A unique home is going up in a new development on the southwest edge of Lincoln. What makes this home special?From the outside, it looks much like neighboring homes: It's a 1,248 square foot home with a living room featuring a built-in entertainment center, kitchen area with a breakfast bar area, dining room, three bedrooms and two baths. This home is different in several ways...
The Nebraska Legislature adopted the 2003 International Energy Conservation Code as the Nebraska Energy Code effective July 1, 2005. The Legislature acted after a Nebraska Energy Office study showed building energy use consumes 42 percent of overall energy use in Nebraska, and is higher than the national average of 34 percent.
The purpose of this Guide is to provide consumers with the basic information about small wind electric systems to help them decide if wind energy will meet their needs. This elemental handbook answers questions such as...
This Wind Powering America factsheet profiles nine wind energy projects that provide schools with clean energy and provide revenue and educational opportunities for students. Each of the projects was tailored to fit local needs...
This online tool developed for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory use wind and power data entered by the user to calculate the wind project's capacity factor. In the past, this type of calculation had to be performed...
A string of approvals from utility and regulatory boards kept the largest planned wind energy farm planned in the state on track to begin producing power in late summer of 2005. In August 2004, the Nebraska Public Power District Board selected an engineering, procurement and construction contract to Renewable Energy Systems...
In September 2004, the U.S. General Accountability Office released an analysis, Wind Power's Contribution to Electric Power Generation and Impact on Farms and Rural Communities, that dealt with a number of wind power and rural economic development issues.
In light of the creation of a renewable energy program in the 2002 Farm Bill, the General Accountability Office was asked to examine...
With a $125,000 SEP Special Projects Rebuild America grant, the Energy Office and its partners, Energy Systems Laboratory at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Omaha Public Power District, developed and demonstrated the Continuous Commissioning Leading Retrofit Process (CCLRP) which allows building owners to make major energy efficiency improvements with little or no capital...
Energy is one of the more expensive components of raising crops and livestock. A series of ideas and factsheets have been produced recently that provide helpful suggestions on ways to reduce energy use...
The first part of this question, “Is more insulation needed?” can be difficult to answer. Up to a certain point, insulation will pay for itself by reducing energy costs. Where the cost effectiveness point is varies depending on the cost of energy and the cost of insulation. Another factor is...
Many Americans love to decorate for the holidays with strings of lights, and most use standard incandescent lights — called C7s — or mini-lights. Did you know these types of bulbs use a significant amount of energy? And, because replacing the bulbs can be costly, it is cheaper to throw away a string of lights...
Light-Emitting Diode, or LED, traffic signals can be real energy and dollar savers. Here's the low-down on potential energy savings, technical performance, market applications, availability, cost effectiveness, their relationship/adaptability to codes.
According to ENERGY STAR's Traffic Signals website, LED traffic signals have a “significant energy savings potential,” possibly saving...
All the projections for winter heating costs for this year are pointing skyward, especially if Nebraska has a typical winter. According to Energy Office data, more than 68 percent of Nebraskans heat their home with natural gas. The Energy Information Administration has predicted the average heating bill for natural gas users will rise 15 percent over last year, or about $130. The agency attributed the cost rise to...
If you — or someone you know — has struggled in the past with winter heating bills, there may be a solution before the bills get out of hand. There are several alternatives for those Nebraskans who have had difficulty paying for heating bills...
There is one thing certain about a database: it's never static, but continually changing as new data becomes available. That's a good description of the state's energy statistics database maintained by the Energy Office.
Q: What must be done to qualify for a Dollar and Energy Saving Loan when furnaces fail in the winter or are "red-tagged" as unsafe to operate?...
The world of the Internet is ever-changing. Here you will find new sites and others that have been upgraded: 2005 Fuel Economy Guide, Energy Education Resources: Kindergarten Through 12th Grade and more...
The Nebraska Energy Quarterly is funded, in part, by the U.S. Department of Energy through the State Energy Program.
The Energy Wiz answers your energy questions.
In this issue, the Wiz answers questions about geothermal, solar energy and how to get the most from your heat pump.