[announce] Energy Tidbits - May 2010

Fri Apr 30 08:00:11 CDT 2010

ENERGY TIDBITS - May 2010

Governor Granholm was recognized by the Great Lakes Renewable Energy
Assoc. at the 2010 Michigan Wind Energy Conference with its first
Leadership in Renewable Energy Award.  The award recognized her tireless
efforts to diversify the state's economy by providing job-creating,
clean-energy solutions for Michigan.  It was also announced that all
future leadership awards will be entitled the Granholm Leadership in
Renewable Energy Award.  In making the award, GLREA President Howard
Edelson cited the enactment of a renewable portfolio standard, the use
of federal Recovery Act funding to help four Michigan manufacturers to
retool their facilities for the wind-energy sector, programs that have
helped 100 Michigan companies to become part of wind manufacturing, and
the No Worker Left Behind program that works with Michigan's
clean-energy companies to retrain Michigan workers.  

Vice President Joe Biden has announced that Michigan will receive a $30
million Recovery Act grant to ramp up energy efficiency retrofits in
Michigan homes, businesses, and public buildings. The Michigan Retrofit
Ramp-up Initiative (MRRI) grant proposal was submitted by the Michigan
Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth and Michigan SAVES on
behalf of a collaborative group of Michigan entities including the
cities of Detroit and Grand Rapids and the Michigan Suburbs Alliance.
The $30 million for Michigan is the second largest award among the 25
retrofit ramp-up grants awarded to states and communities throughout the
US.  

http://www.michigan.gov/dleg/0,1607,7-154-25676-231532--,00.html

Renewable Energy & Energy Efficient Technology Demonstration grants will
provide matching funds to small businesses for projects that will
demonstrate innovative renewable energy and energy efficient
technologies not yet widely adopted in Michigan.  A total of $1,500,000
in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding is available
with three to eight grant awards anticipated.  Projects must be
conducted in Michigan and completed by December 31, 2011.  A 50% match
is required. Preference will be given to projects partnering with
Michigan university engineering departments or the Michigan
Manufacturing Technology Center.  The deadline for submitting an
application is May 21, 2010.  www.michigan.gov/energyoffice 

Clean Energy Advanced Manufacturing grants and loans will provide $20
million to assist small manufacturing companies, currently located in
Michigan, to diversify into high-growth clean energy sectors and invest
in advanced manufacturing of renewable energy and energy efficiency
systems and components. Renewable Energy applicantions are due on May
14, 2010 and Energy Efficiency applications are due on May 21, 2010.
Any business physically located in Michigan with 500 or fewer full-time
or equivalent employees, or a business that relocates to Michigan by the
time of the award is eligible to apply.  Energy Efficiency:
www.michigan.gov/documents/dleg/CEAM_Energy_Efficiency_RFP_318749_7.pdf 

Renewable Energy:
www.michigan.gov/documents/dleg/CEAM_Renewable_Energy_RFP_318752_7.pdf 

AgriEnergy Request for Proposal (RFP) has been issued by DELEG, Bureau
of Energy Systems to promote low carbon agriculture through the adoption
of green technologies and practices that will be implemented from energy
audit/assessment recommendations. One statewide, Michigan based project
will augment the Michigan Farm Energy Audit and Renewable Energy
Assessment Program through: (1) development of an Energy module under
the Farm*A*Syst risk assessment tools, and (2) additional agricultural
audits/assessments.  Up to $300,000 is available to Michigan
universities. Deadline is May 7.  www.michigan.gov/energyoffice
<http://www.michigan.gov/energyoffice> 

Michigan.2010 Michigan Green Leaders, recognized by the Detroit Free
Press, represent a diverse group of individuals and organizations making
a difference including the WARM Training Center and Crystal Mountain
Resort, a Green Lodging Michigan Leader www.michigan.gov/greenlodging
<http://www.michigan.gov/greenlodging> .  Check out the 16 who are
leading Michigan to an earth friendly future.
http://freep.com/section/green01 <http://freep.com/section/green01>  

First Michigan SAVES loans have been made in the Cherryland pilot which
kicked off in February, with the cooperation of Michigan SAVES,
Cherryland Electric Cooperative, Brown Lumber Installed Sales & Service
(BLISS), and Members Credit Union. To date, 14 loans have been approved
and there are 21 customer inquiries active in the queue. In this pilot,
residential customers of Cherryland finance energy efficiency measures
through a local credit union and pay back the loan on their Cherryland
bill. BLISS walks the customer through the entire process and manages a
network of contractors to make the energy-saving upgrades. Certified
energy assessment professionals-many of whom received training through
the local college-are currently conducting home energy assessments and
recommending energy-saving improvements. Customers may also select from
a list of pre-qualified measures. Customers can learn more and sign up
by going to www.michiganSAVES.org/cherrylandpilot
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103277064466&s=8272&e=001xlwq_WH_DPOGwS7c
W2AAvE-mDbAsKLt4T1unYa3cNAdQM_WER-r8gJVZN_oILWmWIKMcA4hcEfnz0ra5CfRaXsGo
H4ne9ytG7nHEBxodQ3nvErCkLcLO5-C447nLlgiTR1KhxExvIkg=> . If you would
like Michigan SAVES updates, go to http://michigansaves.org/contact.cfm
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103277064466&s=8272&e=001xlwq_WH_DPNLeGHM
_ruJLhdmtzHFJWoIylylbhMU_mHEQTitmFAp6EscucuVYclMvmLfOdCiAsic6hRumsQ5U9Yt
Zo7j5rAVgwZk578cC6Vd-Yz4haddwYGbO-muyuXt> .  

New Water Heater efficiency standards have been released by DOE.
According to DOE, for most product sizes sold, the new standards can be
met with modest changes, such as adding more insulation to today's
conventional tank-style water heaters.  However, for the biggest
products (those with over 55 gallons in storage capacity), the new
standards can only be met with heat pump and condensing technology. Heat
pump electric water heaters save at least 50% and gas condensing water
heaters save about 25%  relative to today's conventional storage water
heaters.  The final rule
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103257929952&s=27946&e=001tbAtrTJXigcbo_M
hWT2Q-ceUNsEatyLqw0VfoAQxkLmABQ-I_SXH_olICFyKK94QUpj5I35_UP4FkGZcZ0ZIDvG
Wmz1jDZsvo2AxgqD-ixtGfVVTCgkVmKpDNRKjB7NrLquNSQ72C6IPgtjSeDWJJS6OMc2OScC
xpjWnPQFvAR59VpjA9LKaiWmOxMa_VVfiWpyzzKHHUxJO2lsn0w2wbg==>  also updates
minimum standards for tankless water heaters, pool heaters, and direct
heating equipment.

Energy & Innovation Summit 2010 will be held on May 18 & 19 at the Amway
Grand in Grand Rapids.  The Summit will help participants understand
energy efficiency, building successful business models, and get
practical advice on funding as well as implementing efficiency efforts.
Attendees will learn what really works from global and national leaders.
There will be an energy efficiency training seminar on May 20 for those
implementing energy projects.  www.energysummitonline.com/

Michigan has netted another $5 million in federal funds for clean energy
job training.  DELEG will receive almost $4.4 million to train 588
people to modernize the nation's electrical grid and implement smart
grid technologies in communities across the state. Northern Michigan
University has received $673,000 to develop and enhance the newly
established Electric Power Technician workforce training program, which
will provide quality training for 40 entry-level technicians each year.

Windstream Wolfe Island Shoals Inc. has been awarded a feed-in-tariff
contract by the Ontario Power Authority to develop an offshore wind
project, most likely the first offshore wind project in the Great Lakes.
The 300 MW site is located west of Wolfe Island in Lake Ontario on
approximately 48,000 acres of shallow-water shoals.

General Motors' Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant is where the Chevrolet
Volt is being built.  Production of the extended-range electric car
begins in November.  Three Volt cars have been built and GM expects to
build fewer than 500 preproduction versions before production begins.

2010 Energy Conference and Expo will be held at the Rock Financial
Showplace in Novi on May 4, 7:30-3:00.  The conference which is hosted
by DTE Energy and Engineering Society of Detroit will feature the latest
technology, business, and policy developments impacting the energy
industry.  http://ww2.esd.org/EVENTS/EnergyConf.htm 

Annual Wind Industry Market Report from the American Wind Energy
Association reports that over 10,000 MW of new wind power was installed
in 2009, 36 states now have utility-scale wind projects, Iowa leads in
terms of percentage of electricity getting 14% of its power from wind,
85,000 people are employed in the wind industry, 205 educational
programs offer a certificate, degree, or coursework related to wind
energy, and demand for small wind systems for residential and small
business use (100 kW or less) grew 15% in 2009.  www.awea.org
<http://www.awea.org/>  

Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Workshop and Expo will be held
in New Troy from 9-4 on Saturday, May 8.  In addition to providing
information and resources on wind, solar, biofuels, and geothermal
energy, this year's event will focus on affordable technologies and
projects and renewable energy careers. Also new this year will be a
panel of landowners who have renewable energy on their property.
www.regroupmi.org/expo.htm.  

The Rosenfeld - named after the "father of energy efficiency" - will
help standardize references to "energy saved", rather than such variable
calculations as "avoided powerplants" or "cars off the road."  The
announcement took place at a special symposium honoring Dr. Rosenfeld at
the University of California Davis. The Rosenfeld is equivalent to the
following: coal plant capacity of 500 MW, capacity factor of 70%, and
systemwide T&D losses of 7% . This combination of parameters would yield
annual electricity delivered at the meter of about 3 BkWh/year. Using
the carbon burden for US utility coal and the efficiency of average
existing coal steam plants, the emissions saved are almost exactly 3
million metric tons of CO2 per year.

Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association (GLREA) has announced that the
Rock Financial Showplace in Novi will be the site for the 5th annual
Michigan Energy Fair, taking place June 25th - 27th.  www.glrea.org
<http://www.glrea.org/>  

Green Living Options, an education and demonstration center, opened to
the public on Earth Day.  This center has examples of green construction
techniques including advanced framing, insulating concrete forms,
structurally insulated panels, and geothermal heating/cooling.  GLO has
planned several classes designed for homeowners and contractors.
www.promotegreen.biz <http://www.promotegreen.biz/>  

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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