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MEDIA & PUBLICATIONS
RESOURCES
Our Unity Leadership Intern Hannah Berg organized some of the best local resources on green jobs, green building, solar and wind power and sustainable living.
Become a ReUse Member and gain exlusive access to monthly sales on salvaged building materials or join our photo e-list to be alerted of the highlights from the latest deconstruction jobs!
PUBLICATIONS
Metro Clean Energy Resource Team (CERT) Fact Sheet, May 2010
In 2007, the Metro CERT was created by the Minnesota Legislature to connect, support and increase the effectiveness of local efforts to implement community-scale energy efficiency and clean energy projects.
Food Service Energy Efficiency Leadership Pilot, June 2010
The Green Institute provided direct support to South Minneapolis food service businesses for one year, helping them shape and meet their energy conservation goals.
- Fact Sheet, Agatha Vaaler
Energy Conservation/Efficiency Resources and Best Practices for Small Food Sales and Service Businesses, March 2, 2010
Food sales and services businesses use roughly five times more energy than other types of businesses. With an average profit margin of 5%, managing your utility costs can have a direct impact on your bottom line.
- Fact Sheet, Jamison Gillitzer
Conservation Opportunities for Small Businesses, August 13, 2009
The Green Institute collaborated with the Lake Street Business Council on a workshop to present resources for small business owners to save on costs and make a positive environmental impact.
- Presentation, Nancy Kelly
ReUse Center Video Series, May 2010
The ReUse Center and DeConstruction programs have been featured in a suite of three short documentary-style videos. Shot in high definition, and produced by The Green Institute's very own Nate Ptacek, these videos offer a refreshing look at various aspects of program operations and our ongoing mission to keep quality building materials out of the landfill.
Videos, Nate Ptacek
What's New at ReUse and DeConstruction Services, May 2009
The ReUse/DeCon Programs are the economical and environmentally-preferable choice this building season. DeConstruction sites are yielding excellent materials from historic, cultural and new structures alike. New materials, like FSC lumber, rain barrels and granite, are also in stock in time for a busy summer.
Download PDF (4.04 MB)
Greening your Home and Lifestyle, March 30, 2010
A collaborative workshop by The Green Institute, City of Minneapolis and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity on making your more energy efficient and greening your lifestyle for Habitat home buyers, ReUse patrons and the general public.
- Presentation, Vicki Carey, City of Minneapolis
Cold Water Washing & Detergent Fact Sheet, January 15, 2009
Washing clothes in cold water is a simple, low-cost measure that conserves the money and energy otherwise spent to heat the water. This fact sheet outlines consumer concerns, market trends and studies - cited with sources - on the effectiveness of detergent in cold water washing as well as the environmental toxins found among common brands’ ingredients.
- Fact Sheet, Megan Udoeyop
Winterizing Workshop, October 22, 2009
The ReUse Center hosted its second workshop in a series dedicated to empowering the Twin Cities community with practical and affordable solutions for saving energy and conserving resources at the household level themed on winterizing to reflect the cold season approaching. The evening featured Mary Jane Heinen, Principal of Whole Builders and Seasoned ReUse Patron, and Vicki Carey, Veteran Energy Auditor and City of Minneapolis Permit Compliance Officer presented.
- Presentation, Mary Jane Heinen
- ReUse Energy Workshop 2: Winterizing Case Study...coming soon
Water Conservation Workshop Case Study, August 25, 2009
Vicki Carey (City of Minneapolis Staff and Veteran Energy Auditor) and Green Institute Staff led a workshop on simple, low-cost measures that have a big impact on conserving our natural resource water. This article explores the program and the scope of untapped opportunity for conservation in the Twin Cities.
Energy and Water Usage Calculators
Developed through funding from the D.O.E., this easy-to-use guide will help you determine the efficiency of your faucets, fixtures and refrigerators.
- Showerhead and Faucet Water Flow Calculator (June 2009)
- Refrigerator Energy Usage Calculator (June 2009)
Green Building
SummerHouse Case Study, May 8,2009
On March 23rd, 2009, Metro CERTs announced the results of the Energy Efficiency Contest over a potluck supper at SummerHouse, a senior living facility in Shoreview. One resident was able to save 25% on her monthly gas bill. They were joined by members of the Shoreview Green Community and their state representative Paul Gardner to reflect on tools and opportunities for undertaking energy efficiency measures in their apartments.
Carbon Reduction Resource Sheet, May 2009
The Green Institute developed this fact sheet with simple ways and resources to reduce your carbon footprint through home energy, diet and transportation.
Pellet Stoves – A Preliminary Investigation: Can Residential Biomass Pellet Stoves Meet a Significant Portion of Minnesota’s Heating Needs?
Pellet fuel is widely used in Europe, but much less prevalent in the United States. It appears attractive for the residential market, where high natural gas costs are increasing interest in pellet stoves. In January 2009 we completed this paper which considers two issues that are likely to impact the extent to which biomass is able to displace fossil fuels within the residential home heating market: emissions and costs of pellet stoves.
Minnesota Solar Energy Rebates and Map of Installers, April 01, 2010
- Interactive Map, Clean Energy Resource Teams
A Performance Review of an Active Solar PV System, September 14 2009 - For many years, the 34-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array on the Phillips Eco-Enterprise Center (PEEC) in South Minneapolis was the largest in the upper Midwest. In December 2004, volunteers logged an estimated 1,000 hours helping to mount 792 donated thin-film amorphous silicon panels. It became one of the many sustainable building features incorporated into the PEEC, a former LEED pilot developed more than ten years ago. For the Twin Cities' Association of Energy Engineers' September event, Green Institute Volunteer Tom Zarnke, P.E., C.E.M., C.E.A. provided a technical analysis of the performance of the building's solar PV system, and Green Institute Staff Agatha Vaaler led a building tour highlighting the sustainable design features of the building and its environmental justice legacy.
- Presentation, Tom Zarnke
- Phase 1: Retrospective of the Phillips Eco-Enterprise Center by Agatha Vaaler
Phillips Eco-Enterprise Solar PV Fact Sheet
For many years, the 34-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array on the Phillips Eco-Enterprise Center (PEEC) in South Minneapolis was the largest in the upper Midwest. In December 2004, volunteers logged an estimated 1,000 hours helping to mount 792 donated thin-film amorphous silicon panels. The solar system was one of the many sustainable building features incorporated into the PEEC, a former LEED pilot developed more than ten years ago.
Promoting Minnesota's Solar Future: The Option of a Solar Carve-Out in the Renewable Energy Standard
Download PDF (120KB)
Solar power offers much long-term potential as a renewable energy generation source. In February 2008 we completed this issue paper on one option for the state of Minnesota to develop a long-term plan for solar development in the state.
Solar Pioneers: A Case Study of the Southeast Como Neighborhood Solar Thermal Project
Download PDF (1MB)
This documents the experience of a Minneapolis neighborhood group to jumpstart solar power in their community, and contains useful information on solar hot water heaters and their potential in Minnesota.
Green Roof Fact Sheet, October 30, 2009
The 4000 square foot green roof at the Phillips Eco-Enterprise Center
(PEEC) was installed in 2004 and is seen daily by hundreds of passengers
on the Hiawatha Metro Transit Line. The green roof
consists of extensive beds of native bluff-prairie grasses that
sit among four intensive rows of succulent sedum species. This fact sheet highlights environmental benefits of this building feature, namely in stormwater management, energy and emissions management.
- PEEC Fact Sheet, Brandon Copeland
- Bibliography
Twin Cities Community Garden Sustainability Plan 2005
This plan documents the challenges facing community gardens in the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota. The McKnight Foundation was awarded funding towards implementation of its recommendations in 2005.
Start-Up Basics
This includes an overview and user’s guide in planning a sustainable community garden.
Community Garden Start-Up Guide
This package includes worksheets and step-by-step instruction to help groups get started in developing a successful community garden.
Engaging City Hall
This document draws on successful initiatives to provide steps that community gardeners can take to connect with their elected officials to gain support for community gardens.
Phillips Eco-Enterprise Center: Phase 1 Retrospective, March 2009
The Phillips Eco-Enterprise Center (PEEC) was to be a model for environmental and social justice — an incubator, research and development center, job training complex and home to progressive tenant organizations where all endeavors addressed the principle of sustainability.
This paper reflects on fifteen years to describe the founding mission of its developer the Green Institute, how the Green Institute found real life embodiment in the PEEC as well as to address how effectively the PEEC has met original goals, as well as the pressing issues of today and tomorrow.
2008 Review of Program Accomplishments, January 2009
2009 Review of Program Accomplishments, January 2010
Minnesota GreenStep Cities:
In this report to the Minnesota legislature, we propose as an expansion to the GreenStar Award a program that assists local governments in taking the next step to implement carbon
reductions and other environmental actions. The effort was initiated by CERTs partners as a voluntary program designed to identify, support and recognize implementation of a set of sustainable development best practices that lead cities beyond compliance with the State's climate change goals to encourage a culture of innovation.
Renewing Rock-Tenn: A Biomass Fuels Assessment for Rock-Tenn's St. Paul Paper Mill
We completed a study for the Rock-Tenn recycled paper mill in St. Paul, examining renewable biomass fuel options for the facility.
- Renewing Rock-Tenn:
A Biomass Fuels Assessment for
Rock-Tenn’s St. Paul Recycled Paper Mill (March 2007) - Executive Summary (March 2007)
- News release (3/30/07)
As part of our continued efforts on the feasibility project, we prepared additional reports, which further explored the most appropriate fuel source for Rock-Tenn, from environmental and economic perspectives, by exploring, for example, full life-cycle environmental assessment and government subsidies for each option.
- Subsidies for the Production of Biomass Fuels for a
Rock-Tenn Facility (July 2008) - Assessment of the Pre-Plant Environmental Impacts of a Biomass Fuels
System at Rock-Tenn (July 2008) - Preliminary Biomass Fuel Plan For a Biomass Conversion Facility at Rock-Tenn’s St. Paul Recycled Paper Mill (July 2008)
