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Global Warming Solutions for Minnesota

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Author
J. Drake Hamilton
Science Policy Director, Fresh Energy

Footnotes/Endnotes

Resources:

  • Fresh Energy
    www.fresh-energy.org
  • Union of Concerned Scientists
    www.ucsusa.org/greatlakes
  • The Weather Makers: How Man is Changing the Climate and What it Means for Life on Earth, Tim Flannery, Atlantic Monthly Press 2005.
  • Playing with Fire: Climate Change in Minnesota, Fresh Energy 2001.
  • Fresh Energy, 408 St. Peter Street,
    St. Paul, MN, 651-726-7562
    www.fresh-energy.org
  • Minnesota Department of Commerce Energy Information Center
    1-800-657-3710 (MN only)
    651-296-5175
    www.commerce.state.mn.us

Getting Started with Green Building and Remodeling

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Author
Michael Anschel
Otogawa-Anschel Design + Build
Publication Date: 
November 1, 2010
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The key to successful green building lies in two things: planning and communication. One of the big challenges in green construction and design is sorting through the vast ocean of information including all of the facts, fictions, and applications. Location, climate and building type all can change the assembly of materials and methods of installation. Consider also the composition of the actual building materials, and concerns such as sustainability, safety, and durability.

Resources
On the Web!: 
Green Building Advisor: building science, forums & experts, greenbuildingadvisor.com
U.S. Green Building Council, usgbc.org
Read Up!: 
The Integrative Design Guide to Green Building:Redefining the Practice of Sustainability, by 7group, Bill Reed, and S. Rick Fedrizzi, Wiley, 2009.
Building Green in a Black and White World, by David R. Johnston, Home Builder Press, 2000.
Builders Guide to Cold Climates: Details for Design & Construction, by Joseph Lstiburek, Taunton Press, 2000.
Act Locally!: 
Minnesota GreenStar Roseville, MN 651-493-0294 mngreenstar.org
Verified Green Minneapolis, MN 612-789-7070 verifiedgreen.org

Greener Design and Remodeling

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Author
Michael Anschel
Otogawa-Anschel Design + Build
Publication Date: 
November 1, 2010
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If you are reading this article, you may already know the importance of considering our planet's resources when designing our homes. Determining the most sustainable solutions is a real challenge. Should you invest in solar panels? Should you buy the carpet with the Green label? Which design solutions have the highest impact?


In order to help you make these important decisions for your home, designers Greg Kraus, Chie Morioka, and Scott Barsness of Otogawa-Anschel Design-Build provide some helpful tips.

Resources
On the Web!: 
U.S. Green Building Council, usgbc.org
All things green building, greenbuildingadvisor.com
Materials database, pharosproject.org
Read Up!: 
Cats' Paws and Catapults:Mechanical Worlds of Nature and People, by Steven Vogel, Norton, 2000.
A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction, by Christopher Alexander, Oxford University Press, 1977.
Not So Big Remodeling: Tailoring Your Home for the Way You Really Live, by Sarah Susanka, Taunton, 2009.
Act Locally!: 
Otogawa-Anschel Design-Build Minneapolis, MN 612-789-7070 otogawa-anschel.com

Funding A$$istance for Green Building Projects


Established in 1995, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) is an ongoing project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
Here are some examples of financing programs, tax incentives, loan programs and rebates:


Financing

  • Local Option: Energy Improvement Financing Programs

Performance-Based Incentive

  • Austin Utilities: Solar Choice Program
  • Minnesota: Renewable Energy Production Incentive

Property Tax Incentive

  • Wind and Solar-Electric (PV) Systems Exemption

Sales Tax Incentive

  • Solar Energy Sales Tax Exemption
  • Wind Energy Sales Tax Exemption

State Grant Program

  • Renewable Energy Equipment Grant
  • Solar Energy Legacy Grants for Local Governments

State Loan Program

  • Agricultural Improvement Loan Program
  • Home Energy Loan Program
  • Methane Digester Loan Program
  • MHFA Rental Rehabilitation Loan Program
  • NEC Minnesota Energy Loan Program
  • Rental Energy Loan Fund
  • Sustainable Agriculture Loan Program

State Rebate Program

  • Residential Small Wind Rebate Program
  • Solar Hot Water Rebate Program
  • Solar Space Heating Rebate Program
  • Solar-Electric (PV) Rebate Program


Visit the following link for up to date information on these financing options and scroll down to Minnesota listings: dsireusa.org/incentives

A Sampling of Minnesota’s Sustainable Building History

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Author
The Weidt Group
on behalf of the USGBC-Mississippi Headwaters Chapter
Publication Date: 
November 1, 2010
1945
Andersen introduced the Pressure Seal double hung window, which uses a removable sash and pressure-seal weather-stripping to keep out wind and precipitation.
1966
The Perm-Shield System, by Andersen, made its debut. The patented, tough vinyl exterior for wood windows was low maintenance and energy efficient with insulating glass.
1972

The Do It Green! House Project THE GREEN REVOLUTION IS FINALLY HERE AND IT’S COMING TO OUR HOMES!

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Author
_
DO IT GREEN! MINNESOTA
We've all seen growth in the green building sector and have probably heard of LEED certification (The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System). There are quite a few homes being built from the ground up and shown as models or examples throughout Minnesota. Yet, what can the rest of us homeowners do to remodel and live more energy and water efficient in our existing homes?  What can homeowners, renters, landlords, and designers do to make existing homes more resource efficient on any budget?

Tips on Working with Your Landlord to Green Your Apartment

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Author
AMY PICKETT and CHAD SKALLY
Skally Management
Too often when we talk about living green, we focus on homeowners rather than renters. At Skally Management, a family-owned and -operated real estate management company in St. Paul, we're changing that concept by finding innovative ways to practice Eco-Management: sustainable, responsible real estate management designed to have a positive impact on our local environment and community.

We encourage renters to see their landlords as partners in living green. Try to start a face-to-face discussion with them, rather than using

Footnotes/Endnotes

ON THE WEB!

Xcel Energy, xcelenergy.com

Eureka Recycling,
eurekarecycling.org

Neighborhood Energy Connection, thenec.org

Installing a Residential Geothermal Heat Pump: A FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT

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Author
MARK SNYDER
Do it Green! Magazine
My journey toward geothermal climate control at my home in Minneapolis began some eight years ago, after my father installed a heat pump at his house in Andover, MN.

At the time, I'll admit I was a bit skeptical of the idea of actually being able to heat your home without burning some sort of fuel on-site such as natural gas, propane or even wood in a wood stove. This seemed especially unlikely in a climate like Minnesota's. I later visited my dad's house in the winter after his system was installed and found that it was actually quite comfortable.

Footnotes/Endnotes

ON THE WEB!

How Geothermal Systems Work,
econar.com/howitworks.htm

Minnesota Homeowner Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency,
dsireusa.org/library/includes
/maphomeowner.cfm?State=MN

Read Up!

Geothermal Heat Pumps: A Guide for Planning and Installing, by Karl Ochsner and Robin Curtis, Earthscan Publications Ltd., 2007.

Act Locally!

Living Green Expo (sponsored by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency)
St. Paul, MN
651-296-6300 or 800-657-3864
livinggreen.org

We are Living in Individual Ecosystems

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Author
ELEISE JONES
Do It Green! Magazine
A home is made up of many things: foundation, structure, function, and of greatest importance, the people within its walls. A healthy home is a beautiful thing, for it implies a clean, life-supporting environment. Your home may include a whole household, or your dwelling may be a small apartment. Either way, being responsible for a home provides us many opportunities to make world-conscious decisions about what comes in and what goes out of our space, and what happens in between.

GREEN HOMES: Standards, Certifications, and Options for You

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Author
MICHAEL ANSCHEL
Verified Green, Inc.
Owning a home can be one of the great joys and challenges of life. Understanding the myriad systems that combined to make up your home can be mind boggling even for those of us who spend our lives studying, building, renovating, and repairing them. Until recently, few were aware of the role that their home played in contributing to climate change. Homes and buildings are, in fact, the primary consumers of both energy (43%) and electricity (76%). Our lifestyle choices are having a tremendous impact on our world, and perhaps most
Footnotes/Endnotes

ON THE WEB!

Minnesota Sustainable Building Guidelines, msbg.umn.edu

MN GreenStar, mngreenstar.org

LEED for Homes, usgbc.org

Read Up!

Plan B 3.0, by Lester Brown,
W. W. Norton, 2008.

Green Home, by Wayne Grady, Diane Publishing Company, 1993.

Green Remodeling: Changing the world one room at a time, by David Johnston & Kim Masters, New Society Publishers, 2004.

Climate Change Stories

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Author
NEELY CRANE-SMITH
Center for Energy and Environment
Thousands of Minnesotans are taking real, measurable actions in their homes to lighten their carbon footprints, save money and curb global warming.
Footnotes/Endnotes

ON THE WEB!

Energy Challenge,
mnenergychallenge.org

Treehugger,
treehugger.com

Read Up!

Low Carbon Diet: A 30 Day Program to Lose 5000 Pounds, by David Gershon, Empowerment Institute, 2006.

Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings (9th ed.), by Jennifer Thorne Amann, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, 2007.

Act Locally!

Metro Clean Energy Resource Teams
Minneapolis, MN
612-278-7125
cleanenergyresourceteams.org

Minnesota Retired Engineers Technical Assistance Program (RETAP)
St. Paul, MN
612-624-1300
www.pca.state.mn.us
/oea/p2/retap.cfm

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