From: Rita Schenck [rita@iere.org]
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2003 12:41 PM
Subject: Energy Update #9

Dear Friends:

We are moving forward with our plans to make Vashon Island a renewables-only community. This project will take a long time and require the participation of many people, but the most important element to our success is that we stay true to our vision.

Over the last several weeks, we have been taking some steps to move us on our way.

On February 20th, Mike Nelson spoke at the Land Trust building about the potential for solar both on our Island and globally. Mike is a founding father of the solar industry in Washington, and is president of Western Sun, a solar purchasing cooperative. Mike talked about how we have at least as good solar potential here in Washington as they have in Germany-- and Germany has the largest installed solar base of any nation in the world.

As a follow up to that meeting, IERE has requested membership in Western Sun. We intend to pass through the reduced prices to all residents of Vashon Island. Until our membership is approved at Western Sun's next board meeting, residents of the island can contact Mike Nelson directly at 206-285-1061. For a preview of some of the systems that Western Sun sells, check out their website at http://www.westernsun.org/. So far 5 people have contacted me expressing interest in installing solar.

We are also targeting kids to get the "green energy" message out. On March 13-14th, we produced packets for all the students in the gradeschool and middle school and part of the high school students in the Vashon School District. The packet included some information about energy and green tags as well as two coupons for compact fluorescent light bulbs. If all those coupons are redeemed, the energy savings would be about 120,000 kilowatt-hours. This is enough electricity to power about 13 households for a year.

Our next project is to install demonstration solar systems around the town. We are requesting funds from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to do so. If they do fund our project we would install thee to four small demonstrations. Both the Vashon Allied Arts and the Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust have agreed to host sites for solar demonstrations. We also intend to install one at the IERE offices. That solar system would be used to power an electric pickup truck.

We are seeking private donations to buy the pick up truck-- $7,000 is needed to purchase the truck, pay taxes and insurance and related expenses. Once we have the truck, we will make it available to the community in a program similar to the flexcar program available in Seattle and other cities. Donations to IERE are tax-deductible and very gratefully received!

We are also working on developing a hydrogen economy/renewable energy demonstration on the island. This project will be quite large, since its intent is to demonstrate solar, wind and biomass all in one hydrogen-producing grid. Funding is the big challenge for this project!

We continue to get good press. E-magazine is planning a story on us, and our efforts will be included in an Earth Day piece planned by the Seattle Times. In February, I was invited to speak at the Bainbridge Island "conscientious Projector's film festival, describing our efforts so far. Representative Jay Inslee was also a speaker there.

We invite you to share this note with anyone you believe would be interested. We will gladly add the names of anyone who requests it to this mail list. Likewise, if you wish to be removed, send me a note and I'll remove your name.

Institute for Environmental Research and Education
P.O. Box 2449
Vashon, WA 98070

206-463-7430
206-279-1570 (f)
http://www.iere.org