Lake Chelan development first of its kind in county
A proposed development covering 270 acres on the south shore of Lake Chelan aims to combine energy-efficient housing with organic farming, commercial enterprise and, for good measure, a bit of “art and architecture.”

Two of the property owners, Dr. Bob Jankelson and Guy Evans, kicked off the permitting process for the proposed Tuscan Village during an open house at Tsillan Cellars winery on Oct. 22. Jankelson owns that winery, while Evans’ family owns and operates the neighboring Tunnel Hill winery as well as the organic Sunshine Farms and Market. They propose to create a harmonic blend of houses, condos, a resort, retail shops, vineyards and trails covering the rolling hills between the two wineries.

The developers are Jankelson, Fred Ross, Bob Hild, Andy Precht, and Guy, Luke and Denny Evans.  They have termed the rolling hills above the lake the “Golden Mile;” the development begins on the south side of Highway 97A about one mile from Lakeside and extends west one mile to the Pat & Mike’s store. The property includes four ownerships, all of which border the highway.

Conservation staff from Chelan County PUD attended the open house to provide information on energy efficiency and heating options, including the use of geothermal heating systems.

Referring to “thoughtless development” near Chelan, Jankelson told about 100 people at the open house, “We will make sure that that doesn’t happen here.” Tuscan Village, he said, will “combine environmental stewardship with culture, art and architecture.”

Mark Esvelt, of Esvelt Environmental Engineering in Spokane, said effluent will be turned into water for food crops, and grey water will be treated to reuse for drinking water.

Lee Smith, economist from Sun River, Ore., said an economic analysis indicates the project is viable. Residents and visitors at the proposed Tuscan Village could add some $12 million annually to the Chelan economy, he said.

The proposed project would include 956 residential units, including single- and multifamily homes and hotel rooms, more than 30 retail stores, 90 acres of agricultural operations and 42 acres of open space.

A draft environmental impact statement will be completed and published for public comment in mid-December. Comments are due to the Chelan County Planning Office by Jan. 30, 2009. A final decision on the Tuscan Village application is due in April.

Related links:
Chelan development touts green building (Wenatchee World)

Tuscan Village web site

Planned development application to Chelan County

David McIntye holds one of his new 12-watt recessed LED (light-emitting diode) units

David McIntyre of Leavenworth sees a light at the end of the tunnel – and it’s illuminated with LEDs.

McIntyre purchased several 12-watt recessed LED (light-emitting diode) units for trial in the ceiling of the home he’s remodeling. The LEDs cost a whopping $90 each, which includes trim parts for the ceiling cans, but McIntyre believes the quality of light, durability of the units and miserly energy use will justify the investment. He calculates that over 10 years, using 65-watt incandescent floods would be more expensive than the total cost of the LEDs.

According to manufacturer Cree LED Lighting Solutions, the LED units use 85 percent less energy than a comparable incandescent bulb and will last 20 years.

Due to the cost, LED lighting is not yet popular in homes but is commonly seen in flashlights, stop lights and holiday lighting; the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, for example, is decorated with 30,000 energy-efficient LED lights.

Marcelo da Luz

A meeting with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is the next goal of the driver who set a world record for distance traveled in a solar car.

Marcelo da Luz, a former flight attendant and native of Brazil, brought his saucer-shaped solar car to Wenatchee on Dec. 4, making appearances at Wenatchee High School, Wenatchee Valley College, the Performing Arts Center (photo at left) and Newbery Elementary. Students at the elementary school were fascinated with the futuristic vehicle and shouted in unison as da Luz led them in a countdown, then drove the car around the parking lot and out of sight – then returned to applause and squeals of delight.

Da Luz set the record by traveling more than 10,000 miles across Canada and the U.S. Sponsors helped him build the $1 million car and finance the trip, which started in June and ended in October. He is looking for additional sponsors to continue his journey.

He wants to meet Schwarzenegger to draw attention to renewable energy development, which the governor has supported, and to what can be achieved by “the power of one.” Da Luz’s Web site is called the Power of One, shortened to xof1.

Related links
Fill ‘er up with sunshine (Wenatchee World)

Marcelo Da Luz set the record for travel in a solar car by driving more than 10,000 miles across Canada and the U.S

The Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council has money — lots of it — to help low-income families pay energy bills this winter.

Tanya Render, energy and rental assistance coordinator for Community Action, said the agency received $720,000 for the 2008-09 winter heating season. That compares to $385,000 earmarked for the federal Energy Assistance Program last winter.

“We served almost 1,500 households this past year,” Render said. “With this increase we could potentially double that.”

The funds are used to help pay heating costs or to help with repairs or replacement of heating systems.

Eligibility is based on federal poverty guidelines for household size and income. To apply, customers should call (509) 662-6156 and ask for Energy Assistance.

You can tell winter has arrived when customers start calling about thermostats. They want to know whether they’ll really save energy by turning their thermostats down at night. Some have the erroneous belief that because an electric furnace runs longer in the morning to bring a home back to a comfortable temperature, it costs more to recover from a nighttime setback than it saves.

Here’s the skinny: You almost always save by turning down your thermostat, regardless of how long you sleep or are away from home. A typical furnace runs 20 minutes per hour to heat your home. If you set the thermostat to 60 degrees before you go to bed and leave it there for eight hours, the furnace will not need to run 20 minutes each hour. The furnace may have to run some during the night, depending on how cold it is outside, but it certainly won’t be 20 minutes per hour.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to 68°F while you’re awake and setting it lower while you’re asleep or away from home. By turning your thermostat back 10°-15° for eight hours, you can save about 5 percent to 15 percent a year on your heating bill—a savings of as much as 1 percent for each degree if the setback period is eight hours long.

This doesn’t apply if you have a heat pump. In its cooling mode, a heat pump operates like an air conditioner, so turning up the thermostat (either manually or with a programmable thermostat) will save energy and money. But when a heat pump is in its heating mode, setting back its thermostat can cause the unit to operate inefficiently, thereby canceling out any savings achieved by lowering the temperature setting. Maintaining a moderate setting is the most cost-effective practice.

Bottom line: If you have a heat pump, turn the heat down just a couple degrees when you go to bed at night. If you don’t have a heat pump, turn the heat down to about 60°.

Related links/sources:

Clark Public Utilities

U.S. Department of Energy