by jboullion | Dec 31, 2008 | Uncategorized
From left to right, Michael Vickerman (RENEW), Paul Milbrath (Wigwam), and Dave Drapac (Seventh Generation Energy) check Wigwam’s solar thermal collectors, designed by Energy Concepts, Hudson, Wisconsin.
From a solar hot water profile written by RENEW’s Michael Vickerman and Ed Blume for Focus on Energy:
“We wanted to do something genuine, not phony,” said Bob Chesebro, president of family-owned Wigwam Mills, Sheboygan, about his company’s decision to install a solar energy system.
Initially, Chesebro wasn’t sure which kind of solar energy system to go with. But the more he delved into the question, the more he came to believe that solar hot water would provide the best fit for the 103-year-old company.
Placed in service in February 2008, Wigwam’s 27 solar collectors supply 47 percent of the hot water used by the company to shrink, bleach, antimicrobial treat, wash and soften 40,000 pairs of socks each day. . . .
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 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 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.
by jboullion | Dec 23, 2008 | Uncategorized
A story on WEAU-TV:
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — State regulators say they are launching a statewide effort to explore how utilities could distribute more solar panels across Wisconsin to take advantage of that renewable energy source.
The Public Service Commission said its solar collaborative will study ways to dramatically accelerate the deployment of the panels by utilities.
The announcement came Thursday as the commission ordered that there be no increase in electric rates and a slight decrease in natural gas rates for customers of Wisconsin Public Service Corporation and Wisconsin Power and Light next year.
The PSC noted that declining fuel costs are a major factor in the move to hold the line on gas and electric rates for customers of the two companies.
