Author: Energy District

On Friday, October 25, ten students from the Decorah Middle School’s Climate Change Action Group (CCAG) did a presentation to a small group at the Winneshiek Energy District office. The topic? Their vision for a new elementary school. Their purpose? To encourage attending adults to vote in favor of a new, energy efficient, renewable energy powered building that is designed for the students – and climate – of the future.

These young climate advocates illustrated the benefits of solar and geothermal energy, school gardens, electrochromic glass, insulation and more, while explaining how it would benefit learning conditions and a stable climate for their children’s generation. It was truly inspiring! View their slides here.

The CCAG is actively seeking to share their presentation with area religious and civic groups. If you’d like to host time, reach out to the group’s advisor Scott Boylen (scott.boylen@decorah.school).

View slides: General Public Meeting Presentation

Assistance to farms and small businesses to apply for 50% renewable energy and energy efficiency grants offered through Clean Energy Districts of Iowa Energy Coaching program

Press release by Clean Energy Districts of Iowa

Clean Energy Districts of Iowa (CEDI), a nonprofit consortium of Energy Districts based in 13 counties in Iowa, is offering free energy coaching to assist farms and small businesses in applying for USDA grant funding for renewable energy or energy efficiency improvement projects. The Winneshiek Energy District is a member of CEDI.

 USDA’s Rural Energy in America Program (REAP) is accepting grant applications that, if approved, would fund 50% of the cost of renewable energy or energy efficiency improvement projects. 

Eligible projects for REAP renewable energy system grants include:  biomass, geothermal, small and large scale wind generation, and small and large scale solar generation. Eligible projects for REAP energy efficiency improvements include:  high efficiency heating, cooling, and ventilation (HVAC) systems, insulation, lighting, cooling or refrigeration units, doors and windows, and replacement of energy-inefficient equipment.  Ineligible projects include:  any residential use, tractors or implements, new construction, or upgrades to buildings which do not currently consume energy.

CEDI provides priority assistance to customers and communities that are traditionally underserved by the REAP program, including areas defined by USDA as disadvantaged communities and distressed communities. CEDI also offers priority assistance to applicants with small grants ($20,000 or less) or grants for underutilized technologies.

CEDI employs two Energy Coaches for the REAP program to serve the 13 counties with Energy Districts. Steve Hopkins provides assistance in the following counties: Allamakee, Cerro Gordo, Clayton, Dubuque, Howard, and Winneshiek. He may be reached at: steve.hopkins@cleanenergydistricts.org or at 641-831-3552.

Mark Patton provides assistance in the following counties: Delaware, Jackson, Johnson, Linn, Muscatine, Tama, and Polk.  He may be reached at mark.patton@cleanenergydistricts.org or at 563-299-1839.

For more information or to apply for CEDI REAP coaching, please fill out the inquiry form at: www.cleanenergydistricts.org/reap. This is an Equal Opportunity Program. Discrimination is prohibited by Federal Law.

Have you been feeling down about your carbon footprint?

Maybe you’ve already made an effort to reduce your carbon footprint through energy efficiency, worked to electrify your home and transportation or added renewables? Or maybe you’re a renter who doesn’t have a choice in the matter?

For those looking to “close the gap” between their net-zero goals and reality, consider purchasing Oneota Tag Carbon Offsets, the first entirely local carbon offset program in Iowa.

These all-local carbon offsets will reduce your carbon footprint, invest in community-wide energy efficiency projects, and boost the local economy by lowering energy bills for those who need it most. Carbon offsets are a way for you to buy “shares” in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions somewhere else, thus “offsetting” your own emissions.

Proceeds from the sale of Oneota Tags go toward purchasing supplies including basic weatherization materials that are used locally in the Winneshiek Energy District’s home efficiency programs. These programs save northeast Iowans an estimated 1,646 tons of carbon annually!

There are hundreds of carbon offset companies out there, however we believe the real power of offsets is local and hope you’ll join us in transitioning Winneshiek County towards energy and carbon independence. Purchase Oneota Tag Carbon Offsets and make a difference in your community today!

Rationale: gas/hybrid mode gets ~45 mpg.  Overall mpg is 94.8.  So total gallons of gas is 4,536 miles / 94.8 mpg = 47.85 gallons.  Then gas miles / 47.85 gallons = ~45 mpg. So gas miles = 47.85*45 = 2,153 miles.

The main concern was being able to charge on longer trips (range anxiety).  So I opted for a plug-in hybrid.

My next car will definitely be a pure electric vehicle.

If you’re inclined to buy some sort of electric vehicle in the future, what obstacles will have to be overcome to make ownership more appealing?
Lower purchase price, longer range, and faster charging.

Are you a two vehicle household, and if so, is your second vehicle gas powered?
Our second vehicle is also a PHEV –  a 2021 RAV4 Prime. Read that story here.

Is cold weather driving different than summer driving? Is there anything about winter driving with a PHEV you’d like to share?
It works about the same in winter, except the plug-in battery does not hold as many miles at full charge.  I try to keep the heater off during short trips across town; otherwise, that would deplete the battery much faster.

Cost of ownership has been very low with few repairs and low gas expense.  I mostly charge the car at home where we have solar panels.

What are the biggest limitations of driving an EV? On the flip side, what’s been the biggest plus?
Biggest limitations: Fewer models to choose from.  I couldn’t get all wheel drive in my price range at the time I bought the Honda.

Have you used public charging? If so, what has that experience been like?
Yes, have used public charging, but not very much.  The experience has been fine.

If you’re inclined to buy some sort of electric vehicle in the future, what obstacles will have to be overcome to make ownership more appealing for a wider audience?
Purchase price, longer range, and faster charging.

Are you a two vehicle household, and if so, is your second vehicle gas powered?
 Both of our vehicles are PHEV.

Is cold weather driving different than summer driving? Is there anything about winter driving with a PHEV you’d like to share? Like, for example when it’s really cold, does the vehicle stick to all electric or does the gas engine come on?
It works about the same in winter, except the plug-in battery does not hold as many miles at full charge.  The RAV4 Prime has AWD and is great is snow.

As you see it, what are the biggest limitations of driving an EV? On the flip side, what’s been the biggest plus?
Biggest limitations: Fewer models to choose from.  Couldn’t get all wheel drive in my price range at the time I bought the Honda.

Biggest plus (forgot to include this in the Honda answers but also true for it): High MPG.

Have you used public charging? If so, what has that experience been like?
A few times.  The RAV4 Prime has charged slowly on public level 2 chargers, taking 7-8 hours to reach its capacity of 43 miles.

Kristin Eggen, Executive Director
July 2024

The Winneshiek Energy District spent July 9-13 talking to residents at the Winneshiek County Fair. We ate nachos, handed out lightbulbs, and shared information about heat pumps. Our question for passerbyers was “Will you put a dot on my map?”

The large poster paper with a thick yellow axis and circular stickers wasn’t really a “map,” or at least not the kind that can guide you to your daughter’s soccer game. The activity asked participants to answer three questions:

1. “Are you a renter, homeowner or neither?” Renters chose a yellow sticker, Homeowners used a red sticker, and neither (mostly youth) chose a blue sticker
2. “How do you feel about your energy bills?”They placed their finger on the Y-axis, somewhere between “Very affordable” to “Hard to afford”
3. “How often does climate change worry you?” They placed their other finger on the X-axis, somewhere between “Never” and “Always”

At this point the two fingers moved together to find the nexus of the two points, and the sticker marked the spot. Over several days the paper became more colorful, attracting more participants and viewers, including local leaders and politicians.

We engaged over 180 fair attendees over five days and learned a lot. Our main takeaways include:

• The majority of respondents were homeowners.
• People worry about climate change more often than not.
• There are still a handful of people who deny climate change exists, but they are a minority.
• More people find their energy bills unaffordable than very affordable, with the majority finding them reasonably affordable.
• The majority of people who indicated “very low bills” and “always concerned about climate” expressed that they had solar. 
• Many people who indicated very unaffordable energy bills are on a fixed income. 

We are still welcoming online submissions to the map. Respond by August 1 and get a chance to win a home energy efficiency kit ($85 value)!

As always, if you’d like to share your thoughts on this project or our work, please reach out to us at contact@energydistrict.org. Thank you for making Winneshiek County a great place to live!

Name: Patrick Smith and Lor Miller
Vehicle: 2019 Tesla Model 3
Purchased on: April 17, 2019

How many miles do you drive annually? 11,000 miles

Thinking back to when you first considered an EV, what were your biggest concerns? Have those concerns lived up to what you had anticipated?

My biggest concern was range and charging for long distance travel. I considered other brands, but the Tesla Supercharger network in 2019 was the only real option. I have made many trips to the east coast and all were very easy.

Now that you’re an EV owner, are your concerns different?

I really don’t have any concerns, it is clearly the best car I have ever owned.

As you’ve adjusted to driving an EV, what have been the biggest headaches? Trip planning, towing, getting someplace when it’s really cold, lack of charging or time spent charging, or something else?

None of those concerns are an issue, no headaches.

Are you a two vehicle household, and if so, is your second vehicle gas powered?

We have a gas powered car and truck, they sit in the driveway most of the time as the Tesla is our daily drive.

Are there certain things you rely on the gas vehicle for?

 We use the truck when we need a truck and the car is a second set of wheels.

What’s the longest trip you’ve taken in your EV and what planning considerations came into play?

We have taken it to Connecticut, Vermont, New York, the north shore of Lake Superior a number of times. The car does the planning, we just tell it where we want to go and it lays out the route, Supercharger stops, etc.

Is cold weather driving different than summer driving? Is there anything about winter driving you’d like to share?

The range can be up to 20% less when it is very cold, so one builds in the additional charging requirements. Our Model 3 is all wheel drive and having owned six Subarus in the past, I can say it is the best snow driving car I have ever owned.

Disregarding upfront costs, has your cost of ownership been what you had expected? Are you saving money?

We charge from solar panels and if we use a Supercharger it is one third the cost of gas. Maintenance is keeping the windshield washer bottle filled, replacing wiper blades and replacing tires when needed. We have worn out one set of summer tires and one set of winter tires over more than 55,000 miles. It has never needed Tesla maintenance, this is a very inexpensive car to own.

As you see it, what are the biggest limitations of driving an EV? On the flip side, what’s been the biggest plus?

I am not really aware of limitations. After the initial purchase, it is very inexpensive to operate and so much fun to drive.

Have you used public charging? If so, what has that experience been like?

I have only used Superchargers, they are everywhere! It is very simple, back in, plug in, the car does the rest. After 20 or 30 minutes you drive away. I have never found that I had to wait or found broken chargers.

Given what you know now, are you glad you made the transition to an EV?

I love my Tesla and will never go back to a gas car.

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Read more stories about local electric vehicles.

Name: Zach & Stephanie Fromm
Vehicle (Model and Year): 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid
Purchased on: July of 2023 used and under the $25,000 threshold to access the $4,000 tax credit.

Electric Range: As a first year model and with 80,000 miles on it at the time of purchase, I assumed the battery would be degraded a bit, so I wasn’t surprised to find it at 26 miles in the summer and sub-20 in the winter (the heater takes a lot of electricity). It’s rated to get 30+ miles, and maybe the newer models with newer battery technology come closer to that.

How many miles do you drive annually? Of those, can you estimate how many have been all electric versus gas?
I’m not entirely sure how many miles we drive annually. On our most recent vacation we drove 200 highway miles and hadn’t charged the van before we left. Fifty-two of those miles ended up being electric, so the regeneration from braking and going down hill garnered us about 25% electric miles total. That’s pretty good! Our commute to town, daycare, groceries, etc., each day is about 30 miles, and the battery covers 90+% in mild driving conditions, which is awesome. Knowing the average American puts about 40 miles a day on their car, I feel like PHEVs need to get to that amount of range to really make sense.

Thinking back to when you first considered an EV, what were your biggest concerns? Did those concerns result in you opting for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) instead?
Knowing it was the first iteration of the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, I was cautious about battery life and overall maintenance, but we are approaching 100k miles with no issues.

Given you’ve now had experience with a PHEV, do you think you’re more or less inclined to buy a pure electric vehicle (PEV) next time?
I like the idea of a PHEV for the longer hauls until the pure EV battery tech can achieve 300+ mile range consistently, but there are no pure electric minivan options yet, which is a bummer. We also have a Tesla Model Y and would love to give a full EV minivan a go if the range looked promising.

Are you a multi-vehicle household, and if so, is your second vehicle gas powered?
Our other car is a Tesla Y and our third vehicle is an old beat up truck we use for house chores.

Disregarding upfront purchase costs, has your cost of ownership been what you had expected?
We purchased used and under the $25,000 threshold to access the $4,000 tax credit. Having installed a 14-50 Nema 220v outlet in my garage, the Pacifica can recharge to 100% in less than 2 hours and we have been happy paying about $.07 kWh through MiEnergy’s EV metered option.

What’s been the biggest plus of driving an electric vehicle? And challenges?
I love the idea of using greener energy options to power a vehicle and believe that electric/hybrid options are the future. My hope is that we are in the infancy stages of EV/PHEV technology and all the downsides (of which I don’t feel there are many—I have 40k miles on my Tesla and outside of tire maintenance and replacing windshield wiper fluid have had zero other costs) are overcome through time. 

Have you used public charging? If so, what has that experience been like?
I have not used a public EV charger in the Pacifica to date, but anticipate no issues.

By Paul Cutting, Energy Planner

DECORAH – With help from the Winneshiek Energy District and Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission, the City of Decorah applied for $233,638 from the Iowa Development Authority’s Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program. The city was recently notified that its grant request was successful.

The project will provide cold climate ductless heat pumps at two Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation properties in Decorah—the 15-unit Woolen Mill apartment building located downtown Decorah, and the 16-unit Washington Court apartment building at 600 Washington Street. The grant will also enable Decorah households to access energy coaching services with the goal of connecting them to tax credits and point of sale rebates provided by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Woolen Mill Energy Upgrades

The Woolen Mill apartment building was originally constructed in 1867 and was renovated into 15 apartments in 2002, many of which serve lower income households. At the time of its renovation in 2002, the entire building was equipped with electric resistance heat, with each tenant paying their own electricity and Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation (NEICAC) responsible for common area and hallway heating and cooling. The building was also outfitted with primitive ductless air conditioning, but most units have since failed. Most tenants now rely on window air conditioners.

Tenant electricity costs have escalated over time, in part due to significant increases in electricity rates, and also because the building’s exterior windows are leaky and approaching their end of life. As part of Winneshiek Energy District’s involvement in this project, we analyzed electric bills for both energy and cost savings, assisted with appropriate heat pump selection, and helped secure contractor quotes.

Last year, electricity bills at Woolen Mill for single-bedroom units averaged $90-$120/month, whereas two-bedroom units averaged $120-$140/month. The installation of new electric air source heat pumps with seasonally averaged efficiencies of 275-300% relative to electric resistance heating should reduce tenant electric bills by at least $35/month per unit. Building-wide (including NEICAC’s expenses for heating and cooling common areas), the new heat pumps should reduce annual energy consumption by 43,500 kWh and energy bills by $7,220. 

Washington Court Energy Upgrades

The other building to benefit from this project, the 16-unit senior housing named Washington Court, was built in 1996 and utilizes electric resistance heating and through-the-wall window air conditioning. Tenant electricity expenses are significantly less than Woolen Mill, in part due to the building being in generally better condition, of newer construction, and with lower ceilings.

Last year, tenant electricity expenses averaged $71/month, and it is anticipated bills will decrease to $51/month once new heat pumps are installed. Building-wide, the heat pumps are anticipated to save 18,320 kWh annually, or $3,800. 

Free Energy Coaching for Low Income Households

The EECBG grant award will also help lower-income Decorah households access free energy coaching to help them identify opportunities for efficiency improvements and savings through tax credits and rebates funded by the IRA. Look for news about both programs in the coming months.

This spring and summer we bring you “Electric Vehicle Owner Stories,” a series of interviews with northeast Iowa EV owners.

Name: David Wadsworth (Wadsworth Construction)
Vehicle:  2023 F-150 Lightning XLT with extended range battery, which is rated for 320 miles.
Purchased on: Dec. 1, 2023

How many miles do you drive annually?
Approximately 25,000 between work and personal use, and the truck will serve both.

Thinking back to when you first considered an EV, what were your biggest concerns? Have those concerns lived up to what you had anticipated?
Range and towing capacity and towing range were far and away my biggest concerns.

Now that you’re an EV owner, are your concerns different?
Since I’ve had the truck, I’ve since learned what to expect in range for various scenarios and the effects of weather, what being towed, etc.

As you’ve adjusted to driving an EV, what have been the biggest headaches? Trip planning, towing, getting someplace when it’s really cold, lack of charging or time spent charging, or something else?
All of that! I’m using the truck as my construction company’s primary project vehicle. I really have to sit down and plan out where we’ll need to stop and how that fits with our work schedule. And of course making sure the truck is completely charged before we leave town is huge. Charging is usually done at Level 3 fast chargers to eliminate having to spend more time than necessary sitting around with employees who are on the clock.

Are you a two vehicle household, and if so, is your second vehicle gas powered?
Yes, we’re a two vehicle household and the second vehicle is gas powered.

Are there certain things you rely on the gas vehicle for?
No, I bought the Lightning to be a full replacement for what my old gas truck did.

What’s the longest trip you’ve taken in your EV and what planning considerations came into play?
Muscatine, Iowa. I’ve found EV planning to be pretty much the same, regardless of the distance we’re traveling. There are certain things you always have to be prepared for, like location of level 3 stops along the way and charging within walking distance of where we’re staying.

Is cold weather driving different than summer driving? Is there anything about winter driving you’d like to share?
To be honest, I’m not quite sure yet. Keeping it plugged in overnight allows the batteries and cabin to be conditioned so that I’m ready to go in the morning, without drawing on the battery. And I do not have a garage, so the truck sits out. 

Disregarding upfront costs, has your cost of ownership been what you had expected? Are you saving money?
Costs are what I expected. It is an expensive, yet very nice vehicle. It is not the Platinum trim package, but still a fancy truck for this guy. This is the first new vehicle I’ve ever owned. I certainly spend a lot less on fuel. I was spending about $500/month on gas, now I’m spending about $100 on electricity. I have solar at home and was producing more than I used, so I’m able to use that up now, no problem.

As you see it, what are the biggest limitations of driving an EV? On the flip side, what’s been the biggest plus?
The only limitations I see are having to make longer stops to refuel and potentially having to take a slightly different route based on charger availability. But these factors are improving every day as new charging stations come online. A plus is that the truck is always charged and ready to go first thing in the morning, and I can do that at home using fuel from my solar panels.

Have you used public charging? If so, what has that experience been like?
Yes. Sometimes it’s quick, easy, and free. Sometimes it’s slow, frustratingly complicated (I use maybe 6 different apps?), sometimes chargers don’t work, and public charging can be expensive. 

Given what you know now, are you glad you made the transition to an EV?
Definitely. It is not for everyone, at least not yet. It comes with a set of challenges that I was prepared for and am good with.