Energy.gov

Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency ([http://www.smmpa.com SMMPA]) is a joint-action agency which generates and sells reliable electricity at wholesale to its eighteen non-profit, municipally-owned member utilities, and develops innovative products and services to help them deliver value to customers. With help from SMMPA, Redwood Falls Public Utilities provides incentives for its commercial and industrial customers to improve the energy efficiency of facilities.

Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency ([http://www.smmpa.com SMMPA]) is a joint-action agency which generates and sells reliable electricity at wholesale to its eighteen non-profit, municipally-owned member utilities, and develops innovative products and services to help them deliver value to customers. With help from SMMPA, Redwood Falls Public Utilities provides incentives for residential and commercial customers to improve the energy efficiency of homes.

Minnesota Energy Resources offers the Home Energy Excellence Program to encourage builders to build energy efficient homes. As part of the program, Minnesota Energy Resources will review the home blueprints and make recommendations prior to construction; perform up to three on-site inspections with more recommendations and improvements during construction; and upon completion of the home, provide a rebate if all requirements were met. For specific program requirements, interested customers should call 866-872-0052

Minnesota Energy Resources is now offering rebates for non-profits servicing low-income communities. New construction organizations can take advantage of rebates for efficient technologies if the low-income homes are served by Minnesota Energy Resources. The rebates will be issued to the non-profit that submits the application and is responsible for the project. Applications must be received within 60 days of installation, and are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Minnesota Energy Resources provides a variety of rebates to commercial, industrial, institutional and governmental entities.

The Building Operators Certification program provides scholarships for eligible customers who are certified as having successfully completed training on
building operation and maintenance. Building operators, maintenance staff, and consultants who maintain commercial facilities served by MER in Minnesota are eligible to participate.

Minnesota Power Grant Program offers grants of up to $50,000 to its commercial, industrial, and agricultural customers who use innovative technologies, improve manufacturing processes, undertake renewable electric energy projects or who need project design assistance. Eligible projects include renewable energy products, new electro-technologies that lower energy costs per unit of production in a manufacturing process, innovative technologies that are new and underutilized in the regional marketplace, and the inclusion of energy-efficient options in the design phase of a project.

Minnesota Power offers a variety of appliance, lighting, and heating and cooling system rebates to its residential customers to help make homes more energy efficient. Rebates are available for Energy Star clothes washers, refrigerators, CFLs, and lighting fixtures; energy efficient furnaces and heat pumps (air-source and geothermal); and the recycling of old (but still functioning) refrigerators and/or freezers. Rebates are only available to residential customers of Minnesota Power and participating utilities.

Through Minnesota Power's Triple E New Construction Program, homeowners and builders can qualify for special incentive rebates by meeting specific energy standards on new home construction. These standards cover thermal integrity (insulation, windows and doors, exterior wind barriers), airtight construction, moisture control, appliances, lighting, ventilation, and heating system performance for air and water. State-licensed builders or owner-builders whose homes meet all of the thermal and performance standards are eligible for a $2,000 rebate.

Minnesota Power offers a rebate of $1,000 per kilowatt (kW) DC for grid-connected solar-electric (PV) systems, with a maximum award of $20,000 per customer or 60% installed costs per customer. This program, which began in 2004, is available to the utility's residential, commercial and industrial customers that receive retail electric service, subject to availability of funding. Originally, Minnesota Power's rebate for PV systems could be combined with the Minnesota Office of Energy Security's Solar-Electric (PV) Rebate Program; however, the state program is no longer available.

Minnesota Power offers a 25% rebate for qualifying solar thermal water heating systems. The maximum award for single-family customers is $2,000 per customer; $4,000 for 2-3 family unit buildings; $10,000 for buildings with 4 or more family units; and $25,000 for businesses. This program is available to the utility's residential, commercial, and industrial customers that receive retail electric service, subject to availability of funding.



The following conditions apply to Minnesota Power's Solar Thermal Water Heater Rebate Program: