by jboullion | Sep 21, 2009 | Uncategorized
An announcement in the La Crosse Tribune:
Coulee Partners for Sustainability will sponsor a Natural Step study circle from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Mondays from Oct. 5 through Nov. 2 in the Community Room of People’s Food Co-op.
Participants will learn about the Natural Step framework and plans for its use in the city and county of La Crosse. Additional topics include an analysis of home electricity bills and how to use simple devices such as the “Kill-a-Watt” meter to track electricity consumption and reduce energy usage.
The five sessions are free and open to the public. Study materials will be provided. To sign up, e-mail Rob Tyser at rtyser@gmail.com by Oct. 2. For more information, go online to
www.cpslax.org.
by jboullion | Sep 21, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article in the Wausau Daily Herald:
When you hear the words solar energy, what comes to mind? Most people think of electricity. But the most mature and affordable solar technology is solar water heating.
People have been building and using solar water heaters since the 1800s. In fact, the very first mass-produced, commercially available water heaters were powered by the sun. The design and reliability of solar water heating equipment has improved over the years. A modern thermal collector can easily achieve 90 percent or more efficiency. And solar hot water systems can often operate for decades without needing repairs.
How it works
Because of our severe winters, solar water heaters designed for year-round use in Wisconsin must circulate an anti-freeze solution through the collectors. This heated fluid is pumped through a heat exchanger, where the solar heat is transferred to the domestic hot water. The heated water is typically stored in a tank that feeds into the existing hot water tank.
In sunny weather, the solar storage tank can often reach 150 degrees. Supplying the heater with water this hot keeps it from coming on. This saves a great deal of energy. But even if the storage tank reaches only 80 degrees to 90 degrees, the solar water heating system has raised the temperature of the water more than half way to the typical use temperature of 120 degrees and has saved more than half the energy.
For safety, the plumbing code requires an anti-scald valve to keep the domestic hot water from becoming dangerously hot. . . .
Focus on Energy provides reward checks to help Wisconsin residents with the cost of installing solar water heating equipment. Each reward is based on projected energy savings. A family of four installing a solar water heater typically receives a reward of $2,500. The federal government provides an unlimited 30 percent tax credit to help make renewable energy equipment more affordable.
by jboullion | Sep 21, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by the Wisconsin Farmers Union:
Chippewa Falls, Wis. (Sept. 18, 2009) – Wisconsin Farmers Union praised the state Legislature for approving wind siting reform legislation earlier this week. WFU President Sue Carlson said it was an important step toward renewing the energy of rural Wisconsin’s economy. The measure will implement uniform, statewide standards for small and medium-sized wind energy installations in the state.
“Allowing farmers and rural residents the ability to build wind turbines on their property can add to their bottom line while keeping energy dollars in Wisconsin,” Carlson said. “Effective statewide wind siting standards will create green jobs and will enable farmers to continue be the economic drivers of our rural communities through new energy opportunities.”
The wind siting bill passed the state assembly on Wednesday and the state senate on Tuesday. Broad bipartisan support marked its passage, and now the bill will move to the governor’s desk to await his signature before becoming law. Once signed by the Gov. Jim Doyle, the law will trigger a rule-making process by the Public Service Commission to formulate statewide standards for wind siting in Wisconsin.
by jboullion | Sep 21, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Southeastern Wisconsin shouldn’t overlook its expertise in battery and energy research and development as it strives to become a center for water technologies, local lawmakers say.
With that in mind, state Rep. Jeff Stone (D-Milwaukee) and state Sen. Jeff Plale (D-South Milwaukee) on Monday will announce a series of proposals designed to make the region a hub for energy storage and plug-in electric vehicle research.
The proposal is linked to the region’s being home to the headquarters and R&D center for Johnson Controls Inc. as it develops next-generation hybrid batteries for cars and trucks, said Stone. But it’s also born of a desire to see plug-in vehicles on the road in larger numbers as a move to reduce air pollution.
Legislative proposals to be unveiled Monday, Stone said, would:
• Eliminate the sales tax for consumers who buy plug-in electric hybrid cars or all-electric cars.
• Scrap of the state’s emissions-testing program, with the funds now spent on that program reallocated to a fund for grants for firms or universities conducting research into electric technologies and energy storage.
• Create tax credits for equipment used in research and development.
• Exempt electric-vehicle charging stations from the personal property tax for companies that want to install the charging stations in their parking ramps.
by jboullion | Sep 18, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article Dan Michelsen, president of Performance Energy, in the Wausau Daily Herald:
When you hear the words solar energy, what comes to mind? Most people think of electricity. But the most mature and affordable solar technology is solar water heating.
People have been building and using solar water heaters since the 1800s. In fact, the very first mass-produced, commercially available water heaters were powered by the sun. The design and reliability of solar water heating equipment has improved over the years. A modern thermal collector can easily achieve 90 percent or more efficiency. And solar hot water systems can often operate for decades without needing repairs.
How it works
Because of our severe winters, solar water heaters designed for year-round use in Wisconsin must circulate an anti-freeze solution through the collectors. This heated fluid is pumped through a heat exchanger, where the solar heat is transferred to the domestic hot water. The heated water is typically stored in a tank that feeds into the existing hot water tank.
In sunny weather, the solar storage tank can often reach 150 degrees. Supplying the heater with water this hot keeps it from coming on. This saves a great deal of energy. But even if the storage tank reaches only 80 degrees to 90 degrees, the solar water heating system has raised the temperature of the water more than half way to the typical use temperature of 120 degrees and has saved more than half the energy.
For safety, the plumbing code requires an anti-scald valve to keep the domestic hot water from becoming dangerously hot. . . .
Focus on Energy provides reward checks to help Wisconsin residents with the cost of installing solar water heating equipment. Each reward is based on projected energy savings. A family of four installing a solar water heater typically receives a reward of $2,500. The federal government provides an unlimited 30 percent tax credit to help make renewable energy equipment more affordable.
by jboullion | Sep 18, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article Dan Michelsen, president of Performance Energy, in the Wausau Daily Herald:
When you hear the words solar energy, what comes to mind? Most people think of electricity. But the most mature and affordable solar technology is solar water heating.
People have been building and using solar water heaters since the 1800s. In fact, the very first mass-produced, commercially available water heaters were powered by the sun. The design and reliability of solar water heating equipment has improved over the years. A modern thermal collector can easily achieve 90 percent or more efficiency. And solar hot water systems can often operate for decades without needing repairs.
How it works
Because of our severe winters, solar water heaters designed for year-round use in Wisconsin must circulate an anti-freeze solution through the collectors. This heated fluid is pumped through a heat exchanger, where the solar heat is transferred to the domestic hot water. The heated water is typically stored in a tank that feeds into the existing hot water tank.
In sunny weather, the solar storage tank can often reach 150 degrees. Supplying the heater with water this hot keeps it from coming on. This saves a great deal of energy. But even if the storage tank reaches only 80 degrees to 90 degrees, the solar water heating system has raised the temperature of the water more than half way to the typical use temperature of 120 degrees and has saved more than half the energy.
For safety, the plumbing code requires an anti-scald valve to keep the domestic hot water from becoming dangerously hot. . . .
Focus on Energy provides reward checks to help Wisconsin residents with the cost of installing solar water heating equipment. Each reward is based on projected energy savings. A family of four installing a solar water heater typically receives a reward of $2,500. The federal government provides an unlimited 30 percent tax credit to help make renewable energy equipment more affordable.
by jboullion | Sep 18, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article submitted by Focus on Energy and published in the Wausau Daily Herald:
Small systems an attainable way to generate renewable energy
For more than 1,000 years, we have been harnessing the power of wind to sail boats, pump water and grind grain. As time passed, new uses for wind power evolved and today it is used to generate clean renewable power for homes, businesses, farms and schools.
And demand for this clean power is growing as Focus on Energy co-funded small wind turbine installations are expected to more than double in 2009 compared with 2008.
Wind turbines have become an important technology in the search for a renewable way to generate electricity. And as this technology improves, a growing number of Wisconsin residents and businesses are investing their time and resources into this industry. In many of these cases, small wind turbines make the most sense.
A small wind turbine has a rated capacity of 100 kilowatts, or kW, or less. These systems work when wind passing over the turbine creates a rotary motion that turns an electric generator and creates electricity.
The electricity output of a wind turbine depends on its size and the wind’s speed through the rotor. As wind speed increases, the energy produced increases exponentially. For example, a 10 percent increase in average annual wind speed from 10 mph to 11 mph can result in a 33 percent increase in total electricity production.
“A 10 kW wind turbine can generate about 10,000 to 16,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually, a bit more than the amount of electricity a typical household uses,” said Rich Hasselman, small wind technical lead for Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s statewide resource for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
by jboullion | Sep 18, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a post by Craig McCarthy on Mequon Now:
A workshop on fuel economy takes place at Concordia University Wisconsin on September 18th and 19th. The event is entitled, 35.5: Your Target MPG, and will include presentations and panel discussions on energy independence.
One of the highlights of the two-day event will be energy efficient vehicles, like the Smart Car and the Toyota Prius, displayed around Concordia’s Mequon campus. The American Lung Association will show off their Bio-fuel vehicle and members of the Milwaukee Hybrid Group will be on hand to talk with people about the important role hybrids are playing in achieving fuel efficiency.
“The goal of the symposium is to challenge people’s thinking about how our country can use less fuel,” said Dr. Lawrence Sohn, Interim Sustainability Coordinator at CUW. “Students, staff, faculty, and the community will not only view energy efficient vehicles during this event, they will get useful information that will help them drive and live more fuel efficient,” Sohn added.
“Fuel economy is a primary area in which the average citizen can easily make a significant impact, decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels, particularly from foreign sources,” indicated Prof. Bruce Bessert, Director of the Concordia Center for Environmental Stewardship. It also promotes the use of renewable energy sources while, at the same time, saving money in a tight economy,” he added. . . .
For more information on this event log onto, www.cuw.edu or visit http://energy.cuw.edu
by jboullion | Sep 17, 2009 | Uncategorized
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2009
MORE INFORMATION
Michael Vickerman
RENEW Wisconsin
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org
Wisconsin wind energy prospects advanced with bipartisan Assembly support for legislation to set uniform statewide permitting rules.
Under the Wind for Wisconsin umbrella, more than 60 organizations as diverse as unions, trade associations, environmental advocates, health groups, and renewable energy manufacturers sought uniform permitting standards for future wind developments.
As in the State Senate, Senate Bill 185 won bipartisan approval from 48 Democrats and 17 Republicans voting in favor of passage.
Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin, a nonprofit sustainable energy advocacy organization, expects Governor Doyle to sign the bill into law.
“The Assembly’s vote is critical to reviving the development of a high priority renewable energy resource in accordance with Wisconsin energy policy,” said Vickerman.
“We believe that wind energy suppliers will see the action as an invitation to locate and do business in Wisconsin. Our economy will benefit from the investment and jobs in a sustainable energy future,” Vickerman said.
“We look forward to working with the Public Service Commission in shaping the specific standards for permitting wind projects,” Vickerman said.
“RENEW and our members thank Rep. James Soletski (D-Green Bay) and Rep. Phil Montgomery (R-Green Bay) for guiding the proposal through the Assembly. The entire legislature should be proud of this accomplishment, which we view as a prerequisite for a more aggressive renewable energy standard likely to be included in a comprehensive global warming legislative package,” commented Vickerman.
The bill now goes to Governor Doyle for his signature before becoming law.
Read additional statements from Rep. James Soletski and Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan.
by jboullion | Sep 17, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Nathaniel Shuda in the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune:
More than a year after it was shut down, the Domtar paper mill in Port Edwards continues to attract attention from those who want to use the site.
After issuing a reuse strategy in April that details proposed plans for the facility should the Canadian-based papermaker decide to sell it, village officials and local economic development leaders began receiving more inquiries about the property.
“Within the last couple of months, there have been about five (inquiries),” said Melissa Loken, economic development director for the Heart of Wisconsin Business Alliance. “Domtar is drawing more attention than a normal site.”
Several of the roughly 30 parties that expressed interest since the mill shut down in June 2007 produce biofuels or other renewable energy products, such as solar panels, Loken said. Although those companies want their identities to remain confidential, several others were made public this week for the first time when south Wood County municipal officials submitted a federal stimulus grant application for a proposed Highway 54 bypass and bridge.
Onalaska-based Mathy Construction Co. has expressed interest in using part of the site for the storage of its petroleum products and possibly biofuels, Port Edwards Village Administrator Joe Terry said.
“The other thing that interested them is the concept of purchasing lower-grade waste heat from any of the neighboring facilities,” Terry said.
Innovolis, a local alternative energy producer that, according to its Web site, uses tidal and river currents to generate power, also has expressed interest in using the site, as have University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point researchers, who are investigating the possible development of an $8 million experimental biorefinery.
