by jboullion | Sep 23, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a column by Gregg Hoffman on WisBusiness.com:
Contrary to stereotypes of the gloomy, cloudy Midwest, Milwaukee, and Wisconsin in general, are very conducive to effective use of solar energy, and in fact have developed into leaders in the country in that field.
That fact will be highlighted during Milwaukee Solar Week, Sept. 28-Oct. 2. Milwaukee Shines, the city of Milwaukee’s solar program, will team with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) and other organizations and businesses to showcase renewable energy successes and opportunities during the week.
We Energies and Focus on Energy also are hosting solar events during the week. Milwaukee Shines is coordinating the week.
“The city is fortunate to be hosting two premier professional solar conferences, which will highlight all Milwaukee has to offer a growing solar market,” said Matt Howard, director of Milwaukee’s Office of Environmental Sustainability.
Professionals and the general public will both find things of interest during the week.
“Milwaukee Solar Week has something for everyone,” said Amy Heart, Milwaukee’s Solar Coach and MREA’s Milwaukee Director. “This is a perfect chance to get information on installing solar on your home, find out how to get in the solar business or establish business connections in this growing industry.”
Heart emphasized that Milwaukee and Wisconsin do get an average of 4 ½ hours of sunlight per day. “That’s more than Germany, and Germany is an energy exporter,” she added.
by jboullion | Sep 21, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article on BizTimes Daily:
When the new high-speed rail network is established in the Midwest, it will create 13,000 new jobs in Wisconsin, eliminate 780,000 car trips every year and conserve 2.76 million gallons of gasoline annually, according to a new report released today by the WISPIRG Foundation.
The organization attributed the estimate of the jobs created to the Midwest High-Speed Rail Association.
Kyle Bailey, program associate with WISPIRG, said the 13,000 jobs include both private development in and around intermodal stations and rail lines, manufacturing jobs related to train and car construction, and the development, maintenance and operations of the trains and intermodal stations.
Bailey said he did not know how many of the 13,000 jobs would be with private companies or the state.
“High-speed rail is part of the solution – boosting our economy and creating jobs, modernizing our transportation system and helping to solve our nation’s oil dependency, worsening congestion and pollution,” Bailey said. “High-speed rail gets us moving in the right direction.”
Bailey noted the growing popularity of the Amtrak Hiawatha line between Chicago and Milwaukee, which saw a 63-percent increase in ridership from 2004 to 2008, when more than 766,000 passengers rode the line.
Wisconsin’s Midwest regional rail line upgrades will speed the Hiawatha service up to 110 mph, reducing trip time from Chicago to Milwaukee to about an hour, and extend it to Madison and eventually La Crosse or Eau Claire and the Twin Cities.
by jboullion | Sep 17, 2010 | Uncategorized
See more video here.
From a news release about the ribbon cutting issued by MATC:
MILWAUKEE (Sept. 15, 2010) – Milwaukee Area Technical College hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its 32-acre, 540 kW Photovoltaic Educational Laboratory on Wednesday, Sept. 15. The PV Lab is located at 810 E. Capitol Dr., Milwaukee.
MATC and Johnson Controls, the global leader in delivering products, services and solutions that increase energy efficiency in buildings, collaborated on the project, the largest operating photovoltaic facility in Wisconsin and is believed to be the first entirely portable photovoltaic facility in the United States. The project was unanimously approved by the Wisconsin Technical College System State Board on Sept. 30, 2009, and ground was broken on May 5, 2010.
“The Photovoltaic Educational Laboratory showcases several outstanding attributes of MATC: innovation and creativity at work; partnering with local businesses to provide new educational opportunities; advancing the world of technology to heights we have not seen before; and becoming a leader for other educational institutions and businesses to follow,” said MATC President Dr. Michael L. Burke. “This physical location has changed dramatically in just over four months. It started as a non-descript, unwanted, unmarketable tract of land that had stumped experts for decades on what exactly to do with it. Now, it represents what can really be called a new American dream.”
. . . The site features:
• 2,590 PV panels;
• two training centers for technicians, designers, site assessors, electricians, sales personnel and other professionals in renewable energy fields;
• over-parking and over-road array placement;
• data collection capabilities; and
• the first public television transmitter in the country that will approximate energy grid neutrality.
by jboullion | Sep 15, 2010 | Uncategorized
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Amy Heart
MREA Milwaukee Director
414-431-0758
amy@the-mrea.org
CITY ADDS SOLAR TO FIRE STATIONS AND TRAINS WORKFORCE
Milwaukee, WI – Milwaukee’s solar program is bringing solar hot water to two local fire stations, while training the local solar workforce. The City of Milwaukee’s Solar America City program, Milwaukee Shines, organized this one-of-a-kind opportunity through a partnership with Midwest Renewable Energy Association, Caleffi North America and Milwaukee Solar.
Milwaukee’s Fire Station #13, located at 2901 N 30th Street, and Fire Station #23, located at 2130 W Oklahoma Ave, will both receive solar hot water systems this October, as part of training workshops lead by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA).
The MREA, a non-profit organization, is a national leader in providing high quality training programs for renewable energy professionals. These install workshops will provide specialized training for individuals who would like to learn how to install solar hot water systems.
Matt Howard, Director of Milwaukee Office of Environmental Sustainability, said this installation is a perfect fit. “Solar hot water on fire stations is an excellent and efficient application of this technology,” said Howard. “The City of Milwaukee is excited to showcase a good use of the technology and off-set some of our energy use as well.”
Amy Heart, MREA’s Milwaukee Director, said this is a unique opportunity to not only save money for the City of Milwaukee, but also provide hands-on training for future solar installers. “By training local installers, we are working to expand the local solar market, reduce costs for consumers, and ensure quality installations that can demonstrate how solar works for Wisconsin,” said Heart.
Caleffi North America, headquartered in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley, donated the solar hot water systems for the installation workshops. Dean Wolff of Milwaukee Solar, will serve as the installer and instructor on the project.
Milwaukee was selected as a Solar America City in 2008 by the U.S. Department of Energy. Milwaukee Shines, the city’s solar program, works to increase solar electric and solar hot water installations through education, awareness and financial assistance. For details on the City of Milwaukee’s solar program visit www.MilwaukeeShines.com or call 414-286-5593
Pre-registration for the workshops is required, and pre-requisites must be met. To get more information on the MREA fire station install workshops visit www.the-mrea.org or call 414-431-0758.
Installation Schedule
Fire Station #13 Solar Hot Water Installation
Monday, October 4 – Thursday, October 7
City of Milwaukee Fire House #13
2901 N 30th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53210
Fire Station #23 Solar Hot Water Installation
Monday, October 25 – Thursday, October 28
City of Milwaukee Fire House #23
2130 W Oklahoma Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53215
# # #
by jboullion | Sep 10, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a report titled “The Facts about Wind Energy’s Emissions Savings” prepared by the American Wind Energy Association:
. . . four of the seven major independent grid operators in the
U.S. have studied the emissions impact of adding wind energy to their power grids, and all four have found that adding wind energy drastically reduces emissions of carbon dioxide and other harmful pollutants. While the emissions savings depend somewhat on the existing share of coal-fired versus gas-fired generation in the region, as one would expect, it is impossible to dispute the findings of these four independent grid operators that adding wind energy to their grids has significantly reduced emissions. . . .
DOE data show that wind and other renewables’ share of Texas’s electric mix increased from 1.3% in 2005 to 4.4% in 2008, an increase in share of 3.1 percentage points. During that period, electric sector carbon dioxide emissions declined by 3.3%, even though electricity use actually increased by 2% during that time. Because of wind energy, the state of Texas was able to turn what would have been a carbon emissions increase into a decrease of 8,690,000 metric tons per year, equal to the emissions savings of taking around 1.5 million cars off the road.
