by jboullion | Oct 15, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Jim Dawson and Devin Powell on MinnPost.com:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Team members from the University of Minnesota were tense as they prepared their 565 square foot solar home for a visit by jurors from the engineering and lighting judging panels. Experts in their respective fields, the jurors’ visit would determine the team’s score for the aesthetics and functionality aspects of their design that cannot be properly evaluated by measurements alone.
The judges would also be taking comfort zone and appliance measurements, and the students were worried about every operational detail inside their $501,000 house.
The Minnesota team was in 7th place out of the 20 teams that built entirely solar-powered homes on the National Mall in downtown Washington as part of the Department of Energy’s 2009 Solar Decathlon competition. . . .
At the other end of the Mall, the team from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee was struggling. The team was in last place, and were struggling to get the house’s sliding doors to move smoothly on their tracks. Their house, valued at $485,000, had tabletops made out of pressed paper and cashew shells and the ability to warm up just from the heat of the people inside.
But its last-place standing reflected a 3-inch problem in the design.
“The west end of the house was 3 inches too tall to go through Indiana [on the transport trailer],” said Eric Davis, the project’s chief engineer. “So we had to go down through Illinois, then cross Kentucky.”
There was another height regulation problem when they got to the edge of Washington, and it took another 20 hours to finally get their structure to the National Mall. While the other teams were fine tuning their home’s systems, the Wisconsin team was still wearing hard hats and putting their house together.
“We missed the metering contest, so our score is down,” Davis said.
by jboullion | Oct 14, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Shelly Birkelo in the Jansville Gazette:
JANESVILLE — Have you broken down and turned on your furnace yet?
It’s natural to wait as long as possible in an effort to keep your winter heating costs down.
There are, however, other ways to spend less money and save energy starting with an annual furnace inspection.
“It will probably cost between $50 and $100, but it is important to make sure your furnace is running correctly and efficiently,” said Steven Schultz, Alliant Energy communications program manager.
A checkup also will clean out dust or dirt, he said.
“Dust and dirt can clog vital parts, making your furnace run harder and eventually break down,” Schultz said.
It’s also the best prevention against deadly carbon monoxide poisoning, according to Alliant’s monthly Natural Gas update newsletter.
To find an energy-smart heating contractor in your area, visit alliantenergy.com/ dealerlocator.
A home energy evaluation also can help consumers understand where their energy is going, Schultz said.
“It can show you where heat is escaping during the winter, for example, and will provide you with a blueprint for weatherizing your home,” he said.
For details about how you can do a home energy audit, visit www.alliantenergy.com/utilityservices/foryourhome/easyenergysavers/014671, Schultz said.
Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s statewide energy-efficiency and renewable energy initiative, also is a good source for energy and money-savings tips, Schultz said.
It is funded by all of the state’s utilities and can be accessed by visiting www.focusonenergy.com or calling 1-800-762-7077, he said.
by jboullion | Oct 14, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Focus on Energy:
Focus on Energy provides $99,000 to boost energy saving efforts
Madison, Wis. – Since being acquired in 2001, Cortec Coated Products in Eau Claire, Wis. has prided itself on finding smart business solutions. The manufacturer has built on its knowledge and experience to become a global supplier and forerunner in the coated paper and film industry. With the help of Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, Cortec Coated Products has also been able to build on Focus’ knowledge and experience tobecome a leader in energy efficiency.
Cortec Coated Products received $99,000 in financial incentives from Focus on Energy after installing an innovative heat-recovery system and plant-wide lighting and steam
trap upgrades. These improvements will save the company more than 223,000
kilowatt-hours of electricity and 175,000 therms of natural gas annually – enough
energy to power 200 Wisconsin homes for a year. The company will also benefit
from $210,000 in savings on its energy bills each year.
The biggest energy saver is a unique heat-recovery system installed last [June] that provides extraordinary energy savings. The system captures “waste” heat from the facility’s oven exhaust system and instead of venting that hot air outside of the facility; the system extracts heat from the outgoing air and returns it to the oven inlet to start the process again. Reusing this heat enables the manufacturer to significantly reduce its natural gas use and saves $170,000 a year. Focus on Energy awarded $82,000 to help get the project off the ground and also provided $2,400 prior to install so a feasibility study could be completed to assure significant energy savings.
by jboullion | Oct 14, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an editorial in the Dubuque Telegraph Herald:
Whether you’re talking about hog confinement lots or wind farms, the message is the same: Uniform regulation throughout a state trumps local control.
The arguments over the siting of wind projects in Wisconsin during the past year sound much like the discussions several years ago about hog lots in Iowa. In both cases, having consistent guidelines makes sense. Iowa was operating under 99 sets of rules, with every county deciding its parameters for hog lots. Counties argued for local control. But the need for consistency made the stronger case. Eventually, a bipartisan state committee hammered out one set of rules. That made sense.
Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle is looking to do the same thing. He signed a law ordering the Public Service Commission to establish uniform standards regulating the construction and operation of wind energy systems. Not only is the approach more fair, it could save individual townships and counties lots of headaches.
Without uniform siting, communities were left to make these tough decisions on their own — with strong constituent opinions Advertisement
on either side. In the face of public concern, trustees in southwest Wisconsin’s Smelser Township passed moratoriums banning all wind projects. They apparently violated state open meetings law in the process, making decisions without properly notifying the public. Trustees say the moratorium was in response to citizens’ concern that wind turbines pose a health risk.
by jboullion | Oct 14, 2009 | Uncategorized
2012
April 2012
+ Siting rule survives challenge, takes effect
+ Community wind sweeps into western Wisconsin
+ St. Croix County Wind Project seeks PSC approval
2011
June 2011
+ State’s Hostility Toward Renewables Escalates
+ “Leaders” Lag Citizenry on Wind Support
April 2011
+ Siting Rule Suspension Rocks Wind Industry
+ Glenmore Wind Survives Raucous Opposition
February 2011
+ Walker, Legislature Open Fire on Siting Rule
+ Site Puts WI Wind Facts at Your Fingertips
2010
September 2010
+ Stringent Siting Rule Heads to Legislature (summary of proposed rule’s provisions)
May 2010
+ PSC Sets Hearings for Turbine Siting Rules
+ Tall Turbines Set to Breeze into Green Bay Area
+ Schools Roll Out Northwind 100 Turbines
February 2010
+ PSC Gives Go-Ahead to Glacier Hills Project
+ From PSC’s Order on Glacier Hills
+ Milwaukee Reels in 270 Jobs With New Wind Generator Manufacturing
2009
December 2009
+ Decision Nears on Glacier Hills Wind Park
+ Excerpts from WEPCO Witnesses on “Wind Turbine Syndrome”
October 2009
+ Wind Permitting Bill Becomes Law of the Land
+ Final Environmental Impact Statement Released for Glacier Hills Wind Park, including “Glacier Hills at a Glance” and a list of parties to the technical hearing.
by jboullion | Oct 14, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an announcement by the Waukesha County Environmental Action League:
Water is on its way to becoming the oil of the 21st century. World water shortages brought about by increasing demand of growing populations and the results of mis-use and overuse of water, in conjunction with globalization, and the privatization of government roles and responsibilities, are adding up to what may be a world water crisis. While improved technology and new and alternate sources may provide answers to the energy crunch, no scientists have discovered how to make more water yet.
Two award-winning documentary films begin to address this issue: “Thirst” and “FLOW” (For Love of Water). Beginning on Sept. 23, WEAL (Waukesha County Environmental Action League) will show these films around the County.
Think of it as the “No Excuses Film Fest”:
Seven showings (“Thirst” — 4 showings. “FLOW” — 3 showings.)
On different nights of the week
From Sept 23 to Oct 22, 2009
At locations all around the County
Free parking at easily accessible Public Libraries**
Free admission
Light refreshments
Discussion to follow
