Islands Energy Matters

Coal cargo terminal at Cherry Point raises concern

2012-02-02T15:40:00.000-08:00

(From Islands Weekly, http://www.islandsweekly.com/news/138783389.html)
By Phillip Holder

The San Juan Islands face a significant increase in large cargo ship traffic under a proposal to build the largest yet coal terminal in North America at Cherry Point, near Ferndale. Annually, ships measuring up to three football fields in length will make over 950 passages (nearly three per day) transporting tens of millions of tons of Wyoming coal to China.

Photo/ Paul K. Anderson

A coal train passes along the Bellingham waterfront.

SSA Marine/Carrix (owned 49 percent by Goldman Sachs), Peabody Coal, and BNSF railroad want to move 48 millions tons of coal annually, from Wyoming's Powder River Basin strip mines on publicly owned lands, to a 350 acre coal terminal to be built northwest of Bellingham. Carried by up to 18 uncovered trains a day, each up to 1.6 miles long, the coal would be piled at Cherry Point. To prevent spontaneous combustion, the coal will have to be turned over regularly with huge front-end loaders – creating significant dust. From the coal terminal, the coal will be loaded on Capesize — too big for Panama Canal passage — and Panamax ships, and transported through the Salish Sea for burning by power plants in Asia. The ships would return empty of cargo, each carrying up to 17 million gallons of Asian ballast water, to be released before coal reloading at Cherry Point.
Proponents tout that jobs will be created at Cherry Point, and say that the proposal will help the trade balance between the U.S and China. But some on the islands and the mainland wonder whether the overall costs of this scheme actually exceed the benefits, and point to several potential impacts on communities, businesses, and the Salish Sea ecosystem.
“In the San Juan islands, 95 percent of the herring that is available to be eaten comes from the shallows around Cherry Point,” said Russell Barsh, director of Kwiaht, the Lopez-based Center for the Historical Ecology of the Salish Sea. “Cherry Point is the last remaining spawning area that hasn't been severely impacted by people, and a coal terminal there would have a huge negative impact. Herring is the basis for marine life in the central Salish sea, and we don't have enough as it is to support seals, dolphins, salmon, and sea birds.”
Barsh also raises concerns about increased shipping traffic,
“There's too many close passes and close misses,” he said. “With so many of these huge ships navigating our waters, it's only a matter of time before there's a major accident, and the consequences to sea life would be extremely high.”
Other potential problems include:
-loss of tourism, customers, business revenues, and jobs, and damage to the islands' quality of life
-delays of ferry and private marine transportation; safety hazards to small fishing, commuter, recreational, and tour boats;
- spillage of coal, oil and/or fuel from vessel mishaps
- traffic delays at “at-grade” rail crossings on mainland traffic routes connecting to marine transportation to the islands
- substantial taxpayer revenues required to mitigate these impacts.
SSA Marine is required by federal and state law and Whatcom County regulations to obtain several permits from federal, state, and local government agencies. The permitting process will include preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement under state and federal laws to address the impacts of the project. The initial step in preparing an EIS is called "scoping." During the scoping phase, members of the public can raise issues they believe need to be studied. The scoping period has not yet been announced but is expected sometime this spring.
"The whole situation is very interesting to me. Enduring impacts from natural resource exports to other countries is perhaps an unfamiliar phenomenon for the U.S. but it is very commonplace in developing countries,” said Chom Greacon, a member of the Islands Energy Coalition and an international energy consultant. “A difference here is that much of China's hunger for coal (75 percent of energy demand is from the industrial sector) is driven by exports of consumers goods to countries around the world, including the US. So in a way, consumption in the U.S. is partially responsible for the demand for coal extraction and export. It's certainly crucial to consider the impacts of the coal train but also important to connect the issue to a more personal level."
Lopez residents can hear details and ask questions at the “Ships, Spills and Sea-Level Rise - Coal Hard Truth” forum, moderated by Matt Krogh, North Sound Baykeeper with RESources for Sustainable Communities on Tuesday, Feb.7, 6 - 8 p.m., Lopez Center for Community and the Arts.

On Thurs. Feb. 9, a similar forum will be conducted on San Juan, Feb. 9, Friday Harbor High School Commons, 6 p.m.

(Chris Greacon and Doug Poole of the Islands Energy Coalitions contributed to this article.)

Leave the Car at Home……Catch a LIFT!

2012-01-18T15:13:00.007-08:00

By Scott Finley

It was a lively discussion that ensued following the first in the Locavore’s film series in November. Inspired by the movie “The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil,” the group brainstormed ideas for becoming a more sustainable and energy efficient island and reducing our carbon footprint.

Personal carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions you contribute to the environment. Your carbon footprint may be a size EEE Sasquatch, or if you have followed some of the advice given previously in this column, you may have reduced it to a size 3 ballet slipper. You can reduce your footprint by insulating your house, growing and eating local organic food as well as changing your transportation habits.

Transportation makes up more than one-quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The average American household burns over 1,000 gallons of gasoline and emits 21,000 pounds of CO2 annually from its 1.85 vehicles, and spends nearly a fifth of its income doing so. “Living Well, Living Green,” the useful booklet produced by Transition Fidalgo and Friends, lists several ways to reduce the amount of driving we do: Combine errands in one trip, keep your car tuned and tires inflated, and leave the car at home and hop on a bike, walk or carpool.

The after-film discussion group pounced on the idea of reducing emissions by ride sharing. A culture of hitchhiking has been in place on the islands for years, and it could be expanded at little or no cost. Most of us traveling from one point on the island to another do not mind pulling over to pick up a passenger, nor do we mind riding in another’s car.

Ron Metcalf has recently started “hitching” rides, following up on a New Years resolution, and has found it efficient and convenient. He usually gets picked up by the first car passing by, and has discovered an additional benefit. Says Ron, “the best part of doing this is that I get to spend time with those I already know and meet those I don't.”

The discussion group formed an impromptu committee calling itself Lopez Island Free Transit, or LIFT, committed to expanding island transportation options. The group’s first strategy, dubbed “Thumbs Up!” is to expand and facilitate our existing ride share system. The decal (shown above) with the thumb logo can be affixed to your car window, indicating your participation in the program. The plan also calls for larger logos to be displayed in safe areas, or “thumb stops,” at key transportation hubs, like the Village, Hummel Lake, school, ferry terminal and airport, so those needing a ride will have a predictable place to get picked up.

You will be able to pick up a decal in a few weeks – it will be announced in the Islands Weekly. Look for fellow travelers at Thumb Stops. And next time you leave the house to run an errand or catch the ferry, leave the car at home. Save some fuel, reduce emissions. Go Thumbs Up and catch a LIFT!

Green dreams of biofueled ferries

2011-12-28T15:03:00.002-08:00

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?

2011-11-10T08:02:00.000-08:00

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.

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

2011-10-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-15T07:30:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-27T22:34:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-05T17:14:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

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.

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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?

2011-05-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

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.

Spike of radioactive releases from Fukushima and Xe-133 cloud over Washington

2011-04-15T07:10:00.001-07:00

Fukushima forecast shows large radiation cloud over U.S. West Coast on April 14, 15 (video).

What does it mean to see a spike of Xe-133 (an unstable, radioactive isotope of xenon gas)? According to Wikipedia, Xe-133 is one "of the fission products of both 235U and 239Pu, and therefore used as indicators of nuclear explosions". There were also reports of spikes in cesium (Cs-137) and iodine (I-131) releases soon after the 7.1 magnitude aftershock on April 9. See graphs from IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) as reported by enernews.com below.

TEPCO however said the spikes of radioactive materials was because "the gauge used to measure radiation was most likely broken" (as reported by NYT). If that's the case, should we be concerned about low readings from the broken gauge? Or the gauge is only "broken" when the readings are high? I am concerned about the lack of information and transparency.

Source:
http://enenews.com/fukushima-forecast-shows-large-radiation-cloud-over-u-s-west-coast-on-april-14-15

Op-ed in Bangkok Post - Nuclear: Far too dear and dangerous for the Land of Smiles

2011-03-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

IEC's Chom & Chris wrote an op-ed on nuclear power in Thailand in the wake of the 'slow-motion train wreck' now occurring in Japan.

From Fukushima to San Juan Islands and beyond: the journey of I-131 to our food chain

2011-03-31T07:04:00.000-07:00

I've been following the development in Japan's nuclear crisis with great interest and a heavy heart. And the contamination has entered the food chain here (see the news from NYT below). No need for alarm (yet) though.

The image above is from the Central Institute of Meteorology and Geodynamics of Austria. It shows the spreading radioactivity in the form of I-131 from Fukushima to the US and beyond during March 19-27. The modeling is based on actual data from very sensitive radionuclide stations in the CTBTO (the Nuclear Test Ban Organization) global network. The US seems to be in the direct path of the fallout. I'm relieved though that the toxic plume does not blow directly inland over Japan.

Yesterday (Mar 30), TEPCO (owner/operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant) Chairman announced at a news conference that it was presently unclear how the problems at the plant would be resolved. Looks like we are in for a wild ride. Hold on tight!

On a related note, Obama yesterday in his speech on US energy strategy just reaffirmed the continued need to rely on and safety of nuclear power. To me, this means the need for local action and conversations on reducing our dependency on nuke is greater than ever. Let's start thinking about energy self-sufficiency! :)

And here is the NYT news:

U.S. | March 31, 2011
Low Levels of Radiation Found in American Milk
By MATTHEW L. WALD
Tests of milk samples in Washington State indicated the presence of radioactive iodine from Japan, but officials said that the levels were below public health concern.

Meet the Lopez Energy Challenge Winners

2011-03-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

The First ever Lopez Energy Challenge concluded last December with clear winners. The couple of “Take-it-or-Leave-It” fame, Neil Hanson and Ona Blue swept awards in all the three main categories: “Biggest usage reduction”, “Smallest energy footprint” as well as “Best energy conservation story”.

How did Neil and Ona manage to be the “Biggest”, “Smallest” and “Best” all at once?

Firstly, they were not big energy users to start with. The month before the challenge, they used only 298 kilowatt-hours (kWh), compared to the average 1,000 kWh/month for San Juan County residents.

Then, their “experimentation” with low energy living resulted in a drastic 99.7% reduction in power usage! Their OPALCO meter reading barely changed (showing usage of only 1 kWh) during the entire month of the contest (October – November). That's less than eight cents worth of electricity at current rates.

Neil and Ona accomplished this jaw-dropping feat, not by taking a holiday elsewhere, not by any sort of technological trickery. Rather, they took on the Energy Challenge as “the perfect opportunity for a practical experiment that would spare [them] from another frantic reaction to a no-electricity event”.

The single kWh of electricity consumed came from the pilot light of their propane oven used only during bread baking sessions weekly. But other than that, they did not use electricity or propane. They essentially turned off the mains breaker!

To meet energy needs for cooking, heating, cooling and lighting, they relied instead on “really low-tech existing and readily available tools”.

They cooked on a wood stove, a biomass cook stove (using scrap wood scavenged from a disposal burn pile and hauled by bicycle) or a blanket box (to finish off cooking). They also used techniques such as grain soaking to minimize cooking time.

For refrigeration, they tried many techniques (including using rocks left outside at night!) but what “really worked” and was “fun” to make and use was a Nigerian “Zeer pot” (two nested earthen pots with moist sand between them that provides an evaporative cooling effect). Lighting was challenging but they managed with the help of solar lights and kerosene lanterns.

There were of course some mishaps, like Neil “pouring a jar of Ona's salad dressing into the nutritional yeast jar (ruining both) in a very low-light situation” or scalding himself twice when he washed himself and misjudged the temperature of the hot water heated by their woodstove.

Non-electric living also brought wonderful surprises to Neil and Ona's lives. They enjoyed the absence of background droning sound of electrical appliances and having more time to read and learn to play the clarinet and accordion.

In fact, they found the experience to be “very positive” and their lives improved in most regards that they saw “no reason to suspend the experiment” after the challenge ended and decided to completely disconnect their OPALCO service!

To me, Neil and Ona's “experimentation” was nothing short of a courageous experiment in truth. And truth it did reveal. That we do not need to wait for a technological breakthrough to lead a gentle, low-carbon life. That solutions are already here. That it can be done and with such joy. I am very grateful for Neil and Ona for alighting hope and inspiration for us.

You can read Neil and Ona's full story below, for inspiration or useful technical details.

(Written by Chom Greacen, this article first appeared in the Islands Weekly in March.)

Winning story from Lopez Energy Challenge contestants, Neil Hanson and Ona Blue

2011-03-22T09:01:00.001-07:00

(Written by Neil Hanson)

In taking up the Lopez Energy Challenge for a month, we were hoping—in addition to reducing our environmental footprint—that we might learn some skills that would be useful in the event of an extended power outage. We looked at the challenge as the perfect opportunity for a practical experiment which would spare us another frantic reaction to a no-electricity event (e.g. running around researching for candles, worrying about spoiling food, missing baths...) I sent right away for the book Living with Electricity by the Amish author Stephen Scott expecting simple solutions for every problem. I was impressed with the many systems the Amish have developed but disappointed by the highly evolved sophistication of Amish technology. The main thing we learned from the book was that we needed to find and apply some really low-tech existing and readily available tools. The following completely random notes on what we discovered, what we did, and how it worked for us:

Ona bakes bread every week. The only time our power was switched on was at the start of each baking session (4 times) when electrical power was used to ignite the gas oven's burner. Otherwise, our main breaker switch was always off.

Most of our cooking was done on a Green Fire Technology Biomass cookstove (developed by the Aprovecho Research Center in Cottage Grove, Oregon)We toured the Research Center while visiting our parents who live nearby. It was quite impressive, with all the stove prototypes on display. We fueled this stove with wood scavenged and hauled by bicycle to our home from the Public Works burnpile. (This is wood which would otherwise be burned by the county as a means of disposal with no secondary benefits.) This stove uses a collar which directs the fire heat to the walls of the port, increasing its efficiency greatly. We also used two cast iron Dutch ovens for wood stove-top baking of vegetables. We quickly learned the value of trivets and heat diffusers here. See www.stovetec.net

One of the ground rules we decided on prior to beginning the Energy Challenge was that we would not do anything that would pollute the air we breathe in our house. We completely stopped using our kitchen's conventional propane stove for this reason because the exhaust fan (which vents the toxic byproducts of LP gas combustion) requires electricity. The exception to this rule was for weekly break-baking. In this case, we evacuated the house and opened the windows and doors for several hours. We abstained from all indoor candle or kerosene-burning for this reason also.

Speeding up and extending the efficiency of our cooking processes included the practice of soaking grains (such as oats) overnight in water and vinegar resulting in half the cooking time. The use of a blanket box (a camping cooler lined with old wool blankets) finished cooking grains and beans after achieving an initial boil on the wood stovetop. The hot pots went into the box and were wrapped snugly with the wool blankets all around, and the lid was closed tightly. Out wood cook stove was used for warming as well as cooking with the
help of an unpainted metal stand set-up on one side of the stove.

After much research, we have decided to take advantage of this year's energy tax credit for wood burning stove purchases and buy an Amish-made “Kitchen Queen” wood cookstove which is the best stove for bread-baking. Its stainless steel water-heating feature will be plumbed through the wall behind the stove to our conventional hot water tank so that when the stove is in use, we will have running hot water at all the hot water faucets in our house. Using a thermosyphon to cycle the cold water through the stove. Google: Kitchen Queen woodstoves.

We share a single freezer with five other household at our housing coop. We utilized our small freezer space during this experiment to make ice—which we carried in plastic containers to our kitchen's conventional refrigerator. Our refrigerator—without electricity—became a simple insulated box where we kept perishable food below, and ice above. By monitoring the refrigerator's average iced temperature we quickly discovered that the temperature on our porch was lower and we set food outside during daylight hours when critters were not roaming. We are still looking for critter-proof draft box which we could use for this purpose either on our porch or attached to an outside wall with a poss-through access opening. We also used bricks and stones which were set out overnight to chill, then placed in our refrigerator to serve the same purpose as ice until the next evening. In addition to the porch, we utilized the ample crawlspace under our house for storage of items such as apples and potatoes. We read that Amish use spring houses to chill perishable foods with cold running groundwater.
In an emergency, the small ponds in the village park would serve this function (if food was protected from critters.)

The most interesting (and fun) part of the Energy Challenge was the making and testing of a Nigerian “Zeer Pot” for non-electric refrigeration. This device consists of two unglazed
earthenware pots of different diameters, one placed inside the other. The space betweenthe two pots is packed with sand, which is kept wet by pouring water into the sand each day. Produce is placed within the inner pot and then covered with a damp cloth, and the system is left in a dry, ventilated area. The water in the sand evaporates throughout the day and the law of thermodynamics ensures the temperature in the inner pot drops keeping the produce fresh. We made one of these in about an hour. It really works! See www.idspreppers.com

Night lighting was our biggest initial challenge. We purchased two solar “Firefly” L.E.D. Lamps with mini solar panels to start and found that we really missed the abundant warm light we were accustomed to. Seriously, this was a really big deal for us, and almost made us give up on the experiment altogether. Amazingly, someone brought an old Coleman kerosene pressure lantern to the Take-it-or-leave-it and we learned to operate it for supplemental light. In keeping with our originial ground rule of not polluting the air in our house, we made wire rods to suspend the lantern outside of various windows. This solved our immediate need for more light. The bright light it made for us was the source of much joy and celebration. I found a nice shiny piece of polished aluminum in the recycling bin, bent it into a parabolic curve, and attached it to the lantern's handle. This reflector shielded our neighbors from the
bright light.

(Photo: Barefoot Power)

The most dangerous lesson was learned from heating water in huge pots on our woodstove for bathing and washing. I misjudged the amount of cold water needed in my bucket toa chieve a comfortable temperature to pour over myself in the bathtub, and scalded myself (twice). This is trickier than it would seem to be! We used cold water for all dishwashing, food preparation, etc. One of our biggest surprises was discovering that our electric hot water tank continued to provide hot, then warm water from our faucets for nearly a full week after our power was turned off!

Another skill we needed to master right away was the transferal of liquids (fuels) in order to operate the kerosene lantern. We needed to pre-heat the lantern's “generator” with denatured alcohol. This required decanting alcohol from its can into the tiny preheater cup. We solved this problem with a bulb baster which sucked the alcohol into the bulb, then accurately delivered it into the tiny cup. Likewise, getting kerosene from the big can into the tiny fuel tank was accomplished with a small plastic hand pump. (Our initial attempts to do this were extremely messy and wasteful.)

Our vegan diet was conducive to making this experiment easier than it would have been if we were storing and cooking meat and diary.

Mishaps included my pouring a jar of Ona's salad dressing into the nutritional yeast jar (ruining both) in a very low-light situation.

Almost all electrically created ambient sound has been eliminated in our house—. We both like it a lot, and don't miss any of these sounds. (Especially our constantly droning refrigerator.)

Eliminating our telephone answering machine has been one of our most appreciated changes.

With no radio, we find ourselves attending to our own activities and thoughts much more—and passively listening to the messages of others—including horrific news—much less. We are both reading more than before the experiment. Ona is learning to play the accordion. I am learning to play the clarinet.

With no clock, we are not constantly monitoring time. This has resulted in time seeming to slow down, or stretch-out. Days seem to last longer than before the experiment.

Through this experiment, we have both become more tolerant of each other regarding mishaps such as collisions, spills, broken cups, crashing noises in the night, etc... At the same time, we have enhanced our ability to solve practical problems and adapt to significant changes. The overall experience has been very positive in most regards and has generally improved our lives. We see no reason to suspend the experiment now that the Energy Challenge has ended. We have decided to completely disconnect our OPALCO service and try to continue becoming more knowledgeable and successful at low-tech non-electric living.

Feel free to contact us if you would like any further information, pictures-or whatever. Thanks for the Energy Challenge. It was a great experience we would have otherwise missed.

Home Power article on "Site Analysis for Wind Generators"

2011-01-09T15:32:00.000-08:00

Home Power has published and agreed to share this informative article, written by Mick Sagrillo, with us. It's a great read to inform ourselves about siting wind turbines.

To view the (two-part) article, please click on the links below:

http://homepower.com/article/?file=HP40_pg86_Sagrillo

http://homepower.com/article/?file=HP41_pg60_Sagrillo

Is small-scale wind power welcome in San Juan County?

2011-01-09T15:21:00.000-08:00

Article from Islands Sounder by Meredith Griffith
(http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/sanjuans/isj/news/113094144.html)

This isn't your grandfather's long-bladed prairie windmill.

Almost whisper-quiet, the six-foot diameter Energy Ball V200 wind turbine looks like something out of the Howe art gallery: a gleaming silver orb of glass fiber polyester, composed of six blades fused at both ends. John Phillips recently applied for a permit to install an Energy Ball, anticipated to supply 9,000 kilowatt-hours of power annually to his Olga home, but the request was denied – based on a 25-foot height building restriction written into the 2006 Olga Hamlet Plan. The device is normally installed on a 35-foot pole or a rooftop...

Click here to read the full article.

A county-wide plan for San Juan County to be a leader in renewable energy

2011-01-06T18:28:00.000-08:00

Islands Energy Coalition

IEC

PRESS RELEASE

Submitted by Islands Energy Coalition (IEC) Chair: Sandy Bishop, LCLT@rockisland.com

Date: January 6, 2011

BACKGROUND: The Islands Energy Coalition (IEC) is a countywide coalition whose

goal is to create a robust county-wide energy plan that is results-oriented and makes San Juan

County a leader in conservation, education and development of appropriate renewable

energy (RE) projects. Specifically the energy plan will include programs and projects that

produce economic, environmental and community benefits and incentives.

IEC members have been meeting for about a year. We started as a work group of the San Juan Community Foundation’s Critical Needs Task Force. These renewable energy installation types cover small wind energy systems (“SWES”), photovoltaic (“PV”) or “active solar” systems, and micro-hydro (stream-based) systems.

BENEFITS: By adopting and codifying a Renewable Energy Ordinance for small scale projects, San Juan County will be providing clear guidelines to its citizens on what is allowable and permissible.

Starting in 2011 our electric coop will be forced to purchase “Tier 2” power if our grid-tied power consumption grows. "Tier 1" is the inexpensive legacy hydropower, “Tier 2” will be bought on the open market and no one can say for sure what that price will be, but it will be more expensive than Tier 1. Hydro-power in this state is maxed out. We need to find kinder sources of energy such as locally produced wind and solar.

San Juan County gets about 85% of its power from hydro the other 15% is from nuclear, coal and other. After conservation, renewable energy production makes the most environmental and economic sense.

Renewable energy saves money by producing homegrown energy.

There are advantages to small-scale residential wind, solar and hydro. Some home sites are much better suited to one over the other. Depending on your site you may choose one sole source or a combination. Residential wind generation and hydro are especially helpful because they tend to generate more power during the dark and windy days and nights of winter, which coincides with San Juan County’s peak usage.

Renewable energy reduces local carbon emissions.

Renewable energy promotion helps create local jobs and fosters economic vitality.

Development of home-generated renewables can be economically viable to the homeowner if one takes advantage of federal tax incentives and local and state production incentives.

JOIN IN A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION: Go to: www.islandsenergymatters.blogspot.com. The Islands Energy Coalition invites community members to leave comments on our blog. We will do our best to represent citizens who engage in this conversation and help figure out a plan that serves the best interests of islanders and these islands. We do not have staff so if you leave comments we may not get back to you but we promise to read everything – but please no mean spirited comments.

WHAT’S NEXT: The San Juan County Council has included small-scale renewable energy installations on the Prioritized Planning Tasks list along with the updates to the Unified Development Code UDC section 18. In mid-to-late January county staff will begin looking at Section 18 and begin crafting language to update the code to include renewable energy.

The IEC goal is to help draft language that frames the development of a small-scale renewable energy into the UDC. This language will help facilitate small-scale renewable energy development that is consistent with the County’s Comprehensive Plan. Accordingly, we see the changes to code will refer only to residential systems not larger than 100 kW capacity.

We do not plan to work on language in support of large, industrial-scale applications.

METHODS: A member of IEC contacted all 39 County planning departments in the State to assess any renewable energy (RE) ordinances they might have. Fifteen responded. Six Counties in the eastern part of the State have some sort of small wind energy systems (SWES) ordinance. On the west side of the State, Whatcom County has the most complete renewable energy (RE) ordinance. We have taken the best ideas and will begin work with county staff to help frame language for changes to the land use-code.

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: Washington State regulations encourage deployment of renewable energy. For example, the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) includes the following:

RCW 80.60.005: The legislature finds it is in the public interest to:

Encourage private investment in renewable energy resources; Stimulate the economic

growth of this state; and Enhance the continued diversification of the energy resources used

in this state. [1998 c 318 § 1.]

Other examples include the Washington state feed-in tariff (SSB 5101), the Washington State

Community solar act, the Washington State Net Metering Law (Chapter 80.60 RCW) RCW

82.16.110

Changes proposed would be in support of the intent and purpose of the San Juan County Unified Development Code and Comprehensive Plan and embody the very goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan. Independence and self-reliance of islanders are terms used throughout the Vision Statement. The section Energy and Resources includes the

following: "Our community fosters resource and energy conservation. Energy independence is encouraged."

Energy independence is an important part of our future. Currently there is no language in the SJC Comprehensive Plan or Unified Development Code that deals with the specifics of renewable energy installations. However, certain sections of the Comprehensive Plan are relevant:

2.2.C Energy

Goal: To conserve energy and promote energy efficiency. Policies (2.2.C.1-2)

1. Promote education on site planning methods that make maximum use of energy-saving features of the natural environment.

2. Provide opportunities within land use designations for the development and use of alternative energy resources which are compatible with the natural environment.

Each area of the islands has its own unique opportunities for the use of renewable energy. Active systems that utilize these resources are very compatible with the natural environment. Wind power in particular has long been an integral part of the agricultural landscape of western North America.

CURRENT LANDSCAPE: As of this posting there is one legally permitted wind tower in the county. It is located on Lopez Island on the corner of Bakerview and Port Stanley. It belongs to Mr. Rick Strachan and is visible from the road. There are numerous solar photovoltaic systems through out the county that can also be viewed.

As fellow citizens we ask you to help us think through the issues so that we can design language changes to the code and help promote renewable energy production, energy independence, local jobs and a healthy vibrant environment.

Please Join Us in the Celebration of Lopez Energy Challenge Results

2010-12-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

Islands Energy Coalition in collaboration with OPALCO and Lopez Island Library would like to invite community members to come hear inspiring energy stories and meet winners of prizes in different contest categories.

Special highlight: There will be a BICYCLE GENERATOR for you to try out your muscle power! Burn calories and generate electricity. Compare power usage of different lighting technologies and appliances.

Don't miss the fun educational opportunity for the entire family!
Come and be part of the community conversation on energy!

5PM Thursday December 16, 2010 at Lopez Island Library

Refreshments will be served and free gifts from OPALCO given away

How Many Lance Armstrongs would it take to power your home?

2010-12-09T20:59:00.000-08:00

At Lopez Elementary School, students gained some good biking muscles trying to keep the lights on!

How? Thanks to a bicycle generator put together by Kent Schaefer, kids in Alex Nelli's science class and Dale Shreve's homeroom learned that they could power lights, a boombox, pencil sharpeners, fans, motors, an electric piano, or a combination of the above, with their own little legs.

Elementary students lined up in Lorri Swanson's garden class to power the fan used in the winnowing process to separate wheat berries from the chaff, which they helped grow and harvest.

Apart from having fun and getting a good workout, the kids also learned first hand the value of precious energy. Can you imagine how hard it would be to have to generate your own electricity? For these students, it's no longer a theoretical concept. They know how much work it is to light a bulb, and hopefully how important it is to use energy wisely and consciously.

One child pedaling as hard as possible generates enough to power one 60 Watt incandescent bulb. At that rate, most children last about five minutes. It would take 300 such hard-working children on generators for 10 minutes each to dry a load of laundry.

They also understand the huge difference in power consumption between efficient (LED or fluorescent bulbs) and inefficient incandescent lights, despite their equivalent brightness. Keeping only one incandescent lamp on is more difficult than powering 5 compact fluorescent and LED lights combined.

A fabulous educational tool, the bicycle generator has a fan (powered by the rider and positioned to cool the rider), a panel of three different types of lights, and ability to connect to DC (direct current) and AC (alternating current) appliances, with or without a battery.

A resident of Center Island, Kent Schaefer said it took two full days to put this ingenious set together, using mostly “stuff that was lying around” his house, plus a free exercise bike courtesy of Neil's Mall. One of his main inspirations is Ryan, his 10-year-old son, genius inventor-in-training, and forth grader at Lopez School.

Lopez school students are very lucky to have such a resource! The potential for education is unlimited. Some high school students are toying with the idea of using the bicycle generator to power the sound system for an energy-efficient dance party, or to make treats for an energy-efficient bake sale fund-raiser.

Fortunately the bike can be powered not only by volunteer child labor. Adult labor is welcome and encouraged. Community members, young or old, can come and try out the bike at the celebration of Lopez Energy Challenge results at the Lopez Island Library Thursday, 16 December, at 5PM. We will hear inspiring energy stories and engage in a community conversation on energy. And of course, you will get to find out how many Tour de France champions it will take to power your home!

Hope to see you there. Bring your own enthusiastic legs.

(Written by Chom Greacen, the article first appears in the Islands Weekly in Dec 2010.)

Home Performance

2010-12-09T20:33:00.000-08:00

Home. It’s a word heavy with connotation, a word containing a world of personal significance. A home should be a place of comfort and a source of strength, rejuvenation and health. While most of us have a strong emotional connection to our homes, we usually don’t consider the scientific system designed for our comfort. When a Home Performance evaluation is used for your home, the rigors of science optimize your home’s performance.

A high-performance sports car holds the road so well because the weight to power ratio of the car, coupled with precision engineering, gives it stability. The secret lies in the system. Home Performance focusses on your house as a “system” with the goal of supporting a more comfortable, healthy, durable and energy-efficient home. Working with the laws of physics and the dynamics of heat, air and moisture movement, the system is balanced and finely tuned, like a sports-car, and the structure performs optimally.

While many homes are pleasing to the eye, they often neglect a whole world of comfort potential. Pack away the visual insistence of your eyes and consider your home from the reach of your other senses, the often neglected realm of smell, touch and feel. Take a deep breath. Does your house smell musty or stale? Do you battle to keep your home warm in the winter? Do you suffer the insult of cold feet from frigid floors? A home should be free of drafts, easy on the heat and contain fresh air to breathe. This will maximize your home’s potential.

The Home Performance process begins with an Energy Audit and utilizes diagnostic tools such as a blower door, infrared camera, gas sniffers and pressure gauges to test the home’s performance. There is no guesswork. Home Performance makes sick houses healthy by ensuring an optimal flow of air.

After Home Performance testing the auditor will build a list of concerns to be addressed and prescribe the solutions. Some of the common problems found in older homes are inadequate insulation values, far too many air leaks, single pane windows and propane appliances with flue gas concerns. Newer housing stock may be without proper ventilation and suffer from poor indoor air quality; mold and mildew are concerns along with broken thermal boundaries.

Energy remodel measures offer exceptional returns on investment. The savings are quantifiable and paybacks arrive within a few years. You will immediately notice a difference in your home following performance measures. Your home shouldn’t be a place of cold feet. It shouldn’t be a battle ground against the elements. It should be a place for you to be comfortable and healthy.

After more than 20 years in the building industry, I have found Home Performance to offer the most bang for the buck in reducing heating and energy costs. Full energy remodels generally range from $2,000-$9,000, depending on the depth of the measures. There are several rebates and incentives offered by OPALCO and the federal government to assist in the weatherization costs. Some of these expire at the new year, so now is a good time to sign on for for an energy remodel and start living in a more comfortable, healthy and energy-efficient home.

Email Energy Matters at islandenergymatters@googlegroups.com, call me at 468-4047, or call OPALCO at 376-3586 to sign-up for a Home Energy Snapshot that includes an in-depth home energy assessment for $25. The Snapshot does not offer diagnostic testing, but it does include high efficiency specialty light bulbs and shower heads.

(Written by Doug Poole, this article was first published in the Islands Weekly in November 2010.)

Energy Challenge Launch on Lopez

2010-10-11T23:27:00.000-07:00

There will be a launch to unleash the First Lopez Energy Challenge, on Thur October 14 in the fireplace area of the Lopez Library.

Come join us and you will learn about the Energy Challenge and check out some of the prizes to be given away to winning contestants.

You'll also get to learn how to read meters and use Kill-A-Watt, an easy-to-use power monitoring tool, which is very useful in figuring out what consumes how much electricity in your household. And Kill-A-Watts are now available to be checked out at the Lopez Library.

Or just come and socialize with energy enthusiasts! :) Hope to see you there.

First Lopez Energy Challenge!

2010-10-11T23:00:00.001-07:00

Fall 2010

First ever on Lopez!

Sponsored by: Islands Energy Coalition in collaboration with OPALCO and Lopez Library

Enter free to win fabulous prizes! Simply track your electricity usage (by reading your utility meter weekly), fill out the form provided, and you may be WINNERs in one or more of the following categories:

Category	Criteria
Best Energy Conservation Story	Creativity, originality and effectiveness of energy conservation tip/story
. Small Energy Footprints	Lowest electricity usage with consideration of family size and use of other fuel sources*
. Energy Usage Reduction	Largest percentage drop in electricity consumption compared to previous month and/or same month of previous year*
. This-house-can-use-professional-help!	Households that would benefit from a professional energy assessment

*For full-time residents only.

Prizes include
Solar-powered reading lamps
Smart power strip
SNAPSHOTs (whole-house energy assessments)
1-Hour Professional Home Performance Consultation
Gift certificates
Power monitoring tool available to help identify energy usage
To help you figure out ways to save energy, OPALCO has provided Kill-A-Watt meters for check out at the Lopez Library. Easy and safe to use, this meter enables you to monitor electricity consumption of any 120V appliance by simply plugging it into the device.

Want to take on the Challenge? Here is how:
Record OPALCO meter readings weekly for a month, fill out the form and turn it in by Nov 19, 2010 at a drop box at the library or by email. Questions? Call Chom Greacen (468-3189) or email lopezenergychallenge@gmail.com.

Prize
Sponsors: OPALCO, Sage Building Solutions, Small Steps Solar, Sunset Builders Supply, Blossom Grocery, Lopez Village Market, Turtle Energy, Lopez Island Electric

Typical wattage, electrical energy consumption and costs of different appliances

2010-10-11T23:00:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder where your energy goes around the house? Which of your appliances use more energy that others? And how efficient my appliances compared to "typical" ones? The tables below are useful references (source: Clark Public Utilities in B.C. Canada). The energy cost used is quite comparable to OPALCO's ($0.0758/kWh plus tax).

(Click image to enlarge)

Calculating Your Energy Costs (how to convert Watts to kWh to $$$)

2010-10-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

If you want to control how much you spend for electric energy, it's important to know how to compute the operating costs of your electrical appliances, electric furnace and your lights.

Knowing these costs will help you see where your electric energy dollars are going, how much one appliance costs to operate compared to others, and how to use energy wisely to control your energy costs.

Orcas Power & Light Cooperative (OPALCO) charges for the electricity you use by the kilowatt hour (kWh). To determine the kilowatt-hour usage of an appliance, you must first determine the
wattage of the appliance.

For example, a 60-watt light bulb has a wattage of 60; a 1500-watt heater has a wattage of 1500. Next, you need to determine how many hours you use the appliance.

The formula to determine kilowatt hours is:

(Wattage x Hours of use)÷1000 = Kilowatt hours (kWh)

To determine the operating cost of the appliance, you will multiply the kilowatt hours (kWh) by the current OPALCO rate. Currently the OPALCO rate per kWh is $.0758 for residential users.

kWh x OPALCO rate = Operating Cost

FOR EXAMPLE:

Your fan is rated at 600 watts and you use it for 40 hours during the month. To find the kilowatt hours:

(600 x 40) ÷ 1000 = 24 kWh for the month

The cost to operate this fan would be:

24 kWh x .0758 = $1.82 per month

So what’s my incentive?

2010-10-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

The cast of characters here at Energy Matters suffer from a clear obsession for saving energy. We acknowledge, however, that our readers may not be quite as motivated by the stirrings of his or her inner geek. You might not experience the same sense of elation from capturing rays of the sun to power your world. There is, however, a universally motivating factor in the realm of saving energy.

Money.

Some of us have lots of it. Some of us wish we had more. All of us appreciate getting something for free. In the case of energy retrofit incentives, you have to spend a little to get a lot, but a variety of agencies are primed and ready to give you money to weatherize your home and invest in alternative energy. Why? Because it saves them money.

The federal government realizes that a reduction of fossil fuel consumption is a sound economic investment. Our power utility, OPALCO, realizes that an investment in weatherization reduces their electricity load, helping to stave off “Tier Two” price increases. And the cherry on top? Your investment will save you money too.

Take a look at a few of our favorite incentives and be inspired!

OPALCO has several great weatherization rebates. Among the sweetest is the prospect of free insulation. OPALCO will rebate up to $.85/sq ft on insulation. With local costs of $.40-.75/sq ft, the rebate may not only pay for your insulation but also help to cover the installation costs. Adding insulation can save you 10-20% on your utility bill and make your home more comfortable year round.

Are your windows feeling drafty or cold? OPALCO offers $6/ sq ft for replacing old aluminum framed or single pane windows. This should pay for about half the cost of the new replacement windows.

The “Home Snapshot Energy Assessment” is a comprehensive look into your home’s unique energy usage. For a nominal $25 fee you get individually-tailored recommendations to reduce your energy usage. And as a bonus you get unlimited high-efficiency light bulbs installed for you. One Snapshot home got 37 light bulbs! The owners stand to save $5 per month on lighting cost with bulbs that last 10 times as long.

OPALCO has several other rebates for duct sealing, heating systems, appliances, water heaters and more (www.opalco.com or 376-3500).

Washington State is offering a production incentive for solar electric and other renewables for the next ten years, and you don’t have to pay sales tax on solar PV.

On the Federal level, you may qualify for a 30% tax credit on weatherization (ends 12/10) and renewables (ends 12/16). The incentives are cumulative: you can use the OPALCO rebate and take tax deductions. Talk to your accountant for details.

When you weatherize your home by adding free insulation, half-price windows and a new furnace that you wrote off, guess what? You get to save money now, and on your energy bills for many years to come.

As a bonus, you get to feel good about doing your part. You will make a difference with your actions, whether it be for the planet, our natural resources or the air our children breathe. We thank you.

(This article was written by Doug Poole and first appeared in the Islands Weekly in September.)

My Energy Detective Hero

2010-07-29T16:42:00.000-07:00

He is a man on a mission. He is obsessed. He is ruthless. He is my hero!

Meet Reuben Deumling, Energy Detective Extraordinaire, our good friend who recently visited Lopez.

He has hawk eyes, honed to detect energy leaks. He snoops out excesses and has a persistent knack for tweaking appliances and dwelling so they require the least energy input. When it comes to killing waste, he is ruthless.

And the results? A 90% reduction in his household electricity use!

After implementing waste-cutting measures, he and his wife consume an average of only 9 watts/person (that’s less than a single efficient lightbulb). At OPALCO rates (excluding the $25.50/month fixed charge) that’s a household electricity bill of just $12 for the whole year!

How did he do it? Two words: curiosity and meters.

To Reuben, conservation is a fun challenge to satisfy his curiosity—how much energy do we really need to have a comfortable life?

Some people change light bulbs or buy energy efficient appliances. But Reuben took a broader approach. He started by reading his electric utility meter daily to track consumption in relation to different use patterns. This allowed him to tinker with specific devices and inspired him to be more conscientious about turning off unnecessary lights and appliances.

His detective work also revealed his fridge consumed a whooping 3 kilowatt-hours a day (1,095 kWh a year). He replaced it with a small fridge with a 413 kWh/year rating.

Then he added additional 3” of insulation to the freezer compartment and positioned the refrigerator so that the coils in the back stayed as cool as possible. The best performance Reuben’s fridge achieved was 98 kWh/year, a quarter of the rating!

Next, he used a “Kill-A-Watt” meter (made to monitor power usage of individual appliances) to ferret out phantom loads – power consumption in off/standby mode. Phantom loads can be eliminated by using a switched plugstrip, or unplugging devices not in use.

“It is about empowerment,” says Reuben, “We don’t need to wait for an expert to tell us what to do. We can figure it out ourselves by reading meters and experimenting.”

You might wonder what it would be like to live with someone as passionate about energy as Reuben. Me too. So I asked Diana, Reuben’s wife and mother of their 5-year-old daughter Isabel.

In a gentle voice she said, “I have felt challenged to change my old habits and learn new ways of doing things. But I share the same vision so I fully support what he does.”

Diana and Isabel seem perfectly normal. If they can do it, maybe so can we!

So…let’s become Energy Detectives.

I believe we can learn a lot by sharing with each other tips and encouragements – not only about electricity but gasoline, propane and water too. Share your stories with us at islandenergymatters@googlegroups.com and check out Reuben’s slides on conservation below. Have fun and save $$$!

(Written by Chom Greacen, the article will appear in the Islands Weekly next week.)

"Reducing energy consumption by 50% - 90%" by Reuben Deumling

2010-07-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

Reuben Deumling, Energy Detective Extraordinaire and our good friend has generously shared the work of his life passion with us. In his slides, he told the story of what he did to achieve 90% reduction in electricity consumption and similar for gas, and how we can do it too. Below are some previews.

To view the whole presentation, please go to: http://tinyurl.com/reuben-conservation

Enjoy!

Double Panes

2010-07-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

Energy efficiency music video going viral on Youtube...

Small measures can make a big difference

2010-07-14T16:33:00.000-07:00

Whether you find inspiration through altruism, pragmatism or economics, now is the time to develop a thriving and local energy economy.

As previously discussed in our Energy Matters column, our community needs to cut the islands’ electricity consumption growth to zero to avoid more expensive “tier 2” power prices. This month we’ll look at ways to conserve electricity with direct and simple measures that you can begin right away. Your efforts will be rewarded and really do add up.

In developing your energy conservation plan, use the following approach: 1) identify energy loss or inefficiencies, 2) prioritize according to potential energy savings and 3) systematically correct the prioritized problems according to your household energy improvement budget. OPALCO is now offering a $25 professional home energy assessment through its Energy Snapshot program that can help you develop a personalized plan. Sign up with Anne Bertino at 376-3571.

First, let’s discuss habits. You really will lower your energy consumption by using a clothesline or rack. Run the dishwasher with a full load and air dry. Set your freezer at 0 to 5 degrees (F). Turn off lights not in use. Unplug home electronics when not in use to reduce vampire (standby) loads.

Appliances and other electronics add up to about 40% of our energy bills. Big consumers are refrigerators, clothes washers and clothes dryers.

Refrigerators built before 1990 are great candidates for replacement. When shopping imagine two price tags: the “down payment” at checkout, then your utility bill for the next 10-20 years. Replacing a 1980s model will save you about $100 a year in electricity. Double that for a 1970s model! Look for the Energy Star logo, and read the yellow tags to compare annual energy usage. Avoid side-by-side design or a model larger than you need.

Heating represents 30-40% of a typical energy budget. Use a programmable thermostat, set back at night or while you are away. Maximize your furnace efficiency by keeping its filter clean and sealing your duct work. Leaks in your duct work are leaks on your pocketbook.

Lighting comprises about 10% of our energy use; change your incandescent bulbs to compact florescent bulbs (CFLs). CFLs are free with the OPALCO Snapshot.

Water heating represents approximately 12% of our energy budget. Insulate your tank, and set it to 120 degrees to save energy and protect from scalding. Wash your clothes in cold water. A low-flow shower head helps. Or, even better, heat your water via the sun by installing a solar water heater!

Retain the warm air in your home. Seal the air leaks, but have it done by a professional who will ensure healthy indoor air quality. Hot air rises; insulate your attic with loose-fill cellulose. Windows are inefficient when it comes to heat retention, so take advantage of OPALCO rebates and consider replacing any single-paned or aluminum-framed windows.

All of these efforts can add up to save you considerable money on your energy bills, while at the same time doing your part for our community and the environment.

Visit OPALCO or the Energy Star websites for additional specifics on energy savings and information on rebates and tax credits. Contact our group at 468-4047 or islandenergymatters@googlegroups.com.

(Written By Doug Poole and The Lopez Island Energy Taskforce, this article was first published in the Islands' Weekly.)

A Time of Crisis and Opportunity

2010-07-14T16:23:00.000-07:00

It wasn't long ago that the business model that made sense for our cooperative power utility, OPALCO, was to sell as much electricity as possible. The wires and transformers that deliver the electricity cost about the same regardless of whether you're consuming 5 or 500 units (kWh) a month. Utilities like OPALCO have high fixed costs (wires, transformers, etc.) and the more electricity they sold, the more these fixed costs could be spread out, leading to lower rates.

Inexpensive electricity was made possible by an abundance of federally-funded hydropower dams, built mostly by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) starting in the 1930s. Fortunately, (if you're a rate payer) or not (if you're a salmon), these dams aren't going away soon. But nobody is building any more big dams here either. The Columbia River is now a staircase of 14 dams. There just aren't any more big untapped rivers.

Over the years, electricity consumption has been growing and electricity surpluses the region once had are now gone. BPA's response has been to tell utilities like OPALCO something like, "Listen -- we've got a problem of limited supply here. Starting in 2011, if your power consumption grows, that additional power will have to be purchased on the open market." This new power is called "Tier 2". "Tier 1" is the inexpensive legacy hydropower.

There are few certainties in the electricity sector these days, but here's one: Tier 2 power is going to be more expensive. OPALCO currently buys Tier 1 BPA power for around 3 cents per kWh. No one knows for sure, but folks in the industry are saying that Tier 2 is likely to be at least twice as much.

Ouch. That turns the old business model on its head. More sales no longer means lower rates. On the contrary, the way to keep rates down now is to try to keep our power growth to zero so OPALCO won't have to buy any of that expensive Tier 2 stuff.

Crisis and Opportunity

It might seem like there's a crisis on the horizon. But there's a popular saying that the Chinese character for 'crisis' is composed of characters for 'danger' and 'opportunity'. Investing in energy efficiency (getting the same warm houses, cold beer for less energy input) is a lot cheaper than building new power plants and fueling them for 30 years. Here in the San Juans we use the bulk of our electricity for heat -- water and space heating, cooking, drying clothes. Heating takes a surprising amount of electricity -- an electric water heater takes over 100 times more electricity than a laptop. Heating a building takes even more. We can slash our electric bills by weatherizing our homes, using clothes lines, and investing in efficient appliances.

The good news is that saving energy saves money in two ways. If you implement energy conservation in your own home or business, your bills will be lower -- because you purchase less power. You also help keep the rates low for all OPALCO members.

Energy conservation is clearly a win-win for all -- AND there is money available through OPALCO and federal tax credits to help. To get started, contact OPALCO about an energy audit at 376-3571, or explore OPALCO's webpage: http://www.opalco.com/energy-efficiency. We'll investigate these and other ways we can shape our collective energy futures in upcoming Energy Matters articles. See you again next month!

(Written by Chris Greacen and Lopez Island Energy Taskforce, this article first appeared in Island Weekly in June.)

Energy Matters

2010-07-14T16:05:00.000-07:00

We used to live in a simpler world. It was a world in which we were blessed by an abundance of cheap hydropower and fossil fuels. It was a world in which our pursuit of low-cost electricity and fuel was not complicated by our mounting impact on the environment, natural resources and habitat-- a world of seemingly endless economic growth and opportunities.

Now that world is not so simple.

What we face today is a world of unprecedented challenges and uncertainties. Our islands currently depend on hydroelectricity for 80% of our power. What will happen if climate change affects rainfall patterns and power generation from hydroelectric dams in the Pacific Northwest? Fuel prices are unpredictable and the environmental risks of extracting petroleum has never been more apparent than with the massive BP spill in the gulf. How can we prepare ourselves and our economy for the time when fossil fuels are no longer as affordable? Is there a way we can maintain and improve our quality of life without compromising the environment and natural resources that we leave our children and their children? And finally, can we move forward in a way that is creative, responsible, affordable and even fun?

We believe the answer to the last question is yes! Innovations in technology, policy, and collaboration open up opportunities that are more than sufficient to address our challenges. We want to explore energy questions and engage our community of readers in an important discussion of our county's energy future. In this space you will find exciting energy facts, ideas and initiatives from our neighbors and around the world. We will offer information on incentives, services, resources and technology that will save energy and money. As we explore our use of energy in the San Juan Islands, we will discuss where we are now, where we want to be in the future, and how to get there.

We envision a thriving local energy economy that is based upon the principals of ecology, peace, and social justice. This column will be a regular feature and because we believe the discussion of our energy future belong to the community, we welcome any questions, comments or inspirations our readers may have. Please write us at islandenergymatters@googlegroups.com.

Who are "we", you may ask? Spearheaded by Lopez Community Land Trust, the taskforce is a small group of energy enthusiasts and professionals as well as members of a group called "Islands Energy Coalition" whose interest is to promote community discussions, solutions and empowerment towards a happy, resilient energy future for the San Juan Islands. Specifically, this column is initiated by Chom Greacen (energy researcher), Chris Greacen (energy consultant), Doug Poole (building performance contractor) and Jeff Dyer (renewable energy contractor), all residents of Lopez Island. We and other IEC members will contribute to future articles. Doug is the groups contact at 468-4047.

(Written by Chom Greacen and Lopez Island Energy Taskforce, this article first appeared in Islands Weekly in May 2010)