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In coming days, Jim Stein, owner of Stein Insurance on mainstreet Lindstrom, will be producing his own solar electric power atop his building and be on the path to electric self-reliance.

Stein is among the first enteprises to enroll in the ABC Energy Audit and take advantage of solar programs.

The America’s Best Communities (ABC) competition has advanced to the point where the Chisago Lakes’ Team should be demonstrating actual energy efficiency projects and be able to show the ABC judging panel there are measures being put in place, to meet goals the team presented.  The energy efficieny and self-sustaining aspect is one of many goals the Chisago Lakes team promises to achieve for the ABC contest in the name of economic revitalization.  The ABC top three prize awards ($3, $2 and $1 million) will be alloted based on how well the competing communities achieve their unique goals.

In partnership with the county and local communities ABC signed on with consultants, Eutectics, to provide a “Clean Energy Hub” with resources through energy audits of homes and businesses, to get where cost-effective, sustainable energy as an expense should be .  

Stein said he loved the idea of “going green” and he feels the return on the investment (where the solar equipment pays for itself with no Xcel electric bill) of 6.5 years is a respectable timeline.

He explained that switching his Lindstrom building to solar was a two-part process, starting with replacing lighting to LED products and then solar panels.  The hydraulic lift could be seen in the back lot of the building, raising the panels to the roofline in a “fairly quick process,” Stein described.

He predicts once people start learning about and seeing energy efficient sites being created related to ABC audits “the lines will be much longer,” to participate.  

He likes the solar and efficency models so much he had energy hub techncians do an energy audit for his own home, he added.
Energy audits for business are free of charge. Audits for residential are supported by local underwriters, to get the cost down to $70 for the first 50 homesites.  Local business making the audits accessible include:  Casterton Title, Wild Mountain, MidWest One Bank, The Drive-In, Chisago EDA, Muske Community Suppport Foundation and the Chisago Lakes Foundation.  Homes that are energy audited also receive weatherstripping, a hot water heater “blanket” and other items along with the assessment of energy usage and energy waste.

Go to chisago.cleanenergyhub.us/signup.  If you can not access the Internet call-- 651-353-5760

* Correspondent Ashleigh Meiser contributed to this story

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