CBS News to Highlight LCC Alt Energy Program TONIGHT

Tonight’s CBS News is expected to include the Green Jobs/Retraining Workers segment that was taped in Lansing on December 9 and 10. The story includes interviews with Governor Granholm, representatives from Dowding Industries in Eaton Rapids, and faculty, students and staff from LCC’s alternative energy program. It is a part of a CBS series entitled “Challenges to America” that covers issues facing President Obama. LCC will tape the show and put it on the LCC website.

GHANA in 2010!

From the desk of Dave Wilson

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Good Morning All!

I got an email yesterday from Mr. Isaac Addai (from Ghana) who is an LCC instructor and helps coordinate LCC (health care) students visits to his homeland. This is an event that has taken place for several years now.

My conversation with Isaac is about AEET students making this trip in 2010 and helping them set-up some small alternative energy sources for small (laptop & cellphone battery charging) but crucial electrical needs. Obviously they have abundant sun and most villages are located near streams and rivers and wind power may be possible as well.

So... I'm going to talk to out Program Chair and one or two other people to get a feel for how we might be able to do this. From what I've heard, out-of-pocket expense for students for the 3-week trip is about $5,000.00 (ouch!), but I'm considering it because I think it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not the same as a trip to the International Space Station... but a lot cheaper and probably much more rewarding.

I know I've mentioned this to you before but with more than a year to plan, maybe there are a few students that would like to consider it.

What do you think?

DGW

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Greener Delta part duex

From the desk of Dave Wilson

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Just had another very good project idea for the club... "Greener Delta", see: http://www.greenerdelta.org/

They just started last year and AEET had a table ther with John Hanley & a couple of students. For this year I've reserved a very nice (collapseable) commercial-type display back-drop and a table-drape with the LCC logo. Thing is... we don't have anything to stick (with Velcro) to the back-drop.

Any ideas?

Dave

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Meeting recap...

Good morning all!

Thank you to those of you that came to the meeting last night. I appreciate seeing your faces and your effort.

Somethings that were discussed:

Letter to LCC to gently "nudge" them toward ZEH movement. It was decided that I would initiate a letter and send it out for each club member to revise and/or add to, prior to sending. This type of group involvement is appreciated.

Field trips. Bryan has volunteered his rather large van to assist us in local trips and he has also suggested a visit to local homeowner(s) that have constructed with energy efficient methods or have redone a home utilizing such methods.

We would like to focus on the Chicago field trip to the Wind Conference in May. This will be a rather large undertaking, but we will need to get a pulse for how many people are interested so that I may get some balls rolling toward it.

This was most of the meat of our meeting. We will meet again a MONTH from now, on the 19th of February (a Thursday night) from 5pm to 6pm barring any unforeseen problems.

I invite you all to partake in our discussion boards and please feel free to email me with any questions or things that you would like to see discussed.

I will post a rough draft of our ZEH letter here when I have it done.

Thank you!!!

Amy Baker


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Michigan I Begins Commercial Operations

Madison, Wis.-based RMT Inc., a developer of wind energy projects, has completed construction of Michigan Wind I, located near Ubly, Mich.

With a total capacity of 69 MW, Michigan Wind I is the largest commercial-scale wind farm in Michigan. The wind facility began commercial operation in mid-December.

As balance of plant contractor for Michigan Wind I, RMT's WindConnect team provided construction of the civil and electrical services for the site, including erecting 46 1.5 MW GE SLE wind turbines and constructing the substation, collector system, access roads, crane pads and crane paths, tower foundations and associated civil infrastructure.

John Deere Renewables acquired Michigan Wind I from Noble Environmental Power in October 2008. SOURCE: RMT Inc.

Weds. MEETING time/place

I have reserved WCB W168 from 5-6pm or the AEET club meeting.

This meeting is for TOMORROW….Weds. night. 1/21/09

"Greener Delta" February 6th Deadline

Hello All:

Delta Township (where West Campus is located) is sponsoring their 2nd Annual "Greener Delta" event to be held at the Hayes Middle School (in the Grand Ledge Public Schools System) on Saturday, April 18, 2009. This is a one day FREE event, open to the public to help raise awareness of "Green" issues, sustainability and alternative energy.

If you are interested in setting-up a booth for this event please let me know by 5:00 PM, February 6th and I'll add your name to the list. Please let me know how many tables, electrical needs and number of chairs you would like. Delta Township will provide exhibitor name badges so if you know who will be in your booth, let me know that too and we'll see that everyone get a name badge.

Please remember that LCC now has some display materials and table drapes... see Derick on that.

Regards,

David G. Wilson
Lead Faculty/Program Coordinator
Alternative Energy Engineering Technology Program
Lansing Community College

Discussion Board

Our student discussion board is now up. You can follow the link on the side (to the right) or use this link here:

http://members7.boardhost.com/AEETEnergyStars/

Zero-Energy Plans, LLC.htm

This is from our Instructor Leader, Dave Wilson.

There is some pretty interesting stuff here and quite a few home plans.

Welcome to AEET Energy Stars!

Hello!

To meet the demands of our new student club and as promised, here is a method of communication and a way for me to get information to our members.

This morning, I sent out an email to those that I have email addresses for. If you did not get it please let me know and leave your email address for future mailings. I did get three "bounce backs".

I am working on a discussion forum/board that will link to/from this blog post. In the meantime, please feel free to utilize this space to post a message.

I look forward to hearing from you all and to our meeting next Weds.

Thank you!

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(copy of email sent out this morning)



Good Morning all!

I hope this email finds you well.

A few notes:

I will work on getting a site set up this weekend that we may all post to in order to have discussion in between meetings. As I said last night…you never know when an idea will hit or when you will be in the mood to discuss things. It will be easy enough for me to set up a blog and I will do that as well, but I would like to focus on a discussion board as per suggested last night by Ken.

It was asked that we meet next week as well – so in light of that….next Weds. seems to work out the best. I will need to secure space for us to meet so I do not have a room number to date, but I would like to see about meeting from 5 to 6 pm (or later, depending) this time.

Things to cover:

1) Field trip. There are a few options and one of them is in March. I will post as many links / pdf files as I can in regards to ideas so far and we can discuss them.

2) A letter will need to be composed that will go to the powers that be over at LCC in regards to getting some movement on the ZEH project.

3) Strengths brought. What I mean by this is….everyone is good at something. Most of you are GREAT at a lot…..I think we should discuss if any of those things can be helpful in getting things done.

As Ken said last night…”we have a lot of work to do” and we do. I will do as much as I can but invite help, suggestions, ideas…whatever you got.

In the meantime…

The following is a link for scholarships. Ken…..this is the website that I was talking to you about last night.

http://www.fastweb.com/

AND! I have attached what little information that I could dig up on the Michigan Wind Conference that is being held in MARCH.


Thank you all!