by jboullion | Jun 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a presentation by RENEW’s Michael Vickerman (above) at the Energy Fair of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association:
Energy Policy Must Recognize Energy Realities
+ Supplies of liquid fuels peaked in 2008
+ Capital is disappearing before our very eyes
+ Energy and food are the original currencies
+ The shift from stores to flows is inevitable
+ Current economy is highly energy-intensive
+ Energy return on energy invested (EROEI) must inform decision-making
+ We can’t afford to prop up existing energy sinks or engage in wealth-draining military adventures
Three paths to choose
+ Business as usual
+ Clean green technology
+ Curtailment and community
by jboullion | Jun 23, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an introduction to a guide just released by the Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS) and Green for All:
Green For All and COWS have just released A Short Guide to Setting Up a City-Scale Retrofit Program. This guide provides a model for designing and implementing energy efficiency retrofitting programs on a citywide scale, with a goal of making these retrofits available to more households and providing good, entry-level jobs with career pathways that are accessible to low-income communities and communities of color.
Energy efficiency retrofits of our homes, schools, and workplaces are the first steps to building an inclusive clean energy economy by addressing climate change, putting people in careers, and reducing working families’ energy bills. Despite their overwhelming economic and environmental benefits, current retrofitting programs have limited capacity and limited scope. Many are available only to income-eligible individuals, or to those with the money up-front to do the work. Furthermore, many current retrofitting programs only create low-wage, short-term jobs, rather than providing pathways into sustainable careers in construction and green building.
Clearly, a new model is needed. This guide is a tool for local organizations, business leaders, entrepreneurs, elected officials, and others in cities across the country to use to promote energy efficiency in their communities. It outlines all of the important aspects of such a program, including policies, labor standards, community coalitions, and long-term funding options.
by jboullion | Jun 18, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Andy Rathbun in the Pioneer Press:
River Falls has a new City Hall, and just like the city it represents, it’s a state leader in being “green.”
The firm that designed the newly opened, 27,000-square-foot building says it’s the first LEED-registered city hall in Wisconsin. It features lots of sunlight, is made of recycled materials and has the latest mechanics designed to save energy.
LEED — or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — is a designation made by the U.S. Green Building Council for buildings that meet or exceed certain environmentally friendly requirements. Buildings are ranked as certified, silver, gold or platinum, and the new City Hall is expected to be designated either silver or gold.
It’s far cry from the old City Hall, located in a cramped 1912 building originally built as a library.
“This is like night and day,” said city Planning Director Mariano “Buddy” Lucero of his new office. His old office was windowless, but in this new space, there’s so much sunlight coming in that he doesn’t even have to turn on the lights, he said.
The City Hall was built for about $5.2 million, said Mark Paschke of River Falls-based Frisbie Architects, the firm that designed the building. Making the facility adhere to environmentally friendly standards did not make it more expensive to build — its costs are in line with other new office buildings its size, he said.
And the design is meant to cut future utility costs.
Many of the lights that do get turned on are controlled by motion detectors. It’s one of the ways the building conserves energy. High-efficiency boilers and air conditioners will make the building 34 percent more energy-efficient than required by code, city officials said.
About a third of the building’s power comes from the purchase of renewable energy; River Falls is a leader in using such sources in the Midwest. The building’s roof also was built with solar power in mind.
by jboullion | Jun 17, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Focus on Energy:
HUDSON, Wis. (June 17, 2009) — Mobile home residents in the St. Croix area who purchase their gas and electricity from utilities who participate in the Focus on Energy Program, including St. Croix Gas, River Falls Municipal Utilities and Xcel Energy, have the opportunity for a free home energy evaluation and possible free energy efficiency improvements.
This initiative, called the Mobile Home Duct Sealing Pilot, is part of Focus on Energy’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® Program, and is designed to create cost effective energy savings in mobile homes by testing for and correcting a certain set of inefficiencies, primarily leaky duct work. All testing and work is free to the mobile home owner.
The Mobile Home Duct Sealing Pilot, like Home Performance energy evaluations, uses the most advanced, state-of-the-art equipment to test homes, identify problems and implement recommended improvements. Duct sealing and other improvements are then tested to ensure the work is done to program standards. Partnering consultants and contractors delivering the Pilot were selected through a competitive bidding process. All the services are free to the homeowner, and the entire process can be completed in one day.
by jboullion | Jun 16, 2009 | Uncategorized
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