Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies Update

Lafayette

Aerofire Inc. has been in business 25 years and been involved in wind energy for 22 years.  It offers sales, service, installation, and education of and about wind electric systems.  The company’s wind electric systems provide clean, renewable, reliable electricity on the retail side of the meter for homes and businesses.

A complete list of members of the Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies is available on the coalition’s website at www.newenergytechnologies.org.

Reporter Caroline Kettlewell writes in the 27 September Washington Post about the Solar Decathlon taking place on the National Mall in Washington. 

She reports that “[o]n the National Mall, 14 college and university teams have squared off for the final two weeks of a competition more than four years in the making – to design and build the most efficient, livable and aesthetically inviting home possible, run entirely by the sun...they’ll be tested and measured against one another on performance, but also on something more difficult to quantify. Which home, the contest will ask, most successfully marries aesthetics and technology?  Which represents not so much the ‘solar home of the future,’ but rather the house any one of us might happily and comfortably inhabit today?”

Kettlewell goes on to write about the logistical and financial challenges to each participating school of building their homes, pointing out that the college design teams will be living in the homes during the competition on the National Mall and that “[e]ach home was required to include a kitchen, a bathroom, a bedroom, a living area and even a home office, all of it squeezed into a minimum of 450 square feet, with a footprint of no more than 800 square feet. Each home has to run entirely on the solar energy it can capture through its own systems...Climate controls have to maintain interior living areas at a constant 72 degrees Fahrenheit, regardless of whatever weather the District [of Columbia] may be dishing out.”

Kettlewell provides detailed descriptions and impressions of a number of the Solar Village’s houses in her article, pointing out how comfortable and attractive they are.  She quotes the University of Colorado team’s faculty adviser, Michael Brandemuehl, as saying that after visitors see the comfortable and highly efficient homes at the Solar Village, they will ask “If a bunch of college kids can do this, why can’t the building industry do this?”

The winning home will be announced next Saturday, 5 October.  As of 3 October, the University of Colorado is in first place, leading second-place Auburn University and third-place University of Virginia.  For more information on the Solar Decathlon, and Colorado’s team in particular, visit http://solar.colorado.edu/.  This site provides daily updates along with links to other sites of interest, including the National Solar Decathlon site.

As the Solar Decathlon raises interest in solar homebuilding, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has recently issued a fact sheet entitled “How to Size a Grid-Connected Solar Electric System.”

This fact sheet provides the consumer with a concise overview of how to size a grid-connected solar electric system.  The initial process for collection of data is explained, followed by a description of how to use the data to determine the correct size of the system.  A worksheet for determining the required number of panels for the consumer’s home is included.

 

At its last meeting in April, the board of the Arizona and Colorado Coalitions for New Energy Technologies elected Dr. Tom Acker as its newest member.  Dr. Acker is currently an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, where he has been a faculty member since 1996.  In 1997 he spent three months on a faculty fellowship to the National Wind Technology Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado.  His professional record includes employment at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in the Climate Modeling Division, and work as a research engineer at the Electric Propulsion Laboratory.

Dr. Acker received a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University in 1995 and has been working on renewable energy systems since joining NAU, with an emphasis in wind energy, village-scale energy systems, Native American energy projects, and rural energy development.  He is currently involved with several organizations, including serving as Team leader of the NAU Sustainable Energy Solutions research group and Team leader of the Arizona Wind Working Group.  In addition, he is an appointed member of the Arizona Solar Energy Advisory Council that advises the Governor on issues related to renewable energy and is a reviewer for the ASME Journal of Solar Energy Engineering.

A recent dispute threatening the construction of the new 162-megawatt Lamar wind farm was resolved on 26 September by parties involved in the case with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.  As the Denver Post’s Steve Raabe noted in a recent article, “at issue was whether only retail customers would pay for the wind farm’s power costs, or whether to include wholesale customers - such as rural electric associations and cooperatives that buy power from Xcel.”

Xcel Energy and other intervenors, including coalition member Land and Water Fund of the Rockies, the Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel and the staff of the Public Utilities Commission, agreed on a settlement in which Xcel will seek federal approval to pass an undisclosed portion of the costs to wholesale customers.

Once built, the 162MW wind farm will provide enough electric power for about 160,000 households.

Heather Draper writes in the 1 October issue of the Rocky Mountain News:  “For those who think only “tree-huggers” believe in the power of the wind and sun to generate electricity, you might be surprised to learn who’s reading a new study by the Land and Water Fund of the Rockies [LAW Fund].  The study found that Colorado could generate 16 times its energy needs solely from renewable sources, namely wind and solar.  The findings were put together for an odd mix of people: legislators, energy companies, farmers, ranchers and environmentalists.”

“Using satellite technology to inventory renewable resources, the Land and Water Fund published the findings in its “Renewable Energy Atlas of the West,” which maps the potential for wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy in 11 western states, including Colorado.”

Draper quotes Claudia Putnam of the LAW Fund:  “This is the first time this information on renewable energy has ever been put in one place…We’re building the business case for renewable energy.”  She added that The LAW Fund is using the analysis in a related effort to develop a comprehensive clean energy plan for the West, Putnam said.

The atlas is available in print form by calling 303-444-1188, x216, or can be downloaded at no cost at www.energyatlas.org.

Congressman Mark Udall (D-Colorado) recently paid tribute to Rudd Mayer of coalition member Land and Water Fund of the Rockies, who passed away on 13 August.  Udall’s tribute, which appeared in the 12 September Congressional Record, is available in PDF format on the website of the Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently announced the availability of its Mountain Renewable Potential Map.  This map presents an integrated picture of renewable energy resources in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.  Solar, geothermal, and wind energy potentials and indicators of hydroelectric, biomass, and wood energy potentials are shown.

This map can be viewed and downloaded from EIA’s website.

Kathleen McFall writes in the September 2002 issue of Energy Business & Technology:  “As fans of fossil-fueled power generation are quick to point out, mitigating global warming will be costly.  But the economics of wind power in the U.S. are changing to reflect America’s growing demand for electricity produced with little or no greenhouse gas emissions as a byproduct...Where once it was mineral rights that had the potential to make landowners wealthy, ‘wind is the new negotiable asset,’ says Ken Starcher, assistant director of the Alternative Energy Institute (AEI) at West Texas A&M University in Canyon.”

For the full story on how wind energy is providing profitable and sustainable new economic development opportunities for rural and agricultural communities, visit the website of Energy Business & Technology.

“Iowa’s 354 wind turbines have a maximum output of 246 MW, and produce about 646 million kWh per year.  This is enough for 66,204 average Iowa residential customers.  Iowa gets 87% of its power from coal, 100% of which is imported from outside the state at a cost of $310 million in 1995.  Iowa’s wind turbines displace 382,094 tons of coal each year, which is brought to Iowa in 3821 train cars, enough cars to make a train 36 miles long.  This coal probably would have come from Wyoming, at a cost of $6.2 million per year.  Iowa’s wind turbines produce zero emissions.  The coal that they displace would have produced 1.3 billion pounds of greenhouse gases (CO2), equivalent to the emissions of 175,000 cars or 100,000 sport utility vehicles.  They also eliminate 5.9 million pounds of acid rain emissions (SO2), 2.8 million pounds of smog emissions (NOx) and about 44 pounds of mercury.  Mercury poisons fish and the people who eat them.  Wind farms near Clear Lake and Storm Lake pay rent to 115 landowners to site their wind turbines.  They pay about $2,000 per turbine, for a total of $640,000 per year.  They also pay $2 million per year in taxes to counties, money that is used for schools, roads and health care.  It took 200 people six months to build the wind farms.  About 40 people work there now.”

—From http://www.iowawind.org/, as quoted in the September 2002 issue of Energy Business & Technology.

The U.S. General Services Administration has issued a “refreshed” solicitation for companies interested in being included on the Worldwide Federal Supply Schedule for Energy Services from which the Government contemplates award of contracts for supplies/services listed.

GSA notes that types of Energy Services sought in this solicitation include:  Energy Management Program Support (includes but not limited to Energy Planning and Strategies, Energy Choice  Analysis, Billing and Management Oversight); Energy Audit Services (includes but not limited to Energy Audits, Use of Alternative Energy Sources, Resource Efficiency Management, Building Commissioning Services); Managing the Procurement and Use of Natural Gas; Managing the Procurement and Use of Electricity (includes but not limited to Supplying Renewable (Green) power to customers in deregulated markets, and Emergency Power Sources); and Introduction of New Services.

According to GSA’s notice in the 14 July issue of Federal Business Opportunities, proposals are accepted on a continuous basis.  For more information, interested parties can call 800-241-7246 and select “ENERGY” prompt or send an email to energy@gsa.gov, referring to Sol# TFTP-EJ-000871-1.

The 9 June issue of Federal Business Opportunities notes that the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is soliciting interest from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market technologies developed at NREL.  Information on technologies available for licensing is located at: http://www.nrel.gov/technologytransfer/license.html.

For more information, contact Richard Bolin, referring to Sol# GenLic.

The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) released a report on 17 September saying that renewable energy accounted for only three percent of the U.S. Export-Import Bank’s nearly $28 billion in energy loans and loan guarantees from 1990 through 2001, though a 1989 law called on Ex-Im Bank to provide at least five percent of its energy financing for renewables.  Most renewable energy projects financed between 1990 and 1996 were for the construction of hydroelectric and geothermal power plants.

Ex-Im Bank and renewable energy industry officials have acknowledged that Ex-Im Bank can do a better job of promoting their products and services to renewable energy sectors.  The GAO report notes that “officials identified Ex-Im Bank’s establishment of a Renewable Energy Exports Advisory Committee in May 2002 as an effort to help the Bank expand its support of U.S. renewable energy exporters.  Over the next 2 years, the advisory committee will focus on specific issues such as how Ex-Im Bank can modify its existing programs, what new financing products or changes to existing products should be considered, and how to improve its outreach to U.S. renewable energy exporters and foreign buyers.”

The full report is available on GAO’s website in PDF format.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently issued a three-page brochure entitled “Market, Legislation Make Wind an Attractive Investment in Texas.”  The brochure, issued under the auspices of DOE’s “State Energy Program Stellar Projects,” says that “West Texas has a new crop: electricity.”  The brochure points out that “[o]nce too expensive for commercial production, the addition of computers to wind turbines and the rise in fossil fuel prices has brought the cost of wind-generated electricity in line with other power sources.”

This colorful and informative brochure can be downloaded from NREL’s website.

Green Mountain Energy Company and Colorado-based Hometown Connections International, LLC announced on 30 September that the two companies have entered into an exclusive partnership to provide a national 100 percent renewable energy program designed specifically for public power utilities.

Green Mountain Energy is the nation’s largest and fastest growing retail provider of cleaner energy.  A subsidiary of the American Public Power Association, Hometown Connections secures national group pricing and service arrangements for public power utilities from leading industry suppliers.

As a result of the new partnership, electric utilities owned by local, regional and state governments can now work with Green Mountain Energy Company to develop customized “green” pricing programs to offer Green Mountain Energy Company brands of renewable electricity to their customers.  Public power utilities serve over 40 million people or about 15 percent of the nation’s electricity consumers.  All of these customers could now be served under a renewable energy program designed by their utility in conjunction with Green Mountain Energy Company at little or no cost to the public power utility.

Green Mountain Energy Company will provide interested public power utilities with electricity products generated from 100 percent renewable sources, such as wind, hydropower, biomass, geothermal, and landfill gas.  These electricity products will contribute renewable energy to the utilities’ regional power grids.

Depending on the individual needs of each municipality, Green Mountain Energy Company will also provide a range of sales and marketing services —from simple enrollment tools to more extensive consulting and marketing programs— needed to help the designated municipality cost effectively and efficiently run a “green” pricing program.

[From Green Mountain press release]

Marty Watts, President & CEO of V-Kool Inc., notes in the September 2002 issue of Electric Light & Power that “[m]any utility company Web sites are not very helpful to either residential or business customers seeking serious information about energy conservation...Utility company Web sites often don’t clearly identify energy conservation information, forcing the site visitor to search for what’s available.”

In his article, Watts provides examples of utility websites that he considers helpful and provides other advice on disseminating information on energy efficiency through utility sites.  His final advice to utilities is that “[u]pgrading your energy conservation Web pages will not only satisfy customer demand for serious and comprehensive energy conservation information, but it may also be the most convincing way to encourage increased customer online account management, thereby saving additional costs overall.”

Read Watts’ entire article in Electric Light & Power.

On 23 September, the Fort Collins Utilities Electric Board approved a new “Electric Energy Supply Policy” and has sent it to the Fort Collins City Council for its approval.  This policy sets an energy savings target for advancing efficiency and load management with an overall savings goal of ten percent of kilowatt-hours and 15 percent peak load reduction by 2012.

Howard Geller, Director of the Boulder-based Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, commented on the new Fort Collins goals by saying “the energy savings goals approved by the Fort Collins Electric Board are aggressive but achievable.  Meeting these goals would save consumers and businesses in Ft. Collins money while reducing the need for contentious and polluting new power plants.”  Geller concluded by urging the Fort Collins City Council “to approve the savings goals and direct the utility to start implementation as soon as possible.”

Fort Collins Utilities (FCU) announced on 12 September that it is expanding its Wind Power Program for the third time since 1998.  According to a 12 September FCU press release, half of the energy generated by an existing 660-kW wind turbine at the Platte River Power Authority’s Medicine Bow, Wyoming site is now for sale to Fort Collins Utilities’ residential and commercial customers.  Since 1999, this turbine has generated energy purchased by the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN).  However, FCU notes that “MEAN is now generating its own wind energy, freeing the turbine up to generate clean, renewable wind energy for residents and businesses in northern Colorado.”

Federal energy regulators are pushing a sweeping plan to set up a new interstate electricity market.  But without a multibillion-dollar overhaul of the nation’s power lines, the plan could unravel, according to a 2 October Reuters story by Leonard Anderson.

The price tag for new power poles, electrical cable and other gear to get the grid in shape could reach $56 billion by 2010, according to energy analysts at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, who note that the nation’s 158,000-mile electricity transmission system has not kept pace with growing consumer demand for power, projected to rise by 25 percent over the next 10 years, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.  Annual spending on electric transmission has been falling by about $120 million a year for the past 25 years.

“The current investment climate for electric power infrastructure is negative,” Lawrence Makovich, senior director for Cambridge Energy Research Associates, told the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources this summer.

Some observers note the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s plan to develop a new national electricity market “is a good step forward, something that’s really needed, because it can create the right economic incentives and price signals to build more transmission cable.”  The commission’s plan for a “standard market design” intends to reduce electricity costs for consumers and set common rules to allow open access to the grid.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency honored several organizations on 30 September for their environmental leadership by purchasing green power.  These organizations were recognized at two different events coinciding with the seventh National Green Power Marketing Conference that has just concluded in Washington, D.C.

“These efforts to support clean, renewable energy show that environmental stewardship can also mean good business,” said EPA Administrator Christie Whitman.  “This Administration believes that through partnerships with industry — such as the Green Power Partnership — we can harness the creativity and innovation of industry — and put it to work for the environment.”

Leading green power purchasers from across the country were recognized with Green Power Leadership Awards.  These awards were presented to eight organizations, with the top two awards going to coalition member Kinko’s and the city of Chicago.  Kinko’s is purchasing green power for stores in states across the country.  The city of Chicago decided to obtain one fifth of its electricity from green power sources.

The Green Power Leadership Awards are part of the recognition offered through the Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program working to standardize green power purchasing as part of best practice environmental management.  The partnership provides technical assistance and public recognition to organizations that commit to using green power for a portion of their electricity needs.  The program now has over 80 partners — including Fortune 500 companies, states, federal agencies, trade associations and universities.

Partners in the Green Power Partnership have made a combined total commitment to procuring over 500 million kilowatt hours of green power annually.  If generated by conventional means, the emissions associated with that much electricity would include over 800 million pounds of carbon dioxide.

[From EPA Press release]

The following are excerpts from a speech presented at the EPRI Summer Seminar on 6 August 2002 by Gregg Easterbrook, Contributing Editor of the Atlantic Monthly:

Action does not necessarily entail sacrifice: there is a strong argument that fossil fuel use can become far more efficient without economic harm or lifestyle disruption.  But because individuals, not just corporations, would have to change, the political system is, I think, years away from facing the tough choices of greenhouse reform.  Republicans as a group still want to do nothing, while Democrats as a group only want to blame industry, when industry is in effect complying with Kyoto, and average American suburbanites are the big Kyoto violators!

None of this is reason to despair.  Conquering smog in Los Angeles once seemed “impossible,” and now L.A. has gone three straight summers without a stage-one ozone alert-versus an average of 60 per year in the 1970s.  Controlling acid rain while coal use rose once seemed “impossible,” and now has happened.  The public does not know about either development because reporting them would be inconveniently positive.  But both developments show that pollution control works and usually costs less than expected.

* * *

Washington today lacks the will to advocate carbon trading—both the White House and Democrats are terrified of actual action.  So why doesn’t the power industry take the lead?  Not with more voluntary plans, which may help, but let’s face it, have no credibility with the public.  Why doesn’t the power industry draw up the first binding greenhouse-gas trading plan and propose it?

Let me close by challenging the power industry to become an advocate of prompt greenhouse gas action via a binding carbon-trading scheme.  Jump all the way out in front of this issue, and pick your own details rather than waiting for Congress, in some future overnight panic, to pick the details for you.  Amaze the Republicans, confound the Democrats, ruin the enviros’ fundraising campaigns and hit the media where they least expect it.  The history of pollution control, which is almost entirely positive, tells me that if you do this the result will almost certainly be positive.

[Thanks for these excerpts to Terry M. Peterson, Manager, EPRI Solar Power & Green Power Marketing]

5 October, Denver, Boulder, Aspen/Roaring Fork Valley, Colorado Springs/Pueblo, Durango and Silverthorne/Blue River Valley

The Colorado Tour of Solar Homes is part of the national Tour of Solar Homes organized by the American Solar Energy Society and its local chapter, the Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES).  For information about any of the events taking place on 5 October in Colorado, contact CRES Executive Director Sheila Townsend at 303-279-1446.

15 October, Westminster

The Rocky Mountain Association of Energy Engineers (RMAEE) will be hosting a half-day seminar on Tuesday, 15 October from 8 a.m. to noon.  The seminar will address: Current Energy Efficiency Trends, including Utility Energy Efficiency Programs and Systems Benefit Charges in the Southwest; Sustainable Design and Energy Efficiency, Environmentally Preferable Power and Residential Energy Building Guidelines.

Colorado Senator Peggy Reeves will provide opening comments for the seminar.  Senator Reeves is a longtime supporter of renewable energy and energy efficiency policies.  She has sponsored legislation providing for wind farm tax relief and a systems benefit charge and currently serves on the Colorado Legislature’s Joint Budget Committee.

Speakers at the RMAEE conference will include Howard Geller, Director of the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, a Boulder-based public interest organization, and Doug Swartz, Energy Services Engineer at Fort Collins Utilities.  This discussion will be beneficial for building owners, managers, consultants, engineers, ESCOs, systems providers, utility providers and related industry members.  After the panel discussion, attendees will have the opportunity to speak with manufacturers, consultants and providers.

The meeting will be held at the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Offices located at 1100 W. 116th Ave. in Westminster on Tuesday, 15 October from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.  Continental Breakfast will be served.  The cost to attend is $25 for RMAEE local members and $35 for nonmembers.  Please RSVP to Jennifer Hurst, 970-468-0863.  Vendors are invited to provide exhibits at this event and should contact Jennifer Hurst for details and pricing information.

16 October, Montrose

Sponsored in part by a Million Solar Roofs Initiative grant awarded to Delta-Montrose Electric Association, this event is aimed at community, business and political leaders interested in exploring policies that could brighten the future of the Western Slope with “Solar Roofs.”  It takes place at the Montrose Pavilion (1800 Pavilion Road) from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on 16 October.

Speakers Include Jamey Evans, Million Solar Roofs Initiative, U.S. DOE Denver Regional Office; Peggy Plate, Western Area Power Administration (WAPA); Larry Moore, Sandia National Laboratory; Joe Lambert, Colorado Governor’s Office of Energy Management & Conservation; Randy Udall, Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE); Guy Nelson, Utility Forum; Paul Bony, DMEA; Ron Stauffer, timeforsolar.com; Curt Donahue, Alternative Power Enterprises; and Steve Andrews, E-Star Colorado.

A special additional feature will be available from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.:  “High Performance Homes and Related Energy Code Issues,” presented by Steve Andrews, Senior Technical Officer of E-Star Colorado.  This session expands on the issues covered during the 30-minute plenary session earlier in the day.  Attendees will have an extended opportunity to discuss related issues of particular concern to building inspectors and code officials.  The three methods of energy code compliance will be explained in more detail, along with a demonstration of how to use MECCheck model energy code analysis software.

The $25 registration fee for this daylong event includes lunch and refreshments.  To register, or for more information, contact Judy Schmalz at 970-240-1298.

Sponsored by the Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies and the Colorado Environmental Business Alliance, this breakfast meeting will feature presentations by venture capital experts on how to access financing for energy and environmental businesses of all sizes.

This briefing will take place at 7:30 a.m. at Racine’s Restaurant, 850 Bannock Street in Denver.  Admission will be $15 for members of CCNET and CEBA and $25 for non-members.  The cost of breakfast and all materials is included in this price.

For more details, contact Craig Cox, 303-679-9331.  Further details will be provided in a separate e-mail message soon.

3-4 December, Denver

Sponsored by the Colorado Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS), the intent of this technical training conference is to address current policy on carbon in terms of storage —who stores it and where— the potential for sustainable and environmentally friendly storage and other issues associated with carbon trading.

Organizers note that a unique feature of the conference will be the gathering of producers and researchers who can provide practical information about carbon storage and discuss information about policy issues, projects, and potential markets for sequestered carbon.  Plenary sessions and breakout sessions are designed to bring together resource persons and attendees for discussion and development of recommendations of approaches where a resource might be suitable for sequestration of carbon and its potential for sustainable accumulation of sufficient quantities of carbon for trading.

This conference will take place at the Renaissance Hotel, 3801 Quebec Street in Denver.  More information is available at http://www.ccswcs.org/decconf.htm.

E-mail notification of this newsletter’s availability on www.newenergytechnologies.org is circulated to members of the Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies and other interested parties.  Please let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from the distribution list.

Additional member-only updates are provided to coalition members as events warrant.  If your business or non-profit organization is interested in coalition membership, please contact me for more information.

The website of the Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies at www.newenergytechnologies.org provides full information on our coalition’s activities, as well as copies of previous newsletters, links to coalition members and other sites of interest, a calendar of events and other features designed to be useful to the state’s clean-energy business community.

Please continue to keep in touch on any matters related to energy issues and let me know if I can provide any help or information to you.

Craig Cox

Executive Director

Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies

303-679-9331

cox@newenergytechnologies.org

www.newenergytechnologies.org