Energy Tidbits - October 2002
2002
Zero Energy Home Design Competition
winners are: 1st Place - Emanuele Arguelles, Christopher Hornbeck,
& Christina Snyder, Lawrence Tech; 2nd Place - Adam Dalide, Eric
Schmitt & Christina Snyder, Lawrence Tech; and 3rd Place - David
Johnson, Keith Ockerman, & Thomas Lowing, Andrews U. Descriptions of the winning designs are
available by contacting me at 517/241-6280 or jhsarve@michigan.gov
Change
a Light, Change the World campaign
starts October 1. If every household in
the U.S. changed the lighting in one room of their home to Energy Star, our annual energy savings
would be equivalent to the annual output of more than 21 power plants.
Great Lakes Region Waste Reduction &
Energy Efficiency Workshop
celebrates its 10 year anniversary on November 20 at the Burton Manor in
Livonia. Throughout the day, an EXPO track will feature pollution prevention and energy efficient
products and services. Other tracks being offered are Design for the
Environment, Reuse/Recycle, Energy Efficiency, and Environmental Management
Systems. Registration is $50. You can register by calling the
Environmental Assistance Center at 1-800-662-9278 or visiting http://www.deq.state.mi.us/workshops/
Bircher
Family in DePere are proving that
solar works in Wisconsin. Data
collected during the first two years show that the solar water heater provides
65% of the home's hot water. Passive
solar features, tight building shell and summer shading cut heating and cooling
bills by about 40%. The 575 watt PV
system furnishes about 10% of the home's electricity. www.wifocusonenergy.com/renewable.
National
Tour of Solar Buildings will be on
Saturday, October 5. For a tour near
you, visit www.ases.org
Wisconsin
Public Service has announced its new
"NatureWise" green power program.
The Wisconsin PSC approved the new rate on March 15. WPS expects to file with the Michigan PSC in
2003 for permission to provide NatureWise to its Michigan customers. Customers
can sign up to purchase 100-kWh blocks at a price of $2.65 per block.
NatureWise power consists of 50% wind energy, 40% landfill gas, and 10% from
recycled dairy farm waste. http://www.wisconsinpublicservice.com/home/naturewise.asp
Michigan
Uniform Energy Code is being
reviewed by a special committee appointed by the Director of the Dept. of
Consumer and Industry Services. The
committee began meeting in August and its deliberations are expected to
continue through early 2003. The
committee will be considering cost effective enhancements to the current
code. A review of Residential Energy
Codes in the Great Lakes is available at our web site - www.michigan.gov/energyoffice
Fundamentals
of Compressed Air Systems Seminar
will be held on October 29 in Detroit.
Registration fee is $300.
Advanced Management of Compressed Air Systems will be held in Detroit on
October 30-31. Registration fee is
$600. To register, call 216/241-7333 or
visit www.cagi.org
Michigan
Biomass Energy Program has funding
available for biofuel/bioenergy education (max $5,000), biofuels
infrastructure, and biomass technology development or demonstrations (max
$30,000). A 1:1 match is required. Proposals are due October 30. Contact Kelly Launder at 517/241-6223 or klaund@michigan.gov for a copy of the
RFP.
Toxic
Reductions through Energy Efficiency Among Industrial Boilers report is available at www.delta-institute.org. Industrial
plants, schools, hospitals and other facilities can both lower fuel usage and
cut their emissions by making simple changes in operations. Facility managers can save tens or hundreds
of thousands of dollars a year while reducing the release of mercury, cadmium,
dioxin and greenhouse gases.
Aquastar
125 HX, a tankless water heater,
requires no standing pilot, electricity, or batteries. When a hot water tap is opened, cold water
flows through the 125 HX's hydro generator.
The flowing water spins a tiny turbine which creates the spark to light
the natural gas burners. More: www.controlledenergy.com (Solar
Today, Sept./Oct. 2002)
Energy/Sustainable
Education interests you. Join the Urban Options' email community for
Sustainable Education at: http://urbanoptions.org/pages/newsadd.htm
Consumers
Energy Green Program has 495
customers signed up. 96% are
residential customers. The green power
is coming from the two 900 kW wind generators near Mackinaw City. More: http://www.consumersenergy.com/welcome.htm,
look under Energy Information, Green Power.
Solar
School in Zeeland case study can be
found at the Energy Office web site: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/CIS_EO_Inside_Solar_School_in_Zeeland1_40935_7.html
Solar
Benefits Model is an Excel 97
spreadsheet application for personal computers. It can be used to estimate the
economic benefits of installing a solar water-heating system. http://www.eren.doe.gov/solarbuildings/sbm.html
NextEnergy Center will be located in Wayne
State University's Research and Technology Park in Detroit. The new center will
serve as the nucleus for the NextEnergy Initiative, which is intended to help Michigan
become a world leader in the research, development,commercialization, and
manufacture of alternative energy technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells. The
news comes as a disappointment to York Township, which was originally slated
for the center. http://www.nextenergy.org/020916NextEnergy.htm. The NextEnergy Authority legislation has
gone to the Governor for his signature.
Prior
issues are at: www.michigan.gov/energyoffice,
publications
Would
you like to subscribe? Call John
Sarver at 517/241-6280 or e-mail jhsarve@michigan.gov