cef annual member meeting 2014

Annual Member Meeting | April 15, 2014 Slide 1

Welcome!!Grab some food and chat with your fellow members. We

will start shortly after 6:00 pm.


Tonight’s Agenda!

• Eat & meet your fellow members (throughout)• Accomplishments of 2013• Member testimonials• Updates & Opportunities• Strategic direction & Goals• Feedback from members• Voting – Issues & Board Members• Thank you & adjurn


Membership GrowthM

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Website


Cooperative Accounting


Solar Leasing Growing Membership

What is Solar Leasing?Third-party pays for upfront solar equipment & labor costs, which the property owner pays off via monthly energy bill savings

Duration of lease period?15 years


In-person Member Testimonials

Hearing from your fellow members about their recent cooperative energy experiences, the impacts they have observed, and what they are looking forward to!

•Matt Kazinka •Mary Kay & Kevin Myrmel (Minnetonka)•Beth Cutting (south Minneapolis)


Member Testimonial

I found the application process very easy to navigate. Bruce was incredibly helpful answering questions and gathering up all the necessary paperwork and information to get my application in on time. The proposal he produced was helpful and easy to understand. The application process has been smooth and informative.

-Krista Porvaznik


Member Testimonial

I am so excited that my house will be able to gather sunshine and convert it into electricity. This wouldn't be possible without all the hard work that you did this winter…

Before this experience, I always had the idea that solar panels would be 'above' me scientifically speaking, but truly you made everything understandable. Let the sun shine!

-Nora Murphy (St. Paul)


Member Testimonial

Though there is much to despair over this dire situation [climate change], we can each help break our dependence on fossil fuels. Leasing solar panels for households through the Minnesota Made Solar Incentive Program is one such way with immediate and on-going reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

CEF and its partners have made it possible for us to produce renewable energy! We are so grateful for this opportunity and can attest to how understandable and easy this process was.

-Holly Buchanan & Dan Jenney


Partnerships

• Our Power & Midtown Community Works• Connecting with 17 Lake Street neighborhoods

• Como Energy Team• Groups Interested in Community Solar• Innovative Power Systems & Applied Energy Innovations• SustainMax & Sustainable Resources Center• Cooperative Development Services (fiscal sponsor for Otto

Bremer and McKnight)


Financial Year 2013Member Non-member Total

Income

$1,836.12 $34.48 $1,870.60

Expenses

$1,871.59 $1,832.39 $3,703.98

Net Income

-$35.47 -$1,797.91 -$1,833.38


Upcoming Year 2014

Made in Minnesota Lottery:•Gopher Solar

• Projected Income of over $10,000• 8 Residential• 1 Commercial

•AEI• 16 Projects Submitted


Strategic Process Purpose

• Evaluate our weaknesses & opportunities• Establish 2014 priorities• Align resource allocation based on goals

• Time• Volunteers• Capital


SWOT Analysis

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities ThreatsVisionary mission & story

Unique business model

Strong neighborhood connections

Membership growth goals unmet

Lack of active member engagement

Underutilizing cooperative model

Lack of track record to present to potential partners

Deliver & market energy financing

Bring residents the benefits of solar through membership

Prolonged lack of cash flow


Priorities for 2014


Examples of Priorities in Action

! 1

WORK PARITES! Steps for organizing and facilitating

These parties happen because members make them happen. The cooperative is successful because we work together to enrich ourselves and our communities. There is no work party that is too small or too big! Here are the easy steps to set-up a work party (PDF version of the following steps):

1. Set a date and location for the event: This will often be a house in the neighborhood, or possibly a local business that is interested in hosting. Remember that this may also the be location of a potluck or a place for games and fun and that people may have gotten a little dusty from some of the energy saving DIY work they just completed. It is recommended that you set a party date that is two to six weeks in the future. Assume that installation time depends on the size of the party, install groups, and types of installations. Thus, the length of the event will depend on the size of your party. Read the following scenarios:

Standard Event Scenario 5-15 attendees – 3.5 hour duration (most common) You invite 11 neighbors (households), eight of them attend the party (great!). They all live within 1 block of the host house. The party starts at 3:30 on a Saturday and all attendees bring their dinner dishes at that time. The welcome, CEF DIY training, and breakout organization takes 30 minutes. The party splits into two groups, one group going to three homes, the other to four homes, as two attendees live together. Group one is estimated to take 1 hour 30 minutes including walk time. Group 2 is estimated to take 1 hour 45 minutes. Partygoers are asked to be back at the host house at 5:45. Upon returning, the potluck begins and people enjoy dinner and can’t help but discuss what they learned and did over the last one to two hours. As dinner is slowing down, the host (or a CEF staff, if preferred) will start a group wide conversation about what other actions you would like to take as members of your neighborhood or of the cooperative, which will take 30-40 minutes. The party would end 7:00 pm and any remaining party fees would be collected at this time.

5-15 attendees – 2 hours duration (most common)


End of 2014 Benchmarks

Qualitative•All solar lease projects in progress or complete•More resources on the website•Bi-monthly website updates

Measurable•4+ work parties•Over 115 members •4-5 Board members


Hearing from Members

1. What do you think about the CEF 2015 priorities?• Do they align with what you hope to be a part of as a

member of CEF?

1. Are you interested in more engagement opportunities? Are you interested in a taking on some leadership around this engagement?

1. Are there other priorities that you would like the board to take into further consideration?



1. What do you think about the CEF 2015 priorities?• Do they align with what you hope to be a part of as a

member of CEF?NOTES: (Continued)…



2. Are you interested in more engagement opportunities? Are you interested in a taking on some leadership around this engagement?NOTES: (Continued)…



3. Are there other priorities that you would like the board to take into further consideration?

NOTES: (Continued)…


Short Break

5-7 minutes


Member Elections

1. Issue VoteHiring current board member under a half-time contract•Solar assessment work to meet new project demand

1. Board ElectionsBruce Konewko – Joined the board in January 2014

Call for member nominations


Housekeeping

• Open Board meetings take place monthly (usually here)• Usually the 1st Tuesday of the month• Watch CEF website for meeting times (1 week notice)

• We want to hear any other thoughts from you. Please complete your feedback sheets.

Thank you for making the time!

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