►
Description
MHFA
A
Thanks
for
coming
today,
everyone
I
hope
you've
enjoyed
the
home
improvement
fair,
so
my
name
is
Stacy
boot,
scam,
I,
work
at
the
Center
for
energy
and
environment,
and
my
colleague
Jim
has
Nick
we'll
be
jumping
in
at
the
end.
He's
kind
of
stationed
at
our
booth
downstairs,
but
he'll
come
and
talk
about
financing
he's
our
lending
center
manager,
so
I've
been
working
on
the
residential
program
at
sea
for
nine
years.
I
used
to
do
energy
audits
in
the
field
and
now
I
work
on
outreach
for
the
program.
A
So
today
we're
going
to
talk
about
some
home
energy
efficiency
opportunities
and
then
also
how
you
can
finance
them
if
you're
interested
in
that.
So
we,
this
is
a
nonprofit
that
we
work
for
the
Center
for
energy
and
environment.
We've
been
around
for
almost
40
years
now
working
on
energy
efficiencies.
So
we
have
programs
for
businesses,
public
buildings,
schools,
nonprofits
utilities
and
residents.
A
A
We
also
do
a
lot
of
education
such
as
this,
and
we
work
on
public
policy
at
the
legislature,
so
we
like
to
think
of
ourselves
as
being
there
for
people
every
step
of
the
way,
no
matter,
if
you're,
you
know
looking
at
just
doing
simple
behavior
change
things
like
turning
down
your
thermostat
or,
if
you're,
you
know
all
the
way
at
the
top
of
a
ladder
looking
at
renewable
energy,
we're
here
as
a
resource
to
help
you
with
any
questions
that
you
might
have.
So
what
are
some
of
the
benefits
of
energy
efficiency?
A
I
do
have
some
prizes
down
at
my
booth.
You
know
yes,
always
the
first
one
I
have
so
reducing
your
bills.
That's
definitely
one
of
the
benefits
by
making
your
home
more
efficient,
it
should
also
increase
the
comfort,
and
you
can
also
feel
good
by
redo
senior
impact
on
the
environment.
So
we've
come
up
with
a
recipe
for
an
energy
smart
home
in
our
40
years
of
working
on
energy
efficiency
in
Minnesota,
so
that
involves
people
having
good
habits
like
turning
down
the
thermostat
using
good
products,
always
looking
for
the
Energy.
A
So
I'm
going
to
talk
about
each
of
these
today,
give
you
a
few
tips:
go
over
some
opportunities
for
different
upgrades
in
each
level,
so
starting
at
the
bottom
of
the
house,
the
water
heater
is
usually
in
the
basement.
Both
for
safety
and
efficiency.
What's
recommended
is
to
have
the
temperature
set
at
120
degrees
over
low,
usually
that's
where
the
two
triangles
on
the
dial
meet,
so
just
at
the
next
notch
up,
which
would
be
a
hundred
and
thirty
degrees.
A
So,
especially
if
you
have
any
young
children
or
other
folks
in
the
house
that
might
like
to
turn
on
the
water
for
a
long
period
of
time,
just
making
sure
that
it's
at
120
or
below,
because
that's
plenty
warm
so
you
can
save
on
your
energy
and
also
be
safe
and
then
wrapping
your
water
heater
with
a
blanket,
which
is
something
that
we
offer
with
our
energy
audit
programs
for
no
cost.
This
will
help
provide
an
additional
layer
of
insulation.
A
A
It
looks
like
a
hose
tap
on
the
side
of
it,
so
you
can
either
just
put
a
bucket
under
there
or
connect
a
hose
and
run
it
to
the
drain,
and
the
idea
is
just
to
clear
this
sediment
off
the
bottom
of
the
tank
so
that
the
heating
element
isn't
having
to
heat
through.
All
of
that
sediment
to
keep
the
water
warmed
up
at
the
desired
temperature,
so
cleaning
that
sediment
out
once
or
twice
a
year.
You
only
need
to
flush
out
a
few
gallons.
A
These
just
introduce
more
air
into
the
water
flow,
so
it
saves
on
how
much
water
you're
using
and
how
much
water
you're
having
to
heat,
and
sometimes
people
think
oh
well,
it's
not
gonna
have
any
pressure,
but
often
times
the
pressure
is
better
because
it's
like,
when
you
put
your
whole
your
thumb
on
the
end
of
the
hose,
it
often
will
increase
the
pressure
which
is
nice.
So
a
lot
of
these
different
models
are
available
at
the
store.
A
I,
don't
believe
that
it
would
be
right
on
the
pet,
the
product
you
might
find
some
of
the
shower
heads
with
the
label
on
it,
but
the
air
readers
are
so
small.
They
usually
just
come
in
like
a
little
plastic
sheath
but
yeah.
That's
a
great
question.
Another
thing
you
can
do
with
water
usage
is
using
either
a
dual
flush,
toilet
or
a
low
flush
toilet.
Some
of
the
older
models
use
up
to
six
or
seven
gallons
per
flush,
which
is
really
a
lot
of
water
and
the
newer
models
they
use.
A
You
know
gallon
and
a
half
for
flushing
and
so
that's
a
great
opportunity
for
saving
as
well
appliances,
okay
about
15
percent-
here,
oh
so
how
many
people
are
already
washing
your
clothes
in
cold
water?
Alright,
that's
pretty
much
everyone,
so
this
is
great
because
up
to
90
percent
of
the
energy
used
when
you're
washing
your
clothes
would
go
to
heating
the
water,
if
you're
doing
that,
and
so
by
washing
in
cold
water,
saves
energy
and
also
helps
the
colors
of
your
clothes
last
longer.
A
So
you
know
March
buy
as
many
new
clothes
and
another
way
you
could
save
with
washing
is
by
using
these
front
load
washers.
Sometimes
they
can
save
up
to
40
gallons
per
load
just
because
of
the
technology.
That's
different,
so
that's
a
great
potential
for
saving
as
well
and
as
long
as
we're
talking
about
washers
dryers
hand
in
hand.
So
up
until
last
year
there
was
not
an
energy
star,
rated
dryer,
so
I
actually
I
think
it
was
to
2018.
A
Now
in
2016
they
came
out
with
an
energy
star,
rated
dryer,
basically
a
dryers,
a
big
oven,
so
it's
not
very
efficient,
but
they've
found
a
way
to
make
them
more
efficient.
Now,
so
you
can
get
an
Energy
Star
pair,
washer
and
dryer.
Also,
of
course,
you
know,
line
drying
would
be
the
the
most
efficient
way
of
all,
but
it's
not
always
easy
to
do
in
Minnesota,
so
lucky
yeah
based
on
that
works,
I've
seen
it
people
do.
That
too,
helps
to
add
a
little
humidity
to
the
air
which
we're
lacking
also
in
winter.
A
But
if
you
are
indeed
using
your
dryer,
we
just
like
to
make
sure
people
are
not
using
the
flexible
ductwork
in
some
cities.
This
actually
is
against
the
code.
The
flexible
ductwork
doesn't
give
the
dryer
very
good
air
flow
and
it
can
become
clogged
with
lint
very
easily.
So
what's
recommended
is
the
rigid
ductwork
and
then
you
can
use
foil
tape
to
tape
around
the
joints
there.
So
it's
really
nice
and
tight
gets
a
really
good
airflow
for
your
dryer,
so
it's
not
having
to
use
as
much
energy.
A
A
Probably
now
is
not
a
great
time
to
get
up
on
the
side
of
your
house
to
check
your
venting
of
your
dryer,
but
maybe
when
the
snow
melts
just
making
sure
that
this
is
closing
and
that
it's
not
you
know,
filled
with
lint
or
a
bird's
nest,
or
something
to
make
sure
that
that
air
flow.
It
is
as
efficient
as
possible.
A
This
lovely
refrigerator
would
look
great
in
my
house
green
refrigerator,
but
it's
clearly
from
the
1970s,
and
so
we
have
a
saying
if
your
appliance
is
old
enough
to
vote,
it's
probably
time
to
switch
it
out.
This
one's
been
voting
since
Jimmy,
Carter,
I
think
so
probably
trying
to
go
with
a
new
or
less
attractive
model.
This
same
size
model
uses
only
about
40
dollars
of
electricity
per
year,
whereas
the
older
style
probably
uses
close
to
two
hundred
dollars
of
electricity
per
year.
So
the
technology
has
just
changed
quite
a
bit.
A
So
since
the
refrigerator
is
always
running,
it's
good
to
go
with
an
efficient
model,
and
so
I
always
like
to
remind
people
to
check
the
energy
guide
because
it
rates
like
models
to
the
one
you're
looking
at
and
also
the
Energy
Star
label,
make
sure
you're
looking
for
that.
A
few
years
ago
they
came
out
with
a
most
efficient.
So
that's
like
the
top
tier
of
energy
stars.
So
the
energy
star
is
very
efficient,
but
then
they
have
like
an
upper
tier.
A
Even
of
that,
so
that's
what
the
most
efficient
label
shows
and
probably
a
lot
of
you.
If
you
live
in
Bloomington,
you
have
Xcel
Energy
as
your
electricity
provider,
so
they
have
a
refrigerator
and
freezer
freezer
recycling
program
that
runs
from
March
through
October
every
year.
So
they'll
come
and
pick
up
your
second
refrigerator,
and
they
will
give
you
I
believe
it's
either
thirty
five
or
fifty
dollars
best
of
all
I
mean
they'll
haul
it
out
of
your
basement
or
where
so
I
encourage
people
to
take
advantage
of
that.
A
And
when
you
get
your
new
fridge,
not
put
your
old
fridge
in
your
garage
or
your
basement
to
chill
the
beverages
just
go
ahead
and
recycle
that
so
you
can
get
it
off
your
electric
bill:
okay,
lighting
and
electronics
about
twenty
percent
of
our
energy
use
in
the
home.
Anyone
recognized
this
little
contraption,
Easy,
Bake,
Oven
wish
I
would
have
bought
one
at
the
church
garage
sale.
I
was
at
and
I
can't
find
one.
A
So
the
way
that
these
delightful
goods
were
cooked
was
actually
with
an
incandescent
light
bulb
and
the
reason
that
that
worked
is
because,
with
an
incandescent
light,
bulb.
Ninety
percent
of
the
energy
that
you're
paying
for
that's
that's
being
used,
is
producing
Heat,
yes,
not
light,
so
tremendously
inefficient
unless
you're
cooking,
a
miniature
cakes
and
brownies.
A
So,
thankfully,
we've
made
some
evolutions
in
the
past
decade
or
two
with
lighting
and
kind
of
the
first
wave
that
we
saw
come
along
were
the
halogen
light
bulbs.
Now
these
use
ten
to
twenty
percent
less
electricity,
but
they
don't
really
last
that
long.
So,
if
you
do
use
these,
you
find
yourself
having
to
switch
them
out
a
lot
and
they
do
get
really
hot,
so
not
the
greatest
product,
but
thankfully,
just
in
the
past
year
or
two,
there
have
been
some
really
nice
LEDs
that
have
been
designed
to
replace
even
the
small
halogens.
A
A
So
I
like
to
remind
people,
especially
here
in
Bloomington,
you
even
have
Mikey
over
you-
can
bring
them
that
all
of
these
places
will
recycle
the
compact
fluorescent
light
bulbs
for
free
I,
just
keep
mine
in
a
bin
and
I
take
them
to
Menards
when
I've
got
enough
to
bring
in
so
recycling.
Those
so
kind
of
the
first
wave
of
LED
light
bulbs
light-emitting
diodes
that
we
saw
come
along
were
far
more
specialty
uses
like
holiday
lighting,
flashlights
under
cabinet
lighting.
A
The
disco
ball,
you
maybe
just
put
away
after
your
New
Year's
celebration,
all
of
those
use,
the
LEDs,
and
just
in
the
past
few
years,
we've
seen
all
different
styles
of
traditional
residential
applications
for
light
bulbs
be
available
with
LEDs.
So
these
are
really
great
because
they
use
85
percent
less
electricity.
How
many
people
are
already
using
a
lot
of
LEDs
I
still
have
a
lot
of
CFLs
in
my
house,
but
I'm
moving
this
way.
A
So
these
are
really
great,
some
of
them
even
last
25
years,
so
especially
for
those
like
really
hard
to
reach
spots,
they're
great
to
get
them
in
there
and
we
do
install
these
unlimited
amounts
and
our
home
energy
squad
visits.
I
think
we've
even
installed
like
60
someone's
house
and
that's
all
included
in
the
fee.
So
these
are
really
really
nice
products.
I
get
a
lot
of
questions.
I
actually
just
got
one
today
from
a
girl
and
she
wanted
to
know
how
to
figure
out
how
to
get
a
bright
LED.
A
And
so
what
you
want
to
look
at
is
the
lumen
output,
so
the
most
traditionally
used
light
bulb
was
the
60
watt,
incandescent
light
bulb
and
so
that
produce
about
800
lumens.
So
if
you're
looking
for
an
LED
light
bulb,
that's
bright,
you
want
to
look
for
eight
or
nine
hundred
lumens.
If
you
want
like
a
really
bright
one
for
maybe
a
sewing
or
a
reading,
lamp
probably
go
over
1200
lumens,
because
that
will
give
you
a
really
nice
bright
light.
A
But
it's
hard
to
know
because
you
can't
measure
it
with
wattage
anymore,
for
instance,
like
this
light
bulb,
which
was
using
12
watts
of
electricity
a
few
years
ago,
that
same
light
bulb
now
that's
equivalent
to
the
60
watt.
You
only
uses
nine,
so
the
LEDs
just
keep
getting
more
and
more
efficient.
So
it's
hard
to
go
off
the
wattage.
You
also
want
to
keep
in
mind
the
Kelvin
temperature
so
that
ink
sixty
watt
incandescent
light
bulb
the
most
common
one
was
right
around
3000
in
this
Kelvin
temperature.
A
A
B
A
Yeah
so
like
1,300,
that
would
probably
be
like
a
hundred
and
twenty-one
in
incandescent
light
bulb
like
super-bright
the
lumens
yeah
good
question.
All
right:
can
you
see
these
little
beady
eyes
staring
at
you
creepy?
Here's
my
colleague
Jim
he's
not
creepy
at
all,
like
these
yeah,
not
at
all.
There's
this
form
here,
I'm
gonna
put
out
for
you
whenever
you
want
to
fill
it
out
as
long
as
you're
here,
Jim's
gonna
jump
in
and
talk
about
some
other
things
at
the
end.
So
what
is
this?
A
Maybe
your
family
room,
so
it
looks
like
nothing's
going
on
in
this
room,
but
there's
a
lot
of
energy
being
wasted
and
we
call
that
a
phantom
load
or
vampire
power,
so
anything
with
any
sort
of
lighting
display
or
soft
touch.
Keypad
remote
control.
These
things
are,
are
just
ready
to
be
turned
on
right
away.
A
We
want
to
make
energy
efficiency
easy
for
people,
because
if
it's
not
easy,
you
probably
won't
keep
doing
it
so
to
manage
the
phantom
load.
Just
have
the
good
habit
of
turning
off
that
switch
when
you
leave
the
room
and
turn
off
your
lights.
So
that's
what
we
call
a
tobe
turn
off
lights
behind
you
good
habit!
This
boy
right
here
put
up
signs
all
over
his
house
cuz
his
brothers
and
his
parents
weren't
very
good
at
turning
off
the
lights,
so
he
he
made
these
signs
to
remind
them.
A
And
then
you
can
also
turn
off.
You
can
find
these
power
management
strips
where
some
of
them
have
this
remote
control.
You
can
mount
it
on
the
walls
flip
that
off
when
you
leave
the
room
and
cut
that
phantom
load
each
one
saves
you
every
entertainment
center
that
you
put
on
one
of
these
powers
tree
savings
strips
will
save
you
about
10
to
15
dollars
a
year
and
that's
probably
how
much
something
like
this
cost.
A
These
are
a
little
bit
more,
maybe
like
30
dollars
a
year,
but
hey
one
to
two
year:
payback,
that's
pretty
good
and
you
can
feel
good
because
you're
doing
something
to
help
the
environment
and
not
waste
energy.
All
right
made
it
up
to
the
top
of
the
house
here
biggest
chunk.
How
many
people
already
have
a
programmable
thermostat
and
is
it
programmed
keep
your
hands
up?
Yeah!
That's
the
key
right
there!
A
So
programmable
thermostats
are
great.
We
like
to
say
you
can
just
set
it
and
forget
it,
so
they
can't
you
can
program
them
just
to
save,
while
you're
sleeping
well,
if
you're
gone
during
the
day
at
work
by
doing
8
degrees
for
8
hours,
with
those
two
setbacks
at
least
five
days
a
week,
will
save
you
roughly
around
a
hundred
dollars
a
year.
A
So
that's
a
decent
chunk
of
money
and
if
you're,
not
home,
though
or
you're
sleeping
the
house
doesn't
need
to
be
that
warm
and
you
can
also
do
the
saver
switch
with
Xcel
Energy,
where
you
get
the
rebate
for
participating
in
the
summer.
So
you
can
set
your
thermostat
up
in
the
summer
when
you're
gone
and
then
just
lower
it
down
before
you
get
home,
so
you're
not
dying
of
a
heat
stroke,
but
that
that's
another
great
program
to
look
at
and
that
kind
of
goes
into
the
smart
thermostat.
A
So
this
is
kind
of
the
new
wave.
Does
anyone
already
have
a
smart
thermostat
all
right?
We
just
started
installing
these
a
few
months
ago
in
our
home
energy
squad
program.
So
we
have
these
available
too.
So
these
you
can
control
with
your
phone
they're
kind
of
cool.
You
can
get.
A
lot
of
feedback
gets
a
little
leaf,
Awards
with
the
nest
one
if
you're
saving
more
energy
than
your
neighbors,
so
they're
kind
of
fun
and
then
I've
thrown
in
some
tips
just
about
good
habits
that
people
can
do
with
heating.
A
Also,
you
wouldn't
believe
how
many
houses
I
went
into
and
I
was
doing
energy
audits
where
people
didn't
know
they
had
a
furnace
filter
or
that
they
didn't
need
to
switch
it
out,
and
so
they
do
need
to
be
switched
out
at
least
once
a
year,
some
more
frequently,
but
that
just
helps
to
protect
your
furnace
and
you
know,
get
the
junk
out
of
the
air,
so
you're
not
breathing
it
in
and
I.
Just
like
to
remind
you
know.
A
A
So
there
are
a
lot
of
things
that
you
can
do
yourself
to
make
your
house
more
efficient,
caulking
around
the
windows.
You
know
putting
the
plastic
on
putting
the
gasket
seals
on
the
outlets
on
the
exterior
walls.
These
are
all
great
things
to
do,
but
ultimately,
if
you're
feeling
like
your
house,
is
really
drafty
chances,
are
that
you're
losing
a
lot
of
heat
from
the
conditioned
heated
space
of
your
house
to
the
unconditioned
attic
space.
So
anything
with
any
sort
of
anything
penetrating
from
this
heated
level
to
the
unheated
level.
Attic
hatches
chimney
stacks.
A
So
it's
hard
to
know
if
you're,
not
experiencing
ice
dams
or
having
really
dry
air
in
your
house
is
another
indication
that
your
house
might
be
losing
a
lot
of
energy.
So
if
that
warm
moist
air
gets
out
of
the
house,
it's
going
to
pull
in
that
cold,
dry,
air
and
then
you're
gonna
feel
like
you
need
to
use
a
lot
of
humidification,
which
also
use
of
electricity
that
you're
paying
for
ice
dams.
A
So
unless
you
you
can
have
plenty
of
insulation,
but
if
that
air
sealing
hasn't
been
done,
underneath
the
insulation
that
warm
air
still
gonna
rise
up
and
out
and
then
when
it
melts
it
travels
down
and
freezes
over
the
unheated
soffit
if
it
gets
bad
enough
and
I've
seen
this
happen,
it
backs
up
into
people's
houses
and
kind
of
runs
down
the
walls
and
that's
not
what
you
want.
That
gets
really
costly.
A
If
it's
one
mole,
we
we
don't,
we
do
the
energy
audits
and
we
offer
financing.
We
do
a
lot
of
like
research
and
stuff,
but
we
refer
people
to
other
programs
and
contractors
yeah
and
we
do
have
a
whole
team
of
energy
advisors
who
have
been
energy
auditors
that
connect
people
to
next
steps,
because
every
house
is
different
and
the
steps
that
people
need
to
take
are
different.
So
yeah,
we
have
a
whole
team
of
folks
that
help
people
along
the
line
there.
So
this
is
an
actual
cutout.
A
So,
as
you
can
see,
there's
plenty
of
room
for
that
air
to
get
out
of
the
attic
and
the
darkened
insulation.
Wherever
you
see
darkened
insulation
in
the
house,
maybe
like
in
the
rim
joist
in
your
basement
or
if
you
get
up
in
your
attic
and
you
see
darkened
insulation,
you
can
tell
that
that's
where
there's
a
lot
of
air
movement.
A
A
How
many
of
us
really
go
climb
in
our
attic,
but
there
are
ways
you
can
look
at
the
darkened
insulation
if
you
see
cobwebs,
those
are
signs
of
air
movement,
but
we
have
a
great
program
in
here
in
Bloomington,
our
home
energy
squad
program
is
paid
for
half
of
the
visitors
paid
for
by
the
HRA.
So
it's
a
great
deal
here,
so
we
visit
one
to
four
unit
buildings.
There
are
other
programs
for
larger
buildings
offered
by
the
utilities.
A
We
also
can
connect
people
with
the
electric
appliance
saving
program
and
then
that's
for
income,
qualified
households.
You
can
get
free
refrigerators,
air
conditioners,
it's
it's
a
really
great
program.
So
what
happens
at
an
energy
audit,
so
the
ones
that
we
conduct
the
Home
Energy
Squad
visits
are
about
two
and
a
half
hours.
We
do
the
testing
with
the
blower
door
test.
We
look
at
the
insulation,
we
check
the
heating
system
and
water
heater.
A
If
there
is
the
recommendation
for
improving
the
insulation
levels,
our
energy
auditors
have
actually
been
trained
by
contractors
to
write
up
a
quote
for
people,
that's
honored
by
contractors,
and
this
has
been
a
new
addition
to
our
program.
People
really
love
it
because
then
they
don't
have
to
take.
You
know
an
additional
three
or
four
days
off
of
work,
so
we're
a
non-profit
our
only
we
don't
get
any
money
from
this.
We're
just
trying
to
help
people
make
their
homes
more
comfortable
and
efficient.
A
So
here's
some
more
pictures
of
what
we
do
we'll
use
the
infrared
camera,
along
with
the
blower
door,
if
there's
at
least
fifteen
degrees
difference
from
the
outside
temperature
to
the
inside
temperature,
which
there
often
is,
and
so
we'll
put
all
of
the
recommendations
and
those
images
into
a
nice
report
for
you
with
next
steps
and
bonus.
We
also
with
that.
A
We
do
it
all
year
long,
oh
yeah,
we
visit
homes
almost
every
day
of
the
year,
so
we
can
always
do
the
testing.
So
the
bonus
is.
We
also
install
products
like
programmable
thermostats
door,
weatherstripping
high-efficiency
showerheads,
faucet,
aerators,
water,
heater,
blankets,
LED,
light
bulbs.
All
of
these
things,
no
additional
costs.
We
just
want
to
help
people
start
saving
right
away,
and
this
program
is
very
highly
subsidized
by
the
utility
companies
Center
Point,
Energy
and
Xcel
Energy.
It
helps
them
meet
their
savings
goals.
So
that's
why
it
seems
like
an
incredibly
good
deal.
A
So
here's
a
copy
of
the
report
that
we
give
you.
This
is
the
front
page.
It
also
gives
your
home
an
energy
score,
and
so
that
kind
of
shows
you
know
where
you're
at
and
the
recommended.
Next
steps
prioritized
in
order
of,
what's
going
to
help
your
home,
the
most
the
estimated
cost
and
then
any
rebates
that
you
might
be
able
to
achieve
and,
like
I
said,
we
can
write
up
the
quote:
if
there
is
that
recommendation
and
here's
a
few
of
our
energy
advisors
that
help
people
with
any
questions
they
have
on
contractors.
A
A
C
Bloomington
does
have
their
own
home
improvement
program,
which
I
will
touch
on
in
a
second,
but
what
we
do
where
I've
been
at
see
I've
been
here
for
24
years.
We
do
financing
programs
from
Minnesota
Housing,
Finance,
Agency
Department
of
Commerce,
and
we
had
miss
her
a
lot
of
different
programs
throughout
the
metro
area.
C
Programs
like
Bloomington
that
they
have
Bloomington,
does
have
a
2%
loan
and
they
have
a
0%
deferred
loan
depending
on
income.
But
if
you
don't
meet
those
income
requirements
there
are
people
need
ways
to
pay
for
new
heating
systems,
air
conditioning
solar.
Once
you
have
all
this
done.
Do
you
want
to
go
to
the
next
step
in
do
solar?
So
there
are
a
lot
of
other
programs
that
are
that
are
out
there.
C
Currently
again,
we
work
with
Department
of
Commerce
Minnesota
Housing.
There
are
14
cities
that
we
administer
their
loan
programs
for
as
well
Hennepin
and
Ramsey
County.
We
do
some
CDBG
programs
and
some
deferred
programs,
small
business
lighting,
commercial
program
for
Xcel
Energy
with
Center
Point.
We
are
it's
going
to
roll
out,
hopefully
net
well
end
of
this
year
early
next
year,
where
people
are
gonna,
be
able
to
actually
pay
for
their
energy
improvements
on
their
utility
bill
if
they're
a
center
point
customer,
so
that
is
gonna
be
coming
next
year.
C
That
will
be
administering
that
program
as
well,
and
then
we
have
some
geothermal
programs
in
Great
River
energy
areas
too.
But
on
this
end
we
do
have
an
energy
loan
program.
It
covers
your
HVAC,
your
water,
heating
windows,
doors,
insulation,
solar
interest
rates
can
vary
from
zero
to
seven
point:
nine
nine
percent,
depending
on
the
income
where
you
are
at,
but
honestly
our
energy
loan,
that's
statewide
that
we
usually
use
is
at
four
point:
nine
nine
percent
and
that's
through
Minnesota
Housing
Finance
Agency
that
we
administer.
C
You
know
we
also
have
home
improvement
programs.
So
if
you're
looking
at
doing
some
insulation
as
part
of
a
kitchen,
remodel
or
you're
gonna
be
adding
an
addition,
you're
doing
some
insulation
there
or
you're
just
finishing
your
basement
or
your
upstairs.
We
do
have
home
improvement
programs
as
well.
That
are
also
available.
Statewide.
C
And
then
the
commercial
side
of
things,
if
you
have
businesses,
we
do
have
commercial
financing,
also
for
energy
improvements,
for
refrigeration
to
solar,
to
your
heating
systems
and
geothermal
thing.
Things
like
that.
That's
really
all
I
have
because,
like
I
said,
there's
not
a
lot
to
it.
Just
more
specific
questions!
I
just
wanted
to
let
you
know
that
there
are
programs
out
there.
If
you
need
the
funding
to
follow
through
with
these
projects
that
you
discover
through
having
the
audit
or
just
want
to
move
forward
with
something
else.
B
C
D
C
I
mean
no,
not
at
all
I
mean
that
we
would
always
recommend
you
know
having
the
audit
done
doing
these
types
of
things.
The
insulation,
the
your
bypass,
is
sealing
all
those
first
I
mean
the
cheapest
energy
is
the
energy
you
don't
use.
You
know
it's
free
so
by
saving
it.
By
doing
these
other
things,
that's
that's
your
best.
First,
your
your
best
start
Solar
is
if
you're
thinking
about
doing
solar.
The
next
couple
of
years
is,
is
the
time
to
do
it.
C
C
Excel
also
has
a
solar
rewards
program
where
they
actually
pay.
You
eight
cents
per
kilowatt
you
produce
for
it
throughout
the
year,
so
you
actually
get
a
check
at
the
end
of
the
year,
and
an
annual
system
is
a
Minnesota
home
is
about
a
five
kilowatt
system.
What
that
means
to
you
is
it's
around
20
grand
and
between
the
tax
credits
and
the
other
rebates.
The
the
paybacks
can
honestly
be
between
like
six
seven
eight
years.
So
it's
pretty
quick.
C
So
if
you're
thinking
about
doing
it,
tax,
credit
and
everything
is
it's
time
to
look
at
it.
Now,
there's
community
solar,
Gardens
out
there
that
are
being
built.
But
if
you
have
this,
the
access
to
the
Sun
and
the
space
and
you're
gonna
be
living
in
your
home
for
six
seven,
eight
years
honestly
purchasing
it
is
a
better
option.
If
you
don't,
if
you
have
to
may
treat
you
don't
want
to
cut
down
trees
to
put
in
solar,
but
just
think
about
that
commute.
C
Solar
Gardens
are
good,
but
but
if
you're
gonna
be
in
your
home
for
a
while,
it's
yes,
solar
shingles,
are
there
yeah,
they're
still
being
introduced
in
California
right
now,
they're
being
used,
yes,
they're
being
used,
but
honestly
they,
the
testing,
there's
not
a
lot
of
long-term
testing
and
how
they've
actually
been
working
in
the
durability
and
the
actual
testing
I
mean
the
regular
solar
panels
have
been
around
for
decades.
For
a
long
time,
there's
gonna
be
solar.
C
Windows
are
gonna
be
coming
out,
so
there
are
gonna,
be
new
Pro
up
products,
but
it
is
new
and
I
wouldn't
say,
unproven,
because
they've
been
tested,
but
not
long-term
and
they're
very
expensive
as
well.
If
you're
looking
for
a
payback,
that's
not
the
way
to
go.
Aesthetically
people,
probably
like
those
those
more.
B
B
C
C
It
heats
up
so
quickly
from
the
Sun
that
it
does
just
melt
off
and
and
roll
off.
Usually
you
might
want
me
to
give
it
a
couple
days
in
the
winter,
in
Minnesota
winters
as
well.
The
Sun
is
not
as
high
as
it's
not
as
high
of
a
producing
time
of
year
as
well,
so
you're
not
losing
that
much.
If
you
miss
a
day
or
two
while
the
snow
is
on
there,
but
it
does
go
off
very
quickly.
You
know
I'll,
let
your
insurance
know
they're
usually
covered
your
insurance.
C
You
usually
typically
will
not
go
up
most
of
the
systems
that
I've
seen
they're
rated
baseball,
sized
hail
and
they're
they're
very
durable
and
the
maintenance
is
nothing.
The
only
maze
you
want
to
think
about
before
you
do
solar.
If
you
do,
Solar
is
make
sure
your
roof
is,
is
up
to
date.
You
don't
want
to
in
five
years
put
a
solar
system
up
and
have
to
replace
your
shingles
in
five
years,
so
you
have
to
take
everything
off
put
it
back
up.
So
so
that's
something
else
to
think
about.
C
A
B
E
C
Question
as
far
as
tying
in
the
solar
system
or
panels,
and
there
I
know,
Tesla
now
has
a
new
solar
battery
wall
or
power
wall,
most
homes
just
tie
into
the
into
your
utility.
You
can
it's
very
expensive,
you
can
be
self-sustaining
and
just
be
all
battery.
You
know
backup
with
the
battery.
Most
of
them
is
net
metering.
What
that
means
in
Minnesota
is
what
you
produce
is
you're,
credited
on
your
utility
bill.
If
you
use
more
than
you
produce,
you
have
to
pay
that
difference.
C
If
you
produce
more
than
you
use,
you
will
get
a
credit
on
your
utility
bill
and
it
saves
for
those
months
that
you
haven't
used
it.
So
it
is
called
net
metering.
So,
let's
tied
into
your
meter,
but
what
that
does
mean
is,
if
there's
a
power
outage
you
you
have.
No,
you
have
no,
no
power,
just
like,
as
if
you
did
not
solar
yeah,
exactly
so
a
lot
of
people.
C
If
you
for
medication
purposes,
or
you
want
to
backup,
you
can
do
small
battery
backups
to
make
me
power
a
small
refrigerator
or
something
for
for
medications,
or
things
like
that.
So
you
can
add
those
things
on,
but
most
of
them
are
just
directly
tied
into
the
into
the
utility
grid.
It's
an
answer.
Your
question.
B
C
B
E
D
C
B
E
A
A
F
B
B
D
C
A
Right
yeah
and
we
did
a
lot
of
testing
on
the
products,
because
we
want
to
give
good
customer
service
people.
We
don't
want
people
to
be
unhappy
and
we're
really
busy
holiday.
So
we
don't
want
to
send
our
staff
people
back
to
switch
all
the
lightbulbs
when
people
hate
them
so
yeah.
We
did
a
lot
of
testing
to
make
sure
the
products
that
we're
installing
are
very
good.