From energy efficiency retrofits  to wind farms, solar installations and geothermal plants, there are a variety of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects currently saving and supplying energy in Utah. This page highlights a few of the clean energy projects taken on by average Utah homeowners, business owners and local governments. 

Office Space Gets Efficiency Facelift
Utah Homeowner Takes on High Energy Bills
Utah School Plugs Into Green Power
Utility Scale Wind in Utah
Clean Energy Goals Come to Fruition
Modern Day Home For A Competitive Price
Replacing Traditional Furnace with Geothermal
New Career Opportunities in Clean Energy
Utah's Renewable Energy Industry

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Energy Efficiency and High Performance Building

OFFICE SPACE GETS EFFICIENCY FACELIFT
Property management firm, CB Richard Ellis offers state-of-the-art energy  efficiency options saving office tenant on energy and money owered single-family home
 

HK TOWER
515 East Salt Lake, commonly referred to as HK Tower, is a 14-story 171,151 square foot multi-tenant office building on the periphery of the Salt Lake City Central Business District. Designed and constructed in 1982 shortly after the 1980 energy crisis, 515 East was ahead of its time for energy efficiency and sustainability.

BUILDING FALLS TO DISREPAIR
The building was constructed with a state-of-the art HVAC system utilizing three stages of cooling rather than the standard single stage cooling system. However, over the past 28 years, the system aged and fell into disrepair. By the time the CB Richard Ellis’ (CBRE) management team was hired to manage the property in October 2008, the original design of three stages of cooling had lapsed into only a single stage cooling. The once innovative and highly efficiency building was now using more energy thereby more money to maintain.

MINIMAL INVESTMENT WITH MAXIMUM PAYBACK
Right away, the CBRE management team began an in-depth analysis of the building mechanical systems, including entering the past year’s utility data into the Energy Star Portfolio Manager to gather data on the building’s energy use and loss. It was discovered that the building was using an average of 244,720 KWH/ month of electricity. CBRE’s analysis predicted that with some minimal investment in repairing the indirect and direct cooling systems, significant energy consumption could be achieved. By August 2010 with an investment of $31,247.00, the average monthly KWH usage was reduced to 189,040 KWH/ month saving approximately $53,965.00 in electricity costs over the 2-year project.

At-a-Glance

Summary of repairs:

• Cooling tower
• Patch chiller leaks
• Repair and install mechanical dampers
• Install new thermostats
• Repair and shut down chiller #2
• Air compressor relays
   
• Total cost: $31,247
• Payback period: 7 months
   

 

UTAH HOMEOWNER TAKES HIGH ENERGY BILLS HEAD ON

The Knight household was paying high utility bills and yet their house was not as comfortable as they knew it could be. So, the Knight family contacted DwellTek, a local home performance contractor specializing in energy efficient home improvement. When the DwellTek professionals arrived, they did a full assessment of the home starting with a blower door and infrared camera to test air infiltration levels. Next they documented insulation levels and ratings in the walls, crawl space and attic. Finally they listed every appliance, counted every light (CFL & incandescent) inspected the furnace & air and checked for carbon monoxide leaks.

From there they determined where the Knights heat (and money) was literally leaking out of the house. Here is a summary of the scope of work done:

Optimization Package

• Seal attic hatch
•  Weather stripping exterior doors
• Gaskets on cover plates
• Seal penetrations
• Seal ducts
• Terminate sunroom ducts
• Install compact fluorescent light bulbs
• Install smart-strips
• Install correct sized flue on water heater
• Correct flow of flue on furnace

Attic Insulation Package

• R-40 blown cellulose in Attic

Basement Insulation Package

• Urethane Basement Walls
• Urethane Rim Joist
• Remove replace vapor barrier

Window Package

• Install high efficiency vinyl windows

Post-Work Audit

• Re-test home with blower door and thermal imaging camera to ensure air infiltration mitigation targets were achieved
• Pressure test home to ensure exhaust ventilation safety of combustion appliances

Contractor: DwellTek
Gross project cost: $11,173
Rebates: $3,868
Final cost: $7,305
Estimated energy cost savings: $600 per year

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Wind

UTAH SCHOOL PLUGS INTO GREEN POWER
Three Peaks Elementary currently incorporates geothermal and wind energy to help power the school and educate students on alternative energy

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TAPS WIND ENERGY
On March 18, 2009, a 1.8 kilowatt Southwest Windpower Skystream 3.7 was successfully installed near the student playground at Three Peaks Elementary School in Enoch, Utah.

WHAT MADE IT POSSIBLE
Three Peaks Elementary is one of two Utah schools chosen to participate in the “Utah School Wind Project”. The project was a collaborative effort that provided funding for two small wind turbines at two schools in Utah.

CHEAPER OPERATING COST & INNOVATIVE ENERGY EDUCATION
The turbine is expected to produce approximately 1,800 kilowatt-hours per year, which is enough electricity to power an average home, but represents a relatively small amount of the school’s annual electric load. However, coupled with the school’s existing geothermal ground-source heat system, this turbine is helping to offset the school’s annual operating costs. In addition to helping the school save money on its energy bill, the students are learning concepts in math and science and other areas as they keep track of how much power the generator is producing, and how much money that power is worth.

Additionally, the project includes an interactive monitoring system which will serve as a hands-on learning tool for students and faculty as part of the school and district efforts to integrate wind and

At-a-Glance

• Wind turbine generates approximately 1,800 kilowatt-hours per year
• 19% of the schools’ overall energy
• An average savings of $8,000 per year in avoided energy costs
• Total project cost: $20,024.84

Contractor: Alternative Power Systems (local)

The school district is responsible for maintaining the turbine. Thus far the turbine has been maintenance free.

UTILITY SCALE WIND IN UTAH

The Milford Wind Corridor is the largest renewable energy facility in Utah, producing approximately 203 megawatts of electricity. The first phase of the project is comprised of:

• 97 wind turbine generators
• A 90-mile transmission line connecting the wind farm to the Intermountain Power Agency in Delta, Utah
• 13 meteorological towers
• A 34.5-kV power underground collection system linking each turbine to the next and to the Facility substation
• A Facility collector substation
• An interconnection facility (i.e., switching station) at the connection between the Facility transmission line and the IPP substation
• A Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system

And, the second phase of the project is now underway!

Developer: First Wind
Location: Milford, UT

 Credit: Douglas Barnes / First Wind & KSL 5 News.

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Solar

CLEAN ENERGY GOALS COME TO FRUITION
Ivins City Soaking Up The Sun

MAKING THE COMMITMENT

Under the direction of Mayor Chris Hart, Ivins has been very proactive in installing solar power systems because of their vision and understanding of renewable energy. Ivins City is Utah’s 9th Solar City under the Blue Sky participation program.

GETTING THE FUNDING

The city has secured two separate grants: one from Rocky Mountain Power (Blue Sky Grant) and the second from the Utah State Energy Office—the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBC), resulting in four different installations of photovoltaic (pv) solar.  Local renewable energy leader, Intermountain Wind and Solar completed the projects.

This resulted in 4 different installations of photovoltaic solar:

• Fire Station roof top, Ivins City has 12 solar modules that were funded by Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky grant. This system produces 5,000 kW hours annually.
• The Blue Sky grant was also used to fund 84 solar modules on City Hall that produce 29,000 kW hours annually.
• The Unity Park community building has 40 solar modules that produce 15,000 kW hours annually.  This system was funded by a grant through the Utah State Energy Program.
• Ivins City used the same source of funding to put 120 solar modules on the Public Works parking structure that produces 41,000 kW hours annually.

In total, Ivins City’s renewable energy systems are generating over 90,000 kW hours annually - one third of the power required for Ivins municipal services.

Ivins city remains committed to educating and demonstrating that our energy portfolio can be more diverse than once imagined.

 

MODERN DAY HOME FOR COMPETITIVE PRICE
First-time homebuyer can now afford a modern-style,  solar-powered single-family home

WHEN A HOME FINDS YOU

Heather Robbins was perfectly content with her condo. She wasn’t looking to buy a home, nor was she particularly interested in solar energy or high performance home building. However, when Heather came across the Solaris Home collection at Daybreak, she just “fell in love” with the modern exterior and interior design.

AFFORDABLE LIVING
A year and a half later, she is still in love with her modern style home and more in love with her super low energy bills. The Solaris homes come standard with solar PV systems already installed on the homes in conjunction with extremely high energy efficiency building techniques such as dense-fill insulation and building orientation for maximum natural light. One might think that such a modern, ultra-energy conscious home may be out of the price range of the average Utahn, but Heather purchased her 1500 square-foot Solaris home (including a few upgrades) for a competitive cost of just $225,000 dollars. The purchase price is just one of the wallet benefits. Her average power bill in July is under $5 dollars, and her average heating bill in January is around $23 dollars (about half the cost it was to heat her 800 square foot condo).

GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND
Heather points out that she had never been “super-green” or an active environmentalist. “The fact that the house was affordable sold me on it, the efficiency and solar aspects were cool benefits. I get the best of both worlds.”
That isn’t to say she hasn’t taken advantage of her new energy conscious dwelling. The home also comes with a state-of-the-art energy tracking system that allows Heather to view her energy usage and generation via the web. “I never used to think that much about my energy use. But living here has made me more aware of my impact. It makes me want to chose the greener options in more areas; buying organic, sustainable commuting and reducing my day-to-day energy use.”

At-a-Glance

• Cost of home: $225,000
• Energy Star Certified
• Echo Solar system - electricity, hot water, heating and cooling.
• Average monthly electricity bill: $5
• Average monthly gas bill: $80
• Estimated annual CO2 emissions: 6.5 tons (35% less than a standard home).

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Geothermal

REPLACING TRADITIONAL FURNACE WITH GEOTHERMAL
Average Utah home installs geothermal heat pump for only $2,000 more than traditional furnace and cooling system

GEOTHERMAL TO REPLACE AN OLD FURANCE
Randy Satchwell is a numbers guy. Having worked as an accountant for nearly 3 decades, he can look at the dollars and cents of any given project and tell you if you have a smart investment. It was through that perspective that he and his wife Kris Satchwell decided to invest in a ground-pump geothermal system to heat and cool their home in addition to supplementing their hot water heat.

COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES
The Satchwell’s were facing a common problem - their furnace was getting old and needed to be replaced. In researching replacement furnaces, Randy Satchwell wanted to utilize a technology that would help keep utility costs down. Randy found that for about $2,000 more, he could install geothermal heat pumps rather than a traditional furnace/central air-conditioning unit, thus reducing his overall energy bills long-term, and keep his energy costs relatively stable. “You have to compare apples to apples. When I looked at the projected energy savings in comparison to the cost of natural gas and electricity, it was a no brainer.”

TURNING UP THE HEAT WHILE BRINGING DOWN THE BILLS
Kris Satchwell doesn't just prefer a warmer house, she physically requires one. Living with a condition called Raynaud’s disease her circulation is effected when temperatures go below about 70 degrees, causing her hands and feet to be discolored. Prior to the geothermal pump, the Satchwell household was generally at a 68-degree temp, often an uncomfortable temperature for Kris Satchwell. Since the geothermal pump came online, the Satchwell house is at a constant 75 degrees, and yet their utility bills have decreased despite the temperature hike. In addition, the Satchwell's enjoy very consistent energy bills, despite their pleasantly inconsistent household size. Active foster parents, the Satchwell's have a household size between 4-6 people at any given time. Given their hot water usage and electric usage fluctuates depending on household size; they still enjoy relatively stable energy costs through their geothermal heat pump.

At-a-Glance

• Home size: Approximately 4,000 sq. feet
• Annual energy costs before geothermal: $2,400
• Projected energy costs after geothermal: $1,120
• Projected return on investment: 3-4 years
• Cost of system: $24,443
• Tax credit: $9,333 (30% Fed & $2K State)
• Total Investment $15,110

 

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Clean Energy Industry and Job Market

 

NEW CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN CLEAN ENERGY
One Utahn Expands His Plumbing Background to Solar Installer

EXPANDING INTO SOLAR
Jared Thomson hit the ground running to expand on his regular plumbing background to become a solar thermal installer.  “It is so easy for plumbers to transfer over to solar thermal because the work is very similar… Anyone who is a journeyman plumber can do this work.  For any company that is doing plumbing it is not hard to do solar as well.”  

OPPORTUNITY COMES KNOCKING
After working at Titan Mechanical getting his feet wet in the solar thermal field, Jared began working with a start-up company, Western Solar and looking for more opportunities to utilize his solar thermal skills in the residential and new construction industry.  From there, he found local efficiency contractor, DwellTek.

DwellTek employs 17 staff and works with general contractors who specialize in whole-house efficiency upgrades including HVAC systems, insulation, and solar hot water systems.  At DwellTek Jared installs water heaters connected to solar thermal panels, in new construction and retrofits that are switching to cleaner, more efficient options.  Jared states, “I like what I do.  It is nice to see home owners excited about being green and saving money.”

JOB SECURITY
On average, Jared installs about 1 to 3 solar thermal systems a week, and that won't be slowing down anytime soon.  In one year, DwellTek ahs grown from a start-up company of three people to now 26 full time employees specializing in energy audits, energy home improvement work as well as solar. The company employes analysts, general contractors, weatherization, HVAC technicians, plumbers and electricians.

At-a-Glance

• Certification required: S215 Solar Thermal Systems Contractor
• Average wage for this industry: Journeyman Plumber is the high $20 per hour range (varies)
• Key challenges: Educating the home owner about the savings after the initial cost of the system

 

UTAH’S RENEWABLE ENERGY INDUSTRY
Local Utah company specializes in solar and wind installations for Utah homes, businesses and schools
 

BUSINESS SIDE OF SUSTAINABILITY
With the completion of 1600 PV solar panels installed for the Solar for Schools project this fall, Utah renewable energy company, Intermountain Wind and Solar will boast the installation of approximately 1 megawatt of clean, sustainable energy to Utah homes and businesses in just over 3 years.

MAKING A PROFIT
Intermountain Wind and Solar has emerged as a leading renewable energy business in Utah, proving that clean energy is not only environmentally friendly, but profitable as well. Mark Richards, Business and Development Director states, “It is very demanding. The industry is in hyper-mode.  There is a lot to do, education, project development, design, contracts, procurement, permitting, net metering, inspections and commissioning, last but not least, customer service and maintenance.”  In the past year alone, Intermountain Wind and Solar has doubled in size and it doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.

Currently, Intermountain Wind and Solar’s customer base is very broad. They install wind and solar energy on residential and commercial buildings, government buildings and higher learning institutions. Mark notes that installation is just one piece of the job, Right now, the market is demand knowledge, we play many roles with the primary one being education”.

A USER FRIENDLY PRODUCT
Intermountain Wind & Solar has built their successful business around making renewable energy accessible and affordable for everyday Utah residents and businesses.  “We have found that consumers want clean energy options.  The obstacle isn’t the technology, it is overcoming misconceptions about the financing or maintenance.  We address those things head-on, and can provide a one-stop-shop for design, install, and financing, which makes for a more user-friendly product.”