Clean Energy Economy News | Online edition
Aug. 17, 2009 | Vol. 2, No. 8
In this issue
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Six Glenwood Springs businesses
chosen for audit and retrofit demonstration
Six Glenwood Springs businesses will participate in the Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative’s commercial audit and retrofit demonstration project. The six will receive a free energy audit plus a rebate that will pay for a portion of their energy efficiency retrofits.
Information about the retrofits and the resulting energy savings will be shared as case studies so other business owners can see the value of investing in energy efficiency. The program will be expanded countywide in 2010.
The six participating businesses are:
- Lavender and Thyme Bed & Breakfast
- The Pit Stop
- Juicy Lucy’s Steakhouse
- Active Communications
- Glenwood Sewing Center
- Good Health Natural Grocers
A selection committee chose the six from a total of nine applicants. The six were chosen based on a high potential for energy savings and diversity of business types.
The selection committee members are Glenwood Spring City Councilwoman Shelley Kaup, city manager Jeff Hecksel, public works director Robin Millyard, Garfield County environmental health manager Jim Rada, energy consultant Dan Richardson of Schmueser Gordon Meyer (SGM), LEED-accredited architect Jeff Dickinson of Energy and Sustainable Design Inc., and Heather McGregor, outreach director for Clean Energy Economy for the Region (CLEER).
CLEER is managing the commercial audit and retrofit demonstration project, called CARD, as part of the broader Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative. SGM is a subcontractor to CLEER for the CARD project, and SGM staffers Tony Haschke and Dan Richardson will conduct the energy audits.
Once the audits are complete, the selection team will meet again to allocate the rebates for energy efficiency improvements. Business owners will seek bids on the open market for the recommended efficiency retrofits.
The project is being funded by $70,000 of the City of Glenwood Springs’ local match to the Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative. Of that amount, $16,000 will be used for the energy audits and project management, and the remaining $54,000 will be used to reimburse business owners for 50 to 75 percent of their energy efficiency retrofits. Additional funding for efficiency upgrades may also be available through SourceGas commercial rebate program.
The audits are to be completed by the end of September, with efficiency upgrades to follow immediately.
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Clean Energy Finance Districts possible for Pitkin, Eagle and Gunnison counties
Boulder County seeks $85 million more in bonding authority:
$40 million for Boulder County and $45 million for other counties
The Pitkin County Commissioners and Aspen City Council have endorsed a plan to ask voters county wide to approve a clean energy financing district for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades.
Proposals for similar ballot measures are in the works for Eagle and Gunnison counties, and Summit County is planning a clean energy financing district using existing revenues.
Boulder County, the pioneer for the finance district concept, also plans a ballot question seeking $85 million more in bonding authority, on top of the $40 million approved in 2008. Of the $85 million, $40 million would be for additional loans to residential and commercial property owners in Boulder County, and $45 million would fund a financing pool that could be used by other counties, said Pat McGuckin, a consultant working with the Governor’s Energy Office to assist local governments wanting to adopt the clean energy finance district concept.
At present, the state law that allows local governments to form clean energy finance districts, House Bill 08-1350, has no provisions for bonding authority to be shared across county lines. An amendment to allow multi-county financing, which could yield lower interest rates for borrowers, is expected to be introduced in the 2010 session of the state legislature, McGuckin said.
The Eagle County Commissioners will hear a presentation on placing a clean energy finance district question on the November ballot at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, Aug. 18, at the Eagle County Administration Building in Eagle.
“We haven’t set a dollar amount for bonding, and we haven’t determined a source of funding or whether we could do a joint bond sale with other counties,” said Adam Palmer, Eagle County environmental policy planner. “We have plenty of time to figure out those options. Right away, the priority is to get it on the ballot.”
The Gunnison County Commissioners were briefed on the idea in a work session and are now set to take formal action Sept. 2 to place the question on the ballot, McGuckin said.
Boulder County’s ClimateSmart Loan Program won 2-1 voter approval last November and is now issuing $6.6 million in its frst round of loans to 393 homeowners. Property owners will repay the loans as part of their annual property tax payment to the county. With a 15-year term on the loans, energy savings should offset much of the higher tax payments. And the loans can be transferred to a new owner if the property changes hands in that time.
Boulder County officials tout the program’s triple bottom line, which will yield energy savings for homeowners, lower carbon emissions, and provide a jobs stimulus for a variety of trades. Western Slope counties hope to achieve similar results.
“Bottom line, this provides massive potential for economic development for green collar hobs and our traditional construction sector, which is in most need of work at this time,” Palmer said.
Many more counties could come adopt the concept in 2010, McGuckin said. The Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative explored the clean energy finance district idea earlier this year for Garfield County. The Garfield County Commissioners expressed support for the idea, but want to wait until 2010 to pursue a ballot question.
The City of Aurora is also interested in the idea, but didn’t have time to place the question on the 2009 ballot, and will likely pursue the measure in 2010, he said.
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Holy Cross Energy adds $250K to solar rebate fund, sells out again
 In late July, Holy Cross Energy reallocated $250,000 from its conservation programs to offer additional funding for its sold-out solar PV rebate program. Within three weeks, the program was again sold out as installers and Holy Cross customers jumped at the opportunity.
The flurry to secure the second round of rebates comes after Holy Cross allocated nearly $1.1 million in 2009 rebates for solar PV projects by May.
Holy Cross transferred some funding from less-popular programs within the WE CARE budget, and pulled rebate funding from pending projects that are not going to be carried out this year, in order to provide additional funding for 2009 solar PV rebates.
Of the $250,000 in added funding, $75,000 will be used to fund projects that were on a rebate waiting list and $175,000 will be used for new projects, said Steve Casey, member services administrator for Holy Cross.
Holy Cross is changing one rule and adding another rule governing its solar PV rebates. The new rules took effect Aug. 1, 2009.
- Rule change: The rebate remains at $2/watt, but the rebate cap is lowered from 10 kilowatts of installed DC capacity to a new cap of 6 kW. This lowers the total potential rebate from $20,000 to a new limit of $12,000.
- New rule: Installations must be completed within 120 days of execution of the rebate pre-application form.
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Xcel Energy plan retires coal, adds solar, wind capacity
Utility drops net-metering rate change day before PUC hearing
Xcel Energy has filed a plan that continues its effort to cut generation of coal-fired electricity and add more solar and wind power to its production portfolio.
In a separate action, Xcel dropped a controversial proposed change to its net metering policy for customers with solar PV systems, winning praise from Gov. Bill Ritter.
Xcel’s portfolio revisions call for:
- Retiring the coal-fired units at the Cameo Generating Station, located in De Beque Canyon east of Grand Junction, by the end of 2010. The two units produce 73 megawatts of power and were built in 1957 and 1960.
- Retiring the two remaining coal-fired units at the Arapahoe Generating Station in Denver by 2014. The two units generate 156 megawatts and were built in 1951 and 1955. The plants other two units were retired in 2003.
- Adding 280 megawatts of new solar technology
- Adding more than 700 megawatts of clean power using existing wind and solar technology
- Continuing to purchase 900 megawatts of existing gas-fired capacity
The plan comes after Xcel conducted a formal request process to acquire the additional electric power supplies necessary to meet the needs of Colorado customers through 2015. The company will seek approval of the plan from the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. The PUC will also review an independent evaluator’s report, which analyzed Xcel’s bid solicitation and evaluation process.
“The plan that we filed with the commission puts us well on target to meet the state’s climate action plan,” said Tim Taylor, president and CEO for Public Service Co. of Colorado, an Xcel Energy company. “We are excited about moving the process forward and making decisions on the winning bids to meet the future energy needs of our Colorado customers.”
Taylor said the plan helps Colorado contribute to the company’s national leadership in the environmental arena at reasonable costs to Xcel Energy customers. “We believe our resource plan will keep us as one of the leading providers of renewable energy resources – currently ranked as the No. 1 wind provider in the U.S. and the No. 4 solar energy producer.”
If the plan is accepted by the PUC, the company will reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 10 percent, or 3 million tons from current levels. The company’s plan pushes it closer to reaching a 20 percent reduction in carbon by 2020.
Net metering policy aimed at recouping grid backup costs
Xcel raised the ire of solar PV advocates across the state when it filed a proposed rate increase for customers who install a solar PV system.
At present, Xcel customers who generate as much or more electricity than they use pay a $7 to $8 monthly service fee. Xcel wanted to also add a new monthly fee based on the highest amount of power the customer drew from the grid in the past year, at a rate of 2.6 cents per kilowatt hour, and charge customers that fee every month of the year.
Solar advocates cried foul and said the added charge would reduce the energy savings from solar installations, and prepared to argue against the proposal at an Aug. 5 PUC hearing. However, on Aug. 4, Xcel announced it would drop the proposed rate increase.
“I commend Xcel for reconsidering this proposal,” Gov. Ritter said. “We appreciate Xcel’s concerns about the cost of distributing power and maintaining the electric grid, and we will work with Xcel to study these issues moving forward.”
The Governor’s Energy Office acknowledged Xcel’s concerns about the need to recoup the costs of building transmission capacity to carry electricity to and from its customers. But distributed renewable energy systems also provide benefits, such as reducing the need to build new generation and transmission and easing the pressure on conventional power plants and their peak loads on hot summer days.
In response to Xcel’s concerns, the GEO plans to initiate a comprehensive analysis of the costs and benefits of “distributed generation,” such as rooftop solar systems installed across a wide area, so that the Public Utilities Commission can make an informed decision on the costs and benefits of distributed generation.
In the news
Boulder Daily Camera, July 24, 2009
Xcel wants to hike fees for solar customers
By Laura Snider
Boulder Daily Camera, Aug. 5, 2009
Xcel backs off rate increase for solar
By Laura Snider
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Special insulation rebate offered
for propane and all-electric homes
 A rebate of up to $450 is being offered for insulation and air sealing of homes in Garfield County that use propane or all-electric baseboard systems for heating.
“Garfield County households on the Xcel Energy or SourceGas natural gas grids already have access to utility rebates for home insulation and air sealing. This offer is for propane and all-electric households that are off the natural gas grid, and it comes with a $150 kicker,” said Heather McGregor, spokeswoman for the Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative.
The Garfield NECI and the Governor’s Energy Office are offering to pay the first $150 of home insulation project costs, plus 20 percent of the remaining project costs up to $300, for a total rebate of up to $450.
“Home insulation projects reduce your energy use and help you save money. Better insulation and air sealing make your home more comfortable in summer and winter, and it’s an investment that will increase the value of your home,” said McGregor.
To qualify for the rebate, the insulation and air sealing work must be done by an approved contractor. A list of approved contractors serving Garfield County is on the Garfield NECI website, www.GarfieldCleanEnergy.org. The work can be done on any residential unit in Garfield County heated with propane or all-electric baseboards, whether it is owner-occupied or a rental, and whether it is single-family or multi-family.
Because funding is limited, Garfield NECI is issuing rebate reservations to propane and all-electric users. Applicants should contact an insulation contractor to get a bid, then submit a rebate reservation form to G-NECI. Home owners then have 90 days to have the work completed, and will be assured of getting their rebate.
For more information and to download a rebate reservation form, visit www.GarfieldCleanEnergy.org.
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Northwest COG to weatherize 500 homes by June 2010
Income eligibility raised so more families can qualify
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Above, Weatherization supervisor Tom Dunlap, front, and installer Mike Bugielski unload insulation for a 2008 weatherization job at a home in Rifle.
Below, an installer finishes up the job of blowing insulation into the home's attic.
Photos by Ed Kosmicki |
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With nearly $1.6 million funding for the coming fiscal year, the Northwest Council of Governments weatherization program is gearing up to double its home energy makeovers for low-income residents, says Tony Bednar, outreach director for the council. (See related story below.)
Bednar met last week with human service agency directors from Garfield, Eagle and Pitkin counties to update them on the three new aspects of the weatherization program.
“We are trying to approve people for the program within the week we get their application,” Bednar said. “But we have a two-month waiting list for services. So encourage your clients to sign up now so we can get to their home before the heating season sets in.”
The two NW COG weatherization crews, based in New Castle and Silverthorne, and additional local contractors brought on through the stimulus funding, are on track to weatherize 450 to 500 homes in the 13-county service area from July 2009 through June 2010. The crews upgraded 30 homes in July, Bednar said.
All jobs will be full-service makeovers. In the past, the NW COG weatherization work ranged from a simple service of light bulb replacement and a walk-through building assessment, to adding insulation and storm windows and replacing inefficient furnaces and refrigerators. Now, all homes that the NW COG weatherization crews work on will get all the upgrades needed to make the home energy efficient.
Income thresholds for eligibility are higher. The previous eligibility cut-off was 185 percent of the federal poverty level. Now it has been raised to 200 percent. For a family of four, that’s a yearly before-tax income of $44,100. Between the higher income threshold and the sagging economy, families who would not have qualified for the program last year find they qualify this year.
“A lot of people who haven’t received assistance before are now eligible,” Bednar said. He is encouraging these newly qualified residents to sign up now. They’ll get the benefits of an efficiency makeover now, while their income is low, and in the future, when they may no longer qualify for such a program.
Pellet stoves are being installed in some all-electric homes. Pellet stoves can heat at half the cost of all-electric baseboard systems, and burn wood rather fossil fuels. If the home is suitable and the residents are able to handle a heating system that requires regular upkeep, the NW COG will install the stove as part of its free service. Bednar said the agency plans to install about 50 pellet stoves this year in its 13-county service area.
The federal stimulus money for weatherization is being spread over three years so agency crews and subcontractors can handle the workload, and to continue the jobs stimulus over a longer period of time while the economy rebuilds.
For NW COG, nearly $5.8 million in stimulus funding is divided out over the coming three years with $1.6 million in 2009-10, $2.3 million in 2010-11, and $1.9 million in 2011-12.
NW COG also has regular program funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, the state Low Income Energy Assistance Program and from Xcel Energy.
Information on the NW COG weatherization service
Toll-free phone: (800) 332-3669 | Website | Two-page brochure
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Colorado secures $32 million in federal recovery funds for home weatherization
Colorado will receive nearly $32 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to expand weatherization assistance services that reduce energy costs for income-qualified households, according to an Aug. 13 announcement from Gov. Bill Ritter and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu.
These funds, along with additional funds to be disbursed after the state meets certain Recovery Act milestones, will help the state to weatherize more than 10,000 homes over three years, cutting energy costs for low-income families that need it, reducing pollution, and creating green jobs across the state.
"This latest round of Recovery Act funding is putting people to work immediately. It’s also helping the economy with purchases of equipment and supplies and cutting energy costs for those who need the savings most.
Weatherization is another important component of our New Energy Economy, creating jobs while reducing our energy consumption and lowering greenhouse gas emissions."
-- Gov. Bill Ritter |
Weatherization assistance work is intended to cut energy costs for income qualified households, including for the elderly, people with disabilities, children and high energy-use homes. Energy efficiency services include energy audits, home insulation and the installation of high efficiency appliances such as furnaces and refrigerators. The weatherization assistance program also provides for client education designed to cut energy consumption and save money on household utility bills.
Households that qualify for weatherization services include those where residents are already receiving financial assistance under other programs, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP), Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid. Eligibility can also be determined by household income. Under ARRA, households making up to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level are eligible.
Colorado will immediately receive 40 percent of its total weatherization funding authorized under the Recovery Act, adding to the initial 10 percent of the state’s funding allocation that was awarded previously for training and ramp-up activities. The remaining 50 percent of funds will be released after the state meets specific reporting, oversight, and accountability milestones required by the Recovery Act.
After demonstrating successful implementation of its plan, Colorado will receive almost $40 million in additional weatherization funding, for a total of more than $79 million. The state may spend up to 20 percent of its total funds to hire and train workers.
Colorado kicked off its expanded weatherization work in July. The Governor’s Energy Office administers the program through 11 regional agencies in Colorado that perform various cost-effective measures in homes, including heating system safety checks, efficiency improvements and replacements, insulation of attics and roofs, reducing air leakage in doors, windows and ductwork and other energy conservation services.
“These awards demonstrate the Obama Administration’s strong commitment to moving quickly as part of the country’s economic recovery -- creating jobs and doing important work for the American people -- while ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly,” said Secretary Chu. “Today’s investments will save money for hard working families, reduce pollution, strengthen local economies and help move America toward a clean energy future.”
For additional information about the weatherization assistance program, visit the GEO website at www.colorado.gov/energy. In Garfield, Eagle and Pitkin counties, the program is run by the Northwest Council of Governments, with weatherization crews based in New Castle and Silverthorne.
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Colorado agencies win $2.8 million grant
to cut diesel truck and bus emissions
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $2.8 million in grants to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Denver Regional Air Quality Council and the City and County of Denver to install clean diesel technologies on hundreds of trucks, buses and vehicles throughout the state. These clean diesel projects will create jobs and improve Colorado’s air quality.
An $850,000 grant to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will focus on over-the-road diesel trucks. The funding will buy 180 auxiliary power units or battery air conditioning systems for long-haul trucks on a cost-sharing basis with individual truck owners. The power units and battery-powered AC will reduce the amount of engine idling when trucks are parked, while maintaining a comfortable cab environment for drivers.
A $1.25 million grant to the Denver Regional Air Quality Council will fund improvements to commercial truck fleets, particularly those in the oil and gas industry, and for buses in one Front Range school district to install 100 auxiliary power units, 20 diesel oxidation catalysts, 56 fuel-operated heaters for anti-idling and in-cab heaters, 44 thermal coolers, 10 full sets of SmartWay low-rolling resistance tires and 20 SmartWay trailer gap fairings on vehicles operating throughout the state.
A $700,000 grant to the City and County of Denver will retrofit 48 trash and recycling trucks with fuel-operated hydraulic and cab heaters, retrofit nine snow plows with fuel operated cab heaters, retrofit 53 heavy duty diesel vehicles with diesel oxidation catalysts and closed crankcase filtration devices, as well as upgrades needed so they can burn biodiesel fuel. The funding will pay the full cost of retrofits and the incremental cost of biodiesel fuel.
Colorado will also benefit from a grant of $850,000 awarded to Oregon-based Cascade Sierra Solutions. Cascade Sierra Solutions will use the funds to provide emissions control solutions for the over-the road diesel trucks based in Colorado, Montana, South Dakota and Utah.
The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program.
The awards were chosen to both maximize economic impact and emissions reductions. In addition to helping create and retain jobs, these clean diesel projects will help to reduce premature deaths, asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days and other health impacts.
For information about EPA’s clean diesel initiatives, visit: www.epa.gov/cleandiesel
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SWEEP publishes Colorado Transportation Blueprint
Colorado’s business-as-usual scenario for transportation emissions in 2040 could be cut by 40 percent if the state’s governments, businesses and residents adopted a package of new recommendations, according to the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP).
 SWEEP has just published the Colorado Transportation Blueprint for the New Energy Economy, which analyzes a wide range of strategies to reduce carbon emissions from transportation. The emissions cuts would also reduce transportation costs, save consumers billions of dollars and support thousands of new jobs in the state, according to the report’s authors, Robert Yuhnke and Michael Salisbury.
About $34 billion in net economic savings can be achieved in the state between 2010 and 2040 by:
- Replacing gasoline fueled cars and diesel trucks with battery powered motors that can be charged nightly from the grid by electricity generated in Colorado.
- Accommodating future growth by co-locating new development with enhanced transit services to provide mobility that is faster, less expensive and more convenient than auto trips.
- Improving the fuel efficiency of existing vehicles.
The report notes that the state of Colorado’s goal of reducing carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050 can’t be reached unless vehicle fuel efficiency standards are improved well beyond the levels proposed by the Obama administration for 2016.
And the report notes that with rapid population growth projected for Colorado over the next 40 years, advanced vehicle technologies will hit the 80 percent reduction target only if the rate of vehicle-miles traveled falls to the rate of population growth. Over the past four decades in the U.S., the rate of vehicle miles traveled has grown three times faster than the rate of population growth.
SWEEP press release, July 27, 2009
Colorado Transportation Blueprint: Paving the Way to Fuel Savings and Emissions Reductions
Visit swenergy.org to download the report (64 pgs, 2 MB)
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Aspen offers smart meters to electric, water customers
The city of Aspen is taking its first steps toward implementing a smart grid – delivering electricity using digital technology to save energy, reduce costs, and increase reliability and transparency.
“We recently purchased about 150 new electric smart meters that can communicate information about how much energy a person is using and when,” said Lee Ledesma, Aspen utility operations manager. The meters eventually will be tied to a web interface where customers can log on and see their usage in real time. Currently, they must call the utility billing department for a report if they have a smart meter installed.
“This is really the first step in transitioning to a smart grid system, which will increase response time for outages, in addition to clueing customers and the city into energy and water consumption histories,” Ledesma said. She said Aspen also has about 100 smart meters available to gauge water usage.
The smart meters will help customers understand their utility bills better and may narrow down discrepancies or point out opportunities for conservation.
“Sometimes we’ll get phone calls asking how the customer could have possibly used 250,000 gallons of water. With a smart meter, we can look at the history and say, ‘On July 18 and 19 you used 200,000 gallons of water.’ Sometimes just knowing the date can help narrow down where that usage is coming from,” Ledesma said. “Maybe that was the day your grandson was visiting, and he left the hose on all weekend.”
Aspen Electric or Aspen Water customers who want to have a smart meter installed should contact Ledesma at utilities@ci.aspen.co.us or (970) 309-8882.
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TRAININGS
ENERGY STAR Builder Training offered Thursday in Rifle
Date: Thursday, Aug. 20
Time: 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Place: Garfield County Human Services Building, 195 W. 14th St., Rifle
Builders, building subcontractors and residents interested in energy efficiency are invited to attend a series of real world training sessions at three Habitat for Humanity ENERGY STAR new homes being built in Rifle.
The second session in the free ENERGY STAR Builders Training Series, Value Engineering for ENERGY STAR, is Thursday, Aug. 20. Newcomers are welcome.
Lauren Martindale, ENERGY STAR program manager for the Garfeld New Energy Communities Initiative, will introduce the class by explaining related ENERGY STAR programs and rebates.
Instructor Fritz Diether, a certified Home Energy Rating System consultant and owner of the Grand Junction-based company Frostbusters & Coolth, will focus cost comparisons for energy efficiency, REM/Rate™ modeling software vs. ResCheck, maximizing the Home Energy Rating System process, and marketing an ENERGY STAR home.
Instructor Jeff Dickinson, a LEED accredited architect, will present case studies on local energy code updates.
Two more training sessions in the series will be held on site in September as the houses are built, including instruction in materials and proper installation of framing, insulation, thermal bypass measures, diagnostic testing and final certification.
The series is co-sponsored by Habitat for Humanity, the City of Rifle, Garfield County, Mountain to Mesa Homebuilders Association, the Governor’s Energy Office, Clean Energy Economy for the Region and the Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative.
Register by Aug. 18 by contacting Lauren Martindale, ENERGY STAR program manager for Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative, at (970) 319-3939 or lmartindale@CleanEnergyEconomy.net.
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Colorado Mountain College West Garfield campus
offers solar certifications
Building Analyst Training repeats in Rifle and Aspen
Green collar workers can enroll in classes starting this fall to become certified for basic photovoltaics, photovoltaic installer and solar thermal installer, or to be come a certified building analyst. CMC’s Rifle campus is also offering 10 other specialized one and two-day classes for a variety of professions and interests.
Some classes start as early as Aug. 24, and registration is this week.
The building analyst training, which debuted in July at CMC’s Aspen campus, will be offered again at the West Garfield campus in Rifle Oct. 12-17 and at the Aspen campus Nov. 2-7. Tuition is $1,100, plus costs for the certification exams.
Solar certification classes offered this fall at West Garfield are:
- ENY 130 - Solar Photovoltaics Grid-Tie – Sept. 12, 13, 19 and 20 – (2 credits)
- ENY 120 - Solar Thermal System Install – Oct. 3 through 10 – (4 credits)
- ENY121 – Solar Photovoltaic Components – Mondays (with some Saturday field work) – Aug. 24 to Dec. 7 – (3 credits)
- EIC133 – National Electric Code 2008 – Mondays (with some Saturday field work) – Aug. 24 to Dec. 7 – (1.5 Credits)
Non-credit courses offered at the Rifle campus in the fall semester are:
- ENV901 – Solar for Realtors & Appraisers – Sept. 16
- ENV901 – Solar for Architects & Engineers – Sept. 23
- ENV901 – Solar for Contractors & Builders – Sept. 30
- ENV901 – Solar for Electricians & Inspectors NEC2005/2008 – Oct. 16
- ENV901 – NAHB Green Building for Building Professionals – Sept. 23 – 24
- ENV901 – NAHB Business Management for Building Professionals – Sept. 25
- ENV901 – Intro to Water in Western Colorado – Oct. 3 and 10
- ENV901 – Investing in a Clean Energy Economy – Oct. 21
- ENV901 – Residential Energy Savings – Oct. 28
- ENV901 – Intro to Green Building – Nov. 4
For more information and to register, visit www.coloradomtn.edu
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Solar Energy International offers class
in solar and radiant heating
This three-day course in Carbondale trains students to design practical and efficient solar and radiant underfloor heating systems, which combine energy and cost savings with comfort.
ST201 – Solar and Radiant Heating – Sept. 14 to 16 – tuition $695
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EVENTS
American Renewable Energy Day
Dates: Aug. 20-22
Place: Doerr-Hosier Center, Aspen Meadows
Fee: One-day pass, $119; full pass, $299
Register online
Top-name speakers in government, climate science and climate advocacy join in panel discussions, plus live music, vendor booths and banquet dinners.
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2009 Colorado Renewable Energy Conference
Dates: Friday, Aug. 28 through Sunday, Aug. 30
Place: Colorado School of Mines, Golden
Register online
The Colorado Renewable Energy Society hosts the 2009 Colorado Renewable Energy Conference, Clean Energy: Pathways to a Low Carbon Footprint. The conference includes tours of zero-energy homes, panel discussions on smart grids, community and utility renewable energy programs, a full day of consumer workshops presented by the Smart Energy Living Alliance, and an exhibit hall. The event opens with a keynote address by Eric Barron, director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, on the current state of climate science.
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Small Acreage Workshop
Date: Saturday, Sept. 19
Time: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Place: Mountain View Church at Buffalo Valley, Glenwood Springs
Fee: $10 includes lunch
Register: (970) 945-5494 x 105
The Bookcliff, Mount Sopris and Southside Soil Conservation Districts host their annual Small Acreage Workshop for landowners in Garfield, Eagle and Pitkin counties. Presentation topics include renewable energy, gardening, beekeeping, gardening, weed control and elk-proofing your yard.
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2009 International Peak Oil Conference
Dates: Oct. 10-13
Place: Downtown Sheraton Hotel, Denver
Register online
The Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas – USA will host the 2009 International Peak Oil Conference on the theme, “System Reset: Global Energy and the New Economy.” The conference gathers oil industry experts from North America, Europe, and OPEC nations.
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In the news
Glenwood Springs Post Independent, July 22, 2009
EnCana vehicles to run on natural gas
By John Colson
DENVER, Colorado — EnCana Oil & Gas (USA), the Canada-based industrial giant that is active in Colorado's natural gas fields, this week announced that it is putting its money where its vehicle fleet is … in a public relations sense.
The company has embarked on a plan of converting a number of its Colorado vehicles to run on compressed natural gas, or CNG, both as a way of ultimately reducing its “environmental footprint” and to encourage the public to look more favorably on CNG as a viable alternative for gasoline in the U.S. transportation market.
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Glenwood Springs Post Independent, July 22, 2009
Carbondale board OKs revisions to energy code
By John Stroud
CARBONDALE, Colorado — Carbondale trustees, on a 6-1 vote on July 14, approved a set of revisions to the town's energy efficiency building code, but rejected a proposal to require renewable energy for new houses less than 3,000 square feet in size.
Town staff and energy consultants working to refine the plan had recommended mandatory photovoltaic systems or other forms of renewable energy for houses of 1,500 square feet or more.
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New York Times, July 29, 2009
McKinsey Report Cites $1.2 Trillion in Potential Savings From Energy Efficiency
By Kate Galbraith
A new report on energy efficiency from the consulting firm McKinsey found that the United States could save $1.2 trillion through 2020, by investing $520 billion in improvements like sealing leaky building ducts and replacing inefficient household appliances with new, energy-saving models.
That investment would cut the country’s projected energy use in 2020 by about 23 percent — a savings that would be “greater than the total of energy consumption of Canada,” said Ken Ostrowski, a senior partner in McKinsey’s Atlanta office. It would also more than offset the expected growth in energy use that would be expected otherwise in the United States.
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Living On Earth, July 31, 2009
Navajo Nation Council votes for green jobs bill
The Navajo Nation is looking for alternatives to the fossil-fuel based economy that has dominated its reservation for decades, resulting in a 50 percent unemployment rate. The Navajo Nation Council recently voted in support of green jobs. Wahleah Johns, co-director of the non-profit Black Mesa Water Coalition, talks about the past and future of her nation.
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New York Times, Aug. 8, 2009
Climate Change Seen as Threat to U.S. Security
By John M. Broder
WASHINGTON — The changing global climate will pose profound strategic challenges to the United States in coming decades, raising the prospect of military intervention to deal with the effects of violent storms, drought, mass migration and pandemics, military and intelligence analysts say.
Such climate-induced crises could topple governments, feed terrorist movements or destabilize entire regions, say the analysts, experts at the Pentagon and intelligence agencies who for the first time are taking a serious look at the national security implications of climate change.
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Clean Energy Bits ‘n Bobs
The Burning Mountain Festival parade, held July 18 in New Castle, included a green contingent on foot, bicycle and in hybrid cars and on electric scooters, motorbikes, an electric dirt bike and a motorized skateboard. The New Castle Environmental Advisory Committee and Mountain Utility Electric Vehicles rallied for the parade. Carrying the banner are Dr. Michael Schroeder and Suzie Romig. Stealing the show was the all-electric Tesla Roadster, driven over from Basalt by brothers Doug Grant and Dan Grant.
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City of Aspen Chief Building Official Stephen Kanipe has been chosen by the International Code Council to help create the first ever International Green Construction Code (IGCC). “Buildings consume approximately 40 percent of energy used and produce about the same amount of the nation’s carbon emissions, so this is a very important step towards improving efficiency and sustainability,” Kanipe said. He and 30 other experts from around the country will craft the new code, working about four days a month for the next six months.
The Solar Electric Power Association has recognized Holy Cross Energy as one of the top 10 public power utilities in the nation for its high rate of customer-generated solar photovoltaic power. Read the SEPA report, 2008 Top Ten Utility Solar Integration Rankings (33 pgs, 1 MB), to learn about the nation’s high-performing utilities.
Aspen Canary Initiative Director Kim Peterson was named to the Governor’s Energy Office Colorado Carbon Fund Advisory Committee. The Colorado Carbon Fun is the first state-run voluntary carbon offset program in the country. As of June, the program had more than 400 donors and raised enough funds to support its first project.
The Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative hosted booths at Silt Hey Day on Aug. 1 and at the Rifle Air Fair on Aug. 14 and 15. Staffing the booth were Suzie Romig, Kim Montague and Heather McGregor, with help at Silt from Mayor Pro-Tem Meredith Robinson. The Rifle Air Fair booth included a raffle for two Kill-A-Watt electricity usage monitors. The winners were Mary Commons and Janet and Robert Ramos-Esperza, all of Parachute. The Rifle booth also was the debut for a custom-made, interactive light bulb energy consumption display designed and built by George Austin-Martin. Booth visitors could adjust a dimmer switch and see how much less energy it takes to light a compact fluorescent bulb compared to an incandescent bulb.
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