by jboullion | Dec 30, 2008 | Uncategorized
From the Web site of Sustainable La Crosse:
Sustainable businesses offer products and services that fulfill society’s needs while contributing to the well-being of all earth’s inhabitants. Sustainable businesses operate across all business sectors: energy efficiency and renewable energy generation, water and wastewater treatment, resource-efficient industrial processes, advanced materials, transportation and agriculture. They create products and services that compete on price and performance while significantly reducing humankind’s impact on the environment. . . .
Local Businesses with sustainable efforts:
Gundersen Lutheran
City Brewery
Trane
Honda Motorwërks
River Architects
INOV8
Xetex
Michael’s Engineering
Xcel Energy
Dairyland Power Cooperative
by jboullion | Dec 30, 2008 | Uncategorized
An event in Eau Claire:
Thinking of remodeling or building a new home or business? Want to make your office, a single room, or your whole house more comfortable and attractive while minimizing the harmful effects on you and the environment? Find out about the amazing options now available to you, from energy efficient lighting and natural, sustainable flooring materials to countertops made of recycled materials. Learn about New Urbanism, LEED, USGBC – and what exactly is a VOC? Get inspired by ideas for interior finishes and materials that help create beautiful and healthy places to live and work. Touch and feel samples of today’s eco-friendly materials. Discover how cost-effective it is to be green!
Saturday, January 10
1:30 p.m.
Eau Claire Room
L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library
400 Eau Claire Street, Eau Claire
by jboullion | Dec 30, 2008 | Uncategorized
From a guest column by Dan Kohler and Rep. Andy Jorgenson in the Janesville GazetteXtra:
“We have the opportunity now to create jobs all across this country in all 50 states to repower America, to redesign how we use energy and think about how we are increasing efficiency to make our economy stronger, make us more safe, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and make us competitive for decades to come—even as we save the planet.” — U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, Dec. 8
We couldn’t agree more. Our slumping economy is taking its toll, leaving all of us with a sense of anxiety about the future. But we have a tremendous opportunity to rebuild our economy across the country and here in Wisconsin, and to do it on a solid foundation.
President-elect Obama and the new Congress should enact a green economic recovery plan that makes critical investments in clean energy and green infrastructure to help rebuild the American economy, protect our environment and make us more energy independent.
When it comes to clean energy, the Badger State has a unique combination of assets that can help us capitalize on such a plan and lead the way into the new energy future. We have vast renewable energy potential from wind and solar power, the research laboratories to develop new energy technologies, the manufacturing base to build them, and the farms to grow the next generation of fuels.
by jboullion | Dec 30, 2008 | Uncategorized
From an article by Brian Reisinger in the Wausau Daily Herald:
WESTON — The village Plan Commission on Monday approved an ordinance identifying wind as “an abundant, renewable and nonpolluting energy resource” to respond to growing interest among local businesses.
The Village Board could consider establishing rules on wind turbines at its meeting next Monday.
Jennifer Higgins, community development director and zoning administrator, said the village does not prohibit energy windmills but needs an ordinance to define what’s acceptable.
“Right now, we don’t have anything,” she said.
The ordinance would permit “small wind energy systems” that have a capacity of 100 kilowatts or fewer and are no more than 170 feet tall.
At least three businesses — Applied Laser Technologies, K&M Electric and Bullshooters Saloon — are exploring wind energy as an option.
Chris Osswald, president of ALT, a metal fabrication shop, said a wind turbine would allow his company to address environmental concerns and potentially save money.
“It’s important to how we do things,” he said.
Mike Ritzel, an estimator and electrician with K&M, is exploring wind as an energy resource on behalf of the company. He’s also considering Bullshooters, of which he is an owner, as a possible site to help encourage community interest as electric rates continue to rise.
“Nothing ever goes in reverse,” he said of energy costs.
by jboullion | Dec 29, 2008 | Uncategorized
From the announcement of the Manure Digester Summit:
Whether you have less than a 100-head herd or a large herd, digesters can work for you. Come to the seminar to hear how Dane County and Richland County are using community digesters as well as how to implement a manure digester on a 50-head farm.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
9:30AM -3:00PM
Room B-30 West Square Building
505 Broadway
Baraboo, Wisconsin
Cost: $20.00 and includes lunch
by jboullion | Dec 29, 2008 | Uncategorized
From the announcement of the Manure Digester Summit:
Whether you have less than a 100-head herd or a large herd, digesters can work for you. Come to the seminar to hear how Dane County and Richland County are using community digesters as well as how to implement a manure digester on a 50-head farm.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
9:30AM -3:00PM
Room B-30 West Square Building
505 Broadway
Baraboo, Wisconsin
Cost: $20.00 and includes lunch
by jboullion | Dec 29, 2008 | Uncategorized
From the announcement of the Manure Digester Summit:
Whether you have less than a 100-head herd or a large herd, digesters can work for you. Come to the seminar to hear how Dane County and Richland County are using community digesters as well as how to implement a manure digester on a 50-head farm.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
9:30AM -3:00PM
Room B-30 West Square Building
505 Broadway
Baraboo, Wisconsin
Cost: $20.00 and includes lunch
by jboullion | Dec 29, 2008 | Uncategorized
From a story by Ken Reibel in the Milwaukee Express:
Jack Daniels, co-owner of Milwaukee-based Hot Water Products, one of the largest distributors of thermal solar panels in the Midwest, isn’t one to go with the flow. “We’re not waiting for business to come to us,” says Daniels, whose partner, Howard Endres, began selling high-efficiency water heaters and boilers in 1998.
Daniels nudged his partner into the solar panel business three years ago, soon after Daniels became a partner in the company. Solar thermal panels circulate and heat water, an efficient supplement to natural gas or electric systems. Hot water can also be passed through a furnace or boiler to heat a house or business.
Today, the company designs and engineers systems for homes and businesses, and hires contractors for installations. Hot Water Products (HWP) has trained more than 100 contractors to install the panels, and fields three sales technicians who call Wisconsin businesses to talk about going solar.
Business is heating up. HWP sold about $400,000 worth of solar panels last year, and $1 million worth this year. “We only sold three installs in 2006, our first year. In 2007, panel installs were 10% of our total business, and so far in 2008 they are 20%,” Daniels says.
by jboullion | Dec 26, 2008 | Uncategorized
From an article by Dan Egan in the Superior Telegram:
SUPERIOR — There is indeed a growing awareness of just how precious the Great Lakes are — and will be — in a century in which many are predicting fresh water will become more coveted than oil.
The significance of this can’t be underestimated for a system of linked lakes that hold 20 percent of the world’s fresh surface water and 90 percent of the nation’s.
Recognizing the lakes’ ecological and economic value, President George W. Bush this fall signed the Great Lakes Compact, which prohibits most water diversions outside the Great Lakes basin. Bush signed the measure after the compact received overwhelming bipartisan support from the eight Great Lakes state legislatures, as well as the U.S. House and Senate.
Its passage is the latest example of the region becoming increasingly protective of the lakes.
President-elect Barack Obama promised in his campaign to push for $5 billion to help restore the lakes — money he said would be generated by increased taxes on oil and gas companies.
And it was probably no coincidence he pitted the health of the Great Lakes against Big Oil.
by jboullion | Dec 25, 2008 | Uncategorized
From an article by Alexis Madrigal posted on WiredScience:
The nation’s first commercial hydrokinetic turbine, which harnesses the power from moving water without the construction of a dam, has splashed into the waters of the Mississippi River near Hastings, Minnesota.
The 35-kilowatt turbine is positioned downstream from an existing hydroelectric-plant dam and — together with another turbine to be installed soon — will increase the capacity of the plant by more than 5 percent. The numbers aren’t big, but the rig’s installation could be the start of an important trend in green energy.
And that could mean more of these “wind turbines for the water” will be generating clean energy soon.
“We don’t require that massive dam construction, we’re just using the natural flow of the stream,” said Mark Stover, a vice president at Hydro Green Energy, the Houston-based company leading the project. “It’s underwater windpower if you will, but we have 840 or 850 times the energy density of wind.”
Hydrokinetic turbines like those produced by Hydro Green and Verdant capture the mechanical energy of the water’s flow and turn it into energy, without need for a dam. The problem for companies like Hydro Green is that their relatively low-impact turbines are forced into the same regulatory bucket as huge hydroelectric dams. The regulatory hurdles have made it difficult to actually get water flowing through projects.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has oversight of all projects that involve making power from water, and the agency has recently shown signs of easing up on this new industry. In the meantime, the first places where hydrokinetic power makes in impact could be at existing dam sites where the regulatory red tape has already been cut.
