1. Central CERT Tours Royalton
Wednesday, July 16th 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Royalton City Hall Council Chambers: 12 N. Birch Street
Agenda
10:00 Introductions- Lissa Pawlisch, CERTs
10:05 Community-scale energy efficiency measures
Sarah Hayden Shaw, Central CERT
10:15 Overview of installation at Holy Trinity Church church-Chris Froelke, Retro Green Energy
10:20 Showcase of Royalton and its Clean Energy Accomplishments
Andrea Lauer, Mayor of Royalton
11:05 Youth Energy Summit (YES!) team speaks
11:25 Drive to oil recycling
11:35 YES! presents oil recycling project
11:45 Drive to Popps’ farm
11:50 Tour of Popps’ farm solar and wind installations- Doug and Jane Popp
12:30 Adjourn
Meet for lunch at Dairy Queen (Bring a little spending money!)

2. Who are the ?
Sarah Hayden
Central Region Coordinator
(218) 760 6837

3. CERTs Mission
Connecting you and your community
with the resources you need to identify
and implement community-scale energy
efficiency and renewable energy projects
http://GetSolar.MnCERTs.org

4. What do we do?
• Host meetings, workshops, networking sessions
• Write case studies, project planning guides and
people profiles
• Connect people to technical resources and
assistance
• Provide seed grant funding & connections to
funding opportunities
• Help organizing your community
• www.mncerts.org
• Spur other statewide programs
http://GetSolar.MnCERTs.org

5. How We Work: Our Teams
Steering Committees:
One per region; governing body
for regional team.
Regional Teams:
Anyone can join, anytime.
 Team members have broad range of
backgrounds, interests, skills
 Regions have unique interests based on
the energy potential in the region.
 All conduct education and outreach
around energy efficiency, renewable
energy, and how people can make a
difference in their own communities.
http://GetSolar.MnCERTs.org

6. Scales of Clean Energy Projects:
Individual
Community
Regional
National
Global (intergalactic?)

7. Why we LOVE the Community Scale
• More efficient than individual scale.
• Spread the benefit among more people.
• Projects play off of each other, and create forward
momentum, like here in Royalton.
• Creates many invested parties.
• Educational opportunities
• More accessible/ achievable than the larger scales.
• The distributed energy production of community
scale energy improves energy security
much more than large isolated regional
production.

8. Examples of Community Scale
Energy Projects
• Community- wide home efficiency campaigns or
incentives
• Public Building improvements
• Public Asset improvement (street lights, signals, etc)
• School Based initiatives
• Solar Gardens
• Publicly owned renewables (dams , turbines, solar)
• Participating in community programs like GreenSteps
Cities
…. The list goes on and on!!!!

9. GreenStep Cities –
Implement proven sustainability
Best Practices in YOUR City!

10. GreenStep Mission
Provide all Minnesota Cities – small or large –
with best practices to help them achieve their
sustainability goals through implementation of
best practices
www.MNGreenStep.org

11. What is it?
• Voluntary
• Simple Steps for Cities
• Pathway toward Sustainability
• 28 Best Practices in 5 Categories
www.MNGreenStep.org

12. GreenStep Partners
www.MNGreenStep.org

13. What’s it all about?
• Providing a “Pathway to Sustainability” that is cost-effective, pragmatic, and
achievable for all cities.
• Providing expert assistance & peer learning for local governments to achieve best
practices
• Recognize local governments for their past accomplishments and their new efforts
www.MNGreenStep.org

14. Best Practice Categories
The GreenStep City program consists of 28 best practices in 5
categories:
• Buildings & Facilities
• Transportation
• Land Use Planning
• Environmental Management
• Economic & Community Development
www.MNGreenStep.org

15. Regional Representation
www.MNGreenStep.org
Signed:
Sauk Rapids, Bemidji, Breezy Point,
Grand Rapids, Jenkins, Pine River,
Royalton, St. Cloud and now,
Nisswa and Brainerd

16. How do I get started?
o Learn about the program (like we’re doing today!)
o Go through the assessment and determine
which category you’re in
o Your City Council discusses and passes a Resolution.
o Now you are a Green Step City Participant!
o Or, just have Sarah come present at your City Council Meeting!
www.MNGreenStep.org

17. Central CERT Tours Royalton
Wednesday, July 16th 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Royalton City Hall Council Chambers: 12 N. Birch Street
Agenda
10:00 Introductions- Lissa Pawlisch, CERTs
10:05 Community-scale energy efficiency measures
Sarah Hayden Shaw, Central CERT
10:15 Overview of installation at Holy Trinity Church church-Chris Froelke, Retro Green Energy
10:20 Showcase of Royalton and its Clean Energy Accomplishments
Andrea Lauer, Mayor of Royalton
11:05 Youth Energy Summit (YES!) team speaks
11:25 Drive to oil recycling
11:35 YES! presents oil recycling project
11:45 Drive to Popps’ farm
11:50 Tour of Popps’ farm solar and wind installations- Doug and Jane Popp
12:30 Adjourn
Meet for lunch at Dairy Queen (Bring a little spending money!)

18. www.MNGreenStep.org

19. Improve the efficiency of city street lighting
and signals.
Sample Best Practices

20. Sample Best Practices
• Adopt development ordinances
or processes that protect
natural systems.

21. Sample Best Practices

22. www.MNGreenStep.org

23. Why would my City do this?
:
• Smartly promote walkable, bikeable communities and healthier, happier
citizens.
• Saves money and energy by using proven practices.
• Promote local economic activities such as local food and renewable
energy production
• Leads to healthier environments active and engaged community members
= thriving, resilient community where people
WANT to work and live!
www.MNGreenStep.org

24. Why not just implement some best
practices without participating in GSC?
4 key benefits:
• May be looked upon favorably by potential funding sources;
• Access to excellent technical resources;
• Positive publicity and public credit you would receive for
participating and achieving milestones.
www.MNGreenStep.org

25. What makes this unique?
• Soft Program
• Best practices developed by experts in their field… from MN
• Action oriented
• Gives credit for actions you’ve already taken and helps you identify new
actions
• Identified real resource people who can help you with each best
practice.
• On-line case studies give you examples of how it’s worked.
• Allows flexibility with each Best Practice
www.MNGreenStep.org

26. Sarah Hayden
Central Region Coordinator
(218) 760 6837
hayden@cleanenergyresourceteams.org

27. Questions
What questions do you have?
Where could you and your organization fit in?
Are there cities that you think would value this approach?
www.MNGreenStep.org

28. Helpful Websites
• CERTs
http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org
• DSIRE http://www.dsireusa.org
• MN DNR Solar Payback Calculator
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/aboutdnr/energys
mart/solar_payback_calculator.htm
• Clean Energy Builder
www.thecleanenergybuilder.com
• USDA REAP
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_Reap.html

29. STOP