MRES thanks our 2026 Eco Experience Partners and Volunteers!
—a letter from MRES Board Chair, Kim Havey
On behalf of the MRES Board of Directors, I would like to personally thank our Eco Experience Community Partners and Volunteers who joined us to make the 2026 MRES Eco Experience a success. A special shout-out goes to our new partner Dakota Cabins for their Herculean effort in making the new Eco House a reality in time for the Fair. This year a whopping 219,000 visitors made the MN State Fair’s Eco Experience their destination over the 12-day venue. That’s a lot of conversations—all educational opportunities!
Together we offered visitors pathways to energy efficiency, renewable energy and energy storage, as well as direct experiences with the science behind basic technologies. Our key messages: Efficiency first! Electrification! Race to renewables! and Resiliency! Let’s choose energy efficiency and electrification in our homes, businesses and lifestyles to reduce our collective carbon footprint and reverse climate change. Onward!
Please follow these resources for up-to-date news on financial incentives:
CERTs (Clean Energy Resource Teams): https://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org/
Join us! Minnesota Sustainability Tour Oct 2 - 4
Please join the MRES/ASES Sustainability Tour October 2nd - 4th! You can talk to Minnesota homeowners in person or virtually hear their stories and others from around town and around the country. You can also sign up to show off your home or business’ renewable energy and energy efficiency features. Learn more about the tour here.
Thank you all for your support. We welcome your engagement in events throughout the year. MRES invites you to volunteer with us at events year-round. Watch for opportunities through our monthly Flare newsletter or special emails. Together we can create a sustainable society and renewable energy economy for all.
With sincere appreciation,
Mr. Kim W. Havey, Board Chair
Minnesota Renewable Energy Society
PS: Please click here to become a new member or renew for only $40/year. Membership is the foundation that supports everything MRES does. Thank you.
Thank you to our 2026 Eco Experience Partners
RACE TO RENEWABLES! CONNECT TO THE SUN
MRES EXHIBIT FEATURES:
Indoor Exhibit:
Think efficiency first: What does energy efficiency “feel” like? Spin our hand-crank generator to compare the energy it takes to light an LED compared to an incandescent bulb. Make your home an energy star!
What’s Cool about Heat Pumps?: Ground source heat pumps, water-to-water and water-to-air? Air source heat pumps or duel fuel? Heat pumps can efficiently heat and cool your home and also heat your water.
Solatubes: How far can a pipe carry sunlight? This surprising passive solar technology puts daylight into a dark room at an affordable price.
Solar Phone Charging Station: Need to power up? Plug into the sun.
Tim’s Tiny House: Get inspired! Tim Pendergast embedded his charming scale model house with energy efficient technologies. Can you find them all?
Solar Suitability Station: Learn the solar suitability of your site and your options for going solar.
Financial Incentives: Learn about incentives still available and the Solar United Neighbors group buy program that can help make going green easier.
Wind Turbine Technical Training: Learn about career opportunities with Vestas Wind Systems.
Wind Energy Storage Challenge: Light up a town with energy produced by wind and stored in water pumped to a reservoir high in the air.
Solar-Powered Boats: Check out 2026 MRES Solar Boat Regatta winners. Build your own solar boat or support a team! Solar marine technology hobby or career?
Solar Toys Dome: Cover the light source. What happens?
Win a Solar Oven: Sign up to win a Sport Solar Oven provided by Persons Helping People. The prize drawing will be on Labor Day, 5:05 p.m.
Join MRES - a Video Tour: Learn the benefits of supporting MRES! There’s something for everyone: Free monthly Zoom Speaker Series and Speaker Library; the annual Solar Boat Regatta, Eco Experience and Sustainability Home Tour; (3) Community Solar Gardens serving low income families; and educational tabling at events around the state.
Outdoor Exhibits:
MRES Tiny House: Explore (4) ways this house collects solar energy, then visit the Bingo station to see if you got them right.
Solar Works in MN - Check out solar shingles, traditional solar panels, solar thermal and now plug-in solar!
Solar Phone Charging Station: Need some power? Plug into the sun.
Solar Dunking Bird Challenge: Experiment! How many solar panels does it take to rock the bird? What changes when a cloud rolls by?
Your choice—Solar Shingles or Traditional Solar Panels: It only gets better!
Solar Pollinator Garden: MN is a leader in Solar Pollinator Gardens, which produce clean electricity, use native plants to graze sheep and hold carbon in the soil.
Go Electric! PV + EV + Storage = Living on Sunshine: What does it look like in real life? See components arranged as they’d be in your home or garage.
Reuse and Recycle: Extend the life of your PV components & EV batteries.
Solar Cooking in Action: Passive solar cooking is curbing global warming around the world! Register indoors for a chance to win the Solar Oven on display here.
Keep Wind Powering MN: Learn about careers in wind turbine engineering and maintenance.
Wind-Solar-Storage Hybrid Experiment: Lake Region Electric Cooperative is saving customers money & reducing global warming. Read their story next to the giant wind turbine blade.
2026 Eco Experience Partners providing exhibits, expertise and essential services and/or financial support:
