Hey, everyone, welcome to
this special episode
of Discover Wisconsin,
Focused On Energy Savings.
Throughout the year,
I toured businesses
and homes that have worked
with Focus On Energy
to reduce
their carbon footprint
and make a positive
impact in the world.
I got to talk to trade
allies and utility providers
and how they work with Focus
On Energy to empower
Wisconsinites on their own
energy use journeys.
Get a taste of it all
in this upcoming episode
and head over to
discover Wisconsin
app to get a full
look at the entire
digital series.
Let's kick it off
with my conversation
with the managing director
of Focus On Energy.
Welcome
and thanks for joining us.
I'm here with Lisa,
managing director
of Focus On Energy.
How are you doing, Lisa?
I'm doing really well.
Thanks.
Tell us a little bit
about what you do here for
Focus On Energy.
Well, we really empower
people and businesses
to make smart
decisions about energy
and make those good choices
to save energy.
I'm a homeowner-
No, I'm a business-
I'm a farmer.
How do I get started
if I want to work
with Focus On Energy?
Well, the good news is you
start the same way
every time.
I recommend
you come to our website,
see what we have available
as far as project
help and incentives,
and then give our experts
a call on our website.
You can find a trade
ally that you might
be able to work with.
That contractor can
help guide your way
and help get you
through the project.
I talked to
some of the trade
allies,
which we're going to
see in a little bit.
And where do they come in
in the process of
the project
that the homeowner
or the business is working
on?
So the trade allies
are really the contractors,
and that's a key
part to where they
come into the process.
They're the folks
that really come in
and install the equipment
in your home or businesses.
We have a trade ally network
and then we have
well over 2000
trade allies actually
in the state
that work with us.
I got a chance to
talk to a couple of these
trade allies myself.
Let's check it out.
I do, too.
I'm doing good, good,
thanks for having me.
Yeah, so you want to tell us
a little bit about what
what you do
with your air tight?
Yeah.
So we are one of the trade
allies with the focus
and energy program
where what's considered
a home
performance contractor.
So to my mother,
I say I'm an insulator,
but it goes far,
far beyond that.
You know,
there is so much more
that goes into making
a high performance home
comfortable, livable
and energy efficient.
Typically, we're setting up
what I call the Big
Red Door, a fake door,
if you will, that we put
on the front of the house.
Depressurize.
We're sucking that air
out of the house.
And with that, we're able
to identify where these
leakage pathways are
with what's called
an infrared camera.
X-ray vision for the walls,
if you will be a
temperature difference.
And those are areas
that we can look
at making
significant comfort
improvements through adding
either air sealing
or insulation
to the structure.
Yeah.
Well, it's
got to be a good feeling
when you see the effects
of doing all the different
improvements to the house,
depending on what it
needed to see that
actually made all
those energy differences.
Absolutely.
You know, a quality job
is really paramount
to the work that we do.
And you said it does
feel good to know
that we're not only helping
the customers save money,
but we're also helping
the environment
by reducing the carbon
footprint of that
particular home.
How you doing, J.D.?
I'm doing outstanding,
happy to be here.
All right, very good.
So how did Arch Electric
get going
with Focus On Energy?
Well, we've been
doing Solar Wisconsin
since 2003, and back then
the solar market
was even less developed
than it is now.
We've come in
an extraordinarily
long way since then.
No one thinks solar
when they think the
Midwest, unfortunately,
but we've got had
a great state program
going for 20 years.
That's genuinely incredible
and something Wisconsinites
should be proud of.
As a homeowner myself,
even just thinking like,
Yeah,
I'd love to get into solar.
Like,
Where do you even begin?
Because if you do research,
how do you do solar?
It's like you just
it's too overwhelming.
So having that resource
and sort of a jumping
off point is huge.
Absolutely.
And, you know, we're
living in the solar boom.
So that means there's
a lot of people who can't
say, I have a home.
I've been here ten years.
I how many panels do I need?
And the reality is
that solar is a lot
more complicated than that.
You should learn
about your options.
There is not a one size
fits all.
There is no easy button.
There's a whole process
that goes into that.
You always want to start
going in with knowledge
and a good feeling
and focus energy is
help us do that.
I don't think the industry
would be anywhere near
as good as it is without it.
Watch the
extended interviews
by downloading the Discover
Wisconsin app.
Stay tuned.
Coming up next, Alex
will be visiting
some local homes
where she'll learn
about homeowners energy
saving journeys.
Welcome back
to Discover Wisconsin,
where we're learning about
how to save energy at home.
Looking to save
the environment
and money at home?
Today, we're talking
to three homeowners
who partnered
with Focus On Energy
to do just that.
Around 8000 Wisconsin
homeowners have solar panels
and three of them live
right here
on Angie's Street.
That's right,
keeping up with the
Joneses around here
means contributing
to saving the planet.
Let's learn more.
Hi.
Hi. How are you?
Thanks so
much for having me.
So, Angie,
having solar panels on
your homes has become
a neighborhood tradition.
Tell me a little bit
about how you saw
your neighbor have them
and it inspired you.
A couple of my neighbors
got them previously,
and I was intrigued by it
because I've always wanted
to look into solar panels
and just didn't take
the time to do it.
So hearing about
their experience,
I decided right then
and there that I was going
to participate in that.
So tell me a
little bit about
the available incentives
and how it helped inspire
you to do this project.
Yeah, that was a
huge part of it.
The first one is
obviously the Focus
On Energy incentive.
And then there was
the federal tax incentive
and then ultimately
the savings on my energy
bill and possibly
getting paid back
from the energy company
for excess energy
that will be a cost
savings as well.
I learned growing up
that you should always
leave a place better
than the way you found it,
and obviously that
counts for Mother Earth.
So
I always thought
solar panels
would be a great idea
to use solar energy
versus regular energy.
Now we're going to
talk to Jason to hear about
which projects are
helping him achieve his goal
of having a
carbon zero home.
So we're at
your beautiful home.
What's been the inspiration
behind becoming very
energy efficient?
You know, it's probably
a little cliché,
but the feel good of it
knowing that I'm
doing things
to improve the planet.
You know,
we've considered buying
electric vehicles,
things like that.
But for us
personally, we've decided
that investing in our home
is the most beneficial
from our perspective.
And for those considering
making more energy
efficient decisions
for their home,
would you say that that's
where you really can
make the most impact
on the environment
even compared to
a car, for example?
Yeah, I think so,
because it's it's
a lifetime impact.
Obviously, it's it's
a much bigger impact.
So you're investing
in something
that should retain,
at minimal, retain
its value and eventually
increase in value as well.
So tell me a
little bit about
working with
Focus On Energy.
How are they helping you
achieve your goal
of having a carbon zero
footprint?
Well, I think just
having the knowledge
and you know, the ability
to talk to people about what
the next steps are
and how to, you know,
how to make that approach.
You know,
having the information
that there's
federal programs
out there, tax incentives,
things like that.
With Focus On Energy,
it's not a sales pitch,
it's a goals pitch.
Can you imagine coming
home on a cold or hot day
and feeling instant comfort
without the high cost?
That's Patrick and Joanne's
experience every single day.
Let's learn more!
So, Patrick, tell me what
inspired you to work
with Focus On Energy
in the first place?
Well, drafting
this was probably
the biggest
issue that we had,
and we started with an audit
and we found out
that things like,
you know,
we had a window
that needed to be replaced,
but mostly the insulation.
By making sure they had good
insulation,
we didn't have to wear
that extra layer
of sweater in the house
and it just
felt a lot tighter
and more comfortable,
less air movement,
it was
it was a
dramatic difference,
and we felt it right away.
So what tips or insights
would you share
with any homeowner
that's thinking about
becoming more
energy efficient and working
with Focus On Energy?
Well, certainly
getting that energy audit up
front is really helpful
because you do find that
there are a lot of
the simple things
the flow regulators,
the LEDs,
the insulation that are less
costly and more have
more of an impact.
That really paid off for
us and our family.
As you can see, there
are many benefits to having
an energy efficient home,
start your journey
by contacting
Focus On Energy.
Watch more Discover
Wisconsin through our app,
which is available
on these smart
devices and more.
Coming up
next, I'll be talking more
with Focus On Energy's
managing director
about their partnership
with your local utilities.
Hey, welcome back.
This is Discover, Wisconsin.
Welcome back,
I'm here with Lisa,
and I wanted to ask you
about the utility providers
and so what is
the relationship
with the local utilities
and Focus On Energy?
Well, we Focus On
Energy, are running
our programs on behalf of
utility partners.
We're working to deliver
energy efficiency
throughout the state
and give their customers
all of the benefits
that come along with
energy efficiency.
So let's say there's
a big new
construction project,
big one like a school
or a stadium
or some giant factory.
When does working
with the local utility
come in during the process?
Well, that's really where
our energy advisors
come in here, and our energy
advisors are experts
for each sector,
and that person has done
these projects
again and again,
and they have the expertize
to really work
with the customer,
suggest things
that would work
well
in a school environment.
And at that point,
then they also
bring in the utility.
So can you tell me
about the design
assistance program?
Because that seems like a
really important
part of all this.
It is.
It's a fantastic program,
so we encourage people
when they're starting
a large
new construction project
or have a major retrofit
to come to us
and use that energy
design assistance program.
And what that really
does for customers
is it gives them
that whole
building analysis,
ideally
before the project starts
to help them
identify equipment
that they might need,
or ways
that they can save energy
from the very
beginning of the project
and really include
that in their project plans
and their construction plans
and get the maximum
benefit out.
Well, we got a chance
to see a couple of these
examples in action,
we went up to superior
and to the epicurean factory
where they
make cutting boards.
And they had this
really cool system
where they would
capture the heat from
all of these giant machines
and then use all this heat
that's just getting lost
to actually
heat the factory,
keep the workers warm.
So that was really great.
And then we got to
go to Sun Prairie
to the new middle school
and see some of the things
they had implemented.
So it's really cool
to see some of that
in action.
In fact,
why don't we check out
some of that right now?
Hey, there I'm in
Sun Prairie, where in 2018
two new schools were built.
And today
I'm standing
in front of the
latest construction project
of a brand new high school
and through the partnership
with the local utility
and Focus On Energy's design
assistance program.
Not only was the school
district able to
save a lot of money
through incentive payments,
but they were able
to incorporate
energy efficiency
into the design process
from the ground up.
Well, coming up next, I'm
going to find out
all the things
that are going on
to keep Sun Prarie schools
energy efficient.
I'm here with Kevin,
explained the
sustainability manager
for the Sun Prairie
Area School District.
How are you doing, Kevin?
Good. All right.
What does it mean
to be
a sustainability manager?
Sure.
I've been the senior
manager here for the school
district
for about six years.
I have 17 facilities.
I get to focus on them
daily every day.
When I put up my computer,
I can monitor all of our
facilities from my desk,
improving efficiency
or seeing what works
and what doesn't from there.
Are there things that
are incorporated
into the architecture itself
that unless
somebody pointed it out,
you wouldn't
necessarily know?
Sure, on the design
team goes through
some iterations of
both solar glazing.
So what the window,
the tinting
and then placement
of windows for the best
daylight harvesting?
So as the light comes up,
the windows
and the glass areas are set
so that we can kind
of turn down the
lights in the building and
utilize outside daylight.
This has been a
great partnership
between Sun Prarie utilities
and the school district
for many, many years, way
before my time here.
They're very committed
to energy efficiency
and lowering their
carbon footprint,
so it's been a great fit.
We want to see that as well.
Sun Prarie utilities
has a new
construction design
assistance program,
so the school district
participated in that.
So that's been a good fit
for them as far as us
making recommendations on
energy efficiency options
that leads to new schools.
For example, here
in Meadow View.
WPI works with
Focus On Energy.
That's right, yes.
And so
how does that relationship?
Typically,
when I have a customer
who wants to do an
energy efficiency project,
I usually bring in
Focus On Energy.
They're a great resource
for information,
so we can really
kind of guide that customer
through the process
and kind of help them
take advantage
of the incentives
that not only Sun
Praire Utilities
offers, but also Focus On
Energy does as well.
Be sure to check
out Discover Wisconsin's
official podcast, The Cabin.
Up next,
Alex will be meeting
with local Wisconsin beer
and cheesemakers.
And we're back to
this special episode
of Discover Wisconsin.
We all know Wisconsinites
love their beer and cheese.
But did you know
sustainability is
very important
to a lot of small
and large companies
across the state?
Today we're going to visit
a few of them to see how
they're partnering
with Focus On Energy
to meet
their sustainability goals.
As always, in Wisconsin,
we start with beer,
but not just any beer.
New Glarus Brewing Company.
one of Wisconsin's
favorite breweries
and one of the
most sustainable
across the country.
Not only is New Glarus
one of the most
beloved breweries
in the country, it's
also one of the
most sustainable.
Tell me why that's
important to you guys.
Sustainability is part
of our ethos here.
A lot of things what we do
need to be
environmentally conscious.
Coors Brewing requires
a lot of energy,
but we're trying to do it
in the most sustainable
and efficient
manner as possible.
So we've implemented
a lot of different things
to use energy wisely.
And what made you
want to tap
Focus On Energy to help you
with those initiatives?
Well, Focus On Energy
helps in a couple of ways.
one, The financial
incentives are very helpful
in getting stuff
through the budget process,
but they also allow us
some opportunities
to get
some technical resources.
A lot of the
resources are good,
or they can guide us down
the path that says, Hey,
here's what other people
are doing to save energy.
Does it work for you? Great.
So it gives us ideas,
and we can also work
as a team
to come up with the best
and most efficient way
to do what
we're going to do.
And there are
a lot of benefits
to a company interested
and working with
Focus On Energy
and becoming more
energy efficient, both
from a monetary perspective,
and of course, on
saving on energy, right?
Yes, saving on energy,
which is kind of monetary,
but it's also the
right thing to do.
You know, sustainability
for the children
and the children's
generations is important.
So the more efficient
we are now, the better
we'll be in the future.
We're at Crave Brothers
Farmstead Cheese
in Waterloo,
and they produce cheeses
with 100% renewable energy.
Let's go talk to the owners.
You guys are basically
cow powered, right?
What does that mean?
When we talk about power,
of course, cows produce
a lot of waste.
Besides the milk
that we all enjoy.
They produce manure.
And so what we're doing
is we're basically
fermenting that manure
in the digesters
like you see behind us here.
And with that, it
releases methane.
And what we're doing is
then is taking the methane,
powering an engine
and the engine turns
the generator,
which produces electricity.
Of course, we use
electricity here,
so to power our farm
and our cheese factory.
But we still have
an excess amount
that would go on the grid
that would power, probably
besides our farm
and cheese factory,
about 300 area homes.
And so what inspired you to
work with Focus On Energy?
What Focus On Energy guys
is bring in the expertize
to show us
what new technologies
are out there to, to maybe
reinforce and say, Yeah,
you guys go ahead with
with that project
because we'll have some
some focus money on the back
end for you to help
offset that cost.
And they'll even come in
and maybe point out
some existing things
that we have going on
where we could do
some updates
and put some energy
conserving practices
in place.
Just when I thought
it doesn't get any
better than beer and cheese,
we've thrown saving
energy into the mix.
Now that's something
to cheers to.
I'm.
Well, thank you so much
for joining us
in this episode.
Hope
you had a chance
to learn a little bit
about what you can do
to save energy
in your own life.
Get started today
and Focus On
Energy's website
and be sure to check out
the digital shorts online
and on the Discover
Wisconsin app.
See you next time!
From the
shores of Lake Superior
to the rolling hills
of the driftless area,
the adventures are
endless here in Wisconsin.
There are so many
beautiful places to see
and interesting people
to meet,
so hit the road and start
making your
own Wisconsin memories.
Continue
the adventure and stream.
Discover Wisconsin
on all your favorite devices
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in the upper right
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