CERTs-Southeast: Clean Energy Resource Teams of SE Minnesota
RECENT Clean Energy Events
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Latin American Fellows
Tour SE Renewable Energy Projects
Gregg Johnson, professor at the Southern Agricultural Research & Outreach Center in Waseca, hosted a group of Cochrane Fellows from Latin America August 14-16th interested in biofuels. Larry and Susan met with the visitors to talk about other renewable energy developments in Southeast Minnesota and then accompanied them to Dodge Center to view the McNeilus Wind Farm.
The Cochran Fellows Group from Latin America included
Mr. Miguel Almada, Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Fishing and Food - ArgentinaMs. Fabiana Bentos, Biochemist with Technological Laboratory - UruguayMr. Nikolai Russo, Chemical engineer with ANCAP (petroleum company) - UruguayMr. Diego Yugovich, Director with JET Ind. - ParaguayMr. Erasmo Ruiz, Vice Minister of Agriculture - GuatemalaMr. Rodolfo Smith, Professor - GuatemalaMr. Alejandro Moreno, Project Director with biodiesel Guatemala - GuatemalaMr. Pedro Cruz, Professor of Chemistry - Guatemala
RECENT Southeast MN Events
2007 Minnesota Solar Tour Saturday, October 6, 2007
Nine southern Minnesota sites were included in the 2007 Minnesota Solar Tour, demonstrating renewable energy technology in action, and hosted by people who have learned from experience.
Sponsored by the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES), a non-profit and all-volunteer organization, the self-guided, public Minnesota Solar Tour featured over 30 exemplary homes, businesses, and institutions that have incorporated renewable energy into the design and operation of their buildings. From geothermal heat pumps using the earth as a huge thermal buffer to wind turbines elegantly spinning in the breeze and the many incarnations of solar energy between earth and sky, this event offered local residents an opportunity to find out how their neighbors are trimming their energy bills, increasing their energy independence, and taking steps to address global warming.
Local Energy Initiative Meeting: There were 112 registrants for the Tuesday, September 11th meeting at the Holiday Inn in Owatonna. The host organization was the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. To view presentations, handouts and maps, visit http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org/localenergyinitiatives.html.
30 people attended the Southeast CERT Hazelnut farm/Passive Solar Green House Tour in Lake City on September 13th. Norm Erickson gave an excellent power point presentation and tour, and had another 30+ people visiting the next day for a similar all-day event. Norm says “We are enthusiastic about hazelnuts because of their versatility as a food product in the short term and as a biodiesel oil source in the long term. Crude oil production is poised to peak and begin to fall in a few years, if it has not already happened. Low input, high productivity (perennial) biofuel crops are going to help us through the adjustment period of very high conventional fuels prices and increasing shortages. Hazelnuts have the potential to become the preferred on-farm biodiesel energy crop. We will begin shipping hazelnuts from our greenhouse in 2009.”
On Friday, September 14th Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center discussed incentives for financing wind projects. For more information, visit http://www.eagle-bluff.org/ or call 888-800-9558 or 507-467-2437.
If you’d like to learn how to heat your home’s water at little or no cost for the next 30-plus years, plan to stop by a solar water-heating system installation/demonstration taking place in Northfield Friday and Saturday, September 21st and 22nd at 501 St. Olaf Avenue between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. A system designed to provide nearly all of the household’s hot water will be installed by a certified solar contractor in partnership with Paul’s Plumbing and Heating and the homeowner.The installation/demonstration is sponsored by Northfield EnergySmart BuildingWorks, an initiative of RENew Northfield and the Northfield Area Foundation.
The solar water heating system includes two four-foot by eight-foot panels manufactured by SolarSkies of Starbuck, Minnesota. The system will provide enough hot water annually to offset about $165 in water heating costs at current natural gas prices (the equivalent of about $300 with an existing electric water heater). Natural gas prices have increased by 6.67% annually over the last 30 years, and electricity by 3.36%. Assuming these trends continue, a solar water heater of this size would save over $15,000 in water heating costs over 30 years. The system will eliminate about 53,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over 30 years, equivalent to taking four average American vehicles off the road for a year. For more information, contact Northfield EnergySmart BuildingWorks.
Local Energy Initiatives Workshop -September 11, 2007, Owatonna, MN
Badgersett Farm Field Day - Saturday, Aug 18th -- Pressing Hazelnuts for Biodiesel
Badgersett Research Corporation (BRC), announces 3 major breakthroughs in sustainable biodiesel production this year; Proof of Principle for their unique breeding process; a Low-Tech Cloning process so farmers can clone their own best plants, and the addition of a third crop option from their work; new Hybrid Pecan/Hickories.
They'll be showing them off at their upcoming Annual Field Day; Sat. Aug. 18, at their southern Minnesota breeding facility, Badgersett Farm.
A major feature of the field day will be the first time anywhere pressing of hazelnuts grown in the upper Midwest for biodiesel. They are intending to press oil on site, and actually run a diesel engine with the product. And they'll be using the "co-product" immediately, too- offering the oilcake right there to live chickens...
Contact: Philip A. Rutter philip.rutter@badgersett.com; Paul Porter pporter@umn.edu
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Wind Energy Seminars Continue at Eagle Bluff The dates for the third and fourth wind energy seminars are Friday, August 10th, and September 14th. Both of these seminars will be held at 1:30 p.m. at Eagle Bluff. Eagle Bluff is located 5 miles northwest of Lanesboro, Minnesota, just off Fillmore County Road 8. For more information http://www.eagle- bluff.org/ or call 888-800-9558 or 507-467-2437.
Friday September 14th from 1-4 p.m. will discuss incentives for financing wind projects.
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SE CERTS Tour of Hazelnut Farm & Passive Solar Greenhouse: September 13
4 p.m. - SE CERT Steering Committee meeting 5 p.m. - Tour - Open to the Public. Must RSVP! Click Here for complete details and directions
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Other Recent Events:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR Internet presentation on Thursday, August 23rd at 2:00 PM EDT.
Participants will learn about:
- The ENERGY STAR Challenge and how the Challenge Toolkit can help state officials improve energy performance by 10% or more
- Minnesota’s goal of earning the ENERGY STAR for 1,000 buildings by 2010 and the intended methods for achieving it
- The Southeast Rebuild Collaborative and its efforts to promote energy efficiency in school districts, local governments, and colleges and universities
- Georgia’s successes in organizing sales tax holidays for ENERGY STAR qualified products and encouraging citizens to participate in the ENERGY STAR Change a Light, Change the World campaign.
There is no charge to participate, and all you need is a high-speed Internet connection and a phone line. to interact speakers & others. To register for this presentation, please:
If you have any questions about this presentation or the registration process, please contact Peter Oh at poh@cadmusgroup.com.
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