Recent Case Studies from CERTs

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Anna Carlson, NW CERT Coordinator

Shakopee High School Brings Learning to the Outdoors Utilizing Renewable Energy

Kelly Changalov — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 18:57:21 +0000

All of us, at some point in life, were stuck indoors on a beautiful day, and wished we could be outside. As kids, we’ve daydreamed about our teacher conducting class outside. As adults, we’ve joked with a co-worker about moving a desk outside on a nice afternoon, longing to escape the confines of a stuffy, drab office. When many might consider an outdoor classroom as a lofty dream, Shakopee High School turned the dream into reality.

Shakopee High School had a vision to offer environmental education in a sustainable, outdoor classroom setting that could be used throughout the entire year. They decided to design and create the Shakopee Environmental Learning Center, which is located on the grounds of Shakopee High School. Initially, the idea began when former Principal Jim Murphy and master gardener Judi Tomczik, with additional input from a few teachers, wrote a grant seeking initial funding for the building project, which included a learning center building, and later a wind turbine, solar panels, and surrounding landscaping. Once the initial grant was secured, the project quickly blossomed into the procurement of additional grants and funding, paving the way for further expansion of goals and possibilities.

Contributions came in the form of financial, volunteer, and educational support. The building itself was built by the hands of over 40 students, with guidance from contractors, who not only donated their time and expertise but also materials for the project. Additional building efforts were contributed by volunteers as well. Paul Nettesheim and Judi Tomczik called this a “community based project”, citing the collaborative efforts by local businesses, organizations and community members that have interacted with the students and staff of Shakopee High School to complete the project. “The Shakopee Environmental Learning Center (SELC) is a model of community interaction and involvement. This project ties together efforts from Shakopee High School (SHS), local building contractors, the City of Shakopee, and Lowe’s Home Improvement to create an innovative, self-sustaining structure that will serve as a model of green design and clean energy sources for this region” according to Nettesheim.

Metro CERT awarded a seed grant of $4,000 to fund professional expertise and technical assistance to conduct the installation of the wind turbine and solar panels. Total costs of the project exceeded $200,000, and included grants, monetary donations, donated materials, and donated labor. Most of the work involved in the initial project has been completed but Nettesheim explained that, “Students have worked with local contractors and organizations to continue to enhance and upgrade the program”.

The site is utilized by a diverse body of the student population, including environmental ethics, biology, and art classes. Building construction students were also an integral force in the actual construction of the building. Additionally, students of the Environmental Ethics class have hosted fourth-graders in the district on field trips to the site, engaging the younger students in hands on environmental learning. Over the past two years, more than 400 fourth-graders have visited the site to learn about and interact with the outdoors. Tomczik explained that the Shakopee Environmental Learning Center helps the fourth graders on a field trip in, “getting connected with the environment while the high school students get connected with the community”.

The project has had phenomenal results. Not only can the site meet its own energy demands, it actually produced more than it consumed from May to December 2012, resulting in a credit of $348. The Board of Shakopee Public Utilities learned about the project and opted to sponsor the renewable wind and solar energy generation of the building. Once the building was constructed and the solar panels and wind turbine were in place, the Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association won a grant from the MN Division of Energy Resources to implement an onsite energy storage element. John Crooks, Utilities Manager at Shakopee Public Utilities explained that, “This allows energy generated from the PV solar panels and the wind turbine to be stored at the site and used, for example, when it would be a calm/cloudy day”. The calculation of actual energy is a Net Meter, which tracks both production and usage as well as allowing two-way flow of electricity input and output to and from the electric grid. John Crooks explained, “If the production, called distributive generation, is more than the usage, there is a credit to the customer. If the usage is more than the production, there would then be a charge to the customers representing the difference between production and usage”.
Some spin-offs resulting from the project include an Environmental Ethics Share Night, where students can showcase work they are producing. A couple of environmental student clubs have also started up as a result of this project.

Currently, plans for expansion of the landscaping and gardens are underway. Local and cultural context has been taken into consideration when formulating design ideas. As an example, Tomczik explained that a Medicine Wheel Garden will be an important element to the landscaping that relates to the area because “[The] Tribal council is within boundaries of the school district, and this garden honors local history”.

As for the future of the project, Nettesheim envisions continual evolvement. “The project will continue to evolve through the years to come. The committee believes that it will only grow and more individuals and corporations will become involved and want to help the students of Shakopee High School”. Currently, plans to add additional solar panels are in the mix. A proposed biology summer school class is also in the works. Additionally, a dashboard function will become available. It will act as a tracking component of the building’s energy usage, and will soon be available for students, as well as parents and community members. The goal is to make the dashboard available on a website, where anyone can see what benefits can be had through renewable energy by viewing the energy statistics of the project, to include energy site production and consumption, any energy that is stored in the storage unit, as well as energy that is fed back into the electric grid.

Project Snapshot

Project: Shakopee Environmental Education Center
Technology: Solar Panels and Wind Turbine
Energy Savings: self-sustaining energy production, resulting in a credit of $348.45 dollars from May to Dec. 2012
Grants and Donations: $4,000 CERTs Grant; $200,000+ in total Grants and Donations
Benefits: Outdoor Classroom, Hands-on Learning, Community Interaction

For more information about the Shakopee Environmental Learning Center, please contact Paul Nettesheim at (952)496-5162 or by email pnettesh@shakopee.k12.mn.us

Region:

Metro

Green Buildings

Wind Energy

Type:

CERTs

Download PDF of case study

Kelly Changalov

The New Noah Project: Crosslake Church Adds Solar Photovoltaic Panels to Roof

Kristi Fernholz — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 17:03:02 +0000

The story of Noah and the Ark, a man building a gigantic boat in preparation for a flood that no one else believed was coming, is familiar to most. Crosslake Presbyterian Church has recently taken a page out of Noah’s book and begun their own major undertaking that was initially dismissed by some. Project proponents commissioned a research study on the building’s efficiency to help sway doubters to install photovoltaic solar panels on the roof of the church. The project and study have hence been aptly dubbed “The New Noah Project.”

Crosslake Presbyterian Church is no stranger to both preserving nature and energy efficiency. Roger Grussing, Chair on the Crosslake Energy Task Force explained, “When the church building was constructed it was designed not only to fit into the surroundings aesthetically, but also was relatively energy efficient and included ground-source heating and cooling.”

The church recently completed the study analyzing the building’s past and future performance. The study further explains the building’s methods of energy conservation: “In order to minimize heat loss, a number of energy efficiency measures were also designed into the building. Some of these components include high R-value insulation in the walls and attic, low emissivity dual-pane thermal windows, and fluorescent lighting including compact fluorescent light bulbs throughout much of the church.”

Although the plan to install the solar array is now moving forward, the steps to making the decision to install solar were not smooth. Many members of the congregation were hesitant and skeptical of the array’s benefits and necessity. Crosslake Presbyterian Church Reverend Kate Stangl explained, “There were several loud voices in the congregation that felt the [solar] project was total folly. Thus came the title of the research, ‘The New Noah Project.’ The supporters of the project knew that to many it would look as foolish as Noah must have looked as he built the ark when it wasn’t raining.”
Rev. Stangl continued by explaining the process the project followed, “The Session (church board) sanctioned an Energy Task Force to study and discuss energy stewardship. Once the photovoltaic system was being researched and discussed, a wide range of people were included in open meetings. Supporters, dissenters, and fence sitters were always invited to the meetings.”

The project, to be installed on the building’s south-facing roof, will be a 5.6kW, 24-module photovoltaic solar array. Within the study, Grussing explained, “The installation of a 5.6kW photovoltaic system at the church could keep 5.1 metric tons of carbon dioxide from being released to the atmosphere that would otherwise be emitted from the burning of fossil fuels to generate the same amount of energy that would be provided by the solar array.”

When looking for a potential contractor, the church was drawn to the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance (RREAL). Jason Edens, RREAL Director expressed his excitement and hope for the potential project, “Although the installation at the Crosslake Presbyterian Church will substantially reduce the long-term operating costs of the church, it’ll do a great deal more.” He expanded by saying, “Visibly situated near the Crosslake Community Center with great solar exposure, the installation has the opportunity to introduce a broad demographic to an appropriate and effective technology.” He concluded by mentioning, “Additionally, the thousands of daily passersby will see the energy leadership of the congregation and realize the opportunity it presents to the region as a whole.”

Good news for the project came in mid-August. “On Monday, August 12, 2013, the church board (session) approved the project, signed a contract with RREAL and made payment to RREAL for materials and all labor,” explained Rev. Stangl. With arguably the hardest part behind them, the church views the entire process as a learning experience. Rev. Stangl noted, “The most exciting way that the project engaged the church community was through many informal dialogues between people who were divided in support for this project. The church community benefited from this project as it successfully traversed this path through a potentially divisive issue. Each time a community successfully does this, it increases our experience with whatever the next potentially divisive issue is.”

Project Snapshot:

Location: Crosslake, MN (Crow Wing County)
Technology: Solar Photovoltaic
Total cost: $26,214
CERTs Funding: $4,000
Renewable Energy Produced: 7,400 kWh
Energy Saved: 2,600 kWh, 500 therms
Cost Savings: $580 annually
People Involved & Reached: 280

To learn more, contact Roger Grussing at (218) 855-1295 or rcgruss@gmail.com.

Region:

Central

Solar Energy

Faith Groups

Type:

CERTs

Download PDF of case study

Kristi Loobeek

VendingMisers: A refreshing approach to energy savings in the City of Saint Paul

Julia Eagles — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 19:28:00 +0000

Saint Paul Energy Coordinator Jim Giebel knows the importance of saving energy for a city government. He oversees the energy usage of over 160 city facilities in Saint Paul, with 3.2 million square feet of space whose collective energy costs total around $8.5 million annually. Therefore Giebel is always looking for opportunities to save the city money, which he says “in these times of tight budgets is not just nice, it’s necessary.”

When Giebel heard about a campaign that CERTs was running at the time called Become a Wiser Energy Miser, he knew he wanted to take advantage of it. “It was on our radar as an energy-saving strategy so when the bulk purchasing program became available through CERTs the City took advantage of the lower pricing opportunity,” says Giebel. The campaign organized a bulk buy of VendingMisers—a device that reduces the operation and compressor maintenance costs of vending machines without affecting the machine’s performance—through Energy Misers, LLC.

How a VendingMiser Works

The VendingMiser has two parts: the motion sensor and the VendingMiser. The vending machine is plugged into the VendingMiser, which is attached to a wall and plugged into an outlet; the motion sensor is plugged into the VendingMiser.

The VendingMiser is equipped with an occupancy sensor and a temperature monitor (internal and external). These two components work together to lower energy consumption while ensuring that the products stay cold and the machine stays on when occupants are in the surrounding area.

When the surrounding area is unoccupied for 15 minutes, the VendingMiser will turn off the machine for 1-3 hours. It will turn on if someone enters the area or if the products need to be cooled.

The VendingMiser does not shut off the compressor if it is running, but it will also ensure that the compressor runs only as necessary to keep products cold. This process reduces the number of compressor cycles, reducing maintenance costs and extending the life of the vending machine.

Energy & Money Saved

The average beverage vending machine uses 7-13 kWh per day, and costs around $300 in electricity per year. A VendingMiser can cut the machine’s energy consumption by 46%, saving on average around $130 per machine each year. Normally, a VendingMiser would cost about $180, but through the CERTs VendingMiser Bulk-Buy Program the devices were discounted to $149.

The City of Saint Paul therefore saved over $3,000 by participating in the bulk purchase program. At the discounted price, the VendingMisers achieved a payback of just over 16 months.
A total of 616 businesses, schools and local governments around the state participated in the CERTs bulk buy, collectively saving 850,000 kWh and $65,000 annually. The City of Saint Paul purchased 100 vending misers, which they installed in city park and recreational buildings, police and fire stations, and office buildings.

Project Funding

The project was part of the City’s broader Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) formula funding, which came directly from the Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The purpose of the EECBG funding was to reduce energy use, create or retain jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Saint Paul received a total of $2.8 million in EECBG funding, which they have used for energy efficiency projects of municipal facilities, including lighting retrofits and building recommissioning. For each of these projects, the city used EECBG funding to cover 35% of total costs, leveraged utility rebates from Xcel Energy to cover an additional 10-20%, and paid the remainder with city funding.

VendingMiser Feedback

Since receiving the devices, the City has gotten mostly positive reviews. “They were easy for the maintenance crew and building operators to install,” said Giebel. “We have not had one single complaint from users regarding the vending products. Personally, I was concerned about the possibility of the vending products being too warm but that has not proven true.”

Bill McCann, Site Manager for the Hillcrest Recreation Center in Saint Paul, said visitors rarely notice the devices, except when they see the lights on the machine are off. “People sometimes ask why the machine isn’t on, when they’re standing at a distance. When we explain that [the VendingMiser] is an energy saving-device for the vending machines they think that it’s a good idea.”

Staff at the Linwood Recreation Center, a site where the City also did lighting retrofits and installed an Energy Management System, mentioned that people are getting used to seeing more motion sensors around generally. “It’s something they’re beginning to notice and understand, as a strategy to save energy and money,” said Jim Newman, Site Manager at Linwood.

The city looks forward to the ongoing energy savings they will experience from the VendingMiser installations, which will save taxpayer dollars and also help the environment by reducing greenhouse gases. “In other words,” says Energy Coordinator Jim Giebel, “by becoming energy efficient you are becoming the model for the community, which is good environmental and social stewardship.”

Project Snapshot:

Project Details: Installation of 100 VendingMisers on vending machines in Saint Paul buildings – parks, police and fire stations, and office buildings
Energy Saved: 164,200 kWh/year in electricity or $13,100/year in operating costs
Benefits: Reducing operating costs for public buildings, saving money for the city and taxpayers
Project Funding: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant
Total Cost: $14,900 ($3,000 savings by participating in CERTs bulk buy)

For more information, contact Jim Giebel by email at jim.giebel@ci.stpaul.mn.us, or call 651-266-6138.

Region:

Metro

The City of Saint Paul saves money and energy with new VendingMiser installations on vending machines in public buildings and businesses!

Businesses

Local Governments

Type:

CERTs

Download case-study in PDF

Julia Eagles

Home Remedy: Saving Money through Energy Efficiency

Stacey Pederson — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 21:50:45 +0000

Everyone would like to save money on utility bills, and most people want to conserve our natural resources, right?

Well, in Southwest Minnesota, what initially started as an effort to raise awareness among tenants, management, and community members about the importance of the responsible use of natural resources such as energy and water turned out to make connections among generations.

A partnership involving the Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership (SWMHP), Southwest CERTs, AmeriCorps VISTA Program, and the Westbrook/ Walnut Grove YES! Team was started to validate the importance of conserving energy and water. Twenty-four apartment properties owned by the SWMHP were targeted to demonstrate strategies for efficient usage of energy and water in order to lower costs of utility bills. The YES! Team installed low-flow aerators on the faucets and tested the lavatories for leaks. A tenant education plan was developed to encourage saving water and electricity in order to reap the financial benefit of savings.

The goals were to raise awareness, educate, and increase participation in efforts to preserve natural resources. To accomplish these goals, behavior modifications were made regarding water usage, and new technology was implemented. During the installs the YES! Team had the opportunity to discuss other energy saving opportunities with tenants.

Four home shows were held to educate and demonstrate strategies for resource conservation. Events were held in Westbrook, Luverne, Windom, and Pipestone during the fall of 2012 and spring of 2013. The YES! Team students engaged the community through demonstrations and drew them into the booth with questions like “How would you like to save a lot of money?” or statements such as “I can show you how to save money and the environment if you want to talk with us for a moment”. The community was fascinated with the YES! Team students’ demonstrations and raffle giveaways.
During the home shows, over 950 people were reached through conversations, demonstrations, hand-outs, and raffle items. Southwest CERT helped with seed grant funding and to bring all the partners together; providing support and supervision over the program. The AmeriCorps Vista Program Worker was responsible for developing the materials and ensuring all the logistics were planned out along with the SWMHP. YES! Team members were responsible for knowing the materials and performing outreach to community members during the events. YES! Team members staffed booths and gave presentations regarding the energy efficiency and resource conservation materials at the events.

Insight for replicating outreach would be, when looking to teach strategies aimed at lowering utility bills or reducing consumption of electricity and water, look for relevant insight within what your target population is already doing. It was discovered through the process that many of our techniques were already being done by consumers. As well as why they are/are not interested in it, and what challenges they have to accomplishing reduction goals. Additionally, looking back, it would have been helpful to have a resident leader involved with the event planning team. They would likely know the community best and could help clarify issues that come up as outreach is developed and implemented.

Going forward, the SWMHP will use lessons developed and learned from this project to further educate tenants at their properties. SWMHP has begun to track the utilities of the properties with direct access to the utility information (owner paid utilities) beginning January 2013. They are looking into the possibility of getting releases for the tenant paid utilities properties so the SWMHP can track the utilities of all their properties.

Project Snapshot:

Location: Southwest Minnesota
Total Cost: $7,400 (does not include the volunteer hours by the Westbrook Walnut Grove YES! Team)
Focus: Energy Efficiency & Education
CERTS Funding: $5,000
Energy Saved: 45kWh
Cost Savings: Estimated $43,362 annually
Partners: Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership, Southwest CERT, AmeriCorps VISTA Program, and the Westbrook/ Walnut Grove YES! Team

To learn more about the project, contact Jennifer Prins at (507) 836-1622 or jenniferp@swmhp.org.

Region:

Southwest

Everyone would like to save money on utility bills, and most people want to conserve our natural resources, right? Well, in Southwest Minnesota, what initially started as an effort to raise awareness among tenants, management, and community members about the importance of the responsible use of natural resources such as energy and water turned out to make connections among generations.

Civic Organizations

Utilities

Type:

CERTs

Download PDF of case study

Annette Bair, CERTs

Solar-powered season extension: High tunnel heating research

Kristi Fernholz — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 18:50:17 +0000

High tunnels (also commonly referred to as polytunnels, hoop greenhouses, or hoophouses) are large, generally semi-circle-shaped structures made of polyethylene. Main benefits derived from using the tunnels include shelter from extreme weather and simultaneously being able to trap solar heat and retain warmth. From the fall of 2012 to spring of 2013, the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance (RREAL) investigated not only high tunnels, but also their performance when paired with an open-loop-air recirculation heating system, and with a solar-powered furnace (SPF) heating system.

“High tunnels are an excellent tool for growing crops in cold weather,” explained Adam Kuthart, solar engineer at RREAL. He continued, “By capturing solar energy during the day and providing protection from wind, rain, and snow, high tunnels allow plants to grow for a longer portion of the year.”

A downfall to high tunnels is how rapid their inner temperature drops at night due to low soil heat absorbsion during the day. However, heat loss can be remedied. Kuthart noted, “The growing season can be extended further by pushing warm air through the soil. This warms the soil around the roots, and reduces the daily temperature swings inside the high tunnel since the soil radiates heat during the night.”

The study conducted by RREAL included three different high tunnels. The first tunnel was stationed in King Gardens in Longville, MN. This tunnel contained no additional heating mechanisms and served as a control for the research. The second tunnel, also in Longville, MN, has an open-loop-air recirculation heating system. “Warm air is drawn from the top of the high tunnel. Air can collect additional solar heat as it passes through an 18”plenum painted black on the south side before it goes through a network of drain tiles buried in the soil,” explained Kuthart.

The third and final high tunnel, located on Richard and Valeria Staus’ farm in Hastings, MN contains a solar-powered furnace (SPF) system. In this system, two SPFs in parallel pump air through a closed system with two layers of 4” corrugated drain tile, spaced 16” apart. The first layer of tiles is at 18” and the second at 36”.

RREAL hypothesized that both types of heating would enable a longer growing season than the high tunnel with no supplemental heat source.

When the results came in, they weren’t entirely what RREAL had predicted. By comparing the control high tunnel to open-loop soil heating, the study found that the open-loop soil was a couple degrees cooler during the day and a couple degrees warmer during the night. For the open loop system, the slight temperature advantage at night was far more beneficial than the few degree deficit during the day. “A hard frost is when temperatures drop below 28°F for several hours, and this can damage many types of plants. We observe that the heated soil allows the air to stay above this level while the standard high tunnel goes through an early season frost,” explained Kuthart.

When comparing the SPF system to the open loop system, RREAL found “the SPF system appears to have much warmer soil and air temperatures, but this may be due to weather differences between the two systems,” confessed Kuthart. “The average monthly temperatures for January through March are 7-9°F warmer in Hastings than Longville. This is about the same difference that is shown in these graphs, so it’s not clear if one system is more effective than the other.”

While the results didn’t turn out quite as expected, Jason Edens, Project Manager from RREAL, has a positive outlook. “One of the most successful aspects of the project was the fact that we were simply able to increase the data set for this emerging application. Without additional data, it is unlikely that this possible technological coupling will grow to its full potential,” expressed Edens.

Looking to the future, Edens said, “There is much to do, and we are eager to do it! The evidence suggests this will be a promising application for colder climates. This research and other current research efforts are certainly building momentum.” Recently, RREAL secured additional funding to conduct a more formal and controlled experiment. Edens explained, “We are currently constructing four highs tunnels, two with solar heat and two without. The project will produce a robust data set and the opportunity to draw some more firm conclusions about the efficacy of the application.” Both RREAL and CERTs are hopeful that the results of the upcoming study will be decisive and encouraging.

Project Snapshot:

Location: Rural Hastings
Technology: Solar Air Heating
Total Cost: $33,000
CERTs Funding: $3,000

To learn more contact Jason Edens at jason@rreal.org or 218-839-7732.

Region:

Southeast

Solar Energy

Solar Thermal

From the winter of 2012 through the spring of 2013, Rural Renewable Energy Alliance conducted a study on the use of open loop air ventilation systems as well as solar-powered furnaces (SPF) in high tunnels. The study used three high tunnels—one each with the aforementioned heating sytems respectively, and one with no supplemental heating in order to serve as a control. The data confirmed that soil temperatures remained higher in the heated tunnels. Data did not provide enough support to name one technology more effiecient than the other. Looking to the future, Project Manager from RREAL, JasonEdens said, “There is much to do, and we are eager to do it! The evidence suggests [both open loop air ventilation systems and solar-powered funcaces] will be promising applications for colder climates. This research and other current research efforts are certainly building momentum.”

Farmers

Type:

CERTs

Kristi Loobeek

Cookin’ up savings: Energy efficiency workshops held in Cook County

Kristi Fernholz — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 18:48:10 +0000

Being an energy efficiency authority requires practicing what you preach—and that is exactly what Cook County is doing. In 2012, Cook County Higher Education and the Cook County Local Energy Project partnered to develop an energy efficiency education pilot project for contractors and homeowners in the community. But before they could teach anyone, they had to start at home.

The CCHE’s main facility, based out of a renovated church, was the pilot project’s first stop. A Building Performance Energy Audit (BPEA) using a blower door test (see below), as well as infrared camera imaging (see right), were conducted on the building. The results of the tests were then put to use. CCHE Executive Director Paula Sundet Wolf explained, “CCHE’s facility served as the home-energy audit demonstration site that offered area contractors 8 CEU [continuing education unit] credits of training for Energy Efficient construction. Two energy efficiency homeowner workshops were also offered for the general public.”

Both the awarding of CEU credits, along with the community workshops, were activities that served to support participation in a CCLEP Residential Energy Efficiency Project (REEP). Virginia Danfelt, CCLEP Coordinator described, “REEP was developed in 2012 to provide homeowner and contractor training and education in order to reduce Cook County’s fossil fuel consumption through energy conservation by improving existing buildings.”
Danfelt continued, “These goals [of REEP] are accomplished by policies that include simplifying the process of identifying the most cost-and-energy-effective improvements, working with Cook County stakeholders, creating partnerships with other organizations, supporting the local economy, and promoting wiser energy use.”

From the energy audit, CCHE’s facility identified a number of projects that could improve their building’s overall efficiency. Some of these projects included: insulating ceiling lights, installing outlet covers on outside walls, caulking and foaming around windows and doors, re-insulating the entire building’s ceiling, and installing a new energy-efficient furnace. With most of these projects already completed, or close to it, CCHE also intends to tear down its old siding and remove the asbestos, add new insulation, and re-side the outside in the fall of 2013.
Great benefits have come out of the energy workshops. “The community became more engaged in energy issues in two major ways,” described Sundet Wolf. “For homeowners, they are interested in learning how to improve their own property, from creating a more comfortable home and saving money on heating costs, to learning where to lessen electrical use. For the contractors, much of the material presented was not new, but there is always a new perspective or detail that is new.”

Although they have a good start under their belt, Cook County still has much more work to do. “With approximately 2,300 homes in Cook County, the REEP and Energy Efficiency Education Project have barely scratched the surface. To date, REEP has processed nine homes since the fall of 2012 in addition to the CCHE building.” They’re excited to keep going and say their next steps involve fine-tuning the program.

Project Snapshot:

Location:* Grand Marais, MN (Cook County)
Technology: HVAC/ Energy efficiency
Total Cost: $19,314
CERTs Funding: $2,500

To learn more contact Paula Sundet Wolf at psundetwolf@northshorecampus.org or 218-387-3411.

Region:

Northeast

Green Buildings

Cook County, located on the North Shore, recently conducted an energy audit on the Cook County Higher Education (CCHE) facility. The process and results were used by CCHE in partnership with Cook County Local Energy Project (CCLEP) to host multiple workshops for contractors and community members. The workshops educated participants about energy efficient updates they can make to their homes by using the CCHE facility as an example. Renovations included insulating ceiling lights, installing outlet covers on outside walls, caulking and foaming around windows and doors, and much more.

Civic Organizations

Type:

CERTs

Kristi Loobeek

Fresh greens in the dead of winter: Garden Goddess greenhouse project

Kristi Fernholz — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 18:46:33 +0000

If imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery, Chuck Waibel and Carol Ford should be blushing. In the fall and winter of 2012 in Ashby, Minnesota, Paradox Farm used Waibel and Ford’s model for the Garden Goddess deep winter greenhouse. Within northern climates, a three-season growing period is normally all that can be achieved due to the bitter cold and heavy snow. However, the Garden Goddess design of passive solar technology coupled with underground heat storage, crop growth in the dead of winter is possible—meaning the community can be supplied with fresh, local produce all year long.

Co-owners and operators of Paradox Farm, Dr. Sue Wika and Dr. Tom Prieve, run the 160-acre farm and focus on ecological sustainability, including matter cycling (minimal use of off-farm inputs), maximized use of solar energy, and practices to enhance biodiversity. Along with running the farm, both Wika and Prieve also teach in the Sustainable Food Production program offered through the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota. The idea of a Garden Goddess imitation project closely fit within the farm’s mission “to conduct scale-appropriate experiments in ecological food production and to share ecological farming experiences with students and community members.” In mid-2012, Wika and Prieve applied for a Central CERT seed grant to get the ball rolling and secure some financial backing. SFP students eagerly voted to participate in the project.

“Though there is a drive and desire for local food sourcing, cold climate areas are limited to three-season production,” Wika explained. She continued, “The Garden Goddess-style winter greenhouse allows for deep winter growing utilizing contemporary solar and thermal mass heat storage, making it economically and environmentally advantageous.” Further motivation was economical: “The deep-winter greenhouse also affords local consumers another option for healthful, fresh greens to be included in diets. Farmers are presented with an opportunity for fourth-season income streams.”

Goals of the project included educating students, farmers, and other community members on:

Off-grid energy technologies to produce fresh food in the depths of a northern winter
Growing strategies to produce fresh greens in a contained environment
Principles of ecological sustainability and how the prototype meets and challenges those principles
Financial realities of construction and growing in such a prototype

After receiving the CERT grant in early September, the greenhouse had to get off to the races in order to beat the snow. “We needed to start site preparation and construction practically immediately after notification if we were to grow in the structure that winter […] We worked long, hard days when the weather was appropriate. We finished construction in time to do nearly a full season’s worth of winter growing,” Wika disclosed.

With the construction thoroughly underway, the project was even visited by Garden Goddess innovator Chuck Waibel. The underground thermal mass and heat distribution system was installed under Waibel’s watchful eye. After construction was completed, Carol Ford (co-inventor) conducted a mini-seminar on how to grow in this unique structure.

When the greenhouse was completed, not only were green plants thriving, but lots of green was being saved. Paradox Farm’s new, deep winter greenhouse has the potential to save 769 gallons of propane and $1,300 per year for the next 30 years.

Wika looks to the future by examining the past, “By building a Garden Goddess-style structure at Paradox Farm, we have educated key persons about how to construct and how to grow food in their own passive solar structure and to provide concept and technical advice to area growers interested in incorporating this type of solar-powered structure into their operation.” She concluded by adding, “This structure has caught people’s attention and is already serving as a catalyst for local and regional conversations among interested parties, leading to a stronger local food system.”

In Memory of Chuck Waibel.

Project Snapshot:

Location: Ashby, MN (Grant County)
Technology: Solar thermal greenhouse with underground heat storage
Total cost: $15,500
CERTs Funding: $3,000

To learn more, contact Sue Wika at sue.wika@minnesota.edu or 218-747-2202.

Region:

Central

Solar Energy

Solar Thermal

Paradox Farm in Ashby, Minnesota has recently completed a project imitating the Garden Goddess deep winter greenhouse model. The greenhouse model is capable of producing fresh crops all year round, even in the dead of winter, through utilizing underground heat storage and passive solar techniques. With supervision from one of the Garden Goddess’ inventors, Chuck Waibel, and a Central CERT seed grant, a successful replication of the greenhouse was built. Along with now being able to supply the community with fresh produce, the project also involved students from the Sustainable Food Production program in their efforts to create a broader awareness of the Garden Goddess technologies.

Type:

CERTs

Kristi Loobeek

Discovering Science on the Range in the Field of Energy (DSRFE) project

Kristi Fernholz — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 18:43:53 +0000

Director and Instructor of the Center for Renewable Energy Education & Demonstration, Roger Aiken recently took some time to sit down with CERTs own Joel Haskard to talk about the Discovering Science on the Range in the Field of Energy (DSRFE) project, one of the statewide 2012-13 seed grant recipients. (The DSRFE group poses at the Duluth Seaway Port Authority in photo on right)

Joel Haskard: Tell us a bit about your project.

Roger Aiken: The overarching goal of our work with DSRFE is to provide science, mathematics and technical education teachers at the middle school and high school levels with STEM-rich energy content materials to enable them to become familiar with and direct their students towards careers in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industry. It is all about jobs. Preparing today’s kids with the skills needed to ultimately fill the openings for new hires in the industry. CREED is the only organization in Minnesota doing this critical energy education work at the grade 6-12 level to get kids from K-12 to college to the workforce “pipeline.”

Joel: What part of your project was particularly unique or successful?

Roger: First, the live-in situation at the Laurentian Environmental Center enabled teachers from different parts of the state rub shoulders with each other, get to know each other, share teaching ideas, and demonstrate to each other labs and teaching methods that they found successful in their individual schools.
Second, feedback from the teachers themselves.
Third, the site visits. These were the single most important aspect of our training according to teachers. These they said were where the “rubber hit the road” and what they had learned in lectures, discussions and presentations finally made sense in the real world. Many teachers resolved as a consequence to take their own students on similar site visits. (Note: site visits included a wind farm, solar panel manufacturing plant, combined heat and power plants and an on-farm anaerobic digester).

Joel: What challenges did you experience?

Roger: By far our biggest challenge was the area of fund raising. Also some difficulties were experienced in getting site visits and expert speakers lined up to fit our schedule; there was a great deal of juggling and moving items to accommodate the visits and people we wanted involved.

If you were going to help someone do a duplicate project, what would you suggest?
1) Don’t leave things until the last minute.
2) Look long and hard for a continuing source of funding.
3) Listen to and act on feedback which one gets from the teachers themselves.

Joel: In what ways do you see this project engaging your community?

Roger: Our project impact communities in the following ways: We provide content materials to middle and high school teachers and they pass this on to their grade 6-12 students. Students take this information home to their parents and other members of their communities.
For example, one teacher initiated a project for his students to see how much electrical energy they could save. The kids took home kilowatt meters to record before and after changes their families made using their electrical appliances. The kids got into this in a big way to see if their families could achieve the greatest savings.
Another teacher designed the plans for her family’s new home. She made a cutout model of it that she used in her class to talk about energy savings available using conservative design practices. What we noticed about education is that the results are not always immediately apparent but they are ultimately life changing and long lasting.

Joel: What do you enjoy most with your work with CREED?

Roger: Teaching. This beats hands down all the other tasks like fund raising, teacher recruitment, scheduling, lecture writing, lab equipment collection, site visit arranging and assignment grading. Teaching is where it all comes together and you get feedback from the teachers.

Joel: Finally, how do you see the work that you do affecting renewable energy and energy efficiency across Minnesota?

Roger: It is key. Education is absolutely vital to the success of the EERE industry and its implementation. Our work is a key part of the K-12-College-Workforce education “pipeline”. It is at the middle and high school levels that most kids make their future career decisions and unless they have teachers enthusiastic about energy efficiency and renewable energy they will not even think about the field!

To learn more contact Roger Aiken at rogeraiken@creedproject.org or 651-644-8318.

Region:

Director and Instructor of the Center for Renewable Energy Education & Demonstration (CREED), Roger Aiken recently took some time to sit down with CERTs own Joel Haskard to talk about the Discovering Science on the Range in the Field of Energy (DSRFE) project, one of the statewide 2012-13 seed grant recipients.

Type:

CERTs

You can see other projects the Energy Innovation Corridor has been working on, including HOURCARs in Minneapolis and St. Paul here!

Joel Haskard

Solar Projects Popping Up Along the Energy Innovation Corridor

Ryan Sparrow — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Minneapolis has big hopes for renewable energy in the city, with a goal of 1MW installed renewable capacity by 2014. A large step toward this goal was completed in 2011 with six individual solar projects installed along the Energy Innovation Corridor. The projects were made possible thanks to Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funding from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as well as utility rebates from Xcel Energy. Combined, these projects result in a total of 229 kilowatts of electric solar potential and 240 square feet of solar hot water.

The Energy Innovation Corridor is a showcase of energy efficiency, renewable energy, transportation and smart technology along the new Central Corridor light rail line through Minneapolis and St. Paul. This is a highly visible, public area which makes it ideal for projects like this to showcase Minnesota’s energy potential. “When you’re choosing a public energy project,” said Energy Manager for the City of Minneapolis, Brian Millberg, “you have to clearly identify your objectives. If your objective is to reduce your carbon footprint, especially from electricity, and to showcase technology or create jobs, then solar is a great option.”

The project was funded almost entirely with EECBG money allocated through the State of Minnesota. Three million dollars appropriated by the legislature was split by Minneapolis and Saint Paul for the Energy Innovation Corridor. In order to choose the site locations for the installations, the city logged every public building within a half mile of the light rail line. To be considered for an installation, the buildings had to be publicly owned (city, state, or county owned buildings, including park and rec, etc.). This process yielded fourteen candidates, not all of which would be the most suitable for a solar installation. The options were further narrowed by Innovative Power Systems, the company hired to conduct solar assessments and create proposals for each building. Innovative Power Systems analyzed each potential building to determine which sites would be most effective, considering factors such as structural roof support, age of the roof, and the willingness of the public entity that owned the building to carry out the project. Of the original fourteen, six were selected for solar projects.

Five buildings owned by the city of Minneapolis (including several fire stations and the Hoff parking Garage) and one University of Minnesota building were chosen for the projects. In total, these installations will save $909,000 in energy costs over their lifetimes of 30 years and 4,830 metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution over the same period, the equivalent of taking 30 cars off the road every year.

Three of the installations—including two solar hot water arrays and a solar electric array on top of Fire Station No. 19—utilize panels manufactured right here in the state of Minnesota. These installations qualified for Xcel Energy’s Minnesota-Made Bonus PV Solar Rebate Program. This program provides additional funding through Xcel’s Solar*Rewards to encourage the development and use of solar PV panels manufactured in the state. The total combined rebates for the panels came to about $216,000. The entire project cost slightly more than the appropriated $1.35 million and these utility rebates served to cover the difference with any surplus funding being returned to the state. As a requirement for EECBG funding, all of the panels installed by Minneapolis were made in the U.S., and all of the installing contractors are based in Minnesota or Wisconsin.

Minneapolis’ renewable energy efforts will continue as it works toward its goal of 1MW installed renewable capacity. By the end of 2012, the city already had 810-820kW installed.

Project Profile:

Location: City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County
Funding: $1.35 million EECBG grant; Xcel Energy rebates
Type of Technology: Solar energy; solar photovoltaic; solar hot water
Savings: $909,000 in energy costs over 30 years and 4,830 metric tons of CO2

About the Local Government Energy Action Series:

This effort tells the stories of Minnesota municipalities, counties, and schools and the tangible results of their energy-saving efforts to inspire others to take their own actions. See all stories in this series >>

Local Government Energy Action is brought to you by the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources.

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