[announce] Energy Tidbits - December 2009

[Sarver, John (DELEG)]

ENERGY TIDBITS - December 2009

 

Efficiency United has launched its energy efficiency program for the 11
Michigan utilities that opted to use a third-party administrator.  On
Aug. 10, the MPSC designated the Michigan Community Action Agency
Association (MCAAA) as Michigan's Energy Optimization Plan
Administrator.  Utilities offering the Efficiency United program are:
Alpena Power, Bayfield Electric Cooperative, Daggett Electric
Department, Edison Sault Electric Company, Indiana Michigan Power, Xcel
Energy, Upper Peninsula Power Company, WE Energies, Wisconsin Public
Service Corp., Michigan Gas Utilities, and SEMCO Energy Gas Company.
More details at 877-367-3191 or www.efficiencyunited.com/

 

Michigan State University has been awarded $83,806 by the Bureau of
Energy Systems from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to
install anemometers on five Michigan Public Safety Communications System
(MPSCS) towers.  The anemometers will accurately measure wind speeds at
three heights, allowing MSU to assess Michigan's wind energy potential.
Most publicly-available wind speed data has been gathered at relatively
low heights.  Since most commercial wind turbines are 70 to 100 meters
in height, Michigan needs tall tower wind speed data to accurately
measure the state's wind energy potential.  The five towers will be in
Gratiot, Delta, Antrim, Mason, and Hillsdale counties.   

 

2010 Michigan Energy Conference will be held at Ferris State University
on April 7-8, 2010.  FSU Energy Center is seeking proposals for
presentations and case studies to be presented at the conference. The
conference will consist of one day of focused workshops and one day of
technical breakout sessions. Please provide intent to submit by Nov. 30.
Contact Arn McIntyre, mcintya1 at ferris.edu or 231-591-5817.

 

Proposals are being solicited by Bureau of Energy Systems, DELEG for
technical assistance to non-entitlement cities, villages, townships and
counties that receive State of MI Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block
Grant (EECBG) Multipurpose and/or LED Demonstration grants.  The EECBG
Technical Assistance Request for Proposal (RFP) has been posted at
www.michigan.gov/energyoffice.  Technical Assistance award winners will
provide services that help EECBG sub grant recipients to develop and
implement energy efficiency and conservation strategies, programs and
project plans, and will provide other technical assistance as needed.
The total available grant funding is $195,996 and it is expected that
three to eight grants will be awarded.  Eligible applicants include
statewide and regional local government associations and councils,
Rebuild MI Community Partnerships, Energy Centers, and other
Michigan-based nonprofit organizations with experience in delivering
energy and/or environmental services to public agencies.  Applications
for grants are due by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 30.  

 

Green License Plate is being introduced by Ontario next year. The plate,
which features a green border and lettering, is expected to be available
as part of Ontario's Electric Vehicle initiative, which begins July 1.
Green plates will only be for plug-in hybrids and battery-only powered
cars. Drivers who get the plates will be allowed to travel in high
occupancy vehicle lanes even if there's only one person inside. There'll
also be access to recharging facilities at GO Transit and other
provincially operated lots, and parking spots will be set aside at
places like Wal-Mart and the University of Toronto. The McGuinty
government's plan is to have one out of every 20 passenger vehicles on
Ontario's roads be an electric vehicle by 2020. 

 

Biomass Energy Demonstration Project grants (total $74,296) have been
awarded by Bureau of Energy Systems to Lansing Board of Water & Light
(LBWL), Wyandotte Municipal Services (WMS), and Michigan Technological
University (MTU).  Grants received by the utility companies will
demonstrate the feasibility of co-firing various biomass fuels in their
existing generating facilities.  The LBWL project will focus primarily
on evaluating the impacts of N-Viro Fuel(tm), a fuel derived from a
blend of organic wastes, on equipment and emissions.  The WMS project
will investigate the logistics of acquiring and handling various woody
biomass fuels.  The Michigan Tech study will evaluate the potential for
operating snowmobiles on a higher ethanol-blended fuel (i.e. E15, which
is 85% gasoline and 15% ethanol).  This demonstration will be conducted
in conjunction with the annual Clean Snowmobile Challenge competition in
March. www.michigan.gov/biomass. 

 

Michigan Career and Technical Institute (MCTI) students became the first
in Michigan, and second in the nation to become certified photovoltaic
installers by the Electronics Technicians Association (ETA)
International.  MCTI provides vocational and technical training for
adults with disabilities and is operated by Michigan Rehabilitation
Services within DELEG.  The seven MCTI students successfully completed
the technical examinations and requirements to be a Photovoltaic
Installer (Level 1).  The Alternative Energy Option is a three-term
course that covers DC electronics, AC electronics, and several areas in
alternative energy: solar, wind, fuel cells, microhydro and biofuels.
Students can earn two certifications from MCTI: PV solar installer
certification and small wind turbine installer certification. 

 

Norbert Mueller and a team of MSU engineers and scientists have received
a $2.5 million DOE grant to build a new car engine with five times
current fuel efficiency and 30% less cost. Called a wave disk generator,
or WDG, it builds on work already done in MSU labs converting gaseous or
liquid fuel sources to electrical power.  "Our goal is to enable
hyper-efficient hybrid vehicles to meet consumer needs for a 500-mile
driving range, lower vehicle prices, full-size utility, improved highway
performance and very low operating costs," Mueller says. "The WDG also
can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 95% in comparison to
modern internal combustion vehicle engines." 


Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) deadline was Nov.
5.  The Bureau of Energy Systems received 269 proposals requesting over
$30 million.  $17.4 million is available.  88 LED Demonstration and 181
Multi-Purpose proposals were received.

 

Oakland University will receive a $2.75 million grant to install a
geothermal heat pump system at the new Human Health Sciences Building.
The proposed design will make use of variable refrigerant flow heat
pumps, solar-thermally activated desiccant outdoor air supply, and
multiple methods of waste heat recovery.

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/projects/projects.cfm/ProjectID=
106

 

Newest Solar Product from Energy Conversion Devices can be found on one
of Michigan's most prominent residences, the governor's mansion.  The
EnerGen solar system, which produces 3.2 kW of power, covers the ranch
home in the Moores River Drive neighborhood of Lansing. The solar system
is made of thin-film flexible solar laminates incorporated into roofing
shingles. This product developed by the Rochester Hills-based PV firm
and roofing-specialist Certain Teed is slated for an official launch
next year.

 

Efficiency Standards for TV's have been adopted by the California Energy
Commission. After ten years, the Commission estimates the regulations
will save $8.1 billion in energy costs and save enough energy to power
864,000 single-family homes. The new standards create the first ever
active mode power limits for TVs. Given that the average new set
operates nearly five hours a day and is considerably larger than the one
it replaced, putting a lid on active mode energy use is important. The
CEC also revised the state's existing 3 watts standby-passive mode power
usage standard to 1 watt. Massachusetts may be next. A legislative
hearing last month paved the way for the Bay State to adopt TV
standards. www.energy.ca.gov/appliances/tv_faqs.html

 

Ann Arbor DDA Downtown Energy Saving Grant Program is now into its
second year.  As of September 30th, 34 businesses had received audits
that had identified $883,000 in energy improvements with a savings of
$178,300/yr.  For example, Neutral Zone Teen Center upon receiving their
energy audit committed to investing $40,000+ in energy improvements.
The improvements resulted in installation of insulation and more energy
efficient heating and cooling equipment with an estimated energy savings
of $5,600/yr.  A new component added to the program is a partnership
with the City of Ann Arbor Energy Office to make zero interest loans
available through a federal grant.
http://www.a2dda.org/current_projects/downtown_energy_saving_grant_progr
am/      

 

Massachusetts has petitioned US DOE to allow the state to enforce a gas
furnace efficiency standard significantly stricter than the federal
standard - a move that could save Massachusetts consumers approximately
$144 million in heating costs between 2013 and 2030.  The proposed 90%
efficiency standard would save the average household buying a natural
gas furnace at least $3,600 in natural gas costs over a 20-year furnace
life or $180 in annual fuel costs. US DOE has up to one year to act on
the Commonwealth's waiver petition.

 

Whirlpool Corp. said its appliances will be featured in a new line of
high-quality, affordable, sustainable kit homes. The American
Sustainability Initiative -- or AmeriSus, for short -- will launch in
January with a goal of placing 12,000 affordable sustainable homes
throughout 15 states over the next two years. Each of these homes will
feature energy-efficient Whirlpool brand appliances.

 

University of California (UC) campuses have been working with the
California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) at UC Davis to retrofit
inefficient lighting technologies with EverLast(r) Induction Smart Light
fixtures. To date, 30% of UC campuses are achieving energy and cost
savings due to the implementation of these fixtures in roadway, walkway,
parking lot and garage structure applications. www.everlastlight.com/

 

Energy Tidbits is free and is prepared by John Sarver, Michigan Dept. of
Energy, Labor, & Economic Growth.  To subscribe, contact
sarverj at michigan.gov.  Previous copies can be found at
www.michigan.gov/energyoffice under Publications.

 

 

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