Welcome to the Arkansas Renewable Energy e-newsletter! This newsletter is a bi-monthly feature of the Arkansas Renewable Energy website. Visit the website at www.arkansasrenewableenergy.org for more information on solar, wind, biomass, and other renewable energy resources!

Arkansas Renewable Energy News
February/March 2005

 

Welcome to the Arkansas Renewable Energy e-newsletter! This newsletter is a bi-monthly feature of the Arkansas Renewable Energy website. Visit the website at www.arkansasrenewableenergy.org for more information on solar, wind, biomass, and other renewable energy resources!

 

“Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites." – William Ruckelshaus , first EPA Adminstrator

In This Issue...

News...

• Interested in Fuel Cells? Don’t Miss Arkansas Energy Office’s Upcoming Events!
• What's the Payback Period for Solar? Find Out With This New DOE Fact Sheet!
• Considering a Hybrid Vehicle? Check Out the New Rebate Program!
• Funding Alert! Grants Announced for Environmental Curricula Projects!
• Bioenergy Projects Could Benefit from Local Green Tags
• Organizations Form Renewable Energy Business Alliance
  

Website Spotlight
Mark Your Calendars!
Tip of the Month
 

News

Interested in Fuel Cells? Don’t Miss Arkansas Energy Office’s Upcoming Events!
The Arkansas Energy Office is sponsoring two workshops on fuel cells next month for those interested in learning more about the technology. The Fuel Cell Demonstration and Q&A Session will be held March 2 from 8:30 a.m. to noon , and is designed for university engineering instructors, utility and government agency representatives and private sector professionals interested in energy technology. The Fuel Cell Energy Education Workshop will be held March 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is designed for Arkansas high school teachers, will help both teachers and students understand the importance of energy usage. Both events will take place at the Engineering, Technology, and Applied Science (ETAS) building at University of Arkansas at Little Rock . F or workshop information, contact Ms. Markey Ford, Energy Education Coordinator, at mford@1800Arkansas.com or 501-682-7690.

What's the Payback Period for Solar? Find Out With This New DOE Fact Sheet!
DOE's Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) program recently released a new two-page fact sheet, titled “What Is the Energy Payback for PV?” According to the fact sheet, for rooftop-mounted systems, the payback period for new multicrystalline and new thin film systems is 3.7 and 3.0 years, respectively. For “anticipated”multicrystalline and new thin film systems, the payback period is 2.0 and 1.0 years, respectively. The fact sheet also shows how much pollution solar systems avoid. See the fact sheet at www.nrel.gov/docs/fy05osti/37322.pdf .

Considering a Hybrid Vehicle? Check Out the New Rebate Program!
The Energy Office of the Arkansas Department of Economic Development has established the Hybrid Electric Vehicle Rebate Program, which provides an incentive to Arkansas State agencies to purchase new hybrid electric vehicles. Hybrid-electric vehicles that currently qualify for this rebate program include the 2004 or later Toyota Prius™, Honda Civic™ and Honda Insight™. These hybrid electric vehicles combine high fuel efficiency, longer life-cycle, lower maintenance costs, lower emissions and higher resale value. Visit www.1800arkansas.com/energy/index.cfm?page=Hybrid_rebate for more information, including rebate requirements and an application.

Funding Alert! Grants Announced for Environmental Curricula Projects!
The Melina Gray Ardia Environmental Foundation invites K-12 teachers worldwide to apply for grants of $1,000 to develop or implement environmental curricula that integrates hands-on ecology exercises into the classroom. Curricula that encourage the integration of multiple disciplines (such as integrating art and science) and that include cooperative work with multiple school districts will be given special consideration. Deadline for applications is April 9, 2005 . Learn more at www.mgaef.org/ .

Bioenergy Projects Could Benefit from Local Green Tags
A recent column in the Sustainable Industries Journal suggests that the use of green tags, the premiums that consumers pay for electricity generated from renewable energy, could help promote bioenergy projects, which in turn could help resolve other local environmental issues. "A local green tag for bioenergy could be a new mechanism that enables farmers to turn the environmental liabilities of modern farming into assets for their community," writes Chad Kruger, director of outreach for the Climate Friendly Farming Project at the Washington State University . "For instance, anaerobic digestion of dairy manure reduces foul odors and associated human health concerns, reduces ground and surface water pollution by facilitating the export of excess nutrients off-farm, and contributes toward maintaining the economic vitality of farms and rural agricultural communities... Generating renewable energy is a valuable, but secondary, benefit." Read the full story at http://csanr.wsu.edu/whatsnew/Kruger_commentary_reprint.pdf .

Organizations Form Renewable Energy Business Alliance
A number of renewable energy business organizations have formed the new Renewable Energy Business Alliance, which will work to "support policies and programs to expand renewable energy production in the United States. As its priority, the Alliance will seek to make the production tax credit permanent, and work to be sure the credit applies to all renewable energy technologies on an equal basis to conventional power supplies." Founding members include American Wind Energy Association, Geothermal Energy Association, Solar Energy Industries Association, USA Biomass Power Producers Alliance, Integrated Waste Services Association, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, American Public Power Association, and Solid Waste Association of North America. Get the scoop at releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=40920 .

Website Spotlight
Community Energy Opportunity Finder

Interested in a community energy program but not sure where to start? Try the Community Energy Opportunity Finder! This new, free, on-line tool from the Rocky Mountain Institute allows users to enter basic physical and energy information about their community and calculate potential dollar savings, emissions reductions, and jobs gained by increasing community energy efficiency. Those with no technical knowledge gather easy-to-find local data and, in just a few days, produce multiple scenarios for their community based on different economic assumptions. Check it out at finder.rmi.org/ !

 

Mark Your Calendars!

 

Here's a sample of the many upcoming events focusing on energy issues. For a more complete list, see our Events Calendar!

 

Globalcon 2005
March 23-24, 2005
Atlantic City , NJ
Presented by the Association of Energy Engineers, this event is designed for those who need to get up to speed on the latest developments in the energy field, explore promising new technologies, compare energy supply options, and learn about innovative and cost-conscious project implementation strategies. Learn more at the conference website at www.globalconevent.com/!

Solar Trend 2005
April 22-23, 2005
Atlanta , GA
Join with other participants to learn about the latest advances in renewable energy technologies; and innovative and cost-effective technologies to create, open, and transform renewable energy market worldwide. You’ll also have direct access to sources of renewable energy technologies through the event’s expo. Get details at the conference website at www.solartrend2005.com/.

11th National Clean Cities Conference & Expo
May 1-3-2005
Palm Springs, CA
The Clean Cities Program works to advance economic, environmental, and energy security through public/private partnerships promoting alternative fuels and vehicles, fuel blends, fuel economy, hybrid vehicles, and idle reduction. For more information, contact Annalloyd Thomason at 702-254-4180 ext. 23 or Info@afvi.org .

Tip of the Month:
Turn Up the Savings with Energy-Efficient Electronics!

Did you know that some 75 percent of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off? Next time you’re faced with replacing one of your electronics, choose an ENERGY STAR-certified replacement! These products use roughly half the energy of conventional models, and the energy savings can really add up! There are other advantages, too. According to the ENERGY STAR Program, “The average home has roughly two TVs, a VCR, a DVD player and three telephones. If these items were replaced with ENERGY STAR models, it would save over 20 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent to taking over 1.5 million cars off the road.” Definitely a win-win! Get more information at www.energystar.gov/ (click on Products, then on Home Electronics).

 

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