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TABLE OFCONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
GREEN POWERIS CLEAN POWER
CLEAN ENERGYAT HOME
SELF GENERATIONFOR FARMERS AND RANCHERS
NEW TRANSPORTATION
OPTIONSClean Cities, Renewable Fuels, and New Cars
Stand-Alone PV and Small Wind Turbines
Climate Responsive and Solar Architecture,Building America: Colorado, Solar Water
Heating, and Geothermal Heat Pumps
Wind Power, Solar Power, HydroelectricPower, Biomass Power, Concentrating Solar
Power and Geothermal Energy
What is Clean Energy and Why Is It Good for Colorado
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717 17th Street, Suite 1400 Denver, Colorado 80202303.292.9298 303.292.9279www.manzanitagraphics.com
CHOOSING WISELY 28
Take a stroll in Boulder,Montrose, Fort Collins, orLimon on a typical day andyou’ll see and feel two ofColorado’s most powerfulclean energy resources. Thesun shines bright in the sky,and there is likely to be apleasant 15-mph breeze. It’ssolar energy and wind energyat your service, part of a broadspectrum of cleanenergy resourcesavailable to us inColorado.
Today, 98% ofColorado’s energyis produced fromfossil fuels—coal,oil, and naturalgas. They areplentiful andinexpensivetoday, but theirsupply is finiteand their combus-tion has environ-mental conse-quences. In contrast, clean ener-gy resources are constantlyreplenished and economicallyadvantageous to the state. Cleanenergy systems can be classifiedin two general categories:renewable energy and energyefficiency.
Renewable energy comeseither directly or indirectlyfrom the sun or from tappingthe heat in the Earth’s core:¥ Sunlight, or solar energy, canbe used directly for heating,cooling, and lighting homes andother buildings, generating elec-tricity, and heating hot water.
¥The sun’s heat also causestemperature changes
on the Earth’ssurface and in theair, creating windenergy that canbe captured withwind turbines.
¥Sunlight causesplants to growand is the source
of all life. Theorganic matter thatcomes from plantsand from animalwastes is known asbiomass. It can beused to produceelectricity, trans-
portation fuels, or chemicalsfor consumer products. Theuse of biomass for any of thesepurposes is called bioenergy.
¥Rain, created from waterevaporating when exposed tosunlight, collected in rivers
WHAT IS CLEAN ENERGY?
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Newly arrived at Colorado in1998, wind energy is nowavailable to the majority ofelectricity customers inthe state.
Warren G
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and streams, can be turned intoelectricity called hydropower.
¥Geothermal energy taps theEarth’s internal heat, carried bysteam or hot water. It can gen-erate electricity or be useddirectly to heat and cool build-ings.
And energy-efficient technolo-gies minimize the energy usedto perform work, whether it berunning a car or lighting ahome.
Why Is CleanEnergy Goodfor Colorado?Renewable energy and energyefficiency benefits the state inmany ways.
Environmental Benefits
Renewable energy technolo-gies are clean sources of ener-gy that have a much lowerenvironmental impact thanconventional energy technolo-gies. Energy-efficient tech-nologies minimize convention-al energy use and greatlyreduce environmental impacts.
Energy for Eternity
Although projections varywidely, no one disputes thatwe will eventually run out offossil fuels. Renewable energywill not run out as long as thesun shines on the Earth.
Jobs and the Economy
Most clean energy investmentsare spent on materials andworkmanship to build andmaintain renewable energyfacilities and energy-efficientequipment, rather than on ener-gy imports. Colorado’s cleanenergy investments can bemade within our state. Thismeans energy dollars stay hometo create jobs and fuel localeconomies, rather than goingout of the state or overseas.
To put it simply, Coloradanshave many clean energy choicesthat are available today at rea-sonable cost. Most of us canpurchase wind-generated elec-tricity from our electric utilities.All of us can save money bypurchasing energy-efficientappliances and using energywisely at home. Those of us inremote areas can benefit todayfrom solar and wind electricity
Clean energy willhelp us keep
Colorado’s envi-ronment beautifulfor many genera-
tions to come.
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David P
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generation. And we can alldrive fuel-efficient cars andtrucks, or even purchase alter-native fuel and hybrid electricvehicles.
This booklet will tell you whatyour clean energy choices are,where they are being used inColorado today, and provideyou with contacts to help youobtain more detailed informa-tion. Since we have the power,let’s make it clean power.
For more information:
Clean EnergyBasics—National RenewableEnergy Laboratory
www.nrel.gov/clean_energy
Provides a definition of thedifferent kinds of renewableenergy and how they can beused in the future.
Governor’s Office of EnergyManagement andConservation (OEMC)
www.state.co.us/oemc
OEMC is the lead agency forenergy efficiency issues in thestate.
Colorado Energy
www.coloradoenergy.org
Provides information aboutevents, programs, legislation,publications, and other infor-mation related to clean energyin Colorado. This Web site isfunded by the OEMC.
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Today, Colorado consumerscan choose two types of renew-able energy for their electricity:wind and solar. Other types ofrenewable energy, such ashydropower and landfill gas(methane), are mature tech-nologies and already form partof the electricity generationsystem. These types of renew-able energy technologies arenot marketed separately asclean energy in Colorado as inother states. Other types ofrenewable energy electricitygeneration, such as geothermal,mixing biomass with coal(cofiring), and some types ofsolar technologies (concentrat-ing solar power), do not yetoperate commercially inColorado. Nevertheless theycould based on the experiencein other states of operating andmarketing them to consumersas clean energy.
Wind PowerYou have most likely seenColorado wind power in actionon TV newscasts. ThePonnequin Wind Facility,located in northeasternColorado, provides up to 20megawatts of power to more
than 15,000 customers, includ-ing 300-plus commercial cus-tomers and four wholesale cus-tomers—making it the largestand most successful utilitygreen-pricing program in thecountry.
Through Windsource, PublicService Company of Coloradooffers residential and businesscustomers blocks of 100kilowatt-hours (kWh), witheach block priced slightlyabove existing electric rates.Customers can choose howmany blocks of wind energythey would like to purchase upto 100% of their electric load.One block is approximately15% of an average home’selectric usage. The averagehome in Colorado uses 600kWh of electricity each month.
Public Service Co.’sWindsource is the largest, butnot the only, such program, inColorado. Twenty utilities offertheir customers the option tochoose wind energy, includingColorado Springs Utilities andHoly Cross Energy, which pur-chase wind power from PublicService Co.; and the municipalutilities of Fort Collins,Loveland, Longmont, andEstes Park, which purchase
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GR
EEN POWER
IS CLEAN POWER
wind power from the PlatteRiver Power Authority. InAspen and Glenwood Springs,the municipal utilities providewind power to all customers aspart of their regular electricservice. In addition, 14 ofTri-State Generation andTransmission Association’s 32-member rural electricity coop-eratives also offer wind powerto their customers.
Today the majority ofColorado electricity consumershave wind power as an optionfrom their electric power com-panies.
While the use of wind energyis growing rapidly, there isroom for much more.Colorado, like all of the statesthat occupy the Great Plains,has a large wind energyresource. According to theNational Renewable EnergyLaboratory (NREL) in Golden,our state has enough windenergy to supply 9% of theelectricity consumption of thelower 48 states. In this calcula-tion, urban areas, wetlands,parklands, and national forestsare excluded from wind power
For more information:
Wind Power: Clean Energy for Colorado
www.cogreenpower.org
Sign up with one of Colorado’s powercompanies offering wind energy under agreen-pricing program or find out moreabout wind energy.
Public Service Company of Colorado
www.ncenergies.com1.800.824.1688Sign up for Windsource.
Clean Energy Basics—NREL
www.nrel.gov/clean_energy/wind.html
Has a more detailed explanation about howwind energy works with links to resourcesfor homeowners, business owners, and stu-dents and teachers.
U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE)Energy Efficiency and Renewable EnergyWind Page
www.eren.doe.gov/RE/wind.html
Provides links to publications, research,industry associations, and information aboutwind projects around the country. Or callDOE’s Energy Efficiency and RenewableEnergy Clearinghouse hotline at1.800.363.3732 for free fact sheets onwind energy.
Public ServiceCo.’s PonnequinWind Facility,located near I-25and the Wyomingborder, isColorado’s firstutility-scale windpower plant.
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development. With a largeresource in the state and lowcosts compared with othersources of renewable energy,wind is poised to make amajor contribution to the envi-ronment and future economyof the state.
Solar Power Electricity from the sun isbecoming an increasinglyviable option for Coloradoconsumers. Coloradans inter-ested in generating their ownelectricity using solar-electricphotovoltaic (PV) technologyhave been waiting in line toparticipate in the Solar RebateProgram. Funded by theGovernor’s Office of EnergyManagement andConservation, the ColoradoSolar Energy IndustriesAssociation ran the successfulprogram in 1998 and 1999 togive rebates to more than 70installations on homes.Altogether, more than 100families applied for rebates.
PV Goes Mainstream
As of January 2000, more than100 Coloradans have chosen togenerate their own electricityusing solar-electric PV tech-nology, while remaining con-nected to the utility powergrid. Thanks to dramatic pricedrops and growing consumerinterest in clean energy optionsthat offer self-sufficiency, PVtechnology is becoming morepopular. The technology isoften the cheapest source ofpower for small and stand-alone applications, but hasonly recently become afford-able to homeowners.
A number of Colorado electricutilities have even begun offer-ing voluntary incentives totheir customers who choosesolar electricity to meet someor even all of their householdelectrical needs. PublicService Co., Fort CollinsUtilities, Holy Cross Energy,Colorado Springs Utilities andDelta Montrose ElectricAssociation offer retail creditto their customers who feedexcess solar electricity backinto the utility power lines.Public Service Co. has teamedup with Altair Energy, aGolden-based energy servicecompany, to offer turnkeysolar electric services throughan unregulated program calledSolarsource
sm.
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The RenewableEnergy Trust sup-ported installationof these PV-inte-
grated roofingshingles at the
Mount EvansObservatory in1997. The roof
generates about65% of the elec-tricity needed bythe observatory.
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A Shining Example
In February 1999, the AspenCommunity Office forResource Efficiency, the Cityof Aspen and Holy CrossEnergy launched Sun PowerPioneers, the first solar pro-duction incentive program inthe country. Participatingbusinesses and homeownerswho install a grid-connectedphotovoltaic (PV) system arepaid a solar production incen-tive of $0.25/kWh. Incentivesare capped at $3,000 per sys-tem, and the production incen-tive is good for three years.
The goal of Sun PowerPioneers is to install 30 to 60kilowatts (kW) of grid-connected PV in the Aspenarea.
Solar on Schools
PV systems are going up onschools around the state. Theinstallations are funded by theGovernor’s Office of EnergyManagement and Conservation,the Utility PhotoVoltaic Group(UPVG), and Public ServiceCo.’s Renewable Energy Trust.The Trust is a special taxdeductible fund created todevelop renewable energysources for nonprofit, educa-tional use across Colorado. Itis managed by the DenverFoundation and supportedthrough contributions byPublic Service Co. customerson their monthly utility
bills. Today 12,000 PublicService Co. customers con-tribute a few pennies eachmonth to make the programpossible.
Because of these contributions,26 school buildings now boastthe latest in PV technology ontheir rooftops. The systemsare typically rated at 2 kW andcost $20,000 to install. Thesystems reduce the utility billsof the school and support sci-ence curriculum for students.Each PV system comes with acomputerized display so stu-dents can track electricity gen-eration and weather dataminute by the minute.
Teachers take advantage of theschools’ solar systems to explainthe physics of solar energy, theelectromagnetic spectrum, howthe components of PV systemsfunction, and more. Accordingto Bill Alley, principal ofCarbondale Elementary School,"The solar electric system on ourschool will allow our students tolearn firsthand about an impor-tant natural resource, the sun."
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This 2-kW PVsystem mount-ed on the roofof the PowellMiddle Schoolin Littletonmeets some ofthe electricityneeds of theschool andprovides stu-dents opportu-nities to learnabout solarenergy.
Altair E
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In addition to schools, the Trustinstalled 35 renewable energyprojects for use by nonprofitagencies and community organi-zations throughout the state.
HydroelectricPowerHydropower is the largestsource of renewable energy forboth Colorado and the entirecountry as a whole. About 4%of Colorado’s electricity comesfrom hydroelectric generatingstations, mostly from a handfulof large dams built by the U.S.Bureau of Reclamation in the1950s and 1960s.Theoretically, any flow ofwater from a higher to lowerelevation can be used to gener-ate electricity, including damsand pipelines. Small-hydroprojects avoid the environmen-tal problems of habitat destruc-tion and fish mortality normal-ly associated with large dams.
Several cities that obtain theirdrinking water from mountainsources also generate electrici-ty from small-hydro stationson their municipal water sup-ply systems. Boulder beganusing hydropower almost 20years ago, and it has proven tobe very popular because itlowers water costs to the city.Including one facility underconstruction, there are sevengenerating stations on theBoulder water supply provid-
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For more Information:
Public Service Co.
www.ncenergies.com1.800.824.1688
Provides information about how tomake a contribution to theRenewable Energy Trust and howto apply for funding.
Colorado Consumers Guide toPurchasing a Solar ElectricSystem , published by OEMC in1998.
www.state.co.us/oemc/pubs/conguide/index.htm.
For a list of lenders and brokerswho will finance a PV system ona home, visit
www.state.co.us/oemc/pubs/pvlenders/index.htm.
The Colorado Solar EnergyIndustries Association
www.coseia.org1.800.633.9764
Provides information about solarinstallations and contractors in thestate.
Altair Energy-Solar SchoolsProgram
www.coloradosunshine.com/alliances/school.htm
Describes services provided toschools by the Renewable EnergyTrust.
Schools Going Solar
www.schoolsgoingsolar.org
Lists suggested classroom activi-ties of other utility-school partner-ships across the country.
PV systems operate almost anywhere. The system output varies less than 15% fromthe best solar resource in the state to the worst. Most days in Colorado are sunny,but even on cloudy days PV systems produce about 25% of their output.
This map represents average output for a 1-kW system facing south tilted toward thesky at the angle of the latitude, typical for a rooftop application. To estimate the year-ly output for a system of a different size, multiply by the system rating (kW). Take,for example, a 2-kW system located in Durango. Using the average retail price ofelectricity in the state as $.074 per kWh, you can calculate the number of years topay for the cost of the system, simple payback, as follows
System Rating Yearly Output Yearly Savings Simple Payback
2 kW 4,200 kWh $310 20 to 40 years
Electricity Production from a 1-kilowattGrid-Connected PV System
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This mountain home features a3.6 kilowatt (kW) PV systemthat meets about 50% of the
family’s household electricneeds and provides back-uppower to the family’s criticalappliances during weather-related utility outages. Thefamily receives credit from
Public Service Co. for excesssolar electricity they sell back
to the utility.
Altair E
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ing more than 11,000 kW ofelectric power. Today the cityof Boulder generates enoughelectricity at its small-hydrostations to supply 7% of thecity’s needs.
Biomass PowerBiomass is the second largestsource of renewable energy inthe country and makes a smallcontribution to Colorado’senergy mix. Just about any-thing that is, or once was a liv-ing organism can be classifiedas biomass—forestry residues,grasses, and animal wastes.Biomass has been used to cre-ate bioenergy in the form ofelectricity and liquid fuels.Today there are a three typesof biomass facilities operatingin the state, including biogasfrom landfills, wastewaterfacilities, and animal farms.Potentially trash wood current
ly going to landfills could alsobe used for energy.
Biogas
Colorado has four biogas facili-ties that harvest methane pro-duced from the decompositionof biomass in landfills andwastewater treatment facilities.Common bacteria that appearin nature consume the wasteand produce methane.Methane is a very powerfulgreenhouse gas that can beharmful to the environment andhealth if left to vent to theatmosphere. However, whencontained, it is quite suitablefor producing heat and electric-ity, much the same as naturalgas. One landfill methanerecovery plant is operating inLittleton, and a total of threewastewater recovery plants areoperating in Denver andBoulder. They range in sizefrom 200 kW in Boulder to8,000 kW in Denver.
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The city ofBoulder obtains
the equivalent of7% of its energy
from small hydro-electric facilities,such as this one
at the BetassoWater Treatment
Facility.
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Animal Farms
Animal manure can present anenvironmental problem whenit is concentrated on large-scale animal feedlots. But thisanimal manure was onceplants and grains; thus, it isbiomass that can be source ofclean energy when convertedto a gas in an anaerobicdigester and combusted in aturbine generator. The anaero-bic digester uses bacteria tobreak down the manure, pro-ducing gas in much the sameway as a municipal treatmentfacility does.
Colorado has one animal feed-lot facility near Lamar thatoperates an anaerobic digesterto produce energy from animalwaste. In general, such facili-ties are not as common inNorth America as they are in
other parts of the world.While there are fewer than 100such facilities operating in theUnited States, there are morethan 600 operating in Europeand as many as a millionsmall-scale facilities in Asia.
Nevertheless, a small numberof owners in Colorado areinvestigating the practicality ofturning manure into energy,especially after passage ofAmendment 14 in the 1998election regulating the opera-tion of hog farms. TheGovernor’s Office of EnergyManagement and Conservationis currently assessing techni-cal, economic, and environ-mental aspects of biogas-to-energy possibilities at com-mercial swine production cen-ters in the state.
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Solar Troughs
Parabolic troughs collect the sun s energy as heat for generating electricity in a conventionalsteam turbine.
Used Wood in Urban Areas
A recent study sponsored byDOE suggests that the amountof used wood in urban areas isproportional to the size of thelocal population. Wood trashcomes from industries that useand then dispose of woodproducts, such as beams andstuds used in construction, pal-lets used in trucking, and eventree trimmings. Most of thisused wood winds up in land-fills.
This wood going to landfillscan potentially be used forelectricity production. Severalutilities in the East are con-ducting experiments with mix-ing used wood in small per-centages with coal in theirpower plants.
ConcentratingSolar PowerOne type of solar power tech-nology marketed in Californiahas the potential to operate justas well in Colorado. Calledconcentrating solar power, thetechnology combines the envi-ronmental benefits of solarwith the control of natural gaspower generation. Suchhybrids, combinations of con-ventional and newly develop-ing solar technologies, areclean energy options to consid-er for the near future.
Today, concentrating solar pan-els are used at a small numberof locations in Colorado,including the Adams CountyDetention Center in Aurora andthe Jefferson County buildingin Golden. These —facilitiesuse the concentrating systemsto generate hot water for show-ers, laundry and other needs,but not for electricity.
The principle these systemsoperate on, however, is similarto those that generate electrici-ty. Sunlight is focused alongthe (focal) line of series of par-abolic mirrors. For electricitygeneration, more mirror areaand higher concentrations ofsunlight generate steam insteadof hot water. The steam runsthrough a conventional turbinegenerator to produce electrici-ty. When it is cloudy, gas-firedbackup burners kick in to gen-erate the steam.
The world’s only operationalconcentrating solar powerplants are located in theMojave Desert near Barstow,California. Altogether there arenine such power stations with acombined rated capacity of 350megawatts that have beenoperating since the 1980s.They take advantage of thelarge amount of direct sunlightavailable in the Mojave Desert.
A similar solar resource existsthroughout the southwesternUnited States, including theSan Luis Valley and Four
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Corners regions in southernColorado. In Alamosa, forexample, each square meterreceives about 2,500 kWhper year of direct sunlight,90% as much as Barstow.
Although feasible, no plansare currently underway tobuild a concentrating solarpower plant in southernColorado. The main reasonis cost. The average (lev-elized) cost of electricityfrom such a plant would beabout $0.13 per kWh, sub-stantially more than the aver-age cost from conventionalpower plants and almosttwice the average retail priceof electricity in Colorado.The cost of concentratingsolar power is not, however,more than some green powerprograms already operatingin Colorado or other states.Whether concentrating solarpower can become a viableoption for Colorado con-sumers remains an openquestion for now.
GeothermalEnergyGeothermal energy, alreadythe third largest source ofrenewable electricity in thecountry, is a promisingresource in the West. Whereavailable, geothermal energycan provide electricity orinexpensive heating forhomes and other buildings.
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For more information:
DOE’s Denver RegionalOffice
www.eren.doe.gov/dro303.275.4826
Provides information aboutbiomass development anddemonstration projects sup-ported by the WesternRegional Biomass EnergyProgram.
Governor’s Office of EnergyManagement andConservation
www.state.co.us/oemc/programs/wetlands.htm
For information on a programfor using constructed wetlandsto treat wastewater at livestockfarms.
Green Power Network
www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower
For information on green elec-tricity markets and utilitygreen pricing programs aroundthe country.
Colorado RenewableEnergy Society
www.cres.gen.co.us303.806.5317
Colorado’s home designers,builders, and homeowners arenational leaders when it comesto clean energy systems. Theclean energy combination ofrenewable energy systems,energy-efficient design andenergy-efficient appliances (likethose with an Energy Star¤label) can reduce utility billsand help us maintain Colorado’shigh environmental standard farinto the future.
Over the past two years, homebuilders have constructed morethan $1 billion worth of "greenhomes" in Colorado, far morethan any other state in thenation. These homes are part ofthe Built Green Colorado pro-gram, sponsored by theColorado Home BuildersAssociation and other regionalhome builders, Public ServiceCo., E-Star¤ Colorado, and the
Governor’s Office of EnergyManagement and Conservation.Built Green Colorado homesmust meet strict energy efficien-cy and water conservation stan-dards.
Each registered home mustreceive an energy rating of atleast four stars (80 points ascertified by E-Star¤ Colorado)or be built to national ModelEnergy Code 1993 standards.The E-Star¤ Colorado pro-gram, conducted by the state-supported Energy Rated Homesof Colorado, gives E-Star¤energy ratings for both new andexisting homes. The E-Star¤energy rating is a scoreexpressed on a scale from 0 to100 points, and can be thoughtof as a residential miles-per-gal-lon sticker. E-Star¤ evalua-tions have been done on almost5,000 Colorado homes, both oldand new, since 1995.
A Built Green or E-Star¤ com-pliant home is energy efficient,comfortable, and economical torun. The rating can help homebuyers and owners more easilyqualify to purchase energy-efficient homes or make energy-efficient improvements in thepurchase, home equity, or refi-nancing process.
CLE
ANENERGY
AT HOME
This McStainEnterprises home
at LexingtonFairway in
Lafayette is anenergy-efficient,
single-family homeconstructed using
Colorado BuiltGreen criteria.
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ClimateResponsiveand SolarArchitecture Colorado homeowners andbuilders have a wide range ofchoices when it comes toincorporating clean energysystems into their homes andbuildings.
Everything from the materialsused to build the exterior enve-lope to the insulation, roofoverhangs, landscaping,siding, heating and coolingsystems, lighting, and appli-ances and equipment that serv-ice the building can add to orminimize its overall energyuse. Several federal and stateprograms around Colorado arepromoting the concept of the"whole house" strategy, tyingall of these componentstogether to create high per-formance clean energysystems.
In Clear Creek County,Colorado, Otto Van Geet is theproud owner of a high
performance home. Builtusing Van Geet’s own architec-tural design, the home is locat-ed at an altitude of 9,200 feet.The passive solar home is con-structed with dry-stack con-crete blocks. Some of thehomes energy-efficient fea-tures include:
¥1,200-watt PV systemfor electricity
Appliances and equipment with theEnergy Star¤ label can help yousave energy and money in your homeor business.
For more information:
Energy Star¤U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency, and DOE
www.energystar.gov888.STAR.YES (782.7937)
For information on energy-effi-cient appliances and equip-ment.
American Council for anEnergy-Efficient Economy
www.aceee.org
For a list of the most efficientappliances, information on effi-ciency standards and technolo-gies for buildings, and publica-tions. See, for example,Consumers Guide to HomeEnergy Savings, 1999, ataceee.org/consumerguide/index.htm.
Energy Rated Homesof Coloradowww.e-star.com1.800.877.8450
Rate your own home or contacta professional to come do itfor you.
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¥Active solar water-heatingfor domestic hot water andheating
¥Passive solar design for heat-ing
¥Energy-efficient lightingusing T-8 and compact fluores-cent lights.
Because of the home s smallcooling requirements, nocooling system is needed.Natural ventilation cools the-home in the summer. Anactive solar water-heatingsystem and wood-burningstove provide heating in thewinter.
(Top)
The Van Geet resi-dence in Idaho
Springs obtainsthe majority of its
energy needs fromthe sun.
(Bottom)
This energy-effi-cient home in
Broomfield fea-tures low-e win-
dows; radiant floorheating; highly effi-
cient furnace,water heater,andengineered wood
wall framing.
For more information:
DOE’s Solar BuildingsProgram
www.eren.doe.gov/solar-buildings/sbm.html
For calculating savingsfrom a solar hot water sys-tem at your house.
Colorado Solar EnergyIndustries Association
www.coseia.or1.800.633.9764
Find a contractor or find outabout cost and performanceof specific systems.
DOE’s Office of BuildingTechnology, State andCommunity Programs
www.eren.doe.gov/buildings
A great source of informa-tion on energy efficiencyand low-energy buildings.
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BuildingAmerica:ColoradoWonderland Custom Builders isone Colorado home buildermoving toward high perform-ance housing. Wonderland par-ticipates in DOE’s BuildingAmerica program, which unitesmembers of the building indus-try in an effort to produce high-er quality, more energy-efficienthomes. The primary goals ofthe program are to reduce ener-gy use, construction time, andwaste by as much as 50% with-out increasing costs. In additionto improving the quality andperformance of today’s homes,
research conducted by BuildingAmerica teams provides valu-able information for homes ofthe future.
Wonderland Custom Buildershas completed construction ofits 3,500 sq.ft. house at itsBroadlands development, whichwas featured in the 1999Denver Parade of Homes. Thisprototype home includes severalenergy-efficient features: low-ewindows; radiant floor heating;highly efficient furnace andwater heater; and engineeredwood wall framing. The houseuses significantly fewer build-ing resources to achieve energysavings of 20% to 50% oversimilar houses built to meetconventional standards.
This home inGolden haseight solarpanels on itssouth-facingroof that pro-vide heat foran 80-gallondomestic hotwater tankand 400 gal-lons of waterfor homeheating.
Dave P
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Solar Hot Water System Production Per Unit of Collector Rating
This map shows the thermal output of a solar hot water system in metric units based on a per-unit rating of the capacity of the solar panels (per thousand British thermal units per day[kBtu/d]). You can compare this output with that of a conventional electric water heater.
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Solar water-heating systems have solar collectors that face the sun. The systemseither heat the water directly or heat a working fluid that, in turn, heats the water.The solar-heated water moves by pumping (active) or by convection (passive)through a system of pipes that supply hot water and heat to a home. In mostcases, your solar system will have a conventional gas or electric back-up system.
Using the sun to heat your water saves you money on your monthly utility bill.Because Colorado has a warm, sunny climate, we can tap the power of the sun tomeet most of our hot water needs. Once the higher initial costs ($1,500-$3,000) ofyour solar water-heating system are recovered through lower utility bills, you’ll savemoney for the remainder of the system’s lifetime. When cost is included as part ofa mortgage on a new home, solar water-heating systems can often increase ahomeowner’s monthly cash flow from the first day of ownership.
Take, for example, a solar hot water heater consisting of two solar panels with a com-bined system rating of 30 kBtu/day located in Pueblo.
The panels are mounted on a roof facing south and tilted toward the sky at theangle of the latitude. In Colorado’s sunny climate, this would be sufficient to supplyabout 70% of the hot water needs of a family of four. The savings are:
System Rating Yearly Output Annual Savings Simple Payback
30 kBtu/day 3,600 kWh thermal $266 6 - 12 years
GeothermalHeat PumpsMany parts of Colorado oftenexperience seasonal weatherextremes, from scorching heatin the summer to sub-zerotemperatures in the winter. Yeta few feet below the Earth’ssurface, the ground remains ata relatively constant tempera-ture. Because of these seasonaltemperature extremes,Colorado is an excellent placefor use of geothermal orground-source heat pumps(GHPs).
A GHP system works by mov-ing the heat from the earth (ora groundwater source) intoyour home in the winter,pulling the heat from the houseand discharging it into theground in the summer. Like acave, the ground temperatureis warmer than the air above itduring the winter and coolerthan the air in the summer.Heat pumps use undergroundpiping loops, installed vertical-ly or in horizontal trenches100 to 400 feet below thesurface.
While the initial purchaseprice of a heat pump is oftenhigher than that of a compara-ble gas-fired furnace and cen-tral air-conditioning system, itconsumes 25% to 75% lessenergy.
This is because heat pumpsdeliver three times more ener-gy in the form of heating andcooling to the home as theyconsume in electricity.
For example, a geothermalheat pump system costs rough-ly $7,500 for a 3-ton unit, atypical residential size. Incomparison, conventionalheating and cooling systemswith a similar capacity wouldcost about $4,000 to $5,000.When included in the mort-gage, however, the homeownerhas a positive cash flow fromthe beginning because of themonthly savings on energy.
For more information:
The Geothermal HeatPump Consortium
www.ghpc.org,1.800.255.4436
Provids extensive informationon heat pumps.
19
Small solar and wind electricsystems often make sense forColorado farmers and ranch-ers. They are often the cheap-est and most reliable way toprovide water for irrigationand animals, power outbuild-ings, or secure fences. Withthe cost of conventional powerline installation at as much as$10,000 per mile from a utili-ty, an investment of $200 to$5,000 in a solar or windpower generator makes moresense.
Portable PV Well Pump
Eastern Colorado ranchers,like John Buol, are alwayslooking for better ways to getwater to their thirsty livestockherds. When Buol wanted tolease a pasture near the BonnyReservoir, he talked to a drillerabout using photovoltaics (PV)to pump water from an oldwell next to a fallen windmill.The driller, Wayne Parrish, hadbeen working with PV-pow-ered pumping systems for awhile. Parrish put together asimple portable system with a340-watt PV panel and adirect-current motor attachedto a pump-jack all mounted ona trailer. The system’s totalcost was $5,000. According toBuol, "You just pull the trailerup to the well, tie it up to thepump rod, and pump the water.
PV Electric Fences
Don Curry believes electricfences are the best way to keephis cattle where he wants them.They are more efficient, cheap-er, and safer than the 5-wirebarbed fence commonly usedby ranchers. But, they weren’talways practical.
SELF
20
GENERATIONFOR RANCHERSAND FARMERS
These ranch hands assembled John Buol s PV-poweredwater pump in just 20 minutes. When Buol moves hisherd to another pasture, he takes his pump with him.
Ric
k H
inric
ks, B
ould
er, C
olor
ado
Tying the fences into the powergrid was cost-prohibitive, andbattery-operated fences don’tlast long enough on a largeranch. PV chargers seemed tobe the way to go for Curry. "Itjust doesn’t pay to keep chang-ing batteries up there everyother day or so," said Curry."These solar chargers last allsummer and longer. I’ve hadthree of them here for threeyears—same systems, same bat-teries." The 3-watt PV panelscharge the 6-volt rechargeablegel-cell batteries for up to 21days, and installation of thecharger takes about threeminutes, according to Curry.
Rural Electric Co-opsProfit from PV
After winter storms broke 645 poles on itselectricity lines in 1988, K.C. ElectricCooperative in Hugo was looking for alter-natives. K.C.’s 90 miles of lines to stockwells were costing them more in mainte-nance than they could recover from fees.The co-op decided it was time to considerusing PV.
K.C. installed solar-electric systems thatoperate reliably and pump water for live-stock the day after a winter storm or dur-ing the hot, calm days of summer. The co-op owns and maintains the systems, andcharges customers a flat monthly fee,depending on the size of the system.Ranchers like the PV pumping systemsbecause they can be located where theyare needed, no matter how remote. Theyoperate consistently.
This portable PV system pumps 1.75 gallons perminute from a 60-foot well to fill a remote stock tank.
For more information:
National RenewableEnergy Laboratory
www.nrel.gov/pvcall 303.275.4363.
To obtain a copy ofElectricity When and
Where You Need It: Fromthe Sun—Photovoltaics forFarms and Ranches ,January 1997,NREL/BR-412/21732.
Colorado Solar EnergyIndustries Association
www.coseia.org1.800.633.9764
Provides information aboutequipment suppliers.
K.C
. Electric C
ooperative, PIX
- 03396
21
Small WindTurbinesColorado settlers in the 19thcentury used water-pumpingwindmills to bring water tothirsty farms and ranches.Today, windmills still servethis function. However, due toadvances in technology, thewind is now being used togenerate electricity as well.
Small wind turbines are rela-tively simple and hardy piecesof machinery. They consist ofa turbine, blades, a tower,wiring, and associated electri-cal equipment. For remotehomes and stand-alone opera-tions, small wind turbinesmight use a battery for energystorage. Or for grid-tied sys-tems, they will come with aninverter to interconnect withthe utility.
Tower height is very importantfor wind turbines becausewind speeds increase withheight, and the available windpower increases exponentiallywith wind speed.
You can estimate what a smallwind system will produce at acertain location if you knowthe average wind speed. Amanufacturer will be able totell you the output to expectfrom a particular turbine.
For more information:
DOE’s Wind EnergyProgram
www.eren.doe.gov/wind/homeowner.html
Provides information on smallwind energy systems forhomeowners and ranchers,including sections on econom-ics and wind energy basics.
Call DOE s EnergyEfficiency and RenewableEnergy Clearinghouse(EREC) at 1.800.363.3732 fora free short brochure on smallwind systems.
American Wind EnergyAssociation (AWEA)
www.awea.org/smallwind.html202.383.2500
For industry standards onequipment and a list of hard-ware suppliers. AWEA, alsohas numerous publicationsavailable, such as WindPower for Home andBusiness , and an instructivetitled, An Introduction toResidential Wind Systems .
22
This home in Boulder County obtains most of itselectricity from a small wind rated at 3-kW and a PV
system rated at 8.6 kW. The home has all electricappliances, including a geothermal heat pump forheating and cooling, a range, a washer and dryer,
and even an electric car.
Jim G
reen, NR
EL, P
IX - 09074
The map presents output for a 1-kW system;for systems of different sizes multiply theresult by the rated capacity of the turbine.The following assumptions were used to esti-mate small wind turbine productivity: wind tur-bine tower height is assumed to be 82 feet(25 m). Wind turbine sites are assumed to beflat with good exposure to prevailing winds
Example
For a 10-kW wind turbine in Sterling, using theaverage retail cost of electricity in the state forresidential customers of $0.074 per kWh: This 10-kilowatt wind turbine designed to
supply most of the electricity for anaverage electric home in areas with anaverage wind speed of 12 mph.
Yearly Electricity Production from a 1-kW WindSystem in Colorado
Colorado R
enewable R
esource Database
Colorado R
enewable R
esource Database, P
IX - 02102
23
10 kW 23,700- 28,500 kWh $1,754-2,109 18-22 years
Rating Expected Yearly Output Yearly Savings Typical Payback
One of the most importantenvironmental decisions wemake as consumers is how wetransport ourselves from placeto place. Exhaust from carsand trucks on Colorado road-ways is one of the leadingsources of regional air pollutionand the buildup of greenhousegases in the atmosphere.Vehicle exhaust has grownsteadily cleaner over the last 20years, but the fact is, there aremore vehicles on the road, andthose vehicles drive more milesthan ever before.
As individuals, we can lessenthe environmental impact ofour transportation choicesthrough two approaches: reduc-ing the miles we travel in ourown vehicles, and making themiles we do travel as clean andefficient as possible.
How do we reduce our milestraveled when we need to get towork, run errands, or take ourchildren to school and soccer?
We can take mass transit,walk, bike, carpool, movecloser to work, or telecom-mute. These are familiar alter-natives, but they’re as impor-tant as ever before.
Clean CitiesIt takes cooperation amongmany organizations to helpclean up the air. The U.S.Department of Energy s CleanCities program is bringingbroad coalitions of state andlocal governments, car manu-facturers, fuel suppliers, andnonprofit organizations toaddress the transportation sec-tor s contribution to pollution.
Clean Cities encourages theuse of Alternative FuelVehicles (AFVs) that run oncleaner fuels. These fuelsinclude natural gas, ethanol,methanol, liquified natural gas,and even electricity.
In Colorado, Clean Cities hasthree coalitions working forcleaner air located in:
Denver
Colorado Springs
Weld and Larimer Countiesand Rocky Mountain
National Park
These coalitions are provingthat AFVs are not concept carsof the future, they are availabletoday and are being used bythousands of Coloradans.
NEW
TRANSPORTATIONOPTIONS
24
AFVs need special fuelingstations, and there are manyalready in service in Coloradoand across the country. InColorado alone, there are near-ly 150 alternative fuel stations.Your local gas station mayeven sell alternative fuels.Most of the stations inColorado provide compressednatural gas and propane, butthere are a few ethanol and liq-uid natural gas stations aswell. AFVs are the right envi-ronmental and economic
choice for fleets and generalconsumers.
Denver’s 16th Street Mall
The 16th Street Mall in down-town Denver operates hybridelectric buses to transport busi-ness professionals, shoppers,and tourists from one side ofthe mall to the other. Thesefuel-efficient buses have beenoperational since mid-1999and have proven so effectivethat another 36 are on order.They are fueled with gasoline,
Colorado s Clean CorridorThe Clean Cities participants in Colorado (Colorado Springs, Denver, Weld and LarimerCounties, and Rocky Mountain National Park) have teamed together to develop a 170-mileClean Fuels Corridor that ensures ample alternative fuel stations from Colorado Springs to theWyoming border. The goal is to give AFV drivers plenty of refueling options to make their tripsas worry-free as they would be driving a gasoline-powered vehicle. There are 10 other CleanCities corridors across the country where consumers with AFVs can drive with confidence.
Compressed Natural Gas Fueling Stations
25
but use a battery pack thathelps with acceleration.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Poor air quality is not just acity issue. It also affectsnational parks and other ruralareas. Rocky MountainNational Park is dedicated tousing AFVs to help reduce airpollution and noise in certainareas. The park, a CleanCities participant, currentlyhas several compressed naturalgas vehicles and electric pick-up trucks in operation. Inaddition, the park is trying toreplace gas guzzling, polluting,and noisy snowmobile engineswith those that can run onalternative fuels.
RenewableFuelsTo ensure there is no air intheir beer, Coors BrewingCompany overfills each can itproduces at its facility in
Golden. This results in 22 mil-lion gallons per year of wasted7%-alcohol condensate. Coorshas joined forces with Merrick& Company and TotalPetroleum to recycle the con-densate to produce more than1.5 million gallons of 100%fuel-grade ethanol.
Total Petroleum uses theethanol as an oxygenate tomake cleaner-burning gasoline,which is distributed alongColorado s Front Range.Colorado law requires gasolinestations to sell oxygenated fuelduring the winter to combatcarbon monoxide pollution.Ethanol oxygenates are the sec-ond largest use of renewableenergy in the state. Ethanol isa cleaner fuel than gasolineand does not cause problemsto car engines.
New CarsIn early 2000, Honda’s Insightbecame the first hybrid electricvehicle (HEV) available inColorado. Toyota will soon fol-low suit when it introduces itsPrius HEV. An HEV runs onboth fuel and electricity. Ituses a small internal combus-tion engine or fuel cell in com-bination with a small batterypack to assist with accelerationand hill climbing. With thissetup, HEVs can achieve 70 to80 miles per gallon of gasoline.
In the near future,Daimler/Chrysler, Ford,General Motors, and others
Hybrid electricbuses transport
hundreds ofpeople each day
in Denver’sdowntown mall.
Denver currentlyoperates two
hybrid electricbusses runningon compressednatural gas and
has plans topurchase an
additional 34 inthe future.
26
War
ren
Gre
tz, N
RE
L, P
IX -
061
25
will introduce hybrids of their own.These cars are harbingers of a leapin automobile technology on its waythat will provide many clean trans-portation options to Colorado con-sumers.
Denver officials are followingBoulder’s example by using electricvehicles for city business. Boulderincorporated electric vehicles (EVs)into its city fleet in 1998. Denverdeveloped the "Take Charge" pro-gram in 1999 to include three EV’sin its automobile fleet. These smallneighborhood EVs look like bubble-shaped golf-carts.
"The city has a commitment to leadby example as it relates to alternativefuels," said Denver MayorWellington Webb. "This demonstra-tion project will help us to determinethe feasibility of EVs and also edu-cate the public about this excitingtechnology." The neighborhoodEVs carry two people, reach topspeeds of 25 miles-per-hour, and areequipped with global positioningsystems. They have a 40-milecapacity between charges and will belimited to traveling the streets indowntown Denver.
For more information:
DOE Alternative Fuel VehiclesBuyers Guide
www.fleets.doe.gov
For information on Colorado incen-tives and laws, select "incentives,"then "laws," and then search for"Colorado."
DOE’s Alternative FuelsData Center
www.afdc.doe.gov
Lists the locations of fuel stations onmaps with real-time data. You cansearch for a fuel type based on yourzip code, city, or state. You can alsozoom-in for more detail and find theaddress, phone, and other informa-tion about the fuel station.
DOE’s Clean Cities Program
www.ccities.doe.gov1.800.C.CITIES (334.8437)
For information on market-basedapproaches to adopting alternativefuels and vehicles.
The owner of thiscar, and one of thefirst individuals inColorado to buy ahybrid-electricvehicle, KevinEber, shows off hisnew Honda Insightto coworkers atthe NationalRenewable EnergyLaboratory inSpring 2000.
Eric M
anuel
27
CH
OO
SIN
G WISELYAt the beginning of the newmillennium, Coloradans havethe opportunity to create aplace for clean energy in ourfuture. "Colorado has one ofthe best renewable energyresource bases in the nation,"said Kristin Shewfelt ofMcStain Enterprises, aBoulder-based home builderand partner in DOE’s BuildingAmerica Program. "Ourstate’s leadership in these cut-ting-edge technologies of thefuture will help maintain botheconomic prosperity and envi-ronmental quality." McStain is a member of thenewly formed ColoradoCoalition for New EnergyTechnologies, consisting of 15businesses and non-profitorganizations supporting envi-ronmentally responsible eco-nomic growth through theefficient use of Colorado’sabundant and clean sources ofenergy. Shewfelt applauds theformation in of a nonpartisanRenewable Energy andEnergy Efficiency Caucus inthe state legislature inMarch 2000. As citizens, we can supportthese businesses and organiza-tions, incorporate clean ener-gy practices and products intoour lives, and make cleanenergy our energy of choice.
For more information:
Energy Efficiency andRenewable EnergyClearinghouse (EREC)
1.800.363.3732P.O. Box 3048Merrifield, VA 22116
EREC is the U.S. Departmentof Energy’s (DOE’s) sourcefor information and publica-tions on renewable energy andenergy efficiency.
Energy Efficiency andRenewable Energy Network(EREN)www.eren.doe.gov
EREN is the primary Web siteof the DOE’s Office of EnergyEfficiency and RenewableEnergy. Through this site youcan access the ConsumerEnergy Information site,www.eren.doe.gov/consumerinfo/for how to put renewableenergy to work in yourdaily life.
The Governor’s Office ofEnergy Management andConservation (OEMC)
www.state.co.us/oemc1.800.632.6662
OEMC is the lead agency onenergy efficiency issues inthe state.
28
This report was prepared as an account of worksponsored by an agency of the United Statesgovernment. Neither the United States govern-ment nor any agency thereof, nor any of theiremployees, makes any warranty, express orimplied, or assumes any legal liability or responsi-bility for the accuracy, completeness, or useful-ness of any information, apparatus, product, orprocess disclosed, or represents that its usewould not infringe privately owned rights.Reference herein to any specific commercialproduct, process, or service by trade name,trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does notnecessarily constitute or imply its endorsement,recommendation, or favoring by the United Statesgovernment or any agency thereof. The viewsand opinions of authors expressed herein do notnecessarily state or reflect those of the UnitedStates government or any agency thereof.
Available for a processing fee to U.S.Department of Energyand its contractors, in paper, from:DOE Office of Scientific and TechnicalInformation865.576.8401e-mail: [email protected]/bridge
Available for sale to the public, in paper, from:U.S. Department of CommerceNational Technical Information Service5285 Port Royal RoadSpringfield, VA 22161800.553.6847e-mail: [email protected]/ordering.htm
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