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Monthly Archives

June 2011

EE V IRS

By Energy Efficiency, Government, Investments, Tax Stuff, Utility Stuff 2 Comments
Warning: I am not a CPA or tax attorney, and I do not have 63 years available to determine for myself that all contents of this rant are correct. A couple years ago I wrote an Energy Brief about the need for life cycle cost analysis to make the right decisions for selecting the best option for an energy project.  Since that time, we haven’t exactly been living up to this ideal, in large part because we’ve been doing a lot of work for profit-driven enterprises. Life cycle cost analysis for non-profits is pretty easy.  It includes first cost, borrowing…
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Cheater Pumpkin Eater

By Energy Efficiency, Government, Utility Stuff No Comments
Many states have opt-out provisions for major consumers of energy so these consumers do not have to pay into EE programs.  The reasoning typically goes something like this: They are major users of energy so they naturally are going to cut energy cost to increase profit; they can take care of themselves They shouldn’t have to provide outside subsidies to these programs They don’t participate in the programs so why should they have to pay in The facts are these concessions are required to get EE laws (bills) through legislatures and/or governors. Consider that typical opt-out regulations require that these…
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Oh Behave

By Energy Efficiency 8 Comments
I swear we were introduced to the food pyramid when I was in grade school but a little web searching gives me just a couple – the one from 1992 and the new and improved one in 2005.The 1992 edition is shown in Figure 1.  If you can’t read it, good. The 2005 vertical colorful edition with the stickman and skewers for hands and feet is shown in Figure 2. For 2011 (Figure 3), the USDA has switched to this brilliant “plate” that looks like a pie chart developed by a group of kindergarteners employed by Microsoft, except I really…
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Michaels Energy, a division of Michaels Engineering

By Uncategorized No Comments
Michaels Energy, a division of Michaels Engineering La Crosse, WI - October 1, 2010 - Michaels Engineering is pleased to announce that its energy efficiency services will be delivered under a new name and logo, Michaels Energy. Michaels' Energy Division has grown in recent years to provide many energy program-related services that are an extension of our energy-efficiency engineering services.  These services include market potential studies and assessments, strategic development, and program design, development, management, and evaluation. As a division of Michaels Engineering, Michaels Energy will deliver the same industry-leading engineering and program services to utilities, consultants, regulators, and end-users…
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Michaels Energy Continues to Expand

By Uncategorized No Comments
Welcome Jacob and DJ! La Crosse, WI - April 1, 2011 - Michaels Energy is pleased to announce that in response to growing demand for energy efficiency program services throughout North America, two new team members have been hired. Jacob Brenner holds both Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.  While attending school, Jacob was a research assistant in the Solar Energy Laboratory and a cryogenics laboratory. He also held an internship with J.F. Ahern Company where he worked with the Energy Solutions Department to analyze the energy consumption of potential customers and find ways in which…
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Michaels Energy Opens Branch Office in Iowa

By Uncategorized No Comments
Michaels Energy Opens Branch Office in Iowa La Crosse, WI - April 5, 2011 - Michaels Energy is pleased to announce the opening of its branch office in Iowa, located at 201 1st Avenue SE (Hwy 151) in Cedar Rapids. Michaels continues to expand its portfolio of energy efficiency services for investor-owned and municipal utilities and their customers. Services provided include ASHRAE Level II energy assessments, retro-commissioning and system upgrade/replacement studies for commercial and industrial customers, program development and marketing, and impact evaluation; essentially, all phases of energy efficiency programs primarily for large commercial and industrial segments. Consistent with its commitment to sustainability and energy…
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Michaels Energy Launches New Series of Briefs

By Uncategorized No Comments
Michaels Energy Launches Energy Program Briefs Michaels has been providing Energy Briefs and LEED Briefs for over five years with over 100 published briefs to date. The content of these briefs has been technical in nature featuring energy efficient technologies, control strategies, design concepts, as well as separating fact from not-so-factual, or just plain fiction. A year ago, we expanded our briefs series to include a series specifically for industrial technologies, system design, and controls issues. Presently, we deliver three series of briefs: Energy (commercial), Energy (industrial), and LEED; one every two weeks on a rotational basis. The next iteration…
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Save the Date – May 12

By Uncategorized No Comments
Michaels Energy Open House in Cedar Rapids Michaels Energy is pleased to invite you to an Open House on May 12, 2011 at our new branch office in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Stop in to check out the new space, meet the staff working out of our newest office, and catch up with staff visiting from our La Crosse office. Date: Thursday, May 12, 2011 Time: 4pm - ? Place: Michaels Energy Cedar Rapids Office 201 1st Avenue SE (Hwy 151), Suite 200 Cedar Rapids, Iowa Appetizers and beverages will be provided. The staff at Michaels Energy is looking forward to this event and sharing…
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Machete to Sustainability

By Sustainability No Comments
This Geography guy really needs to get out of the classroom and the city for that matter once in a while.  Modern agriculture is probably demagogued and more poorly understood than energy efficiency, and since this opinion piece addresses both I will dispense with its shredding. I grew up on the farm 30 years ago in southern MN and northern IA, and I stay in touch spending a week each year reliving my childhood farming days.  My elder brothers still run the place.  They grow maybe 2,500 acres of corn and soybeans and raise and market maybe 25,000 hogs per…
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