CERTs Monthly Update

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SEPTEMBER 2010		New Case Studies "Do-It-Yourself" Energy Savings: CERTs Installs a Programmable Thermostat Rental Housing Energy Efficiency Pilot Project: Residents of Ventura Flats Save Big White Earth Group Combats Heat Poverty with Solar Energy Training for Local Youth Cass County Transfer Station Taps into Solar More case studies >> Upcoming Events 10/7 - Hibbing: Walking and Biking for the Planet 10/9 - Minneapolis: Metro CERT Hosts Energy Fair at Midtown Farmers Market 10/9 - Edina: Home Energy Seminar 10/9 - Saint Paul: Winter Biking Workshop 10/10 - Bemidji: Bemidji Cares! 10/10 - Lakeville: Pedal the Parks 10/10 - Minneapolis: Mass Bike Ride & Celebration at Mill Ruins Park 10/10 - Minneapolis: Make a Solar PV Module 10/10 - Pine River: Hoop House Project Installation 10/10 - Saint Paul: Walk for the Planet 10/13 - Milan: Energy-Saving Workshop on Appliances 10/13 - St. Paul: Improving Sustainability of Transportation 10/14 - Brainerd: SASSY Energy Makeover 10/14 - Rochester: Residential Energy Audit Workshop 10/16 - Saint Paul: Free Home Energy Efficiency Workshop 10/19 - Crookston: Prairie Biomass Harvest Field Day 10/21 - Saint Paul: Free Home Energy Efficiency Workshop 10/22 - Saint Cloud: Renewable Energy Roundtable 10/23-24 - Saint Paul: Northland Bioneers Conference 10/25-26 - Minneapolis: Green Schools National Youth Summit 10/27 - Crookston: GreenStep Cities Seminar 10/28 - Saint Paul: Free Home Energy Efficiency Workshop 11/4 - Saint Paul: Free Home Energy Efficiency Workshop More events >> Recent Blog Posts CenterPoint Energy offers free low-flow showerheads and aerators Funding Update: Energy Efficiency, Wind, Solar Rebates; Small Business, MPCA, Green POWER Grants Check Out New Wind Development Report on Ownership and Regional Economic Impact Public-Private Ownership of Wind Energy: An Interview with Bob Olson Take Part in the CERTs Clean Energy Action Photo Drive! Heard of the Youth Energy Summit? Learn more about YES! by watching this great video CERTs Partner The Minnesota Project Launches Farm Energy Efficiency Resource Center CERTs Seeks Science Partners: Growing Clean Energy Leaders Through Mentorship Want to Save $200 on Energy Costs? Get a Programmable Thermostat with a Rebate from CERTs and Honeywell! Juhl Wind, Inc. Announces New $10 Million Community Wind Farm 18 MN Farms and Rural Small Businesses Selected to Receive $1.7 Million for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Improvements More blog posts >> CERTs in the News 10/4 - Redwood Falls Gazette: Rebates available for home heating upgrades 10/1 - Minnesota Parent: Carbon Footprints Shrink with Student Efforts 9/22 - Bemidji Pioneer: Bemidji considers GreenSteps 9/14 - Rochester Post-Bulletin: Rebates, tax credits make solar thermal a sweet deal 8/27 - Pioneer Press: SERIOUS ABOUT SOLAR 8/27 - WCCO TV: State Fair Savings on a Stick More news >> Funding Opportunities The Office of Energy Security, Minnesota Department of Commece compiles a great list of current funding opportunities in the fields of energy and the environment, and we add other items that we see from time to time. See opportunities >>
Greetings CERTs Members & Friends! Welcome to the September 2010 edition of our Monthly Update. It's packed full of great info, so take a moment to browse through it! Let us know if there's anything you'd like to share by emailing CERTs Communications Coordinator, Dan Thiede, at thie0235@umn.edu. We'd also love to hear what you think about the new Monthly Update format. Features this month: ACT: Spread the Word About Dirt-Cheap Programmable Thermostats ACT: Take Part in the CERTs Clean Energy Action Photo Drive ACT: Get Ready for Clean + Green Video Shorts Contest LEARN: Public-Private Ownership of Wind Energy: An Interview CONNECT: Agenda & Sponsorship at CERTs 2011 Conference CONNECT: Follow CERTs on Facebook and Twitter Cheers, The CERTs Crew
Spread the Word About Dirt-Cheap Programmable Thermostats!
As cooler weather approaches, you have a unique opportunity to save big on your upcoming heating bills. Installing a new programmable thermostat with default savings can help you save up to $200 a year! Also, with current rebates, you can get up to $50 off the cost of a thermostat. In many cities in Minnesota you can combine a CERTs & Honeywell rebate for up to $10 off a programmable thermostat with a similar utility rebate--some for as much as $40 off. That means that an $80 thermostat would only cost $30! Learn more and get your rebates today at http://thermostat.mncerts.org. Spread the word: You can also find resources to spread the word at http://rebateshare.mncerts.org. We've also compiled great resources for stores selling thermostats that want to highlight this opportunity at http://retailers.mncerts.org.
Take Part in the CERTs Clean Energy Action Photo Drive!
Telling the Story of Clean Energy Action in Minnesota through Photos On 10/10/10, people across Minnesota—and the world—will celebrate climate solutions through events and by sharing stories as part of the 350.org Global Work Party. CERTs is collecting photos from October 2010 through the end of January 2011, leading up to the Feb. 2-3 CERTs 2011 Conference in St. Cloud, MN. At the conference we will have a giant photo wall where all of the submitted images will be rolling through during the entire two-day event. The photos will also be available on our website and on Flickr for people who are interested in clean energy and energy efficiency to be inspired by the amazing work already happening in Minnesota. Help us share your stories by submitting your photos and letting us shine a light on your efforts! Go to http://photos.mncerts.org.
Get Ready for the 2nd CERTs Clean + Green Video Shorts Contest
Start thinking about the stories you can tell about clean energy and energy efficiency in three minutes of video for your chance to win $500! As part of the CERTs 2011 Conference, we're getting ready to kick off our 2nd Clean + Green Video Shorts Contest. All you have to do is (1) find a camera, (2) use it to tell a story about clean energy or energy efficiency in your community in 3 minutes or less, (3) submit the video to CERTs, and (4) tell all your family and friends to vote for your video online when the time comes. That's it! Track down a camera and start storyboarding! The contest will be launched in mid-October, so stay tuned! Click here to watch winners from 2009 >>
Public-Private Ownership of Wind Energy: An Interview with Bob Olson
CERTs Coordinator, Joel Haskard, recently connected with Bob Olson about an intriguing public-private model for wind development that he's developed. Bob is a tax attorney in Minnesota and the majority owner and chairman of St. Stephen State Bank. In 2004, he founded the American Sustainable Energy Council, a nonprofit that focuses on renewable energy policy and projects. Read the full interview >>
Sponsor or Exhibit at the CERTs 2011 Conference & See the Agenda Overview!
Set aside February 2-3, 2011 on your calendar so that you can attend the 2011 Clean Energy Convergence: Learn, Connect, Act in St. Cloud, MN! Our planning committee has been hard at work designing a fantastic agenda for this year's event—you won't want to miss it! You can be seen and support the event as a sponsor or exhibtor. We are excited to invite your business or organization to be part of the conference! Because of the ever-growing interest in both CERTs and community energy, we expect 500-600 people to attend the conference, and are providing space for up to 50 exhibitors. There are sponsor and exhibitor opportunities to fit all budgets. Learn more about supporting CERTs 2011 and see the agenda overview at http://2011.MNCERTs.org.
Follow CERTs on Facebook &Twitter!
$It\'s so much fun!$ Facebook has 500 million users, and Twitter has 190 million. You're bound to be one of them! Facebook and Twitter are great tools for staying connected with the people and issues that are most important to you--that's why you're there. Take this opportunity to connect with CERTs! We share news and opportunities on Facebook and Twitter that don't show up anywhere else, and it's a great way to keep keep the conversation going! So, hop on the bandwagon: Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, or even check us out on Flickr and YouTube. You can also stay in the loop with Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon on Facebook.
Helping Minnesota communities determine their clean energy future Follow CERTs:

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