It’s that time of the year…The Minnesota State Fair!
I know not everyone LOVES it as much as I do. I worked there during high school and college and would go all 12 days annually if that was socially acceptable for someone that doesn’t work there. I do however, get to work there four days this year.
Daily, the Statewide Clean Energy Resource Team (CERT) will staff the lighting display at the Improve Your Home exhibit in partnership with the Division of Energy Resources Team at Department of Commerce. The Improve Your Home exhibit can be found smack dab in the middle of the Eco-Experience (People’s Choice Award Best Attraction in 2013) at the Progress Center on the corner of Cooper and on the north end of the Fair (J-9 on the State Fair map).
There are many other clean energy resources, including the Connect to the Sun solar exhibit from our friends at Minnesota Renewable Energy Society. You can also find out the solar energy potential for your home or business at the Eco-Experience. To learn more about the energy information and activities check out the recent CERTs blog.
There will also be a few electric cars including the BMWi3 and someone from the ever growing MN Plug-in Vehicle Owner’s Circle on hand to answer questions you might have. The picture above is of my family a few years ago with our Nissan Leaf. We are into our 3rd year driving it and couldn’t be happier! It has been getting even easier to charge it on the road as the public charging infrastructure in Minnesota has been expanding. If you want to ride in or drive an electric vehicle, join us on Saturday, September 12th 11am to 4pm at the Mall of America to celebrate National Drive Electric week Twin Cities. To get more information and to register for the event go to Drive Electric Minnesota and help us spread the word on social media with #DriveElecMN.
So, if you are out at the fair, come visit us. You will have a 4 in 12 chance of running into me personally! I can answer your questions about lighting, show you some energy efficient applicances or basically be your clean energy concierge!
Hope to see you at the Great Minnesota Get Together. If you are there, please stop in and say hello!
P.S. You probably can’t see it very well, but there are solar panels on our roof that we use to charge our electric car. They are barely visible next to my husband’s head.
The Great Plains Institute directs the Metro Clean Energy Resource Team (Metro CERT), that is part of a statewide partnership with a shared mission to connect individuals and their communities to the resources they need to identify and implement community-based clean energy projects.
Metro CERT serves the 11-county Twin Cities metropolitan area by empowering communities and their members to adopt energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy technologies and practices for their homes, businesses, and local institutions.
