A safe investment in 2010: Hot water

Though written in 2007, an analysis by RENEW's executive director Michael Vickerman may be even truer today an a few years ago, given the risk involved in "traditional" investments. The analysis shows that an investmnet in a solar hot water system generates a better rate of return than putting money in the bank:I wrote a column which was highly critical of using payback analysis to figure out whether installing a solar hot water system on one’s house makes economic sense. In almost every example you can imagine, the payback period for today’s solar installations ranges between long and forever. For my system, which started operating in January 2006, payback will be achieved in a mere 19 years using today’s energy prices, though by the time 2025 rolls around, half of Florida might be under...

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Keep working toward energy independence

From an editorial in the Sheboygan Press:Gov. Jim Doyle's 2006 campaign promise of having four University of Wisconsin campuses completely "off the grid" by 2012 and get their energy needs from renewable sources was an ambitious one.Unfortunately, it has turned out to be an impossible task.Doyle said that campuses at Oshkosh, River Falls, Green Bay and Stevens Point were to work toward energy independence as a way to show that it can be done. Doyle has pushed hard for Wisconsin to research and implement alternative energy sources, especially renewable sources — wind, solar and biomass. The goal is to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels, especially oil bought from foreign countries.The four schools were to start producing their own electricity or buy it from utilities using the renewable sources...

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Doyle Announces $190,000 to Roundy's for energy projects

From a news release issued by Governor Jim Doyle:OCONOMOWOC – Governor Jim Doyle announced today a $190,570 grant for Roundy’s Supermarkets to help complete energy efficient lighting projects at its facility in Oconomowoc. The funding through the state’s Focus on Energy program builds on Governor Doyle’s efforts to make Wisconsin a national leader in renewable energy and energy efficiency.“Wisconsin has a tremendous opportunity to be a leader in clean energy,” Governor Doyle said. “With this funding, we will be able to help Roundy’s become more energy efficient, so they can retain their competitive edge, reduce energy costs and carbon emissions, and create jobs.”The project will save Roundy’s nearly $400,000 annually in energy costs and conserve enough energy to power 450 homes each year....

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Muskego company saves $95,000 annually from green building measures

From a news release issued by Focus on Energy:(December 21, 2009) — Focus on Energy, Wisconsin's statewide resource for energy efficiency and renewable energy, in partnership with We Energies, awarded Ace Industrial Properties $77,300 after it completed several major green building initiatives at its new 484,000 square-foot Muskego warehouse.Together the projects will save more than 1.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually compared to a conventional building of its size – saving enough energy to power 125 Wisconsin homes for a year. Ace Industrial Properties will also benefit from saving approximately $95,000 on its energy bills at the warehouse each year. . . .The cash incentives from Focus were used to install major energy savers including:· More than 1,000 high-performance T8...

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Teachers' publication features Jenny Heinzen

An article on RENEW's president Jenny Heinzen from the Wisconsin Education Association:Jenny Heinzen’s job isn’t a breeze – though it does rely on it. As a Wind Energy Technology instructor at Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland, Wis., Heinzen not only teaches about harnessing an alternative form of energy, she’s been part of the push for new wind farms in Wisconsin.In September, Governor Jim Doyle signed into law a bill calling for uniform standards for wind farms. The bill will create a set of rules overruling any local ordinances on wind farms, potentially setting up a boon for wind projects in the state. Heinzen is part of a group called Wind for Wisconsin, which spurred the legislation. Heinzen said she wants to create wind farms to move Wisconsin forward and keep wind energy technology...

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Manitowoc council approves Orion wind turbine

From an article by Steve Prestegard on Marketplace Magazine:The Manitowoc Common Council Monday [December 21] approved Orion Energy Systems’ request to build a wind turbine at the power technology enterprises’ Woodland Drive world headquarters.Orion’s wind turbine is expected to generate 20 kilowatts of electricity that will be used to help power the company’s technology center and manufacturing facility. The electricity generated by the wind turbine is enough to regularly power the equivalent of four to five homes a year. The turbine, manufactured by Oshkosh-based Renewegy LLC, will be 115 feet tall.“We’re excited to be bringing the first urban wind project to Manitowoc County,” said Orion CEO Neal Verfuerth. “By installing this technology adjacent to our facility where the electricity will...

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Telkonet, Inc. restructures, including relocation of headquarters to Milwaukee

From a news release issued by Telkonet:GERMANTOWN, MD--(Marketwire - December 21, 2009) - Telkonet, Inc. (OTCBB: TKOI), a Clean Technology company that develops and manufactures proprietary energy management and SmartGrid networking technology, is conducting a restructuring which includes the relocation of its offices from Germantown, Maryland to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This transition is part of an ongoing focus to competitively position the company within the $50 billion SmartGrid and Clean Technology industries while achieving favorable cost reductions. . . . Jason Tienor, President and CEO, commented, “The decision to consolidate Telkonet’s operations demonstrates our continued commitment to realign our business and operations, helping us achieve our growth and expansion goals. With this...

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RTA votes to stop rental car fee to pay for planning KRM

From an article by Joe Potente in the Kenosha News:A fee on rental car transactions in southeastern Wisconsin is going away — at least for a while.The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority voted Friday not to reinstate a $2 fee that had been charged to help pay for planning of the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail proposal.That was after the new board voted narrowly to appoint Kenosha County designee Karl Ostby as its chairman.Created by the Legislature as part of the 2009-11 state budget, the authority is enabled to levy up to $18 per rental transaction to support the local costs of KRM’s development.Debate over fee Maintaining the $2 fee for now was discussed, but a majority of the board favored holding off on any fee until a KRM grant plan is finalized, Antaramian said in a phone...

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Don't weaken state's nuke law

From a commentary by Jennifer Nordstrom, coordinator of the Carbon-Free, Nuclear-Free campaign for the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research and a member of Carbon-Free, Nuclear-Free Wisconsin, in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:Weakening Wisconsin laws regulating new nuclear reactors should not be part of a climate change bill. The Clean Energy Jobs Act, unveiled in the state Legislature recently, is a significant step toward addressing global warming while strengthening our state economy. Although much of the bill is a positive step to addressing global warming, it weakens Wisconsin's current law on building new nuclear reactors.Wisconsin's current law is common sense and protects citizens and the environment from radioactive nuclear waste, which poses considerable risks for tens...

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State DA surcharge now hitting We Energies bills

From a Tom Content blog post on JSonline:The state-authorized surcharge on electric bills to pay for district attorney salaries is now hitting utility bills of We Energies customers.The Milwaukee utility is the last of the investor-owned utilities in the state to begin collecting the surcharge. The increase took effect with bills processed on Thursday, utility spokesman Brian Manthey said.For residential customers, the fee amounts to 47 cents a month. The fee will drop to 26 cents a month for the fiscal year that starts in July.Small businesses will be assessed $1.07 a month beginning now and 57 cents a week beginning in July. Factories can expect to pay $29.53 a month starting this week, and $15.83 a month beginning in July, the utility said.Wisconsin legislators included the surcharge among...

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Litany of errors mars analysis of bill to enact recommendations of global warming task force

From a news release issued by the coalition for Clean, Responsible Energy for Wisconsin’s Economy (CREWE):(MADISON, Wis.)—The coalition for Clean, Responsible Energy for Wisconsin’s Economy (CREWE) on Tuesday released a fact sheet detailing the errors with the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute’s (WPRI) November 12th report on the adverse economic effects of the Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming recommendations.“The WPRI report is so wildly flawed that it has no place in any legislative debate on the task force recommendations,” said Thad Nation, executive director of CREWE. “Not only does the report analyze many policies that aren’t even included in the Clean Energy Jobs Act, but it takes a piecemeal approach, failing to analyze the cumulative effect the policies will have on our state.”Among...

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Report: Wind Turbines Cause No Human Harm

From a news release issued by RENEW Wisconsin:IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 15, 2009MORE INFORMATIONMichael VickermanRENEW Wisconsin608.255.4044mvickerman@renewwisconsin.orgReport: Wind Turbines Cause No Human HarmConsistent with 10-plus years of commercial wind generation operations in Wisconsin, a national report issued today concluded that the sounds produced by wind turbines are not harmful to human health, according to the state’s leading renewable energy advocacy group.Comprised of medical doctors, audiologists, and acoustical professionals from the United States, Canada, Denmark, and the United Kingdom, the panel of reviewers undertook extensive analysis and discussion of the large body of peer-reviewed literature, specifically with regard to sound coming from wind turbines. The panel was...

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We all have a stake in curbing warming

From an editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:Even if a global deal can't be reached in Copenhagen, actions by states such as Wisconsin can make a big difference in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.When Gov. Jim Doyle arrives in Copenhagen this week to address the international conference on climate change, he can and should stress the need for action on an international scale, but he can also show the importance of states, countries and individuals doing what they can - acting locally - to reduce the human impact on global warming.Wisconsin has been moving forward, largely under the leadership of Doyle, several key legislators and others, such as Tia Nelson and Roy Thilly, co-chairs of the Governor's Task Force on Global Warming, which made 63 policy recommendations when...

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Noise from wind turbines - Big problem in U.K.

Wind energy definitely has more advantages than disadvantages but as one of the main problems with win energy installations could be the noise coming from wind turbines. The U.K. Government has for instance asked for local authorities to urgently update the guidance and the impact of noise from wind turbines, campaigners.Wind turbines, as wind energy sector is developing, are becoming larger ...

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Global warming bill sets stage for debate

From an article by Tom Content and Lee Bergquist in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:A draft of major legislation released Thursday calls for greater use of renewable power, opens the door to construction of nuclear power plants and lays the groundwork for how Wisconsin addresses global warming.The legislation sets the stage for a major debate in Madison, with proponents touting the promise of thousands of new jobs and opponents warning that new controls will damage the state's already weak manufacturing sector.The bill would dramatically change the state's sources of energy, mandating that 25% of electricity come from wind, solar, biomass and other renewable sources by 2025.Wisconsin is heavily dependent on coal, a key source of greenhouse gases that most climate scientists say is a leading...

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Fed grants will help Milwaukee companies create green jobs

From an article in the BizTimes Daily:Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle announced today that three Milwaukee area companies have been granted a total of $3.1 million in federal funding to help them invest in manufacturing equipment and create 276 new green jobs.“Wisconsin has a tremendous opportunity to be a leader in clean energy,” Doyle said. “With these funds, we will help these companies not only create hundreds of new green jobs in Milwaukee, but also manufacture renewable energy and energy efficient products.” The companies receiving the federal funding are:+ Helios USA - $1 million. The Milwaukee start-up is a manufacturer that will produce solar panels for residential and commercial applications. It is leasing 40,000 square feet in an existing facility and will invest more than $8 million...

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Study: Wind farms have no effect on property values

From a news release issued by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory:Home sales prices are very sensitive to the overall quality of the scenic vista from a property, but a view of a wind energy facility does not demonstrably impact sales prices.Over 30,000 megawatts of wind energy capacity are installed across the United States and an increasing number of communities are considering new wind power facilities. Given these developments, there is an urgent need to empirically investigate typical community concerns about wind energy and thereby provide stakeholders involved in the wind project siting process a common base of knowledge. A major new report released today by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory evaluates one of those concerns, and finds that...

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Energizing Fort Atkinson’s schools from the sun and earth

The solar water heating systems serve Fort Atkinson high school and the middle school. The radiant energy striking the rooftop panels year-round is efficiently collected and taken inside to preheat the swimming pools inside each structure. Except during the winter months, the incoming solar energy is sufficient to maintain pool temperatures at 84°F. Even in January, however, the savings that a solar hot water system yields simply by preheating a pool to 70°F is substantial when multiplied over several decades.From a story by Michael Vickerman, RENEW's executive director:As a result of educating themselves on the connection between energy use and atmospheric pollution, several school districts in Wisconsin are taking increasingly aggressive...

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Energy audits help stop home heat loss

From an article by Julie Lawrence posted on OnMilwaukee.com:The temperatures outside are plummeting. It's winter in Wisconsin and the cozy comfort of our homes becomes our refuge after hours of shoveling and ice scraping. What we're forced to endure in the Midwest could be considered criminal in other parts of the country, but the real crime Wisconsinites face is not adequately preparing their homes for the seasons. Kent Borden has been an energy audit consultant for Five Star Energy Corp. for close to three years and he's seen homes at just about every level of efficiency. Interestingly, it's not that most people aren't willing to work to limit energy loss, it's that they don't fully understand its source. Wisconsinites often misinterpret old windows as the major culprit. Borden says not...

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Kohl’s pledges net zero emissions by 2010

From a news release issued by Kohl's Corporation:MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis., December 2, 2009 – Kohl’s Department Stores (NYSE: KSS) today became the first retailer to announce a commitment to reach net zero U.S. greenhouse gas emissions as part of its ongoing partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Climate Leaders program. To achieve this goal of being carbon neutral, Kohl’s will continue to invest in projects to reduce the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions that the company emits into the atmosphere.The goal accounts for U.S. emissions at all Kohl’s facilities, including stores, distribution centers and corporate offices, as well as emissions resulting from business travel. Kohl’s goal, once realized, will be equivalent to removing more than 130,842 vehicles from...

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Handbook on financing community wind projects

From the newly released handbook on "Community Wind Financing," published by the Environmental Law & Policy Center:. . . community wind [i]s any project up to 20 MW which was “initiated and (at least partially) owned locally.”Community wind power projects represent a relatively small, but growing, share of the wind energy market. As of July 2008, community wind projects accounted for at least 736 MW of the total installed wind energy projects in the United States, primarily in the Midwest, and more have been developed in the last year. These projects are largely owned by farmers and other local investors, schools, tribes and municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives. Such local ownership generates powerful economic and social benefits for rural areas. . . . This updated Handbook...

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Renewable energy advantages

Since gas and home heating prices are very likely to be soaring in years to come, it is really a logical choice to explore renewable energy not only to save some money that would otherwise be spent on huge energy bills but also to help our environment that is being heavily polluted with fossil fuels. These days, the more and more people realize that our large dependency on fossil fuels is caus...

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Regional Transit Authority stuck in transit funding tangle

From an article by Larry Sandler in the Milwaukee Jounral Sentinel:The Milwaukee area's newest government body started work this week with the realization that it doesn't have the power to accomplish its only mission.In essence, the members of the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority were told that the state had put them in an impossible position, and only the state can get them out of it.The 2009-'11 state budget created the new RTA to oversee the planned KRM Commuter Link rail line. It did not give the new body any power to fund or coordinate local bus systems.Yet Federal Transit Administration officials have said they won't approve the $207.5 million commuter railroad until the financial problems of the Milwaukee County Transit System and its Racine and Kenosha counterparts are solved,...

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