[announce] Energy Tidbits - November 2009

[Sarver, John (DELEG)]

ENERGY TIDBITS - November 2009

 

Michigan Appliance Rebate Plan has been submitted to DOE and has been
posted at www.michigan.gov/energyoffice in the ARRA box.  Appliances
proposed for rebates are Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) Tier 3
refrigerators, CEE Tier 2 dishwashers, CEE Tier 3 clothes washers,
ENERGY STAR oil furnaces, propane furnaces (AFUE 95%) and water heaters
(EF>=.67), and ENERGY STAR solar water heaters.  With the exception of
clothes washers, rebates would not duplicate rebates being offered by
utility energy optimization programs which include air conditioners,
clothes washers, dehumidifiers, natural gas furnaces and water heaters,
and CFL's.  The start date has not yet been determined and will be after
DOE approval.

 

Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) has recognized Governor
Granholm with its "innovation through state government leadership award"
for the creation of DELEG as a way for the state to strategically
rebrand itself and aggressively compete nationally and internationally
in the development of advanced energy technology. The award was made in
conjunction with the 2009 Solar Power International Conference held in
Anaheim, California on October 26th. Through Executive Order 2008-20,
Governor Granholm reorganized several State of Michigan departments to
create the Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth, and named
Stanley "Skip" Pruss the Director of DELEG.  

 

Consumers Energy has began the roll-out of $6 million in incentive
checks by year-end for its energy efficiency program.  More than $31
million in incentives will be distributed by Consumers Energy by the end
of 2011 to business customers for energy efficiency projects.   The
first recipient is Swartz Creek Community Schools, which received an
incentive check for $2,137 for energy efficiency measures to control
lighting.  Customers may learn more about Consumers' energy efficiency
programs and how to apply for project incentives by visiting
www.consumersenergy.com <http://www.consumersenergy.com/>  

 

Turkey Litter is being converted at a Howard City grain feed mill into
steam, electricity and fertilizer with a $3 million biomass energy plant
developed by a small Kentwood company, Heat Transfer International.
Sietsema Farms Feeds is roasting 70,000 pounds of turkey waste a day to
generate 206,400 pounds of steam and 500 kWh's of electricity to power a
grain mill that prepares bird feed. The turkey waste is gathered from
several West Michigan turkey facilities.  The technology was developed
in Michigan, thanks in part to a $2.3 million state grant and a $500,000
federal grant.  

 

Energy Conversion Devices & CertainTeed have announced the installation
of EnerGen on the official residence of Governor Granholm. EnerGen is
the first product developed through a joint venture announced between
the two companies in October 2008, and is slated for official launch in
2010. EnerGen combines Uni-Solar's expertise in photovoltaics with
CertainTeed's leadership in residential roofing to create a solar roof
system that integrates solar with roofing shingles. The two companies
donated a 3.2-kW system for Granholm's official residence in Lansing.

 

Michigan Solid-State Lighting Association (MSSLA) has announced the
official launch of its organization. MSSLA was established in a
collaborative effort with Michigan corporations, universities, and state
agencies engaged in manufacturing, research or development of
solid-state lighting products. The MSSLA mission is to help ensure that
Michigan becomes a global leader in solid-state lighting through
knowledge sharing, education and public policy advocacy.  Founding
members of the MSSLA include DTE Energy, ilumisys, LEDOS, Lumatek
International, Midwest Circuits, Relume Technologies, Michigan
Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth, University of Michigan,
Wayne State University and XUS LED Lighting.
 

2009 Michigan Solid-State Lighting Association Symposium will share the
latest advancements and insights into the benefits of solid-state
lighting on Nov. 12 at the University of Michigan - Dearborn, Fairlane
Center, North Building, Room Quad E. Interested participants are
encouraged to pre-register
<http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe601c727d640c7c7716&ls=fded10767561007e7d127970
&m=fefd1679706406&l=fe9916717367017d70&s=fe2310737d670c7e731075&jb=ffcf1
4&t=>  by Nov. 9.  Attendees will learn about real-world applications of
solid-state lighting, interact with exhibitors, and network with
hundreds of commercial and industrial professionals.  Keynote speaker
Mike Bergren, former assistant field operations manager for the City of
Ann Arbor, will discuss the city's LED implementation program, which is
replacing 1,000 streetlamps with LEDs with plans to change all 7,000 Ann
Arbor streetlamps to LED. 

www.dteenergy.com/businessCustomers/saveEnergy/events/seminarRegister.ht
ml
 

DTE Energy has been awarded a $84 million DOE grant that will allow the
company to move forward with its SmartCurrents program. The DOE funding
will be matched by the company and its partners, bringing the total
investment to $170 million.  Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is
the backbone of the SmartCurrents program. DTE has piloted AMI in Grosse
Ile and is installing new meters on Harsen's Island and in a portion of
Bloomfield Township.  The program includes Smart Home which will provide
different pricing levels for off-peak electrical usage, web-based
customer energy usage and customer outage notification. Certain "smart"
appliances could communicate with DTE to provide optimum energy savings.
As a result of the DOE funding, DTE will install 700,000 new meters,
offer Smart Home technology with in-home displays and high tech
thermostats to 5,000 customers, and make improvements to 11 substations
and 55 circuits over the next two years.  



LaFontaine Automotive Group of Highland has received Gold LEED
Certification on the dealership's 63,000-sq-ft facility.  The $15
million facility is the first GM dealership in the country to qualify
for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. A
special car wash system recycles 85% of the water used by conventional
car washes. The facility's centerpiece and most costly single
expenditure at $600,000 is a 64-well geothermal system that heats and
cools the building by capturing energy stored in the earth 350 feet
below the building.  Eighty-five skylights fill the facility with
natural light and reduce the need for artificial lighting and special
prisms magnify the light for even more efficiency.  Sophisticated
photocells and computer-controlled lighting helps ensure lights are
turned off in unused areas and can turn off lighting when there is
enough daylight. The service department fills customers' vehicle tires
with nitrogen vs. compressed air because the unique properties of
nitrogen can improve fuel economy.  A windmill generates energy to pump
retention pond water for irrigation. 

 

First Light Solar Park, located in Lennox and currently the largest PV
operation in Canada, has begun generating electricity.   With more than
126,000 solar panels across 90 acres, this farm is expected to generate
more than 10 million kWh's in its first year.  Since October 2003,
Ontario has added more than 1,200 MW of new, renewable generation,
including more than 150 solar projects of varying sizes.

 

Rouge Woods Apartments, being redeveloped by nonprofit Northwest Detroit
Neighborhood Development and for-profit Capacity Development, LLC, isn't
the first green project for the developers. They consulted with WARM
Training Center in Detroit to do an energy audit and come up with a
strategy to make the 3-story building green. The major green element is
geothermal heating and cooling, eighteen 300-ft wells. Each unit will
have a heat pump that will control the flow of air.    The development
also will feature an exercise room that recycles energy from the
residents' use of the equipment to power some of the smaller equipment
in the room. The developers hope that it will encourage exercise while
generating electricity at the same time. Other green elements include
energy-efficient windows, Energy Star appliances, and drought-tolerant
landscaping.  With all the green elements, residents will save 30-35% on
their electric bills.

 

National Academy of Sciences has released a study indicating that
burning fossil fuels costs the United States about $120 billion a year
in health costs, mostly because of thousands of premature deaths from
air pollution.  The damages are caused almost equally by coal and oil,
according to the study which was ordered by Congress. The study set out
to measure the costs not incorporated into the price of a kWh or a
gallon of gasoline or diesel fuel.   The estimates by the academy do not
include damages from global warming. Coal burning was the biggest single
source of such external costs, but the variation among coal plants was
enormous.  The worst plants, generally the oldest and burning coal with
the highest sulfur content, were 3.6 times worse than the average.

 

Dow Chemical has unveiled its line of Dow Powerhouse Solar Shingles,
photovoltaic solar panels in the form of solar shingles that can be
integrated into rooftops with standard asphalt shingle materials. The
solar shingle systems are expected to be available in limited quantities
by mid 2010 and more widely available in 2011. 

 

Sustainable Solutions for the Contracting Industry will be held at West
Shore Community College on Nov. 10, 6-9pm and at Glen Oaks Community
College, ISD Building on Nov. 12, 2-5pm.  Building Science Academy will
present on opportunities in the retrofit market, update on utility
programs, What is Home Performance? and examples of energy efficiency
retrofit projects. 616-887-2311 or Brandi at buildingscienceacademy.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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