by jboullion | Dec 7, 2009 | Uncategorized
Adapted from the on-line monitor site of Northern Power Systems:
Wausau East High School was given a very generous gift by the Walter Alexander Foundation to inspire and motivate students to study renewable energy. Wausau School District is the first School District in the state to have a Northwind 100. Lauren Ebbecke, science teacher at WEHS, also received a wind energy opportunity grant from Focus on Energy to fund the turbine. The Northwind provides about 5% of the power for Wausau East High School, saving about $14,000 each year in electricity bills.
The wind turbine will provide students with a unique learning experience. All students (K-12) will have access to real-time data on wind speed and energy output, gaining a practical understanding of renewable energy and power generation.
The site shows the amount of electricity generated since the turbine was installed (4,265 kWh), the avoided amounts of pollutants (sulfer dioxide, carbon dixoxide, and nitrogen oxides), and other environmental measures.
by jboullion | Dec 7, 2009 | Uncategorized
The Koerner’s installed the domestic hot water system (right)in March 2006. It also provides a portion of the heat for the house.
Sun Harvest Farm, owned by Jerry and Penny Kroener, Ridgeway, WI
Renewable Energy Projects
September 2009 Update
General:
In 2005 we embarked on major renovations and additions to our old farmhouse. This included working with Focus on Energy to have site assessments performed for Solar Photovoltaic, Solar Thermal and Wind Turbine Systems. We also investigated wood burning systems because we have substantial quantities of firewood on our property. Our decisions included the following:
1. Add additional insulation, all new windows and new doors.
2. Replace our old oil burning furnace with a high efficiency propane boiler (our little Munchkin).
3. Install a Solar Photovoltaic grid-connected system to produce electricity.
4. Install a Solar Thermal (hot water) system to preheat domestic hot water and provide some house heat.
5. Install a counter-flow masonry heater fireplace using our own limestone for the masonry cladding.
6. In 2008 we built and installed a hot air collector to provide some heat in our barn workshop.
7. In 2009 we installed our 2nd Photovoltaic grid-connected system.
8. In 2009 we also upgraded our solar hot water storage tank.
Continued
by jboullion | Dec 4, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Julie Lawrence posted on OnMilwaukee.com:
The temperatures outside are plummeting. It’s winter in Wisconsin and the cozy comfort of our homes becomes our refuge after hours of shoveling and ice scraping. What we’re forced to endure in the Midwest could be considered criminal in other parts of the country, but the real crime Wisconsinites face is not adequately preparing their homes for the seasons.
Kent Borden has been an energy audit consultant for Five Star Energy Corp. for close to three years and he’s seen homes at just about every level of efficiency. Interestingly, it’s not that most people aren’t willing to work to limit energy loss, it’s that they don’t fully understand its source.
Wisconsinites often misinterpret old windows as the major culprit. Borden says not necessarily. While windows are a very visible part of the home, Borden says our notion that they are leaking like sieves is largely thanks to window manufacturers who like to portray that message.
“I don’t want to completely refute what they’re saying; windows certainly can be a factor.”
But, he says, a homeowner planning to drop $10,000 to $15,000 on new windows will never see the payback in energy savings.
So if the windows aren’t the biggest energy loss offenders, what are?
by jboullion | Dec 3, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory:
Home sales prices are very sensitive to the overall quality of the scenic vista from a property, but a view of a wind energy facility does not demonstrably impact sales prices.Over 30,000 megawatts of wind energy capacity are installed across the United States and an increasing number of communities are considering new wind power facilities. Given these developments, there is an urgent need to empirically investigate typical community concerns about wind energy and thereby provide stakeholders involved in the wind project siting process a common base of knowledge. A major new report released today by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory evaluates one of those concerns, and finds that proximity to wind energy facilities does not have a pervasive or widespread adverse effect on the property values of nearby homes.
The new report, funded by the DOE, is based on site visits, data collection, and analysis of almost 7,500 single-family home sales, making it the most comprehensive and data-rich analysis to date on the potential impact of U.S. wind projects on residential property values.
“Neither the view of wind energy facilities nor the distance of the home to those facilities was found to have any consistent, measurable, and significant effect on the selling prices of nearby homes,” says report author Ben Hoen, a consultant to Berkeley Lab. “No matter how we looked at the data, the same result kept coming back – no evidence of widespread impacts.”
An expert witness on real estate voiced the same conclusion during hearings on We Energies proposed Glacier Hills Wind Park.
by jboullion | Dec 3, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Raghav Mehta on The Minnesota Daily:
As policymakers and environmentalists search for new sources of renewable energy, researchers at the University of Minnesota are working on turning leaves and branches into energy.
University researchers are currently exploring the viability of using forest-based biomass as an alternative energy source. Last month they received a $2.7 million federal grant to expand the footprint of their research to cover 50 million acres of forestland in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Forest resources professor Anthony D’Amato will lead the study in collaboration with scientists and researchers from the U.S. Forest Service and the University of Wisconsin.
Researchers will gather branches, leaves and shrubs to analyze the economic and ecological costs and benefits of harvesting the woody biomass over the next four years.
D’Amato said forest-based biomass gives another option in the search for a more environmentally friendly source of energy.
by jboullion | Dec 3, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a story by Colby Robertson on WAOW-TV:
WAUSAU (WAOW) — The Wisconsin Public Service Foundation is giving Wausau East $1,000 for the education of the wind turbines outside the high school.
The money is part of the Innovative Educator Grant program that targets areas of science, math and technology.
Lauren Ebbecke, a Science teacher at Wausau East says the money will be used to purchase a 5 year license for a web page titled Public View.
Public View is a web page hosted by Northern Power Systems. It allows anyone to go to this website to see how much power the Northwind 100 is producing, wind speed of the day, and how much energy the Northwind has produced to date.
The web page will have an engaging “dashboard” complete with dials that capture 10 minute energy and wind data, easy to understand metrics and general trend information.
Ebbecke says, “I believe that public view will be an invaluable educational tool for the entire school system and public. Students can access real time data on wind speed and energy output, gaining a practical understanding of renewable energy resources and power generation.”
Also, Monday morning, Focus on Energy will present Wausau East with more grant money. A $100,000 check that will go towards education related to the wind turbines.
