Green dreams of biofueled ferries

By Sophie Williams

Out here in the islands, we rely on ferries for everything from food and fuel to bicycle tourism and weekend entertainment. The ferries, in turn, rely on cheap oil. Washington State Ferries (WSF) are the single largest consumers of diesel in the state. The San Juans make up 40% of that consumption. When we talk about building our local, sustainable energy future, the ferries are an essential component.

In 2007 the state passed a clean energy bill with the hopeful mandate to meet 100% of publically owned vehicle fuel needs with biofuel and electricity by 2015. After the ferries missed their 2009 20% biofuel benchmark the target was lowered to 5%. A WSF pilot study has demonstrated the feasibility of increasing biodiesel content to at least 20%.

At first glance, the push to increase biofuels may look like sound environmental policy. After all, plants are a renewable resource and the carbon dioxide they take out of the atmosphere as they grow should be equal to the amount released when they burn. Unfortunately, most of our biofuels currently come from corn, sugar beets, soybeans and canola. Using these industrial-scale food crops for fuel causes serious problems.

Crops like corn and soybeans rely heavily on fossil fuels. Add to that the energy used to produce biofuels—often electricity from coal or natural gas—and biofuels’ energy efficiency falls further. The net energy balance of corn ethanol hovers around break even, while biodiesel produces just 2.5 times the energy it consumes. These fuels do little to reduce our carbon emissions or our reliance on fossil fuels.

Our biofuels also have unforeseen consequences for the rest of the world. "If you use farmland in North America to grow biofuels, you're forcing a farmer somewhere else to clear-cut forest to grow food crops," says David Tilman, a prominent ecologist. Land use change is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions because the carbon stored in uncultivated lands is released when they are cleared to make way for crops. 

And using food crops for fuel in a hungry world has other more immediate human costs. Biofuel policies in the U.S. and Europe have been linked to recent spikes in food prices and could increase global food insecurity. With demand for both food and fuel expected to double by midcentury, the UN Special Rapporteur on food condemned the use of arable land to grow fuel as “a crime against humanity.”

Despite continued government support, few people outside the industry see a bright future for our existing biofuels. Hope comes from a second generation of biofuels currently under research and development. These new biofuels look for more sustainable sources of feedstock. Cellulosic ethanol could be made from agricultural, forestry or municipal waste or from deep rooted perennials that sequester carbon in the soil while providing erosion control and wildlife habitat. Biofuel visionaries are also looking to algae, which can grow rapidly on little more than water and sunlight. An acre of soybeans produces about 60 gallons of biodiesel a year. Theoretically, an acre of algae could produce 5,000.

Done right, second generation biofuels could produce fuel with reduced net carbon emissions and less competition for agricultural land. Western Washington grows little of use for first generation biofuels—currently, our only high-value ethanol crop is wine grapes—but we have the potential to be a significant producer of second generation biofuels.

With sound policy decisions and the expansion of new biofuel technologies, Washington could clean and green its transportation system, helping WSF transform from a serious regional polluter into a vital element of the San Juans’ sustainable energy future.

What is in your breakfast?

by Faith Van De Putte and Chom Greacen

What did you eat for breakfast? We think of sun, rain and soil being the basis
of our food chain but the typical American diet is essentially dripping with
oil. According to University of Michigan's Center for Sustainable Agriculture,
an average of seven calories of fossil fuel is burned for every calorie of food
we eat in the U.S. This means growing, processing, and delivering the food
consumed by a family of four requires the equivalent of 930 gallons of gasoline
per year.

What's our food and crude diet? The breakdown of fossil fuels required in production, distribution and preparation: it takes 7 calories of fossil fuels for every calorie of food we eat in the US. Data source: http://www.organicconsumers.org/btc/fossilfuel060326.cfm

How does all that fossil fuel get embedded in our food? It starts on the
average farm with machinery and inputs. A study by David Pimentel at Cornell
University reveals 30% of fossil-fuel expenditure on conventional (non-
organic) farms is found in chemical fertilizer. An organic farm may have less
of a fossil-fuel footprint, unless they rely on manure or other inputs trucked in
from long distances. Many do.

Some foods take far more energy, grain-fed beef for instance, which requires
thirty-five calories for every calorie of steak and burger produced. In general,
plant calories take less energy than animal calories.

There is often a long journey between farm and fork. Oil fuels that journey.
The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service estimated that
processed food now travels an average of 1,300 miles. Some, like imported
frozen shrimp and tuna, travel more than 8,000 miles to get here.

Cleaning, cooking, refrigerating, canning and packaging food before it arrives
to the store all take energy and add up to a larger footprint.

The good news is that an energy efficient diet dovetails with familiar guidelines
for healthy eating. It is a win- win situation!

What can you do? First, eat low on the food chain. Seasonal, regional fruits
and vegetables take less fossil fuel energy to produce. Grass-fed and “free
range” critters have one third the embedded energy as their feedlot brethren.

Second, eat less processed food. In general, the more packaging and processing
— the more energy required and the fewer remaining nutrients.

Thirdly, eat local. We have so many choices on Lopez for delicious, fresh
island food. The options for local protein range from wild seafood and
venison to quality eggs and meat from our backyard or local farms. We have
community supported agriculture (CSA) programs, farmstands, roadside

eggboxes and generous neighbors. We also make choices at the grocery store.
Before purchasing, look to see- where did the food come from. It matters.

Lastly, grow your own food. Gardening tends to use less fossil fuels than large-
scale farming. The hard work of growing a garden is an investment with great
return; fresh, healthy, low-impact food. It is not only good for you but good
for the planet!

Energy conservation is not just about light bulbs, it is about lifestyle choices
and who knew it could be both healthy and yummy.

Now, what is for breakfast?

A Grand Experiment: Transition Initiative

by Faith Van De Putte

"Imagine a community, imagine a world . . . where how we live nourishes the earth, helps people realize their potential, and creates joy in community."

This is the audacious premise and enticing invitation of the Transition Fidalgo.

This publication is distributed for free at Transition Fidalgo & Friends events. Click here to download  (4.5 MB).

Transition Fidalgo & Friends is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization focusing on strengthening Fidalgo community’s resilience by developing positive, everyday solutions to the challenges of climate change, energy uncertainty, and economic instability. It is part of the international Transition Movement that believes a post carbon, low impact future could be a positive change for humanity. Anacortes is currently taking up this challenge and speakers from Transition Fidalgo will be at Lopez Library, Oct 28, 6.30pm.

“By supporting renewable energy, rebuilding skills, strengthening community, and fostering the local production of food, energy, and goods, we look forward to a way of life more fulfilling, more connected, and more caring of each other and the earth.” states the website of Transition Fidalgo, transitionfidalgo.org.

The thriving Transition Movement is a social experiment. It began when a student group led by Permaculture teacher Rob Hopkins created an “energy descent action plan” in Kinsdale, Ireland. It went beyond the issues of energy supply, to look at across-the-board creative adaptations in the realms of food, farming, education, economy and health and was adopted by their town council. After this experience Mr. Hopkins moved to Totnes, England to work on his doctorate and started Transition Town Totnes. The process has since been

replicated in 397 communities in 34 countries, including Whatcom, Whidbey, and Anacortes.

The Transition movement has been called “engaged optimism” since at its heart is the belief that local organizing can create resilient communities more able to withstand the shocks of our changing resource base and climate. As it says on the Transition USA website “if we wait for the governments it will be too late and too little, if we act as individuals it’ll be too little too late but if we act as communities, it might just be enough just in time.”

What is happening in the 397 communities who are using and adapting the Transition model? They are assessing their current energy dependence, visioning what their community would look like less dependent on fossil fuels and once the vision is in place they "backcast" - that is, work backwards from that time to figure out what must be in place to make the vision real. For example, if the community wants to source 50% of its home heating from managed woodlands in 2030, then it'll need to have planted up all the necessary areas by 2020.

Many of the first steps are modest and based around “relocalization” such as community gardens, seed swaps, sharing of knowledge and skills. Other towns are trying solutions such as creating their own currencies in order to support their local economies. Tackling the issue of building community resilience demands hard innovative work in many sectors and the Transition movement strives to be a platform for a unified community vision. 

Our neighbors at Transition Fidalgo have been busy with hosting informational local dinners, establishing a community garden, publishing a highly successful community cookbook, Serving the Skagit Harvest, as well as a sustainable living guide and working with Skagit County to pass a climate resolution and establish a climate task force.

Come join the discussion. Evelyn Adams and friends of Transition Fidalgo will be at the next Climate

Change lecture series to share their experiences with us. See you at the Lopez Library, Friday Oct 28!

The Island That Could

Could San Juan county cut energy usage by 50%, produce 50% of its own energy, and grow 50% of its own food within 15 years? This challenge concluded former Silicon Valley executive and newly elected OPALCO board member Vince Dauciunas’ July 8^th lecture at the Lopez Library on the regional effects of climate change. It turns out that there is an island akin to ours, which rose to a similar challenge over 10 years ago.

In 1997 the Danish government announced a competition to see which local area could present the most realistic and realizable plan for 100% transition to self-sufficiency with renewable energy. The island of Samsø (population 4,300) won the competition. Even though there were no monies, tax breaks or technical assistance tied to the prize, the island forged ahead with its plan and to the surprise of many, reached its goal.

How did Samsø go from being 100% dependent on oil and coal to being a model of sustainability? After winning the competition a single staff position was created. Soren Hermansen, born and raised on the island, believed in the project as few others did and took the job. Slowly, the skeptical islanders began to participate in the project as educational campaigns, community meetings (which often included free beer) and hard work paid off. The community came to not only believe in the project but to invest in it.

Samsø’s carbon negative status was achieved by a three-pronged approach: centralized biomass burning heat plants, wind turbines and conservation.

Centralized heat plants are common in the Nordic countries. People voluntarily traded in their oil stoves as local straw fueled the boilers of centralized heat plants. This created additional income for farmers as well as cozy winters.

The winds of the Baltic Sea were an untapped resource. The islanders bought shares, which generated capital to build 11 land-based wind turbines. These produced 11 megawatts of power and met the entire island’s electricity needs. Later the community invested in 10 large, water based turbines able to produce 24 megawatts of electricity in order to offset their dependence on cars and ferries.

Samsø’s conservation program was very similar to the program OPALCO has created locally. Energy audits were conducted voluntarily on homes and people made the changes they could. Insulation improvements, heat pumps, and changing light bulbs helped incrementally.

Samsø built on its success and created the Energy Academy, a research center for clean power, which draws tourist, academics and government officials who want learn about environmental change coming from the ground up. Hermansen was a 2008 Time Hero of the Environment but always credits the community’s involvement for Samsø’s success. “People say: ‘Think globally and act locally,’” Hermansen remarks. “But I say you have to think locally and act locally, and the rest will take care of itself.”

After hearing Samsø’s story Dauciunas’ challenge seems doable and maybe, not challenge enough. We too are a tight knit community, with our own skeptical side. We can all change our own light bulbs but what would happen if we invested together in community self-sufficiency with conservation and renewable energy? We might even surprise ourselves!

Climate change and implications for San Juan islands

by Chom Greacen

As concentration of carbon dioxide continues to climb and ice caps melt at an alarming rate, we can't help but wonder how our lives in the San Juans will be affected.

At the Climate Change lecture series held last month at the Lopez Library, Vincent Dauciunas shared research findings from leading institutions in the field with a packed room of interested Lopez residents.

A former hi-tech Silicon Valley executive and newly elected member of OPALCO board, Dauciunas delivered an informative presentation the anticipated regional effects of climate change . He drew on modeling work done by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Climate Impacts Group of University of Washington and more.

The predictions are for drier summers (up to -12 mm/month) and wetter falls and winters (up to +15 mm/month) 20-60 years from now. Temperature are predicted to increase 2-6 degrees Fahrenheit possibly leading to more evaporation and cloud cover.

The combined change in precipitation and temperature will lead to earlier rains, less snow pack and earlier snow melt.

In terms of hydropower generation, the mainstay of WA's electricity supply, reduced snowpack and higher winter rainfall will mean an increase in generation in the winter but a decrease in the summer.

The net change in total output is unclear, due to the uncertainties of regional modeling.

How about impacts on food production? WA Department of Ecology simulated impacts on potatoes, apples and winter wheat yields in eastern WA locations. On average, the predicted yields on these crops will either see minimal impacts. There are caveats, however. The simulations did not take into account the possible extreme temperatures and precipitation. Nor were the possible impacts by pests, weeds and invasive species considered.

As for sea level rise, if you are concerned about your property being under water, Dauciunas's presentation might ease your mind. The expected rise in sea level happens to match exactly the vertical uplift of the tectonic plate on which our islands sit! This means zero sea level change in 2050 if the model is correct!

Despite the surprisingly mild prospects predicted for San Juan islands, Dauciunas still put himself in the “alarmed” category when it comes to concerns about climate change. His concerns were shared by members of the audience in the discussions that followed his talk.

Other less lucky parts of the world already suffer from droughts, floods, pests, diseases and crop failures which may affect us here thanks to the highly integrated nature of our world economy.

Dauciunas concluded by urging us to take steps towards self-sufficiency, proposing a “50-50-50 initiative”, cutting energy usage by 50%, produce 50% of our own energy, and grow 50% of our own food within 15 years.

For more info and presentation download, go to http://islandsenergymatters.blogspot.com/p/climate-change-lecture-series.html. Dauciunas also has his own website: www.energysanjuan.com

Home Energy Savings and Health

By Douglas Poole

As I go about my work of providing home energy assessments and retrofits here in the
islands, I frequently come across clients that are concerned with houses that are “too
tight”. Building techniques over the past 20 years have certainly changed, and the fear
of an inadequately ventilated home is valid. It can also be misunderstood by many
homeowners… so let’s do a little myth-busting.

Houses need to breath, and so do you! Home energy savings and healthy indoor air
quality can easily coexist, as long as we strike a controlled balance between the two.

Todd Kegerreis of Sage Building Solutions prepares for a Blower Door test.

Indoor air quality greatly affects our health. Carpets, pets, mold, soil gasses, wood
stoves and propane appliances can all contaminate the air. Unfortunately, many homes
rely on building deficiencies to exchange the air: gaps around plumbing and electrical
penetrations, inadequate seals around windows, holes in heating systems, and the
unsealed spaces around vents and outlets. Not only are these deficiencies erratic, they
also exchange the indoor air with air from potentially contaminated areas like your attic
or crawl space. I would personally rather avoid breathing the same air as the critters and
contaminants that inhabit those spaces.

We clean the air by exchanging indoor air with fresh air from outside. According
to the really smart folks at the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-
Conditioning Engineers, a good target for air-change is .35 times per hour (ACH). This
gives occupants enough air to breath, and yet retains valuable heating energy.

If your house is full of holes then you are losing energy through the roof system
(exfiltration) and introducing drafts and crawl-space air into your home (infiltration). In
the leaky house, warm, moist air that is leaving through the ceiling can also create mold
and rot problems in roof and attic systems. The energy efficient home creates an airtight
barrier to separate you from the elements. When the air inside your home stays inside
your home, your home uses less energy. “But what about fresh air” asks the proponent of
a not-so-tight house?

Rather than relying on Mother Nature, the healthy home uses mechanical ventilation
to provide fresh air. A bathroom or laundry exhaust fan on a timer will consistently
and reliably exchange your air. “That is why I open a window” you might say? That’s
fine, just know that you are no longer controlling the air exchange, Mother Nature is.
A healthy home ensures air exchange through mechanization, which is much more
consistent than our fickle human nature and the irregular whims of wind. Luckily, the
new exhaust fans are nearly silent and can be run on timers. You won’t have to think
about it or listen to it.

If you want to get really fancy, you can install a Heat Recovery Ventilator. This fan will
send out stale air and pull in fresh air through a ducted system, while retaining much of
the heat. These units are a great option if you want a really tight or super efficient house.

To determine the required run-time for the fan to reach a .35 ACH rate, we start, and end,
with a diagnostic test called a Blower Door. This determines the exact tightness of the
house. We then let the Blower Door guide us in air-sealing the home. When combustion
appliances like gas water heaters and woodstoves are present, it is important to run
combustion safety tests as well. These appliances can limit how tight the house can be
before problems will arise.

In the Home Performance industry we have a saying, “Build tight and ventilate right.”
We have to take the guesswork out of your home’s performance if you want to live in a
home that balances energy efficiency with health. Hopefully we have sufficiently eroded
the myth of the too-tight house and offered inspiration for you to create a meticulously
sealed, mechanically ventilated home. A healthy home… and an energy efficient home!

Please give a call (298-1313) or email with questions or comments. Building science is complex and I always enjoy a lively discussion!

Neighborhood electric car that could be yours

For her 75th birthday Kay Keeler rode 33 miles in the Tour de Lopez and raised $6,000 to support the Farm and Garden Program at the Lopez School.

A few weeks later, Keeler was in Lopez Village and walked by a little yellow electric GEM car with a FOR SALE sign on the window. She quickly scribbled a note for the owner - saying, "I want to buy your car. Come for dinner and let's talk."

The owners of the car, Rod and Dawn Riddell called Keeler, enjoyed dinner together and a transaction followed suit. Kay Keeler was on “fund-raising” fire again, this time to buy the car and raffle it off in support of the new Seed Library, a project of the Lopez Community Land Trust.

Keeler is a board member and active fundraiser for LCLT. She feels passionately about supporting LCLT's program in sustainable agriculture, affordable housing and sustainable energy.

An eye-catching raffle prize, the electric car/truck has only about 1,600 miles on it and can plug into any standard 110V outlet. The electricity cost of “refueling” the GEM car is less than two cents/mile, compared to 16 cents/mile for a typical 25 mile/gallon vehicle. It seats two persons, can haul stuff in the back and has a maximum 30-mile range, according to the manufacturer. It has a top speed of 25 mph—no worry about being ticketed for speeding!

The cute yellow GEM car is now a constant feature of the Lopez Farmer's Market on Saturdays, for public display at the LCLT's booth. LCLT board and staff are there each week selling tickets. Tickets can be purchased for a chance to win this little GEM at $5 each or 6 for $25. The lucky winner will be chosen in October during the LCLT Harvest Dinner.

The car may also be seen on the road, driven by residents of Common Ground, the 4^th LCLT housing neighborhood. “We have a temporary car-share program to increase the vehicle visibility around the island for LCLT until the car is raffled off in October. It's a great vehicle for running errands including bringing garbage cans to the transfer station.” said Chris Greacen, a Common Ground resident.

“We each pay a $10 entry fee plus 15 cents per mile driven and 15 cents per hour checked out to help LCLT cover the insurance and other costs. It's a great deal for us and plus less fossil fuel is burned this way” said Greacen.

Proceeds from raffle tickets will be used to build a Seed Library for Lopez. “The goal of the project is to improve food security, self-sufficiency and economic stability amongst farmers and gardeners on the island through seed saving of tried-and-true varieties of local organic food crops,” said Sandy Bishop, Executive Director of LCLT.

(Written by Chom Greacen and Lopez Community Land Trust, the article first appeared in the Islands Weekly in June 2011.)

Van Jones: Bridging the Green Divide

This morning I came across an interview with Jan Jones from 2008 in The Sun magazine. There's a huge amount of fantastic stuff here, but this paragraph particularly resonated:

A lot of wealthy, educated people wanted to take action as a result of Al Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth, but most low-income people and people of color I know had no interest in seeing the movie in the first place. They already have enough problems. They don’t need new crises to worry about. Around here we say that the people who already have a lot of opportunities are the ones who need to hear about the crises. So if you have a house and a car and a college degree, then, yes, you should hear about global warming, or peak oil, or dying species. But poor and low-income people need to hear about opportunities. They need to hear about the expected reduction in asthma rates when we reduce greenhouse gases. They need to hear about the wealth and health benefits of moving to a sustainable economy. Otherwise you are just telling people who are already having a bad day that they should have a worse one.

Here's the full interview: http://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/387/bridging_the_green_divide

How can those of us interested in clean energy on the San Juan Islands bridge this divide?

Fukushima accident and the lessons for the US and the world

Source: www.fairewinds.com/updates

The Implications of the Fukushima Accident on the World's Operating Reactors from Fairewinds Associates on Vimeo.

Risk from spent nuclear fuel is greater in the US than in Japan, Study says

Todays NYT has an interesting article comparing the risk from spent nuclear fuel in the US vs. Japan. In the case of Fukushima, the explosion at Unit 3 was postulated to be a detonation of the nuclear fuel in the spent fuel pool (not a hydrogen explosion), leading to uncontained volatilized dust of plutonium and other radioactive materials to be sent far and wide. Traces of plutonium from Fukushima was detected here on the West Coast and as far as New England. (You can read more about this from nuclear engineer Gundersen's analysis at www.fairewinds.com/updates). However, the risk from spent nuclear fuel in the US is much greater than in Japan, according to a study by the Institute of Policy Studies. The amount of spent fuel in the single-reactor Vermont Yankee power plant alone, for example, exceeds the inventory in all four of the damaged Fukushima reactors combined.

Read the article excerpt below or click here for the full article.

Risk From Spent Nuclear Reactor Fuel Is Greater in U.S. Than in Japan, Study Says

NYTimes By MATTHEW L. WALD Published: May 24, 2011

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/25/business/energy-environment/25nuke.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

WASHINGTON — The threat of a catastrophic release of radioactive materials from a spent fuel pool at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi plant is dwarfed by the risk posed by such pools in the United States, which are typically filled with far more radioactive material, according to a study released on Tuesday by a nonprofit institute.

“The largest concentrations of radioactivity on the planet will remain in storage at U.S. reactor sites for the indefinite future,” the report’s author, Robert Alvarez, a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies, wrote. “In protecting America from nuclear catastrophe, safely securing the spent fuel by eliminating highly radioactive, crowded pools should be a public safety priority of the highest degree.”

Adding to concern, President Obama canceled a plan for a repository at Yucca Mountain in the Nevada desert last year, making it likely that the spent fuel will accumulate at the nation’s reactors for years to come....

Update on Fukushima - nuclear meltdown is now officially admitted

Below is an excerpt from Telegraph:

Nuclear meltdown at Fukushima plant

One of the reactors at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant did suffer a nuclear meltdown, Japanese officials admitted for the first time today, describing a pool of molten fuel at the bottom of the reactor's containment vessel.

By Julian Ryall in Tokyo 2:01PM BST 12 May 2011

Engineers from the Tokyo Electric Power company (Tepco) entered the No.1 reactor at the end of last week for the first time and saw the top five feet or so of the core's 13ft-long fuel rods had been exposed to the air and melted down.

Previously, Tepco believed that the core of the reactor was submerged in enough water to keep it stable and that only 55 per cent of the core had been damaged.

Now the company is worried that the molten pool of radioactive fuel may have burned a hole through the bottom of the containment vessel, causing water to leak.

"We will have to revise our plans," said Junichi Matsumoto, a spokesman for Tepco. "We cannot deny the possibility that a hole in the pressure vessel caused water to leak".

Tepco has not clarified what other barriers there are to stop radioactive fuel leaking if the steel containment vessel has been breached. Greenpeace said the situation could escalate rapidly if "the lava melts through the vessel".

....

Greenpeace said significant amounts of radioactive material had been released into the sea and that samples of seaweed taken from as far as 40 miles of the Fukushima plant had been found to contain radiation well above legal limits. Of the 22 samples tested, ten were contaminated with five times the legal limit of iodine 131 and 20 times of caesium 137.

-------

To read the full article, please go to: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8509502/Nuclear-meltdown-at-Fukushima-plant.html

Could San Juan County Achieve Energy Independence?

Below is an interesting post that I found on Energy San Juan blog by Vince Dauciunas. I have been dreaming about the idea of energy independence or at least moving towards energy self-sufficiency. And here is an island of comparable size to us, also in Salish Sea, that has taken a step to take a stock of their energy needs and resources and found that they could do potentially do it! Read on:

-----

The Institute for Environmental Research and Education tested the idea on Vashon-Maury Island, in the middle of Puget Sound, and here are the results.

First, they surveyed energy use on the island and estimated the renewable energy available on island.

They wrote a how-to manual for other communities to do the same assessment.

They found that there was more than enough energy available to power the entire island, most of it (to their surprise) was solar power. Even in this cloudy, rainy Pacific Northwest community, there was plenty of energy to support their mostly-middle-class lifestyle. They found that there was already all the technology they needed to be a net-zero community (generating more energy than they used) but the biggest barrier was lack of political will.

Vashon is similar in size and population to San Juan Island! The report looks at energy consumption and many possible renewable sources. It is a fascinating read, and a possible model for us if we were to undertake a similar study.

Bringing local power to the people

Chris Greacen, Islands Energy Coalition

The islands are making impressive gains in food that is locally produced. Working together, we can do the same with electricity, building clean renewable energy generation that is distributed across islanders’ homes, business, and farmlands on the islands. By doing so, we take local, practical steps to increase our energy independence, alleviate global climate change, and lessen the need for nuclear power as well as demands on our region’s limited hydropower resources.

Since 1998, OPALCO members have opted in to the Green Power program, paying a little bit more each month on their power bills to support renewable energy development that mostly came from off-island – mostly windpower from the Columbia Gorge. OPALCO’s supplier, the Bonneville Power Administration no longer offers this off-island renewable energy. OPALCO is proud to unveil a new generation of green power: Member Owned Renewable Energy, or MORE. The MORE Program collects member donations for green power, as before, but now 100% of all donations will go toward supporting local members who are generating renewable energy and are interconnected to OPALCO’s system.

Here’s how it works: if you’ve got a sunny roof, a windy field or a mountain stream, you can invest in solar, wind, or a micro-hydropower generator on your property. At the end of each year you will receive a check from OPALCO reflecting a premium payment for every kilowatt hour of electricity you produced that year.

All of the funds for this program come from OPALCO customers who opt to make a voluntary monetary contribution on their monthly power bill to support local energy production by MORE generators. If you chose to participate, your MORE contributions help those who invest in local renewable energy to leverage state and federal incentives that make investing in renewable energy cost-effective. The program is set up so that your MORE contributions are guaranteed to have an impact: the MORE program distributes funds when electricity is actually generated, incentivizing efficient, effective renewable energy installations.

OPALCO board member Winnie Adams said of the MORE program, “We have the culmination of a great policy from a really thoughtful committee that did a very sound community process, and is a bold continuation of OPALCO’s long-running support of local renewable energy generators. “

How can I join? If you’re already part of OPALCO’s Green Power program, you don’t need to do anything. You will be rolled into the program automatically, unless you opt out by July 31^st. If you’re not part of Green Power program and would like to be, please contact OPALCO to sign up. MORE “Superheroes” can opt into full participation by signing up for a four-cent premium per kilowatt hour for all energy

consumed on their monthly bills. Or you may sign up for 1, 2, 4, 8 or 10 participation blocks per month ($4/block). The more people that sign up, the more local generation we can support. 100% of MORE local power contributions collected by OPALCO are passed to the MORE program.

“My wife and I have been 100% Green Power subscribers for the past 5 years -- and I've been happy to pay the additional amount since I'd like to see this program be stronger,” said Bruce Crebs, a Lopez island woodworker, “but I really think really everyone should pay more for green power because clean energy benefits everybody. The cheapest power for today is not the cheapest power 10-20 years from now. The utilities are looking out for the long-term interest of the public, and with that in mind I think they – and all of us -- should be strong supporters of clean energy.”

For those interested in generating renewable electricity on the San Juans, this is perhaps the best time in history to do so. OPALCO makes it easy to interconnect and ‘spin your meter backwards’ by using renewable energy produced at your home or business to offset electricity consumption. In addition, the MORE program and a separate Washington State solar Production incentive provide payments for every unit of electricity you generate until at least 2020. An investment tax credit can lower your federal income tax by 30% of the cost of a solar electric system. And purchases of renewable energy equipment in Washington enjoy sales taxes exemption. All told, a solar installation in a sunny location can earn a return better than a money market fund – not counting the effect of higher home resale value with solar.

According to Adams, “'Since this is a new program, the MORE committee will welcome any OPALCO members who would like spread the word to introduce this program to other members of the coop.” These members will form “green teams” on each of the islands to help spread the word. If you are interested, please get in touch with the author (Chris -- 468-3189).

Whether you choose to be a MORE local power supporter or a producer or both, we all can help move our energy system towards self-sufficiency. Let’s bring local power to the people!

Below: Timelapse video of 33.8 kW solar PV installation at Common Ground, Lopez Island. Video by Eric Youngren

Radiation chart

This is a useful radiation chart -- putting widely divergent radiation doses in perspective. (Stay away from CT scans, y'all). Click on image for large screen version.
http://xkcd.com/radiation/

Van Jones speaking about energy on Earth Day

I never thought of it this way -- our economy is powered by death. We dig up 60 million year old oil and 300 million year old coal and burn it without ceremony, and then act surprised...



http://www.democracynow.org/2011/4/22/hold_both_parties_to_high_standards

Homes on Lopez That Make More Electricity Than They Consume? Fact – Not Science Fiction

Chris Greacen, Islands Energy Coalition

Did your energy bill put a big dent in your wallet this past winter? What if your home actually produced more electricity than it consumed? Despite an unseasonably cloudy and wet year, between 16 March 2010 and 15 March 2011 four homes at the Common Ground community on Lopez actually did just this. The homes are those of Karan Yvonne, Faith Van De Putte, Donna Hasbrouck, and the family of Chom, Chris, Ty and Sara Greacen.

The homes make their electricity from solar panels which generate electricity when the sun shines. If the solar panel makes more electricity than the home is using, electricity is exported to OPALCO’s grid and ‘banked’ for future use. During the summer time, the homes generated a considerable surplus. During the winter time, the homes drew on this banked surplus to power lights, washing machines, electric ovens, heaters, and other appliances.

A home that generates as much electricity as it consumes is said to be “net zero”. To help meet the net zero goal, conserving energy is key. The homes are exceptionally well insulated, with R-50 insulation in the ceilings, R-45 strawbale walls, and double-pane windows. The homes are so well insulated that the body heat of the occupants provides a noticeable heat source for homes. South facing windows let in plenty of sunlight, warming the house even if it’s freezing outside. Heat collected from the sunlight is stored in concrete slab floors. Household hot water is heated by rooftop solar panels, supplemented by electricity. All the homes have energy efficient appliances including refrigerators, washing machines, and compact fluorescent lights.

User behavior is essential. The homes were able to meet the zero-net goal by turning off lights and appliances when not in use, by using clothes lines instead of electric clothes dryers whenever weather permitted, by minimizing electric heat use, and by lowering insulating shades over windows at night.

OPALCO purchases any excess solar electricity that homes like this make in the course of a year. In addition, the Washington State Department of Revenue provides a payment of 15 cents for every solar kilowatt hour generated. This adds up: last August each household in Common Ground received a check for over $600 for electricity generated. Solar gets a US income tax credit equal to 30% of system cost. And it gets better: in May OPALCO will be launching an incentive program for renewable energy that will make systems like this even more attractive.

OPALCO has great incentives for energy efficient appliances, weatherization, and heat pumps. Or if you don’t know where to start, check out their webpage or sign up for a $25 Home Snapshot Energy Assessment.

As the Fukushima reactor continues to spew nuclear waste, it’s ever clearer that it is important to live lightly and reduce the energy we consume from power plants so that fewer of them need to be built in the first place. This can start at home, by using investing in energy, reducing waste, and even making our own.