Energy : Development News

The District 12 Community Council in St. Paul is looking to join the international Transition Town movement to “rebuild resilience and reduce CO2 emissions.”

As a starting point, the council is hosting a community meeting on Jan. 17 at the St. Anthony Park United Methodist Church, to discuss ways the community is already responding to this challenge.

Tim Wulling, a member of the council’s Environment Committee, which is heading this effort, says, “We want to pull people together to share what’s happening, to be inspired by each other.”

For those who want to learn more about the topic beforehand, the group’s energy resilience subcommittee will also be screening a movie titled “In Transition 2.0” on Jan. 9 at the Joy of the People Center and on Jan. 12 at the St. Anthony Park Branch Library.

The movie tells about what other Transition Towns around the world are doing to make a difference in this area.

It comes down to the fact that “The human species lives too large on earth, creating climate and environment disruption,” Wulling says, adding, “It’s a real concern for our children and grandchildren.”

That’s what motivated the District 12 Community Council's Environment Committee and its energy resilience subcommittee to tackle the problem.

The Transition Town movement, which originated in the U.K. a handful of years ago, emphasizes that problem solving should happen at the local level, he says. Today, the movement is at work in at least 400 communities around the world.

To help build awareness around the issues in St. Anthony Park, related movie screenings, speakers, and meetings will be planned throughout the year, he says. Later on, if the neighborhood group formally joins the Transition network, it will need to come up with a plan for reducing energy use and CO2 emissions, to be vetted by the network.

The initiative also poses big questions such as “Is there another way of living that would be better?” and “Where will we be in 20 or 30 years from now? What life do we want?”

In St. Anthony Park, “We’re fortunate here to have a community feeling,” Wulling says. “It’s a well-knit area. That’s the key. We want to build on that.”

Source: Tim Wulling, St. Anthony Park Community Council committee member
Writer: Anna Pratt

On June 2, Minneapolis’s Kingfield neighborhood is hosting a tour of several new solar projects at local businesses.

The tour includes Quality Coaches, Twin Town Guitars, and Pat’s Tap; tour participants can check out the businesses at their own pace.

TenKsolar, which developed the solar arrays, will be on hand displaying solar models at each stop. There’ll also be other activities at each site, including live music and a solar oven cooking demonstration.  
 
A $10,000 city climate change grant that the Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) received last year enabled a couple of the projects, according to Sarah Linnes-Robinson, the executive director of KFNA. Around the same time, Pat’s Tap pursued its solar installation independently, she says.
 
Through the project, she says, “Our goal was to remove barriers for small businesses to install solar.”
 
In some cases, solar installations can mean a lot of upfront costs, but in the end, “people are saving money,” she says. “We want to highlight that this is doable,” even for private homes. 

To help introduce area businesses to solar technology, the neighborhood group started out by identifying 24 possible candidates for the installations.
 
From there, the neighborhood group educated business owners, many of whom rent their buildings, about what solar projects entail. KFNA ended up paying for solar assessments at 10 of those sites. At that point, “It was their decision to proceed or not,” she says. 
 
Further down the line came energy audits for those businesses that wanted to move forward. Later on, when it got down to two businesses, both had to do a lot of roof work to prepare for the solar array. “There was a lot for the businesses to figure out,” she says. 
 
Today, “These businesses are even further invested in their community.”  
 
Linnes-Robinson is hoping that families that are thinking of turning to solar energy will join business owners on the tour.
 
 
Source: Sarah Linnes-Robinson, KFNA
Writer: Anna Pratt

Next week, a group of local energy experts will head to Nigeria for 10 days to lead solar training.

The Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES) in Minneapolis developed the “Light Up Africa” project through its two-year-old international committee. The group will make its first stop at an area hospital, where they’ll show workers how to install a 60-watt solar module lighting system, according to Fran Crotty, one of the committee’s co-chairs. 

Their exact itinerary couldn't be shared as of press time.

Committee members will also teach people to put together a solar cell-phone charger and build a soldering station and a solar panel, according to MRES information.

“Technology transfer is mainly what we do,” Crotty says.

Besides helping set up energy-efficient infrastructure, the trainings will “provide the opportunity for [Nigerians] to do a small cottage industry” if they want, she adds.

“We provide technical information that’s always linked to economic development,” she says.

For example, entrepreneurs could start a small business charging cell phones or using solar power for grinding, the MRES website states.

The group will help Nigerians figure out what to build by “listening to them and letting them shape what they want.”

“Solar projects would be helpful in many countries that have problems with unreliable electricity, unsafe lighting, deforestation and poverty,” the MRES website states.

MRES is working with a nongovernmental organization in Nigeria. A couple of committee members happen to be from Nigeria, including Harry Olupitan, who says on the MRES website that the project is a part of a lifelong dream. “My vision is to see every household in Nigeria and in all of Africa at large powered with electricity powered by solar energy,” he says.

Source: Fran Crotty, Minnesota Renewable Energy Society
Writer: Anna Pratt

Like many other schools, Normandale Community College, which serves Southwest Minneapolis and beyond, is faced with an increasing demand for technology.
 
To deal with that, and to give the school a competitive advantage, Normandale is planning a new $1.5 million data center.

This month, the design phase for the center will begin, while the school is still looking for a construction manager, according to Ed Wines, the school’s vice president of finance and operations.

The data center will go into a 20-foot by 28-foot space that's currently a classroom in the College Services Building.

It'll be a "hub housing network servers and blades that provide Internet, telephone, and other digital services for the campus," he says via email.

That's needed because the school's 400-square-foot "server room" has run its course. "It has become entirely inadequate due to the increased use of technology and a growing college enrollment over the past decade,” Wines says.  

A report from the Eden Prairie-based Parallel Technologies, Inc. states that the existing facility is over-taxed when it comes to power and cooling.

The improved data center will provide “more reliable service, an increased connected transmission speed, space for scalable growth, and space for collaboration” with affiliated institutions, he says.

In the long run, it'll also help the school save money, improve server system efficiency, and keep pace with technological advances. It puts Normandale in a position to “expand online resources, improve support for instructors, and provide a marketable resource to attract new students,” the report also states.

“Creating a more robust and reliable data center on campus provides the school with ultimate control of their environment and the ability to provide shared services to other MnSCU campuses” in its network, the report goes on to say.  

The center will open this November.

Source: Ed Wines, vice president of finance and operations, Normandale Community College
Writer: Anna Pratt

Videotect 2, the second annual video competition from Architecture Minnesota magazine, got people thinking in many different directions about sustainable transportation.
 
The 39 submissions included everything from an old-timey PSA about the benefits of walking to a Super Bowl-commercial-inspired video about getting around in the future.
 
The grand prizewinner, "SaddleBag," which won a $2,000 prize, was announced at the competition’s March 1 screening at the Walker Art Center. (Watch it below.)
 
Gaardhouse and Shelter Architecture teamed up on the video, which was tongue-in-cheek yet informative. “I hope more outfits take a cue from it,” Hudson says. “It had a great story line with lots of facts and it was easy to read and understand the diagrams.”   
  
The most popular video among viewers, which also received a $2,000 check, was “Twin Cities Trails,” by Steven Gamache, Matt Herzog, Ben Lindau, Chris Lyner, and Mike Oertel. It showed a 1980s hair band that sang about the Twin Cities’ unmatched trail system. “It spoofed Queen amazingly,” he says, adding, “It was inventive and funny.”   
 
The $500 honorable mention awards went to the “Church of Automobility,” by Michael Heller and Ryan O’Malley, “A Fistful of Asphalt,” by John Akre, “Over/Under,” by Daniel Green, and “Sustainable Transportation,” by Ryan Yang. 
 
In general, guidelines for the 30- to 120-second videos were pretty open-ended. The pieces just had to “present a point of view on transportation choices, their impact on the environment and human health, and the role that design can play in enhancing them,” according to a statement about the competition.
 
Why is the magazine doing it? “The crux of it is, trying to bring more voices and creativity into urban design debates. It can be dry stuff, but it’s so important to the quality of our lives and how we design cities,” Hudson says. Videotect is a “great way to have fun with it, to make it entertaining to get at some of these issues that we keep debating as citizens.”

That's evident in the fact that the contest drew more submissions this year, and online voting spiked by 250 percent, he says.
 
Source: Chris Hudson, editor, Architecture Minnesota
Writer: Anna Pratt

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Videotect 2: SaddleBag from Architecture Minnesota on Vimeo.

Recently, the Minneapolis Convention Center unveiled an exhibit that highlights various sustainable projects around the city, including its own.

The interactive two-sided display, which has touch screens, includes a map that features everything from the Nice Ride Minnesota bike-sharing program to the Downtown Improvement District.

The convention center itself has become more eco-focused in recent years, according to convention spokesperson Kristen Montag.

Although it has been working for years to improve its green profile, it’s now amping up its effort, with goals to reduce water consumption by 50 percent; slash energy use by 10 percent, and increase recycling by 75 percent by 2015.  

To do so, bathrooms will be retrofitted with energy-efficient systems to help conserve water, while light fixtures throughout the building will also be upgraded. Lights in rooms that aren’t being used will be kept off.

Further, the center plans to recycle 1.4 million pounds of its 1.8 million pounds of waste every year--which involves more sorting, Montag says. “When you think about how much waste the convention center recycles and what it’ll do, it changes the way it disposes of waste,” she says. “It’s about increasing recycling in a way that it hasn’t done if before.”

The center is also looking into the possibilities for managing stormwater.   

It wants to be a role model in this area throughout the city and nationally, she says.

Already, it’s reduced its energy use by 24 percent since 2008, which has amounted to $1 million in savings to taxpayers, according to Montag.

Right now, “Employees are working to figure out how to do it personally. It’ll be an on-the-ground team effort,” which brings together people from different parts of the workforce. “It’ll change the way they do their jobs and the way the building is run--and it’s something they’ll own.”  


Source: Kristen Montag, spokesperson, Minneapolis Convention Center
Writer: Anna Pratt

Central Exchange, a mixed-use development that's planned for St. Paul's Frogtown neighborhood, will help turn around a site that has long been rundown.

Historically, the neighborhood as a whole has been under-invested in when compared with other parts of the city, according to Craig Johnson, who is the project manager for developer Model Cities.

Model Cities, which is based just a block-and-a-half away from the University Avenue site, wants to be a part of its improvement, he emphasizes.

For the project, the organization has acquired four vacant commercial properties that he describes as an “eyesore on the avenue.” It has often attracted vandalism, he says.  

Johnson says that the development will provide a boost to the area. “It’ll help make the area more attractive,” as opposed to somewhere that one would merely drive through.

Two of the buildings on the properties have been torn down, while the city will soon demolish the remaining couple of structures, he says.

Model Cities may also acquire another adjacent property, for which it’s trying to secure financing.

Central Exchange will have ground-floor commercial space along with a couple of stories of housing.

Altogether, there’ll be 30 to 45 units of mixed-income housing. Depending on its final footprint, the project could cost anywhere from $9.5 million to $13 million, according to Johnson.

The commercial spaces will be “oriented towards nonprofits, educational institutions or small businesses,” with an eye on what’s “useful to the community,” he says.

Model Cities is planning to install green roofs that will allow for urban gardening and stormwater management, as well.

The complex will alternately rise up one and three stories in different areas, to help break it up, visually. “If we built this as one big building it might have a more imposing feeling,” he says.

The coming Central Corridor Light Rail Transit line helped make the development possible. As such, “We see this project as a part of something bigger that’s going to really help the community.”

Construction at the site is scheduled to finish up in the spring of 2014.

Source: Craig Johnson, project manager, Model Cities
Writer: Anna Pratt

Through a master planning process that it recently wrapped up, the Hampden Park Coop in St. Paul has identified short- and long-term remodeling priorities for the vintage building that it owns.

Coop member Paul Ormseth, an architect who is leading the process, says that several years ago the store expanded into a corner space in the building “with an eye to doing some planning about how to manage it into the future.”

Right now, the coop rents out part of the second-floor space to Oak Floor Dance Association, and there’s potential for more tenants.

“With a large space upstairs, the building can serve the community,” perhaps by accommodating public gatherings or various educational uses.

It’s something that any remodeling project should strengthen, Ormseth says.

Additionally, the building is well positioned to take advantage of traffic from the coming Central Corridor light rail transit line and right-of-way improvements planned for Raymond Avenue, he says.

In general “We want to do near-term remodeling that makes sense in a longer vision for the building,” and which will probably happen in a couple of phases.

For starters, the store needs more office and storage space.

The checkout stand could also be revamped, while the coop is also hoping to make the building more energy-efficient.  

For example, “We’re looking at bringing more daylight into the store to improve the feel of the store and reduce the need for lighting,” he says.  

Enhancing accessibility is another goal.

Whatever changes get made will be sensitive to the building's historic character. 

It goes to show, adds Ormseth, that “An old building is valuable because it can be adapted and it strengthens the community by retaining some existing historic fabric.”

At this early stage, the budget for the remodeling projects is still debatable. “The coop has been an asset for the neighborhood for a long time,” he says. “In buying the building, the coop made a commitment to improving the store, as well as keeping the existing building intact.”


Source: Paul Ormseth, Hampden Park Coop member
Writer: Anna Pratt

Lehman’s Garage, which has been a fixture in South Minneapolis since 1917, is reopening on 54th and Lyndale this week with a new, bigger facility.

Over the summer, its old building was torn down to make way for a longer and narrower 20,000-square-foot facility that’s more environmentally sound, according to project information.

During construction, work at the shop went on, with technicians repairing vehicles from the company’s five other locations.

The state-of-the-art auto body, mechanical, and glass repair shop, which has one level, includes a storefront entrance and windows that overlook the street.

Shannon Rusk, vice-president for development at Oppidan Investment Company, which led the project, explains that energy-efficiency was a top priority.

The company accomplished that with high-efficiency heating and cooling units on the rooftop, along with operable windows that can be adjusted to allow for air-flow and temperature control, she says.  

The building envelope and windows are also energy-efficient, while a rain garden behind the building helps manage stormwater, she says.

Inside its new home are such amenities as a customer lounge and wireless Internet access, state-of-the-art paint booths, employee break areas, and new garage lifts.

“It’s a huge improvement from what was there. It’s a beautiful building,” she says, adding, “It’s a nice, clean, classic design that doesn’t look like a [typical] body shop."

The paints the garage is using are water-based, which is also a green element, she says.

From the beginning, the neighborhood has been supportive of the project. When the proposal reached city officials earlier on, “We didn’t have one issue,” she says. “It’s something that the community wanted."

Source: Shannon Rusk, Oppidan Investment Company
Writer: Anna Pratt

As the latest development in a larger project to go green at the Saint Paul RiverCentre, this week an 82-kilowatt photovoltaic solar installation was shown off on its parking ramp.

The 348 solar photovoltaic panels will produce 100,000 kilowatts of energy--or enough to run about nine homes each year, according to city information.  

Anne Hunt, who works for the city, says that when it comes to energy efficiency, “I’m not sure people think of a parking ramp," adding, "This is definitely the greenest ramp in the metro area."

It complements the $2.5 million solar thermal array that went onto the RiverCentre’s rooftop earlier this year, which is considered to be the largest of its kind in the Midwest, according to city information. (See the story from The Line here.)

The two installations, which use different solar technologies, will help the RiverCentre to dramatically reduce its carbon footprint by 2012, she explains.  

Looking all over the country, “I can’t find another public building that has two different solar technologies,” she says.

Other related energy-efficiency work has recently been underway at the parking ramp as well.

For example, high-pressure sodium lights were swapped out for energy-efficient fluorescent lamps, while a couple of electric-car charging stations have also been added, she says.  

Already, the building gets power from District Energy St. Paul, which “operates the largest, most successful, biomass-fueled hot water district heating system in North America,” its website states.

As one more layer to the project, the RiverCentre complex is part of the special Energy Innovation Corridor that highlights various energy projects along the in-progress Central Corridor Light Rail line.

Funding for the $750,000 worth of energy-efficiency measures at the ramp comes partly from the federal stimulus package.  

These initiatives save money while also producing clean energy, Hunt says.


Source: Anne Hunt, spokesperson, City of St. Paul
Writer: Anna Pratt

This week, local residents will have several opportunities to weigh in on the redesign of Webber Park in North Minneapolis.

Landform, a Minneapolis-based landscape architecture firm, is leading the master-planning process with the Minneapolis park board.

As a part of an early information-gathering process, it'll host a public meeting, studio time, and open house between Sept. 29 and Oct. 1, along with an online survey.

The 22-acre Webber Park is a wooded facility that has a pond, swimming pool, wading pool, playing field, tennis and basketball courts, and a playground and recreation center, according to park board information.

Roberta Englund, who heads the nearby Folwell and Webber-Camden neighborhood groups, describes the park as a comfortable and pretty urban area that’s “an important community attribute [that] hasn’t had the attention it deserves."

A big draw at the popular park is the annual Victory Labor Day Races and Community Picnic, according to Englund.

The well known “woodchopper statue” and Webber Park Library are also on the grounds, she says. 

But the park has a number of issues that need to be addressed, including a lack of parking.

Also, the swimming pool needs to be replaced. “We don’t have enough water features here. The priority is making it considerably more accessible,” she says.     

Other issues at the site center on reforestation, tornado damage, and inadequate lighting, she adds.

Whether the library should stay put, expand, or relocate, is also up in the air.

While ideas for the park are still in an early stage, the idea of enhancing the park's connection to the nearby Shingle Creek and Mississippi River in some way has come up, she says.

Englund hopes that people will take the time to voice their opinions about how the park should be configured. “It’s a major project that has a great deal to do with the visioning of parks and [their] role in recreation in North Minneapolis neighborhoods,” she says, adding, “It’ll be a careful look at how the land is used.”

Construction will begin next summer, while the park’s grand re-opening is planned for the summer of 2013, according to park board information.

Source: Roberta Englund, leader for Folwell and Webber-Camden neighborhood groups
Writer: Anna Pratt

The 12-year-old Mississippi Market Natural Foods Cooperative store on Selby Avenue in St. Paul is due for some upgrades, according to company general manager Gail Graham.

It's about the overall maintenance of the place while also keeping pace with customer demands. "All stores need to be freshened up and it's time for that to happen to this one," she says.

As one part of the $400,000 remodeling project, new energy-efficient refrigerators are on the way. "We're improving some coolers. That won't be visible to customers but it'll help us manage the flow of goods more efficiently," she says.  

Further, the checkout stands will be rearranged to "make better use of space," with an additional express lane. Other cosmetic improvements involve a fresh coat of paint, flooring upgrades and new lighting fixtures.

The coop is also introducing a new salad bar and deli. 

Right now, the market is in the process of getting equipment bids and it hopes to begin work on the place in the fall, she says. During that time, the store will stay open. 

Separately, in the future, the coop is hoping to add another dozen parking spots to its existing 66.

Last month the coop acquired a nearby house that had long been vacant. "Our intention is to get the property rezoned to allow for business use, demolish the house and expand our parking," the website reads.

Considering that the store sees 145 employees and nearly 1,000 customers daily, expanding its parking even that much is a big deal, she says.

Graham says the coop is trying to build community support for the idea.

Although she admits that the economy is rough, she says, "That doesn't stop us from continuing to move forward and improving the buildings so we can continue to provide the level of service that customers expect and deserve," she says. 


Source: Gail Graham, general manager, Mississippi Market Natural Foods Cooperative
Writer: Anna Pratt

At an August 4 community meeting at Farview Park Recreation Center in Minneapolis, people got a chance to learn more about the RiverFirst proposal for redeveloping a 5.5-mile stretch of the Mississippi River. It starts at the Stone Arch Bridge and goes north. 

The meeting focused on benefits for the city's North and Northeast areas, which are largely cut off from the river, along with the idea of "problem-solving" parks that would be destinations, according to a prepared statement about the event.

It's part of a broadly based community engagement effort to gather feedback about the RiverFirst proposal--under the umbrella of the Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative--for re-imagining this portion of the riverfront. The TLS/KVA team of landscape architects and designers won a design competition earlier this year to bring its proposal to fruition.

RiverFirst is a multifaceted plan for revitalizing the riverfront. It includes everything from riverfront trails to a "biohaven" that would use recycled materials to form a riparian habitat for endangered species and migratory birds, according to project information.
   
Right now the design team is working to refine its proposal, studying its feasibility and gathering public input, according to project manager Mary deLaittre. On Sept. 21, the team will present its recommendations and implementation plans to the city's park board.

HR&A Advisors from New York is working closely with the design team to come up with a strategic plan "that will shape the priority projects and financing approaches," she says.  

Six youth ambassadors are also working to help spread the word about the project and collect feedback at various community events.

One idea that has been well received, deLaittre says, is for a green land bridge over I-94 to link Farview Park to the river. It's a creative solution for reconnecting this part of the city with the river and other parks and trails.

DeLaittre underscores the need for community input, for which people can fill out an online survey. All along the way, comments and images from people are being featured on the website under the heading, "River Is."

"This is a big civic project and it's imperative that people weigh in," she says.

That being said, "The level of support has been tremendous," she says, adding, "People are very interested in making sure it happens."

The project has also attracted the attention of a delegation from Seattle who are  running a civic design competition. In coming to the Twin Cities, the delegation "wanted to emulate the innovative community engagement and coalition-building," she says. 


Source: Mary deLaittre, project manager for Mississippi Riverfront Development Initiative and founder and principal of Groundwork City Building
Writer: Anna Pratt

This summer, several wind turbines have been welded to the rooftop of the building at 1010 Dale Street North in St. Paul. Soon, a fourth one will go on a separate pole in the parking lot.

The installation will be the first urban wind farm in the country, according to building owner Tony Magnotta, who also heads several companies, including Minnesota Wind Technology, which is housed in the building.

Macalester College also has a wind turbine-system, but wind as a main power source is a new phenomenon in the city, St. Paul's Monitor reports. As such, getting the proper city approvals was a challenge.

Magnotta's building will be a kind of test that will help inform more detailed city policies on the subject further down the line, the Monitor reports.

Additionally, solar panels will also make the building "totally self-sufficient," energy-wise, Magnotta says.

The wind turbines that Magnotta is using are the product of a Taiwanese company that will soon be setting up shop in St. Paul, he says. "These are the only ones that are viable in an urban environment."

In fact, they're built to withstand wind speeds of up to 134 miles per hour, the Monitor reports. They move with the wind, not against it, and they shut down when the wind becomes too powerful, the story explains.  

At $20,000 for each wind turbine and $50,000 for the solar panels, it's a big investment. But between federal government incentives and long-term energy savings, he says, it's a good deal.

And, rising utility costs coupled with growing environmental concerns mean that soon enough "we'll all have to do this," he says.


Source: Tony Magnotta, CEO, Minnesota Wind Technology, LLC  
Writer: Anna Pratt

Earlier this month, a group of transportation and policy leaders from Pittsburgh, Penn., and Columbus, Ohio, came to Minneapolis to check out its growing bicycle network as a part of a Bikes Belong Foundation workshop.

Gary Sjoquist, government affairs director for Bikes Belong, a national organization that works to increase bicycling, says that it has led similar workshops in Boulder, Colo. and Portland, Ore., "places where there've been significant changes to increase bicycling." 

The group, which is planning another get-together in New York City in the fall, also hosts international tours in cities such as Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Munster, Germany, where 40 percent of all trips are taken by bicycle.

When people attend the workshops, "they get to experience it, ride it, and philosophically understand what's going on," he says.

Often a city official will think that developing bicycling infrastructure is a low priority because participation won't be high enough. By coming to Minneapolis or another city, "they can see how bicycling has been integrated and implement what they've seen," he says.  

Those who visited Minneapolis got to see that "what it's like when there are more vehicles on a bike trail than cars on a street nearby, like on certain parts of the greenway," he says.

By the Walker Art Center, where 15th Street intersects with Hennepin Avenue South near Loring Park, the bike lane goes from the street to the sidewalk. "Cyclists can do a left turn on a busy intersection to reach the bike trail," he says. "It's unique to move the bike lane to the sidewalk. I don't think there's any other treatment like it in the U.S."    

Only blocks away, near First Avenue, the bike lane is placed between the line of parked cars and the curb. "That's a lesson from Amsterdam, to move the bike lane to where there are fewer doors opening. It makes for smoother riding for the cyclist," he explains.

Additionally, Minneapolis's bicycle network will grow by 40 percent over the next couple of years, as a related $25 million federal grant continues to be spent. "That's another thing that really struck people who came," he says. "Minneapolis is pretty good in this area, but it will get a lot better once [more] is built." 


Source: Gary Sjoquist, government affairs director, Bikes Belong
Writer: Anna Pratt

Visit Saint Paul is collaborating with the city of St. Paul on a high-tech promotion that encourages people to explore downtown landmarks where various sustainability efforts are underway.

As a part of the contest, which runs until Oct. 1 and is called "Saint Paul: Code Green," players can scan large QR codes on banners that adorn 16 sites, according to Jake Spano, a city spokesperson.

QR codes are a kind of barcode that's readable by smartphones. People can also enter the contest by using text messages and paper forms. 

After scanning the QR code, participants will be directed on their phones to a website that "will give the user a branded experience based on the location they are at," which includes links to related eco-friendly facts and initiatives, according to a prepared statement about the event. 

City Hall, Park Square Theatre, and Como Park Zoo and Conservatory are just three of the many and varied venues participating.

Spano hopes the promotion helps convey how the city has become a leader in sustainability, helping to educate people about the benefits of its green initiatives both in terms of cost and energy efficiency. 

"We want to get people to think, to create a curiosity around prominent tourist attractions and drive traffic downtown," he says.

Possible home initiatives range from retrofitting old windows to switching out fluorescent light bulbs to be more energy efficient. "These are things that people can do at home and apply to their daily life," Spano says. 

Additionally, participants have the chance to win various green prizes, including a 2011 Chevrolet Volt, an energy-efficient furnace, an Energy Star-rated washer and dryer and an electric lawn mower.

Source: Jake Spano, City of St. Paul
Writer: Anna Pratt

Last summer, St. Paul's East Side Neighborhood Development Company (ESNDC) started targeting local businesses as a part of its ongoing effort toward "Urban Greenewal."

ESNDC's sustainability coordinator, Sam Hanson, explains via email that the term refers to "re-visioning and redevelopment work that we have helped plan for the neighborhood because one of the core focuses is sustainability." 

Although sustainability has always been a priority for the group, it's moved to the top of its agenda in recent years, out of necessity. "Now that the national economic hardships have hit local residents and businesses, we know it is more important than ever to help people figure out ways to cut back on energy usage to save money," he says.

Hard data is just starting to trickle in, and ESNDC will work to quantify the impact this summer, but Hanson expects to see plenty of savings, with little up-front cost, as a result of a wide range of improvements to area businesses over the past year.

For example, as a part of a partnership with Energy Smart, Payne Avenue businesses, which ESNDC focused on for a "clustered impact," got concrete advice for how to become more energy-efficient with all kinds of do-it-yourself types of fixes.     

The Center for Energy and Environment stepped in with free lighting audits while Solarflow Energy, which assessed a handful of businesses, "determined the style of building found along Payne Ave combined with the location of the avenue itself made for great solar collection," he says.

ESNDC also has a forgivable loan program to help businesses retool for energy efficiency. In the case of Donald's store, which was already efficient, ESNDC helped pay for an engineer to visit the store and verify it met all Energy Star requirements, he says. 

"As we continue to develop programs and partnerships, there will be more and more options for community members to be active in pursuing green and sustainable practices," a situation he says is vital for a prosperous neighborhood.

 
Source: Sam Hanson, ESNDC
Writer: Anna Pratt

In planning for the future redevelopment of the St. Paul Ford plant, where cars have long been manufactured, the city is working with the company and other community stakeholders and consultants to explore various sustainable design possibilities for the site.

Ford Motor Co. will shut down the plant this fall and put the 160-acre property that overlooks the Mississippi River on the market next year, according to Merritt Clapp-Smith, a senior planner for the city's planning and economic development department.

Although there are no concrete plans yet for the site, or a developer, the city is working on the issue now because it wants to see a design that can "operate in a way that's efficient and cost-effective and better for the environment and health of residents," she says.

As such, the city is prioritizing energy efficiency, conservation practices, stormwater management, and multimodal transportation options and minimizing carbon dioxide emissions at the site, she says. 

Those priorities are partly the result of a couple reports that outline numerous green design options and stormwater management solutions that are posted online here and here.

Various city staffers and consultants presented the reports in a public meeting with the Ford Site Planning Task Force earlier this month.

An in-progress environmental assessment of the site along with a consultant study of environmental and traffic impacts related to different redevelopment scenarios will also inform any redevelopment proposals, she says.

All of this information will help the task force, which has been working on the issue since 2007, to recommend a redevelopment framework for the site to the city, she says.
     
Source: Merritt Clapp-Smith, senior planner, St. Paul Planning and Economic Development
Writer: Anna Pratt

This week the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) district is celebrating its energy strides thanks to the new 5kW solar arrays that are up and running at four local schools.

The systems were showcased this week with a rooftop tour at Pillsbury Elementary School in Northeast Minneapolis, where a solar display is highly visible, plus a demonstration of related curriculum.

Minneapolis, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. schools got solar arrays through a $1.2 million "Solar Schools" grant from several donors, according to Clyde Kane, who is the MPS assistant director of facilities and manager of design and construction.

"Solar Schools" funders include Walmart, NEED, and the Foundation for Environmental Education.  

Pillsbury, South High School, Seward Montessori, and Floyd B. Olson Middle School installed the solar arrays in November 2010, though the celebration was postponed until the weather improved, he says.

District officials chose the recipient schools based on their science focus, while also striving to represent several quadrants of the city, he says.

Besides the environmental and financial benefits, the solar arrays are a teaching tool. As a part of the program, 30 Minneapolis teachers from the participating schools were trained on the related curriculum that helps students understand how solar energy works, he says.

Through the curriculum's interactive components, students can monitor their school's energy savings and even check on its progress alongside othe  schools across the nation.

Pillsbury's data for example, is posted online, which links to other Solar Schools.

Since the beginning of the year, Pillsbury has saved $1,317 in electricity costs, according to Kane. It's also reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 4,773 pounds, the website shows.

Altogether the four MPS schools have saved $5,491 since January, he says.     

Source: Clyde Kane, assistant director of facilities and manager of design and construction, Minneapolis Public Schools
Writer: Anna Pratt
 


 

Sustainability was a priority for the Johnson Brothers Liquor Company, developers of The Lyric at Carleton Place apartments, which opened a year ago on University and Hampden avenues in St. Paul.

Recently, the Lyric received an award from the city recognizing its strides in this area. The 2011 sustainability awards went to a dozen businesses, organizations, and individuals on the cutting edge of everything from green construction to cleanup and beautification, according to city information. 

To add to that, this week the apartment building will host an event called "Hats Off to the Corridor," featuring art, music, and food to celebrate the Central Corridor light rail transit line that is planned to connect Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The 171-unit apartment building, which has a black-box-style theater, exercise room, community area, and gallery, is connected to the Carleton Place Artist Lofts. It's the first new construction project to be completed along the Central Corridor. The Lyric has also been designated part of the city's Energy Innovation Corridor, which spotlights sustainable developments along the light-rail line.

Beth Pfeifer, a spokesperson from The Cornerstone Group, one of the project's collaborators, says that in keeping with previous Johnson Brothers projects, "It's important to them to develop something that stands the test of time." 

Collaborating with the Cornerstone Group, BKV Group, Yen Chee Design, Jaeger Construction, Xcel Energy, and the Weidt Group, the Johnson Brothers found numerous ways to reduce noise and waste, improve air quality and energy efficiency, and filter stormwater, according to project materials.

To do so, it took full advantage of advanced heating and cooling systems plus Energy Star-certified appliances, native plants, and a rooftop garden, among other things.   

As a result, the building is 22 percent more energy efficient than similar developments. Pfeifer says the cost of achieving this level of energy efficiency was minimal, overall, and it'll pay for itself within a couple of years. "We hope it's an impetus for others to invest in [energy efficiency] as well."

Source: Beth Pfeifer, The Cornerstone Group
Writer: Anna Pratt

A permanent home for the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is now in sight, with construction underway and a formal groundbreaking planned for May 19.

AAN, the world's largest association of neurology professionals with 24,000 members, has been leasing a smaller St. Paul building since 1997, according to academy information.

CFO Tim Engel says the lease on its longtime home was to end in 2012. In planning for the future,the academy decided it wanted to stay put in the Twin Cities, but develop a place of its own.

Today, it's building a new $20 million headquarters near the Guthrie Theater in downtown Minneapolis's historic Mill District. 

The Mill District location is ideal, with light rail transit, hotels, restaurants, theaters, and more, all within walking distance. Those amenities are good for meetings, of which AAN hosts many, he says. 

"The state-of-the-art facility will meet operational needs," and on the flip side, "lots of neurologists will be coming into the area," which will have a positive economic impact, he says. 

The five-story, contemporary-styled building will sit on Chicago Avenue South between Washington Avenue South and Second Street South. It'll share part of the L-shaped Liner Parcel with Artspace's ArtCube housing development, which The Line wrote about here. (ArtCube will go on Washington between Chicago and Ninth.)

Among the building's standout features are a "sensory garden" that engages multiple senses, a rooftop terrace and a state-of-the-art meeting space, according to AAN information. A unique component of the project is a system of power outlets on the building's exterior that will deliver electricity to the Mill City Farmers Market, according to project materials.  

In the process, AAN plans to pursue LEED certification, a national rating system for energy-efficiency through the U.S. Green Building Council.

Its 120-person staff will relocate to the new facility, while the expanded facility anticipates academy growth by about 30 percent, according to AAN information.

Source: Tim Engel, CFO, American Academy of Neurology
Writer: Anna Pratt

In recent years, the Capella Tower in downtown Minneapolis has been working to be as green as possible.

With that in mind, Ryan Cos., a commercial real estate firm that manages the property, decided to up its game by pursuing LEED gold status through the U.S. Green Building Council, which rates the design, construction, and operation of green, energy-efficient buildings.

The process took a little over a year for the 1992-built tower, which, standing at 776 feet, is one of the tallest in the Midwest, according to company information.

It helped that the skyscraper already had a high rating through the government-supported Energy Star program, according to Ted Campbell, a senior property manager for Ryan Cos. "We felt well positioned with enhancements we'd already done," Campbell said, adding, "We had a target and we achieved it."

To visually convey its achievement, the building's decorative crown, which can be seen from afar, now gives off a green glow (it used to be white).   

And, although the certification was hard-won, Campbell says, the company felt it was the "right thing to do and the right way to operate the building."

In working towards the certification, Ryan Cos. found many ways to reduce its waste and increase energy efficiency, with upgraded mechanical, water, and lighting systems, according to company information. It also "overhauled the building's cleaning products and processes," according to company information.

By swapping out aging lavatory fixtures and installing new aerators on water faucets throughout the building, the developers achieved a 14 percent decrease in water usage during this period, or 1.3 million gallons of water--equal to $10,000 annually, according to company information. 

Becoming more sustainable is something that struck a chord with tenants, who are also encouraged to implement environmental practices in their offices. "It's a lifestyle change, a change of process, and one for the better," with better air quality, energy efficiency and dollar savings as just some of the benefits, Campbell says. 

Additionally, LEED gold status gives the tower some marketing leverage. "As we compete for tenants in a difficult market, this is one more thing for us to check off on the list of must-haves," he says. "We're in a position to compete for tenants out there." 

As proof of that, 350,000 square feet of new, expansion, or renewal leases have taken effect at the tower over the past 18 months, according to company information.


Source: Ted Campbell, senior property manager at Capella Tower through Ryan Cos.
Writer: Anna Pratt

J&J Distributing, a family-owned company that delivers fresh and dried produce from its warehouse on St. Paul's North End, is trying to grow in a sustainable way.

The company is in the middle of an $8.5 million expansion that involves energy-efficiency improvements; expanding its produce-cutting room, and building a greenhouse. All in all, it's adding 20,000 square feet to its existing 100,000-square-foot warehouse, according to project materials.  

Recently the company was recognized for its strides in the energy-efficiency and conservation area, with a 2011 Sustainable Saint Paul Award, through the city. The federal Department of Energy released a video this month about the company's green jobs creation.

Jim Hannigan, the company's president and CEO, says J&J made a commitment to going green in 2008. "Creating a negative carbon footprint is beneficial to the company and community," he says, adding that the energy-efficiency upgrades will help it reduce its energy consumption by about 40 percent every year.  

Considering that the agriculture business, in general, is an "energy hog," the company tries to be mindful of its fuel consumption. "Everything we touch has to do with energy in some manner," he says.

The J&J multiple-part project is one of the first to progress under the Rebuild St. Paul umbrella, which combines bonding, city, state, and federal funds, and private partnerships, "to get projects off the pages of planning books and into the ground," according to city information.  

A loan from the Saint Paul Port Authority's Trillion BTU program, which is geared toward energy efficiency, along with Xcel Energy rebates, enabled the company to change out its whole refrigeration system, according to project information on the city's website. J&J replaced 44 rooftop refrigeration units with three climate systems, city materials state.

It also revamped its lighting system, installing a combination of Light Emitting Diode (LED) and fluorescent fixtures, while it will also have a white roof that reflects heat, according to Dave Gontarek, a project manager for the city's planning and economic development division.  

Waste energy from a new, more energy-efficient chiller will heat the greenhouse and office spaces, Gontarek says. The greenhouse will yield 220,000 pounds of tomatoes and other produce each year, according to city information.  

Sources: Jim Hannigan, president and CEO, J&J Distributing and Dave Gontarek, a project manager for the city of St. Paul's planning and economic development division
Writer: Anna Pratt

Sustainability, community, and technology are a few of the key words to describe the $5.2 million renovation of the Hennepin County Library-Northeast at 22nd and Central avenues northeast.

Nearly 300 people showed up for the library's grand re-opening on April 2, according to Lois Lenroot-Ernt, a spokesperson from the library capital division.

The library's collection of books, CDs, and DVDs has been "refreshed," while the physical space has been modernized, with some features that pay homage to its roots, she says.

It's one of a number of libraries that are being improved throughout the county system.

A big part of the Northeast library's major renovation involved revamping the 1973 bricks-and-mortar building, she says. But a portion of the building was removed to make way for a 2,400-square-foot addition, for 16,900 square feet altogether, according to library information.

Sustainability was an underlying theme for many aspects of the project. For example, the addition's exterior is covered with long-lasting zinc panels. The material "naturally maintains a protective patina and will self-repair imperfections and scratches over time," a prepared statement reads. A new stormwater management system on the building's roof also helps out  environmentally, while the lot has been landscaped with native plants.

Inside, the building has automated daylighting controls, while windows and mechanical systems have been replaced to be more energy efficient, according to library information. 

Lenroot-Ernt says community gathering spaces were a priority. As such, the renovated library has more spaces for reading, studying, and meeting, equipped for laptops and wifi access. Twenty-four computers have been added.  

She says the children and teen section allows for better browsing, with books available in bins, and there are some interactive components. Additionally, customer service points have been streamlined, she says.

Other aspects of the project incorporate details from the building's history. For starters, the wooden plank ceiling was kept, and was extended into the addition.

Near one entrance a cleaned-up concrete medallion, a library artifact, is displayed along with a pen and ink drawing of the original Carnegie library building; historic photos line the walls. Among Lenroot-Ernt's favorite additions are the occasional tables that a local woodworker crafted from an aging oak tree that had to be removed during construction.

All in all, the library's profile has been raised, she says, adding, "People can see it from Central Avenue and I think it's going to be a great asset for community members."

Source: Lois Lenroot-Ernt, spokesperson for capital division of Hennepin County Library
Writer: Anna Pratt

When the $15 million Hiawatha public works facility at 26th Street and Hiawatha Avenue South in Minneapolis was in preliminary stages, the city decided to make it a model for LEED construction.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. 

The building, which opened its doors in June 2010, recently achieved that goal--becoming the state's first local government building to achieve LEED Platinum status, according to city staffer Paul Miller. 

It's the highest level of sustainable construction through the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED certification program. The Hiawatha facility is also the first public works building in the country to get such a high score for going green, according to RSP Architects, which worked on the project. 

The Hiawatha facility houses construction and maintenance operations dealing with paving, sewers, streets, bridges, and sidewalks and the engineering laboratory, according to Miller.

The site has two buildings, including the 1914-built Hiawatha facility, down from 18 original structures, according to Miller.

A handful of years ago the City Council singled out the Hiawatha project to go for LEED Gold status--to make a statement, he says. "We established that bar before we really even got into the design."  

The building ended up getting Platinum status, which is a step above Gold. Achieving it involved "a lot of good pre-planning and a good architect who shared the same goal," along with a LEED experienced contractor, he says. "Those things came together and we got a lot more points than we ever thought possible." 

Additionally, the LEED status came at no additional expense, while the building will now be 60 percent more efficient than it would've been otherwise, he says. "That's a huge savings in lifetime [building] costs for the city."   

Among the energy-efficient measures in place: the building's heating and cooling happens through a geothermal pump. Lighting controls, the stormwater management system, and a smaller building footprint also help. But a big part of the certification has to do with how much of the building's old materials were recycled, he says. 

Concrete rubble was crushed for use as gravel base, while timber was salvaged and reused for window and door framing. Much of the metal was repurposed, while the fencing surrounding the site comes from the metal decking of the old Lowry Avenue Bridge. "None of what was existing there before left the site," he says, adding, "Obviously the city is very proud of it."  

Source: Paul Miller, city of Minneapolis
Writer: Anna Pratt

A massive $2.5 million solar thermal array on the Saint Paul RiverCentre's rooftop is a striking sight, even from blocks away.

The nearly 1,000 kW system, which spreads across more than half a football field-sized area--the largest installation of its kind in the Midwest--was unveiled on March 18, according to Anne Hunt, who works in Mayor Chris Coleman's office.

It's a product of a partnership between the center, city and District Energy, which supplies energy to 80 percent of downtown buildings, she says.

The federal "Solar America Communities" program provided $1 million for the display, and District Energy, which led the initiative, matched it, according to a prepared statement.

The array, which helps form a renewable energy district in St. Paul, will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 900,000 pounds annually, according to project information.

The way it works is "District Energy's high-performing collectors generate hot water to be used for space heating and domestic hot water in the Saint Paul RiverCentre," while the surplus will get funneled throughout the network, a prepared statement reads.

The installation will work in conjunction with a 183 MW District Energy system that gets energy from a biomass-fueled combined heat and power plant, it states.     

Jim Ibister, who serves as the RiverCentre's general manager and vice president of facility administration for the Minnesota Wild, says, "It's a good symbol of our commitment to sustainability," which he emphasizes is something that clients and patrons are seeking.

"We knew it would be a benefit to the city and as a model across the country, with market transferability," he says. "It's in line with our goal to reduce our carbon footprint."  

The project is one of 10 solar projects that will run along the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit line, thanks in part to the $1.5 million the city received in federal stimulus funds from the Minnesota Office of Energy Security.

Congresswoman Betty McCollum, who attended the unveiling, says in a prepared statement, "By pioneering the use of solar technology for thermal energy purposes, District Energy St. Paul provides a more efficient model that keeps more of our energy dollars in the local economy while relying on renewable resources."  


Source: Jim Ibister, vice president of facility administration for the Minnesota Wild and general manager of Saint Paul RiverCentre, Anne Hunt, St. Paul Mayor's office 
Writer: Anna Pratt

Last weekend a couple of local sports teams opted for wind energy to power their games on Feb. 19 and 20 at downtown St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center.

The Minnesota Swarm and Minnesota Wild are the first to take advantage of Xcel's Windsource Events program at the arena, according to Jim Ibister, vice president of facility administration for the Minnesota Wild and general manager of Saint Paul RiverCentre.

Windsource, which both venues began offering last fall, delivers energy from 20 wind farms across the state, making it one of the largest programs of its kind nationwide, according to Xcel information.

The program helps groups join its efforts for sustainability. "It's something that people are willing to pay more for," though it's surprisingly affordable, he says.

"Windsource is delivered to the [energy] grid," he says. "It's very simple for the client," which "makes it an easy choice to make."

More and more businesses are seeking out such programs at rental venues. "We're finding more and more people are making choices based on sustainability efforts," he says. "It's a way to have a greener event."  

Windsource is one of several sustainability initiatives underway at the multiple-building campus. The centers jointly have a plan to increase energy efficiency by 20 percent and shrink its carbon footprint by 80 percent within three years.

In the fall of 2009, the centers initiated a plan to dramatically reduce waste, which Ibister describes as its "most public and most interactive" initiative.      

More recently, the RiverCentre started installing a large solar thermal array on its rooftop as yet another way to reduce its carbon footprint.  

It's trying to get the programs to be part of the culture and language at the venues, with as much involvement from workers and visitors as possible early on. "[If] you make it difficult to fail" it can lead to bigger steps, Ibister says.  

Source: Jim Ibister, vice president for facilities administration for the Minnesota Wild
Writer: Anna Pratt  

As a part of an initiative this month at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities called Conservation Madness, eight residence halls will compete against one another to see who can save the most on energy and waste. 

Some students even camped out on Monday, Feb. 7, in front of the school's Coffman Union building to make a point of going "off the electrical grid." 

The contest is a joint effort of the facilities management and residential life housing departments plus several student groups, according to Jim Green, who is the assistant director for energy management at the university.

Whichever residence hall scores the most points earns a college basketball national championship party in April, according to contest information. 

In some ways the contest mirrors an earlier city-led neighborhood-by-neighborhood competition, he says. 

While the effort will help the university cut costs, "The real payoff is the awareness of the things that people can do to save energy on campus and elsewhere," says Green.

One student who is helping to organize the activities is Chelsey Shoup, a sophomore who lives in Comstock Hall on the East Bank.

She's majoring in biomedical engineering and minoring in management. In her spare time, she's active with a couple of clubs on campus, the Active Energy Club and the Energy Efficiency Student Alliance (which is a coalition involving the school's Active Energy Club, Minnesota Public Research Interest Group, Eco Watch, and Green Biz).  

Echoing Green, she says the contest is a good chance to educate her peers.

By their actions and promotional activities, including approaching students on campus they're "just hoping to raise awareness of the small, everyday choices that students can make to save energy," she says, adding, "small changes to their lifestyle that will make a big difference."

Source: Jim Green, assistant director for energy management at the University of Minnesota, Chelsey Shoup, University of Minnesota and its Active Energy Club and Energy Efficiency Student Alliance
Writer: Anna Pratt

In the coming months, 600 Ramsey County employees will relocate from the Government Center West building on Kellogg Boulevard in St. Paul to downtown's Metro Square.

Jolly Mangine, the director of property management for Ramsey County, says the county wanted to move away from the riverfront. "We believe there's a higher and better use for riverfront development," he says.  

Plus, the Government Center West building, which dates back to 1895, is "old and in need of repair," he says. "It was time to vacate and get it up for development."  

The county began work on the $19 million project, which includes the cost of purchasing Metro Square, in January.

Metro Square's renovation will unfold in several phases. For one thing, its vertical transportation systems, including elevators and escalators, need to be upgraded.

The plan also calls for "tenant improvements," dealing with the carpet, walls, ceilings and mechanical systems.

The work will be staggered, allowing for workers to move in on one floor while construction somewhere else in the building continues, he explains.    

State workers who were already based in the 400,000-square-foot Metro Square building will remain. They'll take up about 120,000 square feet while the county plans to use 190,000 square feet, according to Mangine.

In this kind of joint governmental building, housing both county and state departments, "there's quite a bit of synergy," he says.  

Mangine stressed the environmental benefits.

Metro Square, which was formerly a department store, allows for the county to use less space, "which lends to lots of efficiency," he says.

Having the opportunity to redesign the space is a huge plus. "We're able to reduce our inefficiency by 15 to 20 percent," he says.   

Heating and ventilation systems will be state-of-the-art for air quality and energy conservation. Newer systems in general, he says, are more efficient, easier to track and manage, and lead to better air quality, he says, adding that all in all, the building will "be quite green."

                                                                                                            
Source: Jolly Mangine, director for Property Management for Ramsey County  
Writer: Anna Pratt

Bloomington-based United Properties has a $40 million plan to turn the historic Ford Center in the Warehouse District downtown Minneapolis into an exemplar of sustainability.   

The 1913 building, once a vertical assembly plant for the Ford Motor Company, "will be the crown jewel of the Warehouse District, setting the new standard for renovated historic office properties in the Twin Cities," a prepared statement reads.

Bill Katter, senior vice president with United Properties, says the company's goal is to go for "silver" status through the LEED certification program, which is a high mark from the national standard for green building.   

It helps that the building is so close to the light rail transit line with several more trains to come, he says.

The group is planning to install high-efficiency mechanical systems and implement water conservation strategies, while taking advantage of regional materials, according to Katter. Its windowline, the building's "most significant and distinguishing characteristic," according to the prepared statement, will be restored and not sent to landfill, he says.  
Additionally, the 5th Street entrance will be reminiscent of the original, while the lower level will have 25 parking spaces plus a fitness center, Finance and Commerce reports.  

HGA Architects, which will do the design work on the project, is moving from a building a few blocks away into the Ford Center, where it will take up about 80,000 square feet of the 270,000 square feet total.

Jason Sandquist, a brokerage associate at Adam Commercial who writes about the Minneapolis real estate market on the group's blog, Positive Absorption, makes the point that the building's renovation can be seen as "one of the first economic impacts that the new Twins ballpark has brought to the area," following several years of a slowdown in development.

Source: Bill Katter, United Properties
Writer: Anna Pratt

The Soap Factory is one of the largest galleries nationwide that focuses on emerging talent, according to its executive director Ben Heywood.

But the historic wood and brick building which houses the edgy gallery, a one-time soap factory, is on the decline. 

The 48,000 square foot warehouse in Southeast Minneapolis, which dates back to the 1890s, has no heat or air conditioning, and on top of that, no insulation. As a result, "It's not a stable structure," Heywood says.   

To stop the effects of aging, the Soap Factory, which has made many other building improvements since it moved into the space in 1995, is preparing for a more ambitious rehab. Getting an efficient heating system in place, Heywood explains, is key. "We want to own this building into perpetuity."   

And finding green solutions to these issues, he says, is of strong interest. The gallery is looking into a passive air conditioning system, which would siphon cool air from the basement into the rest of the building during the warmer months, plus the possibility of a green roof, geothermal heating, and solar energy options.

Although going down any of those paths would require a big upfront investment, "the lifetime costs tend to be less," says Heywood.    

Ultimately, the rehab would preserve the look of the building,he says, adding, "The rawness is what works for our art projects."  

This year the gallery received a $46,800 grant from the State of Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund that the Minnesota Historical Society administered, to help get going with a structural review and heating survey, which are underway from MacDonald & Mack Architects and Dunham Associates.   

When those pieces come out next year, they'll inform a larger design plan for the building. Afterward, the gallery will take on a full-fledged capital campaign for the estimated $3.5 million project, Heywood says.

For now, "We're starting to assemble what we need to make strong pitches" to public and private groups, he says.
 
Source: Ben Heywood, executive director, Soap Factory
Writer: Anna Pratt

Construction of the leading solar thermal energy project in the Midwest, the scale of which is comparable to two-thirds the size of a football field, recently began at the downtown Saint Paul RiverCentre.

On the convention center's 30,000-square-foot rooftop will soon be 144 commercial-grade solar thermal panels, which run 8 feet by 20 feet individually, according to project materials.   

The $2.1 million rooftop array will kick out 1 megawatt of energy and decrease carbon-dioxide emissions by 900,000 pounds yearly, materials state.    

District Energy St. Paul, which operates a biomass-fueled hot water district heating system and a combined heat and power plant and supplies the convention center's energy, will run it.

Solar thermal energy derives from heating water, explains District Energy project manager Nina Axelson. "It's a very efficient and effective way to use energy," which, she adds, outperforms solar electric power. 

Additionally, the RiverCentre's system stands out for its "fuel flexibility," Axelson says.

Extra energy will be shared with the rest of the District Energy system, which includes 80 percent of city buildings, through a grid of heating pipes. Even though similar scenarios are common in Europe, she says, "We never found any other systems like this in the U.S."

As a heating company that has a goal to eventually become 100 percent renewable, Axelson says, "It's a critical part of what we're trying to do here."

The system will be up and running sometime in January thanks to a $1 million stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which District Energy matched. It's the first project that will reach completion as part of a broader DOE initiative called "Solar America Cities," which includes 26 cities--Minneapolis among them--that are tackling various solar energy technologies.    
 

Source: Nina Axelson, project manager, St. Paul District Energy  
Writer: Anna Pratt

One of the Eastside Food Coop's objectives is to minimize its environmental impact.  

Early on, though, the food coop, opened in Northeast Minneapolis in 2003, had accrued a lot of debt, according to its general manager, Amy Fields.

While the coop wanted to invest in energy-saving infrastructure, its bills made it difficult to go there.

But it wasn't long before the coop, which is housed in an old, largely cement building in the Audubon neighborhood, underwent an eye-opening analysis of its energy use. The study showed there was plenty of room for improvement.

It pushed the coop to get creative to reduce its carbon footprint and increase efficiency. After doing some digging to find energy-saving solutions, architect Brandon Sigrist, who is a coop member, along with the local Sundial Solar Consultants, proposed a solar photovoltaic array--which converts solar radiation into electrical energy--for the coop's 12,000 square foot rooftop, Fields says.

A combination of Xcel Energy rebates, including one for Minnesota-made solar products, plus a U.S. Treasury Green Energy grant, helped make the $167,000 project doable.

The coop was able to get a cutting-edge photovoltaic solar panel array from the Bloomington-based company, TenK Solar, which specializes in the contraptions. Six rows of 18 panels with reflectors, all on tracks, will put out about 28,000 kilowatt hours a year, which accounts for between five and 10 percent of the store's electrical costs.

The system is 50 percent more productive than traditional photovoltaic systems because the inverted-V-shaped panels can handle direct sunlight. It's effective even on overcast days, Fields adds.

It'll save the coop several thousand dollars annually and decrease its carbon emissions by 20 tons a year. Over the next five years, the system, which will soon be running, will pay for itself, says Fields.  

"Part of what excites me," he adds, "is that now 3,200 [coop members] in Northeast Minneapolis own a piece of solar. Hopefully it'll open us up to more alternative energy from all of us."


Source: Amy Fields, general manager at Eastside Food Coop
Writer: Anna Pratt

Minneapolis will soon be a "beta" tester for a federal Energy Score program, along with nine other U.S. cities.

The energy-saving program, which Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu presented last week, is comparable to the well-known Energy STAR label for appliances, program materials state.

In Minneapolis, the program begins with an educational workshop that gives homeowners the chance to sign up for a home visit from a two-person team of experts, according to Carl Nelson, the program and policy manager of the local nonprofit Center for Energy and Environment, which administers a related Community Energy Services program in Minneapolis.

For $30, the experts will check out a home's energy use and offer tips for improving efficiency. A blower door test, for instance, can show how much air is escaping through open spaces, Nelson explains.

Another benefit of the walk-through is "It'll give [homeowners] perspective on how they're doing in terms of other homes per square foot," he says.  

Beyond that initial inspection, homeowners will get periodic progress reports that are based on their energy bills. By installing recommended items such as fluorescent light bulbs, programmable thermostats and low-flow showerheads, or tackling retrofit projects, people can improve their marks and save money.

"Staff can help figure out how to finance it as well," he says, referencing various rebates and credits that are out there. "People can come to us and say 'what can we get?' and we can hook them up," he says.

Nelson hopes the program, which will be rolled out neighborhood by neighborhood starting with about 300 homes, will transform the market for energy-efficient upgrades.

"There's a lot of potential for something like this," he says, adding, "We want to try to make it as easy as possible for people to save energy in ways that are cost-effective."   

Source: Carl Nelson, program and policy manager for the Center for Energy and Environment
Writer: Anna Pratt

A system of tunnels that at one time provided the the Pillsbury "A" Mill with all the power it needed, thanks to the Mississippi River's 50-foot drop at nearby St. Anthony Falls, may soon serve as an energy center once again.

A Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage grant is paying for a new study to determine if the tunnels below what was once the world's biggest flour mill can once again harness hydropower in one form or another, or perhaps be a staging area for tapping into the earth's moderating temperatures for geothermal heating and cooling.

Energy created would be used not only for the 1881 "A" Mill once it is redeveloped, but for a massive proposed complex of new and renovated buildings across a three-block stretch of the Minneapolis riverfront.

The tunnels were part of the greatest direct-drive waterpower complex ever built but fell into disuse with the advent of hydroelectric power generation and the slow exodus of grain milling to cities such as Buffalo, N.Y.

"Given their age, they are in remarkably good condition," says Kathryn Klatt of development firm Schafer Richardson.  The tunnels, or millraces, brought water from above the falls into the "A" Mill via headraces, let it fall down vertical tunnels called drop shafts, then delivered it back to the river by way of two tailraces. Those enormous openings can still be seen at the base of the riverbank in Father Hennepin Bluffs Park.

The $7,000 scoping study for the tunnels complements a $30,000 separate study into the feasibility of engineering for such a project that's already underway.

Source: Kathryn Klatt, Schafer Richardson
Writer: Chris Steller