by jboullion | Mar 27, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Larry Bivins in the Wausau Daily Herald:
WASHINGTON — Wausau will receive nearly $200,000 for energy efficiency and conservation projects, President Barack Obama’s administration announced Thursday.
The money is part of more than $37 million the Department of Energy has allocated for Wisconsin under Obama’s economic recovery package. In addition to the $183,900 for Wausau, the department has designated $374,000 for Marathon County. . . .
Activities the money can support include energy audits and making residential and commercial buildings more energy efficient, improving building codes and inspections, and creating financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements. It also can go toward transportation programs that conserve energy, projects that reduce or capture greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, and making traffic signals and street lights more energy efficient.
by jboullion | Mar 26, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a story reported by Sara Kronenberg on WKBT-TV:
It’s an ongoing search for new, green solutions that will not only save money, but also the the environment.
Community, county and school leaders met Tuesday at the La Crosse Center for “Our Energy Future,” a conference about new energy answers.
Wisconsin is on its way to developing more widespread green energy solutions that could save organizations money.
Organizers say making the transition from coal burning dependency might require people to scale back on their own energy needs.
“The answers are always local, always personal,” says Dave Dumke with the Wisconsin Counties Association. “They’re always in your own home, in your own business, and if you’re governing a school district. If we have massive change like that, we’ll solve the problem.”
by jboullion | Mar 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
From two presentations by Michael Vickerman at the 2009 Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit, Milwaukee:
Getting Serious About Solar Hot Water
Value Proposition to System Owner
+ Less expensive (on a life-cycle basis)
+ Predictable return
+ Negligible risk
Value Proposition to Society
+ Emission-free
+ Non-depleting
+ Indigenous
+ Highly secure
SHW Potential in Wisconsin
+ Can offset between 2.6% to 4.1% of NG use
+ Avoiding 150 million therms/year
+ Saving $150 million annually (2006 prices)
+ Offsetting 820,000 metric ton of CO2
Economic Development Impacts of Renewable Energy
Economies of scale are achieved by shrinking the labor contribution relative to output, which explains why utility-scale energy is less expensive than do-it-yourself energy.
Distributing renewable energy through customer-sited systems increases job-hours per energy unit produced as well as promoting entrepreneurship and small business development. . . .
From Small Systems – Big Results in Germany:
+ Utilities are required to accept power from customer-sited RE systems through fixed, long-term buyback rates
+ 15% of Germany’s electricity now generated from renewables
+ In 2007 $14 billion invested in RE
+ Germany has half the world’s PV capacity
+ Payoff: 300,000 people employed in the RE sector.
And in Wisconsin:
+ 338 Focus on Energy-funded RE systems installed
+ 40% increase over 2007
+ $3.5MM incentives obligated
+ Full-service installers — 35 PV; 24 biogas; 64 SHW; 21 wind; 15 biomass.
From another presentation at the Wisconsin Wind Energy Supply Chain Workshop:
Windpower in Wisconsin: Outlook for 2009 and Beyond
Why Promote Windpower?
Clean = Environmental
Non-depleting = Energy Security
Fixed Price = Risk Management
Creates Wealth = Economic Development
Scalable to Utilities = Practicality
The current Renewable Energy Standard (RES) will yield an additional ~4.2 billion kWh/yr of qualifying renewable electricity by 2015, assuming no load growth.
Assuming that windpower generates 90% of that quantity, about 1,600 MW of wind capacity must come on line between 2004 and 2015 to satisfy the RES.
by jboullion | Mar 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
From two presentations by Michael Vickerman at the 2009 Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit:
Getting Serious About Solar Hot Water
Value Proposition to System Owner
+ Less expensive (on a life-cycle basis)
+ Predictable return
+ Negligible risk
Value Proposition to Society
+ Emission-free
+ Non-depleting
+ Indigenous
+ Highly secure
SHW Potential in Wisconsin
+ Can offset between 2.6% to 4.1% of NG use
+ Avoiding 150 million therms/year
+ Saving $150 million annually (2006 prices)
+ Offsetting 820,000 metric ton of CO2
Economic Development Impacts of Renewable Energy
Economies of scale are achieved by shrinking the labor contribution relative to output, which explains why utility-scale energy is less expensive than do-it-yourself energy.
Distributing renewable energy through customer-sited systems increases job-hours per energy unit produced as well as promoting entrepreneurship and small business development. . . .
From Small Systems – Big Results in Germany:
+ Utilities are required to accept power from customer-sited RE systems through fixed, long-term buyback rates
+ 15% of Germany’s electricity now generated from renewables
+ In 2007 $14 billion invested in RE
+ Germany has half the world’s PV capacity
+ Payoff: 300,000 people employed in the RE sector.
And in Wisconsin:
+ 338 Focus on Energy-funded RE systems installed
+ 40% increase over 2007
+ $3.5MM incentives obligated
+ Full-service installers — 35 PV; 24 biogas; 64 SHW; 21 wind; 15 biomass.
From another presentation at the Wisconsin Wind Energy Supply Chain Workshop:
Windpower in Wisconsin: Outlook for 2009 and Beyond
Why Promote Windpower?
Clean = Environmental
Non-depleting = Energy Security
Fixed Price = Risk Management
Creates Wealth = Economic Development
Scalable to Utilities = Practicality
The current Renewable Energy Standard (RES) will yield an additional ~4.2 billion kWh/yr of qualifying renewable electricity by 2015, assuming no load growth.
Assuming that windpower generates 90% of that quantity, about 1,600 MW of wind capacity must come on line between 2004 and 2015 to satisfy the RES.
by jboullion | Mar 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Alliant Energy:
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Alliant Energy Corp. (NYSE: LNT) will host the 3rd annual Supplier Diversity Symposium in Dubuque, Iowa on Friday, April 24. This event is designed to give minority and women business owners the opportunity to network with purchasing professionals, learn about supplier diversity efforts in the Midwest, and gain insight into the issues affecting Alliant Energy’s current business and regulatory environment.
Alliant Energy implemented the program to encourage diverse suppliers to compete for Alliant Energy’s business. The company’s spending totaled more than $100 million in 2007 and 2008 with minority and woman-owned businesses.
“We anticipate spending over $60 million with diverse vendors again this year and are looking to further increase our diverse vendor base,” said Chris Lindell, Vice President – Shared Services for Alliant Energy. “We feel the company benefits from the creativity and new perspectives diverse suppliers have to offer.”
More than 100 minority and women business owners from Iowa and Wisconsin have pre-registered for the free event at the Grand River Center, 500 Bell St., Dubuque, IA. A short program will be held, beginning at 8:00 a.m.
by jboullion | Mar 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Alliant Energy:
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Alliant Energy Corp. (NYSE: LNT) will host the 3rd annual Supplier Diversity Symposium in Dubuque, Iowa on Friday, April 24. This event is designed to give minority and women business owners the opportunity to network with purchasing professionals, learn about supplier diversity efforts in the Midwest, and gain insight into the issues affecting Alliant Energy’s current business and regulatory environment.
Alliant Energy implemented the program to encourage diverse suppliers to compete for Alliant Energy’s business. The company’s spending totaled more than $100 million in 2007 and 2008 with minority and woman-owned businesses.
“We anticipate spending over $60 million with diverse vendors again this year and are looking to further increase our diverse vendor base,” said Chris Lindell, Vice President – Shared Services for Alliant Energy. “We feel the company benefits from the creativity and new perspectives diverse suppliers have to offer.”
More than 100 minority and women business owners from Iowa and Wisconsin have pre-registered for the free event at the Grand River Center, 500 Bell St., Dubuque, IA. A short program will be held, beginning at 8:00 a.m.
by jboullion | Mar 23, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a presentation by Michael Vickerman to the Wisconsin Association of Energy Engineers, April 29, 2009:
Why Promote Windpower?
Clean = Environmental
Non-depleting = Energy Security
Fixed Price = Risk Management
Creates Wealth = Economic Development
Scalable to Utilities = Practicality
The current Renewable Energy Standard (RES) will yield an additional ~4.2 billion kWh/yr of qualifying renewable electricity by 2015, assuming no load growth.
Assuming that windpower generates 90% of that quantity, about 1,600 MW of wind capacity must come on line between 2004 and 2015 to satisfy the RES.
by jboullion | Mar 23, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a presentation by Michael Vickerman at the 2009 Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit, Milwaukee, March 25-28:
Value Proposition to System Owner
+ Less expensive (on a life-cycle basis)
+ Predictable return
+ Negligible risk
Value Proposition to Society
+ Emission-free
+ Non-depleting
+ Indigenous
+ Highly secure
SHW Potential in Wisconsin
+ Can offset between 2.6% to 4.1% of NG use
+ Avoiding 150 million therms/year
+ Saving $150 million annually (2006 prices)
+ Offsetting 820,000 metric ton of CO2
by jboullion | Mar 23, 2009 | Uncategorized
Form a presentation by Michael Vickerman at the 2009 Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit, Milwaukee, March 25-28:
Economies of scale are achieved by shrinking the labor contribution relative to output, which explains why utility-scale energy is less expensive than do-it-yourself energy.
Distributing renewable energy through customer-sited systems increases job-hours per energy unit produced as well as promoting entrepreneurship and small business development. . . .
From Small Systems – Big Results in Germany:
+ Utilities are required to accept power from customer-sited RE systems through fixed, long-term buyback rates
+ 15% of Germany’s electricity now generated from renewables
+ In 2007 $14 billion invested in RE
+ Germany has half the world’s PV capacity
+ Payoff: 300,000 people employed in the RE sector.
And in Wisconsin:
+ 338 Focus on Energy-funded RE systems installed
+ 40% increase over 2007
+ $3.5MM incentives obligated
+ Full-service installers — 35 PV; 24 biogas; 64 SHW; 21 wind; 15 biomass.
by jboullion | Mar 23, 2009 | Uncategorized
From Turbines and Health published by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA):
The American Lung Association’s agenda for the new administration, Protect the Air We Breathe: An Agenda for Clean Air, states: “Climate, energy and clean air are inexorably linked. Solutions that lead to cleaner air must be included in any approach to cleaner, more efficient energy use and reductions in global warming.”
Wind energy is one such solution – a clean energy source that can provide communities with decreased greenhouse gas emissions, along with air quality improvements and corresponding human health benefits. . . .
+ The wind industry takes health concerns seriously . . .
+ Wind energy can help improve air quality . . .
+ Wind energy can help reduce global warming pollutants . . .
+ Wind plants are very quiet compared to other types of industrial facilities, such as manufacturing plants. But wind plants typically are located in rural or low-density residential areas, where turbine noise may be more obvious because background noise is lower than in urban areas. On the other hand, the turbine noise may often be masked by the noise of the wind itself – especially since turbines are located where the wind speed is higher than average and because they operate only when the wind is blowing.
+ The sounds emitted from wind turbines can be mechanical, from internal equipment such as the gearbox or yaw drive, or aerodynamic, from air moving past the rotor blades. Current turbine designs effectively reduce mechanical sound through sound proofing; therefore, the aerodynamic sound, often described as a “whooshing” sound, is what can normally be heard.
+ There is no reliable evidence that low-frequency sound from wind turbines is a problem . . .
+ Shadow flicker occurrence is easily calculated . . .
+ Shadow flicker is not harmful to persons with epilepsy. The allegation is sometimes made that shadow flicker from wind turbines can cause epileptic seizures. This is not true—shadow flicker from wind turbines occurs much more slowly than the light “strobing” associated with seizures. The strobe rates necessary to cause seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy are 3 to 5 flashes per second and large wind turbine blades cannot rotate this quickly.
