Energy Efficiency Now a National Imperative

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Alliance to Save Energy (Alliance) this summer announced a year-long Powerful $avings public education and awareness campaign designed to provide consumers with the information and tools necessary to make smart energy choices a part of their daily lives.

Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David K. Garman says, "Energy efficient improvements are easy ways for Americans to save energy and money in their homes and in their cars, which supports our economy and protects our energy security."

"Energy efficiency is the quickest, cheapest, cleanest way to extend our nation's tight energy supplies and decrease pollution simultaneously," Kateri Callahan, Alliance President, said. Last August's blackout, the strained electricity grid, and record-high gas prices make this energy efficiency campaign timely.

Both DOE and the Alliance offer free consumer booklets with helpful ways to reduce home energy bills that are important elements of the campaign:

• DOE'S Energy Savers: Tips on Saving Energy & Money at Home is available in both English and Spanish at (877) 337-3463 www.energysavers.gov.

• The Alliance's Power$mart; Easy Tips to Save Money and the Planet can be ordered by calling (888) 878-3256. An animated version can be previewed at www.ase.org/powersmart/index.html.

New Ultra-High-Temperature Coal Plants More Efficient

Advanced materials now being evaluated by a consortium team under the technical direction of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and others, will allow higher-temperature operation of power plants. This could make coal-based electricity generation more efficient and much cleaner. Critical boiler components in existing older plants can be retrofitted with these advanced materials to allow for the continued use of the types of coal that are locally available.

"Efficiency gains by as much as 9 percent and CO₂ reductions approaching 22 percent are expected through the advanced materials technology being developed in this collaborative program," said EPRI's Vis Viswanathan. "This will enable coal-based electricity generation to continue at competitive rates, while substantially reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and fuel-related pollutants."

The efficiency advantages associated with higher-temperature operation will allow the U.S. and other countries to continue using indigenous fuel supplies — including high-sulfur coals.

"During the last decade, progress in developing high-strength materials for high-temperature applications has been phenomenal," says Viswanathan. "We lost the lead to Japan and Europe, but this exciting project gives us the opportunity to become leaders in this key technology once again."

Automatic Versus Manual Dishwashing: and the Winner is...

Tired of washing by hand! A newer automatic dishwasher cleans better, saves energy, and has less environmental impact than washing dishes by hand. It might even save your marriage.

A recent study at the University of Bonn, Germany, concluded that automatic dishwashers are far more efficient than washing dishes by hand.

In the test, two automatic machines were run five times, each on two different cycles. To test hand washing, 113 people from seven European countries participated as dishwashers. Their performance was compared to the two automatic dishwashers.

The results revealed that a machine used about four gallons of water and consumed about 1 kwh of electrical energy for a standard cycle. In contrast, hand washers used an average of 27 gallons of water (one person used 118 gallons of water!) and 2.5 kwh of water-heating energy.

Source: HOME Energy magazine

6 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING www.icl.coop

Let's Clean Up Abandoned Sites in Rural Illinois

Brownfields are abandoned or underused commercial and industrial properties that range from closed gas stations to former manufacturing plants. Nearly every town, urban and rural, struggles with these kinds of properties. The issues affected by brownfield site cleanup and reuse can include affordable housing, economic development, job creation, environmental health, infrastructure improvements, smart growth, and community revitalization.

For towns in Illinois, expert help is near at hand. From September 20-22, the National Brownfields Conference will be held in St. Louis, MO. Conference registration is free.

This three-day event brings together developers, finance specialists, community advocates, attorneys, real estate professionals, local and state government employees, academics, nonprofit organizations, and environmental engineers and consultants.

If you want to do something about abandoned sites in your community, make plans to attend this conference. To learn more and to register on line, go to www.brownfields2004.org.

U of I School of Architecture is New Geothermal Hot Spot

The Building Research Council of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Architecture has partnered with the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium to increase the use of geothermal systems in the state of Illinois through a market transformation pilot program targeted at Illinois small- and medium-sized businesses and the new commercial construction sector.

This pilot, funded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, falls within the scope of and is meant to augment the Governor's Small Business Smart Energy Program. The program will fund energy audits to help businesses identify opportunities to save energy and money.

The Building Research Council and the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium will conduct two projects in each of the 10 major economic regions identified in the Governor's program.

Source: Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium www.geoexchange.org

Saving Energy Saves Schools

America's schools are aging. With an average age of 42 years, the vast majority could greatly benefit from energy-saving improvements. However, the budgets of our school districts are strained, and too often needed repairs are deferred, creating compromised learning environments for children.

EnergySmart Schools (ESS) is an integral and active part of the Rebuild America program that is committed to building a nation of schools that are smart about every aspect of energy. This includes providing information about energy efficient solutions for school bus transportation, conducting successful building projects, and teaching about energy, energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Many schools are leveraging their energy savings to pay for needed improvements. And many of the same improvements that help to lower a school's energy consumption also serve to improve the classroom environment by removing noisy, inefficient heating and cooling systems, replacing inadequate lighting, and installing ventilation systems that don't restrict indoor contaminants.

Visit the ESS Solution Center Resources page to download resources that can help you decide which technologies and approaches are pertinent to your school's needs - www.rebuild.org. Or call your local electric co-op for energy-saving advice.

Tobacco Kills 16,500 in Illinois and Costs Billions

Tobacco-related illnesses take the lives of more than 16,500 Illinois residents each year and cost the state $6.7 billion annually in medical care and lost productivity, according to Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, state public health director.

"The cost of smoking to all of us is staggering, both in terms of the many years of productive lives lost, and in the high price for direct and indirect healthcare costs," Dr. Whitaker said.

In 2001 (the most recent year with complete statistics), 16 percent of all deaths were due to smoking-attributable causes, including cancer, heart diseases, and respiratory diseases.

Excluding adult deaths from exposure to secondhand smoke, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports that adult males and females lose an average of 13.2 and 14.5 years of life, respectively, because they smoke.

Even quitting smoking at age 65 or older reduces by nearly half a person's risk of dying of a smoking-related disease.

Those wanting assistance kicking the habit, can call the department's toll-free Illinois Tobacco Quitline at (866) QUIT-YES (866-784-8937).

SEPTEMBER 2004 www.aiec.coop 7

$50 Bill Has New Look

It's not an extreme makeover, but it's a makeover that's sure to thwart people who try to copy the look.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) has unveiled its new $50 bill, the latest in a series of currency redesigns beginning with the $20 bill introduced in October 2003.

Production of the new $50 bill will began this summer. Circulation will start in late September or in early October.

The $50 bills will follow standards set out by the new $20s. There will be additional colors, including pastel pinks, greens, and yellows, on the bill besides the black and green that is on current bills. Ulysses S. Grant will still be on the bill, but his face will appear more prominent as the oval borders and fine lines around his portrait are removed.

Anti-counterfeiting measures may not be so visible to the eye, but they include a security thread or embedded-plastic strip running vertically to the right of the portrait. Other anti-counterfeiting measures include a watermark image engrained into the paper itself and color-shifting ink.

Source: CNNmoney.com

DOE Biomass Program Yields A New Integrated Web Site

The Biomass Program, one of 11 energy programs in the Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), has produced a new Web site that effectively combines information about biomass power, biomass fuels, byproducts, and other biomass energy technologies. The biomass program takes an integrated approach, developing technology for the conversion of plant-derived material into valuable fuels, chemicals, and materials, thus reducing dependence on foreign oil and fostering the growth of the domestic biomass industry. The new site reflects the look of the EERE Web site and provides the latest news from the program. www.eere.energy.gov/biomass/

Co-ops Help Launch Satellite Broadband Internet Service

The successful WildBlue satellite launch on July 19 means co-op members living in rural areas will soon have access to broadband Internet service via the satellite.

The WildBlue satellite, Anik F2, launched successfully on Saturday, July 17. Anik F2 is the heaviest commercial telecommunications satellite ever launched and will provide highspeed Internet and digital communications to National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative's (NRTC) WildBlue co-op members.

With the satellite in orbit, months of preparation will follow before WildBlue services can begin. WildBlue Communications will conduct field tests of consumer electronics devices and prepare to begin operating ground facilities. Plans to market WildBlue across the nation will go into action in early 2005. NRTC member co-ops will have a chance to offer video and broadband services on the same dish. "This is the perfect marriage," said NRTC President and CEO Bob Phillips, describing the coming together of DIRECTV and WildBlue through NRTC members. NRTC's research of rural consumers suggests that bundled video and Internet on the same bill is a compelling attraction for rural consumers considering a broadband Internet service.

Source: Cooperative.com staff-July 19, 2004

$25 Million Awarded Biomass Research and Development Initiative

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced in July the selection of 22 projects that will receive $25,480,628 for the Biomass Research and Development Initiative.

In Illinois, the Gas Technology Institute in Des Plaines received a grant of $1,995,932 for engineering new catalysts for in-process elimination of tars.

The joint grant program is part of the Bush Administration's effort to increase America's energy independence through the development of additional renewable energy resources from the agricultural and agroforestry sectors. Increased demand for production and processing of biomass will support traditional U.S. commodities such as corn, as well as create new cash crops for America's farmers and foresters. A new bioindustry will also encourage better use of agricultural and forestry residues, such as woody biomass. New processing facilities resulting from this increased demand will help stimulate rural communities and economies.

"Our agencies have been working together during the last few years to promote our nation's biomass resources, which we believe will enhance our energy security, provide for a cleaner environment, and help to revitalize America's rural economy," said Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham.

"Biomass research, development, and demonstration projects, including those with special emphasis on forestry products, support the President's goal to enhance renewable energy supplies," said Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman.

Source: www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov.

8 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING www.icl.coop