-- Scotts Contracting - StLouis Renewable Energy

Search This Blog

2.14.2010

Scott's Contracting, Green Builder St Louis "RENEWABLE ENERGY" MO,: $20.5M for Community Renewable Energy Projects

Scott's Contracting, Green Builder St Louis "RENEWABLE ENERGY" MO,: $20.5M for Community Renewable Energy Projects

10 Million Solar Home Initiative

February 9, 2010


Sen. Sanders Introduces 10 Million Solar Home Initiative

Washington, D.C., United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), chairman of the Senate's green jobs subcommittee introduced legislation with nine cosponsors to encourage the installation of 10 million solar systems on the rooftops of homes and businesses over the next decade.

Sanders said a recent report shows that solar power could help make every state more energy independent if solar units were installed on available rooftop space, because every state can meet 10 percent or more of its electricity needs just through rooftop solar.

Sanders' bill, the 10 Million Solar Roofs and 10 Million Gallons of Solar Water Heating Act of 2010, would authorize rebates which, along with other incentives, would cover up to half the cost of the 10 million solar power systems and 200,000 water heating systems. Non-profit groups and state and local governments also would be eligible.

"At a time when we spend $350 billion importing oil from Saudi Arabia and other countries every year, the United States must move away from foreign oil to energy independence," Sanders said. "A dramatic expansion of solar power is a clean and economical way to help break our dependence on foreign oil, reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, improve our geopolitical position, and create good-paying green jobs."

At a Senate committee hearing, Sanders questioned Energy Secretary Steven Chu about President Obama's budget for next year. The White House requested US $2.4 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. The requested 5 percent boost overall included a 22 percent increase for solar power.

The potential for solar power also was the subject of testimony last week before Sanders' green jobs subcommittee by Jeff Wolfe, chief executive officer of groSolar. Wolfe said Sanders' bill "would help homeowners and small businesses stabilize their energy costs."

Sanders said a recent report shows that solar power could help make every state more energy independent if solar units were installed on available rooftop space, because every state can meet 10 percent or more of its electricity needs just through rooftop solar. Moreover, because solar energy creates more jobs per megawatt than other energy sources. Sanders' bill could create hundreds of thousands of jobs over the next ten years in the solar industry.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) applauded Sanders and Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) for introducing the bill.

“Senator Sanders and Congressman Cohen have shown true leadership by setting a bold vision for solar installations that will help the U.S. reclaim global leadership in this fast growing industry,” said SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch. “Passing this bill would create the world’s largest market for solar energy here in the U.S. and bring with it tens of thousands of manufacturing and installation jobs in all 50 states.”

Reaction from other players in the solar industry was also positive. Sharp Solar said that it would help boost both the manufacturing and integration sectors.

“Sharp commends Senator Saunders and Representative Cohen for sponsoring this new legislation which will foster the growth of the U.S. residential solar market,” said Ron Kenedi, vice president of Sharp Solar. “We are pleased to see Congressman Cohen and the State of Tennessee, where we manufacture our solar modules, lead this effort. Legislation such as this will help make our nation’s energy portfolio more sustainable, create green jobs and help combat climate change, while helping secure energy independence.”

The legislation's cosponsors include Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA).

“This bill will help make America energy independent while creating many thousands of good paying jobs in the U.S. It will also help bring long term relief to American homeowners, who otherwise face mounting energy bills. This bill represents a rare legislative opportunity for a win-win-win, and we salute Senator Sanders and Representative Cohen for introducing it,” Wolfe said

$20.5M for Community Renewable Energy Projects

February 5, 2010


DOE Releases US $20.5M for Community Renewable Energy Projects

Washington, D.C., United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu this week announced the selection of five projects to receive a combined US $20.5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support deployment of community-based renewable energy projects including biomass, wind and solar installations.

DOE estimates that these projects will provide enough clean, renewable energy to displace the emissions of approximately 10,700 homes.

“Smaller, more localized renewable energy systems need to play a role in our comprehensive energy portfolio," Secretary Chu said. “These projects will help create jobs, expand our clean energy economy, and help us cut carbon pollution at the local level.”

The projects selected by DOE will be leveraged with approximately $167 million in local government and private industry funding. DOE estimates that these projects will provide enough clean, renewable energy to displace the emissions of approximately 10,700 homes.

Projects selected for awards are listed below.

The City of Montpelier, Vermont plans to use $8 million from DOE to install a 41 MMBtu combined heat and power district energy system fueled with locally-sourced renewable and sustainably-harvested wood chips. The CHP system will be sized to provide heating to the Vermont Capitol Complex, city owned schools, the City Hall Complex, and up to 156 buildings in the community’s designated downtown district for a total of 176 buildings and 1.8 million square feet served.

The Forest County Potawatomi Tribe in Wisconsin will install a 1.25-MW biomass combined heat and power facility that will provide heating, cooling and electricity, a 150-kW biogas digester and generation facility, as well as three 100-kW wind turbines and three dual-axis 2.88 kW solar PV panels located at the Tribe’s Governmental Center using $2.5 million from DOE.

SMUD recieve $5 million to install the state’s first-ever ‘Solar Highway’, which will feature 300kW of concentrating PV, and 400 and 800 kW of flat plate PV distributed on 2 miles of highway right-of-ways. SMUD will also install a full scale co-digestion process of fats, oil and grease (FOG) and liquid food processing waste with sewage to produce biogas with estimated power recovery of 1-3 MW, and install two low-NOx anaerobic digesters fed by two dairy facilities that will produce 500 kW of combined heat and power, and generate 600 kW of electricity through a molten carbonate fuel cell.

UC Davis’ proposed Waste-to-Renewable Energy (WTRE) system will get $2.5 million. The system would generate power from a renewable biogas fed fuel cell. The organic waste will enter a receiving station in which it can be collected and prepared for digestion. Once the appropriate mix has been created in buffer tanks, the waste will flow to the reactor where methanogenic bacteria will generate methane and carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, etc.

Finally, Phillips County, Colorado will get $2.5 million to help develop a 650-MW wind farm within Sedgwick, Phillips, and Logan counties in Northeastern Colorado.

2.08.2010

Resturant Equipment ENERGY STAR Commercial Kitchen Package

                     
Choose an ENERGY STAR Commercial Kitchen Package

According to Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Food Service Technology Center, as much as 80 percent of the $10 billion annual energy bill for the commercial food service (CFS) sector does no useful work. These lost energy dollars are often wasted in the form of excess heat and noise generated by inefficient appliances, heating ventilation and air conditioning systems, lighting and refrigeration.

                           Manage Costs
To help counter these costs, ENERGY STAR helps restaurant owners and operators improve the performance of their facilities and equipment while reducing energy costs. Restaurants that invest strategically can cut utility costs 10 to 30 percent without sacrificing service, quality, style or comfort - while making significant contributions to a cleaner environment.

Restaurants, or facilities with commercial kitchens, feature the majority of this equipment and consume significantly more energy than other types of buildings - using approximately 250,000 Btu/sq.ft.

ENERGY STAR qualified equipment can be an answer to mounting energy bills. Purchasing ENERGY STAR qualified CFS equipment as a package for new kitchen construction or as a replacement for aging equipment, can save significant amounts of money and energy on foodservice operators' electric, gas, water and sewer bills.
Save Energy, Save Money
Outfitting an entire kitchen with a suite of ENERGY STAR qualified CFS equipment could save operators about 350 Mbtu/year annually, or the equivalent of approximately $3,600.

Besides saving energy, ENERGY STAR qualified steam cookers and commercial dishwashers save water. Steam cookers that have earned the ENERGY STAR are 90 percent more water efficient than non-qualified steam cookers; an ENERGY STAR qualified commercial dishwasher is 25 percent more water efficient than standard models.

Related Information

Guidebooks
ENERGY STAR Guide for Restaurants (820KB)

Equipment Savings Fact Sheet (1.06M)
CFS Program Administrator Guide for Utilities (418KB)
Importing Regulated CFS Products into Canada (48KB)

Case Studies
Austin Public Schools Case Study (884KB)
Saratoga Restaurant Equipment Sales Case Study (203KB)
Kessenich’s Ltd. Case Study (192KB)
Newsletters
ENERGY STAR CFS January 2010 Newsletter
ENERGY STAR CFS October 2009 Newsletter
Helpful Web Sites
Food Service Technology Center
Consortium for Energy Efficiency's (CEE) Commercial Kitchens Initiative
National Restaurant Association's Conserve Initiative

Contact Scott's Contracting, St Louis Renewable Energy for additional information < WEB or email>scotty@stlouisrenewableenergy.comscotty@stlouisrenewableenergy.com

2.07.2010

Electric cars Proper Set Up

Info by: Scotty, Scott's Contracting, St Louis Renewable Energy

Park and Plug


Electric cars are around the corner. Will your green buyers have a place to plug in?

By:Katy Tomasulo

The Chevrolet Volt extended range electric vehicle with a 230 miles-per-gallon rating, is shown in front of the GreenHouse, a custom-built 4,000 sq-ft "carbon neutral" house in MacLean, Virginia Tuesday, September 22, 2009. The Volt will travel 40 miles on a single charge, meaning it could drive to Washington, DC and back twice from this location, without using a drop of gas. GreenHouse was designed and constructed using the latest environmental technologies, including solar hot water and electricity, a green roof system, rain water capture, geothermal heating/cooling and much more. The house will be open to the public for tours October 10-30. (Photo by Mark Finkenstaedt for General Motors)

Credit: GM
GM’s recent announcement that its all-electric Chevy Volt will hit the showroom floor by the end of 2010 signaled a major shift in the evolution of plug-in vehicles. With other major manufacturers working on similar initiatives, it looks like electric cars may be hitting the mainstream.

Fully charged, the Volt will run for 40 miles on battery power, which means a typical commuter can travel all week to and from work without using any gas. A gas-powered extended-range mode provides an additional 300 miles. GM places the Volt’s miles per gallon at 230 and estimates it will consume 25 kWh—about $2.75—for every 100 miles.

Ford is not far behind, with plans to have its all-electric Focus available in 2011. Nissan, Toyota, and Honda also have announced upcoming rollouts.

In preparation, builders should be planning ahead to ensure the houses they sell are ready if and when occupants go the plug-in route. “If we’re not ready to get buildings outfitted today, there’s going to be a lot of incurred costs later on,” says Britta Gross, GM’s director of global energy systems and infrastructure commercialization.

Luckily, builders and drivers won’t face unfamiliar technology: The Volt simply plugs into a three-pronged outlet via an extension cord; Gross says the Volt charges in eight hours on a 120-volt/15-amp outlet or in about three hours on a 240-volt/30-amp outlet. Though most detached houses already contain a 120-volt outlet in the garage, forward-thinking builders should consider installing a 240-volt outlet no more than 25 feet from parking spots and providing a dedicated circuit.

Ford also recommends a dedicated 240-volt line to the garage, with 80 to 100 amps to accommodate two cars at 40 amps each. Ford will require a “charge point,” a hard-wired box that contains the cord and ensures it isn’t charged unless it’s plugged into the car.
For multifamily buildings with underground garages, Gross suggests installing a 240-volt outlet at each stall, along with appropriate upgraded transformers, or at least having a percentage of dedicated spaces.

Determining how many parking spaces is still up in the air. In Vancouver, a new building standard will require new multifamily projects to include wiring for vehicle charging in a minimum of 20% of parking stalls. Each building’s electrical capacity must be able to accommodate a load created if each of those stalls were in use simultaneously.

“Consumers … expect a plug for the dryer and stove, and in very short order, they’re going to expect an outlet in their garage,” says John Stonier, spokesperson for the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association. “It’s not a big stretch to do this, and it doesn’t cost very much.”
—Katy Tomasulohttp ://www.ecohomemagazine.com/home-technology/park-and-plug.aspx

Scott's Contracting will custom build or renovate your garage for the needed Electric Hook-Ups for your Electric Car

HVAC Best Fit- Renewable Energy Blog Page Reopened

Alternative Energy Blog Page Reopened!!!



EFFICIENCY LEVELS: HVAC... air conditioning equipment must meet both the SEER and EER to qualify. “If it meets 13 EER, it will automatically meet 16 SEER. But not the other way around,” he says.

FURNACE CHOICE: ...the 95% efficiency level for a gas furnace is easiest to reach, but it’s not always the best choice, based on climate. “In the northern states, [clients] get their money back sooner, but for southern states, A/C or heat pumps are better.”
SYSTEM COMBINATIONS: Contractors need to install the right combination of HVAC equipment to meet the efficiency levels. For example, matching the A/C condenser outside with the right furnace or air handler inside.

SPACE CONSIDERATIONS: John Hurst, vice president of product management with Richardson, Texas–based Lennox, says that many product installations have space constraints, particularly for the furnace and air handler. Local codes governing chimney size for venting and make-up air will also affect installation parameters. Frederick Air sales manager John Poyle offers an example: “If my house has a 3-ton air conditioner, and I want a 20 SEER unit, a manufacturer will say, this unit comes up to 20 SEER. But I may need a 5-ton coil to get that 20 SEER efficiency from the unit. But that coil is massive and won’t fit in my basement because of the low ceiling.”
To choose the best solution for the customer, make sure that the HVAC contractor reviews existing conditions, including the orientation of the house, shading, and existing insulation, as well as lifestyle considerations such as how the customer uses the system and what changes they plan for the future.

Info Provided by: Scotty, Scott's Contracting, http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.com/ Leave comments below or email: scotty@stlouisrenewableenergy.com for additional info or pricing

Connect with Scotts Contracting

FB FB Twitter LinkedIn Blog Blog Blog Blog Pinterest

Featured Post

Misc Tools, Truck, For Sale

$2,000 obo 97 Nissan Pickup 4wd AC 4cyl 5speed New Clutch / Pressure Plate, Plugs, Wires, Rotor, Dist Cap, Door Locks w/ Keys  Front Clip su...