltaic Program.

The Environmental Protection Agency selected the Light Bulb Finder mobile app as the “Winner, Best Overall App” in the Apps for the Environment Challenge recently.

Developed by Eco Hatchery, the free app makes it easy to switch from incandescent to energy-efficient light bulbs with the right style, fit and light quality.

The Reuben Youngerberg Memorial Biodiesel Essay Scholarship is given in memory of Reuben Youngerberg, and in honor of his son, Mike Youngerberg, senior director of field services at Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and huge supporter of biodiesel.

The scholarship is open to all Minnesota high school seniors who submit a 1,000-word essay on biodiesel to us by March 30, 2012.

Thanks to our friend Jan Hubbard at Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES) for pulling this information together.

Jan Hubbard at MRES heard some concern that Solar*Rewards 2012 program funding is already exhausted, so he gave John Wold, the program manager for Xcel Energy in Minnesota, a call to get the story.

Many who ride the bus in the Twin Cities know that a Go-To Card is a durable plastic fare card that works with just one touch and can be used over and over again.

On behalf of Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon (MnSCC), also briefly called Minnesota Schools Conserving Energy and Water, we want to thank all of the students, teachers, facility managers and school administrators who helped make the program a great success.

Article by Frank Jossi, Midwest Energy News.

Five Minnesota-made electric vehicles with rooftop solar panels will soon find homes at Naval bases in Texas and Mississippi.

Manufactured by e-Ride Industries in Princeton, the low-speed vehicles can travel between 40 and 45 miles on a single charge and have the same power as a gasoline-powered small pickup.

This summer on Saturday, August 20th Badgersett Farm in Southeast Minnesota had a huge public event, that, among other exciting activities, provided an opportunity for CERTs folks to tour their awesome solar greenhouse. I asked owner Phil Rutter to tell us a little more.

Article by Rachel Raveling at Minnesota Daily

University researcher Fotis Sotiropoulos made one last phone call Tuesday afternoon, and the person on the other end flipped the switch on a wind turbine at the Eolos Wind Research Station. The 426-foot tall, 2.5-megawatt wind turbine is part of the University of Minnesota Outreach, Research and Education Park in Rosemount, Minn.