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Mar 15 , 2010
This morning I had the pleasure of working with my 4-year-old daughter on a video I’m producing for customers. It’s going to be about Power Supply and how those costs are driving the rates you pay. The image on the right is from the video. I’m not sure just yet what will make the final cut and end up in the video, but she was pretty excited to watch herself on camera nonetheless.
I told her I wanted to show someone using electricity, so we flipped on a lamp and she read some books while I fiddled with the camera for about 20 minutes. I probably got about 6 seconds of good video. That’s about par for the course for me.
She asked me why we turned on the lamp. I said it was because it used electricity, like nearly everything in the house. She then started pointing to things around the house that use electricity, like the TV, refrigerator, DVD player, laptop, lights, clocks, microwave, her princess nightlight. This is by no means an exhaustive list. This went on for 10 minutes in nearly every room in the house. She had a couple misses – no electricity with the dog, door or carpet. Yet the carpet brought up “getting shocked,” referring to static electricity, but that’s for another day.
Anyhow, the point is that we have a lot of electronics in the house and I bet you do too. We didn’t have Blu-ray players, DVRs or computers (at least not a home), when I was a preschooler. And while we could live without some of the stuff we plug-in everyday – I’m glad I don’t have too.
The increasing demand for electricity can be directly tied to all the cool technical stuff we can buy for our homes today. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to be smart about my use though.
I suspect if you send your kids on a (supervised) electricity scavenger hunt around the house, you’d be able to keep them occupied for an hour or so. For more ideas about teaching kids about electricity and natural gas, check out www.avistakids.com. Mar 01 , 2010
If you happened to read the Spokesman-Review this morning, you might have seen a great article about Avista’s Sun Car and electric vehicle work along with the smiling mug of my co-worker and occasional blogger Hugh Imhof. You can check out the article here.
I’ve written about the Sun Car a few times, but it was nice to see the broad reach of the S-R to spread the word too. Here’s the deal – the car (actually two cars) are hybrid electric Toyota Priuses that have been modified to plug-in to electricity and hold a charge. The modifications roughly double car’s miles per gallon to around 90 MPG (not too shabby).
Employees of Avista have been driving the cars around our service territory in Idaho and Washington since last summer. As part of the project we installed solar panels on our company headquarters to help power the cars too. You can see a live feed of the power generated by the solar panels here.
On a personal note, I think this technology is pretty cool. Driving around in one of these cars is a different experience – it’s really quiet – but it’s also just the beginning of the electric vehicle revolution. As the price of gasoline goes up, more of us think about cutting back our driving or carpooling more. But what if you could plug in your car every night and get the juice to power your travels right from your utility? It seems like a convenient option.
Yet, from a utility perspective, it’s somewhat of a tricky prospect. These new cars will collectively take a great deal of power. While I don’t think everyone can afford to rush out and buy a brand new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle today, there will come a time when these cars become a viable (and affordable) option. Testing the cars as Avista is today ensures that we will be ready if and when our customers need us to meet their car-charging needs.
Dec 23 , 2009
I’ve heard this a few times since I started talking with customers online over the past year, “I’d love to be more energy efficient, but I don’t know where to start and how to pay for it.”
I think a lot of people are in the same boat. You know your windows are drafty and that your heating unit is on its last leg or that your insulation doesn’t exist – but how does all that, coupled with your energy usage and budget, get you to be more energy efficient?
It’s complicated stuff to be sure. But, if you’re an Avista customer in Spokane County, starting in 2010, we’ve got an uncomplicated solution for you.
Just today Avista announced we received $1 million of stimulus funding from the State of Washington Department of Commerce Credit Enhancement Program to establish a low-interest revolving loan fund to help customers make recommended energy efficiency improvements to their homes and small businesses. Partnering with Avista to establish the revolving loan fund is Sustainable Local Investments Partners (SLIP), who will provide administrative services, process facilitation and outcome reporting.
This program is unlike some of the stimulus-funded programs awarded recently to Avista and other utilities across the country. When most stimulus funds are spent, they are gone for good. Not this program; it’s set up to be around a while and as customers repay loans, the money is returned, allowing for further investment by other customers.
Interested customers will start with a commercial energy audit currently offered by Avista or in a new home audit program which the company will launch early 2010. The City of Spokane, City of Spokane Valley and Spokane County are partners in the audit program. Avista is matching nearly $700,000 pledged by the governments to help offset a portion of the costs to you. The audits will provide you with an analysis of ways to make your home more energy efficient and will alert you to Avista rebates and federal energy tax credits for which you may qualify.
We’ll have more on the revolving loan and energy audit programs in early 2010 when all the details and processes are established.
Dec 15 , 2009
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Its hard to the gift certificate
envelope on this tiny image, but
it reads, "A gift of energy." |
This year Avista is offering Housewarming Gift Certificates online. It’s simple – you buy a gift certificate to help pay the energy bill of the recipient. Bills tend to be higher around this time of year, so any help would be appreciated, I’m sure. It takes a while to get the certificates processed (up to five business days), so if you want to get it for Christmas, you’d better to it soon.
If you’re looking for other interesting and green ways to give gifts this year, I’d recommend checking out “ Green holiday gifts can bring joy, save money” from USA Today reporter Wendy Koch. It’s got some cool ideas that might be very meaningful to those on your list.
Happy shopping.
Dec 09 , 2009
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Mousetrap cars on display. |
When you think of alternatively-powered cars you might think of solar, natural gas, or even hybrid-electric, but I bet mousetraps don’t come to mind. Unless you’re from Kettle Falls, Wash., where they’ve got the mousetrap car down to a science. A science project that is.
Shane Heideman, who teaches science at Kettle Falls Middle School, designed a semester-long project to help students learn the basics of energy and get them thinking about how alternative resources can help decrease greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels.
When Avista was approached by the school to take part in the project, we welcomed the opportunity to partner with the community and help support science education.
Approximately 120 7th and 8th graders, working in teams of 3-4, were given the assignment to develop, construct and market an alternatively-powered car. The only requirements were that the car be built using a mousetrap as the propellant, and that it be able to move three meters under its own power. Teams also had to develop a tri-fold marketing brochure and be ready to race their cars at the end of the project.
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A mousetrap car shoots across the
gym floor. An Avista employee
records the time. | We helped provide information for the students’ research, speaking to them about our resource mix and how we make our renewable energy. We also showed them our Sun Car.
Student teams put in several weeks of working on the cars and brochures, and their hard work culminated in a race and brochure contest in late November. Avista joined in the fun by providing a guest judging panel and prizes to the teams with the best entries. The teams with the fastest cars in three rounds won cash prizes to split among team members.
The students were excited about their awards and proud of their hard work, and we had a great time helping out on the big day.
Nov 22 , 2009 Yesterday morning I jogged the Jingle Bell Run in downtown Spokane. Luckily it wasn’t as snowy and cold as last year, but nonetheless it was chilly enough to make the family want to eat something warm when we got home. I chose to put some pork chops in the slow cooker and later mix in some veggies and rice for one of those simple quickie meals that fills you up, but also reminds you that it’s winter outside and it’s nice to be indoors.
Quick meals aren’t going to be the norm for most of us for the next few weeks. With Thanksgiving and many other holiday gatherings fast approaching, you probably aren’t going to get away with a quickie dinner like I made. If your house is anything like mine – Thanksgiving dinner is a production, and of course there’s nothing wrong with that.
One thing you might want to keep in mind during the holidays is that little choices about how you cook can save you money on your energy bill. We put a number of holiday cooking energy tips here, but a few of the one’s I will be watching out for are: using the right size burner on the stove; using the microwave when possible instead of the stove and making sure that the dishwasher is totally full before running it. I also like to keep the oven propped open a little after cooking so that heat warms the house instead of just burning off inside (not recommended with kids around though).
These might seem like little things that don’t make much of a difference, but trust me – little things add up.
That goes for other items this winter as well. When the kids are home during winter break, make sure they know that wearing long pants and a sweater are better than cranking the heat to 78! If you have guests over for a few days remember that you’ll be using more hot water for dishes, showers and maybe even keeping the heat a little warmer to ensure they are comfortable.
You can’t avoid those expenses because they come with the joy of being around friends and family, but when you get your bill, just reflect on how energy was used during the billing cycle. I bet you’ll be able to point out a few reasons besides the cold weather for any changes.
Hope you have a great holiday season.
Oct 27 , 2009
Avista has won the 2009 Catalyst Award for Clean/Green Company of the Year. Greater Spokane Incorporated and TechNet announced the award Friday, Oct. 23 during the LaunchPad INW’s Oktoberfest event.
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2009 Catalyst Award for Clean/Green Company of
the Year. A single CFL bulb and natural overhead
light was used to light this photo. |
The Catalyst Awards “recognize contributions by individuals, organizations and businesses that demonstrate the utilization of technology and innovation to bring economic development to the region.” This year’s awards also included categories for individuals and businesses using clean or green technologies to make a difference.
Another notable award went to the Institute of Systems Medicine for Organization of the Year, a non-profit organization advancing biomedical infrastructure and research.
Other category winners were:
• Company of the year: Absolute Aviation
• Clean-green organization: City of Spokane
• Mentor of the year: Steve Salvatori, founder of the Spokane Entrepreneurial Center
• Innovators of the year: Dr. Bassem Bejjani and Lisa Shaffer, founders of Signature Genomic Laboratories
Avista strives to be a regional innovator in sustainable energy solutions, leading the way with new ideas and technologies. Renewable energy has been at the core of our operations since we completed our Monroe Street hydroelectric facility on the Spokane River in 1889. As one of the lowest emitters of carbon among the nation’s top energy producers, we remain one of the greenest utilities in the country.
Over time, Avista has taken the lead among energy suppliers in pioneering renewable and sustainable generation and building robust energy efficiency programs to create energy value for our customers. Through the development of companies like Itron (smart meters), ReliOn (fuel cells) and Advantage IQ (bill management for sustainability), we’ve created more than 600 additional “green” jobs benefitting our local economy.
Advantage IQ won a previous Catalyst award in 2006, and Avista won in 1999.
Oct 13 , 2009
You never know when some message or note will click with you, forcing you to realize that all those energy efficiency hints actually apply to you. I had my own revelation last week when I saw just how nasty my furnace filter was and how much money it was costing me by making it harder for my furnace to heat the house. Given, my own issues, I’ve got to give some props to Real Estate Agent Brandon Marchand at www.spokanehomeguy.com/blog. After reviewing some info provided by Avista, he wrote on his blog, “I did the math – my home office costs me about $150.00 per year in unseen energy costs . . .” Check out the blog post here.
You never know what's going to click with you. Every little bit adds up to real costs. Find out what a typical office, or home office might be costing you here. Oct 06 , 2009
I found out yesterday that I won an employee “eco-basket” for taking Avista’s carbon calculator on our website. They randomly drew five names of employees who found out what their family carbon footprint is by using the calculator. The eco-basket contains some cool eco-friendly stuff printed on recycled paper, Buck-a-Block T-Shirt (which was a medium, so that goes to my wife) and some snacks. Cool stuff.
There are many carbon calculators available online, but this one automatically pulls in your household energy usage, so you don’t have to do the math. It’s also calibrated for Avista’s unique energy mix. Avista is one of the greenest utilities in the nation, so it makes sense to have the specifics for our generation in your calculation. Other calculators are good, but use general information since all utilities and lifestyles differ.
Sep 04 , 2009
Normally when we talk about biofuels at Avista, we’re referring to our Kettle Falls, Wash., wood waste biomass plant. In just the last month, the distinction has gotten a little trickier thanks to a very cool project to test biodiesel in some of our trucks while greening our fleet.
Since last month, we’ve been testing biodiesel in four different-sized trucks in Spokane. Early reports show that this clean burning alternative fuel may be a long-term solution for us. This is great news for sustainability in our area.
Avista’s biodiesel is made by Inland Empire Oilseeds (IEO) in Odessa, Wash. It’s being stored locally by Whitley Fuel. IEO produces the biodiesel with oil crushed from Washington-grown canola seeds. Founded in 2006 as a joint effort by Avista, Odessa Union Warehouse, Reardan Grain Growers, and Reardan Seed Company, IEO began refining biodiesel last November. With the installation of its crushing line this summer, it became the first biodiesel company in Washington to fully integrate all production steps into one.
Previously in Spokane, one of the issues for companies wanting to try biodiesel was how to get it on a large scale. Whitley Fuel, with Avista and IEO has set up a station in downtown Spokane to serve the growing need.
Sustainability is a huge factor in play here. According to IEO General Manager Stephen Starr, canola biodiesel returns 4.5 times the energy used to grow and manufacture it, making it a highly sustainable fuel.
Earlier this year we placed solar panels on the roof of our Spokane headquarters building and used the electricity to run our Sun Car that you may have seen about town. The biodiesel project and the Sun Car are the initial steps we’re taking to green our fleet for the environment.
Keep reading this blog for more updates on this on-going project.
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