PROGRAMS

Research

We are continuing our research on the relationship between energy and economics, particularly the impact that imminent resource degradation may have on the health of our local and national economies. This Research has led us to conclude that local production of energy is an invaluable asset for a community's economy, security, and sustainability. With this in mind, we have begun exploring various strategies for transforming the way that Santa Fe produces, consumes and values its energy.

Effects of Higher Energy Costs on Low-Income Households
This ongoing effort furthers the research done after the oil shocks of the 70’s and 80’s to characterize the disproportionate burden of high energy costs on lower-income families. The research is essential for developing sound policy to address the social and economic fallout from oil and gas degradation.

Best Practices for Community Energy Development
This ongoing effort uses data and experience from community-based energy projects to improve their competitiveness versus conventional energy systems. The research takes place on three tracks: Technical, which addresses issues such as computer control and monitoring of processes for peak efficiency; Economic, which tracks and compares energy-dollar flows for local and non-local energy purchases; and Policy, which develops and evaluates options that community leaders can take to foster growth of community-based energy.

Education & Outreach

Local Energy's Education and Outreach efforts are directed toward a wide variety of audiences, and seek to convey the importance of understanding the structural changes taking place within the energy industry, the impact that it is having on us, and viable means of responding to these impacts.

EcoVersity Earth-Based Vocations Program

Mark is now part of EcoVersity’s Core Faculty, and teaches the Renewable Energy section of their 10-week Earth-Based Vocations program. Mark gave the course twice in 2006, graduating 13 students in total. Details at www.ecoversity.com

 

Santa Fe Community College Continuing Education
Mark created a course entitled Community Based Energy, which gives an overview of our energy predicament and shows the benefits of maintaining a local focus. This course ran in Fall 2004 and Summer 2005, and is scheduled again in 2007. Frank Currie of Local Energy will be the primary instructor going forward. The course is part of an Associates of Applied Science degree program that is under development at the College, with assistance from Local Energy. Details at www.sfccnm.edu.

Santa Fe Community College
Vocational Training
Mark created and co-teaches Introduction to Biomass Energy, using the biomass heating system developed and installed by Local Energy and Althouse, Inc. The course teaches operations, maintenance, fuel basics, and business considerations to help students become heating entrepreneurs in their home communities.

Santa Fe County Solar Policy Development
Initiated by County Commissioner Paul Campos, this group discusses policy and projects for renewable energy in Santa Fe County. Local Energy provides technical support, under contract, to the group’s efforts. 

Lectures and Appearances
Mark regularly gives guest lectures to classes at Santa Fe Community College, EcoVersity, and the College of Santa Fe. He speaks at conferences locally, nationally, and internationally, including at the 2005 Eastern European Biomass Conference. He has given dozens of interviews for radio and print media—most recently for the Winter 2006 issue of Santa Fe Trend magazine.

Energy-Rater Training Program (Planned for 2007) – This training, to be offered at the Santa Fe Community College, would prepare students for national certification as a HERS home-energy rater. Certified HERS raters charge $300 or more to characterize the energy consumption of a residence, and they give the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Star label to homes meeting high standards of energy efficiency.

K-12 Introduction to Community Energy (Planned for 2007) – Kristen has begun preparing a presentation on community energy suitable for grades K-6, and will begin delivering it in local schools in 2007. Mark will also make at least four presentations to middle and high school students in 2007.

Directory of Local Energy Providers(Planned for 2007) – Local Energy is compiling profiles of locally owned, independent energy companies in the Santa Fe area, and will publish the directory online. Each profile will contain a statement of why the proprietor believes locally owned energy is important to the local community.

Energy Projects

To demonstrate and promote the benefits of energy self-reliance, Local Energy carries out projects that utilize local energy resources and local businesses to stabilize energy prices, strengthen the local economy, and protect the environment.

Santa Fe Biomass-Fired District Energy System

With the technical and economic studies complete, and both showing good feasibility and significant benefits, our focus on this project is now on improving awareness of the need to move forward with implementation. Our ongoing research efforts support the creation of appropriate models for ownership, finance, construction, and operation of the system. Details of this project are available in our online document library.

Santa Fe Community College Biomass System

Local Energy provided a detailed design and financial analysis of the system to heat the 595,000 square-foot campus, and the college has hired Local Energy as a technical consultant to help implement the project. We are presently making site-visits to facilities with similar systems to gain familiarity with them and discuss their experiences with biomass fuels and system maintenance.

Santa Clara Pueblo Heating System for Low-Income Homes

Local Energy is designing a system that will utilize waste from ongoing forest thinning efforts at the pueblo to heat 35 low-income homes. Santa Clara obtained $360,000 to help them implement the project, and plans are to move into construction in the Fall of 2007. The project is expected to serve as a model for cost-effective use of forest waste as an alternative to conventional home heating fuels.

Taos Pueblo Biomass-Fired Greenhouse Heating

Local Energy has designed the heat-distribution and control systems for this biomass energy project that will heat two greenhouses and three small buildings at the Taos Pueblo. We have also agreed to oversee the construction and startup of the system, which is expected to be completed this winter.

Monastery of Christ in the Desert: Sustainable Energy for a Remote Community

We continue this longstanding effort to help a remote monastic community live sustainably using solar technologies for electricity and heating. We provide design and oversight services to all of their solar projects.

 

Self-Reliance Foundation: Neighborhood Heating for a Santa Fe Barrio

This project is determining the feasibility of retrofitting an older Santa Fe neighborhood with biomass district energy as a means to avoid the hardships of continued hikes in natural gas heating costs.

 

Local Energy Assistance Project

We select a recipient each year to receive a community-based energy system that reduces utility costs, thereby freeing up resources for a worthy community cause. In 2005, we installed a solar hot-water system and compact fluorescent light bulbs at a transitional housing facility operated by the Saint Elizabeth Shelter. The hot-water system will provide more than $200,000 in natural-gas savings over its lifetime (click here for more info).