by jboullion | Feb 2, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an announcement from Wisconsin Public Power Inc. (WPPI):
Grants are now available for both new construction and remodeling of existing homes that are targeting net zero energy use when completed.
Complete details can be found at www.GreenMaxHome.com. Click here to view the GreenMax Home RFP.
WPPI’s Web site explains the concept of a net zero energy home:
A net zero energy home is connected to the energy grid that supplies your local utility with power, but it is designed and constructed to produce at least as much energy as it consumes. The house supplies energy back to the grid in — at a minimum —an amount equal to the amount of power the homeowner purchases from the grid, resulting in a “net zero” impact on the nation’s energy supply. Any excess energy generated by the house is fed back into the grid.
This new concept combines state-of-the-art, energy-efficient construction and appliances with commercially available renewable energy systems such as solar water heating and solar electricity. In many cases, the entire energy consumption — heating, cooling and appliances — of a net zero energy home can be provided by renewable energy sources.
Proposed homes must be built in a WPPI Energy member utility service area. WPPI’s member utilities are:
Alger Delta, MI
Algoma
Baraga, MI
Black River Falls
Boscobel
Brodhead
Cedarburg
Columbus
Cuba City
Eagle River
Evansville
Florence
Gladstone, MI
Hartford
Hustisford
Independence, IA
Jefferson
Juneau
Kaukauna
L’Anse, MI
Lake Mills
Lodi
Maquoketa, IA
Menasha
Mount Horeb
Muscoda
Negaunee, MI
New Glarus
New Holstein
New London
New Richmond
Norway, MI
Oconomowoc
Oconto Falls
Plymouth
Prairie du Sac
Reedsburg
Richland Center
River Falls
Slinger
Stoughton
Sturgeon Bay
Sun Prairie
Two Rivers
Waterloo
Waunakee
Waupun
Westby
Whitehall
by jboullion | Feb 2, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an announcement from Wisconsin Public Power Inc. (WPPI):
Grants are now available for both new construction and remodeling of existing homes that are targeting net zero energy use when completed.
Complete details can be found at www.GreenMaxHome.com. Click here to view the GreenMax Home RFP.
WPPI’s Web site explains the concept of a net zero energy home:
A net zero energy home is connected to the energy grid that supplies your local utility with power, but it is designed and constructed to produce at least as much energy as it consumes. The house supplies energy back to the grid in — at a minimum —an amount equal to the amount of power the homeowner purchases from the grid, resulting in a “net zero” impact on the nation’s energy supply. Any excess energy generated by the house is fed back into the grid.
This new concept combines state-of-the-art, energy-efficient construction and appliances with commercially available renewable energy systems such as solar water heating and solar electricity. In many cases, the entire energy consumption — heating, cooling and appliances — of a net zero energy home can be provided by renewable energy sources.
Proposed homes must be built in a WPPI Energy member utility service area. WPPI’s member utilities are:
Alger Delta, MI
Algoma
Baraga, MI
Black River Falls
Boscobel
Brodhead
Cedarburg
Columbus
Cuba City
Eagle River
Evansville
Florence
Gladstone, MI
Hartford
Hustisford
Independence, IA
Jefferson
Juneau
Kaukauna
L’Anse, MI
Lake Mills
Lodi
Maquoketa, IA
Menasha
Mount Horeb
Muscoda
Negaunee, MI
New Glarus
New Holstein
New London
New Richmond
Norway, MI
Oconomowoc
Oconto Falls
Plymouth
Prairie du Sac
Reedsburg
Richland Center
River Falls
Slinger
Stoughton
Sturgeon Bay
Sun Prairie
Two Rivers
Waterloo
Waunakee
Waupun
Westby
Whitehall
by jboullion | Jan 30, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Samantha Marcus in the La Crosse Tribune:
City and county officials unveiled on Thursday an ambitious plan aimed at improving the La Crosse area’s environmental sustainability.
The strategic plan calls for major reductions in energy consumption and shifts to renewable energy sources and is scheduled to hit the La Crosse Common Council floor Feb. 12 and the La Crosse County Board on Feb. 19.
“It’s for the good of the community, so I do hope everyone will be behind it,” said council member and mayoral candidate Dorothy Lenard, who sits on the joint Oversight Committee on Sustainability.
City Senior Planner Tim Kabat said Thursday this collaborative plan is unique in Wisconsin.
The city portion of the 67-page draft outlines targets for increasing the purchase of “environmentally preferred products” and services by 50 percent, cutting city hall’s paper consumption by 10 percent each year starting this year, reducing nonrecyclable waste by 25 percent and increasing the amount recycled by 25 percent.
The plan also recommends improving community transportation by reducing public transit trip times and starting a community car-sharing program.
Two of the more immediate priorities are recycling plastics within six months to a year and hiring a sustainability coordinator, said Jai Johnson, committee chairwoman, council member and county board supervisor.
by jboullion | Jan 21, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a media release issued by Focus on Energy:
Madison, Wis. (January 20, 2009) — Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, awarded Wausau Paper Corporation $343,274 in 2008 to launch energy saving efforts at its Wisconsin mills.
The cash incentives were used at the Brokaw, Mosinee and Rhinelander locations and will help save more than 3,683,717 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity and 973,313 therms of natural gas annually – saving enough energy to power 1,370 homes for a year. Wausau Paper will also benefit from a $1,097,000 savings on its utility bills each year.
“We have a measurable reduction in energy use,” said Tim Hasbargen, manager of engineering and utilities at Wausau Paper’s Rhinelander mill. “Our meters tell us that every month.”
A large portion of the funding was used to investigate new technologies and find ways to save energy throughout the company. For example, the Rhinelander mill downsized a pump and motor, then controlled the motor with a variable speed drive. Replacing oversized equipment is an effective way to save energy and money.
“Wausau Paper and Focus on Energy have a long history of working together,” said Ken Williams, director for Focus on Energy’s Business Programs. “The company is committed to saving energy any way it can, as fast as it can. It is one of the outstanding leaders in the paper industry.”
With the help of Focus on Energy, the paper manufacturer is researching additional ways to save energy and improve its bottom line. It has completed a number of feasibility studies on air ventilation, tank agitators, compressed air, dryer improvements, heat recovery, vacuum and hydro improvements to determine which measures would deliver the best return on investment.
by jboullion | Jan 15, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Sean Ryan in The Daily Reporter:
The state funnels $65 million in public money every year into making homes more energy efficient, but contractors warn they are running low on workers to do the job.
Compared to more traditional construction trades, replacing windows, hauling refrigerators and crawling through attics and basements to install insulation isn’t sexy, said Sheree Dallas Branch, administrator of the Division of Energy Services in the Wisconsin Department of Administration. But for years, the state found workers to weatherize thousands of houses, and the push for greater energy efficiency will only expand the need, she said.
The state hires 21 companies to oversee the weatherization program in different areas of Wisconsin, and for the past year those companies have said they are running short on workers, she said.
“One of the themes that was consistent was an aging work force,” Dallas Branch said. “Weatherization is a very technical field, but a lot of people don’t know about it.”
The point of the program is to conserve energy by fixing up old houses. Using money collected from the U.S. Department of Energy and public electric utilities in Wisconsin, the state weatherized 9,900 homes in 2008, Dallas Branch said. Wisconsin budgeted $65 million for the job in 2009 and plans to fix up 7,900 houses. There are fewer this year because the state is focusing on the worst houses that need the most work, she said.
To meet the need for more workers, the state is looking for a company to recruit up to 25 Milwaukee residents a year, help them get basic job skills and get them on-the-job training on state weatherization projects. Proposals are due Jan. 21.
Dallas Branch said the two-year contract in Milwaukee will serve as a pilot program the Division of Energy Services wants to replicate throughout the state.
Read the procurement announcement here.
