In Search of Affordable Net Zero

The building of this house is the culmination of a life-long dream, most would say obsession, with building an energy-efficient house in a cold climate. Looking back, I was interested in this since high school when I was fascinated by underground homes. About 10 years ago, I learned about PassivHaus and decided that I wanted to build one but one that would be affordable for average people. Along the way, the goal changed to be an affordable Net-Zero, all-electric home. I don’t think I succeeded in the affordable part of the Net Zero part, but the house has been a great success, and my wife and I are happy to be living here. Joe Bowman was our general contractor with assistance from Ryan Stegora. Please join us on our crazy journey with a happy ending.

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“Give to the Max is a statewide outpouring of support for thousands of nonprofits and schools across Minnesota! Our Giving Holiday is scheduled for Thursday, November 19, but you don’t have to wait to support the causes that mean the most to you.”

Fueling a shared interest in a low-carbon future—MRES offers opportunities to learn about renewable energy, get inspired, get involved and spread the word. Your participation, membership and financial support sustain the organization and its program—monthly meet-ups, annual events, community engagement and the reality of operations. The heartbeat of MRES is the collective hum of interesting and interested people ready to make a difference.

Give to MRES

Green Rock Apartments: Dedicated to environmental stewardship for our buildings and for our tenants 

Dale Howey

Join Below

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84453037466?pwd=ZDZqU25sbm9JUGRGU3hFVlNjUFlIdz09

North Minneapolis is home to the highest black populated community in the state of Minnesota. It’s also home to neighborhoods that have the lowest area median income in the state. 

It’s a neighborhood that shows definite signs of racial covenants on properties, with a very high rental population despite its large single-family housing stock. 

Kristel Porter and MN Renewable Now Is looking to address these issues by Building Equity through Renewable Energy. Their goal is to retrofit every North Minneapolis home with solar. Block by block. 

Join the presentation here: https://bit.ly/3gXaLPf

Meeting ID: 876 9341 4777

Passcode: 107356

MRES is proud to announce the largest annual grassroots solar event in the nation taking place virtually September 28- October 4, 2020. The virtual event is free and open to all. MRES is a Local Organizer for The National Solar Tour and invites people across the country to learn about solar technology and sustainability from the personal experiences of home and business owners in the Minnesota region. You’ll meet our Solar Open House Hosts in video and photo tours posted on an online map of selected homes in Minnesota, western Wisconsin and across the nation.

Interested in hosting a virtual solar open house or sponsoring a tour in Minnesota or western Wisconsin?

Let us know by September 1, 2020.

Contact Patrick Holt at pat.h@mnrenewables.org or call 612-308-4757.  

https://www.mnrenewables.org/sustainable-home-tour

Solar Cooker Use (and Collecting) in The Variety Weather Belt

Luther will sample several unique solar cookers collected over the years, with a brief history and review of each. He will discuss the benefits of solar cooking in the United States, where it's a luxury, and present the need in developing nations for solar cooking as a means to reduce deforestation, health problems caused by indoor cooking fires, and eliminating water-borne diseases. Finally, he will discuss how individuals can adopt solar cooking and spread the word about its importance in local and world environmental causes.

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https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86315369240?pwd=cWNRMkJvdDZqTHRIVGtBaVhIcFp2QT09

Meeting ID: 863 1536 9240
Passcode: 202588

Anne Hunt, Director of the Office of Enterprise Sustainability will share how the State of Minnesota is leading by example and working to advance renewable energy.

Join Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84612750200?pwd=L3IrQk9hdFVnbUhWRUpHN01hbWdrQT09#success

Today is the last day to join our new solar boat design challenge at a chance of having your drawing displayed on the MRES Website! This fun and creative contest is easy to enter, your choice to work alone or in teams, and all ages are welcome! Follow these simple steps at, https://bit.ly/SolarBoatDesign to submit your design and for more information. Can't wait to see all of the amazing solar boats!

History and historical impediments to the adoption of solar power

Mark Weber- MRES Board Chair

Since 432 BC we have known practical applications of solar energy.  We are aware of advancements in the technology, but what are the factors that have limited its widespread application?  This presentation will discuss why we have had so many fits and starts in the adoption of solar energy.

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https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85688592986?pwd=MWx6Vi9XNUl1RUh1Zmg0SmFBeDNIdz09

Meeting ID: 856 8859 2986

Password: 637256

Canceled due to COVID-19

Unfortunately, due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, MRES will not be hosting our annual Solar Boat Regatta.

Robert Blake- Founder and CEO of Solar Bear

How can native nations use renewable energy as a tool for self-determination.

COVID-19 Update

March Speaker Series - Live Online Presentation

Due to the current public health situation regarding COVID-19, MRES has decided to cancel the March Speaker Series event scheduled for March 19, 2020. This decision was made in an effort to reduce the person-to-person transmission of the virus and is consistent with the policies and advice of leading state and national health organizations.

Join us for a virtual presentation!

Instructions on how to join can be found at the top of our homepage

Please DO NOT come to Mayflower Church on Thursday, March 19.

No live event will be held.

We are working to develop a digital delivery of our speaker's presentation, and an online webinar may be available. Please stay tuned for more information in the coming days.

LIKE CHOCOLATE AND PEANUT BUTTER!  SOLAR+EV CHARGING CREATING NEW VALUE FOR CUSTOMERS AND THE GRID.

Electric vehicles are forecast to overtake internal combustion engines as the dominant automobile fuel within the next ten years. But a number of studies warn that adding substantial numbers of basic EV charging points to the grid will result in overloads, increased costs, and the need for substantial new grid investment to accommodate the load.  But matching daytime EV charging to distributed solar generation offers a solution to the grid risk, while also offering owners of EV chargers cost savings on demand charges.  Brian Ross will present a market transformation case study managed by the Great Plains Institute on integrating EV charging infrastructure with distributed solar, including local government tools for action, value proposition modeling by the National Renewable Energy Lab, and implications for achieving local climate and energy goals. 

About the Speaker:

The time is Now! Renewable Energy and Planetary Health

The science is clear; climate change and other human disruptions of the earth's systems, threaten life on this planet. The World Health Organization calls climate change this century's greatest threat to human health. In 2018, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a dire warning that this decade is the time to take significant action if we are to avoid the most catastrophic impacts. However, the science is also clear that there are viable solutions if we act quickly and act together. The Minnesota Renewable Energy Society has a key role to play in helping preserve the health of Minnesotans for generations to come.

About the Speaker:

MRES 2019 Overview and Board of Directors Election

Join us for a recap of the past year at MRES! Board Chair, Mark Weber will present the highlights of 2019 and lay out the goals for MRES looking forward. There will also be an election of the MRES Board of Directors for 2020, as well as a celebration of Christmas and New Year holidays.

About the Speaker:

University of Minnesota Renewable Energy Program

In Fall 2018, several stakeholders within the Morris community participated in a two-day retreat to develop a strategic plan for our community.  Our vision is to be nationally recognized as a model community and innovation leader in energy, transportation, and waste reduction and recycling.  By leading in these areas, we hope to drive a more robust and vibrant economy within our agricultural and manufacturing sectors creating new businesses, jobs, and wealth for our community.   Through this process, our community will become more economically and environmentally resilient.  We hope to achieve this vision by:

·         Producing all energy locally keeping more money within our community,

·         Providing greater opportunities for local ownership of energy production,

·         Inspiring a new conservation ethic for saving energy and reducing waste,

·         Developing innovative educational programming for students and all community members, and

·         Becoming a destination for those wanting to learn and for businesses wanting to participate. 

Finally, we wish to follow the lead of our partner city, Saerbeck, Germany.  Saerbeck is a European and global energy, environmental, and climate protection leader.  We are following the outstanding example set by our partner city and trying to lead in new areas in which Saerbeck can also learn from us.       

About the Speaker:

Xcel Energy’s Clean Energy Future – an overview of its recent Integrated Resource Plan

The presentation comments will explain what an IRP is, it’s importance, what we have done to date, and the process going forward. I will use a slide deck to organize my comments and spur conversation. I will also likely touch on the issue of equity and the utility’s role of guaranteeing universal access, non-discriminatory pricing, and service quality standards.

About the Speaker:

Join us for the 2019 MRES Sustainable Home Tour!

The MRES Sustainable Home Tour is a free, self-guided event that is open to the public. The tour is designed to help spread knowledge of sustainable living practices by connecting homeowners to the curious public. The event consists of numerous locations state-wide that have agreed to showcase sustainable features of their homes and buildings. Learn about sustainable living practices in your community!

Supported by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES), the Sustainable Home Tour is a part of a the ASES National Solar Tour, a national event highlighting renewable energy and sustainable living across the country. Stay tuned for details about the 2019 Sustainable Home Tour.

Interested in having your home on the tour? Questions or comments?

Contact Eric Barry at eric.b@mnrenewables.org

Honored to Be of Service: The Red Lake Solar Project

In 2016 my company, IPS Solar, was hired to conduct a feasibility study for the Red Lake Nation to end the community’s dependence on coal-based electric power, and to replace it with renewable energy. When the original financing fell through, I became the financer, using a crowd-funding approach. Given my lifelong interest in Native American issues and culture, it is a great honor that my career now allows me to contribute to a Green New Deal in Indian Country! The Project intersects with state energy policy goals, as this may be one of the largest early deployments of commercial-scale solar plus storage in Minnesota.

About the Speaker:

Disruption of Power Sector:

Digitalization, Decarbonization and Decentralization

There are fundamental changes underway in the energy and power sector that will affect how we develop, design and build infrastructure. Increasingly, energy consumers want to control their own destiny and have a role in production – becoming prosumers – across residential, commercial and industrial markets. The power system of today was designed with centralized generation facilities pushing power out in one direction to consumers – we are asking that system to perform in ways it was not designed to do. How do we evolve our approach to building and operating energy and infrastructure to meet these macro-level changes?

About the Speaker:

Nicole brings extensive industry experience as a leader in energy development. Prior to Mortenson, Nicole was a Development Director for NextEra Energy Resources where she was a key member of the team that delivered $2.5 billion of capital investment in renewable energy generation facilities in Canada. She was responsible for market entry strategy, development, landowner contracts, PPA negotiations, community and stakeholder engagement, government relations, siting and permitting, construction, operation and financing. Prior to NextEra, Nicole managed a portfolio of investments in energy technologies working extensively with utilities and research institutions to foster innovation in the sector.

Nicole is a Sloan Fellow in Leadership & Innovation from MIT, a Fellow in Economics of Energy from the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (University of Reading, UK) and has a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University in Canada. A new Minnesotan, Nicole grew up on the East Coast of Canada, was in Toronto for most of the last 20 years and is an avid hockey fan (Go Habs!).

What’s Happening with Solar in Minnesota

Jan will present current topics and information about solar projects in Minnesota, including global, national and Minnesota statistics to give perspective on the increased use and rapid growth of solar energy systems in the state. He’ll give an update on community solar, current solar bills in the Minnesota Legislature, PUC dockets relevant to solar, economic, social and environmental factors driving the fastest growing job category in Minnesota and the nation.

About the Speaker:

CONNEXUS ENERGY’S 10 MW SOLAR +  15 MW STORAGE PROJECT

Connexus Energy’s innovative solar-plus-storage project is now fully operational. Construction at the Ramsey and Athens Township sites began last summer, and by late December, both sites were up and running. The project is one of the first in the country to use batteries integrated with a solar array to align the energy delivery to when it is most valuable. The two sites add 10 megawatts of renewables to Connexus’ energy mix with 15 megawatts of battery storage.

Most solar energy is produced when there is lower demand and the price is lower. Connexus is using the batteries to time shift the solar delivery to align with system peaks that typically occur as the sun is setting or has already set. The plan is to discharge the stored energy a couple of times per month.

ENGIE North America (formerly SoCore Energy) is handling the solar portion for Connexus, and NextEra Energy Resources, the battery storage.

Connexus Energy is the largest member-owned utility in Minnesota providing electricity and related products and services to approximately 135,000 homes and businesses in portions of Anoka, Chisago, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Sherburne, and Washington counties. Additional information about Connexus Energy is available online at connexusenergy.com.

About the Speaker: