We mailed pledges to residents in August, and students went door-to-door to collect them in late September. The pledge included suggestions about how to reduce energy use, such as washing clothes in the coolest water possible, using a microwave instead of an oven to heat food; and turning off lights, electronics, and appliances when not in use.

The Energy Pledge includes suggestions that, when followed, will help residents reduce energy use and potentially save money!

If you aren’t available on September 29, the students will leave the information at your home. Please review and complete the pledge and return it to the Rothsay Public School, or mail it to Otter Tail Power Company in the envelope provided. We hope for 100 percent participation in the Energy Challenge, and we look forward to seeing what you can do through your Energy Pledge!

If you have any questions, please contact Otter Tail Power Company's Idea Center at 800-493-3299.

Backstrom’s name was drawn during the Students for Community Energy Challenge team meeting from among 48 other residents who had submitted their 2013 Energy Pledges by September 14.

Submit your pledge any of three different ways: 1. Mail it back in the envelope provided. 2. Bring it to Rothsay’s Back to School Night on August 29 from 4 to 8 P.M. 3. Drop it off at the Rothsay school office.

Students will be going door to door this fall to households whose pledges are not received.

Residents whose pledges are submitted by September 14 will be entered for a chance to win a $50 Energy Gift Certificate. If you have any questions, please contact Otter Tail Power Company's Idea Center at 800-493-3299.

The Energy Pledge includes suggestions that, when followed, will help residents reduce energy use and potentially save money!

If you aren’t available on October 24, the students will leave the packet of information at your home. Please review the pledge and return it by November 30 in the envelope provided or to Rothsay Public School (attention Colleen Brandt). We hope for 100 percent participation in the Energy Challenge. So we look forward to seeing what you can do through your Energy Pledge! If you have any questions, please contact Otter Tail Power Company's Idea Center at 800-493-3299.

“We launched these challenges with a call to imagine all of the residents of a small rural community and all the students, faculty, and staff of a college campus working together to reduce the electricity use of their entire town and campus each by 10 to 15 percent,” said Kim Pederson, Otter Tail Power Company Manager, Market Planning. “What they’ve accomplished so far was more than we imagined possible but the hard work is still in front of them as they strike out on their own to sustain these savings.”

The Crookston campus achieved much of its savings from upgrading campus lighting and installing automated controls on variable-frequency drives for some of the ventilation systems. Otter Tail Power Company assisted with the audits to identify high-level savings projects and provided more than $86,000 in grants and rebates to encourage the investments by reducing payback times.

“Significant savings also were noted when the Facilities Management Department implemented a new work order system in August that took deliberate steps to change operational procedures such as shutting off more lights than before, closing shades, and reducing heating levels in certain areas,” said Chancellor Charles Casey. “I’m proud but not surprised about just how much the people on this campus have been able to accomplish. And I’m confident that the behavior changes we’ve been focused on will continue to show real results.”

The community of Rothsay achieved more than half of its cumulative savings from behavioral changes on the part of Rothsay Public School, homeowners, and businesses. Otter Tail Power Company also granted almost $117,000 in rebates for energy-efficient lighting and technology improvements. “This program was developed as a three-legged stool,” said Pederson. “Education, efficient end-use technologies, and incentivized behavioral changes each play a critical role in the success of these projects. And achieving long-term savings in Rothsay will be possible only with ongoing energy-saving behaviors and a community that won’t settle for anything less than achieving its goal.”

Rothsay Public School is committed to continuing its leadership role in this challenge. “The Community Energy Challenge has been an excellent program that has brought a new sense of awareness regarding energy use throughout the community,” said Ehren Zimmerman, Dean of Students/Principal at Rothsay Public School. “And it has brought a new approach to hands-on learning for our faculty, staff, and students. Now it’s our turn to pay it forward and keep the savings going.”

Check out our event photos!

We also must go through the same "normalization" process for the Community of Rothsay. We'll look at cumulative energy-use change and the various factors that contributed to that change to determine whether the community is on track for reaching its goal of 10 percent to 15 percent energy savings.

We'll complete this review process by April. And we look forward to sharing the results! Stay tuned...

Receive a rebate for $10 off a Honeywell Do-It-Yourself programmable thermostat valued at $50 or more (or $5 off models valued less than $50) when you:

• Follow the instructions on the campaign web page.

• Send an with your full address to CERT's Campaign Coordinator, Michelle Vigen.

"We're really excited that upper-midwest residents have this opportunity to increase their comfort, save energy, and lower their energy bills with a new Honeywell programmable thermostat," said Michelle Vigen, CERT's Campaign & Metrics Coordinator. “It’s an easy and convenient way to save money.”

A programmable thermostat allows you to pre-set your home’s heating and cooling system to work around your schedule, providing ultimate comfort for your household. It helps you ensure efficient operation of your heating and cooling system, resulting in real energy savings and lower energy bills.

According to CERTs, the average household in our region that uses default settings on its programmable thermostat could save around 15 percent on heating costs and about 25 percent on cooling costs, saving around $200 annually.

To learn more about this exclusive rebate opportunity and how you can save energy, visit http://thermostat.mncerts.org or email .

The Clean Energy Resource Teams connect communities with resources to identify and implement energy-efficiency and renewable-energy projects. CERTified Campaigns provide individuals with clear and actionable ways to implement energy-efficiency and renewable-energy projects in their community. To learn about other campaigns, visit http://act.mncerts.org.

These improvements must be financed using a Fix-up Fund loan. Rebates up to $10,000 are available for application on a first-come, first-served basis. More information and an Energy Saver Rebate application are available at www.mnhousing.gov. Or call Minnesota Housing at 651-296-8215 or 800-710-8871.

In our quest for energy savings, we’re learning more about solar air heat, such as can be obtained through the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance’s (RREAL) solar-powered furnaces. These furnaces can be 60-percent efficient!

We want to find out what this technology could mean to Rothsay homeowners in terms of potential energy savings and how it could help residents meet the Community Energy Challenge goal.

Details

• This pilot project will include a solar air heating system composed of two 4-foot by 6.5-foot collectors.

• RREAL anticipates that these collectors will generate about 2,050 kilowatt hours of electricity per heating season to warm the Buckingham home.

• While a residential solar electric system can cost $25,000 before tax incentives and rebates, a solar heating system similar to our pilot system will cost closer to $5,000 before tax incentives and rebates.

• Minnesota currently has a rebate available through the Office of Energy Security-Department of Commerce for $25 per square foot of collector installed. And residential customers also may qualify for a federal tax credit of 30 percent of installed cost. That means that you have the potential to install a $5,000 system for a little over $2,000!

Check back for future news stories about this pilot project to see if solar air heat is an option for energy savings at your home. Or visit the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance online to learn more.

About RREAL

The Rural Renewable Energy Alliance RREAL began in 2000 as a nonprofit organization that installs solar air heating systems as a long-term energy- and money-saving solution. While the reduction of fuel poverty remains RREAL’s central mission, the organization now manufactures solar air heat collectors, which may prove one of the more widely used and economically logical choices for solar energy.

Thanks to her commitment to energy savings—and to helping Rothsay meet its Energy Challenge goal—Jeanette had implemented fabulous energy-saving measures in the time between receiving her energy audit and being selected as the makeover winner. Way to go, Jeanette! That means that we can help put the finishing touches on Jeanette’s remaining energy-savings potential and help another Rothsay homeowner reach similar goals.

Because Jeanette took the initiative to seek out other incentives available for energy-efficiency improvements, she was able to put a huge dent in savings potential with:

• Insulation.
• A new boiler.
• A water heater that will be placed on off-peak service.
• A more efficient refrigerator and freezer.

Otter Tail Power Company hopes to help Jeanette reach her savings potential through energy-efficient appliances such as:

• An Energy Star washer and an efficient dryer.
• An efficient oven/range.
• An Energy Star dehumidifier.
• An efficient air conditioner.

Nicole Oien
You can about imagine Nicole Oien’s surprise and excitement when we visited her in September to announce that she would now be able to take advantage of Energy Challenge makeover funds to improve the energy efficiency of her home.

Thanks to Community Energy Challenge incentives and other energy-efficiency programs, Nicole’s home is targeted to receive improvements such as:

• Insulation.
• Ventilation.
• Efficient lighting.
• Efficient off-peak heating and cooling.

One makeover fund makes for two happy homeowners With one home energy makeover fund of about $12,000, Otter Tail Power Company was able to partner with two dedicated homeowners committed to using all available resources for maximizing energy efficiency. What a way to meet the Community Energy Challenge goal together!

We plan to complete all home energy makeover activity by the end of 2010.

The school used more energy in July 2010 than it did in July 2009 because crews were hard at work installing new energy-efficient technologies. When crews are working, the lights are on and more power is being used than when the school is not in use. Still, as shown in the chart above, cumulative savings are exciting!

These charts doen't reflect savings associated with lighting retrofits or technology upgrades or replacements. When you include those energy-efficiency measures, the savings are even greater.

Nice work, Rothsay School!

Wednesday, August 25, from 5:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.

Wednesday, September 8, from 5:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.

Check out event photos!

When you compare Rothsay School's energy use in June 2010 with its energy use in June 2009, it's clear that students, faculty, staff, and administration are making a difference.

These charts don't reflect savings associated with lighting retrofits or technology upgrades or replacements. When you include those energy-efficiency measures, the savings are even greater.

Way to go, Rothsay School!

When you compare Rothsay School's energy use in May 2010 with its energy use in May 2009, it's clear that students, faculty, staff, and administration are making a difference.

This chart doesn't reflect savings associated with lighting retrofits or technology upgrades or replacements. When you include those energy-efficiency measures, the savings are even greater.

Way to go, Rothsay School!