Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Durango’s West Building Earns EPA ENERGY STAR Certification


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded its ENERGY STAR® designation to Durango’s West Building, a four-story commercial office building located in historic downtown Durango.

Constructed in 1959, the iconic West Building is one of Durango’s oldest office buildings and likely the first of its kind constructed using a curtain wall system -- whereby the exterior walls are non-load bearing and merely keep out the weather.

In 2007, Marie Leslie, building manager of the West Building, contacted Jeremy Rivera Consulting, LLC to assess building efficiency and to make recommendations for improvements. An energy audit and analysis was performed using a computer model to predict the results of various energy efficiency improvements. The study revealed numerous opportunities to improve the building’s overall efficiency and comfort, as many of the building’s systems were at the end of their useful life.



Starting in 2008, the building underwent a significant overhaul to its Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, designed by Dan Hopper of Animas Engineering. The HVAC renovation provided significant energy savings and greatly increased comfort for the tenants, but building owners did not stop there. In 2010, they completed a comprehensive lighting retrofit, which immediately resulted in a considerable reduction in energy consumption.



As a result of the HVAC and lighting renovations, the West Building received its ENERGY STAR rating in January 2012, and is rated to perform better than 84-percent of commercial office buildings nationwide. The building has reduced its annual energy costs by 40-percent and provides a greatly improved environment for its tenants. Energy savings include a greenhouse gas reduction of 813,498 pounds of CO2 per year, equivalent to the amount of electricity consumed by 386 single-family homes.

“The West Building has made sustainability a core component of our goal to be a good steward of the environment,” said Marie Leslie, building manager for the West Building. “In addition to a building-wide recycling program, we purchase renewable energy credits from LPEA and 100-percent of our electricity consumption comes from green sources.”

In 1959, initial tenants at the West Building belonged to petroleum companies developing oil and gas discoveries in the San Juan Basin. Today, the West Building continues its tradition with energy-related occupants of a different variety. 4CORE, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, works with local municipalities and companies throughout Southwest Colorado to help residents save energy and energy costs, reduce the use of natural resources, and enjoy a better quality of life. 



“4CORE applauds the West Building (and our landlord) for investing in these vast improvements and receiving the prestigious ENERGY STAR award,” said Greg Dubit, Executive Director with 4CORE. “The energy efficiency measures create substantial savings on energy costs and the building is far more comfortable for the tenants that work here everyday as a result. The West Building provides an excellent example as a leader in energy improvements for other area businesses.”



Further improvements are being considered for the West Building, including installing occupancy sensors to further increase the lighting system efficiency. The West Building owners include Frank J. Anesi, Maynes Family LLC, Thomas Shipps and Janice Sheftel. For more information about the West Building, please contact Marie Leslie.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Ag Energy Workshop Summary

Hyro Turbine
Did you know that the Towaoc Canal in Montezuma County produces 11.5 megawatts annually? This is information presented at the Ag Energy Workshop on February 6th put on by Colorado State University (CSU) Research Center and 4CORE in Cortez at the Lewis-Arriola Community Center. The agenda included agricultural energy audits, solar power, micro-hydro power, and biodiesel which were broken down into understandable technologies. CSU brought in speakers specialized in each category, providing potential funding opportunities, applications and feasibility of each technology.

Michael Kostrzewa, who co-directs the new Center for Agricultural Energy for CSU spoke about the importance of agricultural energy assessments. He defined energy assessments as a “systematic way to review the energy consumption and costs associated with the equipment, operations, and culture at a facility". He referred to energy assessments as “the veggies of the meal with renewable energy being the dessert”. Mr. Kostrzewa emphasized, just as 4CORE does, that the first step towards energy efficiency is an energy evaluation, whether professional or done by you. To start to assess your own energy use, start with a baseline of your energy bills.
  • Electric energy
  • Peak electric demand
  • Diesel (farm vehicles, farm equipment, other vehicles)
  • Propane
  • Natural Gas
  • Pesticides
  • Fertilizer
Although CSU is no longer funding agricultural energy assessments, they are providing financial support for irrigation pumping assessments. Contact Mr. Kostrzewa at (970) 491 – 7709 to learn more about agricultural energy and irrigation pumping assessments.

Solar
Kurt Jones, Chaffee and Park County Colorado State University Extension  Director, spoke about the benefits and drawbacks of solar thermal, photovoltaic, and passive solar design. He emphasized the care of the building structure that has potential for solar energy. If work would need to be done to the building within the next ten years, he suggested doing the work before installing a solar system, as well as any energy efficient upgrades. Completing the energy efficient upgrades before any renewable energy enters the equation is a benefit because the size of a system could be smaller if a building is operating as efficiently as possible. Find more information on the CSU website or contact Mr. Jones directly at 719-395-5493.

A tip for farmers in the winter: Paint the south facing side of the stock tank black to absorb the suns energy and keep ice from forming. 

Hydro Power
Hydro power is producing electricity with running water. There are a few initial questions to ask to determine if you have a good/economical site. First, what are the hydraulic conditions, or how is the water moving? What is the head or how much distance is between the starting point of the water flow to the end point? These starting and end points are often in the middle of the water way. Height decreases, such as water falls are good examples of this. Measure the distance between the top of the water fall where the grade evens out. Check the flow rate, or how fast the water is moving, and assess how long the water moving at that rate. Another point to assess is wildlife habitat. Would a turbine negatively affect fish or other wildlife habitat?

Once these basic questions are answered, it’s time to call in a professional. Colorado specifically has been designated with high potential for hydro power. There are many water ways winding throughout this state that are just waiting to be utilized.

Now all this made hydro power sound easy, but it’s not. Obtaining permits and jumping through all the right hoops can make this process arduous. There are funding opportunities that include feasibility and construction funding, and tax credits. If you think you have a good site for hydro power, contact Lindsay George at (970) 945 – 9686 with Applegate.

Biodiesel
Biodiesel is the byproduct of a byproduct. So a farmer grows some soy beans, harvests them, presses them, then uses the soy meal for his animals. The oil is left over from pressing them. That oil can be taken and converted into fuel for the farmers tractors. Biodiesel is better for the environment because it’s free of sulfates and has a lesser amount of nitrates then crude oil or petroleum. You can grow your own crops for biodiesel or you can gather the waste grease from restaurants.

Did you know you can “wash and dry” biodiesel? In fact, it’s necessary. It’s an important part of the process where water and biodiesel are put into the same container for at least 12 hours. When a successful wash has taken place the biodiesel will be at the top of the container, with the water at the bottom. If this separation hasn’t occurred you basically have soap. The drying process is letting that water be evaporated so you are only left with pure biodiesel. Find a more comprehensive description of the process here: http://www.make-biodiesel.org/.

4CORE and Colorado State University Extension and Research Centers have lots of information and are always willing to help guide you in the right direction when looking into renewable energy applications.

www.fourcore.org
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/index.html 

About the Author: 
Heather Wyatt recently received her Bachelor's Degree from Fort Lewis College in Psychology. She thoroughly enjoys people and is excited to see all the different ways the Weatherization Program will help others.  She has experience in managing small businesses and working with people from different backgrounds.  She enjoys watching movies and working in the yard on weekends.    

Thursday, February 9, 2012

4CORE Announces Partnership with 1% for the Planet


4CORE is pleased to announce a new partnership with 1% for the Planet, an alliance of over 1,380 member companies in 43 countries that give one-percent of revenues to environmental causes.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, 4CORE is now eligible to receive donations from 1% member companies, placing them among a diverse, global network of environmental organizations. 1% member businesses fuel this non-profit network through their annual contributions, which totaled over $22 million in 2010. Partnership with 1% greatly expands the potential pool of funding to which 4CORE can look to for support.

4CORE is dedicated to advancing resource efficiency and quality of life initiatives serving the five-county region of Southwest Colorado, including Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma and San Juan Counties. In addition to providing certified weatherization services, 4CORE helps local residents reduce the use of natural resources, save energy and costs, and enjoy a better quality of life.


Over 2,300 non-profits worldwide are included in the 1% network, and over $70 million has been funneled to its nonprofit partners to date. “The intent of 1% for the Planet is to help fund these diverse environmental organizations so that collectively they can be a more powerful force in solving the world’s problems,” Yvon Chouinard, founder of 1% for the Planet.

“4CORE’s goal for any proceeds resulting from 1% for the Planet is to enhance quality of life for residents in Southwest Colorado by saving energy and reducing costs,” stated Gregg Dubit, Executive Director with 4CORE.

“4CORE’s programs and activities have directly helped residents save thousands each year in utility bills, not to mention facilitating  thousands of dollars in energy rebates for homeowners. As a nonprofit, we rely on funding sources from partners like 1% for the Planet, and we look forward to partnering with such an esteemed environmental organization moving forward.”

2012 is a pivotal year for 4CORE and funding is critical with plans to further improve the quality of local environment, economy and community through expanded programs, continued education and leadership. Resource conservation is important for current and future generations, and energy efficiency education is essential to maintain vibrant, resilient and thriving communities.

About 1% for the Planet
Started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder and owner of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies, 1% for the Planet is a growing global movement of over 1,350 member companies in 43 countries that donate one percent of their sales to environmental organizations worldwide. Each day, more than one new business joins the 1% for the Planet movement. As a network, the 1% community has become a frontrunner in funding the work of environmental groups around the world. To learn more about 1% go to: www.onepercentfortheplanet.org