The Greatest of the Great Lakes (vote) & Raising Renewable Standards

As heard Friday, Feb. 3, 2012, on Q-90.1 FM, Delta College’s NPR Station …

Right now, Michigan’s electric utilities are working to increase the amount of energy they generate from renewable sources like wind and solar. The work is part of a state law that requires utilities to get 10 percent of their energy from cleaner sources by 2015.

That means burning less coal. But utilities could do even better, according to the Michigan Energy, Michigan Jobs coalition. The coalition is working to more than double the state’s renewable energy standard from the current 10 percent by 2015 to 25 percent by 2025.

The Michigan Energy, Michigan Jobs coalition includes business, labor and health care groups. They are trying to raise more than $1 million to collect signatures to put the 25 by 2025 question on the Nov. 6 general election ballot.

According to the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association, the group has until July 9 to file a petition with the state that contains more than 322,000 valid signatures. Proposed ballot language has already been filed.

The proposal would require at least 25 percent of Michigan’s energy to come from renewable sources including wind, solar, biomass and hydropower, by 2025.

The proposal also would limit rate increases to comply with the standard to 1 percent per year.

See also: Renewable energy standards: Seeing beyond percentages

What About Lake Huron?

 

Which of the Great Lakes is the greatest?

 

Great Lakes Echo, a Michigan State University publication, is taking votes on the single best thing to do on each of the Great Lakes.

 

So far, here are some of the ideas.Lake Michigan is the best for surfing, because it has the most consistent waves.

 

Lake Erie is the best for fishing, with the most productive fishery, according to some scientists.

Lake Huron is the best for canoeing, with the most coastline of the five lakes, totaling more than 3,800 miles.

What about the best beach? That’s Lake Michigan, according to the Echo. Lake Michigan is home to Sleeping Bear Dunes, which was named most beautiful place in the United States last year by Good Morning America. It beat out places in Hawaii and California.

Lake Huron also could be considered the best place for kayaking. It’s home to Turnip Rock, a large rock island less than 100 feet off the shores of Port Austin, at the tip of the Thumb.

 

Most scenic? What about Lake Ontario, with Niagara Falls at the west end and 1,000 islands to the east?

 

You can read more and leave comments at greatlakesecho.org.

 

- Photo comp. via Spell with flickr

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Dow Corning Makes Solar Stick, Beach Testing & Saving $4 By Spending $1

Courtesy Phoenix Solar

Michigan Enviro Report, as heard Friday, Jan. 6, 2012, at 9 a.m. Eastern on Q-90.1 FM, Delta College …

1 - New federal beach testing standards are coming out in October.

Meanwhile, a federal study says more beach testing needs to be localized.

The study by the U.S. Geological Survey found that water quality information collected by local officials may provide increased beach access while minimizing swimming-related illnesses from harmful bacteria.

The USGS study found that current water quality testing at Great Lakes beaches may be applied too broadly, possibly resulting in hundreds of beach closings between 2004 and 2010 that may have not occurred if a more localized approach was taken.

By basing beach closure decisions on local variations in bacteria concentrations, beach managers will likely be able to keep their beaches open more often, one scientist says. And this can be done without increasing presumed health risks or violating EPA guidelines.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to release new recreational water quality criteria later this year. The criteria will update current beach water quality standards that are based on sites affected by sewage contamination.

 

2 -

What can make solar energy stick around? How about adhesives developed by Dow Corning?

Dow Corning has just completed a solar installation at its world headquarters in Midland.

The project, done by Phoenix Solar, will allow both companies to collaborate on efforts to commercialize structural adhesives for mounting solar panels on rails.

Structural adhesives developed by Dow Corning can replace metal clamps, clips and bolts that that typically used to secure panels to mountings.

Company officials say using adhesives rather than clamps and bolts can lower the costs of materials and labor, and reduce installation time.

Phoenix Solar has installed  a 23- kilowatt demonstration plant on the grounds of Dow Corning’s corporate headquarters.

 

3 -

Every dollar spent on energy conservation and efficiency measures saves more than $4 in energy bills.

The Michigan Public Service Commission recently released an Energy Optimization (EO) Program annual report (pdf).

The report shows that savings to electrical and natural gas customers from energy conservation programs run by utilities in the state were much higher than expected.

And, the $135 million spent on EO programs by utilities in 2010 resulted in cost savings to ratepayers of more than four times that amount.

Or, for every dollar spent, savings were calculated to be about $4.88.

The money for Energy Optimization programs comes came from surcharges on customer bills.

So if you don’t use the programs, they won’t pay you back.

Residential programs fall into several categories:

• lighting
• heating, ventilating and air conditioning
• weatherization
• and energy education.

Contact your local utility for more information.

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Mich Enviro Report: Dow Making Solar Shingles & EPA Targeting Saginaw Bay

As heard Friday, Oct. 21, 2011, on Delta College public radio Q-90.1 FM …

Photo via Dow Chemical/Saginaw Future

1.

Solar shingles made by the Dow Chemical Co. are rolling off the line in Midland.

The company says it will bring its POWERHOUSE Solar Shingle to U.S. markets this month, starting in Colorado and moving into targeted states next year.

According to Dow officials, the POWERHOUSE Solar Shingle combines the performance and protection of a conventional asphalt roof with an integrated photovoltaic system that powers the home. The shingles can save a homeowner money and are an alternative to rack-mounted systems.

Dow officials say the POWERHOUSE system can be installed when a homeowner is purchasing a new home, or replacing an existing roof due to repair or replacement.

Dow is partnering with national homebuilders, developers and professional roofing contractors to bring the POWERHOUSE Solar Shingles to U.S. homeowners.

About a dozen states have been targeted for introduction of the POWERHOUSE product between now and the end of 2012.

How much will a solar roof cost you? A Dow vice president says an asphalt roof with POWERHOUSE Solar Shingles can be thousands of dollars less expensive than other integrated solar products.

The POWERHOUSE  Solar Shingles are being manufactured at a small facility in Midland. Dow Chemical has begun construction of a new, large-scale facility in the city, and expects to create  up to 1,275 jobs between now and 2015.

2.

Ongoing algae problems in the Saginaw Bay watershed are being targeted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

EPA Chief Lisa Jackson said during a stop in Detroit last week that her agency has set several priorities for projects in Michigan, including work to reduce algae in Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay watershed.

Jackson says that over the next two years, her agency will prioritize efforts to reduce phosphorus pollution to Saginaw Bay. Ohio’s Maumee River and the Lower Fox River in Wisconsin also will be targeted.

Phosphorus runoff from farms, failing septic systems and sewage overflows has been blamed for causing algal blooms in Saginaw Bay.

Jackson said the area will receive special attention as part of a federally funded Great Lakes restoration program.

The Saginaw River and Bay were listed as federal hot spot, or Area of Concern, in the late 1980s.

(See also: Toxic Algae Bloom in Lake Erie Worst in Decades)

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Great Lakes News Bullets: Bangor Energy Expo & Dow Corning Solar Decathlon

As heard Friday, Sept. 16, 2011, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM …

1.

A second-annual Energy Expo is planned for Saturday, Sept. 24, at Bangor Township Hall in Bay County.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is sponsored by the Bangor Township Green Team.

Rain barrels, which allow people to save on their water bills, will be sold at the event.

Information also will be available on:

• Saving money with energy efficent lighting;
• Insulating your home; and
• The availability of solar and wind power in the area.

Vendors from throughout Mid-Michigan will be on hand to answer questions and provide demonstrations of their alternative energy and cost-saving products.

The Energy Expo is free and open to the public.

2.

College students from around the country will converge on Washington, D.C., next week for the fifth Solar Decathlon.

The event, held on the National Mall, is sponsored in part by the Dow Corning Corp., headquartered in Bay County’s Williams Township.

The U.S. Department of Energy is putting on the Decathlon, to challenge students to design, build, and operate solar-powered homes.

The decathlon runs from Sept. 23 through Oct. 2.

Students will be judged, in part, on their ability to keep costs low while designing and building their projects.

Technologies to be used in the homes include:

• Roofs that store and treat rainwater collection for household use;
• Window systems that allow net heat gain over the course of a year;
• Self-watering, plant walls which provide food and carbon cycle systems;
• Ventilation systems that regulate air distribution and fresh air supply without energy consumption; and
• Landscapes that provide food, modify microclimate, reduce solar heat gain, and prevent storm water runoff.

The winner of the competition will be the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.

For more information, see solardecathlon.gov.

- Photo Credit: USDOE

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Mich Enviro Report: Design to Zero, DTE Wind Farms & Dog Poop Science

As heard Friday, Sept. 2, 2011, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM …

1.

Midland-based Dow Chemical has launched a contest for students, based on sustainable home design.

The Dow Solar Design to Zero Competition challenges students to use solar and other sustainable technologies to design three connected dwellings that use as little energy as possible.

The challenge is open to design, architecture and engineering students from around the world.

Registration runs through Sept. 25. Final housing designs must be submitted by Oct. 31.

The contest offers first, second and third prizes of $20,000-$5,000. Winners are to be announced in January 2012. Individual students or student teams can enter.

For more information, see designtozero.com.

2.

More wind farms are slated for Michigan’s Thumb.

DTE Energy has signed a contract to purchase 120 megawatts of power from a wind farm located in Tuscola, Bay and Saginaw counties.

DTE will purchase all of the energy produced at the 9,000-acre wind farm, which is enough to power more than 30,000 homes. The wind farm , planned by NextEra Energy, is expected to be operational in late 2012.

The latest contract puts DTE more than halfway to a goal of getting 1,000 megawatts, or 10 percent, of its power from renewable sources. A state law requires utilities to get 10 percent of their power from renewables by 2015.

DTE also has hired a Southfield company to build three additional wind farms in Huron and Sanilac counties next year. Up to 70 turbines are to be installed, with a total capacity of about 110 megawatts. Initial delivery of the wind turbines is expected in the summer of 2012.

Together, the two projects are expected to result in hundreds of new construction jobs and tens of millions of dollars in new tax money for local governments.

3.

The air in Michigan and other Great Lakes’ states is being fouled by … dog poop.

That’s according to a study that was highlighted recently by Great Lakes Echo.

The University of Colorado-Boulder study found that the winter air in Cleveland and Detroit had large amounts of bacteria that most likely came from dog feces.

The researchers analyzed 108 summer and winter air samples from four Great Lakes cities, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and Mayville, Wisconsin.  The samples were checked for common sources of airborne bacteria, including different types of feces.

High levels of bacteria common to dog feces were found in all four cities. But the levels in Detroit and Cleveland spiked dramatically in the winter.

Why? Well, one theory is that dog owners just don’t scoop the poop as often in the winter.

The difference in the fecal bacteria levels by city also may be explained by the number of dogs who live there. The study says Detroit has a problem with stray dogs. Airborne bacteria can cause disease and trigger asthma and seasonal allergies.

-Photo by F. Deventhal

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Mich Enviro Report: Saginaw Bay Beach Closures, SBCI & Solar Farms

As heard on the March 25, 2011, Friday Edition report on Q-90.1 FM, Delta College …

Saginaw Bay muck yuck. Via www.baycounty-mi.gov.

1. 

A public meeting to discuss beach closures in the Saginaw Bay area is set for March 31.

The meeting, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., will be held at the Bay City State Recreation Area, located in Bangor Township.

A public beach at the state park has suffered from problems with muck, or dead algae, piling up along the shoreline.

The beach has been closed five times since 2008 due to high bacteria levels.

The March 31 meeting is sponsored by the Partnership for the Saginaw Bay Watershed.

The Partnership is working with Public Sector Consultants of Lansing to evaluate beach monitoring efforts throughout the Saginaw Bay watershed.

The state funded project aims to identify strategies to reduce beach closings and swimming restrictions due to microbial contamination.

2.

The Saginaw Bay Coastal Initiative has been recognized for helping increase environmental awareness in the region.

The SBCI is a multi-county collaboration that was formed years ago in response to the beach muck issue.

The group, along with state and federal officials, has been working to develop a comprehensive approach to promoting environmentally sound economic development and resource restoration in the Saginaw Bay coastal area.

Earlier this year, the SBCI was recognized for its role as a sponsor of the MiGreatBay website.

The website offers details about amenities in the Saginaw Bay and River area. The information focuses on agricultural, cultural, historic and natural resources in the coastal region.

MiGreatBay was made possible with funding from the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, the Bay Area Community Foundation and Saginaw Bay Resource, Convention & Development.

3.

An agribusiness has gone green in Michigan’s Thumb.

Mark and Keith Gentner, have installed two 19.4-kilowatt solar power systems at their farm in Minden City, in Sanilac County.

The installation was announced by Great Lakes Bay Renewable Energy, a Bay City business.

Major funding for the installation came through rebates from the customer-funded DTE Solar Currents program, a federal tax credit, and a net metering agreement providing discounts from DTE.

The Gentners expect to save about $5,550 per year on electrical expenses by using the solar panels. Based on this, they plan to recoup their investment in about eight years.

A leader with Great Lake Bay Renewable Energy, an arm of Accent Building, says he sees area farms as a growth opportunity for the solar industry.

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Michigan Enviro Report: Christmas Bird Count, Solar in Bay City, Asian Carp Comments

From the Dec. 17, 2010, Friday Edition Environment Report on Delta College Q-90.1 FM:

1.

Photo Credit: Steve Ryan, Flickr

Citizen scientists are out and about in Michigan for the annual Christmas Bird Count.

The count began this week and lasts until Jan. 5.

According to Michigan Audubon, data gathered by volunteers during the count is used to assess the health of bird populations, and to guide conservation action.

This year’s count will be held in spots including Oscoda, Bay City, Higgins and Houghton lakes, Huron County and Tawas City.

Some history: In the 1980′s Christmas Bird Count data documented the decline of wintering populations of the American Black Duck. After that, conservation measures were put in place to reduce hunting pressure on this species.

Last year, the count was instrumental in documenting range shifts of birds due to climate change.

Anyone from experienced birders to parents and kids can participate in the count. For more information, see michiganaudubon.org.

2.

A new solar array is gathering energy from the sun at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality office in Bay City.

State officials say the 10-kilowatt array will help make the office more energy efficient.

The array includes a total of 44 panels, which sit atop a structure at the north end of the property.

The building already generates power from 50-kilowatt wind turbine, visible from the Independence Bridge.

The latest improvements may earn a building an upgraded Platinum rating from the U.S. Green Building Council, under a program known as LEED. The solar panels will not only gather energy from the sun, but also pull power from parking lot lighting at night, officials say.

The solar array was funded by federal stimulus money. It came from a vendor in Novi and was installed by a contractor from Flint.

3.

If you’re concerned about Asian carp in the Great Lakes, listen up.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is taking comments until March 31 on the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study.

In other words, the Corps is studying ways to prevent invasive species like Asian carp from swimming between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins.

That includes exploring a physical separation of the two basins.

Public meetings on the study are planned for Jan. 27 in Traverse City and Feb. 3 in Ann Arbor.

But you also can make comments online.