by jboullion | Sep 14, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Tim O’Brien Homes:
Tim O’Brien Homes teams up with We Energies to build twelve solar homes as part of regional study on energy conservation.
Waukesha, WI (September 11, 2009) – Tim O’Brien Homes, a certified Green Built™ and Wisconsin ENERGY STAR® home builder, announces a partnership with We Energies to build twelve solar electric homes across southeastern Wisconsin by spring 2010. This endeavor is part of a multi-year study that We Energies is conducting to evaluate homeowners’ lifestyle habits in response to utilizing solar energy.
Along with analyzing trends in energy usage and demonstrating the impact of using solar energy, the study will also provide insight on how solar may influence market value and overall electric demand. This is the first time that a solar electricity study of this magnitude has ever been done in the Midwest.
“Our relationship with We Energies provides us the opportunity to outfit more homes with solar electric power,” says Tim O’Brien, president of Tim O’Brien Homes. “We are thrilled to be part of this cutting-edge initiative that’s opening the door to solar electric energy as a practical and reliable power option to home builders and owners. Given our green building philosophy, it’s a natural progression for Tim O’Brien Homes to move toward solar installations. As we see more opportunities for renewable energy applications, we’re discovering they offer a significant long- term return on investment.”
The study is being conducted by the We Energies Renewable Energy Development (RED) Program and will examine the solar energy production of the twelve homes along with homeowners’ consumption. “We are pleased to partner with a home builder that has a solid understanding of solar energy, its applications and potential benefits,” says Jessica Thibodo-Johnson, renewable energy specialist for We Energies. “Our partnership focuses on demonstrating the practical and beneficial use of solar energy for Midwest homes. This unique project will also provide greater insight into possible effects solar installations have on housing market values,” adds Thibodo-Johnson.
Solar electric (photovoltaic or PV) power is a form of renewable energy that uses the sun’s energy to create electricity. These systems are made up of panels or modules containing PV cells that generate direct current (DC) electricity when exposed to sunlight. An inverter then converts the DC power to the alternating current (AC) electricity utilized to power the home.
The solar homes will be studied side by side with twelve equivalent size control homes. Having similar orientation to the sun, the control homes are located in the same neighborhoods as the solar homes. Four of the twelve solar homes are currently under construction or nearing completion, with solar panels being installed by Renewable Energy Solutions. The homes, ranging in size from 2,000 to 2,400 square feet, are being built in neighborhoods such as Jackson’s Sherman Parc, Milwaukee’s Oak Hill, Waukesha’s Rolling Ridge South, and Kenosha’s Leona’s Rolling Meadows. “Most of the solar homes will be for sale at a price point just under $300,000. This provides an opportunity to introduce solar energy to interested consumers that previously would not have been able to afford it,” adds O’Brien.
by jboullion | Sep 13, 2009 | Uncategorized
From the testimony of Michael Vickerman in support of the installation of a biomass gasification system that would produce biomass-derived synthetic gas (“syngas”) for serving Northern States Power’s Bay Front Unit #5.
We note the following public policy objectives that would be advanced if the proposal submitted by Northern States Power Corporation (“NSPW”) were approved. These objectives include:
1) Meeting Wisconsin’s current Renewable Energy Standard;
2) Eliminating a source of coal-fired power from its system;
3) Using a locally available renewable energy resource;
4) Reducing carbon dioxide emissions and other gaseous pollutants;
5) Maintaining a strong generation source in northern Wisconsin; and
6) Investing Wisconsin capital in a renewable energy generating facility power plant within its borders.
by jboullion | Sep 11, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Mike Moore in the Stevens Point Journal:
RAYMOND — Car executives looking for the next electric car might just want to slip out of the board room and stop by Tom Leitschuh’s garage.
This year, Leitschuh converted his 1981 Chevrolet El Camino to run completely on electric power. And because the juice is created by the windmill and solar panels at his home on Highway K, he’s not paying for it.
“I get to drive for free,” he said. “I have energy independence even on the road now.”
Compared to the El Camino, the Toyota Prius sitting in his driveway with the “renewable energy is sexy” bumper sticker is a gas hog. Where El Camino’s engine once sat, 26 batteries now fill the space. Twenty more sit by a rear axle.
It’s a load, but removing the radiator, gas tank, muffler and other unnecessary baggage helped offset the weight. Leitschuh also skipped the regular car batteries and splurged on lighter lithium ferrite batteries.
“They’re the safest batteries in the world, and they’ll work down to zero degrees,” he said.
A charge could take him 200 miles if he manages his driving carefully, Leitschuh said, but typically the car has a range of about half that.
The project took about six weeks. Including the car, which he bought used on eBay, the project cost him about $30,000. He could have done a scaled-back conversion for $10,000, which he said should be feasible for some car owners. Not to mention big car companies, which are still developing plug-in models they plan to introduce over the next few years.
“I’m wondering, ‘Why aren’t they doing this?'” Leitschuh said. “If a guy in a garage in Racine can do this with a little bit of help … .”
by jboullion | Sep 11, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Nick Halter in the Wausau Daily Herald:
A new biomass power plant in Rothschild would cut dependence on fossil fuels, reduce acid rain and be nearly carbon-neutral, according to studies and experts.
It’s also a step, albeit a small one, toward Wisconsin reaching its goal of having 10 percent of all energy produced using renewable resources by 2015 — a goal established in Gov. Jim Doyle’s Clean Energy Wisconsin Plan.
We Energies announced plans Sept. 1 to build a $250 million power plant that burns low-quality and unusable wood and paper waste, powering the Domtar paper mill and providing electricity to homes in Wisconsin. The plant still needs state approval before construction can begin.
Burning wood is much cleaner than burning coal, the source of 70 percent of the electricity on Wisconsin’s power grid, said Keith Reopelle, senior policy director for the environmental advocacy group Clean Wisconsin.
“I think that biomass will and needs to play an important role in replacing coal generation in Wisconsin and I think there will be a trend towards it, Reopelle said.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, burning wood is nearly carbon-neutral because the carbon dioxide generated during combustion is equal to the carbon dioxide the tree consumes over its life. But the process will remain carbon-neutral only if forestry companies that supply wood to the power plant replace the trees that they cut.
by jboullion | Sep 9, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Governor Jim Doyle:
Legislation will improve bus and rail service and roster regional cooperation in Milwaukee, Kenosha and Racine
MILWAUKEE – Governor Jim Doyle today announced a framework of a proposal crafted with legislators from southeastern Wisconsin on a plan to improve bus and rail service in Milwaukee, Kenosha and Racine through a Regional Transit Authority.
“Investing in safe, reliable modes of transportation allows people to travel and commute efficiently and it strengthens the economy,” Governor Doyle said. “I am pleased today to announce that leaders from Milwaukee, Kenosha and Racine have joined me in support of a truly regional approach to improving and expanding transit in this area.”
Governor Doyle has supported Regional Transit Authorities in Wisconsin that serve a population base, rather than any specific municipal jurisdiction, and are independently governed. Under the Governor’s priorities, RTAs also should provide property tax relief and be focused solely on transit.
The proposal satisfies those conditions and will create an RTA in southeastern Wisconsin that would phase in independent governance. Milwaukee, Kenosha and Racine would initially operate as sub-RTAs, with varying sources of previously approved funding.
Over time, the sub-RTAs would merge into a common board. Representation would be proportional to population. A primary goal of the RTA would be to better position the proposed Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail line for obtaining New Starts funding from the Federal Transit Administration.
by jboullion | Sep 9, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Nathaniel Shuda in the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune:
With renewable energy becoming an increasingly popular topic across the country, central Wisconsin leaders hope to be on the cutting edge as demand grows.
Mid-State Technical College classes have begun for two new renewable energy programs, and three others already were in place. Demand is fueling the need for a sustainable/renewable energy training center at the school’s Wisconsin Rapids campus, officials said.
“This is a really solid start,” Mid-State President John Clark said Monday during a meeting with U.S. Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wausau. “We’re hoping (others) will be using this as a pattern for future projects.”
Leaders hope to use a $428,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, which Obey earmarked within President Barack Obama’s $410 billion budget bill earlier this year, to purchase solar panels, wind turbines and other lab equipment.
Mid-State also is working with leaders at Energy Composites Corp. in Wisconsin Rapids and the North Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board to develop a first-of-its-kind curriculum for wind-energy and composites training, an endeavor for which the board recently garnered a $100,000 grant from the state Department of Workforce Development.
Energy Composites continues its efforts to obtain LEED Platinum certification for its planned 350,000-square-foot manufacturing plant that will produce blades for industrial wind turbines in Wisconsin Rapids, President Jamie Mancl said.
“We’re trying to put everything together,” Mancl said Tuesday, after a closed session meeting with the Wisconsin Rapids Common Council to discuss the company developer’s agreement with the city. “It’s going to take some time, but we’re still on schedule.”
Energy Composites isn’t the only company that has been working on such a certification.
The Mead Wildlife Area Education & Visitor Center, near Milladore, announced Wednesday it received LEED Platinum Green Building Certification status, the highest level of sustainable design.
by jboullion | Sep 8, 2009 | Uncategorized
The energy track presentations have been release for the Energy Efficiency in Manufacturing Pavilion at the Wisconisn Machine Tool Show, October 6-8, at State Fair Park:
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
9:00am Green and Lean
Presented by Dr. Joe Jacobsen of MATC
11:00am Controlling Your Energy Costs – An Overview Of Focus On Energy
Presented by Nate Altfeather of Focus on Energy
1:00pm Opportunities To Supply The US Wind Industry
Presented by Jeffrey Anthony of American Wind Energy Association
3:00pm Energy Efficiency In Manufacturing Facilities
Presented by Orion Energy Systems
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009
10:00am A Case Study On Energy Efficiency
Presented by Nate Altfeather of Focus On Energy
11:30am Starve The Beast! Revolutionary Ideas On How To Save Money Operating Your Ventilation Systems
Presented by DuWayne Bohrer of iVEC™ Systems and Kevin Rohde of Hastings Air Energy Control Inc
1:00pm New Manufacturing Opportunities In Stimulus Funding
Presented by Maria Redmond of Wisconsin Office of Energy Independence
3:00pm Opportunities For Cooperation In The Renewable Supply Chain
Presented by Mark Tomkins of GermanAmerican Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009
10:00am Sociable Responsibility In Industry
Presented by American Society for Quality
12:00pm Save Energy, Save Money
Presented by Alex Dodd of Focus on Energy
Energy track seminars sponsored by Focus on Energy.
by jboullion | Sep 8, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Chad Dally in The Daily Press (Ashland):
Similar projects underway at Madeline Island, Mt. Ashwabay
The Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland will soon embark on a project testing the feasibility of supplying a portion of its energy from wind power, joining other area projects seeking to take advantage of a consistent alternative energy resource.
This fall, the center will lease a 150-foot “met,” or test, tower leased from the Bad River Tribe of Lake Superior Chippewa and site it along the northern edge of the center’s property to get a more detailed idea of wind power capability. Statewide energy audits have assessed wind power in Cornucopia and Hurley, but those assessments are likely different than averages at the Visitor Center, and on Madeline Island and Mt. Ashwabay in Bayfield, two other areas currently being analyzed for wind power.
A preliminary assessment, completed in 2007 by Focus on Energy, showed wind speeds at the center between 10.2 and 11.7 miles per hour — speeds not capable of sustaining a wind farm-scale development, but that could supplement some of the natural gas used to power the center. . . .
Mad(eline) about wind
Although nine months of data from a test wind tower on Madeline Island has revealed promising potential, organizers behind that effort will face logistical challenges if the island residents’ effort toward energy independence comes to fruition.
Burke Henry, chairman of the island’s ad hoc Alternative Energy Committee, said Wednesday that, based on data gathered from the 50-meter (164-foot) tower erected at Big Bay State Park, it appears there would be enough wind to supply the island with all of its energy needs — although Henry stressed there remain many unanswered questions, with funding chief among them. Along with the tower, SODAR (SOnic Detection and Ranging) equipment is being used to send signals up to 200 meters in the air to further assess wind speed.
by jboullion | Sep 8, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by John Nichols in The Capital Times:
Wisconsin officials have seemed for too long to be at war with this state’s rich industrial legacy.
It is as if they live in a fantasy world that imagines this Great Lakes state will somehow become the next Silicon Valley.
But when state officials make policies that aim in the direction of fantasy-island developments rather than taking necessary steps to retain existing industrial jobs and to attract news ones, they undermine Wisconsin’s future.
That is what Department of Transportation Secretary Frank Busalacchi and his aides appear to be doing with their scheming to redevelop the Hoan Bridge/794 corridor in a manner that would decimate roughly two-thirds of the port of Milwaukee.
The port, still one of the largest and most well-situated on the Great Lakes, provides crucial support to our manufacturing base – not only in Milwaukee but all of southeastern Wisconsin, which remains one of the nation’s great centers for small and medium-sized factories.
But the port could be seriously undermined as a support for Wisconsin’s manufacturing sector if Busalacchi and the Doyle administration get their way.
According to documents obtained through an open records request initiated by Milwaukee County Supervisor Patricia Jursik, Busalacchi’s DOT has commissioned – at a cost of $225,000 – a study by the HNTB planning group of strategies for the demolition of the Hoan Bridge and the development of a condo and entertainment complex.
The port will be critical as Wisconsin develops manufacturing capabilities to supply the wind industry.
by jboullion | Sep 8, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Nick Halter in the Wausau Daily Herald:
A biomass power plant in Rothschild will give a much-needed shot in the arm to a Wisconsin pulpwood industry that has suffered a 20 percent reduction in demand for wood over recent years.
The plant, proposed for the grounds of the Domtar paper mill, would create more than 100 logging jobs and 20 to 30 power plant jobs, according to studies of a proposed biomass plant in Ashland, said Terry Mace, forest product specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
The average salary for both loggers and power plant employees is about $32,000, Mace said. Although the plant’s construction still must be approved by the state Public Service Commission, forestry industry workers already are anticipating fresh demand for their products.
Based on the amount of wood sold to the plant and the jobs it would create, $22.7 million would be injected to the local economy each year if the plant were completed on time in 2013, said Roger Nacker, a natural resource economist for the Wisconsin Economic Development Institute.
The closures of three Wisconsin paper mills in the past few years –including the Wausau paper pulp mill in Brokaw and the Domtar mill in Port Edwards — have reduced the state’s demand for pulpwood from around 3.2 million cords per year in the mid-2000s to 2.5 million in 2007 and 2008, Mace said.
The closures, combined with the downturn in home construction, have been hurting many local loggers.
