Upcoming Renewable Energy and Conservation Tours

Lewistown Energy Tour
Wednesday, July 28, 2010, 1:30pm - 5:00pm
Cost: $10

Meeting location: Calvert Hotel, 216 7th Avenue North, Lewistown

To Register: Please call (406) 443-7272 to pre-register. Space is limited.

Highlights: 10 kilowatt wind turbine, 2.4 kilowatt wind turbine, solar thermal heating system, learn about grants, loans and rebates to finance renewable energy and conservation projects.

The Lewistown Energy Tour will visit a handful of different sites using different renewable energy systems. A financing seminar and introduction to renewable energy will kick off the tour and give participants a working knowledge of renewable energy technologies and available funding incentives. The tour will start at the Calvert Hotel, which recently installed a solar water heating system and a variety of energy efficiency measures during a remodel. We will also tour a 10 kilowatt wind turbine at the C. M. Russell Wildlife Refuge offices near the airport and will visit Fergus High School, where a 2.4 kW wind turbine was recently installed as a part of Montana State University's Wind for Schools Program.

Butte Energy Tour
Saturday September 11, 2010, 9:30am to 12:30pm
Cost: $10

Meeting location: National Center for Appropriate Technology, 3040 Continental Drive, Butte

To Register: Please call (406) 443-7272 to pre-register. Space is limited.

Highlights: Historic building renovated for Energy Efficiency, residential photovoltaic system, new passive solar design, learn about grants, loans and rebates to finance renewable energy and conservation projects.

Bozeman Energy Tour - Co-hosted with Refuge Sustainable Building Center
Saturday, October 2, 2010, 9:30am - 12:30pm
Cost: $10

Meeting location: TBA

To Register: Please call (406) 443-7272 to pre-register. Space is limited.

Highlights: Details coming soon.

Fort Benton Energy Tour
Friday, October 8, 2010, 1:30pm to 3:00pm
Cost: $5

Meeting location: TBA

To Register: Please call (406) 443-7272 to pre-register. Space is limited.

Highlights: 10 kilowatt wind turbine at grain processing facility; irrigation efficiency tips and funding ideas.

AERO's 2010 Energy Tours: Lewistown, Butte, Bozeman and Fort Benton tours are sponsored by NorthWestern Energy through the Universal System Benefits program, the National Center for Appropriate Technology, the Montana Renewable Energy Association, the Department of Environmental Quality and Refuge Sustainable Building Center.

Past Renewable Energy and Conservation Tours

• Havre Home Power Tour ~ Friday, September 11, 2009, 12:30pm - 4:30pm
• Helena Wastewater Treatment Facility ~ September 18, 2009, 9:30am - 12:30 pm
• Big Timber Renewable Energy on the Farm ~ Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 10:00am - 3:00pm
• 

Havre Home Power Tour
Friday, September 11, 2009, 12:30pm - 4:30pm
Cost: $10

Highlights: Net-metered solar home, 2.5 kW wind turbine, 2.5 kW solar array on sun tracker, financing seminar.

EXTRA! Tour MSU-Northern's Biodiesel Testing facility following the other events.

LOCATION CHANGE: Tour will meet in Room 209, Brockman Center on the MSU-Northern campus. From US Hwy 2 (1st St), turn south on 5th Ave, turn right on 13th St, turn Right on College Rd to park. Walk downhill to Brockman Center.

The Havre Home Power Tour will showcase a variety of renewable energy applications that make sense for a home, farm or business. Clay Vincent, host of one of the tour stops, will explain how with a combination of common sense conservation measures such as efficient light bulbs and using a clothesline instead of his dryer, he's able to meet nearly all of his electricity needs with roof top solar panels. The City of Havre will give details about two solar energy applications, one at City Hall and one at the Airport, that are helping to offset the municipality's utility bill.

The tour will also visit MSU-Northern's campus to learn about small wind turbines, including a 2.5 kilowatt turbine scheduled to be installed before the tour and two other turbines that will be installed later this year. Northern's Applied Technology staff will describe how a unit that tracks the sun's arc over the course of a day increases the efficiency of a solar panel array on campus. The tour will also include a presentation by MT Department of Environmental Quality's Public Education Specialist, Kathi Montgomery, about how to take advantage of grants, loans and tax credits for renewable energy and conservation projects.

Finally, tour participants will get a chance to see MSU Northern's biodiesel testing laboratory and learn about the research Northern is conducting on home heating and transportation applications for biodiesel.

Tour includes light snacks.

Helena Wastewater Treatment Facility
September 18, 2009, 9:30am - 12:30 pm
Cost: FREE

Highlights: Learn how the City of Helena is saving thousands of dollars with efficiency upgrades and a methane-powered Stirling generator.

Meeting location: 2108 E. Custer Ave. From N. Montana Ave drive east on E. Custer Ave approximately 0.7 miles, turn left on Washington St, then immediately right into Facility.

The City of Helena is leading the state and even the nation with innovative efforts to increase the energy efficiency of its Wastewater Treatment Facility. This has translated into significant cost savings and a lighter environmental footprint for the City. Between 2001 and 2006 the total energy usage for the City of Helena's municipal operations dropped by 18%, largely due to efficiency gains at the Wastewater Treatment Facility. Upgrades have included replacing aeration blowers with a lower horsepower motor and variable frequency drive, as well as dissolved oxygen sensors that match the air speed with the oxygen needed for the wastewater treatment process.

In the winter of 2009 the City installed a methane-powered Stirling generator which generates 35-40 kilowatts of electricity on a nearly constant basis to offset the facility's electric load. Methane to power the generator is captured in the facility's primary anaerobic digesters. Heat from the generating process is transferred back to the digester tanks to keep them at temperature of about 95 degrees Fahrenheit. There are plans to install two additional Stirling generators at the Facility. Helena is the first city in the country to install a Stirling generator for energy production at a wastewater treatment facility.

In a tour and presentation by Wastewater Treatment Facility staff, participants will learn about how the City has financed efficiency upgrades, and how they envision becoming an energy-neutral facility. In addition, Joseph Menicucci, President of CTW Energy will describe plans to use algae in an enhanced wastewater remediation process, with the potential benefit of extra energy generation. For example, algae could be used to boost anaerobic methane production, creating more fuel for a Stirling generator.

Tour includes light snacks.

Big Timber Renewable Energy on the Farm
Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 10:00am - 3:00pm
Cost: $12 (Includes lunch)

Highlights: 65kW wind turbine, 5kW wind turbine, solar-powered stock water pump, financing seminar.

EXTRA! Learn about incentive funding to improve the efficiency of your irrigation system.

Meeting Location: Big Timber's Carnegie Public Library, 314 Mc Leod St. From I-90 take exit 367. Drive east on US-191/N. 1st Ave about 1 mile. Turn right on Mc Leod St and drive two blocks south.

Several farmers and ranchers near Big Timber are making good use of sun and wind resources to lower utility costs and lighten the environmental impact of their operations. The Agnew Ranch west of Big Timber installed a 65 kilowatt refurbished turbine in 2001 to help offset irrigation costs. The Agnew Ranch has an arrangement to sell power they produce to NorthWestern Energy. The ranch also uses solar panels to power remote stock water pumps. South of town the Whistle Creek Ranch recently installed a much smaller 2.5 kilowatt turbine that is set up on a “net-metering” arrangement with Park Electric Cooperative. The co-op credits the ranch for all of the electricity the turbine produces, but doesn't pay for extra production beyond what the ranch would use. This is an ideal arrangement for someone with a relatively small solar array or wind turbine.

A financing seminar taught by MT Department of Environmental Quality's Public Education Specialist, Kathi Montgomery, will describe how homeowners, farms or businesses can take advantage of grants, loans and tax credits for renewable energy and conservation projects. A presentation by Vicki Lynne, an engineer with the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) will describe how irrigators can save hundreds of dollars each year with low-cost energy efficiency upgrades. Vicki will also outline incentive funding available to customers of NorthWestern Energy for irrigation efficiency upgrades.

Tour includes a sack lunch.

Past Tours

January 29th 6:30-9:00
"Home Energy Efficiency seminar at Exploration Works in Helena featuring a presentation by Steve Loken"

Discover the most cost effective ways to increase the energy efficiency of your home from a presentation by Steve Loken. You will learn how about inexpensive techniques that will benefit anyone from novices to professionals by:

• saving money on utility bills
• decreasing your environmental impact
• increasing both the comfort and the value of your home

Loken has over twenty-five years of experience designing and building sustainable, energy-efficient homes. An internationally known speaker, featured in numerous publications, Loken will offer insights on the "low-hanging fruit"-- home energy improvements that pay for themselves in cost savings in just a few years. He'll discuss air infiltration, heating system efficiency, insulation, lighting and appliances, and more. For more information visit his website, or read this Parade Magazine article about Steve.

Information will be presented and forms provided on federal and state tax credits available for efficiency upgrades as well as detailing what rebates are available from Northwestern Energy. There will be an opportunity to learn how to get involved in energy conservation through AERO's Neighborhood Conservation Project or if you are already involved bring your club to hear some great project ideas. A project recently completed by the Helena Sustainable Builders Guild will be presented to provide a hands-on look at how one local home was substantially upgraded.

AERO is a non-profit organization that has promoted sustainable energy and agricultural systems since 1974. Loken, a longtime AERO member, comes to Helena as part of the ExplorationWorks! Energy Conservation Series -- informative presentations to help save energy and reduce environmental impacts from our energy consumption. Members of Helena's Sustainable Building Guild will also be present to answer questions.

For questions or more information CONTACT AERO at 443-7272.

2008 Energy Tours

Green Building Seminar with Steve Loken: October 2
Green builder and consultant Steve Loken will present an evening seminar on the basics of green building in Helena on October 2. Steve is the president and owner of Loken Builders (http://www.lokenbuilders.com/), a full service construction company specializing in personalized remodeling and new construction, with an emphasis on energy and resource efficiency. Steve's presentation will highlight key elements of green building, including energy efficiency, indoor air quality, water efficiency, recycled or low-impact materials and low-waste construction practices. People interested in retrofits or renovations, potential new home builders, construction contractors and architects will all have something to learn from Steve's dynamic and engaging presentation. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers.

Date & Time: Thursday, October 2, 7:00pm-8:30pm
Location: Lecture Hall Room 125, UM Helena College of Technology, 1115 N Roberts
Cost: FREE and open to the public, donations welcome

Helena Green Building Tour: October 4
Tour 4-6 homes with a guided bus tour or with a guided bicycle tour. The tour will highlight energy efficiency measures and home-scale renewable energy projects around Helena. Super-insulation, high efficiency boilers, photovoltaic systems, passive solar construction will all be on the tour. Also on the tour will be a regular old home similar to a lot of homes in Helena. A professional energy auditor will walk tour participants through, highlighting energy leaks and low-cost or no-cost energy fixes that could be made.

Date & Time: Saturday, October 4, 12:30pm-4:30pm, registration begins at Noon
Registration: Pre-registration REQUIRED: call AERO at (406) 443-7272.
Cost: Bus Tour $10; Bike Tour $5
Meeting Location: Myrna Loy Center, 15 N. Ewing St.
Sponsors: NorthWestern Energy, through a Universal Systems Benefits grant

Bozeman Green Building Tour: October 4
The Bozeman Tour is co-hosted and organized by the Refuge Sustainable Building Center (http://www.refugebuilding.com/) in Bozeman. The guided bus tour will visit residential and commercial buildings that feature energy efficiency measures, renewable energy systems and green attributes like recycled materials, safe-indoor air quality and water saving measures. A pre-tour lecture by Nancy Taylor, author of Go Green: How to Build an Earth Friendly Community, will touch on a variety of green building topics. The lecture kicks off at 9:00 am.

Date & Time: Saturday, October 4, time 9:00am-2:00pm
Registration: Pre-registration REQUIRED: call at (406) 585-9958
Cost: $10
Meeting Location: Bozeman Public Library, 626 E. Main St.
Sponsors: NorthWestern Energy, through a Universal Systems Benefits grant; Refuge Sustainable Building Center

Billings Green Building Tour: October 11
The Billings Tour is co-hosted and organized by the Yellowstone Valley Citizens Council (http://www.northernplains.org/affiliates/yvcc), a local affiliate of the Northern Plains Resource Council. Tour participants can expect to see great examples of commercial and residential buildings that have energy efficiency features and green building attributes. Passive solar gain, super insulation, water saving measures, and renewable energy systems will all be featured.

Date & Time: Saturday, October 4, 10am-2pm; registration begins at 9am
Registration: Pre-registration REQUIRED: call Merry Ann at (406) 248-1154 x108
Cost: TBA
Meeting location: Tour will begin at the NPRC/WORC Home on the Range,
220 S 27th St.
Sponsors: NorthWestern Energy, through a Universal Systems Benefits grant; Yellowstone Valley Citizens Council