by jboullion | Oct 2, 2008 | Uncategorized
Many solar-powered and energy-efficient businesses and homes around Wisconsin, including southwestern Wisconsin, will be open to the public during the Wisconsin Solar Tour on October 3 and 4.
The tour demonstrates that renewable energy is practical, reliable and a realistic choice for home and business owners. Tour sites are owned, lived in, and worked in by ordinary people. They are helping others open the door to renewable energy.
Although it is officially called the Wisconsin Solar Tour, sites include all sorts of renewable energy technologies and other innovative features. On the Wisconsin Solar Tour you can see:
Wind and solar (PV) electric systems
Solar thermal and solar water heating systems
Green building construction and passive solar design
Energy efficient heating technologies
Energy efficient appliances
Environmentally friendly landscaping
And more!
by jboullion | Oct 2, 2008 | Uncategorized
Many solar-powered and energy-efficient businesses and homes around Wisconsin, including western Wisconsin, will be open to the public during the Wisconsin Solar Tour on October 3 and 4.
The tour demonstrates that renewable energy is practical, reliable and a realistic choice for home and business owners. Tour sites are owned, lived in, and worked in by ordinary people. They are helping others open the door to renewable energy.
Although it is officially called the Wisconsin Solar Tour, sites include all sorts of renewable energy technologies and other innovative features. On the Wisconsin Solar Tour you can see:
Wind and solar (PV) electric systems
Solar thermal and solar water heating systems
Green building construction and passive solar design
Energy efficient heating technologies
Energy efficient appliances
Environmentally friendly landscaping
And more!
by jboullion | Sep 29, 2008 | Uncategorized
A press release issued for the Wisconsin Solar Tour:
A Waukesha home will be one of more than 150 sites in the state open for the 2008 Wisconsin Solar Tour on October 4.
The home of Julie and Vince Toman, 2105 Parkview Court, features 30 roof-mounted solar panels following the second story roofline in the rear of the house.
“It produces more electricity than we need for much of the year. We’ve only paid 6 electric / gas bills in the last 15 months,” according to Julie Toman.
“In fact, we get a credit for the amount of excess electricity it generates,” she added.
Businesses with solar installations will welcome visitors on October 3, the first day of the two-day Solar Tour, organized by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA), located in Custer, Wisconsin.
Tour destinations will showcase advances in energy efficient construction, new products, sustainable landscaping, and renewable energy technologies.
“The tour demonstrates that renewable energy is practical, reliable, and affordable in today’s economy,” said Amy Heart, Program Director for the MREA.
“Tour participants have the chance to talk with people who live and work with renewable energy and green building features,” Heart added.
Full details on the Solar Tour and all the open businesses and residences are online at www.the-mrea.org/solartour.php.
by jboullion | Sep 25, 2008 | Uncategorized
From the Green Racine blog:
Salem, Ore.-based Kettle Foods says that it has yielded environmental and economic benefits by adopting measures that include offsetting all of the electricity used to operate both its Salem and Beloit factories with wind power. Additionally, the Beloit plant is home to 18 rooftop wind turbines.
“When we decided to go for green – or in this case, gold – with LEED certification of our new factory, we knew it was the right thing to do,” says Tim Fallon, president of Kettle Foods’ North American division.
The company also recycles of 2,300 gallons of waste oil with conversion to biodiesel used to power a company fleet of diesel-engine cars called BioBeetles, and reduces more than three million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually resulting from the elimination of shipping lines between Oregon and the Midwest.
by jboullion | Sep 23, 2008 | Uncategorized
From a media release from Wisconsin Public Power, Incorporated:
Homeowners looking to build or remodel in communities served by WPPI member utilities have an opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint through WPPI’s GreenMax Home program. WPPI is now soliciting competitive proposals for grants to help fund the construction of up to three net zero energy homes within WPPI member utility service areas.
As part of WPPI’s overall efforts to encourage public and community support for renewable energy, energy conservation and energy efficiency, the GreenMax Home program will help customers build highly efficient, environmentally friendly homes. Grants will be awarded to cover part of the incremental cost of designing and building a GreenMax Home over the cost of constructing a conventional Upper Midwest house. Incremental costs will include the design elements and technologies directly related to reducing energy use or producing energy through renewable resources.
“We are pleased to present another opportunity for homeowners in WPPI member communities to build and live in homes with net zero energy use,” said Senior Vice President of Customer Services and Administration Tom Paque. “The GreenMax Home program allows homeowners to take advantage of renewable energy technologies and demonstrate practical approaches to the efficient use of energy.”
WPPI’s GreenMax Home program supports the design and lifestyle choices that move a home from “highly efficient” to “net zero.” Net zero homes combine state-of-the-art green and environmentally friendly technologies and practices with renewable energy technology to ensure that the homes produce as much energy as they consume. To the greatest extent possible, the energy consumption (heating, cooling and electrical) of the homes will be provided by renewable energy sources.
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
