We Want to Hear About Cool, Innovative Renewable Projects

www.winnisquambiomass.com

Project Name: Winnisquam Biomass Project
Location: Tilton, NH
Started: 1/2008 Completed: 10/2010
Companies Involved: Honeywell, Eckman Construction, Banwell Architects, Messersmith Wood Chip Boiler
Description: project started as a petitioned warrant article by local taxpayer who informed the community of available ARRA funding, Utility Rebates, School Building Aid, and Performance Contracting, in order to complete a $3.6 million self-funded project which consisted of energy audits for all 6 school buildings in the district, energy efficiency upgrades at all 6 schools, and the construction of a biomass wood chip heat plant at the High School/Middle School campus.
The biomass plant uses locally grown wood chips that are a byproduct of timber harvesting. This saves the school district approximately 59% on their heating bills for those two schools. All together, all of the energy upgrades added $3.6 million in capital improvements, at no cost to the taxpayers, and will save the district more than $5million over the next 25 years.

I believe that this project is worth noting because all of this was accomplished by a single person, who literally volunteered hundreds of hours of his time, who championed the project, applied for and was granted the ARRA funding, and persuaded the voters of the project's merits. One person can make a difference.

we recently went to a greentech awards ceremony. They gave three awards to computer groups that more or less kept track or monitored what the innovators had been doing. One innovator GreenGas.cc makes fuel from air and water got no award and had spent a lot of time and effort to attend. Would it not be better to reward true innovators rather than the reporters or trackers of technologies ??

The Ashden Awards (www.ashdenawards.org) are an excellant source of identifying the best renewable energy projects across the world. They were started in 2001 by Sarah Butler-Sloss as part of the Sainsbury Foundation and have identified 133 different projects in the UK and internationally across the world covering solar, hydro, wind (mainly in the UK) and biomass (biogas, gasification and improved stoves).
In 2011, awards were given for 10 projects, 5 in the UK, 2 in India, 1 in Pakistan and 2 in Africa (although one of those works intenationally). Technologies include solar lanterns, improved biomass stoves, gasification, biomass pellets and house insulation. Approaches include installation of equipment, awareness raising, education and training. Organisations include private companies, NGOs and local authorities.
The criteria for an award include identifying projects that have been expanding over the past two years, at least, projects that benefit end users, save carbon and improve the environment.

Project name: PVwizard
Location: on the web --www.pvwizard.com
Start and completion date: in beta testing, revenue roll-out by Oct.1st.
Companies involved: Wattminder, Inc.
Brief description: Free benchmark on demand, other valua-added service per incidence, at $9.95
Why you think it's worth noting: Innovative web delivery of advanced engineering analytics on any solar installation anywhere.