Free Energy Code Workshop Set for Feb. 7 in Rifle

Code Officials, contractors, and design professionals are invited to a free energy-code workshop. Colorado Code Consulting will present “Combined Mechanical Requirements of the 2009 IECC” on Feb. 7 at Rifle City Council Chambers, 202 Railroad Ave., Rifle. The workshop will run 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  The class will focus on both the residential and commercial requirements of the IECC and where there may be any conflicts with the other codes. This will not be an in-depth class into Manual J or calculations for commercial applications but rather an overview of the requirements and what enforcement might look like. Lunch will be provided at the workshop.
The workshop is cosponsored by the Town of Carbondale, CLEER, CORE, the Governor’s Energy Office, and the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. To register, please visit www.iccsafe.org/colorado. You will be required to create a free ICC user name and password to sign up for classes but ICC membership is not required. If you have questions, please contact Shaunna Mozingo, Colorado Code Consulting, LLC, 303-598-3465 or smozingo@coloradocode.net.

Free Energy Code Workshop Set for Feb. 24

Code Officials, contractors, and design professionals are invited to two free energy-code workshops. Colorado Code Consulting will present “2009 IECC: Real World Applications” on Feb. 24 at Carbondale town hall. Both workshops will run 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
In “2009 IECC: Real World Applications” field inspection comes to the classroom through pictures and examples of common installations we see in the field while performing energy-code compliance inspections and plan reviews. This is an interactive class with participants sharing their experiences and discussing different levels of compliance. This class does not include mechanical requirements—that is its own class. Lunch will be provided at the workshop. Carbondale town hall is located at 511 Colorado Ave. Carbondale.
The workshop is cosponsored by: The Town of Carbondale, CLEER, CORE, The Governor’s Energy Office, and The Colorado Department of Local Affairs. To register, please visit www.iccsafe.org/colorado. You will be required to create a free ICC user name and password to sign up for classes, but ICC membership is not required. If you have questions, please contact: Shaunna Mozingo, Colorado Code Consulting, LLC (303) 598-3465 or smozingo@coloradocode.net.

USDA Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP) Presentations Set for Jan. 27 and Feb. 7 in Montrose, Hotchkiss

The USDA will make two presentations on its Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP) Jan. 27 and Feb. 7.
The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) provides assistance to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to complete a variety of projects. Offering both loan guarantees and grants, the REAP program helps eligible applicants install renewable energy systems such as solar panels or anaerobic digesters, make energy efficiency improvements such as installing irrigation pumps or replacing ventilation systems, and conduct energy audits and feasibility studies.
The Jan. 27 presentation will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the DMEA Montrose, 11925 6300 Road, Montrose. The Feb. 7 presentation will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hotchkiss Senior Center, 276 E. Main St., Hotchkiss.

Rocky Mountain Contractor Exchange 2012 Set for February 21 and 22 in Denver

The Electric & Gas Industries Association (EGIA) will be hosting the 2012 Rocky Mountain Contractor Exchange February 21 and 22 in Denver at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 15200 W. 6th Street Golden, 80401. The two-day conference will offer a variety of events and sessions on issues that affect contractors, including incentives offered by municipalities and utilities, the state of the market, marketing strategies, sales, and other topics. To see the full agenda, please click here.
To register for the event, please click here.
If you have registration questions, contact EGIA Event Registration Support 1-866-367-3442, ext. 385, or registrations@egia.org.

CLEER Results as of November 2011

Energy Navigator
Eighty-one large public buildings are tracking and saving energy through a powerful new CLEER-created tool, launched in 2011: www.garfieldenergynavigator.org. Energy use for these large buildings is equal to 4,100 average homes.  These buildings are already saving nearly $100,000 per year in large part due to CLEER assisting facility managers in using energy feedback capabilities of the Energy Navigator.

Renewable Energy
Sixteen public buildings now have renewable energy systems, all together generating more than 368 kilowatts of energy. CLEER’s Energy Navigator incorporates solar PV tracking of 11 major solar installations at Garfield Clean Energy partner facilities. Energy produced by these systems saves county partners approximately $50,000 per year in energy produced by these systems. In addition, 21 homes and businesses in Glenwood Springs now have solar, thanks to CLEER programs.

Garfield Clean Energy Challenge for Businesses
Seventy-four businesses are participating in our Clean Energy Challenge, a regional energy-saving and economic development program. Sixty-four businesses have had energy assessments, and 35 businesses have already achieved measureable energy and economic benefits.

Garfield Clean Energy Challenge for Homes
Two hundred and seventy-one households are actively participating in the residential energy-saving program, and 108 households have had energy upgrades. Homes and businesses are saving more than $310,000 in energy costs per year as a result of energy savings to date, putting money into the local economy that would otherwise be spent on energy. Totaling the programs listed above, savings from our work in renewable energy and building energy efficiency equals over $1.4 million annually.

Energy in the Schools
Seventeen area schools are participating in our clean energy transportation program, which had over 7,000 thousand students biking, walking, and taking the bus during transportation challenge week. More than twenty schools are tracking and saving energy resulting in more than $150,000 in school utility bill savings.

Alternative Transportation Fuels
Four neighborhood electric vehicles (NEV) and nine compressed natural gas vehicles (CNG) are now in use by governments partnering with Garfield Clean Energy. CLEER also assisted a local fuel station owner in building a CNG fueling station in Rifle, Colo. and many local businesses in Rifle and Parachute are adopting CNG vehicles as a result.  CLEER was awarded a grant to prepare the region for highway-capable electric vehicles and is also working with fleets to enable their adoption of CNG-powered heavy-duty trucks and buses.

Trainings & Workshops
In 2011, CLEER and Garfield Clean Energy held more than a dozen workshops and trainings attended by over 500 energy contractors, elected officials, and citizens.

Regional Cooperation & Clean Energy Financing
Nine government partners are now working together through Garfield Clean Energy to improve the economy through energy efficiency, and are launching a structure for reaching dramatic clean energy improvements long term. CLEER established clean energy financing to help businesses and homeowners overcome financing barriers to clean energy.