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Help expand solar power in Minnesota.
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Our team is interviewing developers tosee how they can fit our mission – ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just Humane.
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Allliance for Sustainability - Faith Community Solar Project
We are supporting congregations to work together to save money and energy & expand renewable energy in MN with their buildings and their members.
- Start with Energy Efficiency – with your congregation’s building and members –
- Free energy analysis with Enerchange, and great programs for
- LED lighting retrofits with the Center for Energy and Environment and installation partners.
- Home Energy Squad – members saving energy at home ,
- Explore on site solar as an option – if your congregation has a larger flat roof that can host a 100kw solar system, your congregation can meet about a 1/3 of your buildings electricty needs through an on site PV solar system. Many solar developers offer a zero down lease to own option that provides cost savings on your electricty bill right away with greater savings, after your system is paid for.
- Explore options for to subscribe to a Community Solar Garden to meet the rest your energy needs while receiving a 10% discount on your monthly electricity bill.
- Add a subscription Wind Power for Certified renewable energy credits (using your cost savings.)
- Our team of volunteer expertsare interviewing local solar developers and reviewing their energy cost saving offers, contracts, subscriber agreements to help congregations choose a solar developer to work with that matches their values and that offers good terms.
- Using aggregation revenue to support your mission and our mission – By signing up residential customers to participate in a Community Solar Garden, we reduce the marketing costs of our partner Solar Developers who then can offer us aggregation revenue that your congregation and the Alliance can share to help achieve our missions. For example a 2 to 3 cent per watt aggregation fee would bring in about $200 per residential customerwith potentially $100 suporting a special project in your congregation and $100 supporting the work of the Alliance for Sustainability to create ongoing networks of mutual support between congregations in your community and/or denomination.
Alliance for Sustainability – Faith Community Solar Team - Supporting groups of congregations to pursue community solar through denominations and geographic clusters
-Sean Gosiewski, Executive Director, ,
-Terry Gips, President, Alliance for Sustainability 612-374-4765
-Rick Condon (VP Wells Fargo, Commercial Credit), Volunteer, 952-431-2309
-John Crampton 612-396-6010 Chair, Oak Grove Presbyterian Green Committee, Green Congregations Coalition, Bloomington Sustainability Coalition,
-Bill Elwood 612-867-7720 First Universalist Church leader within the Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance (MUUSJA).
Solar Developers we are currently working with
MN Community Solar–Dustin Denison, CEO Dana Hallstrom (residential) 612.345.7188mobile: 651.245.2247
Novel Energy Solutions, Cliff Caehler, CEO 507
Sun Dial Solar, Tom Reinke Director of Marketing (612)
SunShareSarah Casper (residential) 715-577-2381
Matthew Bowers (commercial)
Community Solar Resources for Faith Communities in MN
Alliance for Sustainability – Faith Community Solar
-Supporting congregations to pursue community solar through denominations geographic clusters
-Sean Gosiewski, Executive Director, ,
-Rick Condon (VP Wells Fargo), Alliance Volunteer, 952-431-2309
-John Crampton 612-396-6010 Chair, Oak Grove Presbyterian Green Committee, Green Congregations Coalition, Bloomington Sustainability Coalition,
-Bill Elwood 612-867-7720 First Universalist Church leader within the Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance (MUUSJA).
MN IPL Solar Team –
John Dunlop, Hennepin Ave UMC, MN IPL Solar Team, 612-374-2181 ,
Metro Clean Energy Resource Teams
-Here are the great resources on Solar Gardens developed by CERTS and the MN Dept of Commerce.
-A.) Subscriber Agreement Disclosure Checklist B.) Subscriber QuestionsC.) CSG Tips for Communities
MN Renewable Energy Society -
MN Solar Energy IndustryAssociation
Made in MN Incentive grants available for congregations who want to do roof top installations of less than 40kw
/ LETS help Minnesota achieve an exceed our current 25% Renewable Electricity Standard
-Subscribe to a community solar garden. You become a producer to sell more solar electricity to Xcel Energy to help us quickly meet our state’s current 1.5% solar electricity mandate.
-Sign up for Windsource electricity. Buy wind power from Xcel energy, causing Xcel to add wind turbines above beyond our 25% renewable energy standard.
-When MN goes above 50% solar and wind electricity we will begin to displace coal and natural gas electrical generation.
-Call your legislators in to protect our MN Renewable electricity standard
WIND SOURCE / COMMUNITY SOLAR GARDENs
What / Sign up to purchase wind energy from Xcel. Your money goes only to pay for wind, with no coal, natural gas, hydro or nuclear.
Xcel then retires renewable energy credits (RECS) in your name / Subscribe to a community solar garden.
Your subscription helps build part of a large solar garden. You pay a monthly subscription fee and receive monthly bill credits based on the solar production.
Why / You cause Xcel to add extra wind turbines above and beyond our current 25% renewable energy standard. Rural economic development. / You become a producer to sell more solar electricity to Xcel Energy to help meet our state’s current 1.5% solar electricity mandate.
How / Sign up on line or call Xcel
Windsource - one year commitment, automatically renews until you call them to stop.
Sign up for Windsource.* It’s a program that enables customers like you to pay a little extra each month to purchase energy from renewable resources, like wind. You’ll help support a cleaner, healthier community.
Every kilowatt-hour helps. Sign up for a little or a lot. Get started for as little as $2.16 per month, in addition to the electricity charges you would otherwise pay. Or opt to have 100% of your electricity through Windsource. All utilities in MN offer this option. / Subscribe to a Community Solar Garden
-Save as you go opportunities – contracts may offer you a 5% to 15% monthly discount on electricity.
-10 to 25 year contract (offers vary)
Choose a solar developer that fits your values and that has a good contract
-Sign up with their interest form
-They will check your energy usage. You can subscribe up to 120% of your demand.
-For pay as you go subscriptions you will need to share your credit score to qualify for financing.
-Care of the land
Xcel customers can sign up for wind source and subscribe to a community solar garden at the same time! You can purchase Windsourcerenewable energy credits(RECs)from Xcel while selling Solar RECs to Xcel as part of a Community Solar Garden. Savings on your community solar garden subscription could cover your Windsource fee!
Read more about – Green Power programs available from all MN Utilities at
Learn more about Community Solar Garden Opportunities
Alliance for Sustainability - Faith community solar project – We are supporting groups of congregations to work together to interview solar developers and choose companies to work with for on-site solar and to subscribe their buildings and members to subscribe to community solar gardens to save money and increase solar. Call Sean Gosiewski, Executive Director, 612-250-0389
MN IPL Solar Team
-Working on 2 pilot solar gardens, low income access job training so solar developers can hire diverse crews
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MN Clean Energy Resource Teams
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