Bournes Energy

Investors see bright future for renewable fuels

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:05:43 GMT

Despite roiling economic problems in the European market, global energy leaders saw a bright future for renewable energy in 2011. A report from the consulting firm PwC found that mergers and acquisitions in the sector rose 40 percent last year, compared to 2010.

The news could have good implications for Vermont homeowners as they weigh the benefits of converting boilers and furnaces from classic fossil fuels to green alternatives such as wood pellets and biofuel.

Although the new fuels can save money, cut emissions and even support local job growth, some consumers hesitate to switch because of concern over reliable supply or heating equipment maintenance.

By showing the industry's resilience in the face of a difficult economic climate, the report should put those worries to rest. Energy leaders completed more than $53 billion dollars of deals in wind, solar, biofuels, energy efficiency, geothermal, biomass and hydro in 2010 - a marked climb from the comparable figure of $38.2 billion in 2010.

"Total deal value was up, and there's been a trend toward larger-size deals, which reflects increasing maturity in wind and solar," Ronan O'Regan, PwC's director of energy in London, told Bloomberg. The improvement surprised many investors who were unimpressed by recent European efforts to cut deficits.

In fact, European bidders accounted for the majority of the growth, with 48 percent of the total. North America followed with 24 percent, and Asia was third with 18 percent.

Energy efficiency saves air as well as money

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:08:20 GMT

Most Vermont residents know they can save money, stay warm and block bone-chilling breezes by taking a few simple steps to weatherize their homes each winter. Now a new report is pointing to another benefit of the strategy - preserving clean air.

By mandate of the Clean Air Act, a number of upcoming air regulations will soon impose limits on the emissions of multiple air pollutants, says the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

Meeting those regulations could be expensive for states to meet if they tried to tackle them head on by developing new technologies for power generation and emissions filtering.

Fortunately, a simple solution may already exist. By applying an energy audit, replacing outdated appliances and selecting Energy Star-rated heating equipment, homeowners and business leaders could stop air pollution in its tracks, according to a new report from the group.

"Although energy efficiency is our cheapest, cleanest, and quickest energy resource, it has often been ignored as a strategy for compliance with air regulations," said ACEEE senior policy analyst Sara Hayes, the report's lead author. "But now the political, economic, and regulatory environments have aligned. We are on the threshold of a unique opportunity, a tipping point for energy efficiency."

Vermont business are already working toward that goal, as more than 60 companies have joined an "energy leadership challenge" organized by the nonprofit group Efficiency Vermont. Participants will try to achieve 7.5 percent energy savings at their facilities by June 30, 2013.

Biofuel industry grows deep roots on Vermont farms

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:04:59 GMT

Consumers are adopting increasing amounts of biofuel for tasks from home heating equipment to on / off road diesel, as Vermonters find financial and environmental benefits compared to pure fossil fuel consumption.

To meet the growing demand, projects like the Vermont Bioenergy Initiative (VBI), a nonprofit group based in Montpelier, have been offering training and incentives to farmers, entrepreneurs and educators.

People who enter the field can diversify their agricultural operations, support rural job growth, foster self-sufficiency in local communities and help the state mitigate the effects of climate change, the organization says.

As experts continue their efforts to develop a biomass-to-biofuels industry, they are working to overcome challenges such as developing advanced biofuel feedstocks and finding additional financing for production facilities.

That campaign got a boost from lawmakers last week when U.S. Senator Christopher Coons of Delaware addressed the American Chemical Society.

"Sustainable biofuels production is essential in my view for our economy and our future," Coons said. "As we all know, there are a number of environmental and socio-economic and other policy challenges we have to face, and this [briefing] was a great starting point as a concrete forum to look at how we begin to move forward towards workable solutions that will require cooperation from many public and private interests to be able to move from the field to the filling station in the future."

Vermont sunshine cooks up savings with solar hot water

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:02:49 GMT

With the recent boom in solar panel construction through many southwest American states, Vermont homeowners may assume that installing a solar hot water system is only a worthwhile investment for residents of warm weather regions.

However, a recent study by the green construction consulting firm Oikos showed that solar water heaters can cook up impressive results in snowy states, too. From the Pacific Northwest to New England, homeowners who installed the systems typically cut their water heating bills in half.

That quickly adds up to real savings when most American families dedicate at least 25 percent of their total home energy costs to water heating.

Solar water heaters slash that spending by pre-heating water before it enters the hot water tank. Feeding warm water to the boiler means that the heating equipment needs much less energy - whether it consumes propane, biofuel or electricity - to deliver the 64 gallons of hot water used every day by the average household.

Another study showed that solar hot water worked well in Vermont, with the greatest savings accruing to larger homes.

"Our preliminary analysis showed that customers who use more than 4,000 kWh per year for water heating should consider solar," said Nicholas Sinos, a project manager with Central Vermont Public Service. "The 10 systems we installed and monitored provided about 50 percent of the energy needed to heat water over a year."

Hardy Vermonters save energy bills with modest thermostats

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:58:12 GMT

As temperatures fall and fuel prices rise, most Americans find themselves caught with higher energy bills.

The consequence seems inexorable, but many Vermont homeowners have found a way to beat the arithmetic. A recent study shows that the average Vermont resident saves $500 per year by simply setting the thermostat lower than Americans in other states, according to Greenbang.

A national energy audit performed in November showed that typical Vermont residents set their home thermostats at 63.4 degrees Fahrenheit - significantly lower than the average of 70 degrees in Oklahoma and 69.9 in Texas.

"If Vermonters set their thermostats like Texans, their heating bills would go through the roof," reported the energy efficiency software firm EnergyHub. "Why? Because Vermont has an average 7,746 heating degree days per year, while Texas has only 1,862."

The company performed its audit by compiling statistics from its Mercury smart thermostat platform, a remote home monitoring system that links a wi-fi enabled thermostat to mobile apps and internet software.

By adding up the average set-points chosen by its customers nationwide, EnergyHub found other hardy users living in New Hampshire (64.2 degrees) and Maine (65.5 degrees), and other easily chilled people huddling in Louisana and Mississippi (both 69.8 degrees).

NASA satellite map shows vast forests of Vermont

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:21:53 GMT

Every resident of Vermont knows the state contains some of the country’s thickest forests, with trees covering most of the rolling hills and deep valleys of its green terrain.

These rich natural resources make the region one of the best in the country for timber and logging, and the renewable energy sources they produce - ranging from biofuel and bioheat to wood chips to wood pellets.

This week a government agency released a new map of America that makes it official, using satellite imagery to show the distribution of U.S. forests in vivid colors, according to Canadian Biomass magazine.

Scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) made the map to reveal the amount of tree cover in the country. Over six years of research, they used computer models, space-based radar, satellite sensors and ground-based data to create a file they claim is the highest-resolution and most-detailed view of forest structure and carbon storage made for any country.

"Forests are a key element for human activity," said Josef Kellndorfer, a researcher at the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) in Massachusetts who worked on the project. "Resource managers need to see forests down to the disturbance resolution - the scale at which parking lots or developments or farms are carved out by deforestation. We have to know how much we have, and where, in order to conduct sound management and harvesting."

New England pellet producers predict big demand

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:19:00 GMT

Blessed with deep stands of forest, an experienced timber industry workforce and proximity to the large markets that generate demand, New England is in good position to lead the country in production of wood pellets.

As growing numbers of citizens and businesses learn about the benefits of choosing renewable fuels, sawmills and logging companies throughout Vermont have the raw materials at hand to reach a burgeoning retail market for bioheat and wood pellet heating, experts say.

The future of Northeast pellet production grew even brighter this month when officials with the Port of Eastport in eastern Maine said they would be ready this month to begin exporting wood chips to Europe - using an 800-foot long conveyor belt to load waiting ships - and could soon start shipping wood pellets as well, according to Biomass Power & Thermal.

Having a major deepwater port in a neighboring state might not have an immediate effect on residential consumers in Vermont, but homeowners would likely benefit in the long run as the industry adds manufacturing capacity, increases storage space and produces a more reliable supply with improved industrial equipment.

"Back in '08-'09, we saw on the horizon this was going to be a market that was going to explode and we looked up and down the coast of the Eastern United States and said, 'There’s an opportunity here'," says Chris Gardner, executive director of the Port of Eastport.

Building trends could save home heat in 2012

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:03:39 GMT

Citizens across Vermont have their hands full this year trying to juggle cool temperatures and high fuel prices for heating oil, biofuel, propane and other fuels.

Homeowners building new houses in 2012, however, may have an easier time preserving heat thanks to improved weatherization and construction techniques, says the Earth Advantage Institute, a nonprofit green building firm.

Advances in materials and technology now allow architects and construction workers to create structures that can conserve far more of the warmth generated by heating equipment than older homes.

Researchers at the firm have identified 10 energy-efficient building trends that could grow quickly in 2012, according to a survey of policymakers, builders, developers, architects, real estate brokers, appraisers, lenders and homeowners.

"While the economy has not been kind to most new home builders, we have seen a surging interest in home energy management and energy improvement among homeowners," said Sean Penrith, executive director of the Earth Advantage Institute. "Those builders and remodelers who have adopted a transparent green message have been quite successful."

The first two trends both rely on sharing resources. Building with greater urban density and designing more multifamily homes allows residents to cut energy costs by using larger, more efficient furnaces and by improving insulation through shared building walls.

A simple energy audit shows that smaller homes have reduced energy bills, so living in a two-family home is an easy way to shrink both the mortgage and fuel bill at one stroke.

The next two trends rely on consumers’ rising awareness of the benefits of energy efficiency when designing home remodels. Homeowners recoup the costs of these investments more quickly as fuel costs continue to rise, so they are increasingly eager to try new energy-saving materials and systems.

Recent leaps in technology have led to the fifth trend - consumer-friendly home energy tracking devices. Residents can use products such as the Nest Learning Thermostat to precisely program their furnaces and use remote home monitoring to make changes from the office. Another item - the Belkin Conserve Insight energy use monitor - enables users to track the amount of energy consumed by each appliance in the home.

The spread of smart grid controls to more markets in 2012 will allow many consumers to measure, track and control the electricity consumption of household appliances, from heating and cooling systems to refrigerators, electronics and hair dryers.

Additional green building trends include the growth of commercial building energy disclosure, greater transparency in home marketing, more accurate appraisals, broader adoption of residential energy ratings for homes and other advances in consumer education.

Weatherization program keeps Champlain Valley citizens warm

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:41:36 GMT

Every year, government leaders in Vermont help needy families weatherize their homes. The effort pays off in multiple ways, as the more efficient houses conserve fuel, preserve the environment, save money on heating bills and even create work for the contractors who make the upgrades.

The effort reaches about 350 households each season in the state's Champlain Valley region, covering Addison, Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, according to the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO).

Low-income families who achieve better energy efficiency through the group's Champlain Valley Weatherization Service can reduce their energy bills and cover the costs with grants from state, national and utility resources. CVOEO covers the entire cost for qualified households, which earn less than about $45,000 for a family of four.

The programs begins with an energy audit, to set a baseline for energy use and identify the improvements that could provide the greatest savings.

Two of the most common changes are improved air-sealing and insulation, allowing the house to do a better job of holding its precious warmth inside while its heating equipment burns less fuel to create it. Additional changes include safety upgrades such as cleaning and tuning heating systems, by improving ventilation systems, and by installing carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors.

Vermont forests could fuel future of renewable bioheat

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:37:28 GMT

With its thick forests and cold winters, Vermont is often cited as a strong candidate for leading the nation into a new era of biofuel production building on its extensive lumber and timber industries.

Finding a renewable source of energy would help create jobs, preserve clean air, promote petroleum independence and produce bioheat - from wood pellets to biodiesel - to help local citizens endure the chilly winter season.

If recent initiatives in fellow states are any indication, this future is not far off. Engineers at ThermoChem Recovery International, in Durham, North Carolina, recently won approval by the U.S. Department of Energy for a process to convert wood waste and forest residue into clean, renewable fuel, the government said.

After a pilot project successfully changed several hundred tons of woody biomass feedstock into diesel fuel and paraffin waxes, the group agreed to contribute its ground-breaking data to similar plants in Wisconsin Rapids and Park Falls, Wisconsin.

Pulp and paper mills in those towns also plan to produce renewable fuel and paraffin while providing additional sustainable energy by capturing steam and hot water from the industrial process to heat their own buildings.

Vermont sees inspiration in rising state demand for biodiesel

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:33:17 GMT

Biodiesel has a range of advantages over pure heating oil, ranging from reduced emissions to better availability and helping America reduce its dependence on foreign oil.

Whether burned in houses for bioheat or in vehicles as on / off road diesel, biofuel is rapidly winning a greater share of the energy market as increasing numbers of consumers learn about its benefits. That trend could soon continue to sweep through Vermont, as New England states take notice of regional initiatives to use the fuel.

The state of Washington recently became the largest public consumer of biodiesel in the country when it decided to use a biodiesel fuel blend - soy-based biodiesel blended with petroleum diesel - to power its Puget Sound ferry boats, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

As the country's largest ferry service, Washington State Ferries uses 22 vessels to transport 11 million passengers each year, burning 18 million gallons of fuel along the way.

In another regional initiative, the town of Smyrna, Georgia, committed this year to building its own biodiesel production facility, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Workers will convert used cooking oil into 2,200 gallons of biodiesel per month. By using the new stream of clean fuel to power the city’s municipal service vehicles on a B20 blend, city managers expect to save $32,000 per year compared to current diesel fuel spending.

Nearly 5,000 Vermont homes use federal weatherization funds

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:24:09 GMT

Winter in Vermont is the season when many citizens turn their thoughts to the growing size of the heating bill in their mailbox every month.

Whether the boiler in the basement burns wood pellets, propane, biofuel or heating oil, every house requires more fuel to stay warm on the inside when the temperature drops outside. Even as thermostats call for warmer rooms, however, homeowners can take steps to rein in runaway utility bills.

Over the past three years, 750,000 homes have been weatherized - buttoned up to stop leaks and retain heat - thanks to rebates from the federal Weatherization Assistance Program and to stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

The effort has reached 4,481 low-income homes in Vermont through October 2011, government figures show.

By improving energy efficiency in three-quarters of a million houses and buildings, the effort is already paying off in terms of job creation for weatherization contractors, conserved fuel supplies, reduced carbon emissions, improved energy independence and - most important to many homeowners - reduced heating bills.

The average American household involved with the program is saving $400 a year in utility costs, after adding insulation, sealing ducts and installing more efficient windows, heating equipment and cooling systems.

Fire experts share safety tips for winter heating

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:08:05 GMT

As citizens throughout Vermont struggle to stay warm this season, many will turn to their trusty wood stoves for reliable bioheat.

With good safety habits, the stoves can be a delightful and efficient source of warmth. Common mistakes can lead to trouble, however, according to statistics from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

Thousands of Americans fire up their heaters each winter, and that burst of activity sometimes leads to house fires. Heating equipment was the cause of an estimated 58,900 home structure fires in 2009, with nearly half - 49 percent - occurring in December, January and February, the NFPA reports.

Most large appliances are quite safe, while space heaters are typically more tricky to handle. Portable and stationary space heaters caused nearly one third - 32 percent - of those home heating fires.

Still, basic safety tips are good advice for all homeowners, whether they burn cord wood, wood pellets or biofuel. First, people should remember that heaters need space, and keep all flammable materials at least three feet away from any furnace, fireplace, wood stove or portable space heater, according to The New Haven Register.

Even ashes can be dangerous unless people wait until they are cool to clean the fireplace or wood stove. After sweeping the hearth, use a metal container to hold the cinders and place it outside, safely away from the home, experts advise.

Another smart move is to examine the chimney every year by peering up the fireplace flue and checking the masonry outside the house for cracks or leaning.

"Structural issues with chimney and inadequate disposal of ashes occur more often than people know," Seymour, Connecticut, fire marshal Paul Wetowitz told the newspaper. "We've had chimneys separate away from buildings."

Basement boilers and furnaces are very safe when residents make sure to hire qualified professionals to install and inspect them, and follow up with annual appointments to clean all vents and equipment.

Portable heaters are harder to monitor, so smart residents always follow the original instructions for each device, never using the oven to heat a home or substituting new types of fuel for space heaters. At night, remember to turn off every portable heater before going to bed or leaving a room, NFPA recommends.

Finally, every house should have smoke alarms on each story, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Check batteries frequently and practice a home escape plan that includes two ways out of any room and an outside meeting place.

Oil group gives safe heating tips for winter months

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:03:05 GMT

Vermont residents who feed their furnaces with heating oil or biofuel this winter can follow a few simple steps to get the most reliable performance from their heating equipment.

Homeowners with in-ground tanks can ensure prompt refills by tagging fill pipes with thin wire stakes marked with colored flags that fly higher than the average snowfall, according to the Energy Communications Council (ECC), a heating oil industry group.

People with tanks located behind their home or business can also help by keeping a clear path for oil deliverymen, who sometimes haul 100 pounds of weight as they stretch a hundred-foot heating oil hose from the truck to the pipe. To ensure a quick delivery, residents can shovel excess snow and ice to provide better traction on paths and allow fence gates to swing open.

"The top priority for oil heat retailers is keeping their customers warm," ECC spokesman Kevin Rooney said. "The last thing any driver wants is to be unable to deliver oil to a home or business because of a lack of access to the tank and fill pipe. Working together against the cold, ice and snow, we can ensure that delivery trucks and drivers have safe, easy access to tanks."

Proper care of fuel tanks may also require homeowners to clear snow buildup on roofs that overhang above-ground outdoor tanks, since falling ice can damage heating fuel lines, the ECC says.

Some residents who struggle with this task every winter decide to invest in a permanent solution by purchasing a weatherproof enclosure for their outdoor tank. The shed protects the valuable tank from snow and ice, and saves workers and residents the toil of extra shoveling.

The group also advises customers to check their outdoor tanks for damage after winter storms, contacting their local heating oil dealer about any suspected problems. A repair could demand specialized skills and tools, so customers should not try to fix any dents or leaks themselves.

Finally, for basic maintenance of heating oil-fueled furnaces, all people should keep their home heating vents clear of snow drifts. A blocked vent pipe could stop carbon monoxide from flowing safely out of the building and affect indoor breathing quality,so the safest plan is to install both carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, and check their batteries often.

The ECC specializes in the best practices for heating oil retailers and consumers in the chilly Northeast, since all its members operate in cold weather states. The union includes the New England Fuel Institute, the Delaware Valley Fuel Dealers’ Association, the Empire State Petroleum Association, the Massachusetts Oilheat Council, the Fuel Merchants Association of New Jersey, Oil Heat Comfort of Long Island, the New York Oil Heating Association and the Vermont Fuel Dealers Association.

Montpelier prepares to build woody biomass heating project

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:13:56 GMT

Many Vermont residents could soon experience warmer winters in their classrooms and offices thanks to plans for a regional bioheat project.

City and state officials recently approved contracts for a $20 million biomass district heating project proposed for Montpelier, according to Biomass Power & Thermal. Beginning in late 2013, the system would create a central source of warmth for the city hall, police station, fire station, Montpelier High School and potentially another elementary school.

Heating a collection of homes with a single source is often more efficient than installing heating equipment in every building, experts say. The new system would also improve on the current steam plant, which burns 60 percent oil and 40 percent biomass.

Building has not yet begun, but municipal planners have already started planning for the costs, with a vote in June to issue $2.7 million in bonds to fund construction. In addition to that local funding, the project has received an $8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, $8.2 million from Vermont and a $1 million Clean Energy Development Fund grant.

Rebates deliver quick payoff for purchasing efficient new furnace

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:26:07 GMT

Most Vermont residents know they can help preserve the environment, protect clean air and water and support energy independence by converting from fossil fuels to renewable products such as biofuel or wood pellets.

A growing number of studies are adding one more reason to choose clean energy - saving money.

The first step toward greater savings is to improve a home's energy efficiency, according to Earth Techling. People who follow this path can achieve the same warm, comfortable, well-lit house they love, while spending less money to keep it that way.

Buying more efficient light bulbs is a good first step, but to put a real dent in the winter fuel bill, New England families should upgrade their boilers and furnaces to more efficient models, the magazine says. Modern heating equipment can maintain the same indoor temperatures with less effort, which means that homeowners don’t have to refill their tanks of biofuel or hoppers of wood pellets as often.

Use federal incentives and government rebates to save on the initial installation cost, and watch the investment pay off immediately with a lower monthly bill. Find the money available to each town and county with websites such as the U.S. Department of Energy's Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency.

Vermonters save heat and money with energy tips

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:21:47 GMT

Homeowners in every corner of Vermont find ways to insulate their houses a little bit better every year. A new winter is another chance to find the pesky breezes than can rob a room of its comfortable climate and punch a hole in the family fuel budget.

Trying to put the brakes on cascading energy bills, efficiency experts with the U.S. Department of Energy have released their annual compendium of advice for quick ways to weatherize.

A whopping 45 percent of the average annual American household's energy bill of $2,000 goes to cover the costs of heating, government figures show.

To help homeowners to shrink that figure and protect their pocketbooks from rising fuel costs, the department has launched a national campaign called Saving Money by Saving Energy. The effort does not require a full energy audit - quick tips on an internet blog and social networks like Facebook help spread the word about simple tips to stop the cold.

For example, residents who have already weatherstripped their windows can add to their savings by cleaning off their warm-air registers, baseboard heaters and radiators to ensure the flow of carefully heated air is not blocked by furniture, carpeting or drapes.

Vermont is at the hub of biofuel revolution

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:45:12 GMT

Energy experts see Vermont and its New England neighbors as the center of the nascent bioheat movement for two strong reasons - the cold and the trees.

The heavily forested states of the Northeast have plenty of natural biomass for creating wood pellets and biofuels, and their cool winter climate sustains a strong demand for the products. Government economists have recently found another reason to bet on New England as a future clean energy hub - paper.

The initiative comes as a silver lining to the hardships and layoffs inflicted on the country's pulp and paper industry by the recent recession. As many paper-making jobs have moved off shore to countries with weaker environmental standards, mill owners have found themselves with extra capacity for handling vast quantities of ground-up trees.

That’s where researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Biomass Program entered the picture. The program helps the paper industry diversify by using its biomass supply chain, experienced work force and expertise in deconstructing wood to create biofuel instead of paper.

As mills such as the Penobscot Chemical Fiber Company in Old Town, Maine, convert themselves from paper producers to fuel brewers, the burst of commercial activity helps preserve American jobs and spark local economies. Now renamed as Old Town Fuel and Fiber, the plant has already rehired 300 of its original 400 workers and is hard at work creating sustainable, efficient, heat-intensive biofuel.

New England residents stay loyal to heating oil

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:56:30 GMT

Homeowners heat their houses with different fuels in each region of America, recent data from the U.S. Department of Energy shows.

The department’s latest four-year survey of our energy habits shows that nearly 85 percent of American households heat with natural gas or electricity, compared to about 10 percent who burn heating oil or propane.

Residents of Vermont and New England might find that statistic surprising, however, since this corner of the country has a different spin to its energy habits. More than 80 percent of those homes that choose heating oil for their furnaces and boilers are located in the Northeast, the government’s 2009 Residential Energy Consumption Survey reveals.

Another characteristic of heating oil and biofuel burners is that they reside in older homes, with about one-half of all those structures have been built before 1950.

Likewise, the survey found that oil-burning homes frequently use older heating equipment than houses heated with other fuels. Despite their age, those classic furnaces are often surprisingly efficient, since oil customers stick to more regular maintenance schedules than their neighbors.

Propane customers also have a distinct profile, focused heavily on rural areas that are removed from the piping networks of urban utility providers. Those country residents comprise just 3 to 8 percent of households in every region, but their share is rising fast in the Northeast.

Solar hot water on the rise in Addison County

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:11:08 GMT

Addison County has seen an influx in the number of houses making the switch to solar hot water, thanks to the inception of a local program to help bring attention to the sustainable and affordable method of keeping a house warm. According to Vermont Public Radio, 95 houses have made the switch since fall, with more on the horizon.

"It's the buzz of everybody seeing solar up on their neighbor's house," Bodette Conant, coordinator for the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG), told the news source. "And beyond that I think it's just that we've finally made it easy. And we've got the price down to the point where it makes sense to most folks."

The program initiated by VPIRG provides loans to families interested in switching to solar hot water, which can mitigate costs and ensure families pay roughly what their current hot water bills are. Similar initiatives in Montpelier and Chittenden County have had comparable success, and officials expect numbers to grow as time goes on.

Citizens plan renewable energy projects with online atlas

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:31:05 GMT

As they search for the most efficient and effective way to heat their homes, Vermont residents can choose from common options like propane and heating oil, as well as renewable fuels such as wood pellets, solar hot water and bioheat.

The range of choices can be confusing, so to help homeowners balance the factors of cost, convenience and clean air, more than 90 Vermont towns have founded energy committees. These groups offer advice on prices, rebates, environmental impacts and lists of qualified installers.

Committees can even steer homeowners toward tax breaks and incentives such as the Vermont Community Climate Change Grant Program, Community Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grants, the new feed-in tariff program and the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program.

Despite the open door to installing clean, green efficient heating equipment, many residents struggle to sort through the options and find the best renewable energy and efficiency possibilities for their specific communities. In response, the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund has created an online tool to help guide funders, educators, planners, policy-makers, businesses and private citizens through the energy upgrade process.

Homeowners can visit the site - called the Renewable Energy Atlas of Vermont - and use state-of-the-art digital mapping technology to click on their own town or county and study available options, including biomass, efficiency, geothermal, hydroelectric, solar and wind.

"Our Vermont office is particularly excited to be working on a project that supports the maturation of Vermont's green economy," said Mark Haberle, a senior project manager at Fountains Spatial, a Montpelier business that helped to build the tool. "The Atlas is a unique, forward-thinking, and important tool for analysis and review of alternative energy solutions."

People can use the site to identify, analyze and visualize both existing and promising locations for renewable energy projects, then save that map as a unique URL or PDF file.

"It is our goal to create a solution that facilitates influencing the decision-making process at all levels through robust information discovery and dissemination," Haberle said. "It is our hope that the Atlas will cement VSJF's position at the forefront of sustainable jobs development and innovation in Vermont and, through this effort, become a national leader in deploying pioneering solutions for responding to a carbon constrained future."

The state foresees plenty of opportunity for future use, as about 90 percent of Vermont's total energy consumption is now generated from non-renewable energy sources. Additional partners in creating the site include the Vermont Center for Geographic Information, in Waterbury, Vermont, and Overit Media, in Albany, New York.

Vermont covers cuts to heating aid with $6.1 million from state budget

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:12:44 GMT

Homeowners across Vermont are breathing a sigh of relief after the state announced it would step in to replace the cuts to federal funding for bioheat and other heating equipment fuels. Federal budget cuts have slashed the average share of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program - known as LIHEAP - from $866 to $750 per Vermont household this winter, VT Digger reports.

Many people get even less, such as the $319 offered to Carol Shepard of South Royalton, Vermont. Compared to the $888 she received last year, the small amount of aid would not be sufficient to keep her home warm this season, Shepard told CBS News.

Heating oil assistance checks have dwindled since Congress cut the program's budget from $27.6 million delivered to Vermont last year to $19.5 million this winter.

Faced with the prospect of watching low-income, elderly and disabled residents turn off their own furnaces in the coldest months of the year, state leaders decided last week to make up the shortfall with $6.1 million in reserve funding.

"There is bipartisan consensus that the state of Vermont is too good, too decent and too caring to let any Vermonter freeze in their home this winter," said Gov. Peter Shumlin.

Green Mountain Coffee cooks up clean heat from brewing business

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:05:38 GMT

With temperatures dropping and fuel prices rising, a group of scientists in North Dakota have resolved to find clean, new sources of renewable energy this year.

Their plan begins with a familiar energy source - the coffee sold by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in Waterbury, Vermont - and converts it to a biofuel capable of warming winter homes. Researchers at the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota will join forces with Wynntryst, an energy solutions company based in South Burlington, Vermont.

The plan relies on the piles of waste generated at the famous coffee-processing plant, including coffee residues, plastic packaging and cups, paper, cloth and burlap. Technicians will then gasify that complex brew of biomass and residue, creating clean synthetic gas, or syngas.

Finally, power generators can either convert that syngas to biofuel or burn it directly in an internal combustion engine or fuel cell that produces heat and electricity.

"This project is an extension of work performed by the EERC for NASA, which explored the conversion of waste from a space station and future Martian and lunar bases into heat and power," said Chris Zygarlicke, the team's deputy associate director for research.

The conversion sounds like a magic trick, but the group has already used its advanced fixed-bed gasifier (AFBG) system to change other industrial junk into valuable bioheat.

"Over the years, the EERC has developed and tested numerous small gasifier systems like this on a variety of biomass feedstocks," Zygarlicke said. "The EERC system has already produced power by gasifying forest residues, railroad tie chips, turkey litter and other biomass feedstocks and burning the produced syngas in an on-site engine generator. The coffee industry residues will be similarly tested."

If a pilot project with Green Mountain Coffee produces sufficient power, the North Dakota consortium plans to extend the idea to commercial demonstration systems at various Green Mountain sites.

Operating at full scale capacity, the system could help create heat from excess packaging and coffee grounds at a wide range of Green Mountain customers such as Starbucks and McDonald's restaurants and the Keurig individual coffee cup machines in many people's homes.

"The EERC is developing smaller-scale distributed gasification technologies as a means for converting biomass to renewable energy," said EERC director Gerald Groenewold. "This project is a perfect example of the EERC's ability to adapt to changing market needs, as more and more industries, manufacturers, and municipalities look for ways to utilize modest quantities of available biomass residues for energy."

Vermont towns pick up the PACE on home efficiency improvements

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:58:57 GMT

Most homeowners know they can take some simple steps to weatherize their homes and reap benefits from cutting energy bills to conserving precious fuel such as wood pellets, propane and biofuel.

Paying for the changes is a tougher matter for many residents, however. In response to the challenge, a growing number of towns across Vermont are launching trials of the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program, according to Vermont Public Radio.

Participating towns lend money to residents who wish to weatherize their homes, then allow the homeowners to repay the loans through their property taxes. By covering the upfront costs, communities are able to multiply the numbers of citizens who can undertake energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

Ultimately, the cumulative effect of a bloom in heating efficiency can make cities and towns more self-reliant and energy-efficient, helping them to meet sustainability and climate goals despite the budget constraints imposed by a slow economic recovery.

One of the latest towns to embark on a PACE project was Craftsbury, which approved the initiative at its last town meeting, according to the Craftsbury Energy Committee. Local officials said all weatherization work will be performed by qualified, certified professionals, and the expenses will be added to property taxpayers' bills as a separate line item.

Maple syrup producers get government grants to cut fuel bills

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:42:44 GMT

Investing in efficient heating equipment can cut fuel bills and save money for both residential homes and working businesses.

Maple syrup producers across Vermont know this fact better than anyone, as they rely on industrial supplies of heating fuel to boil down the watery sugar maple sap that becomes thick, golden syrup. The state was the nation's largest producer this year with 1.1 million gallons of maple syrup bottled in 2011, a 28 percent increase over the past year.

Finding a more efficient way to heat the millions of gallons of sap would trim costs, conserve fuel and reduce the environmental impact of this classic Northeast activity. Those were the reasons for a package of federal grants awarded to five Vermont maple syrup producers this month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Burlington Free Press reports.

Under the agency's Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), the government gave grants between $2,112 and $24,158 to Vermont syrup producers in Hardwick, Fairfield, Fairfax, Cambridge and Franklin.

"The Obama Administration is assisting cooperatives, small businesses, and farmers across the nation as they work to reduce their energy costs," said Dallas Tonsager, the Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development. "When energy costs are reduced, American rural businesses become more competitive, allowing them to expand and create jobs."

The five farmers plan to use the nearly $54,000 total to make their operations more energy efficient and competitive by installing reverse osmosis systems that remove excess water from the sap before it's boiled into syrup.

"It's great to receive the grant," Eric Remick, the owner of Sweet Stone Maple Farm in Hardwick, told WPTZ. By purchasing a machine that uses 60 percent less fuel to produce syrup, an energy audit shows he will boost his business while preserving the environment. "In the past year, I was able to make about 8 gallons per hour. With this reverse osmosis machine, I will be able to make 32 gallons of syrup per hour."

When that impact is extended to many different producers across the region, the collective savings in fuel and emissions can have a definitive impact, so the USDA is encouraging maple syrup makers across Vermont and the country to to apply for additional grants.

"When you start looking at a 60 percent reduction in energy use on an individual project and you multiply that thousands of times, you can really have a dramatic effect," Tonsager said.