CUTTING ENERGY USE IN INDIANA

Hoosiers Compete To Cut Kilowatts; Participants Vie For $10,000 Solar Energy System
Maggie Loiselle, January 18, 2010 (CNN Indiana Channel 6)

"…[S]ome Hoosiers are hoping to lose big…when it comes to their energy bills.

"The Southern Indiana Renewable Energy Network, or SIREN [unable to link due to embedded malware], is challenging Monroe County residents to tighten their belts and see who can cut their kilowatts the most in 2010…30 households have signed up…[E]ach will track their month-to-month energy consumption, with prizes awarded at the end of each three-month period…The 10 families in the lead after the first nine months will compete for the grand prize -- a Grid-tied PV solar system worth about $10,000…"

The ideal retrofit. (click to enlarge)

"Will and Maggie Sullivan, of Bloomington, signed up for the challenge as part of an ongoing effort to live a greener life, a process they're detailing on their blog, GreenCouple.com…[They] have already taken care of the basics, like switching out incandescent light bulbs for energy-efficient compact fluorescents and winterizing their home. They also track the energy their appliances use, and recently installed a light tube to brighten up a dark kitchen without turning on the lights…

"Southern Indiana is one of the more ideal places in the state for solar energy systems, receiving nearly five hours of direct sunlight everyday day…[Of SIREN’s] more than 100 members, about 10 to 20 have some type of solar energy system [solar hot water heaters, solar air heating systems, etc.] at their homes… [But] advocacy groups face an uphill battle in convincing consumers to make the switch due to the initial high cost of materials and installation, which can run in the tens of thousands of dollars…"

Thses calculations are based on a proposed federal incentive for retrofitting. (click to enlarge)

"Hoosiers not quite ready to take the leap to installing their own solar panels can often buy energy generated by renewable sources through their utility companies…Duke Energy's GoGreen Indiana program allows customers to buy green blocks of power each month, generated from local renewable sources, while the South Central Indiana REMC EnviroWatts Program uses biomass power from the gases produced by landfills.

"Indiana Power and Light's Green Power program allows customers to choose a percentage of their monthly electric bill to be generated from renewable sources including wind, solar, geothermal and biomass…[A] typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours in a month and enrolled at the 100 percent level would pay an additional $4.20 on their electric bill…[But] Hoosiers should…reduce their consumption as well…[More on] incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency…[at] the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, or DSIRE."