tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40623298847341156032011-07-31T23:11:04.235-07:00This is the blog for Energy Smart, a Minnesota nonprofit that helps businesses and property owners get the resources they need to take advantage of energy-efficiency rebates and other incentives. Our help is free. Contact us at info@mnenergysmart.com or at 651-292-4652.Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.comBlogger291100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-36830838808771429142010-04-16T09:45:00.000-07:002010-04-16T09:52:40.230-07:00

Free on April 30? Come to Dinkytown and support energy efficiency! Energy Smart is hosting an event in Dinkytown on April 30 to celebrate local businesses that have committed to finding ways to save energy. In honor of Energy Efficiency Day, businesses in Dinkytown will be offering discounts and special promotions to shoppers that day, and prizes and contests will be available. The event is

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-37044219483736108412010-04-07T11:35:00.000-07:002010-04-07T11:36:22.494-07:00

Summer in Minnesota is just around the corner. Now is a good time to think about making sure your air-conditioning system is as energy-efficient as possible, so you hopefully won’t rack up big cooling bills. (Of course, the best way to rein in A/C bills is to limit its use altogether, but we’ll save that for another post.) Before summer, it’s worth doing a little maintenance to ensure your

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-52446959243806402322010-03-31T09:45:00.000-07:002010-03-31T09:46:39.744-07:00

The Twin Cities may be cold much of the year. But it's hotbed for energy-efficient buildings. A new ranking put out by the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program shows the Minneapolis-St. Paul area ranks 11th among U.S. cities with the most Energy Star-labeled buildings. The Energy Star program awards its labels to buildings and manufacturing plants that achieve a high level of

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-29611108508900588442010-03-26T07:57:00.000-07:002010-03-26T07:58:43.632-07:00

Tackled energy efficiency and now dream about putting solar panels on your business’s roof? Now may be a good opportunity to finally do it. The Minnesota Office of Energy Security yesterday announced a new program to provide rebates to small businesses that install solar electric systems. But you may want to act quickly: The rebates are available on a first-come, first-serve basis until

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-76960735916885991832010-03-24T06:28:00.000-07:002010-03-24T06:39:49.727-07:00

Many businesses are eager to make energy upgrades and reduce their operating costs. They just don’t have access to the cash needed to do it. It’s a problem lawmakers both in Minnesota and nationwide are grappling with. As energy efficiency and conservation becomes a top national priority, so is finding innovative and easy ways to finance energy improvement projects. New legislation sponsored

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-51908681425474291302010-03-19T06:13:00.000-07:002010-03-19T09:59:49.257-07:00

It’s the time of year when many people stash away winter gear and prep their businesses and homes for the warm summer months. It’s also a good opportunity to make sure a business or home is running as energy efficiently as possible. Here’s a checklist of ways to turn your spring cleaning into an energy-saving event: Redirect ceiling fans. Air conditioning often produces the highest electricity

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-45757822402873168862010-03-16T09:26:00.000-07:002010-03-16T09:26:03.395-07:00

With the April 15 tax deadline looming, you may be contemplating ways to reduce your tax bill for next year. One smart solution: Get Uncle Sam to pay you for cutting your energy use. Beyond the assortment of utility rebates, grants and low-cost loans available to businesses for energy upgrades, the federal government also offers tax incentives to businesses that substantially reduce their energy

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-14815896200959408152010-03-09T10:07:00.000-08:002010-03-09T10:07:49.470-08:00

Before you spend a lot of money upgrading equipment, make sure you’re not missing out on easy ways to save energy. Many energy-saving strategies cost little or nothing at all, require little time and can pay for themselves immediately or within a year or two. So what are the no-cost, low-cost energy-saving tactics you might not currently be doing? Here are five: 1. Unplug equipment at night or

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-14032028158550663772010-03-03T11:12:00.000-08:002010-03-03T11:12:38.420-08:00

Many people don’t take advantage of one of the quickest and cheapest (read: free!) energy-saving tactics around: Activating the power-management settings on their office or home computers. At the 2010 Energy Design Expo and Conference in Duluth last week, Scott Pigg of the Energy Center of Wisconsin presented findings of a new study he and other researchers conducted that sought energy-saving

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-20901468740985930152010-02-24T11:36:00.000-08:002010-02-24T11:36:51.759-08:00

Vending machines that chill foods and beverages can cost a business nearly $250 each per year on energy costs. A new program is helping Minnesota businesses and other organizations cut those costs in half. Minnesota’s Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs), in collaboration with Energy Smart and EnergyMisers LLC, just unveiled a new campaign aiming to place 200 VendingMiser sensors on cold-drink

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-40881807315960827862010-02-22T06:41:00.000-08:002010-02-22T06:41:29.478-08:00

You might not think of water as one of your biggest utility bills. Think again. Water usage is one of the largest utility costs some businesses such as a restaurants or health clubs incur. (It’s also a substantial cost for homeowners: The U.S. Department of Energy says that up to 25% of a home’s energy bill comes from the cost of heating water.) And remember, water usage generally gets paid for

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-886937915230029382010-02-16T06:42:00.000-08:002010-02-22T11:25:46.703-08:00

An often-perplexing step of making an energy upgrade is hiring a contractor to do the job. As many businesses and homeowners discover, contractor bids and energy-saving estimates can be worlds apart. Not to mention every contractor conducts business differently, making it challenging to compare. So how can you find a trustworthy one who has experience with energy efficiency? With the right

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-41363946196088884332010-02-10T06:17:00.000-08:002010-02-10T06:17:09.039-08:00

With many new financial incentives available for energy efficiency, now is a good time to evaluate energy-saving opportunities for your business. A helpful first step: Getting an energy audit. An energy audit is when a professional (usually a certified energy auditor) walks through a business’s facility to identify energy savings opportunities. These opportunities range from no- to low-cost

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-91988073559136369262010-02-05T09:27:00.000-08:002010-02-05T10:12:32.049-08:00

Here’s a low-cost way businesses can lower their energy bills: Get employees to chip in. Simple steps such as turning off lights when rooms are unoccupied, or turning off and unplugging office equipment such as computers, printers and copiers at night can help a business save hundreds of dollars annually on their energy bills. Yet, many employees don’t do it. The reasons vary. Some people

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-23254961980977647432010-02-01T09:22:00.000-08:002010-02-01T09:22:26.218-08:00

The planned 11-mile light-rail path connecting downtown Minneapolis with downtown St. Paul won’t just be a convenient and energy-efficient way to travel between the Twin Cities. Local leaders hope that stretch will become a role model for how U.S. cities and neighborhoods can come together to save energy. That 11 miles – which crosses the centers of both cities and the University of Minnesota

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-31135407878295281022010-01-29T07:25:00.000-08:002010-01-29T07:26:10.058-08:00

In his State of the Union address on Wednesday night, President Obama suggested that financial incentives for energy efficiency may be here to stay. Well, at least for the next few years. As part of a laundry list of ways the U.S. could reduce its energy consumption, he argued that providing rebates and other incentives to people who make concerted efforts to save energy should be a top priority

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-34521243970736535832010-01-26T10:38:00.000-08:002010-01-26T10:38:28.998-08:00

Sure, it’s not easy being green. But the payoff can be big. At a recent meeting of the U.S. Green Building Council's Minnesota Chapter, presenters quantified the financial benefits for owners and tenants of “LEED”-certified or Energy Star-labeled building. (LEED – or “Leader in Energy and Environmental Design” – is a certification by the U.S. Green Building Council awarded to buildings that meet

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-84574180739811679152010-01-22T09:34:00.000-08:002010-01-22T09:36:26.042-08:00

With the federal government putting so much emphasis on energy-efficiency, researchers, business executives and politicians are trying to solve a key problem: How do you compel consumers and businesses to actually want to save energy? It’s been widely recognized for a long time that people’s prime motivators for making environmentally friendlier choices are often personal -- saving money or

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-4363746211123321642010-01-19T13:49:00.000-08:002010-01-19T13:49:25.937-08:00

When winter gets cold, the cold get…. space heaters. Many people use electric, gas or radiant space heaters as a way to warm less-toasty areas in their home or business, such as basements, three-season porches or even office cubicles. The assumption is that space heating is more energy efficient (hence, more economical) than cranking up the furnace. But while space heaters can sometimes be a

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-73474502983764012722010-01-15T09:45:00.000-08:002010-01-15T11:22:55.041-08:00

It’s been an unusually cold winter in many parts of the U.S., and that means heating bills may be burning a hole in your bank account. How can you minimize the costs, but still stay warm? One possible solution is installing an Energy Star-qualified furnace or water heater, which may cut those heating costs by nearly 30%. (An added bonus: Utilities and state overnments are now offering rebates

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-20687388964485351862010-01-12T12:06:00.000-08:002010-01-12T12:11:13.334-08:00

If you’re a Minnesota customer of Xcel Energy, take note: The utility is handing out even bigger financial incentives for making energy-efficiency upgrades in 2010. Xcel Energy, a large electric and gas utility serving Minnesota, just rolled out greatly enhanced rebate programs for the state's residential and business customers in 2010. For many types of energy-efficiency upgrades, Xcel Energy

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-80947566819216244132010-01-08T08:32:00.000-08:002010-01-08T08:38:35.827-08:00

Office technologies – think computers, monitors, printers, external hard drives and copiers – are among the fastest-growing energy sappers at U.S. businesses, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. And that’s just a piece of their carbon footprint: What happens to all that bulky equipment after a business gets rid of it? And what about the huge data centers that

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-23832686653490329942010-01-05T07:17:00.000-08:002010-01-05T07:17:18.859-08:00

Minnesota businesses planning significant energy-efficiency or renewable-energy projects in the next two years may be eligible for some big financial help. But they must act quickly. As part of the federal-stimulus package, states received money to spend on energy-conservation projects.  Minnesota recently unveiled plans to spend $4.1 million of its stimulus funds providing grants to commercial

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-63931761704038522552009-12-30T11:28:00.000-08:002009-12-30T11:32:14.813-08:00

Think 2009 was a great year to make energy-efficiency upgrades to your home or business? 2010 may even be better. Energy prices appear to be on the upswing, meaning cutting energy use may generate even bigger savings in the months ahead. What’s more, utility companies and federal and state governments are unveiling more-lucrative financial incentives for energy-efficiency in 2010, including

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-51327683195965941852009-12-28T10:00:00.000-08:002009-12-28T10:01:53.829-08:00

If you made energy-saving upgrades to your business or home in 2009, you likely qualify for a rebate from your utility company. But don’t wait too long to find out – time may be running out to submit your application. Many utilities offer rebates to business and residential customers for upgrades made in 2009, such as installing more-efficient lighting or heating and cooling systems and other

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-80929745065994021512009-12-21T06:37:00.000-08:002009-12-21T06:37:08.538-08:00

Minnesota utility companies are facing an ambitious challenge: Under new state law, they will be required to reduce their energy retail sales by 1.5% annually starting in 2010. A policy forum held last week by the Minnesota Environmental Initiative looked at how this new state law – called the Next Generation Energy Act – will bring both great potential and some hurdles. "People are starting to

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-80053061092606414292009-12-18T08:16:00.000-08:002009-12-18T08:19:53.967-08:00

Christmas is a’ knocking, and you may need to rush to the store for some last-minute gifts. Why not make at least one of your holiday gifts eco-friendly? We found many terrific green gift guides across the Internet, which you can find here, here and here. So we thought we’d focus specifically on gifts to help people cut their energy bills in the years ahead. (And hey, they’re great for the

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-60267437387267774962009-12-16T08:56:00.000-08:002009-12-16T08:56:42.640-08:00

Most people know by now that using energy-efficient lights, such as compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), will produce dramatic energy savings. But you may not realize how much can be saved by decorating with efficient lights for the holidays. LED holiday lights – sold by most big-box retailers these days – use far less energy than the traditional incandescent holiday bulbs still widely used.

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062329884734115603.post-8513840547059581202009-12-07T14:26:00.000-08:002009-12-16T07:37:37.884-08:00

Energy Smart is moving into its second year, and getting bigger and better. In celebration, we are launching a blog with energy-saving tips and information, leading research on energy efficiency and news about energy and green initiatives across Minnesota and beyond. But before we jump in, you might wonder who we are and what we do. Here’s a quick FAQ about us: What is Energy Smart? Energy

Energy Smarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06656797859086539410noreply@blogger.com1