BOW Concerned Taxpayers of Bow has presented a petitioned warrant article it says is a money-saving alternative to the towns $6,796,000 proposal to build a new fire and police safety facility on town-owned land.

The groups petition is asking voters for $225,000 to repair the electrical system in the fire station and community center, and provide proper ventilation in the centers kitchen. The petition was signed by 120 registered voters, and member Bryan K. Gould said it would satisfy the towns needs in the long-term.

The $225,000 will remedy the electrical issues the fire marshal identified when the town fire chief invited him to inspect the firehouse. It will also pay for repairs to the hood and ventilation system for the cook top in the building, he said. The $225,000 will certainly fix the issues with the firehouse/community center that have been raised as a justification for spending over $10 million on a new complex.

The town proposes a 25,000-square-foot public safety building to house the fire, emergency management and police departments. In addition, voters will have a choice of approving $4,640,000 to renovate the fire station and the community center, and $1,724,000 to renovate the existing police station. The Board of Selectmen and the Budget Committee do not support the articles to repair the facilities.

Another article seeks $200,000 to install a geothermal heating and cooling system in the public safety building. If the safety building proposal is approved, the bonds to repair the two properties will be deemed void. Each town-proposed article must pass by a two-thirds vote. The petition article needs a majority vote to pass.

Bows tax rate is in the top 10 percent for New Hampshire. By any objective measure, Bow residents are already overtaxed, said Gould. The project will cost more than $6.8 million. We know that it will be at least $7 million if the proposed method of heating it geothermal is approved. If the geothermal proposal is rejected, presumably there will be another expenditure for some other form of heating. Interest on the bonds will be over $3 million making the capital investment over $10 million. This doesnt include the cost of furnishings and equipment.

Members of the group said they have been told it would be too expensive to renovate the existing fire and police stations because of the new structural standards, which require new buildings to withstand hurricanes and other natural disasters.

The new building would be built to that standard, said Town Manager David Stack.

But the group said other towns have built public safety centers for $3 to 5 million less than Bows proposal, and its a matter of want rather than need, said Gould.

There are far less costly alternatives to a new complex, such as repairing any deficiencies in the existing buildings. Even if the town concludes that a new public safety complex is important enough to bond for, the cost of the proposed Bow facility is two to three times higher than what other similarly sized towns have spent on such projects over the past three or four years, he said.

The rest is here:
Bow taxpayers group offers alternative to safety complex

Early this week at theARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit in Washington, D.C., a group of entrepreneurs, researchers, and investors gathered for a session that was equal parts innovative, smart, optimistic, and downright crazy. At the ARPA-E Future Energy Pitching Session, eight early-stage start-ups have three minutesstrictly enforcedtosell a panel of venture capitalists on their companies. The venture folks ask a few questions and then offer advice, and generally knock the excited presenters down a peg or two.

At last year's summit,the pitches included rotation-free wind power, uranium molten-salt nuclear reactors, and a device designed to pull energy out of the air thanks to ambient temperature changes. Some of these ideas are very high-risk, and potentially very high-reward; perfect for venture capital, and sometimes, for ARPA-E itself to throw in some money.

"The fire exits are on your lefthand side, should you need them," began the moderator. Indeed they are; off we go with some of the best ideas:

Onboard Dynamics: Refuel any vehicle for $1 per gallon from any natural gas line

Natural gas is now being produced in huge volumes in various parts of the United States, and proponents say it could be an extremely cheap alternative to oil-based gasoline. But one major hurdle is infrastructure: There areless than a thousandcompressed natural gas (CNG) refueling stations around the United States right now. Onboard Dynamics wants to eliminate the need for a lot of that infrastructure by putting the gas compressor on to vehicles themselves.

By letting the car or truck do the compressing, we wouldn't need any filling stations at all. "Sixty million homes and businesses could become natural gas refueling stations," said presenter and CEO Rita Hansen. The idea is to hook into any low-pressure gas source and use one or two of an engine's cylinders as a natural gas compressor, when the car is not moving. The remaining engine cylinders run to power that compression and to provide cooling. When refueling is finished and the car needs to actually move again, all engine cylinders run as normal.

The company has its first customer, Deschutes County in Oregon, but the investors on the panel warned how hard it would be to, essentially, convince car part manufacturers to change everything that they do overnight. The road is long and the climb is steep when it comes to changing our primary vehicle fuel source.

CrowdComfort: People-sourced building control

Do you work in an office? Someone is always cold, right? Or hot. Or somehow uncomfortable. And either everyone keeps changing the thermostat to suit their own needs or complaints get sent to maintenance, who maybe after a few months might make a change. In the meantime, someone is paying for energy to cool or heat a building to points that no one seems happy about. Time to use those angry crowds to fix that.

"We sought to empower people with their smartphones to create the world's first crowd-sourced thermostat," said Eric Graham, the company's CEO. It's actually a straightforward idea: I'm cold, so I tap a button on my phone saying so. Over my whole floor, maybe a few people say they're extremely cold, a few say they're somewhat cold, and so on, and a software-based recommendation engine generates a number for how the building should actually be heated. This can be done in very basic fashion, where a manager turns a knob based on the generated number, or the software can integrate with larger buildings to more automatically affect the building's climate. It wouldn't cost all that much to install or to run, according to Graham, and there is potential for energy savings if unnecessary heating and cooling can be avoided.

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Crowd-Sourced Thermostats, Modular Fusion Reactors, and Other Ideas From ARPA-E Future Energy Pitching Session

BEDFORD Sheriff Sam Craig Tuesday night solicited members of the Lawrence County Council for advice on which vendor to utilize to install a wheelchair lift at the north entry to the courthouse. The facility is scheduled to receive new windows and an upgraded heating-and-cooling system this year.

Craig explained the low bid was $22,500 but required an initial payment of $11,250. The higher bid was $23,436 but didnt require payment until after work was completed and inspected.

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County to install chair lift

Dear Jim: I should replace my old heating and cooling system with a more efficient one. Is installing a geothermal heat pump wise and what types are best? Shel K.

Dear Shel: Making the significant investment in installing a geothermal heat pump does make sense. Keep in mind, a geothermal heat pump also becomes the most efficient central air-conditioning system during summer and provides free water heating.

I just replaced my old heat pump with a WaterFurnace 7-Series geothermal heat pump in my own home. Even though the overall installed cost is higher than other systems, it will pay back its cost in savings and the comfort level is excellent. Also, if one is installed by 2016, there is a 30 percent federal tax credit on the total cost.

I chose this WaterFurnace model because of its super-high heating and cooling efficiencies. It has a heating efficiency COP (coefficient of performance) of 5.3. Using the constant temperature underground, it produces more than $5 worth of heat for each $1 on my utility bill.

When cooling during summer, the energy efficiency ratio, known as EER, is as high as 41. This is more than twice as efficient as the best new standard heat pumps and central air conditioners. Instead of the heat from the house being exhausted through the outdoor condenser unit, it goes into the water heater for free heat.

For most homes, several 5-inch diameter holes are drilled about 150 feet deep for the tubing to use the earths heat. This is called a vertical loop. I have a large backyard, so I installed a long horizontal, 5-foot-deep loop. The loop replaces the outdoor condenser unit so there is no noise to bother neighbors. The indoor compressor is quiet.

The 7-Series model, because it uses a special variable-output compressor, fine tunes the heating and cooling output to the instantaneous needs of the house. This is the most expensive system design, but it provides the best savings and year-round comfort. The installation cost of the ground loop is the same no matter what geothermal system you install.

By constantly varying the output, it runs in more efficient slower, quieter cycles and the air from the register feels hot. A common complaint for standard heat pumps is it never feels warm.

The energy-guzzling backup resistance heating seldom, if ever, comes on. During very hot weather, the compressor can run in super-cooling mode to produce an extra 20 percent output.

The next step down in comfort and efficiency is a model with a two-stage compressor. Most of the time, it runs at the lower-output speed. When it cannot heat or cool your house to the thermostat setting, it automatically switches to the higher speed for more output. Its energy efficiency ratio is as high as 30.

Originally posted here:
Geothermal heat pump nets savings, comfort

Ive been accused of not being the most exciting guy. My wife would no doubt agree, and my granddaughter thinks Im outright boring. I do admit I tend to have a fairly narrow range of subjects that interest me. Good books, long walks and church potlucks come to mind. There is one thing that gets my heart pumping: Energy conservation!

Conserving energy for me is like being in the middle of a CSI episode. I work with people to gather evidence and fit together clues that lead to reducing bills, maintaining system integrity, and cleaning the environment. And every situation is different. Theres nothing boring about chasing energy robbers.

While there are many different culprits that cause us to be inefficient, one in particular seems to be difficult to understand and typically overlooked. Thats insulation. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating and cooling can account for up to 70 percent of the energy used in the average home. Lack of insulation is one of the leading causes of energy waste, so it is an important topic. Installing adequate insulation will save money and improve comfort.

Heat flows naturally via conduction, convection, and radiation from a warmer to a cooler space. Our homes lose heat in the winter and gain it in the summer. To maintain comfort, the heat lost in winter must be replaced by your heating system, and the heat gained in summer must be removed by your air conditioner. Insulation decreases your homes heating or cooling need by providing a resistance to heat loss or gain.

All materials resist the flow of heat to some extent. Even air slows heat movement. This, and blocking air infiltration, is why installing window plastic helps during winter. Insulation materials are rated on their ability to resist the flow of heat. This resistance is represented as an R-value. The higher the R-value, the greater the resistance to heat flow, and the better job the insulation will do at reducing your bills. The R-value of insulation depends on the type of material, its thickness, and its density.

The effectiveness of insulation depends on how its installed. Insulation which is compressed will not give you its full rated R-value. This can happen if you add denser insulation on top of lighter insulation, place something on top of the insulation, or when the insulation gets wet. It also happens if you place fiberglass blankets rated for one thickness into a thinner cavity, such as placing R-19 insulation intended for 6-inch wall cavity into a 3 1/2-inch wall cavity.

Joists, rafters, and studs have a different resistance to heat flow than does the insulation between. So, the overall R-value of a wall or ceiling will be somewhat different from the R-value of the insulation itself. This uneven heat flow across an area is called thermal bridging. Its important that attic insulation cover the tops of the joists and that insulating sheathing is used on walls.

Fiberglass blankets, loose fill cellulose, and low-density foams such as polyicynene and expanded polystyrene all work by limiting air movement. Still air is an effective insulator because it eliminates convection and has low conduction. This is why insulation works best when not compressed. Some foam insulation products such as polyisocyanurate, polyurethane, and extruded polystyrene are filled with special gases that provide additional resistance to heat flow.

So, which kind of insulation is best? Well, it depends. Basically, the type of insulation to buy and install depends on how much is needed, the accessibility of the space to be insulated, the amount space available for the insulation, the local availability and price of insulation, and homeowner preferences. And not all insulation materials are created the same in terms of R-value. For instance, fiberglass blankets have an R-value of about 3.3 per inch, polystyrene foam board about 3.5 per inch, icynene spray foam about 3.6 per inch, cellulose blow-in about 3.7 per inch, and urethane foam about 5.3 per inch.

The amount of energy you save depends on the climate, the type of insulation you use, and the living habits of your family. Installing any amount of insulation will save energy. However, after a certain amount there is a diminishing return on investment. In Ames (weather zone 5), the Department of Energy recommends an R-value of 38 for ceilings, 20 for walls, and 10 for basement walls, slabs, and crawl spaces. It makes economic sense for a homeowner to reach these numbers by adding insulation. Adding more than this will certainly save additional energy, but the economics are less attractive. These upgrades will provide smaller savings and a longer payback.

See original here:
Energy Guy: Efficient insulation

POSTED AT 10:32 PM ON Feb. 20, 2014

Bloomington Transit has started construction on a new transit center. The center will be on Third and Walnut Streets and should be completed within the next four months.

The center is a joint project between Bloomington Transit and the City of Bloomington, said Lew May, general manager at Bloomington Transit.

The building will have a second floor dedicated to the Bloomington/Monroe County 911 dispatch center, which is currently located at 223 E. Third St.

The city is paying about $2 million in construction costs and Bloomington Transit about $5 million, May said.

Money for the transit portion is coming from federal grants and local Bloomington Transit funds, May said.

May mentioned a number of components Bloomington Transit is adding to the new center.

There will be canopies outside to shelter people from rain while waiting for the buses. The canopies will reach far enough to allow passengers to get on the bus without getting wet, May said.

There will also be more passenger amenities on site, like public restrooms and air-conditioning, which the current Bloomington Transit center on Fourth and Washington Streets does not have, May said.

In an attempt to use more advanced technology, the construction staff is installing free wireless Internet for passengers waiting for buses at the center, May said, as well as digital information monitors with arrival times and bus tracking technologies.

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City transit center construction begins

Water conservation tips

WRITTEN BY : Provided by City of Downey

Landscape Irrigation - Outdoor landscaping can consume 50% or more of the water used at a property. Focus on reducing evaporation, eliminating runoff, and only watering as much as needed. *Water your lawn and garden in the early morning or late evening to reduce water lost to evaporation and exposure to wind *Reduce the number of days and length of time that you water your landscaping. Most landscaping only needs to be watered 2-3 days per week and 6-7 minutes per cycle; Possibly less during winter months. *Use drip irrigation where possible and consider drought resistant native landscaping. *The best time to plant natives is in the fall/winter *Save hundreds of gallons of water a year by using organic mulch around trees and plants to reduce water evaporation and discourage weed growth *Install a smart irrigation controller that adjusts watering based on weather, soil type, amount of shade, and type of landscaping *If using a standard controller, install a rain sensor or turn off sprinklers when it rains *Maximize the amount of water delivered to your landscaping by checking your irrigation system to prevent overspray, replace broken sprinkler heads, and repair leaks routinely *Rotating sprinkler nozzles can result in 20% less water use than conventional spray heads *Plant with finished compost to add nutrients and water holding organic matter to soil Pools, Spas, and Ponds - Due to the automatic fill mechanism on many pools, spas, and ponds, leaks can go undetected resulting in significant water waste. *Check pools, spas, and ponds for leaks *Turn off the automatic fill mechanism, place a weighted bucket filled with water to the same level as the pool/pond on a step, and determine if the water level in the pool/pond is dropping faster which would indicate a leak. *Alternatively, use a grease pencil to mark the pool water level at the skimmer. Check the mark 24 hours later to see if you have a leak Sidewalks, Driveways, Parking, Patios - Using water to wash down sidewalks, driveways, parking areas, patios, or other paved areas except to alleviate immediate fire, sanitation, or health hazards is prohibited in Downey. *Use a broom, not a hose, to clean sidewalks, driveways, and patios; Use a broom or commercial sweeper for parking areas. Indoor Water Use - Indoor water use is primarily determined by the appliances we use, our water use habits, and upkeep of plumbing. Know what is happening with your water and where you can save by performing a quick survey of your property. Toilets, Showerheads, Faucets *Check your toilet for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank. After 30 minutes (without flushing) check to see if any color shows up in the bowl. Invisible leaks can waste 100 gallons of water a day. *Use high-efficiency (1.28 gallons per flush or less) toilets, water saving shower heads, and low-flow (1.8 gallons per minute or less) faucet aerators *Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth and shaving, and avoid long showers *Check faucets for leaks; even a slow drip can waste 15-20 gallons per day *Consider waterless urinals for your business Clothes Washers and Dishwashers *Only run full loads in your dishwasher and washing machine. Half-full loads waste water and money. *Use Energy Star clothes washers which use 35-50% less water and energy per load *Use water saving front-load clothes washers *Avoid "permanent press" cycles which can use an extra 5 gallons for extra rinse Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling *Use your water meter to check for leaks. With all water use turned off, check your water meter reading. Then check the meter again in 30 minutes. If the reading has changed, you have a leak. *Close the main shut off valve and run the same test to determine whether the leak is between the meter and shut off valve or downstream of the shut off valve. *Look for unusual wet spots on ceilings, floors, and in the yard indicating a leak *An instant water heater near the kitchen sink will eliminate having to wait for the water to heat up saving time and water *Set HVAC systems and water softeners for a minimum number of refills to save water

********** Published: Feb. 20, 2014 - Volume 12 - Issue 45

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Water conservation tips

Data centers are the massive engines under the hood of the mobile internet economy. And it is no secret that they demand a lot of energy: with energy capacities ranging from 10MW to 100MW, they require up to 80,000 times more than what a typical US home needs.

And yet, you do not have to be a genius to figure out how the enormous energy bills could be reduced. The main energy gobblers are the CRACs, Computer Room Air Conditioners or the alternative, the CRAHs, the Computer Room Air Handlers. Most data centers still rely on some form of mechanical cooling. And to the outsider, it looks pretty wasteful, even stupid, that a data center is consuming energy to cool servers down while the outside air in a mild climate is more than cold enough most of the time (less than 20C/68 F).

Free cooling

There are quite a few data centers that have embraced "free cooling" totally, i.e. using the cold air outside. The data center of Microsoft in Dublin uses large air-side economizers and make good use of the lower temperature of the outside air.

Microsoft's data center in Dublin: free cooling with air economizers (source: Microsoft)

The air side economizers bring outside air into the building and distribute it via a series of dampers and fans. Hot air is simply flushed outside. As mechanical cooling is typically good for 40-50% of the traditional data center's energy consumption, it is clear that enormous energy savings can be possible with "free cooling".

Air economizers in the data center

This is easy to illustrate with the most important - although far from perfect - benchmark for data centers, PUE or Power Usage Effectiveness. PUE is simply the ratio of the total amount of energy consumed by the data center as a whole to the energy consumed by the IT equipment. Ideally it is 1, which means that all energy goes to the IT equipment. Most data centers that host third party IT equipment are in the range of 1.4 to 2. In other words, for each watt consumed by the servers/storage/network equipment, 0.4 to 1 Watt is necessary for cooling, ventilation, UPS, power conversion and so on.

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Free Cooling: the Server Side of the Story

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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) More than 100 people packed a forum in Connecticut where Metro-North commuters complained about problems plaguing the rail service.

Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner James Redeker attended the commuter speak out Tuesday evening in Fairfield and took questions.

As WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau reported, there were a lot of complaints.

Riders complained about service delays caused by electrical problems, crowded trains and heating and cooling problems. Some commuters also accused Connecticut and Metro-North officials of not caring about them.

Peter Ziegler commutes from Milford to his job at the World Trade Center. Though he hops the 4:23 a.m., he said he often rushes to get to his job by 7 a.m.

Theyve added five minutes to the schedule and they still cant make it on time, he told Schneidau.

The new M-8 cars, advertised as snowproof have been tripped up by all the snow this winter. Many are in the shop for repairs, Schneidau reported.

That is one of the reasons why trains are so crowded and service is stretched, Schneidau reported.

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Metro-North Riders Air Complaints In Conn.

City backing restoration project with preservation funds; restaurant expected to open this summer

LOUISVILLE It's all about the grand antique bar made from cherry, birch and mahogany by the Brunswick Co. in Dubuque, Iowa, that dates back to President Grover Cleveland's first term in office.

It's all about the old hand-crank elevator that for a century has lifted and lowered kegs and supplies between the basement and dining room.

It's all about the distinctive red saloon that has sat at the corner of Front and Spruce streets for 110 years, known for the last 46 years as the Old Louisville Inn.

But the survival of that history was very much in question last fall when the Old Louisville Inn closed and the building went dark, its future uncertain. Former owner Garrett McCarthy had tried to keep the creaking building going for the last 20 years but found himself losing that battle to time and the rigors of wear and tear.

"I've tried my best to put brackets in, plaster this, paint that but this is what it needs," he said.

And by this McCarthy means total refurbishment. He is now part of an investment group that will restore the building from top to bottom, even adding a 990-square-foot extension to the south, before bringing the building into its latest incarnation as bar and grill sometime this summer.

Which is about right for the old saloon at 740 Front St. Constructed for its original owner, Tivoli Beer agent E.J. Di Francia, in 1904, the building has stood the test of time as home to a string of watering holes, from DiFrancia's Saloon to Front Street Caf to Primrose Bar to the Old Louisville Inn.

The ownership group, 740 Front Street LLC, got a big boost earlier this month when the Louisville City Council authorized up to $250,000 in historic preservation fund grants to help restore the building. The new owners agreed to landmark it so that it can't be torn down.

John Gstalder, an attorney with The Louisville Law Group and one of five partners in 740 Front Street LLC, said the assistance from the city was critical to following the preservation route rather than demolition.

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Former Old Louisville Inn building to get new life under new owners