Energy Efficiency

75F graciously hosted CEEM and members for a happy hour and panel discussion on “future proofing buildings.”

There are over 55,000 jobs in Minnesota’s clean energy industry. Of these jobs, nearly 75 percent are in energy efficiency. Work in Minnesota’s energy efficiency sector reduces greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and energy costs across the state. To better understand the responsibilities of an energy efficiency worker, we’ve looked at the impacts our member businesses have in this sector.

Demand for energy ebbs and flows throughout the days, weeks and year. Power companies must balance grid stability and customer satisfaction during these peak times, as electricity becomes more and more entwined with our daily lives. Programs that offer incentives to customers who decrease their energy consumption during peak times are called demand response programs.

When envisioning clean energy, visions of fields of solar panels and wind turbines likely come to mind. However, there is another sector of clean energy that is a silent powerhouse in Minnesota: energy efficiency. By making improvements to an existing structure, money can be saved, waste minimized and overall greenhouse gas emissions drastically reduced.

CEEM, along with our partners Ceres, recently hosted a members-only webinar focused on answering clean energy businesses questions about the recently passed ECO Act, or Energy Conservation and Optimization, and how it’s being implemented.

Months into the COVID-19 lockdown last year, positive headlines were few and far between. Among the limited uplifting topics to catch public attention, however, was sustainability. In December 2020, news outlets across the country wrote about data published in the journal “Earth System Science Data” that showed a 7 percent drop from fossil emission levels compared to 2019. That equates to an estimated 2.4 billion tonnes’ difference in CO2 emissions.

There are many ways one can “live the good life,” but for many, it starts with a comfortable home. Leadership of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians were looking not only for comfort when commissioning the Mino-bimaadiziwin apartment complex, but also for housing that encompasses the tribe’s heritage of sustainability and togetherness. In partnership with Loeffler Construction and Consulting, Landon Group, and Cunningham Group, CEE joined this project to bring comfort and sustainability through energy efficiency and to ensure that this building marks the beginning of a long-lasting and sustainable home for members of the Tribe.

Brian Scott is a science teacher on a mission. His goal is to increase sustainable practices in his school’s operations and support his students on their pathway to science-based careers. Following the USGBC Green Schools and IMPACT sustainability conferences, Brian wanted to introduce his students to a professional working in clean energy.

Small and medium businesses represent 90% of US businesses and consume about 20% of US energy, but they attract less than 4% of utility energy efficiency spending. That’s why CEEM joined the Twin Cities Small Business Energy Initiative to support a local solution, led by the Great Plains Institute and the Lake Street Council, based off of work happening nationwide called the Small Business Energy Initiative.