Energizer Newsletter
June 5, 2009
Volume 2, Issue 8
Extension Clean Energy Outreach
by Leigh Fortson
Extension Regional Communications Coordinator and REA (Renewable Energy Advocate)
Scientific American Names CSU Professor Among Top 10
CSU professor Bryan Willson, co-founder of Environfit and Solix Biofuels, recently made big headlines. The critically acclaimed magazine, Scientific American, listed him among their chosen “10: Guiding Science for Humanity.” Willson was honored for his leadership of and impact from the Engines and Energy Conversion Lab where he developed clean, fuel-efficient engines and cook stoves that reduce emissions by up to 80% for impoverished people in third world countries.
The editor writes that “The ethical and policy ramifications of deploying science and technology in the service of society hold the same importance as the act of invention itself.
“Leadership in these realms requires vision and imagination that transcends mere engineering ingenuity. This year’s Scientific American 10 pays tribute to the exceptional foresight and accomplishment of a select group whose achievements, particularly during the past year, stand out from those of their peers. The 10 winners have demonstrated that establishing a public health program or running a green business requires more than administrative efficiency and good public relations. Bringing creativity to bear in overcoming institutional and bureaucratic impediments to adoption of not just new technology but innovative procedural methods is crucial for improving health care and the environment.”
CSU is clearly another beneficiary of Willson’s ingenuity and commitment to a cleaner world.
Willson is in prestigious company: Both President Obama and Bill Gates, head of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, are among the winners.
Real Life: Installing Solar Hot Water and Heating Systems
Dolores County Director, Dan Fernandez, is also the head of the biomass/biofuels CESIT Team. But his interest in renewable energy does not stop at the local biofuels plant he helped orchestrate into reality. Given the incentives and rebates, he and his wife, decided it was time to go solar. Here’s what he had to say about it:
This is a Solar Hot Water System for both domestic hot water and partial home heating (50% of the house) using room radiators. The 5 solar panels are 4’x 10’ and are placed at a 55 degree angle on the roof. In the basement, we have 425 gallons of hot water storage and all the pumps and controls.
Our local electric company offered a $3,000 rebate on the cost of the system, and to qualify for the rebate, we were required to perform a home energy audit (I highly recommend this audit). Also, there is the 30% no limit Federal Tax Credit offered by the President Obama Administration on solar hot water systems. This basically gave us a 40% discount on the total cost of the system which put our estimated return on the investment at 7 years.
Our current annual home heating (gas and electric) and electric domestic hot water costs are just under $6,000. Combining the needed repairs indicated by the ‘energy audit’ (lots of silicone and foam sealer) and the solar system, we are hoping to reduce this amount by at least 40%. Please feel free to contact me for additional information. Jan Sennhenn of Montezuma County has also recently installed a similar system for solar domestic hot water and “under-floor” heating – she can also be contacted for information.
Invite solar participants
GEO Update
Governor Ritter Announces Plans for ARRA Monies
Governor Bill Ritter announced a plan to invest in the New Energy Economy under provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
The proposal allocates money in the State Energy program into seven areas, including $19 million to reduce financial barriers to rapid development and deployment of renewable energy projects. Funds in the program will help increase access to capital and credit for alternative and renewable energy projects. Many of these projects have suffered as a result of the economic slowdown. 
The state must receive approval from the U.S. Department of Energy before implementing the plan. After approval, the Governor will start accepting proposals for suitable projects. The overall goal of the program is three pronged:
- Increase access to capital for clean energy development and efficiency projects
- Enhance access to information for residents and business owners to explore options for adopting renewable energy and conservation practices
- Increase access to services so more options and jobs tied to green energy initiatives are available throughout Colorado.
Other aspects of the state's plan include expanding rebates and grants to homeowners and businesses, expanding training for workers in the renewable energy sector, expanding energy efficiency programs for businesses and homeowners, and increasing energy efficiency in new home construction. In addition, the state would like to improve energy efficiency in existing commercial buildings and improve efficiency designs in new buildings.
"This plan will direct the resources of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in a way that sustains and expands the New Energy Economy, while maximizing job creation and retention. The ARRA resources give us the opportunity to accelerate Colorado's pace in leading the country to a clean and secure energy future." said Tom Plant, director of the Governor's Energy Office.
The Governor's Energy Office will also administer $80 million in federal government recovery dollars allocated for weatherization improvements for low-income residents.
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Energy Star Homes Yield Affordable Mortgages
Bank of Colorado and the GEO are partnering with the Northern Colorado ENERGY STAR Homes program to offer the Colorado ENERGY STAR Mortgage. The bank and the GEO are together underwriting a total of one discount point on loans for new ENERGY STAR qualified homes as part of a pilot program. Loans written on this program must be closed by June 30, 2009. For information, contact Stephen Ponce-Pore at Bank of Colorado, 970-206-1160, Stephen.poncepore@bankofcolorado.com.
New Bills Promote Green Energy
Gov. Bill Ritter recently signed into law three energy bills.
- H.B.1312 creates the Renewables for Schools loan program to help schools afford renewable energy projects and electric or hybrid buses.
- H.B.1126 targets job creation in the solar thermal sector. This legislation will create hundreds of green-collar jobs by offering incentives to lower the cost of manufacturing and installing solar hot-water heaters, according to the governor's office.
- S.B.124 is designed to help farmers and ranchers participate in the New Energy Economy by extending the Advancing Colorado's Renewable Energy Program, which develops energy-related projects that help farmers and ranchers use renewable energy.
Colorado to House Wind Manufacturing Plants
From The Capitol Report
Tom Plant, director of the GEO, says that green energy-related development is not only good for the planet, but also can create jobs.
Denmark-based wind turbine manufacturer Vestas has committed to building three separate plants in Colorado – a turbine blade manufacturing facility, nacelle, or generator manufacturing facility, and a turbine tower factory in the state.
Renewable energy companies already have created 2,500 new jobs in Colorado, said Plant. Colorado is using a mix of energy efficiency and renewable energy generation to meet the state’s goal – making sure that by 2020, a fifth of the state’s energy comes from renewable sources.
Colorado to House Department of Interior Office
From Readitnow.com
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced in early May that the Department of the Interior will create four Renewable Energy Coordination Offices: one in California, Nevada, Wyoming, and Arizona. They will also operate smaller renewable energy teams in New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and Oregon. Salazar said the new offices and teams will speed up production of renewable energy on public lands while protecting land, water, and wildlife.
"At no time in our history has the need for a new energy policy been so urgent," Salazar told members of the American Wind Energy Association at the WINDPOWER 2009 Conference - the largest annual wind energy industry event in the United States.
"We import more than two-thirds of our oil, costing us hundreds of billions of dollars a year. Unemployment is at eight and a half percent. Carbon emissions are rising. Our national security is threatened. And countries like China and India are ready to cash in by leading the global clean energy economy."
"We must lead the clean energy revolution," Salazar said. "With millions of new jobs at stake, this is an opportunity America can't afford to miss.”The renewable energy offices and teams, which will cut red tape by expediting applications, processing, reviews and permitting of renewable energy projects, are one of several initiatives President Obama's has taken in his first 100 days "to open our doors to wise, responsible renewable energy production on our public lands," Salazar noted. Interior is investing $41 million through the President's economic recovery plan to facilitate a rapid and responsible move to large-scale production of renewables on Bureau of Land Management land.
There is a strong interest in renewable energy projects from partners in the private sector and this investment will help Interior swiftly complete reviews on the most ready-to-go renewable energy projects.
If the nation fully pursues its potential for wind energy on land and offshore, Salazar estimated, wind can generate as much as 20 percent of U.S. domestic electricity by 2030 and create a quarter-million jobs in the process. Salazar estimated that of the wind projects currently proposed on Bureau of Land Management lands, almost 1,400 megawatts of new capacity will be ready for construction by the end of 2010 - enough to power more than 400,000 homes. He also estimated that more than 6,000 megawatts of proposed solar power capacity - mostly in California, Arizona, and New Mexico - will be ready to go in the same time frame. That is enough to power 1.8 million homes.
To read the entire article, go to: www.readitnews.com/environment/environmental-news/2160-department-of-interior-to-open-renewable-energy-offices-in-four-western-states
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Upgrading through Building-Integrated Renewable Energy
Thanks to outdated design, buildings consume close to 70 percent of all U.S. energy, so it's not surprising that President Barack Obama's stimulus package includes $65 billion in funding and tax credits for green energy and energy efficiency. But the technology choices for adopting building-integrated renewable energy (BIRE) can still be awe-inspiring: should architects focus on the U.S. subsidy of $5 billion for weatherization, $4.5 billion for transforming federal buildings into green buildings or the $3.6 billion for efficiency and other savings?
"The overall green building market (both non-residential and residential) is likely to more than double from today's $36-49 billion to $96-140 billion by 2013." -- McGraw-Hill's Green Outlook 2009
According to IBM, a company that is engaged in building "smart" green buildings around the world, "Smart buildings can reduce energy consumption 30% to 50%, on average. Achieving just a 15% reduction in energy consumption in buildings worldwide could result in $295 billion in energy savings and 
reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 1.68 gigatons annually."
Perhaps the solution to the dilemma of where to start is to simultaneously use as many complementary technologies as possible, including geothermal, solar and wind energy systems, among others, in the same building. Indeed, building-integrated options in solar and wind are becoming commonplace, and new technology promises to make geothermal adoption-friendly, as well.
This multi-technology goal for BIRE is being encouraged by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed in 1998 by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which sets out standards for environmentally sustainable construction. According to one recent count, there are more than 14,000 projects that now include at least some LEED principles in all 50 states and 30 countries, covering over a billion square feet of space. Architects are eager to incorporate these requirements into designs submitted to the American Institute of Architects, which honors top designs yearly. To read the entire article, go to: www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/05/unique-applications-of-building-integrated-renewable-energy-systems?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-May20-2009
New Transmission Line Slated for Southern Colorado
From Denver Business Journal or www.bizjournals.com
Colorado’s two largest power companies — Xcel Energy Inc. and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association — said they want to build a new, $180 million, transmission line in southern Colorado.
The project, backed by Westminster’s Tri-State and Minneapolis-based Xcel, would build a transmission line from the San Luis Valley in south-central Colorado to Walsenburg and north to Pueblo. Applications for approval by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission were filed.
The goal is to strengthen the state’s power grid, serve increasing demand for electricity and offer transmission access for new, renewable power sources, the companies said in a joint statement. The project has been dubbed the “San Luis Valley-Calumet-Comanche Transmission Project.”
Xcel is Colorado’s largest power and natural gas provider, serving about 70 percent of the state’s population.
Xcel’s Kent Larson, vice president for transmission and operating services, said in a statement that the two utilities “are combining our resources and assets to put forward a strong plan that addresses load growth and supports future renewable energy development.”
The PUC must issue a ruling that the new transmission line is needed before construction can begin. The utilities also need land use approvals from local governments along the line’s path.
www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2009/05/11/daily72.html
Upcoming Events
Renewable Energy for Educators (4-H Agents Take Note!!)
June 22 – 25, Carbondale, CO
Sponsored by Solar Energy International, educators attending this seminar will learn about the impacts that our energy use has on the planet and how to best teach youth about solutions: energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy technologies.
Each day will include a hands-on element that can be employed in the classroom. In addition, participants will walk away with practical knowledge that they can apply in their own lives. Integrating renewable energy education into youth development can provide an element of excitement for science education and hope for the future.
Teachers who teach any age group will benefit greatly from this special workshop. This workshop has been designed to meet the 5th-9th grade Colorado Science Standards.
Receive Two Extended Studies Credits through Mesa State College!!
The cost of the credits is included in the tuition for this workshop.
Each participant will receive:
- Access to SEI's renewable energy kits for use in the classroom
- Curriculum and lesson plans on renewable energy and energy issues
- A variety of teaching tools and materials to help engage students
- Experience creating hands-on projects that can be implemented in the classroom
To register for this course please call SEI - 970-963-8855. There is currently no on-line registration. There is currently no on-line registration.
For information on the following workshops, go to the Solar Energy International website www.solarenergy.org.
Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS)
6/17 - 6/19/2009
Boulder, Colorado
Wood-to-Energy and Biomass Utilization Short Course Winter
8/10 - 8/14 & 8/17/2009
Park, Colorado
Earthworks Expo
8/22-8/23/2009
Denver, Colorado
10th Annual Sustainable Living Fair
9/19 - 9/20/2009
Fort Collins, Colorado
Denver Tour of Solar Homes
10/03/2009
Denver, Colorado
Alternative Energy Expo
10/23 - 10/24/2009
Delta, Colorado
Colorado ENERGY STAR Summit
12/09/2009
Denver, Colorado
CSU Energy Website
To learn more about wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels, visit our energy website at: www.ext.colostate.edu/energy.
Furthermore
Go to hes.lbl.gov/hes/db/zip.shtml and you can do an online calculation of your own energy use and carbon footprint. It’s easy to use. Tell your communities about it.
Send me anything that’s newsworthy that you’re doing in the world of clean energy and renewables. We need to keep our colleagues up to date on what’s going on in Extension and the value of our role!
Leigh Fortson
Extension Regional Communications Coordinator and REA (Renewable Energy Advocate)
Colorado State University Extension
2764 Compasss Drive, Suite 232
Grand Junction, CO 81506-8746
(970) 241-3346, FAX (970) 241-3643
leigh.Fortson@ColoState.EDU
