Center for Energy and Environment

CEE is coming to the 2024 ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting in Minneapolis from Sept. 17-19! ⭐ Make sure to connect with our staff at the event: • Sage Berglund, Workforce Training Manager • Sarah N, Workforce Program Manager • Rebecca Olson, Senior Director of Residential and Community Energy (Presenter) • Josh Quinnell, Senior Research Scientist (Presenter) • Steve Sylvestre, High-Performance Windows Initiative Manager (Presenter) • Rabi Vandergon, Air Source Heat Pumps Initiative Manager Are you an ENERGY STAR partner or stakeholder? Register now: https://hubs.ly/Q02NYGq20

CEE's Phil Anderson recently spoke with Midwest Energy News about the energy modeling and advising our new homes team provided on The Heights, an upcoming 147-unit affordable housing development in St. Paul. The Heights will combine efficient buildings, solar, cold climate air source heat pumps, and all-electric appliances to create one of the largest net-zero communities in the Midwest. 🏗️🌱 The development will be Habitat for Humanity's largest in the Twin Cities, filling a critical need in one of St. Paul's lowest-income neighborhoods. According to Phil, the key to keeping the development's heating and cooling costs low will be its efficient cold climate air source heat pumps, high-performance windows, airtight construction, and well-insulated building envelope (or all the building components that separate the indoors from the outdoors.) Read the article: https://hubs.ly/Q02N4zW30

Heat pump rooftop units (RTUs) can cut greenhouse gas emissions and save energy. 🌎⚡ So how can we encourage more businesses to install them? On Thursday, August 15, members of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) met with CEE staff at Minneapolis nonprofit PRG Inc to explore this question. Earlier this summer, staff from CEE's One-Stop Efficiency Shop installed heat pump RTUs on the roof of the building to help the nonprofit reduce emissions and energy use. DOE and NREL, which recently launched the Commercial Building Heat Pump Accelerator, called on CEE staff to speak to the unique needs of small businesses in cold climates. "These on-the-ground insights, informed through both our research and program work, can help the DOE prioritize equity as it works to make new technologies available to all businesses," said Leah Guenter, CEE's initiative manager for Next Gen RTUs. Read more on CEE's blog: https://hubs.ly/Q02MNX7K0

Join a fast-growing clean energy nonprofit and make a real, measurable impact every day! CEE is now hiring for several positions. 💡🌱 Named a 2024 Top 200 Workplace in Minnesota by the Star Tribune, CEE invites open door communications, respect for diverse backgrounds and points of view, and prioritizes work-life balance. View our open positions and submit your application: https://hubs.ly/Q02M7lcp0

On Friday, Aug. 16, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) 2024 Integrated Lighting Campaign awarded 16 organizations for exemplary commitment to energy efficiency in their buildings and two organizations for exhibiting exemplary support for this work. CEE is thrilled to have been one of the two orgs recognized as an Exemplary Supporter, and to have received the additional distinction of Energy Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion! 🎉 CEE received the honor for its One-Stop Efficiency Shop (OSES) program, which is designed to encourage and enable small businesses in Minnesota to implement lighting, refrigeration, and HVAC efficiency upgrades. The program has long prioritized serving businesses that have historically faced barriers to participating in energy efficiency programs. Since One-Stop's inception in 2000, businesses that have upgraded their lighting have saved a cumulative: 💡 228 megawatts 💡 917 gigawatt hours 💡 715,100 tons of carbon dioxide 💡 $82 million annually Thank you to DOE for this recognition, and to the others awarded for their important work advancing energy efficiency! Learn more about One-Stop: https://hubs.ly/Q02LYghN0

CannaCon Midwest is underway, and One-Stop lighting consultants Tony Beman, Brad Obermueller, and Jeff Johnson are having a great time connecting with folks about CEE's recently launched LED grow lighting rebate program. At the event today or attending tomorrow? Make sure to stop by booth 238 to learn how you can bring energy savings to your grow operation! 💡🌱 More info on the rebate program: https://hubs.ly/Q02LBQ930

Going to CannaCon Midwest this weekend? Stop by booth 238 and say hi to our commercial marketing manager, Laura Bebo-Ekanayake! Laura and members of CEE's One-Stop Efficiency Shop lighting team will be there to help you learn how you can bring energy savings to your grow operations with our recently launched grow lighting rebate program. 💡 Learn more about the program: https://lnkd.in/gp92dYjN

"Climate science is clear, and the clock is ticking," write Audrey Partridge, policy director at CEE, and Kevin Pranis, marketing manager at LIUNA Minnesota and North Dakota, for Star Tribune. "We need to work together, and we need our regulated public utilities to join us. So, let’s celebrate our climate wins for what they are: wins." 🌎 Last month, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved CenterPoint Energy’s very first natural gas innovation plan. Hear from Audrey and Kevin on why this is a victory worth applauding: https://hubs.ly/Q02KZTXc0

Over the course of four Mondays this July, CEE’s Claire Rung, commercial construction outreach specialist, teamed up with JE Dunn Construction’s BUiLD (Blacks United in Learning and Development) group and J. Benson Construction Corporation to host to the "BUiLD Your Own City" program for the kids at Hospitality House Youth Development. Claire drew on her knowledge of energy supply and energy efficiency to help the kids gain an understanding of all of the important factors that go into building design and construction. 💡🛠️ "It was incredibly refreshing to work with the kids," Rung said. "They asked the best questions and were wildly creative — I saw many future industry leaders at work." Thanks to JE Dunn for including us in this excellent program! (Photo credit: JE Dunn Construction)

Heads up: The City of Minneapolis is now offering bonus rebates on qualifying home energy efficiency improvements in partnership with CEE's lending department! 🌱💵 The new rebates can be used by homeowners in addition to the already available utility rebates, significantly reducing the cost of energy efficiency upgrades for Minneapolis homeowners. Applications from residents in Minneapolis' Green Zones will be prioritized. 🌳 What's a Green Zone? 🌳 A Green Zone neighborhood in Minneapolis is an area with high levels of pollution and racial, political, and economic marginalization. Minneapolis has two areas that have been deemed Green Zones: the Northside Green Zone, which includes Hawthorne, McKinley, Near North, and parts of Bottineau, Sheridan, St. Anthony West, and Marshall Terrace; and the Southside Green Zone, which includes the greater Phillips community and Cedar Riverside. If you've made energy efficiency improvements on your home in the last 60 days or plan to before the end of the year, visit CEE's Minneapolis Bonus Rebate Program page to learn more about the program and apply: https://hubs.ly/Q02KCSvP0