Evolo's blog

Increasing Home Efficiency While Maintaining Air quality

Recently, I was asked about environmentally friendly insulating products for homes and if there was an insulating product that I could recommend. Unfortunately the answer is both 'yes' and 'no'.

These days we are still almost exclusively using fiberglass (batts or blown), foam, and rigid code board insulation in our construction and weatherization projects.

There are some 'greener' products on the market that are made of recycled clothing and newspapers, but to the best of my knowledge, these are not accessible yet here in small town Maine.

In any case, insulating, and caulking, are critical first steps to reducing ones energy requirements. These common sealing practices , referred to as Level 1 weatherization, include simplel steps like insulating rim joists (the space between the sub floor and the concrete wall in your basement), insulating between the trim around windows and doors, and increasing the amount of insulation in the ceiling/attic of your home. Actions like these help to better retain the heat that a home heating system is creating.

While these are seen as low-hanging fruit in the weatherization world, there is one item to be aware of before undertaking a project in your home: air quality. New homes today are constructed with a means of ventilation, at least bath fans and often whole house ventilation systems, also known as Heat Recovery and Ventilation, that help mitigate moisture and maintain the air quality in a home with a 'tight' energy envelope. Simply as a result of their build age, older homes that are being retrofitted may not have a mechanical means of ventilation. While it is unlikely that Level 1 weatherization efforts would generate an issue with air quality, it is certainly something to consider and be aware of.

If you have any questions regarding home weatherization or air quality, please don't hesitiate to give us a call and we'll walk you through what you need to know.

While this post is not specifically about renewable energy, I hope you will indulge me while I cross-pollinate a bit from our construction business, Evolo Home Center, LLC. We are currently working on a new home project that includes the use of ICF, or insulated concrete forms, for the basement. The benefits, beyond the obvious increased insulation values, include noise reduction, three hour fire protection and mold resistance. ICF basement construction also makes finishing a basement space much easier down the road. Unlike traditional concrete foundations where studding up walls can be quite a project, with ICF construction strapping is easily attached right to the interior insulation.

The construction of this type of foundation is made up of foam blocks that go together in a way that reminds me of Legos (™). Inside the blocks are structural supports and areas for rebar to be installed during the building process. Concrete is poured inside, and voila, foundation! Ok (maybe not quite that easy, but it is fairly straight forward).

For more information, Click Here

Here are photos from Evolo’s recent ICF installation.

This past Saturday my family observed 'earth hour'. This meant turning off the lights and TV's from 8:30-9:30 on Saturday night. What did we do? Had our first campfire of the year. It was a chilly here in Maine, but we bundled up and spent the time together arond the flames. How did you observe 'earth hour'?

Evolo Energy Solutions is one of more than 500 Maine Businesses supporting clean energy and climate change legislation. We were recently asked to speak at a Press Conference in Augusta. Here's what we had to say:

"My name is Kate Rush and I am here today on behalf of Evolo Energy Solutions in support of the climate change and clean energy legislation that is currently being considered in the Senate. At Evolo Energy Solutions, located in Newport, we design, install and maintain solar and wind renewable energy systems for residential, commercial and municipal customers.

Throughout the formation of this bill, I've been asked many times: how would clean energy legislation impact our business? The answer is simple. A clear and long term commitment to secure and healthy sources of energy, like wind and solar power, equals growth and hiring in our industry. This commitment will lend stability to the renewable energy market, and will give towns, businesses and homeowners another compelling layer to the business case supporting renewable energy investments.

Recent studies show that Maine has the highest potential for wind power generation in New England. As a woman who was born and raised Maine, my partners and I created Evolo Energy Solutions and its sister company, Evolo Home Center, a residential construction company, as a way to return to Maine. When I left my career at an out of state fortune 50 company in 2005, I saw the potential to help provide people energy stability. I saw a chance to help towns and businesses become free of yo-yoing energy costs. We need to harness the potential that we have to produce for clean, safe and reliable electricity. This legislation will open the door for Maine to become a dominant energy player.

The climate change and clean energy legislation that is being considered will provide a long term commitment, like we have not had before in the US. As a small business, this commitment is critical as we expand our renewable energy business and create new jobs. I want to thank Rep Pingree and Rep Michaud for their support of this legislation and urge Senator Snowe and Senator Collins to continue their leadership on climate change and clean energy legislation - this is a great opportunity for Maine."

TV coverage: http://www.wgme.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wgme_vid_2935.shtml
Newspaper coverage:
http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3540
Read what others at the press conference had to say: http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3538

A Guest Blog By:
Dan Burgess

This time of year, if you haven’t tapped the maple trees in your backyard you’re missing out on precious sap that can be turned into delicious homemade maple syrup. This tradition is just one in a long list of many in which Maine residents get the most of the natural resources that Maine’s land offers.

Similarly, if you haven’t explored the potential renewable energy resources around your home, you’re losing out. While it is well known that Maine is resource rich in areas such as coastal beauty and forestry, not many are aware that Maine also has the potential to be a regional capital of clean energy production.

In fact, Maine is already a leader in biomass electricity production, third in the nation, and creates over 22% of its electricity through hydroelectric sources. A recent report also indicates that with the right investments, Maine could become a permanent leader in wind power. This study, released by the United States Department of Energy and highlighted by PretiFlaherty (http://www.preti.com/DOE-Study-on-Wind-Generation-Potential), shows that Maine has the highest potential for wind power generation in New England. This finding is crucial to the energy future for Maine residents as their energy costs are some of the highest per person in the United States.

Included in this report from the DOE, is a map that indicates the high wind areas in the state of Maine. See if you can find where you live and work on the Maine wind map (http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/images/windmaps/me_80m.jpg ). This map offers a good macro view of high wind locations, but be aware that many areas not highlighted on the map are also great candidates for smaller wind systems. The only way to be sure of the potential your land has is to find out for yourself, and a great way to start is by contacting a local company like Evolo Energy Solutions.

The next time you're out harvesting the sap from your trees, imagine the other resource you could be tapping into. Maple syrup isn't the only sweet asset that you could be enjoying!

Dan Burgess was born and raised in Maine and earned his Bachelors Degree in business management from the University of Maine at Orono. He currently lives in Cambridge, MA and is working towards his Masters Degree in Public Administration at Northeastern University

Maine’s first Raum 3.5kW was commissioned in Greene on March 9, 2010. The turbine and tower were provided and installed by Evolo Energy Solutions of Newport Maine. This new to market turbine offers a very competitive price and an inverter with unique and user friendly features. This inverter makes the next step forward in user interface and data management. The Raum 3.5kW fills a void in the market and is a great size for the average home; Evolo is excited to add the Raum 3.5kW to its line up. "At Evolo, we work hard to offer our customers the latest advances in technology, while still offering reliable and affordable solutions to our customers", said John Rush of Evolo Energy Solutions, who installed this small residential wind system.
This particular turbine was installed on a 100' self supporting tower at a residence in Greene Maine. Other tower designs are also available. For more information contact Evolo Energy Solutions, Newport Maine, at 207.368.5040 or on the web at www.evoloenergysolutions.com

Enjoy a few photos of this installation by Evolo:

The common sense clean energy initiative known as PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy bonds) is one step closer to becoming law in Maine. This past February, the Joint Standing Committee on Utilities and Energy unanimously approved LD1717 “An Act to Increase the Affordability of Clean Energy for Homeowners and Businesses”, or PACE.

So, what exactly is PACE and why is it important? The concept is this: a municipality, which typically has access to affordable capital, lends money to property owners for clean energy improvements. These improvements, and the loan, then stay with the property no matter who the owner may be.

A PACE program is important because it addresses two key roadblocks to investing in clean and renewable energy. First, it creates another reliable venue for financing of projects for homeowners and small businesses. Second, because the improvements and the loan stay with the property, PACE financing removes the risk associated with not knowing if you are going to stay in a particular home for the period of the clean energy loan.

For example, in Berkeley California (and in 17 states and countless communities around the country) a property owner could apply for a loan through the city of Berkeley for a Solar Photovoltaic system. The property owner would pay the municipality each year, just like any other loan (though typically over 20 years). But with PACE legislation if the property owner sells the property, the clean energy improvement and loan would stay with the property. The new owners would then continue to pay the debt and get the continued benefit of the renewable energy Solar PV system.

This legislation is a critically important piece of the clean energy puzzle for many in Maine. While Maine's PACE system would be strictly an OPT IN program for municipalities, there are several towns and cities in Maine who are waiting for this legislation to pass so they can implement their own programs and investment in their communities.

I have been privileged to participate in the forming of this legislation for Maine. And while no single legislation is a magic wand, I am excited to add PACE financing to the tool kit for those interested in renewable energy. I will make sure to keep you posted as LD1717 progresses and look forward to letting you know when it becomes law.

For more information visit www.pacenow.org

Here is a photo of an off grid Solar PV install in Whiting Maine:

One of the things we'll be doing at this blog is highlighting successful clean energy projects that Evolo Energy Solutions has been a part of. We're proud to offer products that allow Mainers to produce safe, healthy, and reliable electricity.

The Burges Tree Farm in Newport (www.burgessstreefarm.com) recently installed an Eoltec Scirocco 6kW windmill and an evacuated tube solar thermal hot water system. As a result, their electricity bill this month was $8.36, for the second month in a row! You read that correctly, their electricity bill each of the last two months was $8.36. Imagine that. And not only have the most recent bills been as inexpensive as they get (just paying delivery fees), through a process called ‘net metering’, they have banked nearly 275 kWh of electricity just this year.

What is ‘net metering?’ Net metering is the system that our electric utilities in Maine use for keeping track of renewable energy credits for home and business applications that are tied to the grid (grid tie). Projects up to 660kW can be net metered. Essentially, the utility allows you to ‘bank’ any power you make, that you don’t use, in a given month. Then you can use those ‘banked’ kWh in the next twelve months. This works well for us here in Maine, because our wind resource is better in the winter than in the summer (and vice versa with our solar resource). So, you can make electricity from the wind energy now, and use it in July when the breeze is just barely blowing. Another benefit, no batteries! (will talk more about batteries in another post)

A photo a residential wind turbine, installed by Evolo Energy Solutions, was featured on the Boston Green Scene website this weekend. The photo is of a 6kw Eoltec Scirocco turbine, on a 100ft tower here in Maine. Click this link to see the article, which is about feed-in-tariff policy.

http://www.bostongreenscene.net/2010/02/policy-corner-feed-in-tariffs.html

Wonder who's blogging? Well, our primary blogger is me, Kate. I am one of the partners at Evolo Energy Solutions, and am an engineer, chair person of the MABEP Committee on Renewable Energy, Mom to our office Newfoundland dog Griffin, yoga practioner, knitter and avid reader and I love to entertain. But, for the purposes of this blog, I get to pontificate about one of my favorite topics, clean energy. I could never be an expert in all the various aspects of this vast subject area, so from time to time I hope a few guest bloggers will add to our discussions. Hope you enjoy and I look forward to your comments!

Oh, here I am (in orange) talking Solar Hot Water at the Common Ground Country Fair in 2009.