News

Montana Green Power monthly newsletter November 2006

"The conservationist’s most important task, if we are to save the
earth, is to educate." – Peter Scott, founder chairman of the
World Wildlife Federation

NEWS & NOTES
Article Profiles Red Lodge Solar Projects
Google Announces Plans for Solar Electric System
California Vineyard Turning to Solar
8-MW Solar Plant Slated for Colorado
2007 Fuel Economy Guide Released
American Energy Initiative Produces New Renewable Energy Report
October Begins Phase-out of Tax Credits for Toyota Hybrids
Wind Energy Installations Achieve Record Growth
Military Requests Wind and Solar Energy Systems in Iraq
Oregon Students Design Water Heater Powered by Wind
Companies Increasingly Measuring Carbon Footprint
DOE Predicts Lower Winter Heating Costs
New Efficiency Standards for Furnaces and Boilers Proposed
‘Change a Light, Change the World’ Campaign Underway

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Solar City Strategic Partnerships
Renewable Energy Projects on Tribal Lands

Article Profiles Red Lodge Solar Projects
Renewable energy is alive and well in Red Lodge, with solar
energy helping to meet energy needs for a local cafe,
fire station, and a brewery. There’s even small-scale biodiesel
production facility, according to this article in the Billings
Gazette. And owners are benefiting in a number of ways from the
renewable energy systems, most notably lower energy bills.
The environment is benefiting, as well, since renewable energy
sources such as solar are virtually non-polluting, compared to
their fossil fuel counterparts.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/10/11/news/state/25-solar.txt

Google Announces Plans for Solar Electric System
Technology giant Google has announced plans to install a
solar electric system on its headquarters facility in Mountain
View, California. The system, expected to be complete next
spring, will be capable of producing 1.6 megawatts of
electricity for the Googleplex facility. Most of the
9,000 panels will be installed on rooftops, but some will
provide shaded parking areas.
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story;jsessionid=2C0F92275186B2C9C307412884FBEFC0?id=46264

California Vineyard Turning to Solar
Ballantine Vineyards of St. Helena, California, has announced
plans to install a solar electric system that will provide
100 percent of its electricity needs. The system will
eliminate nearly 154 tons of harmful greenhouse gases annually,
and has a payback of only six years. SolarCraft of Novato,
California, was chosen to design and install the system.
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/market/business/viewstory?id=46178

8-MW Solar Plant Slated for Colorado
Xcel Energy has announced its selection of SunEdison, LLC to
build, own, and operate an 8-megawatt solar photovoltaic power
plant, which will be the largest of its type in the nation.
Xcel Energy released a request for proposals for the solar
facility in south central Colorado . SunEdison’s response
includes 6.8 megawatts of advanced flat-plate solar panels
(the type you might mount on your roof) as well as 1.2
megawatts of concentrating photovoltaic units, which track
the sun to focus sunlight onto solar cells. The units will
concentrate the sunlight by a factor of 500, employing a
relatively small area of high-efficiency solar cells to
convert that sunlight into electricity. Xcel Energy will
purchase the power and the renewable energy credits
associated with the plant, which is expected to be online
by the end of 2007.
http://www.xcelenergy.com/XLWEB/CDA/0,3080,1-1-1_15531_26314-29258-2_68_132-0,00.html

2007 Fuel Economy Guide Released
DOE and EPA have released the 2007 Fuel Economy Guide,
which identifies fuel-efficient autos for the 2007 model
year. Hybrid vehicles lead the way for overall fuel
economy with the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid,
Toyota Camry Hybrid, and the front-wheel-drive version
of the Ford Escape Hybrid topping the list, and the
four-wheel-drive version of the Ford Escape Hybrid
tying with the new Mercury Mariner Hybrid in tenth
place.
http://www.energy.gov/news/4366.htm

American Energy Initiative Produces New Renewable Energy Report
The American Energy Initiative, a joint project of the
Worldwatch Institute and the Center for American Progres,
has produced a new report titled American Energy:
The Renewable Path to Energy Security. The report
demonstrates the potential of renewable energy and
energy efficiency and presents a practical policy agenda
for achieving them. The full report can be downloaded
at the project’s website:
http://www.americanenergynow.org

October Begins Phase-out of Tax Credits for Toyota Hybrids
As of October 1, 2006, buyers of Lexus or Toyota
hybrid vehicles are entitled to a lower tax credit.
According to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
more than 60,000 hybrid vehicles built by Toyota Motor
Corporation had been purchased as of the second quarter
of 2006. As required by the Energy Policy Act of 2005,
the IRS is cutting the tax credit by 50 percent for the
fourth quarter of 2006, which began October 1, through
the first quarter of 2007. From April 1 through
September 30, 2007, the tax credit will again be halved,
and a year from now the tax credit will disappear.
For instance, buyers of the popular Prius can earn a
tax credit of at most $1,575 as of October 1, and on
April 1, 2007, that figure will drop to just $787.
Meanwhile, tax credits remain in full force for other
automakers producing hybrids.
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=162562,00.html

Wind Energy Installations Achieve Record Growth
Wind energy installations now exceed 10,000 megawatts in
capacity, as a result of recent record growth, says the
American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). "Wind energy is
providing new electricity supplies that work for our
country’s economy, environment, and energy security,"
said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. "With its
current performance, wind energy is demonstrating that
it could rapidly become an important part of the nation’s
power portfolio." Current wind installations generate
enough electricity to power some 250 million homes.
http://www.awea.org/newsroom/releases/US_Wind_Energy_Installations_Milestone_081006.html

Military Requests Wind and Solar Energy Systems in Iraq
USA Today reports that the U.S. Marine Corps has issued
an urgent request to the Pentagon for sustainable power
systems in Iraq, including wind and solar. "Without
renewable power, U.S. forces will remain unnecessarily
exposed and will continue to accrue preventable…
serious and grave casualties," says the memo. In response,
the U.S. Army’s Rapid Equipping Force (REF), which
addresses requests from the frontline, will issue a
request for proposals for 183 frontline renewable-energy
power stations that use both wind and solar energy to
supplement existing diesel generators at U.S. outposts,
according to an REF spokesman.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2006-09-07-army-green-power_x.htm?POE=TECISVA

Oregon Students Design Water Heater Powered by Wind
A group of engineering students at Oregon State University
has designed and constructed a working prototype of a
wind-powered water heater that they hope will make a
positive impact on the way the world heats water.
The system uses "magnets, a copper plate, and plenty
of ingenuity" and is based on old sketches of OSU
professor Alan Wallace, who has since passed away.
The system is about the size of a phone booth and
its wind turbine was constructed from a 50-gallon
steel drum. The system, say the students, can be
mounted on a rooftop or other location with enough
wind to rotate the turbine, and even in a stream where
moving water could turn the system’s array of magnets.
And once the water is hot, the wind turbine could be
used to generate electricity, or the hot water could
provide additional passive heating for a home.
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ncs/newsarch/2006/Sep06/waterheater.html

Companies Increasingly Measuring Carbon Footprint
Three-fourths of U.S. companies are actively measuring
their "carbon footprint "- the range of carbon emissions
from their operations, both direct and indirect,
according to a report released today from The Conference
Board. The report, based on a survey of 92 companies
from various industries, looks at how companies are
integrating greenhouse gas management into their
overall business strategy.

More than 95 percent report that they see the prospect
of a carbon-concerned future as creating both business
risk and opportunity. One-half indicate they have a
program in place to "actively reduce or offset greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions." An additional 33 percent are
developing such programs, while 15 percent have no
plans to do so. Nearly all programs include reductions
in energy use, while most (83 percent) are simultaneously
focused on reducing GHGs. One-third are focused primarily
on direct emissions – those resulting from fuel consumption
or from materials used in their processes –
while two-thirds include both direct and indirect
emissions (primarily purchased electricity).

Fewer than 20 percent have attempted to measure their
competitors’ carbon footprints , which may reflect
the complexity and difficulty in doing so or indicate
that the issue is not perceived as a major competitive
challenge at this time.
http://www.conference-board.org/utilities/pressDetail.cfm?press_ID=2985

DOE Predicts Lower Winter Heating Costs
Though winter is expected to be slightly colder this
year, DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA)
is predicting lower home heating costs. According to
EIA’s new "Short Term Energy and Winter Fuels Outlook,"
the greatest cost relief is expected for users of
natural gas, since storage supplies are above historical
levels. Propane prices also will be lower, but fuel
oil and electricity will likely be higher, says the report.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/steo/pub/contents.html

New Efficiency Standards for Furnaces and Boilers Proposed
DOE is proposing to increase minimum energy efficiency
standards for furnaces and boilers, with efficiency
improvements ranging from one to five percent. For example,
furnaces fueled with natural gas and intended to be
installed indoors will have to meet an Annual Fuel
Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) of 80 percent, whereas
units designed for installation outside the conditioned
space will have to meet an AFUE of 83 percent. AFUE
is a measure of heating efficiency on an annual basis,
defined as the heat delivered to the conditioned space
over the course of a year divided by the fuel energy
consumed. The standard also sets the minimum AFUE for
oil-fired furnaces, mobile home gas furnaces,
and gas and oil-fired boilers. The proposed efficiency
standard would apply to all covered furnaces and boilers
offered for sale in the United States, effective
January 1, 2015.

DOE has found the proposed standard represents the
maximum improvement in energy efficiency that is
technologically feasible and economically justified.
Analyses indicate that the proposed standards would
save an estimated 0.41 quadrillion British thermal
units (Btu), or quads, of cumulative energy over 24
years (2015-2038). For comparison, U.S. homes consume
about six quads annually for space heating. U.S.
consumers are also expected to save money over the
expected life of the furnaces and boilers.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/06-8431.htm

‘Change a Light, Change the World’ Campaign Underway
DOE and EPA have launched their joint "Change a Light,
Change the World" campaign. The annual campaign encourages
U.S. residents to replace a conventional bulb or fixture
in their home or workplace with one that has earned the
government’s Energy Star label for energy efficiency.
If every U.S. household changed a single light bulb to
an Energy Star bulb, it would save enough power to
light more than 2.5 million homes. Energy Secretary
Samuel Bodman recently took the "Change a Light"
pledge and challenged DOE employees to do the same.
http://www.energy.gov/news/4304.htm

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Solar City Strategic Partnerships
The U.S. Department of Energy is accepting proposals
for Solar America Initiative Market Transformation:
Solar City Strategic Partnerships. Through this initiative,
DOE seeks to form strategic partnerships with U.S. cities
to help accelerate the adoption of solar technology at the
local level by engaging city governments, key intermediaries,
and regulatory entities. Some $1.6 million is expected
to be available, with up to 8 awards anticipated. Responses
are due January 10, 2007.
https://e-center.doe.gov/iips/faopor.nsf/UNID/CD499FE2A7471C0885257204004CE6A0?OpenDocument

Renewable Energy Projects on Tribal Lands
The U.S. Department of Energy requests proposals from
Federally-recognized Tribes to conduct feasibility studies
to determine the viability of economically sustainable
renewable energy installations on Tribal lands.
Some $4 million is expected to be available,
up to 15 awards anticipated. Responses are due
February 6, 2007.
https://e-center.doe.gov/iips/faopor.nsf/UNID/746C66B1BDB9A8DA852571F60061A3F8?OpenDocument

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