by jboullion | Jul 23, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Stefanie Scott in Wauwatosa Now:
From commercial products to restaurant menus and government grants, campaigns of all kinds are using the ubiquitous phrase “going green.”
But several local groups are embracing the concept at a deeper level, taking on projects that can help Wauwatosa residents live more environmentally friendly lives.
Energy conservation at home
Wauwatosa resident John Bahr [a member of RENEW Wisconisn’s board of directors] is leading an effort to get neighborhoods citywide to reduce energy consumption. He is the home energy efficiency chairman for the city’s Energy Committee, formed this year.
He is working with neighborhood associations to help them make their members aware of how household and daily activities impact the environment and local resources that can assist them in sustainable living.
Bahr is recruiting people in each association to form neighborhood energy conservation groups this fall, but Tosa East Towne will be the pilot group.
Bahr’s subcommittee is creating course material for five sessions on topics including reducing trash and greenhouse gas emissions, conserving and protecting water and choosing healthy, sustainable foods. Participants will be given handouts with assignments and checklists they can use to mark off accomplished activities.
“They see what they can do within their own house using this course material and have to report back to their peers on what worked and what didn’t,” he said.
by jboullion | Jul 17, 2009 | Uncategorized
A question from AskFocusonEnergy:
Quesiton: Would I save more energy by replacing my old dishwasher or doing my dishes by hand?
Answer: Compared to washing dishes by hand, an ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher:
+ Can lower utility bills
+ Uses half as much energy
+ Saves nearly 5,000 gallons of water per year
ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers:
+ Use 25% less energy than conventional models
+ Use less hot water, saving you $90 over their lifetime
+ Internal water heaters, which reduce water heating costs by 20%
+ Boost water temperatures to 140 degrees — well above scalding temperatures. Washing dishes with hotter water allows for improved disinfection compared to washing by hand at much lower temperatures.
+ Run quieter than older models — over 50% quieter than models produced 10 years ago!
by jboullion | Jul 16, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Liz Welter in the Marshfield News-Herald:
The Sustainable Marshfield Committee is well on its way to bringing the city to the fore of communities in Wisconsin developing environment-friendly initiatives and programs, said Brian Driscoll, community development director at the Wisconsin Office of Energy Independence.
The amount accomplished and current plans of the committee is impressive for a city of Marshfield’s size, Driscoll said at a recent meeting of the Sustainable Marshfield Committee.
Through the committee’s efforts, Marshfield was awarded a state 25×25 grant in January. The city is one of 23 communities to begin developing plans demonstrating the potential to reduce fuel consumption and use alternative fuels to reach the governor’s goal of generating 25 percent of the state’s electricity and transportation fuels from renewable resources by the year 2025.
As a result of the grant and other work completed by the Sustainable Committee, a contingent from Waupaca toured the city in the spring as they formulate plans for their own sustainablity committee.
“It’s impressive that Waupaca would come here to learn from Marshfield,” Driscoll said.
by jboullion | Jul 14, 2009 | Uncategorized
A question from AskFocusonEnergy:
Quesiton: Would I save more energy by replacing my old dishwasher or doing my dishes by hand?
Answer: Compared to washing dishes by hand, an ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher:
+ Can lower utility bills
+ Uses half as much energy
+ Saves nearly 5,000 gallons of water per year
ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers:
+ Use 25% less energy than conventional models
+ Use less hot water, saving you $90 over their lifetime
+ Internal water heaters, which reduce water heating costs by 20%
+ Boost water temperatures to 140 degrees — well above scalding temperatures. Washing dishes with hotter water allows for improved disinfection compared to washing by hand at much lower temperatures.
+ Run quieter than older models — over 50% quieter than models produced 10 years ago!
by jboullion | Jul 9, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Milwaukee businesses and residents would benefit from loan programs the city is proposing to develop over the next year to help reduce energy bills.
The City of Milwaukee submitted its proposals for spending $5.8 million in energy-efficiency block grants as part of the federal stimulus package.
The city was given an indication of how much money it will receive but needed to submit a plan to the U.S. Department of Energy detailing how the funds would be spent, said Jodie Tabak, spokeswoman for Mayor Tom Barrett.
In an application submitted late last month, the city unveiled plans to boost energy efficiency of city-owned buildings and launch a revolving loan fund to help homeowners and businesses reduce energy use and save on utility bills. The city could also use some funds to add more hybrids to the city fleet, the city’s application says.
Nearly $1.5 million would be spent on the residential program, known as Milwaukee Energy Efficiency or ME2, to help homeowners afford the upfront costs of energy-saving upgrades.
Under the city’s plan, the revolving loan fund would help finance projects to replace old furnaces or make homes airtight through air sealing and insulation. Homeowners would then pay back the fund through regular installments.
