by jboullion | Jul 6, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Solar panels produced by Helios Solar Works of Milwaukee will be used by the U.S. Army, the FBI and other government customers under a strategic partnership announced Tuesday by Arista Power Inc.
Arista is a manufacturer of wind turbines and renewable energy storage systems based in Rochester, N.Y.
Financial terms of the partnership weren’t disclosed.
Helios will supply Arista with panels and will refer solar business opportunities to Arista. Arista has agreed to distribute Helios products to the military.
“One of the major benefits of our high-performance modules is their flexibility, which makes it possible to design systems that satisfy a variety of needs, from residential, commercial and governmental applications,” said Steve Ostrenga, Helios chief executive. “We view this as a perfect fit with Arista Power’s products, which are scalable and can be adapted to serve a variety of markets.”
The announcement comes as Helios is seeing demand for made-in-Milwaukee solar panels from the military, Ostrenga said in an interview. Helios is making panels for military bases in Arkansas, New York and Virginia.
“We’re getting a lot of movement in the military because the military has made a stance that, because of energy security, they want to be energy independent,” he said.
A large order for a military base in San Diego began production this week.
As a result of the demand, the company recently added a second shift, and employment is now at about 30 people, Ostrenga said. Plans are in the works for a third shift.
The Department of Defense released an energy strategy last month that incorporates greener technologies as a way to protect soldiers. Thousands of U.S. servicemen have lost their lives in attacks on fuel and other supply convoys in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“As long as U.S. forces rely on large volumes of energy, particularly petroleum-based fuels, the vulnerability and volatility of supplies will continue to raise risks and costs for the armed forces,” the Pentagon said in a report to Congress.
by jboullion | Jul 5, 2011 | Uncategorized
Immediate release
July 5, 2011
More information
Michael Vickerman
Executive Director
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org
Funding Hiatus Darkens Outlook for In-State Renewables
For the first time in its 11-year history, Focus on Energy is no longer accepting applications from Wisconsin businesses and nonprofit entities seeking to install renewable energy systems. This new policy took effect July 1.
According to Focus on Energy officials, this suspension of financial incentives is necessary to balance demand for renewable energy systems with available funds. In 2009, Focus on Energy allocated approximately $10 million to support customer-sited renewable energy systems. More than half of that allocation went to businesses, farmers, local governments, schools, and nonprofit organizations throughout the state.
“We recognize that Focus on Energy officials have a responsibility to ensure that outflows don’t exceed revenues. However, this suspension could not have occurred at a worse time for Wisconsin’s renewable energy contractors,” said Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin.
“Unfortunately, this move coincides with Milwaukee-based We Energies’ decision to walk away from an agreement with RENEW Wisconsin to commit $60 million over a 10-year period to develop renewable energy within its territory,” Vickerman said. ‘We Energies disclosed its unilateral action in May, barely more than halfway into honoring its commitment.”
“Given the adverse environment for renewable energy right now in Wisconsin, we hope that the interruption amounts to nothing more than a brief timeout,” said Vickerman.
“Unless funding is restored quickly, 2012 will turn out to be a very lean year for contractors and installers,” Vickerman warned.
As of this moment, the renewable energy marketplace is bristling with new installations. Installations to be completed this summer with incentives from Focus on Energy include:
• Two small wind turbines serving a Monroe County cranberry grower;
• A solar hot water system serving a new apartment building next to the Hilldale shopping complex in Madison;
• Side-by-side solar hot water and electric installations atop a new classroom building at the UW-Oshkosh;
• An engine generator fed with biogas derived from the City of Appleton’s wastewater treatment plant.
However, without a fresh supply of Focus-funded projects, Wisconsin’s renewable energy development pipeline will slow to a trickle, forcing contractors and installers to either seek work in other states or lay off employees.
Wisconsin has more than 2,500 customer-sited renewable energy installations, the vast majority of which received either financial incentives or facilitation services from Focus on Energy. In total, these installations have a generating capacity of about 20 megawatts.
END
by jboullion | Jun 29, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article by Darryl Enriquez on GazetteXtra.com:
ELKHORN — Electric vehicles, wind turbines, local food preparation and eco-friendly cleaning products will be displayed at the second annual EcoFair360.
EcoFair360 will have more than 200 exhibits, presentations and demonstrations that touch a variety of environmental interests and green and eco-friendly technologies.
The fair will be Friday, July 8, through Sunday, July 10, at the Walworth County Fairgrounds.
Founders of the fair, Fritz Kreiss and Catherine McQueen, pursue sustainable lifestyles and communities. The couple are planning The Green Leaf Inn, a low-energy hotel that will house EcoVision Sustainable Learning Center south of Delavan.
Here are five things to know about the fair:
1. Local food. The virtues of buying and cooking locally produced food will be explored Sunday, July 10, by Chef Rick Starr of Kirsch’s Restaurant in Williams Bay. . . .
2. Kids Zone. The Kids Zone will provide workshops for kids of all ages. . . .
3. E-85 benefits. . . .
4. Presentations [on renewable energy installations and energy efficiency]. . . .
5. State issues. State Sen. Neal Kedzie, R-Elkhorn, chairman of the Wisconsin Natural Resources and Environment Committee, will speak at 4 p.m. Friday, July 8, about legislative issues related to the environment and its impact on the community.
by jboullion | Jun 28, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article by Judy Newman in the Wisconsin State Journal:
Focus on Energy, a statewide program that promotes energy efficiency, is in the midst of big changes: new management by an out-of-state corporation, suspension of a popular rebate program, and sharp funding cuts in the pending state budget.
Nearly 20 people already have lost their jobs, mostly in Madison, as a result of the management change.
Meanwhile, dozens of small Wisconsin businesses that specialize in setting up solar panels and wind turbines fear for their futures because of the slashed allocation and rebate removal.
“It’s a lot of economic activity and jobs in Wisconsin. It’s a lot of energy efficiency, as well,” said Keith Reopelle, policy director for Clean Wisconsin.
Focus on Energy was created in 2001 to provide education, resources and cash incentives to Wisconsin residents and businesses to increase the use of energy-efficient products and systems, from furnaces to solar panels to vending machines.
In the past 10 years, more than 91,000 businesses and more than 1.7 million residents used the program and saved $2.20 for every dollar spent, according to Focus data. . . .
Since taking over Focus on Energy on May 9, one of Shaw’s first decisions, with PSC support, was to suspend payments to businesses that install renewable-energy systems, as of June 30.
Contractors like Seventh Generation Energy Systems were stunned.“It’s pretty devastating,” said James Yockey, chief executive officer. “It probably took out six to 10 projects that we were looking to close … for work in the fall and the coming spring.”
Several of the projects were wind turbines for farmers. “I think the incentives are decisive in people saying yes,” Yockey said . . . .
Program supporters have appealed to Gov. Scott Walker to veto the Focus budget cut, including a letter signed by 124 Wisconsin businesses. As of Friday, there was no word on his response. Walker is scheduled to sign the budget today.
“Cutting Focus on Energy will result in higher electricity bills and fewer jobs,” Randy Johnson, president of U.S. Lamp, a Green Bay energy-efficient lighting design company, said in the letter.
Seventh Generation’s Yockey said he hopes to avoid laying off any of his 16 employees by aiming his business at other states, and that could mean moving the company. “We prefer to be located in Madison but the bottom line is: we’ll see where the business takes us,” he said.
by jboullion | Jun 27, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article by Corrine Hess in the Business Journal of Milwaukee:
Finding a parking spot downtown will no longer be an issue for people willing to pedal.
At least, not if a group of local business leaders backing the bicycle rental initiative have any say in it.
The Discovery World museum hosted B-Cycle Thursday, the group responsible for setting up bike rental stations at 11 cities across the country, including Madison. Joel Brennan, president and CEO of Discovery World, invited the B-Cycle team to present their proposal to the museum’s board of directors.
“This is an innovative idea and we are the center of innovation so we thought it was a good fit,” Brennan said.
Lee Jones, director of sales for B-Cycle, said he hoped the event would spark interest in sponsorships for the program in Milwaukee.
The program is not cheap. Each bicycle, which includes the stand, and the software, ranges from $3,500 to $5,500.
B-Cycle installed about 200 bikes in Madison last month and expects to have the project completed by the end of July with 350 bicycles at 35 stations around the city.
Trek , a Waterloo bike manufacturer, donated the bikes in Madison. However, B-Cycle representative acknowledged it’s unlikely that will happen again in Milwaukee.
B-Cycle was started in Boulder, Colo., in 2008 as a partnership between Trek, Humana Inc. of Louisville, Ky., and Boulder advertising agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky.
The program is modeled after similar endeavors in European cities such as Paris and allows riders to swipe a membership card to unlock a 45-pound bicycle that comes with a lock, lights and basket.
Timing is good for B-Cycle to visit the city. The 11-day Tour of America’s Dairyland series is currently underway and hundreds of bicyclists are riding through southeast Wisconsin. On June 21, more than 600 cyclists rode through Schlitz Park and the Brewers Hill neighborhood.
