Success Stories
Looking for information on successful renewables projects in Arkansas and around the country? You've come to the right place! Check out these stories to find out what's working and how you might use renewable energy in your community!
Solar
Wind
Biomass
Geothermal
Energy efficiency
Alternative fuels
Biogas
William J. Clinton Presidential Center
Little Rock is home to the new William J. Clinton Presidential Center, which includes a four-story library archives annex powered by rooftop solar panels. The center opened in November 2004.
Fayetteville High School
Fayetteville High School received a 4-kilowatt solar electric system in 1999. The system was installed under the Watts On Schools project, which has installed 19 solar energy systems at public elementary, middle, and high schools located within the service areas of AEP Texas Central Company, AEP Southwestern Electric Power Company, and AEP Texas North Company. Production data for the system is available online at the above link.
FedEx
FedEx now boasts California's largest corporate solar power system, with installation of its new 904-kilowatt system. The system will provides 80 percent of the energy required by the FedEx hub at Oakland International Airport. The system is net-metered so that excess electricity is transferred to the grid. The system encompasses the entire 81,000 square foot area of roof across the facility's two buildings.
Grand Canyon Trust, a group working to clean up the air around Grand Canyon and across the Colorado Plateau, has installed a 1.44-kilowatt solar system on its headquarters building in Flagstaff, Arizona. The system, which will generate some of the electricity needed by the building, includes a tracking component that tracks the sun throughout the day, improving the system's efficiency by some 25 percent. The Trust plans to eventually expand the system to 5 kilowatts.
Heifer International Headquarters Building
A new headquarters building under construction in Little Rock features a number of green components, including a solar energy system that will be used to generate electricity for charging hybrid/electric cars. Construction is expected to be complete in 2005.
North Carolina Solar Center
Established in 1988 in Raleigh, North Carolina, as a state clearinghouse for solar energy information, education and technical assistance. The center since has developed into one of the most comprehensive solar energy institutions in the country. It offers a variety of programs and services related to solar energy.
Trice Elementary School
Trice Elementary School in Texarkana, Arkansas, received a 4-kilowatt solar electric system in 1999. The system was installed under the Watts On Schools project, which has installed 19 solar energy systems at public elementary, middle, and high schools located within the service areas of AEP Texas Central Company, AEP Southwestern Electric Power Company, and AEP Texas North Company. Production data for the system is available online at the above link.
Stitt Home
Orlo Stitt's concrete home built in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas boasts an impressive energy efficiency rating: 99.2 on a scale of 100. The home features a photovoltaic system and passive solar design. These systems, combined with the high energy efficiency level, keeps utility bills less than $50 a month for the 3,300-square foot house!
Photovoltaic Water Pumping Prototype
A solar-powered, trailer-based pump developed through a $25,000 grant from the Arkansas Department of Economic Development's Energy Office Team, serves as one of the largest mobile agricultural applications in the nation for low-volume re-lift agricultural pumping. The purpose of the demonstration project is to evaluate the use of this new energy technology in the state's important agricultural sector of the economy.
University of Arkansas Solar Boat Team
The University of Arkansas won second place overall in the 2007 year’s Solar Splash competition. The team also placed well in several other categories: first place for Sprint and Solar Endurance, and second place in Solar Slalom. In addition, the team won awards in Hottest Looking Boat, Outstanding Workmanship, and Outstanding Hull Design categories. The annual competition was held in Fayetteville June 13-17, 2007. The team also has placed well in previous years of the competition.
Midwest Center for Wind Energy
A website dedicated to increasing consumer understanding of wind and other renewable energy resources.
Rosebud Sioux Tribe Wind Farm
The first Native American-owned utility-scale turbine on its tribal lands in South Dakota. The wind farm initially consists of one 750-kilowatt NEG Micon turbine, which will produce enough electricity over the course of one year to power 300 to 350 homes.
Community Wind Energy Information Clearinghouse
Provides examples of community wind enegy projects, among other useful information.
Minnesota Poultry Litter Biomass Plant
The first power plant is the U.S. to be fueled primarily with poultry litter is now under construction in Benson, Minnesota. Fibrowatt LLC completed financing of the 55-megawatt plant in mid-December 2004 and immediately began construction. The plant will consume about 700,000 tons per year of biomass, of which about 90 percent will be poultry litter and 10 percent will be other agricultural biomass. SNC-Lavalin Power Inc. is building the Minnesota plant under a $142-million contract, and expects the plant to start operating in early 2007.
Roseburg Forest Products
Installed a new "rolling screen" system to sort wood pieces for manufacturing particleboard, replacing steam-driven refiners and saving about 22 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. The company received financial incentives from the Energy Trust of Oregon and expects to receive Business Energy Tax Credits and other rebates from the State of Oregon.
Doug Rye Home
This single-family home in northern Arkansas includes both energy-efficiency features and a geothermal system for heating and cooling. The home has a guaranteed heating and cooling bill of only $59 a month for two years. The home serves as a demonstration to teach consumers about energy efficiency.
Dover High School Geothermal System
The newly-constructed Dover (Arkansas) High School features a geothermal heat pump system for heating and cooling. The system cost about 30 percent more than a conventional system, but the savings in energy and maintenance costs will allow the school to recoup the additional cost in only a few years.
Kramer School Geothermal System
When the Kramer School, a historic building
in Little Rock, was renovated into loft apartments, project architects
chose a geothermal system to lower operating
costs.
The University of Nevada will use geothermal energy to supply all the energy needs for its new Redfield Campus in Reno. Advanced Thermal Systems, Inc. (ATS) will build and operate an 11-megawatt geothermal power plant adjacent to the campus. Under a 30-year agreement with the university, the power plant will provide electricity and hot and chilled water to the university, using an absorption cooling system to produce chilled water from the geothermal heat. ATS expects to sell excess electricity to Sierra Pacific, the local electric utility.
Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow
A program developed by Portland, Oregon's Energy Office that encourages businesses to adopt a comprehensive energy-efficiency program by detailing the benefits available to them through participation.
City of Gentry Energy Audit
In 2001, the City of Gentry underwent an energy audit of 62 of its 650 households. Assuming that all recommended strategies were put into place, annual savings
for the 62 homes is said to be approximately $102,000, an average of $1,644 per house. Officials also concluded that offices could save an average of $2,536, stores could save almost $4,900 annually following recommendations, and
educational facilities could save $4,843 for each of the ten buildings
evaluated. If the study findings were to include the entire Gentry community, energy-efficiency measures could save some 1.3 million each year.
Doug Rye Home
This single-family home in northern Arkansas includes both energy-efficiency features and a geothermal system for heating and cooling. The home has a guaranteed heating and cooling bill of only $59 a month for two years. The home serves as a demonstration to teach consumers about energy efficiency.
Energy Conservation Savings Reinvestment Plan
An energy-management program in Phoenix, Arizona, that will save the city some $42 million in energy costs. Half of all documented energy savings are placed in a fund that finances the coming year’s energy projects.
Gebo's
This retail store in Amarillo, Texas, underwent a lighting upgrade that has thus far saved $8,258 in energy costs. Its owners are so pleased with the results that more upgrades are planned for the future.
Harrison County School District, Mississippi
Some 20 schools will save an estimated $390,000 in energy costs each year, thanks to energy efficiency improvements completed by Chevron Energy Solutions. The improvements included lighting retrofits throughout the Harrison County School District, as well as water conservation retrofits, the installation of digital thermostats in classrooms and a centralized energy management system, and the use of a Web-based information system for remote energy monitoring at each of the 20 schools. The improvements also included new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems at two schools, plus the installation of two new boilers.
HP Smart Cooling
A cooling modeling system developed by Hewlett Packard to design data centers, which the company claims could dramatically reduce energy and save millions of dollars per year. HP Services is offering customers an analysis of their data centers to determine whether the smart cooling solution could benefit them. HP suggests energy savings could offset the cost of this new service.
Innovation Center, University of Arkansas
The first LEED-certified building in Arkansas. Also named one of the most environmentally friendly structures in the state. The building's design includes a number of energy efficiency and other "green" features.
Ohio Energy Smart Community Challenge
An opportunity for Ohio communities to step up to the challenge of reducing energy use in their homes, businesses, public services and facilities, and to become a model for other Ohio communities.
River Run Bed and Breakfast
This bed-and-breakfast establishment in Kerrville, Texas, successfully incorporates a number of energy-efficiency features, which together save owners some $2,400 each year in energy costs.
State Lighting Survey
A recent lighting survey of all major state buildings in Arkansas revealed that lighting improvements made throughout state government could save $5.1 million annually with a payback of the initial investment within 3.2 years, while also improving air quality and workplace productivity.
Hutchinson Salt Company
The first mine in the U.S. to use B100 (100-percent biodiesel) in its operations. "We use B100 biodiesel in everything underground that runs on diesel," said Max Liby, VP of Manufacturing for the mine. "The main benefit is we've cleaned up soot in the air and have cut particulates." The mine is located in Hutchinson, Kansas.
Dairyland Power Cooperative
A 3-megawatt landfill-gas-to-energy project went online in Eau Claire, Wisconsin in 2004. Dairyland is buying the waste gas from the Seven Mile Creek Landfill and converting it into electricity in a facility designed and built by Ameresco. Dairyland is also working to install anaerobic digesters at several dairy farms in its service territory. The digesters convert manure into a biogas that is used to produce electricity.
New York City Fuel Cell Project
Involves the installation of eight 200-kilowatt fuel cells at four of the city's wastewater treatment plants. The fuel cells are fueled with the biogas produced in anaerobic digesters at the treatment plants. That biogas—a combination of methane and carbon dioxide—is not only a greenhouse gas, but is also a source of noxious odors. DOE provided partial funding for the fuel cell installations.
Portland Sewage Plant Powered with Biogas
A sewage treatment facility is supplying its own power from methane generated during the sewage treatment process. The plant recently installed four microturbines to burn biogas from a previously installed fuel cell that converts biogas into energy. The micro-turbines burn the gas to provide electricity and heat used in plant operations. The project is part of the Portland Office of Sustainable Development's City Energy Challenge, which claims to have reduced Portland's energy costs by more than $2 million per year.