News

A one-of-a-kind construction and research project will fill the walls of a home with hempcrete to monitor the durability and energy efficiency of the product as a residential construction material. CEE will help analyze the data collected from each home.

A new study released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) found that electric heat pumps will minimize heating costs assuming a next-decade scenario in which the electric grid and heating fuels are largely decarbonized. CEE senior research engineer Josh Quinnell points to reasons for optimism given this and other recent heat pump advances.

A public-private partnership is reporting progress on an initiative to lower the energy burden of manufactured homes in Minnesota. CEE, Xcel Energy, and CenterPoint Energy are supporting this with the Home Energy Squad's onsite work on the manufactured homes, such as weatherstripping and other quick repairs.

Despite a tight housing market and other factors that have limited the use of home energy disclosure data, in this article CEE's Isaac Smith explains how a study by Elevate Energy shows that energy investments will have big payoffs for Twin Cities homeowners in the near future.

Xcel's Partners in Energy program, managed by CEE, is helping put Minnesota cities on a path toward bigger climate plans and greater energy reduction. 

MN Department of Commerce has selected CEE to implement Minnesota's Efficient Technology Accelerator, and we'll need help to improve energy systems and access to cost-efficient energy efficiency technology.

A CEE pilot project in a two-story office in Madison, Wisconsin, has been testing the concept of how buildings in the future could communicate with utilities to reduce and shift energy use.

CEE's Air Source Heat Pump Collaborative partners with five outstate Minnesota utilities to make heat pumps mainstream by the end of the decade by offering training and other support to contractors, as well as rebate referrals and information to consumers. This article has tips for residential HVAC energy savings. 

The Kalamazoo Energy Collaborative, a partnership between Consumers Energy and the City of Kalamazoo and administered by CEE, seeks to achieve shared goals of carbon emissions reduction and energy efficiency. 

The Faribault City Council approved the Environmental Commission’s plan to set aside $650 this year to help residents pay for home energy audits provided by the Home Energy Squad, sponsored by Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy, and provided by Center for Energy and Environment.