Joel Zook, Energy Planner Home and Business owners thinking about upgrading their insulation, heating or cooling systems should act now before rebates lower, or disappear in early 2019. This article outlines the changes that are coming to the energy efficiency programs across Iowa. Iowa’s investor-owned utilities have filed plans for their 2019 energy efficiency programs. The proposed programs completely remove rebates for some measures (building insulation and high-efficiency boilers). Other proposed
Every September the WED office welcomes a new Green Iowa AmeriCorps team. This year four amazing women join the WED office for 11 months of home energy saving, community engagement, and helping northeast Iowans reduce their energy use. We are grateful to have such a positive, hardworking, dedicated members who come from diverse backgrounds. Throughout the year you’ll hear about their experiences here in the monthly newsletter. Read below to
Andy Johnson, Director The recent Global Warming of 1.5°C report, released by the prestigious Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on October 8, was a wake-up call to some. To many others, it was one more installment in 30+ years of science documenting the dangers of human-induced climate change, and the opportunity we still have (maybe) to protect a liveable world for our kids and grandkids. We’ll summarize key take-away’s from
Local organizations partner to host “member plus 1” film screening The Winneshiek Energy District (WED) and the Oneota Film Festival (OFF) will host a screening of the new documentary film Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution, directed by James Redford and featuring Mark Ruffalo, on Friday, November 2 at The Lingonberry, downtown Decorah. The doors will open at 6:30pm. The film will begin at 7:00pm and will be followed by a
October 9, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Scott Timm Iowa State University Extension and Outreach 515-291-2560 stimm@iastate.edu A workshop on home maintenance and weatherization techniques will be presented in the Upper Explorerland conference room, 325 Washington Street, at 6:30pm, October 18th. This workshop is meant to assist homeowners and renters learn more about building science, how to properly maintain their homes, and teach techniques for sealing up their properties to reduce
For the ninth year in a row, we are hosting a Green Iowa AmeriCorps team that helps us make progress toward our vision of having 100% Local, Renewable, Efficient Energy by 2050 through boots-on-the-ground work. We are excited to welcome a new team of Green Iowa AmeriCorps members. . Katherine, Briana, Maddy, and Gracie will serve from September 16, 2018 to August 16, 2019. They’ll do important work including: Providing home energy
1. Use the resources you have – be that wind, solar, or biomass – to fuel your life. Some examples: biking to work, electric cars charged by rooftop solar, high-efficiency wood stoves for heating, rooftop solar… 2. Support energy efficiency in your home and community – It’s a cheaper, easier, and cleaner to produce a small amount of local energy than a large amount. Your energy district can help in
The Winneshiek Energy District welcomes Carmen Finken from the University of Northern Iowa’s Center for Energy and Environmental Education to the monthly Energy Breakfast program on August 21st. Finken oversees Sustainable Schools AmeriCorps, a new program that serves as a resource and catalyst to help Iowa school districts save energy, save money and engage students in building a more sustainable future. The program will start at 7:30 AM at T-Bock’s
The Winneshiek Energy District unveiled a new web tool for twenty attendees at Tuesday’s July Energy Breakfast in T-Bocks Underground. While slices quiche got smaller and smaller, attendees saw large pie charts as web developer Brad Crawford showed the aptitude of the new Ag Energy Report tool. Ag Energy Report is an online calculator that shows the estimated total agricultural energy inputs across Iowa and by county. Crawford used data
Kristin Eggen, Communications Specialist This month, I caught up with Josie and Travis from Decorah Bicycles (DB) to hear about their E-Bikes, a new form of bicycle transportation that could be an innovative tool for those looking to decrease the carbon footprint of their around-town transportation. KE: Hi Josie, I’ve recently noticed a sign advertising E-bikes at Decorah Bicycles. I’m just going to ask straight out: what is an E-bike?