USDA loan program encourages energy-efficient homes
Low- and moderate-income families can look forward to more assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture when buying energy-efficient homes in rural areas.
The USDA recently introduced enhancements to its Rural Development Section 502 homeownership loan program called Home Energy Advantage. Loans are available to qualified families to purchase modest homes in rural areas. Under the new program, the qualifying ratios for home loans may be exceeded by up to two percentage points if an energy-efficient home is purchased.
The program recognizes that owners can afford larger mortgage payment if they are spending less money on utility bills. The cost of installing energy-saving features in a home, such as insulation, storm windows and doors, as well as energy-efficient appliances, may be included in the loan amount.
All new homes that that are built to meet the 2000 International Energy Conservation Code or a subsequent comparable code are considered energy efficient and eligible for the two percentage point increase. Existing homes that meet the same standard, or are being retrofitted to meet it, are also eligible. The program is a nationwide pilot and will operate for the next 18 months.
Report finds integrating wind easier, cheaper than believed
The Utility Wind Integration Group recently released a report summarizing five different studies on the effects of integrating wind power with utility grids. Utility Wind Integration State of the Art (123kB .pdf) found that while many issues do exist with integrating wind onto the nation's transmission system, getting wind on the wires isn't as expensive as has been thought.
Released in conjunction with the American Public Power Association, Edison Electric Institute, and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the report focuses on wind's impacts on the operating costs of the non-wind components of utility systems and on the electrical integrity of systems. Most of the case studies addressed the impacts on reliability and power costs of adding an inherently intermittent resource to a transmission system.
The report pointed out a series of positives for both wind power producers and for utilities looking at adding wind to their systems. First, costs do not increase all that dramatically as more wind is connected to the system. At penetrations of up to 20 percent of system peak demand, system operating costs rise "10 percent or less of the wholesale value of the wind energy."
Furthermore, the report found that these costs are likely to decrease in the future thanks to technology improvements in the field of wind forecasting.
The second finding is that adding wind to a system can actually improve its stability in response to a major plant outage. This is the result of combining proper plant engineering with new turbine designs and advancements in technologies that allow for taller towers.
Although a big positive for advocates of wind energy, this finding was tempered by the warning that, "Wind generation may require system operators to carry additional operating reserves." However, for more broadly distributed plants, the amount of additional reserves will likely be modest.
Solar technicians in demand in New Mexico
Graduates from a small renewable-energy program at Farmington, N.M.'s San Juan College have jobs waiting for them as the state ramps up solar installations.
Public Service Company of New Mexico is building its first solar powerplant, while Federal and state tax incentives stimulate investment in smaller systems. All those panels won't install themselves, so local solar vendors are looking for skilled technicians. Positive Energy, a Santa Fe company that is building the PMN plant, hired eight graduates from the college as temporary employees to work on the project.
The college's 2006-07 program filled within three days of being advertised. However, all 15 students enrolled for next year's renewable-energy program are from other states. Many graduates head for California, Washington and Oregon, states with generous incentives for solar and other renewable forms of energy. But the number of jobs available in New Mexico continues to grow.
San Juan College launched its renewable-energy program six years ago to meet an expected demand for technicians in the solar industry. Students who already have a bachelor's degree or a two-year associate degree can earn a one-year certificate in solar design and installation. Courses provide students with hands-on experience in electrical wiring according to the National Electrical Code standards.
Other institutions have launched programs to fill renewable energy jobs. Crownpoint Institute of Technology in Crownpoint, N.M., and Southwestern Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque currently offer renewable-energy training programs for American Indian students. Santa Fe Community College offers hands-on training in solar technology through its Center for Community Sustainability Electronics courses at Albuquerque's Central New Mexico Community College include training in solar photovoltaic technology.
Energy-efficient building guide now available in Colorado
The Colorado Governor’s Office of Energy Management & Conservation has released a new guide to help building owners and design teams build better, more energy efficient buildings in Colorado.
Using LEED-NC in Colorado: Tips, Resources & Examples is available at no cost. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the standard developed by the U.S. Green Building Council for green building rating systems.
The guide offers guidance and resources to help builders incorporate smart design without running up construction costs. Also, LEED buildings can save owners money for years through lower energy and water bills while providing a healthier environment for occupants with benefits such as improved air quality, temperature control, and daylighting.
More than 100 pages of information and links include:
- An introduction to the USGBC and the LEED-NC version 2.1 rating system
- Descriptions and photos of all LEED-certified projects in Colorado
- Credit-by-credit guidance for the LEED-NC version 2.1 rating system
- Resources for more information on site selection and development, water quality and efficiency, energy efficiency and renewable energy, indoor air quality and material selection
- Green building associations in Colorado and general green building resources
- Funding sources for green buildings and high performance design
- Links to research on the costs and benefits of green building, and
- A quick overview of major changes in LEED-NC version 2.2.
OEMC plans future updates of Using LEED-NC® in Colorado: Tips, Resources & Examples.
Waverly to fill largest transformer with soy oil
Waverly Light and Power in Iowa, long a leader in development and adoption of soy-based transformer fluids, plans to change the lubricant in its largest transformer from petroleum-based coolant to a safer soy-based product.
The retrofill will involve 5,000 gallons of the soy-based fluid that Waverly L&P has used in its pole-top transformers for several years. The move follows enactment of a law in Iowa extending a tax credit to electric utilities that use a soy-based transformer fluid. The tax credit equals the cost a utility would pay to convert from petroleum-based fluid to the soy-based transformer fluid. WL&P will apply the credit to defray the cost of converting its South Load Center substation transformer.
Soybeans are a major crop in Iowa, and one of the largest agricultural cash crops in the United States. According to General Manager Glenn Cannon, the retrofill not only supports Iowa's agriculture system, it reduces the environmental impact of inevitable spills because it is biodegradable and easier to clean up than petroleum lubricant.
"That leads to added safety for our workers and the public," Cannon said in a press statement.
