Listen Here: Try the free DOE Home energy audit program

The energy show on renewable energies worldwide
27 September 2013.
If you know where you wasting energy at home, you can fix the problem. But for many people, dental floss is always an energy audit as your teeth - you know you should not it but just seem to get. Fortunately, there is a user friendly energy audit program developed itself by the DOE, which as good a job as any professional program and it is free does.

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Have questions for Barry? Parts of you they can be answered in the comments and in the next episode.
It's called the home energy saver.

Like this, there are programs since the 1970s, originally in FORTRAN on punch cards. The big improvement is in the user experience. With home energy saver everything you have to do is some basic questions about your home, household appliances, heating and cooling and consumption habits answer. The program models of you use, and then makes this retrofit retrofit recommendations, together with the estimated cost and save energy. I've found that their estimates to be pretty much in and large, except when it comes to Sun, wind and heat pumps.

Check out the accuracy of the program do we have 30 audits sample power of old, middle and new houses everywhere in the country. Weatherproof, insulation, new Windows and ventilation improvements are cost effective in cold climates, but are not cost effective in the average or new houses - nor in temperate climates. Unit of upgrades only make sense if your old appliance (except this refrigerator in your garage) dies. Lighting upgrades are always inexpensive (as a replacement for incandescent lamps).

Solar panels on the roof have especially good paybacks regardless home State, anywhere, where high electric or solar incentives. These results are in contrast to the usual efficiency first and solar. The new mantra should be lighting and solar - and shell-upgrades for older buildings in cold climates. This mantra is marked by one of my solar PV customers, who told me: ' why should I replace the walls and window of my house if I get a faster payback, make my own electricity with a 5-kW rooftop solar system? "
World show energy to renewable energy on this week we go through a real world home energy audit. It takes less than 30 minutes. If you get the results, call your solar or wind energy to see whether they "can generate your way to even greater savings" contractors.

About the energy show

We start as energy costs consume more and more of our hard-earned dollars, as a consumer really to make sure. But we need to us to accept $5 / gallon gas prices, $200 / month electricity bill and $500 heating costs. There are literally hundreds of products, tricks, and techniques that we can use to dramatically reduce these costs - very cost effective.
The energy show on renewable energy world is a weekly 20 minutes podcast, which offers to reduce tips and advice, your home and energy consumption. Each week we cover topics that help to lower your electricity bill explain new products and technologies in plain English, and through the hype cut so that you can make intelligent and cost-effective energy decisions.

About your host
Barry Cinnamon is a longtime supporter of renewable energy and a widely recognized solar power experts. In 2001 he founded Akeena solar - she grew to the largest national residential solar installer from the middle of the last decade with more than 10,000 roof customers coast to coast. He cooperates with Westinghouse to build Westinghouse solar in 2010, and sold the company in the year 2012.

His pioneering work to reduce costs on the rooftop solar power systems include Andalay, the first solar panel with built-in racking, earthing and cabling; the first UL listed AC solar panel; and the first fully "plug and play" AC solar panel. His current efforts focus on reducing soft costs for solar power systems, cause the system rates against double from Germany, in the United States.

Although Barry may be known for his outstanding work in the solar industry, he has hands-on experience with a variety of energy-saving technologies. He makes residential energy audits since the days of punch cards, developed one of the first ground source heat pumps in the early 80s and always adhere to the laws of thermodynamics.

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We start as energy costs consume more and more of our hard-earned dollars, as a consumer really to make sure. But we need to us to accept $5 / gallon gas prices, $200 / month electricity bill and $500 heating costs. There are...

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California County's PACE Program Could Get Feisty with Feds

Does a Riverside County, CA, residential energy financing program put thousands of homeowners on a collision course with the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)?

In a proposed rule-making, the FHFA has suggested that Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) policies represent a threat to the safety and soundness of mortgages held by government-backed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. PACE is a unique financing strategy that allows homes and businesses to invest in significant energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades and pay them back through a property tax assessment (for an explanation of PACE, see this PACE 101 slideshow). The fight with FHFA stems from these assessments being “first liens,” e.g. in the event of bankruptcy, they are paid back before the mortgage holder (FHFA’s Fannie or Freddie).

The FHFA’s initial ruling in 2010 brought most residential PACE programs to a screeching halt, because residential participants would be threatened with having to pay their entire mortgage – in full – at any time. Residential PACE programs in Boulder, CO, and Sonoma County, CA, and elsewhere were suspended after the FHFA ruling.

But Riverside County launched its Home Energy Renovation Opportunity (HERO) Financing Program in late 2011, almost a year after FHFA had thrown down the gauntlet. Since then, over 2,000 homeowners have signed up (acknowledging the FHFA threat in writing) and proceeded with tens of millions in home renovations improving efficiency, generating local energy, and creating jobs. These participants have already met thresholds for positive equity in their home, and been current on the mortgage and property tax payments.

By keeping the program alive and using strong guidelines for participating homeowners, Riverside County puts a serious question to Fannie and Freddie: are they willing to default or accelerate mortgages on thousands of homes, all with mortgage holders who are customers in good standing?

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DOE Offers $3 Million to Administer the Superior Energy Performance Program

Dies ist ein Auszug aus EERE Network News, ein wochentlicher elektronischer Newsletter.

DOE ausgestellt eine Finanzierung Gelegenheit Ankundigung (FOA) am Januar 19, bieten bis zu 3 Millionen Dollar bei der Finanzierung ihrer Superior Energy Performance (SEP) Programm, verwalten, das US-Hersteller immer hilft, die Energieeffizienz ihrer inlandischen Einrichtungen erhohen. Die Finanzierung wird mindestens eine Organisation zu starten, zu betreiben und fordern das SEP-Programm unterstutzen. Wenn spater in diesem Jahr ins Leben gerufen, bietet das freiwillige-Programm einen transparenten, Schritt fur Schritt Zertifizierungsprozess fur industrielle und kommerzielle Einrichtungen implementieren und Verbesserung ihrer Energieeffizienz uberprufen und ihre Energiekosten senken.

Das SEP-Programm werden ein wesentlicher Bestandteil der Damhirschkuh Bemuhungen zur Verbesserung der Energieeffizienz im gesamten verarbeitenden Gewerbe der Nation. Der Programm-Administrator werden verantwortlich fur die Einfuhrung und Uberwachung des Programms in seiner Anfangsphase und fur die Entwicklung und Ausfuhrung eines nachhaltigen Geschaftsmodells SEP eine kostenpflichtige, autarke Programm innerhalb von drei Jahren den Award zu aktivieren. Forderfahige Antragsteller fur diese Finanzierung Gelegenheit Gehoren U.S. inlandische Entitaten oder Konsortien bestehend aus akademischen Institutionen und non-Profit [mit Ausnahme von 501(c)(4) non-Profit] gewinnorientierten Privatunternehmen. Verpflichtungserklarungen bei dieser Gelegenheit sind durch 21. Februar, und Auszeichnungen werden von Juni erwartet. Finden Sie die Damhirschkuh Fortschritt Alert, FOA Damhirschkuh Finanzierung Gelegenheit Exchange-Website, und die SEP-Webseite.

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Czechoslovakia fights to double its nuclear energy program

Surrounded by corn, cycling and nature reserve, the eight large refrigeration have dominated the nuclear power station Dukovany the Czech landscape near the Austrian border for nearly three decades towers.

The Government worked against the odds to keep, so for many years to come.

Despite growing global skepticism about the use of nuclear energy, it plans to increase the country's nuclear power generation dramatically - a move that would give the country a place among the nuclear-dependent peoples of Europe.

The Czech reflects a sharp separation of nuclear use between European Nations and relations with neighbouring countries, which could have decided to free up nuclear seriously damaged are.

Chancellor Angela Merkel decided the Government, the nuclear phase out, 2022 based on the March collapse has Japan's Fukushima plant and Switzerland followed. Austria nuclear energy after the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl in 1986 abandoned and strictly against the Czech nuclear program.

Other former Eastern bloc countries now in the EU are the Czechs ahead on nuclear energy - the different economic needs between East and West.

Slovakia builds further nuclear plants. And Poland has U.S. and Japanese companies know-how and technology for his first talks with French, nuclear facility be completed by 2030.

The Czechs argue, nuclear energy is required because it is a clean and cost efficient source.

They are based 33 percent of their total electricity currently on six nuclear reactors - four 440-megawatt reactors in Dukovany and two 1,000 megawatt reactors at a different plant in Temelin is located an hour north of the Austrian border. The Government is hoping for at least the double output.

"We see increase in electricity production in nuclear power plants by around 30 percent to 60 percent by 2050," explained Deputy industry and Trade Minister Tomas 1935–1937 associated press.

"We mining have uranium and in the long term, there is no doubt nuclear energy is irreplaceable for us", 1935–1937 said his Ministry has put forward the new energy overhaul for the next 50 years to the Government by the end of the year.

A trio of big player - American Westinghouse Electric Co., a subsidiary of Japan's French State nuclear engineering giant Areva SA, Toshiba Corp., and a consortium led by Russia's Atomstroyexport - are already bidding to win a lucrative multibillion tender to build two more reactors on the Temelin. The reactors are expected to be ready for use in the middle of the next decade.

Has influenced by Austrian environmentalists was protested demanding it be closed for security reasons. Czech authorities stress both systems are safe and no problems, the transfer of called reactor stressing, which currently must be carried out in Europe after the Japanese disaster.

Dukovany of life opened a year before the disaster of Chernobyl will expire in 30 years. Germany closes plants of the same age - but the Czechs, despite international pressure to do so.

The nation largest electricity source already has gone through a review of 26 billion crowns ($1.4 billion) to increase its output last year, and improvement of control systems, as the plant apply for the nuclear authority gets ready the license renewal of at least 10 years, said plant spokesman Petr Spilka.

Target that at least a new 550-megawatt reactor at the site Dukovany be built and more places were for new equipment, said 1935–1937.

1935–1937 Said that a new 2,000-megawatt plant in the northeastern part of the country could be operational by 2060.

In contrast to the Austrian and German public spheres, the Czechs if she do not like to support nuclear - plant in their backyard.

Local environmentalists the Government plan called "bizarre", would say that it lead to the creation of an unpredictable energy.

"Such strong dependency on one dominant source energy could be problematic," said Martin SEDLAK, an energy expert for the friends of the Earth Czech Republic. "Investment in nuclear power are economically challenging and unpredictable."

You're not alone.

Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger has sworn to all legal and political means in order to stop the Czechs, and his Environment Minister Nikolaus Berlakovich, said that his country the Czech plan "wrong a" in the course of Japan's nuclear disaster.

"It is unacceptable that someone expanded nuclear energy after Chernobyl and in particular of Fukushima," said Berlakovich APTN. "Austria interests for good neighbourly relations with the Czech Republic." "But in the interests of security of our people, we reserve all political and legal steps."

The Czechs remain resolutely ahead go.

"We, that events in Fukushima cannot, by any means, in question presented the case for nuclear energy,", President Vaclav Klaus said at the United Nations last month. "These arguments are strong, economically rational and convincing." "Nuclear power is a stable, the irreplaceable source of energy today are legitimate, and in some countries."

___

Monika Scislowska in Warsaw and APTN video journalist contributed Philipp Moritz Jenne in Vienna.

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Obama Fundraiser Linked To Loan Program That Aided Solyndra

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
President Barack Obama lifts a solar panel with Solyndra Chief Executive Officer Chris Gronet during a tour of the company in May 2010. (Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty Images)

Reporting from Washington and Los Angeles— The White House faced mounting political complications as a second top fundraiser for President Obama was linked to a federal loan guarantee program that backed a now-bankrupt Silicon Valley solar energy company, and as two California lawmakers called for investigations of a state tax break granted to the firm.

Steve Spinner, who helped monitor the Energy Department's issuance of $25 billion in government loan guarantees to renewable energy projects, was one of Obama's top fundraisers in 2008 and is raising money for the president's 2012 reelection campaign.

Spinner did not have any role in the selection of applicants for the loan program and, in fact, was recused from the decision to grant a $535-million loan guarantee to Solyndra Inc. because his wife's law firm represented the company, administration officials said Friday.

But Spinner's role as a top official in the Energy Department program, which had not been previously revealed, is likely to spur new inquiries into whether political influence played a role in the handling of the "green" energy fund. Solyndra faces a congressional probe, a criminal investigation and separate internal inquiries at the Energy and Treasury departments.

"This will fuel more questions, and now you've got real people involved at the inspector-general level who will be turning over chairs and cabinets, asking questions," said Stanley Brand, a criminal defense and ethics lawyer in Washington who has served as general counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives.

He noted that none of the details that had emerged suggested any laws had been broken. "It's embarrassing, it's ham-handed, it looks bad, but so far all we have is the White House trying to advantage itself in a political way with a loan," he said.

The largest investments in Solyndra were funds operated on behalf of the family foundation of billionaire George Kaiser, another major fundraiser for Obama in 2008. Kaiser has denied personally investing in the solar energy company or talking to White House officials about the loan.

Some Republicans in Congress charge that the White House pushed to get the loan approved for political reasons, which the White House denies.

Before its collapse, Solyndra was a showcase of the White House initiative to develop clean-energy alternatives. Obama visited the factory in May and praised Solyndra as a green technology company that would create jobs and help lead the country's economic recovery.

The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Sept. 6. Two days later, agents with the FBI and Energy Department's inspector general served a search warrant at Solyndra headquarters in an inquiry focusing on whether the company misled the government in applying for the loans.

In announcing its closure, Solyndra cited an unexpected reduction in demand for its products and intense competition from Chinese companies that drove down the price of solar panels it could sell.

Spinner, who raised at least $500,000 for Obama in 2008, is leading efforts to raise money from the technology industry for the president's reelection campaign. He did not respond to requests for comment Friday.

Last week, he invited Obama fundraisers who were in Chicago for a national finance committee meeting to the launch of the Technology for Obama fundraising program. In July, the Obama campaign credited Spinner with raising between $200,000 and $500,000 so far this year.

Spinner was a Silicon Valley investor who founded a sports and wellness company before he joined the administration in April 2009 after serving on Obama's transition team. He was named an advisor to Energy Secretary Steven Chu and was charged with helping oversee a loan guarantee program authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the economic stimulus program.

"Steve Spinner acted as a liaison between the Recovery Act Office and the Loan Programs Office," Energy Department spokesman Damien LaVera said in a statement Friday. "In that capacity, he played no role in the decision-making or evaluation of the Solyndra loan application."

During his tenure, the program approved 20 loan guarantees totaling $25 billion for energy storage, wind power and solar generation, according to Spinner's resume on LinkedIn. Among them was final approval for Solyndra, which planned to manufacture thin solar modules for flat rooftops.

The company applied for a loan guarantee in December 2006, filing under a program created by George W. Bush's administration. It received a conditional commitment for $535 million in March 2009, shortly before Spinner arrived.

In the months that followed, department staffers negotiated the final terms and provided the Office of Management and Budget with data as it assessed the risks of the deal.

In August 2009, while that risk assessment was underway, White House officials began expressing interest in having Vice President Joe Biden announce the deal during a trip to California the following month, according to emails released to House investigators this week. That spurred exchanges between officials

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UNR geothermal drill program adds 3 d Imaging

A Department of energy funded geothermal program at the University of Nevada Reno, which is designed to improve research methods, and well reduce the risk of drilling unproductive is the second phase occurs.

The project, based in Bureau of mines and geology in the College of science of the University developed a catalogue of reasonable structure for multiple locations for potentially lebensfahiger as geothermal. System error patterns and models, along with site specific targeting based on fault analysis include geothermal.

Their a-year mark has reached, will the project detail study five or six 250 potentially viable sites. As part of the second phase 3-d representation will be used for some of the sites.

The project is funded by a $1 million to give the DOE from the American recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

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Legislative updates biofuels program

The Iowa legislature voted last week to change the State incentive program for ethanol and biodiesel.

Legislators essentially updated and improved legislation in 2006 and perhaps legislation every five or six years passes the same way as the Federal Government the stage for the State to review and update of bio-fuels a new farm bill every five or six years.

The Bill, Senate file 531, was approved by the Senate, 48-1, on 2 May. On 4 may, it was the Iowa House by a vote of 81-13.

Governor Terry e. Branstad has not indicated if he will sign the law, but his supporters say that he has always been a supporter of bio-fuels.

"All parties have the desire to sell more biofuels," said Mindy Larsen Poldberg, Director of relations between the Government for the Iowa Corn Growers Association.

'The question is, the best way is ?What more biofuels sales?' "The new legislation would change several incentives in the State in the today's biofuels."

It would provide a stronger focus on e15 and B5.

It would also in connection with production both in the State incentives.

Randy Olson, Executive Director of Iowa Biodiesel Board, said: "This is a good first step in the collaboration towards higher impurity (ethanol and biodiesel.)"

Find one of the challenges facing a balance of incentives and finances, in a tight fiscal environment to support the Bill was Poldberg said.

But supporters worked behind the scenes, a compromise draft that was acceptable to all sides in the legislation, before Bill tabled.

What is a short list of members.

Bio-diesel

In the field of bio-diesel are three basic components, Olson says.

The first is an extension and change of the retailers tax credit.

The current credit is blends for 3 cents per gallon in B2. The new Bill is moving to 4.5 cents to B5.

The second is a production credit aimed at incentivizing in-State biodiesel-production, something that the industry for down while it prepared, which is expected to meet a nationwide expansion of the biodiesel market.

Without that incentive ? 3 cents per gallon in 2012 plants, maybe 2.5 cents in 2013 and 2 cents in 2014 ? that move production to other countries, says Olson.

The third part of the package of bio-diesel is $3 million a year for infrastructure for biodiesel and ethanol market.

This money would go to elements such as Blender pumps, and financing infrastructure is found from the renewable fuels program is deposited in the Fund for underground storage tank.

That is, some funds would go into the storage tank Fund but none would be taken from the existing Fund.

Ethanol

On the side of ethanol, the Bill contains several elements other than the infrastructure financing.

First, it changes the current incentives for retailers for the performance of the Iowa renewable fuels standard (RFS).

Current law says a dealer meets the timetable for the Iowa RFS they receive 6.5 cents per gallon.

If they are within 2% of it, he gets 4.5 cents.

If they are within 4% he gets 2.5 cents.

And the RFS schedule is 10 percent renewable fuels for 2009, 11 percent for the year 2010 12% for 2011, 13 percent for 2012, 14 percent for 2013, 15 percent for 2014, 17 percent for the year 2015, 19 percent for 2016, 21 Percent for 201723% for 2018 and 25% for 2019 and later years.

The new law follows same RFS schedule but changes the incentives.

In 2011, the retailer would get 8 cents for the compliance with the standard, 6 for come within 2% and 2.5 cents for come within 4 percent.

These incentives would increase in the year 2013 to 8 cents and 4 cents and 6.

These incentives should push to offer more e15 retailers as a way of meeting the RFS, who says Poldberg, add that the approach is ahead of Iowa.

"I think not, there are other countries that offer a tax break for e15," she says.

There are several other items in the invoice, including language, retailers stations provide liability protection enforcement actions consumers for misfueling, as long as the user console legal label.

In addition, retailers are to calculate their RFS schedule based on sites or enterprise-wide basis.

The result is a set of incentives for ? retailers and consumers that fuel ? target, further B5 blends and Olson diesel blends and e15 ethanol as well as production provides incentives for the Bioduel industry, the jobs in the State kaufenPoldberg, said.

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