I’ll write this in first person because farewells – even temporary ones – are personal. Most good and meaningful work is also inseparable from our personal/family lives (my wife Emily might say too much so, but she can’t say it too loudly as she’s a Certified Nurse Midwife!) I’ve been leading Winneshiek Energy District since its inception from wide and deep community conversation in 2010. These conversations continue to grow
With the end of Alliant Energy’s renewable rebates on the horizon, Alliant customers should act NOW to save their spot in the rebate program. Solar panel prices are great right now, and non-Alliant energy customers (without rebates) are seeing excellent payback times on their systems. Really. We’ve said this before, but if you are thinking about installing solar panels, now is the time. Panel prices are at their lowest in years
If the sun shines on a solar panel but no one’s there to see it, does it make a watt? Ok, so that’s not so much an ancient proverb, but I think it’s fitting in our current day and age. Solar panels are being installed at a tremendous rate these days with fewer and fewer in high visibility locations. One might never know that there are over 80 kilowatts (kW)
“We got energized, so can you!” Over the past few years the Energy District has played a role in helping businesses, churches, organizations and others understand, plan and reduce their energy consumption. It’s not the typical mid-westerner approach, but we love helping you brag about it. We’ve created a nice poster display for those that have taken the initiative to get Energized! Keep an eye out because you’ll be seeing
There has never been a better time for installing a solar photovoltaic array on your house. Prices on solar panels have dropped steeply over the past few years, with more and more panels being produced. Incentives are great too. There is a federal income tax credit on 30% the installed cost of renewable energy (with no upper limit). Iowa has recently passed a state income tax credit for 15% of
Have you ever wondered how your home’s energy use stacked up against the universe of similar homes in your area, and how much improvement potential you have? Or have you been shopping for houses and wanted to compare a “miles per gallon” rating for houses? The issue of “Home Energy Scoring” has made significant progress in recent years, but is still in its infancy. Winneshiek Energy District is not satisfied
Decorah is on the map again for efforts in sustainable energy and climate change. This time the focus is not on the renewable energy itself but on the “solar renewable energy credits” (or SRECs) associated with the solar energy produced. SRECs are a form of carbon (or greenhouse gas emissions) trading, and though it’s a relatively new idea to Americans, even the Super Bowl is now involved. “The local trading
The Energy District recently joined a group 144 other non-profits and foundations across eight Midwestern states working on climate change and energy policy, all with a common goal of reducing global warming pollution economy-wide by 80% by 2050. RE-AMP brings environmental, labor, faith, youth, energy, conservation and other groups together to develop common priorities to achieve its goals in the areas of Clean Energy, Coal, Energy Efficiency, Global Warming Solutions, and Transportation. With a wide array of member
You’ve probably seen those yellow Energy Star labels on appliances, but did you know that entire buildings can also be awarded an Energy Star designation? Through 2012, the following seven buildings in Decorah have received this recognition, the first five through assistance from Winneshiek Energy District, an Energy Star Partner. First Lutheran Church Good Shepherd Lutheran Church First United Methodist Church of Decorah Erdman Engineering Ace Hardware Oneota Community Coop
Winneshiek Energy District is looking for a few good friends. “Make that a few hundred!” said Board member Jeni Grouws. “We’re super excited about what we’ve accomplished in our first two short years. We’re even more excited about what we can do going forward with tremendous community support through our first ever local fund drive.” The organization is appealing to the public to sign up as “Friends” of the District