Breakthrough allows new company to offer affordable solar power

From an article by Paul Davidson in the USA Today:

[SUNRGI], a Silicon Valley start-up, says it has developed technology that can deliver solar power in about a year at prices competitive with coal-fired electricity, a milestone that would leapfrog other more established players and turbocharge the fast-growing industry.

SUNRGI's "concentrated photovoltaic" system relies on lenses to magnify sunlight 2,000 times, letting it produce as much electricity as standard panels with a far smaller system. Craig Goodman, head of the National Energy Marketers Association, is expected to announce the breakthrough Tuesday.

Under its plans, which experts call promising but highly ambitious, SUNRGI would initially target utilities and large industrial and commercial customers. The company — founded by veterans of computer, digital design, aerospace and solar industries — would market to homes within three years. . . .

Portable meters help find your home's energy leeches

From an article by Nick Heynen in the Wisconsin State Journal:

. . . Everyone knows leaving the lights on all the time uses energy and costs money. More people are becoming aware of the power appliances leech from the grid while turned off — called, varyingly, "standby power," "phantom power," and "vampire power."

But the question in both cases is: How much?

Enter portable energy meters, available for free at all Dane County libraries and others across the state. Plug an appliance into the meter, and plug the meter into an outlet, and it displays information about the energy used by that appliance and the cost.

The meters are set by Madison Gas & Electric Co. with the average cost per kilowatt-hour (a measure of energy consumed over time) of electricity, so they can project both the standby power the appliance will use in a month and the cost of that energy.

"We mostly tell people to put it in the monthly cost mode and let it rip, because that's the ultimate question that most people have," said Jonathan Beers, residential services manager at MGE and self-described energy geek . . .

Senate okays solar and wind credit extensions

From an article on Capwiz.com:

If you've been wondering what happened to the bill introduced last week by U.S. Sens. Cantwell and Ensign that would, among other measures, extend solar investment tax credits for residential and commercial use, here's some up-to-the-minute news.

By a vote of 88-8, the Cantwell-Ensign language was successfully added as an amendment to the Senate's comprehensive housing bill (HR 3221). This bill passed the Senate on Thursday with an estimated $6.6 billion in tax credits allocated to renewables, and including a lifting of the $2000 cap on residential solar installation credits. . . .

And from a statement issued by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA):

Following the 88 to 8 vote in the U.S. Senate on the addition of the Cantwell-Ensign amendment, which provides a one year extension of the renewable energy Production Tax Credit (PTC), to the Housing Stimulus Bill, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) released the following statement by Senior Director of Governmental & Public Affairs Gregory Wetstone:

“Today’s 88 to 8 Senate floor vote on the Clean Energy Stimulus Act is a testament to the strong support for renewable energy across the political spectrum. The American Wind Energy Association, on behalf of our more than 1200 member companies, commends the Senate for moving to extend renewable energy tax incentives. We are especially grateful to Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and John Ensign (R-NV) and the many bipartisan cosponsors of this legislation who worked to move this bill forward. With 116,000 jobs and $19 billion in clean energy investment at risk from the looming expiration of renewable energy tax credits, the Senate has recognized the urgency of taking timely action to extend these incentives. . . .

Renewable energy financing workshops set, April 18 & April 25

From the Office of Energy Independence:

MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Commerce (Commerce) and the Office of Energy Independence will host two free renewable energy financing workshops for industry businesses and researchers. The workshops will provide information about the new Wisconsin Energy Independence Fund (WEIF), a renewable energy loan and grant program administered by Commerce, as well as other available renewable energy resources.

“I am pleased that Commerce is able to offer these free workshops as another step toward Wisconsin’s energy independence,” said Commerce Secretary Jack L. Fischer, AIA. “Governor Doyle’s Clean Energy Wisconsin plan calls for $15 million annually in grants and loans for research and development, commercialization or adoption of new technologies, and supply chain development.”

Information about how to apply for the WEIF program, eligibility, and program requirements will be explained at the meeting.

The workshops will be held in:

Madison: Friday, April 18 from 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Commerce, 201 W. Washington Avenue.

Stevens Point: Friday, April 25, 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., UW-Stevens Point, Legacy Room, Dreyfus University Center, 1015 Reserve Street.

The application period for the first round of funding will run from April 1 to June 2, 2008. For application materials and more information about the program and a program fact sheet, visit the Department of Commerce.

The Office of Energy Independence (OEI) has additional information on other state programs, federal grants, and private funds available for clean energy and fuel-related projects. Contact David Jenkins, OEI, (608) 264-7651, DavidJ.Jenkins@Wisconsin.gov

Geothermal workshops in May

A workshop announcement from the Energy Center of Wisconsin:

This training is designed to give you information that will help you assess whether a geoexchange system is right for your next project, be it a home, school or business. Discover the right way to plan and evaluate your next successful geoexchange project!

We are facing a number of energy challenges in the next decade. The comfort system in our buildings is one of the most important choices we will make regarding a building’s performance. Facing rising energy prices, residential and commercial customers are seeking ways to manage their energy use and costs. The growing importance architects and builders are placing on environmental sustainability without sacrificing economic considerations makes geoexchange systems (geothermal heat pump technology) an efficient and cost effective solution.

Dates & locations
Tuesday, May 6, 2008 – Hudson, WI
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 – Madison, WI
Thursday, May 8, 2008 – Green Bay, WI

Integrys Announces New Business Segment Focused on Green Energy

From a press release issued by Integrys (parent company of Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, Green Bay):

Columbus, OH -- Integrys Energy Services, a subsidiary of Integrys Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE: TEG), is pleased to announce the creation of a new business segment focused on renewable energy, efficiency, and conservation.

In response to customers' growing interest in sustainability and Integrys Energy Group's own concern for the environment, the new business unit will focus on delivering value-added energy services and renewable commodities to its wholesale and retail customers. Examples of new offerings from Integrys Energy Services include electric supply involving Renewable Energy Certificates, energy-efficiency programs that promote conservation, and development of green power generation projects. Green energy is produced from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass and hydro-electric. These energy sources are considered cleaner than conventional sources of electricity and have a reduced environmental impact.

Sheboygan, Plymouth wise to get in early on Clean Energy Program

From an editorial in The Sheboygan Press:

We're pleased to see that Sheboygan and Plymouth are getting in on the ground floor of Gov. Jim Doyle's Clean Energy Wisconsin plan — a combined effort by the state and local municipalities to find and implement energy-efficient operations.

This first-in-the-nation kind of partnership, according to Doyle's office, will make use of energy efficiencies already being used, couple them with new methods discovered as the effort progresses and share them with other communities, big and small, across the state.

In addition to energy efficiency, the program will also look for ways that renewable fuels can help government save money.

In the long run, the reduction in energy use will not only be good for the environment — making Wisconsin a greener state — but will also be good for state taxpayers who are footing the energy bill for government — leaving more green in the pocketbook.

There is also the economic benefit to the state from the production of renewable fuels in new jobs and income.

Turn off your monitor?

Hugh Schmidt provided this article from the DoIT computer center about his assessment of a monitor's power use:

Does it make sense to turn off your computer monitor to save energy? The simple answer is "yes." Screen-save mode doesn't do much to cut energy use.

Hugh Schmidt of the Population Health Sciences department in the Medical School investigated the question, and he sends along some useful information on energy consumption:

Someone recently asked if we should inform our users that monitors in screen-save mode reduce energy consumption by only a few watts. At $.105 per kilowatt hour (kwh), turning off a 75-watt monitor outside 40 hours a week saves $4.38 a month (42 kwh). This saves 750 lb. of CO2 (greenhouse gas emissions) by burning 450 fewer pounds of coal each year! Flat screen monitors consume about one third this much energy.

Some typical consumption levels for computer equipment are:

* desktop computer: 60w (watts)
* CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor: 75w
* flat screen monitor: 25w
* laserjet printer: 7.2w

Using a 120-volt wattmeter borrowed from the public library, I made a quick check of some high-profile energy-consuming items at home, revealing the following:

* 32” television set: 90w
* coffeemaker: 980w brewing, 2w warming
* microwave: 1950w
* fan: 95w on low, 125w on medium, 180w in high
* 100w-equiv. compact fluorescent light bulb: 22w
* 17” Dell monitor: 84w active, 74w blank blue, 67w blank black, 69w screen-save, <0.1w active-off (standby)
* Laptop computer: 60w active, 25w idle, 1.6w standby mode.
* Dot-matrix printer: 3w idle; 13w max

The U.S. Department of Energy recommends using "standby-mode" when our computers will be idle for more than 20 minutes. It also points out that 75% of electricity used to power home electronics is consumed when these appliances are "turned off." You can use your powerstrip to turn everything completely off when finished for the day. Programmable powerstrips are available from www.wattstopper.com