COOK COUNTY LOCAL ENERGY PROJECT

Working for energy efficiency and clean, local, renewable energy development in Cook County, Minnesota

CCLEP Public Meeting
Thursday, Jan. 21 at the Cook County Community Center in Grand Marais
Each CCLEP working group leader will report on the progress of the groups since they were conceived. Working groups include wind, solar, energy efficiency, biomass, and transportation.
Everyone is welcome. Refreshments served. More information available from George at 387-2137.

District Heat & Power Project

Month by Month Energy Saving Tips

The Cook County Local Energy Project (CCLEP, "see-klep"), was formed in April of 2008 as a citizens' group to coordinate a local response to the worldwide transition away from fossil fuel-based energy sources. In August 2009, CCLEP received its 501c3 non-profit designation.



By becoming more energy efficient and switching-over to clean, local, renewable sources of energy, we can:

• Prepare for a New Energy Future
  As concerns over global climate change mount and oil supplies increasingly fall short of growing demand, local energy solutions centered around increased efficiency and locally produced renewables would increase the reliability of our community's energy supply and insulate our local economy from the effects of volatile energy prices.
• Benefit our Local Economy
  Currently, too many of our much-needed dollars are being exported to faraway oil and coal corporations. A new, local energy industry would keep those dollars circulating within our community and provide high-quality, year-round business and employment opportunities.
• Protect our Environment
  Reducing our use of fossil fuels would contribute to the global effort to head-off the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change, and reduce or eliminate many other kinds of pollution such as acid rain, mercury deposition, and smog.
• Strengthen our National Security
  By helping to end our nation's dependence on foreign oil, we would be doing our part to reduce our national trade deficit, stabilize national and international economies, and lessen a major source of geopolitical conflict.

CCLEP Action Plan

  1. Engender community conversation about energy issues through public meetings, radio shows, newspaper articles, on-line postings, and a dedicated website.

  2. Build and strengthen a network of interested parties to improve communication about, and increase coordination of, local energy projects.

  3.Investigate feasibility of various energy efficiency and renewable energy production options specific to Cook County.

  4. Gather, organize, and make available, information about energy issues.

  5. Develop and maintain a website to make energy information easy to access and useful to our community.

  6. Engage with local units of government to enact policies that enhance local energy efficiency and renewable energy development.

  7. Encourage the establishment of a local energy industry by assisting local businesses and non-profits with their energy projects.

Sample Energy Saving Tips - View Full List

CCLEP's Sixth Energy Saving Tip - July: Weatherstripping

If you have an 1/8th inch gap around your door, that is equivalent to a 6 inch hole in the middle of your front door! Installing weather stripping can plug this hole and can reduce heating/or cooling bill by 30%.

The first thing you need to do is find out where the air is coming in (or hot air escaping). Below are some strategies Use a hairdryer and blow around a door or window with someone standing inside with incense - watch the smoke move! Have someone perform an energy audit. Stand outside your door with a flashlight with someone inside who can tell you where they can see the light. Try sliding a dollar bill between the door and door-jamb on the locked side. Here's a tip for checking windows. Wet your hand with water, and run your hand around the casing of the window. The moisture on your hand will help you detect any drafts that may be passing through the window perimeter.

Decide which kind of weather stripping will work the best in the situation:

Choose a product for each specific location. Felt and open-cell foams tend to be inexpensive, susceptible to weather, visible, and inefficient at blocking airflow. However, the ease of applying these materials may make them valuable in low-traffic areas. Vinyl, which is slightly more expensive, holds up well and resists moisture. Metals (bronze, copper, stainless steel, and aluminum) last for years and are affordable. Metal weather stripping can also provide a nice touch to older homes where vinyl might seem out of place. For adhesive type weather stripping, the outside temperature needs to be above 50 degrees. A door-sweep is a great way of sealing out drafts coming from underneath an exterior door. These attach to the bottom of the door using adhesives or screws.

A door threshold also helps to prevent drafts. If your threshold has a rubber gasket that is broken or damaged, you can obtain a replacement at home centers.

Shrink-film is an effective technique for sealing windows that won't be opened during the winter. The film is applied over the surface of the window and frame like cellophane. A heat-gun or hair dryer is used to heat the film so that it shrinks taut across the surface.

Here is an informative and short video to help you get started. Printable Instructions: weather stripping

CCLEP's Fifth Energy Saving Tip - May: Clotheslines make cents!

Typical electric clothes washers and dryers generate 5 pounds of CO2 per washer/dryer cycle. After the refrigerator and washing machine, the clothes dryer is typically the third most energy sapping appliance in the home. The best way to save energy and money to dry your clothes is to hang them on a clothesline. By using a clothesline instead of your dryer, you can save 1,016 pounds of CO2 annually.

Not only does it save us money, but it cuts down on CO2 use as well. Let's look to see what kind of impact letting our garments air dry on a clothes horse has (advanced spreadsheet here, including gas dryers).

Cost/load (electric):
$ .35
CO2/load (electric):
5.6 lbs.
Loads/year for a family:
365
Cost of a clothes horse:
$ 5-10
$ saving/year (1/2 loads air dried):
$63.88
lbs CO2 saved/year (1/2 loads air dried):
1016 lbs.

So there you have it, throw your weekly washing to the wind and you can drop a couple of 10-spots in your pocket without feeling the pinch.

CCLEP's fourth simple energy conservation tip - April: Insulate Hot Water Pipes for Energy Savings

Insulating your hot water pipes reduces heat loss and can raise water temperature 2ºF-4ºF hotter than uninsulated pipes can deliver, allowing for a lower water temperature setting. You also won't have to wait as long for hot water when you turn on a faucet or showerhead, which helps conserve water.

Insulate all accessible hot water pipes, especially within 3 feet of the water heater. It's also a good idea to insulate the cold water inlet pipes for the first 3 feet.

Use quality pipe insulation wrap, or neatly tape strips of fiberglass insulation around the pipes. Pipe sleeves made with polyethylene or neoprene foam are the most commonly used insulation. Match the pipe sleeve's inside diameter to the pipe's outside diameter for a snug fit. Place the pipe sleeve so the seam will be face down on the pipe. Tape, wire, or clamp (with a cable tie ) it every foot or two to secure it to the pipe. If you use tape, some recommend using acrylic tape instead of duct tape. On gas water heaters, keep insulation at least 6 inches from the flue. If pipes are within 8 inches of the flue, your safest choice is to use fiberglass pipe-wrap (at least 1-inch thick) without a facing. You can use either wire or aluminum foil tape to secure it to the pipe.

Video instructions as to how to apply pipe wrap.

March Tip:
Almost all computers, computer peripherals (printers, modems, scanners, etc.) and home entertainment products (stereo, DVD player, televisions, etc.)draw an idle electrical current even after they have been turned off. Some devices still draw the same amount of power even when turned off. To alleviate this, the device needs to be physically unplugged from the wall. Using a power strip allows multiple devices to be plugged into one unit. Rather than having to unplug multiple devices, you only need to unplug (ad plug back in) the power strip in this case making it a much easier process that you are more likely to remember. Watch this video.

News & Working Group Reports