2010 Michigan Energy Conference will be held at Ferris State University on
April 7-8. The conference will consist of one day of focused workshops and one day of technical breakout sessions. Sessions will cover energy policy, building efficiencies, renewable energy, transportation and energy distribution. www.ferris.edu/energy
Michigan Renewable Energy Companies worked together to provide solar power for water purification units for the Haiti relief effort. Turtle Island Wind & Solar out of Cassopolis donated Michigan made rollup Unisolar panels, Inovateus Solar out of South Bend donated fixed frame Unisolar panels and Four Elements Energy out of Lawrence donated USA made charge controllers for powering water purification units built by Kalamazoo based “Clean Water For The World”. Four Elements Energy is also providing consultation and engineering assistance in the integration of the solar panel, charge controller and battery components with the water purification unit.
CFL Know How, a new web site from Michigan GREEN, is a comprehensive source for information on compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). It was made possible by a grant from the Michigan Public Service Commission. www.cflknowhow.org
Van Jones will be the keynote speaker at the Urban Green Summit: Empowering Urban Citizens through Green Education and Employment on March 25-26 at Double Tree Hotel in downtown Detroit. The Summit is hosted by Highland Park NAACP, University of Phoenix, and Rainbow Push Detroit. http://www.ourgreenation.com/home
Three U-M grad students behind the start-up Enertia just won the Clean Energy Prize sponsored by the University of Michigan and DTE Energy. One of the first things the team will do with its new $50,000 in prize money is buy one of the students a new laptop. Enertia has developed plans for a device that can harness vibrations to power small electronics, such as remote sensors and surgically implanted medical equipment. The students expect to spend the next two years completing the R&D, perfecting the prototype and working out production, distribution and marketing details. Most of the $50,000 will be spent on proving the technology and preparing it for mass production. The Clean Energy Prize is in its second year. This year a total of 32 teams from six universities in Michigan made a go at it.
Be a Part of EARTH HOUR – A Global Event on Climate Change on March 27. The State of Michigan is one of many partners that will participate in Earth Hour on Saturday, March 27 from 8:30-9:30 p.m. Last year, 80 million Americans and 318 U.S. cities officially voted for action with their light switch, joining landmarks from around the world that went dark for Earth Hour, including Empire State Building, Broadway Theater Marquees, Las Vegas Strip, United Nations Headquarters, and Golden Gate Bridge. http://www.myearthhour.org/
Go Green Dealership Sustainability Program has been launched by Ford. The idea is to work with dealerships to implement energy efficient technologies and upgrades to save them money, improve their image, and shrink their carbon footprint. Ford is partnering with the Rocky Mountain Institute to help develop the pilot program which now includes 3 dealers. One of the participating dealerships has developed a system where rainwater is incorporated into its car wash.
Energy Center of Wisconsin (ECW) has come out with an interesting new tool, a calculator that allows users to interact with building energy components and explore the effect of changing components and other parameters of commercial building projects. Not intended for design use, this learning tool can help users understand how building systems interact and how changes can influence energy consumption. Check out the calculator at http://www.ecw.org/project.php?workid=12&resultid=286
Consumers Energy has begun its second year of energy efficiency programs. More than 1500 commercial and industrial customers participated in the first year and received $5.6 million in incentive payments. New incentives for 2010 include: 1) LED incentives for parking lot, garage, and street lights, 2) LED interior lighting incentives, 3) network power management computer software, and 4) new construction project measures. www.consumersenergy.com
$1,686,370 in Low Income & Energy Efficiency Grants has been awarded by the MPSC. Grand Valley State University, Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center, in partnership with the University of Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute will receive $1,336,370 to conduct studies to explore the feasibility of deployment of offshore wind technologies in Lake Michigan. Superior Watershed Partnership will receive $350,000 to conduct studies to explore the feasibility of deployment of offshore wind technologies in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
MSUFCU’s East Lansing headquarters has been recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council for achieving LEED gold certification. The construction of the project diverted 2,597,680 tons of waste from landfill by recycling concrete, brick, asphalt paving, wood, cardboard, scrap metal, drywall and some plastics. 83% of the roof is covered with an Energy Star rated roofing product that helps reduce the heat island effect. The building has reduced total potable water consumption by 40% through the use of low-flow lavatory and kitchen sinks, dual-flush toilets and waterless urinals. The irrigation system has a potable water savings of 69% through the use of rain sensors, flow meters, drip irrigation, high efficiency spray heads and the use of captured rainwater. The energy model predicts a 33.5% savings over a standard code-built building which equals an annual savings of over $42,750 in electricity and natural gas. 84% of building occupants have access to daylight in their own workspace.
8th Annual Renewable Energy Conference will be held on Saturday, March 20 at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute. Attendees can choose from a variety of break-out sessions including Renewable Energy in Your Home, Food Security and Local Foods in Michigan, Peak Oil and the Future of Transportation, and Financing your Renewable Energy System. www.cedarcreekinstitute.org
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Source: Michigan Dept. of Energy, Labor, & Economic Growth (DELEG)
Prepared By: John Sarver
