MEEA Minute — June 2010
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
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Join MEEA on LinkedIn
MEEA has just launched a group on LinkedIn. The group is open to anyone who works in the energy sector with an interest in progressing energy efficiency in the Midwest.
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Up Coming Events
5th Annual Michigan Energy Fair
June 25-27 at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi, Michigan.
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Sustainable Energy Conference 2010
July 12-16 in Bethlehem, PA.
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NEM Summer Policy Leadership Conference
July 14-15 at the University Club of Chicago in Chicago, IL.
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For more Upcoming Events, check out our Midwest Energy Calendar.
In this Issue
Welcome to the MEEA Minute, our monthly newsletter, including news from MEEA and our members and allies, efficiency news and events from around the Midwest, and more. In this issue read about:
MEEA Broadens Solid-State Lighting Efforts
MEEA Technical Webinar Series
MEEA Missouri EEPS Analysis
RE-AMP Energy Efficiency Working Group In-Person Meeting Recap
New MEEA Members
Energize Missouri Program Announcements
Call for Rural Electric Cooperatives EE Case Studies
MEEA’s Toolkit for Rural Energy Efficiency- AVAILABLE
DOW Vision Zero – Living Net-Zero in Michigan
MEEA Job Posting – Technical Advisor
Lord Stanley Returns to the Midwest
Articles
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MEEA Broadens Solid-State Lighting Efforts
The past month has been a busy one for MEEA in the realm of solid-state lighting. As a way of spreading more SSL news more often, we have launched Crosslight, a blog which delivers regular updates on SSL technology, conferences and events, and interviews with industry figures. As our work in this area grows, the information we want to convey has expanded beyond what we can incorporate into the MEEA Minute, so be sure to check Crosslight often to hear the latest.
MEEA has also just issued its regional Midwest SSL Plans & Perceptions Survey. With this survey, we hope to learn how our members and partners are making SSL part of their approach to efficiency, and what factors are helping or hindering them. If you have opinions you’d like to share on your company’s approach to solid-state lighting, please respond to your survey invitation, or contact us (see below) to learn how to access this survey. All participants will receive a summary report of the compiled survey results, and one lucky respondent will receive a PAR 38 LED replacement lamp from Maxlite, valued at over $100.
Lastly, MEEA has been working to assist multiple partners in installing and testing LED products. In the past we have nurtured our members’ efforts in the Midwest by offering assistance in technical aspects of SSL pilots and issuing RFPs/RFQs to LED manufacturers and vendors. Currently, MEEA is assisting U.S. DOE in a field assessment of Philips’ L Prize competition entry (visit Crosslight to track this effort). We have been proud to partner with the Merchandise Mart in Chicago to play a role in bringing practical LED replacement technology into residential homes. MEEA is also on the verge of installing advanced SSL luminaires at another notable Chicago site – stay tuned for updates as we cast an even wider net in pushing for the best in high-efficiency lighting.
If you are interested in learning more about any of MEEA’s work in lighting, please contact Chad Bulman at cbulman@mwalliance.org.
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MEEA Technical Webinar Series
Join MEEA and its members on the third Tuesday of every month from 1:00-2:30p.m.CST for the MEEA’s Technical Webinar series.
MEEAs Technical Webinar Series is a service provided to members. These webinars occur on the third Tuesday of every month from 1:00-2:30 P.M. (CST). The goal of the series is to give members an opportunity to promote their product or service to industry professionals. Each webinar is a great way to raise interest, and gain support.
MEEA’s next Technical Webinar scheduled for July 20th will spotlight Owens Corning’s new EnergyComplete Whole Home Insulation System.
Click Here to reserve a place on the webinar. Questions can be directed to Nathen Pepper at npepper@mwalliance.org.
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MEEA Missouri EEPS Analysis
MEEA has released a new report that examines the potential savings that the state of Missouri could achieve through the adoption of a statewide energy efficiency resource standard (EERS) at a level of 2.0% of electricity and 1.5% of natural gas to be met with energy efficiency by 2022, as was proposed during the 2010 legislative session.
Our analysis shows that by 2025, Missouri could be using 10.5% less electricity and 10.3% less natural gas than the projected level that would be seen without an efficiency standard. This could save Missouri customers $1.8 on their energy bills and build an energy efficiency industry of 3,500 jobs in the state. Adopting an EERS that reached these efficiency levels more quickly would increase these potential savings.
Click Here to access a copy of the MEEA Missouri EEPS Analysis.
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RE-AMP Energy Efficiency Working Group In-Person Meeting Recap
The RE-AMP Energy Efficiency Working Group held there in-person meeting in Madison Wisconsin on June 7-8. The meeting brought together over 25 Working Group Members from throughout RE-AMP’s eight state region. MEEA has been chairing the RE-AMP Energy Efficiency Working Group under the leadership of Anne McKibbin and Jessica Collingsworth serves as the Working Group Associate.
At the meeting, working group members discussed energy efficiency regionally with the aid of an EE Matrix created by MEEA. The matrix tracks the status of EERS, decoupling, building codes, and PACE in each of the Midwest states. In addition, the group was given a federal update on the Climate Bill and the Building Star Program by Brad Penney and Carol Guest from the Alliance to Save Energy.
The meeting concluded with the development of the Energy Efficiency Working Group’s Goals and Priorities, which include: implementing energy efficiency portfolio standards that achieve annual savings of at least 2% of electric sales, and at least 1.5% of natural gas sales; to establish regulatory frameworks that value energy efficiency as a priority resource; to adopt and ensure enforcement of the strongest national building energy codes, and adopting incentives to build beyond code; and to evaluate complementary policies, programs, and technologies to achieve efficiency on both the customer and utility side of the meter.
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New MEEA Members
Building Science Energy Services
Building Science Academy headquartered in XX, Michigan, is committed to providing every individual with the skills to enter the energy efficiency and green jobs work force. This includes entry level workers with no experience in construction or energy auditing through experienced building contractors and energy auditor/raters. The Academy is committed to not just preparing our students for certification but with the knowledge and hands-on experience and capabilities to put their certification to WORK!
United Financial
United Financial of Illinois, Inc. is a privately held financial services company founded in 1986 and headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, IL. United Financial has provided billions of dollars in financing and has an established reputation for providing dependable, innovative investment and financing products. The company specializes in structuring financial products focused on energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and other related programs tailored to meet the needs of its Vendors and their End-User Federal and Municipal Government and Commercial customers.
The Company offers financial solutions through its extensive network of investors and works closely with its customers to understand and serve their financial business needs and design individual financial programs tailored specifically to meet their requirements.
Green Market Solutions
Green Market Solutions based in XX offers programs that focus on the marketing, promotion and implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy programs all toward helping our clients meet their energy efficiency and renewable energy goals. To assist in achieving state and local energy efficiency and renewable energy goals, Green Market Solutions (GMS) provides services that increase participation in residential and commercial energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Lead Generation & Community Outreach Services; Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) Conversion Services; Energy Audit & Retrofit Services.
GMS offers world class talent to deliver solutions to our clients. Our entire team works with a results-oriented, client service mindset which leads to value creation for our clients. Our program data and results can be easily communicated to a variety of constituencies, including state regulators, utility boards and community groups.
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Energize Missouri Program Announcements
Funding Opportunities for MO Residential and C&I Customers
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has launched Energize Missouri Programs to distribute State Energy Program funds to residential and commercial & industrial customers from the $57,393,000 that the State received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has allocated a total of $25 million for the following C&I and Residential Home programs:
Industrial Energy Efficiency Program – Provides incentives for industries to perform energy audits and energy efficiency retrofits such as involving lighting or heat recovery systems.
Best Price Efficiency Program – Provides opportunities for industries to increase their levels of energy efficiency by reducing overall energy use and reducing fossil fuel emissions.
Neighborhood Challenge – Provides grants for organizations to implement a behavioral efficiency program in an effort to encourage homeowners to reduce overall energy consumption in their homes. The program is designed to increase awareness of energy consumption as homeowners compare their household’s energy usage to that of their neighbors’. There are three options in this program:
Home Energy Reports, in which homeowners receive home energy reports for electricity usage for 12 months,
In-Home Energy Monitoring Devices, in which homeowners receive devices that display their energy usage data, or
Combination Program, which combines the Home Energy Reports and the In-Home Energy Monitoring Devices options.
Homeowner Upgrades and Geothermal Program – Allows single-family homeowners to receive an energy audit and perform energy-saving retrofits throughout their homes with additional incentives to install geothermal systems. The HUG program will be implemented by regional aggregators who will communicate with homeowner participants, provide technical assistance, and process all program requests. Eligible aggregator applicants include municipal utilities, cooperative utilities, investor-owned utilities, units of local government and nonprofit organizations.
Multi-Unit Residential Retrofits Program – Residential multi-unit buildings apply for improvement projects including lighting, insulation, furnaces and central air. Buildings must have 10 or more residential units participate to be eligible for funding and retrofits can occur both inside the residential units, and in shared spaces of the complex.
For more information on all five programs, including application and program guidelines, please visit www.EnergizeMissouri.org. If you have any questions please call toll-free 1-877-610-0834. Program application deadlines are below.
Program
Application Submittal Deadline
Best Price Energy Efficiency
June 25th, 2010 at 4 PM CDT
Neighborhood Challenge
July 2nd, 2010 at 4 PM CDT
Industrial Energy Efficiency
July 9th, 2010 at 4 PM CDT
Homeowner Upgrades and Geothermal
July 9th, 2010 at 4 PM CDT
Multi-Unit Residential Retrofits
July 9th, 2010 at 4 PM CDT
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Call for Rural Electric Cooperatives EE Case Studies
MEEA is looking for case studies and best- practices about rural electric cooperative energy efficiency programs. Case Studies will be listed on MEEA’s website to provide industry professionals, and energy efficiency experts a resource for innovative strategies to save energy. If you would like to have your case study listed on our website, please contact Nathan Pepper, npepper@mwalliance.org
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MEEA’s Toolkit for Rural Energy Efficiency – AVAILABLE
MEEAs Toolkit for Rural Energy Efficiency (TREE), an efficiency best practices resource for rural electric cooperatives, provides regional co-ops with an informational database on industry best practices, successful programs, barriers to energy efficiency, marketing strategies, and lessons learned. Ideally, this outreach piece helps to ensure the successful launch and implementation of energy efficiency programs by electric cooperatives throughout the Midwest.
TREE is comprised of two parts; a short video covering successful energy efficiency programs, and a formal report showing the results of the survey released to over one hundred cooperatives. Well received by cooperative members, the video features interviews with member-owners, and cooperatives that have launched successful energy efficiency programs. Please contact Nathan Pepper , npepper@mwalliance.org, for a copy of the DVD or if you want the TREE presentation at meeting.
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DOW Vision Zero – Living Net-Zero in Michigan
Vision Zero is a real, tangible example of a home that provides all the comforts and convenience of a modern, well-powered home – and none of the high utility costs or carbon emissions that usually follow.
Vision Zero is Michigan’s first net-zero energy home of record, an example of Dow’s collaboration with partners like MEEA member, the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth and Cobblestone Builders, a Great Lakes Bay region homebuilder focused on energy-efficiency, to meet the shared goal of increasing our nation’s energy security, creating jobs and addressing the important goal of combating climate change. A net-zero energy home typically uses about 60 to 70 percent less energy than a conventional home, with the balance of its energy needs supplied by renewable technologies. The Vision Zero home uses a wide range of Dow materials and sustainable technologies, including next generation insulation and air-sealing products, and the revolutionary new DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingles. Cobblestone has also incorporated a wide range of products from a number of other leading suppliers that will conserve energy or harness renewable resources to keep the Vision Zero home comfortable, while meeting the zero-energy threshold.
The most important step is also the most affordable one – insulating and sealing all external walls, ceilings and foundation surfaces to produce a tight, well insulated, energy efficient “building envelope,” or outer shell. A variety of brand-leading Dow products were used to achieve this efficient envelope, including STYROFOAM™ SIS Brand Insulation, THERMAX™ Sheathing, GREAT STUFF PRO™ Insulating Foam Sealants, and more. Studies show that using energy-efficient materials like these can help reduce a home’s total energy consumption by as much as 50 percent.1 These weatherization solutions are primary considerations when designing a well-built home, because it is easier to design right the first time versus coming back and attempting to retrofit to these high standards later, after the home is completed. It also enables the energy-generating technologies to perform to their maximum efficiency more cost effectively.
The Vision Zero home, located at 3118 Summerhill Street in Bay City, will be open for viewing by appointment only. You can also take a virtual tour at www.visionzerohome.com.
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MEEA Job Posting – Technical Advisor
MEEA is seeking a Technical Advisor to be located in its Chicago, IL office; however, MEEA may consider exceptional candidates who can work remotely but still reside within the Midwest. The position is funded for up to 3 years but may lead to additional opportunities within MEEA or could be a contract employee if desired. The Technical Advisor will lead MEEA’s work in providing support to states, cities and counties in the Midwest region that are receiving federal Stimulus (ARRA) funding for implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Send resume and cover letter to jobs@mwalliance.org
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Lord Stanley Returns to the Midwest
Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks for winning the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup!
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The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) is a collaborative network advancing energy efficiency in the Midwest to support sustainable economic development and environmental preservation.
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