by jboullion | Mar 2, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Liz Welter in the Marshfield News-Herald:
There’s good news in the federal stimulus bill for homeowners — about $42 billion in energy-related tax credits.
The bill upped the ante on tax credits, from a 10 percent return to 30 percent return, on energy-efficient home improvements. It includes everything from new windows to air conditioners to solar energy systems.
“This is good. I’m glad this has been signed and approved, because one of my goals is to make sure energy and water are being used efficiently and responsibly,” said Jim Bensen, conservation specialist at Marshfield Utilities.
Bensen conducts free home energy audits for any customer of the utility.
“It’s a good way to see where you could save some money,” he said.
Audits usually take about one hour at the home and then several hours to enter the numbers into a computer, analyze the data and prepare a report.
“I’ll go through the report with the person and explain where to start on savings. A lot of this is weatherizing your home. Just one leak, like around your chimney, or the pipe that goes outside to the faucet, can make a different. Add those all up, and it’s a substantial savings,” he said.
It’s not just older homes that need weatherizing, he said.
“I did a home last week built in 2004, and there’s a lot of weatherizing the owner can do to save a lot of money. And a lot of it, you don’t need to hire someone to do,” Bensen said.
Through the state’s Focus on Energy program, Bensen said, there are resources available to residents to learn about the feasibility and possibility of using alternative energy sources. Bensen said he often refers residential, business and farming clients to Focus on Energy for assistance.
Wisconsinites are in a good position to take advantage of these energy-saving incentives, said Kathy Kuntz, director of energy programs at Focus on Energy.
“Our problem isn’t going to be that (Wisconsinites) couldn’t find the appliance or the installer, because we have the infrastructure,” she said.
Not all states have agencies such as Focus on Energy to help guide consumers, she said, and added that the state also has a variety of companies selling and installing solar, wind and geothermal energy technologies.
by jboullion | Mar 2, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by the University of Wiscosnin-Green Bay:
GREEN BAY – A grant from Wisconsin Focus on Energy will allow researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Environmental Management and Business Institute the opportunity to evaluate the economic and environmental outcomes of converting marginal agricultural areas into biomass-yielding grasslands for electricity and heat generation in the state.
Starting in July, UW-Green Bay students and professors will use the $164,853 grant to study the multiple benefits of converting non-ideal farmland into sustainable grassland areas that can be used to produce bio-fuels for energy and heat production.
Planting agricultural crops in poorly drained or marginal soil areas may be delayed, prevented or unprofitable for traditional farming. However, these areas may be ideally suited for native, mixed-species grasslands that can withstand harsher conditions, yet still be harvested for bio-fuel production, researchers say.
Targeted plantings of these grasslands between agricultural fields and aquatic systems could also reduce nutrient and sediment runoff into watersheds, thus limiting pollution and improving the health of the state’s valuable water resources.
“Future energy demands will only be met with diverse and environmentally sustainable energy sources,” said Prof. Matt Dornbush, Natural and Applied Sciences. “This project seeks to answer if it is economically and environmentally feasible to use biomass-based energy produced through the growth of native grasslands to help fill those needs.
by jboullion | Feb 28, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Organizers of the annual Renewable Energy Summit next month in Milwaukee have landed a high-profile keynote speaker – outspoken climate scientist James Hansen.
Hansen, director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, an arm of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, was among the first climate scientists to speak out about global warming, warning about the problem in testimony to Congress in 1988.
In recent years, he has become more outspoken about the need to address global warming. In 2006, he criticized his superiors in the Bush administration for efforts to limit his comments to the media about climate change.
Hansen agreed to address the Wisconsin energy event on March 25 after receiving an invitation from George Stone, an instructor of physical science at Milwaukee Area Technical College. Stone introduced Hansen at a Geological Society of America conference last fall.
The involvement of Hansen in the event comes as the Obama and Doyle administrations are considering legislation to limit emissions of greenhouse gases. Organizers of the energy summit say Hansen’s involvement will help raise the profile of an event that has doubled in attendance every year for five years. At least 2,500 people are expected to attend this this year.
Said Stone: “It just elevates the stature of the conference because we have a leading world figure in the field of climate change and he has changed his attention now in the last couple of years from trying to simply convince people of the science of global warming and the inevitability of the climate change that is coming to focusing on mitigation: What we must do and how soon.”
by jboullion | Feb 27, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release posted on Yahoo! Finance:
STURTEVANT, Wis.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–BetaLED is testing two leading forms of lighting control systems with its LEDway streetlights. Eleven LEDway streetlights installed along 92nd Street in Sturtevant, Wis., were recently outfitted with either a power line communication system or wireless radio frequency (RF) system as part of a side-by-side demonstration of lighting control technologies available for LED streetlights. Both lighting control systems are designed to manage each fixture to ultimately reduce operating and energy expenses.
Milwaukee based We Energies is taking part in the evaluation, testing the remote access and monitoring capabilities of each system as well as calculating reduced energy and maintenance costs presented by LED technology compared to existing streetlighting options.
“We look forward to evaluating these promising streetlight technologies will further improve the level of service we provide to our customers,” said Chris Balliet, We Energies program manager/outdoor lighting. “The ultimate goal of the test is to determine if these technologies could be valuable tools in controlling costs and reducing unnecessary light.”
Although the two independent lighting control systems are designed primarily to lower operating costs, they use different technology to realize results.
The power line system communicates over the same wires that deliver power to each fixture to monitor and control streetlights equipped with specially designed hardware and software.
by jboullion | Feb 27, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Susan Troller in The Capital Times (Madison):
Snug Haven Farms’ spinach has been featured on the menu at upscale restaurants like L’Etoile, and this weekend, farmers Judy Hageman and Bill Warner will talk about their success at the 20th annual Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse.
Their class, which focuses on how to grow the dark green veggie in hoop houses, is just one of many planned for the conference, which runs from Thursday, Feb. 26, to Saturday, Feb. 28. The event is expected to draw more than 2,000 people from across the United States and a few foreign countries.
“This conference is the biggest one in the country for organic farmers, and it’s just a great experience, whether it’s your first time or you’ve been a part of it from the beginning,” said Hageman, who grows spinach in Belleville and regularly sells her produce at the Dane County Farmers’ Market. “There is so much hands-on information, and everyone is willing to share what they know. You just have light bulbs going off the whole time you’re there. The exhibits are terrific, and the food is magnificent, too.”
by jboullion | Feb 26, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by WPPI Energy (formerly Wisconsin Public Power, Inc.):
WPPI Energy has established a $10 million revolving loan fund to make zero-interest loans to help its members lead by example in the areas of energy efficiency, conservation and the use of renewable energy.
“Saving energy and increasing our local use of renewable resources is one of the most important investments we can make for the future,” said WPPI Energy President and CEO Roy Thilly. “Increased efficiency will help lower the energy costs for member communities, defer the need for expensive new power plants, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and keep customer bills down in a rising rate environment.”
WPPI Energy’s members include 49 municipalities in Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Iowa, and one Upper Michigan cooperative electric association. The WPPI Energy Member Loan Program is designed to help members implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects on utility and other municipally owned property, thereby lowering operating costs and meeting members’ local energy needs with local renewable resources.
Typical projects will include:
+ Building or equipment efficiency upgrades
+ Meeting U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards for building projects
+ LED street lights and traffic signals
+ Efficient fleet vehicles
+ Photovoltaic solar panel systems
WPPI’s member utilities are in the following communities:
Alger Delta, MI
Algoma
Baraga, MI
Black River Falls
Boscobel
Brodhead
Cedarburg
Columbus
Cuba City
Eagle River
Evansville
Florence
Gladstone, MI
Hartford
Hustisford
Independence, IA
Jefferson
Juneau
Kaukauna
L’Anse, MI
Lake Mills
Lodi
Maquoketa, IA
Menasha
Mount Horeb
Muscoda
Negaunee, MI
New Glarus
New Holstein
New London
New Richmond
Norway, MI
Oconomowoc
Oconto Falls
Plymouth
Prairie du Sac
Reedsburg
Richland Center
River Falls
Slinger
Stoughton
Sturgeon Bay
Sun Prairie
Two Rivers
Waterloo
Waunakee
Waupun
Westby
Whitehall
by jboullion | Feb 26, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Jessica Steinhoff in The Shepard Express:
The time to green your resume is now.
The federal Green Jobs Act got a $500 million boost from the economic stimulus package and is expected to train 70,000 workers in renewable-energy and energy-efficiency jobs. Plus, a floundering economy is nudging companies to hire employees to design and implement energy-savings plans and other cost-saving measures.
Wisconsin Environment Director Dan Kohler is pleased with the strategy for building a greener workforce—particularly on the state and local levels. “The federal recovery plan includes significant funding to help states design educational programs to get workers moving ahead in the green economy,” he says.
In Wisconsin, universities, technical colleges and government and community workforce-development agencies will all play a role in the training effort. Gov. Jim Doyle’s global-warming task force has been helping these institutions team up with the private sector to develop a comprehensive training strategy that will address job seekers with a variety of different skill sets. Meanwhile, local colleges are rushing to design courses and curricula in a wide variety of green disciplines, from sustainable operations management to water technology.
Though a full graduate-level program is still in the works, UW-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences is offering courses in freshwater ecosystem health and a variety of other topics.
At Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), there’s a comprehensive selection of green career paths, including new programs in environmental and water technology, sustainable operations, and energy engineering. There are also numerous opportunities for people to add green credentials to their existing skill set at Lakeshore Technical College, Gateway Technical College and MATC.
The Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit at the Midwest Airline Center includes a career/jobs day on March 27. Schools and other training organizations, as well as employers, will be set up in the exhibition hall.
by jboullion | Feb 26, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by WPPI Energy (formerly Wisconsin Public Power, Inc.):
WPPI Energy has established a $10 million revolving loan fund to make zero-interest loans to help its members lead by example in the areas of energy efficiency, conservation and the use of renewable energy.
“Saving energy and increasing our local use of renewable resources is one of the most important investments we can make for the future,” said WPPI Energy President and CEO Roy Thilly. “Increased efficiency will help lower the energy costs for member communities, defer the need for expensive new power plants, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and keep customer bills down in a rising rate environment.”
WPPI Energy’s members include 49 municipalities in Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Iowa, and one Upper Michigan cooperative electric association. The WPPI Energy Member Loan Program is designed to help members implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects on utility and other municipally owned property, thereby lowering operating costs and meeting members’ local energy needs with local renewable resources.
Typical projects will include:
+ Building or equipment efficiency upgrades
+ Meeting U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards for building projects
+ LED street lights and traffic signals
+ Efficient fleet vehicles
+ Photovoltaic solar panel systems
WPPI’s member utilities are in the following communities:
Alger Delta, MI
Algoma
Baraga, MI
Black River Falls
Boscobel
Brodhead
Cedarburg
Columbus
Cuba City
Eagle River
Evansville
Florence
Gladstone, MI
Hartford
Hustisford
Independence, IA
Jefferson
Juneau
Kaukauna
L’Anse, MI
Lake Mills
Lodi
Maquoketa, IA
Menasha
Mount Horeb
Muscoda
Negaunee, MI
New Glarus
New Holstein
New London
New Richmond
Norway, MI
Oconomowoc
Oconto Falls
Plymouth
Prairie du Sac
Reedsburg
Richland Center
River Falls
Slinger
Stoughton
Sturgeon Bay
Sun Prairie
Two Rivers
Waterloo
Waunakee
Waupun
Westby
Whitehall
by jboullion | Feb 26, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by the Southwest Badger RC&D Council and Better Environmental Solutions:
Richland Center–With Governor Doyle’s recent announcement of a new biomass boiler at the UW Madison Charter Street Power Plant to use 250,000 tons of biomass annually, southern Wisconsin has become a prime target for biomass production. Two other proposed plants will use a combined 800,000 tons of biomass per year in Cassville, WI and just across the border in Carroll County, Illinois. Southwest Badger Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council, Inc. is holding a biomass briefing on March 6, 2009 in Richland Center.
“Southwest Wisconsin is the Saudi Arabia of biomass such as wood, switchgrass, and corn stover. The challenge is harvesting it sustainably,” said Steve Bertjens, NRCS Coordinator for Southwest Badger RC&D Council. The briefing will provide interim reports on 3 current SW Badger projects– the Biomass Inventory and Analysis Project, Switchgrass Establishment and Harvesting Demonstrations, and the True Costs of Harvesting Woody Biomass in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin.
The SW Badger Biomass Briefing is free to the public and will be held at the Ramada White House, 1450 Veterans Drive, Richland Center, WI from 1-3:30 p.m. on Friday March 6th.
Brett Hulsey, president of Better Environmental Solutions, said, “This Biomass Briefing will answer questions like, ‘Where will a million tons of biomass per year come from?’ and ‘Is biomass production and use a sustainable renewable energy source?’.” Hulsey will also be presenting yield data collected from warm season fields currently enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
University of Wisconsin Extension Weed Specialist Mark Renz will present the first year results from the “Switchgrass Establishment and Harvesting Demonstrations.” This project is working to quantify achievable yields and develop best practices for growing switchgrass. Last spring the Council established 62 acres of warm season grass plantings on six farms using a variety of establishment treatments on each farm. Renz and his research students are collecting field data on the demonstrations like establishment success, yield per treatment, above and below ground production, carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas flux.
by jboullion | Feb 25, 2009 | Uncategorized
State law exempts wind, solar, and anaerobic digester systems from the sales and use tax, effective July 2009.
In order to be considered an eligible product, devices must be capable of producing at least 200 watts of alternating current or 600 British thermal units per day. The exemption under does not apply to uninterruptible power sources that are designed primarily for computers.
The law also exempts “receipts from the sale of and the storage, use, or other consumption of electricity or energy” produced by a qualifying system.
