The Energy Department today announced up to $7 million to deploy clean energy and energy efficiency projects in tribal communities, reducing reliance on fossil fuel, and promoting economic development. The Tribal Energy Program, in cooperation with the Department's Office of Indian Energy, will help Native American tribes, tribal energy resource development organizations, and tribal consortia to install community- or facility-scale clean energy and energy efficiency projects.

Tribal lands comprise nearly 2% of U.S. land, but contain about 5% of all the country's renewable energy resources. With more than 9 million megawatts of potential installed renewable energy capacity on tribal lands, these communities are well positioned to capitalize on their abundant domestic renewable energy resources, enhancing U.S. energy security and protecting the environment.

The Funding Opportunity Announcement is soliciting applications under two topic areas:

Under Topic Area 1, "Tribal Building Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Retrofits," the department is soliciting projects to install facility-scale clean energy (natural gas combined heat and power systems and renewable energy) systems to displace electrical, heating, or cooling loads by at least 15%. Also included are deep energy retrofits that reduce the total of all energy used in a building or buildings by at least 20%.

Under Topic Area 2, "Community-Scale Clean Energy Deployment," the department is soliciting projects to install clean energy systems that can provide electricity, heating, or cooling to many buildings or to an entire tribal community. Clean energy systems need to generate a minimum of 50 kilowatts of power (or equivalent) and use commercially-warrantied technology.

Cost-shared projects selected under this funding announcement are intended to result in immediate cost savings, reduce energy use, and increase energy security for Indian Tribes and tribal members.

The full funding announcement is available via EERE's Exchange website and the Tribal Energy Program website.

The Energy Department's Office of Indian Energy and the Tribal Energy Program promote tribal energy sufficiency and foster economic development and employment on tribal lands through the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

Since 2002, the Department has invested nearly $50 million in 184 tribal clean energy projects, and provides financial and technical assistance to tribes for the evaluation and development of their renewable energy resources, implementation of energy efficiency to reduce energy use, and education and training to help build the knowledge and skills essential for sustainable energy projects.

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Energy Department Announces Up to $7 Million to Expand Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency on Tribal Lands

A brochure for Affordable Home Comfort. The company has come under scrutiny from Consumer Protection.

The brother of a notorious air-conditioner salesman banned from selling and installing dodgy cooling systems has also come to the attention of WAs consumer watchdog.

Maxwell Raymond Healy, the brother of Alwyn Robert Healy who has been the subject of several consumer cautions over many years for failing to deliver or install air-conditioning units, has now himself had a warning issued against him by the state's peak consumer body.

Consumer Protection on Tuesday warned customers to exercise discretion when dealing with Solar H C Pty Ltd, trading as Affordable Home Comfort, after customer complaints against the company during the past three months.

Complaints included the air-conditioning units did not have the reverse cycle evaporative component promised, the systems had not been installed in a timely manner and large deposits being paid.

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Maxwell Healy, of Bindoon, is the companys sole director.

In May this year, Alwyn Healy, trading as Aircon Factory Direct, was ordered by the Supreme Court of WA to stop claiming air-conditioning units he was selling could heat and cool when they could not.

Alwyn Healy, who in 2011 at a contempt hearing for breaching a court order, was described by Justice Kenneth Martin as dodgy.

He was ordered to pay back $127,000 to 50 customers who were misled about the units, after he told customers they could both heat and cool their homes, however, when the units were installed there was no heating function.

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Warning for 'dodgy' air-con brothers

A new district energy system is now being installed between Coquitlam city hall, Evergreen Cultural Centre, the RCMP building and the City Centre Aquatic Complex.

image credit: tri-CITY NEWS FILE PHOTO

The City Centre precinct in Coquitlam also known as "Four Corners" will see more than just Evergreen Line construction over the next few months.

On Monday, the city started the first phase of a new district energy system for the area, with trenching and pipe installation from the City Centre Aquatic Complex (CCAC) across Guildford Way to city hall.

That portion of the work is expected to wrap up in two weeks and will involve changes to the sidewalk access as well as a temporary relocation of the bus stop in front of CCAC (it will be further west of the pool on Guildford).

The project, when complete this fall or winter, will provide a centralized heating and cooling program between the pool, city hall, Coquitlam RCMP headquarters and the Evergreen Cultural Centre.

The district energy program being put in is similar to the system that has been working since 2009 at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex.

It aims to reduce reliance on fossil fuels by recapturing alternative sources. Under Thermenex (an acronym for thermal energy exchange), city staff say Coquitlam would cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 500 tonnes (8%) and lower power costs by $115,000 a year (26%) for the life of four buildings.

Invented by B.C. engineer Jeff Weston, Thermenex is a water-filled pipe with hot and cold ends, using refrigeration technology to create the thermal gradient. The technology works through a system of reclaiming energy.

The cost to design and install Thermenex at the Four Corners is around $3.5 million money the city will recover over 23 years in energy savings, staff say.

Continued here:
District energy to be plugged in at Coquitlam city hall

A brochure for Affordable Home Comfort. The company has come under scrutiny from Consumer Protection.

The brother of a notorious air-conditioner salesman banned from selling and installing dodgy cooling systems has also come to the attention of WAs consumer watchdog.

Maxwell Raymond Healy, the brother of Alwyn Robert Healy who has been the subject of several consumer cautions over many years for failing to deliver or install air-conditioning units, has now himself had a warning issued against him by the state's peak consumer body.

Consumer Protection on Tuesday warned customers to exercise discretion when dealing with Solar H C Pty Ltd, trading as Affordable Home Comfort, after customer complaints against the company during the past three months.

Complaints included the air-conditioning units did not have the reverse cycle evaporative component promised, the systems had not been installed in a timely manner and large deposits being paid.

Advertisement

Maxwell Healy, of Bindoon, is the companys sole director.

In May this year, Alwyn Healy, trading as Aircon Factory Direct, was ordered by the Supreme Court of WA to stop claiming air-conditioning units he was selling could heat and cool when they could not.

Alwyn Healy, who in 2011 at a contempt hearing for breaching a court order, was described by Justice Kenneth Martin as dodgy.

He was ordered to pay back $127,000 to 50 customers who were misled about the units, after he told customers they could both heat and cool their homes, however, when the units were installed there was no heating function.

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Watchdog warning for 'dodgy' air-con brothers

TOPEKA, Kansas (WIBW) -- The roof on the Habitat For Humanity house is almost complete, and volunteers say progress is coming along nicely.

Saturday morning members from Fellowship Bible Church helped at the Habitat For Humanity house at 1717 Sieben to get it ready for the Munganga family.

Volunteers were working to put the roof on the house. Next week subcontractors will be able to install heating and cooling, plumbing and electricity.

One organizer, Ivan Weichert, has been involved in Habitat For Humanity for 15 years and has served on the board. He continues to help each time they build a house for a family because he used to be a builder, and says it helps fill the need. But the most important part to him:

"It's working with the families when they come out and help on the job and seeing their faces when they get their new home."

He described that feeling as "super."

Alex Poage is a member of Fellowship Bible Church and it was his first time helping.

"It's a way to give back to the community," Poage said. "I've been working construction this summer so I thought it's a great way to use my skills."

Weichert tells us there have been some delays due to weather, but the Munganga family will be in their new home by Thanksgiving.

"It'll be a good addition to the neighborhood," Weichert said.

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Roof In Progress At Habitat For Humanity House

TALK BACK! Know of an open house, book, website or tool you'd like to share with Shop Talk readers? Send details to homes@jacksonville.com or call (904) 359-4628.

OPEN HOUSE OF THE WEEK

Listed for $319,900, the brick home at 2467 Sedgwick Place sits in one of Jacksonvilles most sought-after neighborhoods. With three bedrooms and four baths in 2,844 square feet, its many features include an all-new eat-in kitchen, two custom master baths and guest bath, new carpet, energy-efficient windows and fresh paint. The backyard is bordered by a brick/concrete wall to provide privacy. To see more, attend an open house today, July 12, from 1-3 p.m. or call Anita King of EXIT Magnolia Point Realty at (904) 607-1321.

For a rundown of area open houses, both today and in coming weeks, visit http://bit.ly/NEFAR_Open or go to http://www.nefar.com.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Dan Copeland, a JEA customer solutions field representative and a member of the Northeast Florida Builders Association E-Council, sent along a few energy-saving tips for those who are considering building a new home.

First up is some advice on radiant barriers. Copeland says not all Jacksonville builders install radiant barriers in their new homes, so inquire about the option. A radiant barrier is a thin layer of reflective metal laminated to the roof decking. It helps reduce the heat transferred to the duct work from the hot roof, ultimately reducing a homes cooling costs. Cooling is the largest part of most electricity bills in the Jacksonville area. A radiant-barrier upgrade to an existing home is difficult to justify due to higher costs. However, in new construction it takes no additional time to install, and the upgrade cost is far lower, usually less than $1,000 per home.

Next week, look for Dans advice on picking a heating and cooling system. For more tips, contact him at copede@jea.com, or visit jea.com/green.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ...

Lenders fear another real estate bubble is inflating

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ST. CHARLES, MO (KTVI) Long hot summer days can be miserable when your air conditioner goes out. It happened to a St. Charles man after he had a new unit installed.

Homeowner Shawn Dawson says the heat was uncomfortable. It was pretty hot in there. It was like 90 degree weather so it was pretty hot when the AC wasn`t working, he stated.

So Shawn hired an Arnold Heating and Cooling contractor to install a new one at a cost of $2,100. It cooled for a couple of hours but didnt seem to hold the coolant according to Shawn. So I called him back and he came out like five more times and it still didn`t work after that, he said.

So he called a different company who came out and it`s been running fine ever since it was serviced by the second contractor. He found a couple of leaks in the A Coil. Shawn paid almost $300 to have that problem corrected. Now hes asking to be reimbursed for that additional cost by the original contractor Froggys Heating and Cooling. When I spoke with the folks at Froggys they said theyd honor that request. But they often see defective parts which are covered by a manufacturer warranty. Shawn wonders why it wasnt detected sooner. They used the bubble test and didn`t find any so. After five times I think it should have been fixed, he said.

Air conditioners get a real work out. So do some research when you need to hire someone for repairs. Understand the equipment youre buying and how to contact the manufacturer. Call us with your consumer issues. The toll free number is 800-782-2222. The line is open Monday through Thursday from 11am till 1pm.

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Man wants A/C company to reimburse after bad installation

Madison, WI (PRWEB) July 10, 2014

Americans learn more about energy savings each year and 2014 will be no exception. While homeowners in the U.S. are doing more than ever to seal their homes and conserve power, there is always room for a new tip. The average household spends $2,000 a year on energy bills, and more than half of that goes toward heating and cooling. Furthermore, Business Insider reports that the U.S. collectively wastes nearly $146 billion a year on utilities each year by not following best practices for reducing home energy costs.

5 Easy Tips for Increased Energy Savings

What many homeowners may not realize is that opportunities to reduce their power usage are present all around their houses, and while many of the new versions of household gadgets available in 2014 are more efficient than they used to be, homeowners need to do more to save money. For families looking for ways to save some more cash this summer, the U.S. Department of Energy offers these tips:

1. Install a programmable thermostat to keep cooling at a minimum when the family is out of the house.

2. Turn off the dish washers automatic or heated drying cycle.

3. Make sure all windows and doors are closed when the air conditioning is on.

4. Plug major electronics into a power strip and turn off the power strips when not in use. Many of these items, even newer TVs and computers, still use several watts of power in stand-by mode.

5. Air dry clothes outside on nice days instead of using the dryer.

Prevent Over-Cooling in 2014

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New Tips for Improving Energy Savings This Summer

With some members saying Vacaville's future is at stake, a new committee of volunteers has formed to mount an outreach and informational campaign for a possible $194 million school bond measure in November.

The Committee Supporting Vacaville Schools 2014 held its first meeting Monday and plans another the first Monday after the next Vacaville Unified governing board meeting, July 17, if trustees approve a pending resolution.

"We're waiting for the board to give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down," said Nolan Sullivan, a committee co-chair and president of the Vacaville Public Education Foundation, which raises money for Vacaville's public schools.

At its June 26 meeting, the seven-member board gave no indication whether or not it would adopt the resolution, as written in a draft they reviewed; however, several trustees noted a need to upgrade technology and the district's 16 campuses, nearly one-half of them 50 years old or older, with several of those 60 years old or older.

Interviewed Wednesday, Sullivan alluded to the district's many aging campuses as one reason the committee volunteers came together earlier this month. Besides Sullivan, they include Mary Woo, committee co-chair and a Will C. Wood High teacher and cross country coach; former Vacaville Mayor Len Augustine, the committee's honorary chair; and Ernest Kimme, a former teacher and Vacaville City Council member, a columnist for The Reporter, and supporter, like Woo, of a proposed new stadium for Wood High.

Sullivan, 31, by day a manager at the Yolo County department of social services, said the bond measure's passage would determine the educational experience for a generation of the city's children and, thus, affect the city's future.

"Our kids are going to directly benefit from this bond," he said. "It's going to directly impact us."

If approved by the VUSD board, then passed by voters on Nov. 4, the money will be used to upgrade regular classrooms, repair or replace portable classrooms, install energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, provide for campus modernizations (infrastructure upgrades, roofing and plumbing repairs, for instance), provide for wi-fi technology upgrades at all campuses, pay for the construction of a 2-story classroom building at Vacaville High, and the building of a football stadium at Wood High, one of only two Solano County high schools without its own football field for athletic events, graduations and other uses.

Woo said the bond measure will pay for "facilities districtwide where children can thrive."

"We're going to need the bond measure to pay for major projects the scope of the projects is just so huge," she said.

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Vacaville school bond committee forms

By Karen Rifkin

For the Ukiah Daily Journal

North Coast Energy Services, a non-profit since 1981, subsidized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides low-income home energy assistance funds for those who qualify under their program guidelines.

Executive Director Linda McQueen, executive director for 31 years, explains the available assistance that the agency provides.

"One of our programs helps people, those who are income qualified, to pay their utility bills so they don't get their services cut off. They can get a once-a-year payment of up to $400 and if they have an extraordinarily high bill with a pending shutoff notice, we can provide up to a $1,000 in assistance," McQueen said.

They also do weatherization for those who qualify including attic and under-flooring and replacement of windows and doors, weather stripping, shower heads and aerators at no cost. If the work is done for a renter, it is at no cost to the landlord.

Prior to the work Patrick Bauer assesses the home and tests for carbon monoxide; they put in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors and if necessary can replace certain appliances and heating and cooling systems, forced air heat units, central air conditioning, window air conditioners and evaporative coolers.

They have recently begun a pilot program in the six counties in which they operate Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma, Solana, Napa and Yolo and are now putting in solar water heating systems for those who are presently using natural gas.

Bauer explains, "We put solar collectors, thin solar panels, on the roof. The roof has to be in good standing, facing southeast or south west with no adjacent shading. The system is filled with propylene glycol, heated by the sun, that runs through the collector and the system and heats the water in the unit. We install a second 50-gallon tank next to the water heater that holds constantly heated water. Natural gas is necessary only when there is no sun and it saves up to 90 percent on the water bill."

They have retrofitted eight homes in the last two months and are hoping to do a total of 25 in Ukiah. They are actively seeking qualified individuals and families and the application process is a very simple one. The agency looks at 30 days of income, a utility bill, from both the City of Ukiah and PG&E, and verification of income such as wages or social security. They establish an energy burden by dividing energy costs by income to determine eligibility.

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Energy experts looking for homes to retrofit