Our Mission

MRES is a catalyst, equitably advancing a sustainable low-carbon society
and a renewable energy economy through education, leadership and example.

March Speaker Series

Responding Cleaner, Building Back Greener: Mobilizing Solar + Batteries to Communities in Crises

Footprint Project deploys cleaner energy systems to climate disasters to support communities in crises. Nate Heegaard, Senior Technical Program Manager with Footprint Project will discuss how Footprint is trying to change an industry playbook for disaster relief and recovery by mobilizing solar generators and cleaner energy infrastructure. Nate will explain their operations and what they have learned along the way, working with many different types of equipment and system sizes, to decrease the use of traditional fossil fuel generators.

About the Speaker

Nate Heegaard
Senior Technical Program Manager
Footprint Project

Nate Heegaard is a mobile and off-grid solar/battery specialist, educator, and entrepreneur with over 8 years of experience in the field. He is the Senior Technical Program Manager at Footprint Project non-profit and leads the organization's technology division. Nate has been a part of over 25 different disaster response and recovery missions, deploying and installing solar + battery generators all across the U.S.

March Live online presentation

Thursday, March 20th @ 6:00pm

New!
As of March 2025, you will need to register for the monthly Speaker Series.
Simply provide your name and email and you will be emailed a link to join the Zoom presentation.

Questions? Contact eleanor@mnrenewables.org

Green Rock Apartments Transform Multifamily Housing from Old to Sustainable: A Guide for Property Owners

Dale Howey, in six years, has transformed his Green Rock Apartments into a model of carbon-neutral housing. Howey, a Minneapolis owner/renovator, has completed eight multi-unit building retrofits. The physical improvements, coupled with enhanced livability amenities, have dramatically reduced each building’s utility usage/cost of energy, increased owner profits, and improved livability for residents. Most importantly, the retrofits have significantly reduced the use of fossil fuels, and thus contribute toward lowering the world’s extreme carbon emissions.

Howey’s intention is to open-source his unique retrofit approach so that others may gain ideas, inspiration, and guidance. To that end, the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society, in collaboration with Green Rock Apartments, has produced a detailed guide documenting Howey’s projects, noting the carbon-reducing products used, retrofit project financing, key contacts and sources for further research. The following guide highlights four Green Rock Apartment buildings in Minneapolis, MN that have been retrofitted to near zero carbon by Howey. These retrofits have greatly lowered utility usage, increased owner profits and have improved livability for Residents. Most importantly, these retrofits significantly reduce the use of fossil fuels to further lower the world’s extreme carbon emissions.

Read the full guide