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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 2004)
A 4,400-watt photovoltaic array on an Oregon island EWEB, 500 4th St, Eugene. The cost is $10 per car or $5 to ride in a tour-provided van. Tickets for those wishing to use their own transportation can be purchased at EWEB until 1 pm. “There’s a lot of exciting stuff this year,” says Tom Scott, a local solar contractor and advocate who’s retiring this year “after 4,000 solar installations and keeping 10,000 tons of carbon from going into the atmosphere.” Scott says technology advances are improv- ing the return on investment in solar power. Participants in the tour will get a copy of a slick new 88-page magazine published by the Oregon Department of Energy. — TJT LOCAL HOME TAPS UNDERGOUND FOR HEAT You’ve heard of solar, wind and hydro energy. But what about heat from the earth? Often overlooked but full of potential, geot- hermal heating is a promising energy alter- native for households in Eugene. Because geothermal heat pump loop and moves it through the house’s ducts. systems draw heat In the summer it does the reverse, pumping hot air from the house to the loop. Or, in the from the ground rather Aldaves’ case, excess hot air is piped straight than from electricity, they are more efficient, to the water heater, saving even more energy. saving money and The biggest factor limiting geothermal minimizing air pollu- heat pump installations is space, because the pipe loop needs to pass through about 500 tion. Rafael and Barbara feet of ground. For that reason, rural homes are often more conducive to geothermal heat Aldave are pleased with the geothermal pumps than city homes with small yards. But the savings are indisputable. ground source heat pump system installed According to systems engineer John Beasley of Automatic Heat, the standard geothermal at their home in south- west Eugene. Although its installation cost heat pump is two to three times more effi- cient than conventional heating systems, and the Aldaves close to $14,000 (including trenches and retrofit duct work), they a new geothermal pump by Climate Masters is four to five times more efficient than any- received a $1,500 tax credit from the state, and the energy-efficient system reduced their thing else on the market. — Kera Abraham monthly electricity bills. The Climate MRG GETS BEHIND Geothermal heat pumps Master geothermal ELECTION work by taking advantage control panels PARTICIPATION of the temperature in the Two state ballot shallow ground, which measures have drawn constantly hovers the attention of a local around 55 degrees foundation that sup- despite the tempera- ports progressive ture of the outside air. causes. The McKenzie The system’s key River Gathering component is the (MRG) Foundation is ground heat exchanger, making available $8,000 a pipe loop buried about in small grants between now five feet deep in the ground. and Nov. 2 for groups working Water circulates through the on voter registration and voter mobi- loop to absorb or release heat, always lization regarding Measures 36 and 37. returning to the house around 55 degrees. In Priority will be given to groups that are the winter, the heat pump takes heat from the “reaching Oregon’s low-income communi- ties, women, youth, immigrants, people of color and rural populations; education on divisive issues such as marriage equality; and collaboration and coalition building across issue areas,” says Marjory Hamann, MRG Foundation’s executive director. Hamann says voters will not only elect our next president, but they will “grapple with ballot measures that have the potential to write unequal treatment into our Constitution (Measure 36), and gut our land use laws (Measure 37).” In late September, MRG Foundation will be hosting trainers from the national Alliance for Justice and the Western States Center to meet with its grantees in Portland and Eugene. The all-day workshops will provide detailed information about what non-profits can and cannot do, suggest specific actions that groups can take between now and the elections, and offer an opportunity for grantees to share stories and inspire one another to do more. For more information on the grants, con- tact Anita Rodgers at (503) 289-1517. CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS • In the last paragraph of Vanessa Salvia’s music column last week, the phrase “caustic metal” was added by an editor and does not reflect Vanessa Salvia’s opinions regarding the band Eagles of Death Metal. • In our Eugene Celebration story (9/16) “Seeing Red Over Blues,” the name of The Vipers guitar player was misspelled. It should have read John Ward. :06 "3& * /7*5&%50 " 41&$*"- 4:.104* 6. "TZNQPTJVNGPSTDJFOUJTUTBOEQPFUT TDIPMBST BOEBDUJWJTUT NFNCFSTPGBMMGBJUIDPNNVOJUJFT BEWPDBUFTGSPNDJWJDPSHBOJ[BUJPOT BOEBOZPOF XIPXJTIFTUPFYQMPSFUIFNFBOJOHTPGUIF TBDSFEJOOBUVSF 4QFBLFST . "3$64 # 03( TDIPMBSBOECFTUTFMMJOHBVUIPS + 0"//" . 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