A new source of power

Avista Corporation is asking the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to approve a purchase power agreement with Kootenai Electric Cooperative's landfill gas generating facility near Bellgrove, 15 miles south of Coeur d'Alene.
The 3.2-megawatt project is a qualifying facility under the provisions of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act. PURPA requires that electric utilities offer to buy power produced from qualifying small power producers or cogenerators.
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Solar Cheaper Than Diesel Making India’s Mittal Believer: Energy

India is producing power from solar cells more cheaply than by burning diesel for the first time, spurring billionaire Sunil Mittal and Coca-Cola Co. (KO)’s mango supplier to jettison the fuel in favor of photovoltaic panels.

The cost of solar energy in India declined by 28 percent since December 2010, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The cause was a 51 percent drop in panel prices last year as the world’s 10 largest manufacturers, led by China’s Suntech Power Holdings Co. (STP), doubled output capacity.

“Solar is going mainstream in India, helped by Chinese pricing,” said Ardeshir Contractor, founder of developer Kiran Energy Solar Power Pvt. Kiran, whose investors include Bessemer Venture Partners, an early financier of Skype Technologies SA, won one of the largest projects auctioned by India last month.

India joins pockets of Italy, Spain and Hawaii where rising fuel costs and lower panel prices make solar pay for itself without state subsidies, New Energy Finance data show. Factories and homes in the Asian nation switch on emergency diesel-fired generators during chronic blackouts and to bridge gaps in the power-delivery grid as the government prepares a $400 billion program through 2017 to curb the shortfall and spur growth.

“If they had the foresight, these factories would be replacing their diesel generators now or at least getting what they can from solar,” said Lalit Jain, chief executive officer of Moser Baer Clean Energy Ltd., which owns 100 megawatts of operating solar plants in India, Italy, the U.K. and Germany.

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Solar Roadways

The State of the City

During the Mayor’s State of the City address this year (December 13, 2011), she reiterated many of the things the City does to be sustainable (what being green means too many folks).  The very brief list of items she included is as follows.  Please visit the City web site and check out the City Departments and press releases to keep up with the latest/ ongoing efforts.

• Wastewater Department utilizes technology to conserve energy and process waste in the most efficient and effective manner.
• Wastewater Department utilized methane gas to heat several buildings on their campus, through use of methane created by one of their digesters.
• Wastewater Department uses bio-solids from the plant to create compost utilized by many nurseries in town.
• The Street Department conducts an annual leaf pick up program, utilizing those leaves for mulch and fuel, which ensures they don’t end up in the landfill or storm drains.
• The Street Department creates and utilizes a sugar beet juice brine for de-icing, which is a cost savings and less impacting to the environment, roads, and cars than traditional deicer.
• The City has worked with Waste Management to implement single stream recycling.  In its first year 4.1 million pounds of recycling has been collected rather than placed in the landfill, additionally participation in the program has risen from 27% to 62%.
• The Parks Department has instituted a Calsense Conservation system in 7 parks. This system monitors the moisture in the grass and shuts down the sprinklers as needed (i.e. during a rain event), conserving lots of unneeded water use.
• The Water Department instituted a water rate study that provided for a “use extra, pay extra” approach, which has lowered the communities 10 year average of water use.
• The City has partnered with Kootenai Environmental Alliance to do a xeriscaping demonstration at the community garden at 9^th and Garden. This spurred the City to create a greenhouse at the Jewett House property to grow xeriscaping plants and provide them to area farmers markets.
• The Green Team of the City continues to seek methods of educating employees and the community regarding sustainable efforts.
• Walkability is an important community effort to create healthy alternatives to vehicular transportation, therefore the City has accumulated 39 miles of trails and bike paths, and has adopted a master plan for more.
• Protecting and enhancing open space is another priority of the City, who recently accepted the donation of Fernan Hill Park.  This will preserve vistas, views, protect watershed, and allow walking trails and waterfront access to the community.

More winterizing tips....great info except I would go with LED bulbs over CFL. They are about 4 times more efficient.

Ever wonder how single stream recycling works?

Energy Conservation