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Mar 05 , 2012
A first-hand account of my experience with Avista's home energy audit program
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The blower door test detects excess air escaping and entering
your home. | For about the same price as you’d pay for a nice dinner out or a ski lift ticket on Mount Spokane, you can purchase an in-home energy audit if you live within Spokane County. Sure, dinner or skiing sounds like much more fun, but a home energy audit provides a lot of advantages, some obvious and some not so obvious. Here are five reasons why you should consider signing up for an audit with Avista Utilities. I just had my audit done last weekend, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results.
1. A home energy audit can save your life. If your home uses natural gas or propane, the certified home energy contractor may find safety hazards, such as an appliance or furnace that produces unsafe levels of carbon monoxide. Peace of mind is priceless and it’s always nice to know if your home passes the test or not.
2. For as low as $49, you get a tremendous amount of value out of a home energy audit. Not only does a professional certified contractor inspect your home, but after the audit you get a box full of energy efficiency goodies from Avista. (see photo) Our home energy auditors were BPI Certified, which is the standard for all Avista in-home energy audit contractors.
3. What you find out may surprise you. Home energy pros can find problems and opportunities that you might miss – even if you are a devoted energy saver, the pros have equipment that finds problems that might otherwise have gone unnoticed such as pesky leaks in your home’s ductwork.
4. The blower door test is as cool as it sounds. Oh my goodness, you will be shocked by how many air leaks this technology detects in your home. The blower door is a tool that depressurizes your home and stimulates a 20 mph wind blowing on all surfaces of your home simultaneously. This causes outside air to rush through holes in your home’s exterior envelope. The largest air leak in my home was coming from the flue vent in our unfinished basement. We can easily remedy that by capping the vent. Something we never would have thought of before this audit. Outlets and light switches are also a common culprit. Avista provides outlet and light switch insulators in the goody box provided to you at the end of your audit.
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With every home energy audit, you get a
box full of items that will help you
improve your homes energy efficiency. | 5. Knowledge is the key to savings. Ever wonder how your energy use compares to others? After your in-home audit, you get a detailed report in the mail about your homes energy use as well as helpful recommendations on what you can do to increase the energy efficiency of your home. In my opinion, this is one of the most valuable pieces of information a homeowner can have. The recommendations will help me prioritize my home improvement projects for years to come. Are you ready to maximize your energy efficiency? Good! Find out if your home qualifies for the in-home energy audit here.
You can also find more information about Avista’s energy efficiency programs at everylittlebit.com. Once you have registered for the In-Home Energy Audit, completed the Online Home Energy Analyzer, and your payment has been received by Avista, a representative from one of Avista’s certified home energy auditing contractors will call you within 10 business days of the receipt of your payment to schedule your in-home energy audit.
The popular program is ending in September so make sure to sign up for an audit by August 15.
Feb 06 , 2012
By Brandi Smith
Avista recently sent out the latest issue of the Spokane River Newsletter, a quarterly publication that keeps subscribers informed about our activities in and around the Spokane River. Below is an article from the newsletter that describes how we operate the Post Falls Dam during the winter season. Check out the latest issue and learn more about what Avista has been up to.
Winter river flows and Coeur d’Alene Lake levels
People commonly think floods occur in the spring. But did you know many of the highest levels recorded for Coeur d’Alene Lake have occurred in the winter? For example, on Christmas day in 1933 the lake reached an all-time peak of roughly eleven feet over its summer level.
Coeur d’Alene Lake is a natural lake with an outlet that naturally restricts its outflow. The primary sources of water into the lake are the St. Joe, St. Maries and Coeur d’Alene rivers. The water then flows through the outlet to create the Spokane River. Avista’s Post Falls Hydroelectric Dam is on the Spokane River, nine miles downstream of the lake’s outlet. The dam affects Coeur d’Alene Lake elevation for about half of the year. During winter and spring, lake levels are controlled entirely by the natural outlet restriction and inflows.
The winter months are generally the wet season in our region. Fluctuating temperatures, rain that occurs on top of snow, or extended heavy rain can increase flows rapidly, which in turn can result in quickly-rising river and lake elevations.
Avista’s goal each year is to draw Coeur d’Alene Lake down six to seven feet below the summer level by early January. This allows Post Falls Dam to generate electricity while providing capacity in the lake for later precipitation and runoff. Natural inflows usually exceed our turbine capacity early in the year, letting Coeur d’Alene Lake and the Spokane River find their naturally occurring levels with no influence by the dam. This free flow condition typically continues through spring run-off until late May, June or early July.
River and lake levels can change quickly. We want you to stay safe, so always use caution on the water and comply with all posted notices and closures, especially in the vicinity.
Avista has a 24-hour telephone information line that provides notification of anticipated elevation changes on Coeur d’Alene Lake, Lake Spokane and the Spokane River.
In Idaho, call (208) 769-1357, in Washington call (509) 495-8043
Other stories you might enjoy:
Dec 22 , 2011
By Dan Kolbet
The New York Times blog Green, which focuses on energy and the environment, recently featured Avista’s innovative Bull Trout genetic testing work on the Clark Fork River. We’re doing the project as part of our FERC license to operate the Cabinet Gorge and Noxon Rapids dams on the river. The ultimate goal is to protect the genetic integrity of the fish and boost their numbers. It’s a pretty cool project and it’s nice to see this national recognition.
Here are the first couple paragraphs of the article. See the full article here.
Trucking Trout to Their Native Streams
By Deborah Weisberg, NY TImes
In an innovative conservation effort, biologists on the Clark Fork River are using genetic testing to help get bull trout back to their natal streams to spawn.
Fulfilling a requirement for the relicensing of its two hydroelectric power plants on the river in Idaho and Montana, Avista Utilities is having the fin tissue of randomly caught adult bull trout “fingerprinted.” Juvenile fish in the natal streams are also sampled to determine whether they carry the DNA of the adults.
Continue Reading at the New York Times website here.
Nov 07 , 2011
Avista employees rescue stranded shopping cart, remove rusted blight from Spokane River
When Avista’s Ben McArthur saw an unsightly blight in the middle of the Spokane River, near the Hamilton Street Bridge, he didn’t ignore it like the thousands of others who passed by it every day. He and his co-workers took action. A red grocery store shopping cart had found its way onto a small island in the middle of the river. No one is sure exactly how it got there. Low water levels made it stand out.
McArthur and friends would have none of it. McArthur contacted fellow employee Celene Olgeirsson who just happens to be the President of the Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club. As an experienced kayaker Olgeirsson had the right equipment and knowledge to do the heavy lifting in the water and ensure the safety of all involved.
McArthur and Olgeirsson, with the help of another Avista employee, Ray Burnham, spent a lunch hour near the end of October on the project. On a crisp, clear day, Olgeirsson glided out to the island and attached a rope to the cart, while those on shore pulled it in. The whole deal took only 45 minutes.
Avista employees do an annual volunteer river clean up near the Mission Campus and regularly find large discarded items on Avista’s adopted mile of the Centennial Trail – shopping carts, tires and furniture included. Rarely do items make it so far into the river.
McArthur returned the cart to store employees, who promised to properly dispose of the wreckage.
Kudos to McArthur, Olgeirsson and Burnham for bettering the Spokane River for the community.
* Editors note: River users should be sure to follow all posted safety warning and closure signs on the water and especially near hydroelectric facilities. For more information about safety in the river and near dams, click here. Oct 13 , 2011
Avista employees and contractors commended for overhead to underground power line work for the Priest River Experimental Forest
Avista recently converted two miles of overhead electric lines to underground service for the Priest River Experimental Forest.
Located about 13 miles Northeast of Priest River, the Priest River Experimental Forest, established in 1911, is one of the first and few experimental forests in the nation. This month, it is celebrating its 100-year anniversary. Avista’s professional and efficient work to convert lines to underground has helped improve service reliability and a more aesthetically pleasing environment.
For 100 years, scientists and forestry service personnel at the Priest River Experimental Forest have conducted research ranging from timber management to fire research. Research done at Priest River Experimental Forest continues to benefit forests throughout the world.
Below is a letter of thanks, sent to Director of Operations – West Al Fisher from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Robert Denner, supervisory forester of the Priest River Experimental Forest and Dr. Russel Graham, scientist-in-charge of the Rocky Mountain Research Station.
The work mentioned in the letter was thanks to several Avista employees who work in the area. The letter reads:
Dear Mr. Fisher:
I want to take this opportunity to thank Avista for the recently completed project at the Priest River Experimental Forest. This project converted the overhead lines providing power to residences, office, shop, and conference building to underground.
The end result vastly improves the visual quality of the site, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. But more importantly, will eliminate outages caused by falling trees, reduce your maintenance costs, and the inconvenience to our resident and guests during outages. I should also mention that the Forest is about to enter its 100th anniversary, so the timing of the work could not have been better.
I was particularly impressed by the professional manner in which the work was done. The plowing contractor, your own crew, and the local representative, Chad Summers, went about their work in a courteous and efficient manner. We did have some tense moments when avoiding buried telephone lines, water mains, sewer lines, and foundation drains; however, nothing was damaged and there were no interruptions to our infrastructure. No doubt the competency of your employees had everything to do with that. I should also mention that the final clean-up was beyond my expectations and for that I am grateful.
Again, thank you for making this happen. And congratulations for having an outstanding bunch of guys working for Avista.
Sincerely,
-Robert Denner, U.S. Department of Agriculture, supervisory forester of the Priest River Experimental Forest and Dr. Russel Graham, scientist-in-charge of the Rocky Mountain Research Station.
Jul 27 , 2011
The Spokane River is one of the most striking and scenic centerpieces of our community. It has a rich cultural history, and provides habitat for fish and other aquatic life as well as an abundance of recreational activities.
At Avista, we work hard to be good stewards of this vital resource as we operate our dams to provide clean, reliable, and cost effective energy to our customers. Today, we sent out the first issue of the Spokane River Newsletter, a quarterly publication that will be distributed to those who are interested in learning more about our activities in and around the Spokane River. The newsletter will not only keep you informed about current news, but it will introduce you to some of the people who take care of our natural resources. Each season, Avista plans to distribute the newsletter to stakeholders, employees, customers and others who sign up for it. Jun 30 , 2011
Today, Avista announced an agreement to purchase power generated by the proposed Palouse Wind project in Whitman County, Wash., beginning in the second half of 2012. What does this mean for you as an Avista customer? Well, it’s really about Avista’s responsibility to balance the costs of new resources with securing enough energy to meet your energy needs, while at the same time satisfying renewable portfolio standards, both in the near and long term.
Avista must comply with renewable portfolio standards (RPS) detailed in Washington’s Energy Independence Act, which was approved by Washington State voters with the passage of Initiative 937 in 2006. The Act requires us to use eligible renewable resources, renewable energy credits, or a combination of both, to meet the following targets: 3% of energy used to meet customer demand by January 1, 2012, 9% by January 1, 2016 and 15% by January 1, 2020.
We’re already meeting the 2012 targets, mostly with upgrades we’ve made at our hydroelectric dams. Those upgrades allow us to generate more energy using the same amount of water, with the additional energy qualifying in Washington as an eligible renewable resource. The next big deadline will be 2016, and, while it’s still a few years away, we’ve been thinking about it for some time. Over the past few years, we’ve been following the market and looking for potential opportunities to incorporate cost-effective, renewable power. Recent market changes, including lower costs of developing wind power facilities and tax incentives, have made this an excellent time to do that, so in February we put out a request for proposals. Through a competitive bid process, Palouse Wind, which has the added benefit of being located in Avista’s service territory, was selected.
Avista expects to recover the cost of the power purchased from Palouse Wind through retail rates as we would have to recover the cost of any power used to meet demand, but not before that power is generated and delivered to customers. Remember, we’re a regulated utility, which means we can’t recover costs we haven’t incurred, and we must justify any rate increase.
The wind farm is expected be the largest renewable energy facility in Whitman County with the capacity to generate enough clean, renewable energy to power about 30,000 of Avista’s customers’ homes. Developers say its location between the town of Oakesdale and State Route 195 is ideal for capturing the prevailing southwest wind.
Along with the other things Avista’s doing, like upgrading our dams, the renewable power purchased from Palouse Wind is expected to help us meet Washington State RPS goals for 2016, and will also provide a new energy resource for our customers. We think it’s the right thing to do and the right time to do it.
May 17 , 2011
The Kootenai Environmental Alliance (KEA) has a nice blog post about how community action, Avista and KEA helped save a few homeless osprey in Idaho. Check out the story here.
I first heard about this a few weeks back when the word started getting passed around on twitter. I’m glad Avista could help out. This story shows how like-minded folks can accomplish a lot.
Apr 28 , 2011
Avista introduces its first annual report on the company’s philanthropic activities
If you look and listen closely enough, you’ll see or hear our name pretty frequently in every community we serve. Not just on the service trucks working in your neighborhood or among those talking about energy bills in the grocery store. We’re here in your community doing what you do…supporting the local Chamber of Commerce, the parks programs, the colleges and universities, the after-school programs and many, many other non-profit organizations. We’ve quietly done this for more than 120 years, and we thought it was time to share some of the stories with you.
Today Avista launched our first annual report on the company’s philanthropic activities. The online report, “Avista Cares -- 2010 Philanthropy Report,” provides an overview of charitable donations made to non-profit organizations in our service territory as of Dec. 31, 2010. Funding for these contributions comes from company profits or endowed funds through the Avista Foundation and is not paid for by customers.
In 2010, we gave more than $2 million through donations and grants to non-profits in the communities we serve. These organizations are providing important services that are vital to the people who call those communities home. We believe that investing in philanthropic endeavors strengthens the fabric of communities, and enhances quality of life and community vitality.
We chose to put the report online to make it easier for you to access. It also is in keeping with our commitment to sustainable business practices – by not using paper, ink and energy to produce a printed report.
We hope you find the information of interest. Let us know what you think.
Apr 11 , 2011
Check out our Spring 2011 issue of the Clark Fork Newsletter. In this issue, you’ll find the following stories:
• Go Fishing and Catch Cash!
• Spring Runoff Looking Good
• Meet the People Behind the Clark Fork Project
• Noxon Upgrades to Finish in 2012
• Boaters Play Safe
This newsletter goes out to stakeholders, customers, media and others interested in news about Avista’s Clark Fork Project. Our Clark Fork Project includes Cabinet Gorge and Noxon Rapids hydroelectric dams – the newsletter highlights natural resource, operational and community activities associate with the project.
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