Get Paid for Solar Generation, and Take a Look at Michigan’s Land Management Plan

April 5, 2013 — jeffkart

Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart). As heard in Bay City, Michigan, at 9 a.m. Eastern Fridays on Delta College Q-90.1 FM … The Environment Report for April 5, 2013.

public land map bay region mich dnr

Public land map, Bay Region. Via Michigan DNR.

1- Attention Consumers Energy customers: If you’re interested in generating solar energy and selling it back to the utility, here’s your chance.

Consumers Energy is taking residential and non-residential applications until May 8 for its Experimental Advanced Renewable Program (EARP).

The contract program allows electric customers to sell the output of solar generating systems to Consumers Energy for a fixed price over a contract length of up to 15 years.

Qualified applicants will be selected by lottery (pdf).

To quality, you must own or lease the solar photovoltaic system, and install it at your billing address or on an adjacent property you own or lease.

This is the 11th and 12th phase of the program. In 2011, the Michigan Public Service Commission approved an expansion of the program in line with state energy standards.

2 - Public outdoor recreation improvements are coming to the Saginaw Bay area, courtesy of more than $23 million in Natural Resources Trust Fund grants awarded statewide.

Gov. Rick Snyder approved the grants recently, for 76 recreation development projects and land acquisitions in 43 Michigan counties (pdf).

In the Saginaw Bay area, the city of Saginaw will receive $67,000 for a boulder climbing garden and multi-use pathway extension in Celebration Park. The pathway extension will connect the park to the Saginaw Riverwalk and adjacent recreation facilities.

The city of Zilwaukee also received more than $254,000 for improvements to Riverfront Park, located on the Saginaw River. The proposed development includes a playground, benches, paved parking lot and walkway, fencing and a seawall to improve bank fishing opportunities.

The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund is made up of  oil, gas, and other mineral lease and royalty payments made to the state.


3 - The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is seeking public comment on a draft land management plan at regional open houses.

The plan outlines a strategy for DNR-managed public lands.

The regional meetings include one on April 25 from 6-8 p.m. at the Delta College Planetarium in downtown Bay City.

The draft land use strategy would, for the first time, set a standard for public access to the Great Lakes and rivers. It also calls for improved access on DNR-managed public lands, according to the agency.

The draft plan also includes a new strategy for the possible disposal of about 250,000 acres of DNR-managed public lands.

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Posted in delta college, energy, land conservation, solar. Tags: , . 1 Comment »

Dow Solar Shingles Cost How Much, the Great Lakes Bowl, and Michigan Landfills

February 8, 2013 — jeffkart

Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart). As heard in Bay City, Michigan, on Fridays at 9 a.m. on Delta College Q-90.1 FM.

The Feb. 8, 2013, Environment Report:

1 – Solar shingles sound great, sure.

dow powerhouse shingles cost savings energy

A screenshot from the Dow Solar site.

They can save you energy, sure.

But for how much?

The Dow Chemical Co., which manufactures Powerhouse Solar Shingles in Midland, has developed a cost and savings estimator, based on your state, home size and energy savings goal.

For example, you can look at a 2,500-square-foot home in Michigan, based on an energy savings goal of 20 percent.

Asphalt shingles will cost about $9,000. Powerhouse Solar Shingles will cost you about an extra $11,000 for the same home.

But energy savings are estimated to be more than $14,000 over 25 years. The solar shingles also are estimated to increase a home’s value by another $11,000.

The estimator will point you to contacts for more specific information on your home, and authorized dealers, including Cobblestone Homes in Linwood.

2 – The Super Bowl may be over, but the Great Lakes Bowl is Saturday (Feb. 9).

The 2013 Great Lakes Bowl in Ann Arbor will bring together 16 teams from high schools and junior high schools in Michigan and Ohio to compete for a spot in National Ocean Sciences Bowl.

This year, there are 16 teams from 14 schools participating. They include Standish-Sterling Central High School in Standish.

The Saturday event is one of 25 regional competitions being held around the U.S. this month.

Each five-student team will compete through quick-answer buzzer questions and more complex team challenge questions focused on freshwater and saltwater.

Categories include physical oceanography, biology, chemistry, geography, geology, marine policy, social sciences, and technology related to the Great Lakes and oceans.

The Great Lakes Bowl will award cash, trophies, medals and other prizes to top finishers, according to a sponsor, Michigan Sea Grant.

The top team from each regional competition will advance to the National Ocean Sciences Bowl finals competition, to be held this year in April in Milwaukee.

3 – How much trash did you throw away last year?

In Bay County, the Whitefeather Landfill in Pinconning Township took in more than 401,000 cubic yards of waste, mostly from municipal and commercial sources, and mostly from Bay and Saginaw counties.

The information comes from Michigan’s annual report on solid waste for fiscal year 2012, ending Sept. 30.

In Michigan landfills overall, there was a 3.1 percent decrease in solid waste disposed of in 2012 compared to the previous year.

Waste imported from other states and Canada went down by almost 2 percent. Still, Canada remains as the largest source of waste imports into Michigan, representing 15.3 percent of all waste disposed of in state landfills, according to the state Department of Environmental Quality.

At current rates, it’s estimated that Michigan landfills will be filled in about 28 years. Whitefeather in Bay County has about 23 years of capacity left.

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Posted in energy, solar, waste. Tags: , , , , . 1 Comment »

Solar Shingles Expand Home Market, BaySail Nears Milestone, and New Life for Coastal Wetland

January 3, 2013 — jeffkart

Mr. Great Lakes. As heard Friday, Jan. 4, 2013, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM Friday Edition, at 9 a.m. Eastern …

Photo by Eric Dobis

Photo by Eric Dobis

1 .
Dow Solar has announced a major expansion in the availability of its Powerhouse Solar Shingles.

Homeowners can now purchase the shingles through Kearns Bros., based in Dearborn, and Cobblestone Homes, based in Linwood, according to the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association.

Powerhouse shingles protect like a standard shingle, but also have embedded solar cells to help power a home. They are made in Midland by Dow Solar, a business unit of the Dow Chemical Co.

Cobblestone is featuring the shingles on new model homes in the mid-Michigan region.

According to Dow, Kearns Bros. in Dearborn will service the re-roof market.

Homeowners who need a new roof can upgrade to a Powerhouse roof. The system costs more than a standard asphalt roof, but pays for itself over time through energy savings, and adds to the value of a home.

2.

BaySail in Bay City is nearing a milestone.

The nonprofit, which offers sailing and environmental education aboard to two Appledore schooners, has hosted nearly 40,000 students in 15 years of operation.

BaySail launched its Science Under Sail program in 1998, and since then has educated 37,969 students, according to leaders.

That amounts to 1,186 classes from elementary through high school that have come aboard two tall ships operated by program staff and volunteers.

The ships are docked on the Saginaw River and journey to Saginaw Bay and other parts of the Great Lakes.

A goal of BaySail is to activate the passion of the next generation by helping young people make direct connections to the natural world.

Students who come aboard the ships for science-based programs are often experiencing the Great Lakes for the first time.

BaySail also offers a regular schedule of public sails.

You can find out more at BaySailBayCity.org.

3 .

A new pump is giving new life to a large coastal wetland in Pinconning.

The pump replaces a failed pump structure at the Nayanquing Point State Wildlife Area in northern Bay County.

The new equipment can be used to manipulate water levels in a 298-acre marsh at the site.

Nayanquing Point consists of about 1,400 acres of coastal marsh and associated upland habitats along Saginaw Bay.

It provides habitat for thousands of migratory birds in the spring and fall. The 298-acre marsh area is managed to provide waterfowl hunting opportunities.

Ducks Unlimited received a nearly $200,000 federal grant for the project from the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

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Posted in birds, energy, Saginaw Bay, Saginaw River, solar. Tags: , , , . 1 Comment »

Creating Clouds Over the Great Lakes, and Insulating Green Homes

November 15, 2012 — jeffkart

As heard at 9 a.m. Eastern, Nov. 16, 2012, on Q-90.1 FM’s Friday Edition (audio) …

photo great lakes cloud types

via NASA

Creating Clouds

Could solar geoengineering help reduce climate change impacts in the Great Lakes?

Harvard University researchers say in a new study that solar geoengineering can be tailored to manage specific risks from climate change.

Solar geoengineering aims to offset global warming caused by greenhouse gases. It involves increasing the concentrations of aerosols in stratosphere or creating low-altitude marine clouds to reflect sunlight away from the Earth’s surface and back into space.

The researchers say such efforts could be tailored by region and need, to maximize the effectiveness of solar radiation management while mitigating its potential side effects and risks.

The research focused on using the technology to counter the loss of Arctic sea ice.

A study co-author tells The Environment Report that solar geoengineering could be used to reduce temperatures and evaporation rates in the Great Lakes.

But any such tinkering would have worldwide effects. Critics of geoengineering have warned that such intervention could result in unforeseen consequences.

Solar engineering projects are still hypothetical at this point. Still, the researchers say their new model could come in handy if engineered solutions need to be implemented to control global warming.

Great Lakes temperatures have increased and ice cover has decreased in recent decades.

Dow Corning @ Greenbuild

Midland-based Dow Corning is introducing its new Vacuum Insulation Panel this week at the U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild 2012 Expo in San Francisco.

The energy-saving product is described as a high-efficiency insulation product featuring five to 10 times better thermal resistance than conventional insulation materials.

The panel also has a thin-profile construction to maximize usable floor space in buildings. The product contains up to 95 percent pre-consumer recycled content in its core and post-consumer recycled content in its packaging.

The Vacuum Insulation Panel has been used in a renovation at the historic University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom.

The Greenbuild Expo is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building.

The U.S. Green Building Council is the developer of the LEED green building certification program. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

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Posted in Climate change, energy, Global warming, solar, water. Tags: , . Leave a Comment »

CMU Invasives Project, Saginaw Solar Energy, and Michigan Fall Color

October 4, 2012 — jeffkart

As heard Oct. 5, 2012, 9 a.m. Eastern, Friday Edition, Q-90.1 FM, Delta College …

Photo by ellenm1

 

1 - The battle against invasive species in the Great Lakes basin just received an $8 million bump.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week announced 21 grants totaling nearly $8 million for projects to combat invasive species in Michigan and other states in the basin.

The money, from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, includes funding for work by Central Michigan University researchers.

CMU will receive about $356,000 to assess the risks that aquatic invasive species pose to the Erie Canal Corridor.

The project will catalogue non-native species in the Mohawk-Hudson River and Lake Champlain basins.

The idea is to identify aquatic invasive species that have the potential to spread into the canal.

The work will use environmental DNA surveys, like those done to track of presence of Asian carp in the Great Lakes basin. The range of invasives, potential pathways and future survelliance needs will be explored.

The CMU work falls under the Prevention category of grants award. Money also is going to Early Detection and Control efforts.


2 - The city of Saginaw is powering up with solar energy. 

And the equipment comes from the Saginaw Bay region.

The city has installed a 20-kilowatt solar array on the roof of its Public Services Building, according to Saginaw Future.

A total of 96 panels on the array will provide about 10 percent of the building’s power.

Consumers Energy will purchase power from the panels for up to 15 years.

The panels were made using polycrystalline silicon from Hemlock Semiconductor in Saginaw County.

Saginaw City Hall also is getting a smaller, 4-kilowatt unit, which will use the Sunsteer tracking system, developed by Nexteer Automotive in Saginaw.

3 - The colors of fall are coming about a week early this year. 

High fall color has been reported in higher elevations in the Western Upper Peninsula of MIchigan.

In Northern Michigan, fall color is reported to be moderate, including for Bay City and the Thumb.

In Southern Michigan, most of the leaves aren’t changing just yet.

For much of the Midwest, color change is running about a week early, according to The Foliage Network.

The early color change is attributed in part to dry weather earlier this year.

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Posted in GLRI, invasive species, solar. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »

Nexteer goes SunSteer and Bill to Block Asian Carp

July 5, 2012 — jeffkart
photo sunsteer nexteer solar saginaw

Courtesy photo

As heard July 6, 2012, on Q-90.1 FM, Delta College public broadcasting …

1 -

Automotive supplier Nexteer is turning to the sun. 

The company has announced a new product, called SunSteer. The product is a solar tracking actuator that will be built at the company’s world headquarters in Saginaw.

The product uses electronic steering and driveline technologies to allow solar panels to track the movement of the sun. This can increase the efficiency of photovoltaic generation.

According to Nexteer, the Sunsteer product uses a precision built, high-efficiency ball screw – ball nut combination that provides operating efficiencies of up to 95 percent.

Under normal operating conditions, SunSteer will accurately track the sun’s position, while consuming less than $2 worth of energy per year.

The company says the product uses high-performance coatings developed under extreme vehicle testing environments. These coatings are said to reduce corrosion and provide performance of greater than 20 years in the field.

Nexteer officials say the product offers levels of reliability and efficiency that in many cases are unprecedented in the alternative energy market.

2 -

photo asian carp great lakes

Photo by author

U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, a Midland Republican, says the final version of a Highway Bill Conference Report will include a study and plan to prevent Asian carp, and other invasive species, from entering the Great Lakes.

The measure is called the Stop Invasive Species Act.

In announcing the latest development, Camp mentioned a live Asian carp found two years ago near Lake Michigan. He said the act would lay the groundwork for a permanent solution to the Asian carp threat.

Camp introduced the act earlier this year with U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Lansing Democrat.

The legislation requires the Army Corps of Engineers to complete a Great Lakes Mississippi River Interbasin Study ahead of schedule, in about 18 months rather than three years.

That study is to include a plan to hydrologically separate the two basins.

Camp says hydrological separation is the only sure way to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes and prevent the invasive fish from destroying the ecosystem and devastating a $7 billion fishing industry.

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Posted in Asian carp, solar. Tags: , , . 1 Comment »

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

February 2, 2012 — jeffkart

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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Posted in beaches, Lake Huron, solar, wind. 1 Comment »

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

January 5, 2012 — jeffkart
photo image solar panels phoenix solar dow corning

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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Posted in beaches, energy, solar. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »

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

October 20, 2011 — jeffkart

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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Posted in Saginaw Bay, Saginaw River, solar. 2 Comments »

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

September 15, 2011 — jeffkart

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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Posted in energy, solar. 1 Comment »
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