YES! Resources:
- All Things Energy Presentation – By Tom McDougall, Metro YES! Coordinator
- YES! Project Guide: Carbon, Water, and Climate Change
- YES! Project Guide: Turn Down the Thermostat
Other Resources:
- 2022 Minnesota Energy Factsheet
- Saving Watts & Drops – How to distribute energy-saving products in your community with help from CERTs (Clean Energy Resource Teams) and your local utility
- Home Energy Guides & Tips (CERTs)- Printable guides organized by type of home. Available in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Somali
- Guides that have been customized with the YES! logo – print and share with community members!
- Home Energy slideshows that can be customized by your team: Single-family homes; Manufactured homes; Rental units
- Home Energy Guide (MN Dept. of Commerce) – “Provides steps to achieve energy efficiency and shows how reducing energy use will lower your energy bills, make your home safer and healthier, and contribute positively to the environment. Topics include: Air-Sealing and Insulation; Windows and Doors; Heating, Cooling, and Ventilation; Water Heating; Appliances, Lighting, and Electronics”
- Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Assessments (US Dept. of Energy)
- School Energy Audit (Climate Generation) – Once you complete this audit worksheet, try to figure out how you can reduce energy consumption in that room!
- Clean Energy Support for Schools (CERTs) – Resources, tools, guidance, connections, funding and opportunities including Solar for Schools
- Solar on Schools (Rural Renewable Energy Alliance) – Support for MN schools that want to install on-site solar
- Energy Kids (U.S. Energy Information Administration) – Features energy-related stories, hands-on activities, and research articles for the classroom
- B3 Benchmarking – Track energy data in order to manage and reduce energy costs
- CERTs guide to B3 Benchmarking in Minnesota
- Clean Energy Jobs in MN (2021 report)
Hands-on Projects:
- Blackout Day Tips (Westbrook-Walnut Grove YES! team)
- Build a Solar Suitcase, which is a portable solar-power station, in partnership with We Share Solar
- Video introducing We Share Solar
- Video of YES! coach Mary Beth Botz explaining the solar suitcase built by Sleepy Eye students
- Solar Boat Regatta – Create a solar-powered boat and test your design by racing it against others!
- Make a solar oven– Absorb the sun’s heat to cook tasty treats by building a simple solar oven with a pizza box, foil, plastic wrap, and other household supplies
Videos:
- The Power of Minnesota (18 min) – Energy jobs. Video “tells the story of people who are building the clean energy economy that is powering MN communities” (CERTs)
- How do solar panels generate electricity? (1.5 min)
Suggested Books:
-
Superpower: One Man’s Quest to Transform American Energy by Russell Gold
