The Co-op Conversion - Flathead Electric Cooperative

L ght READING
FLATHEAD ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.
Volume 4 - Issue 1
January 2011
A New Year in Motion at FEC
American author Bill Vaughn coined the phrase: “An optimist stays up
until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year
leaves.” Whether you are an optimist or a pessimist by nature (or somewhere in between), the
new year is a good time to reflect, regenerate and make a fresh start. In this edition of LightREADING,
Flathead Electric touches on encouraging developments in 2010 and an exciting project set to unfold in
2011. We will welcome new faces to the Co-op and bid farewell to long-serving volunteers.
The Co-op Conversion
Flathead Electric Co-op (FEC) is closing in
on full conversion from electrical resistance
heating to geothermal heating and cooling. The
installation of a ground source heat pump in
the 30,000
square foot
warehouse
at the
Kalispell
facility is
set to be
complete
early this
year.
Facilities Maintenance Supervisor Lonny
Throughout
Kottraba replaces filters on one of the
the past
Co-op’s energy efficient heat pumps.
decade, FEC
has seen vast
growth in its
customer base and subsequent need for expanded facilities. Consequently, the Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) system
will serve an existing warehouse, maintenance shop and
parking garage area as well as the facility expansion. The system is enhanced by variable water temperature and
flow controls, low-temperature radiant heat for the floors in the
building and a heat recovery ventilator. The ventilator warms
Prime
Time for
incoming air with exhausted air as it exits the building, which
then purges the garage of harmful carbon monoxide.
“When we were looking at heating systems, the GSHP
came out on top”, says Cheryl Talley, FEC Director of Energy
Services. “The shallow aquifer in this area makes it very easy
to pull water out for heat (and recirculate the water back
into the aquifer), so this was the most cost-effective choice
we could make. This is a modern, technically advanced and
highly efficient system.”
Financial support for the system was provided in part by
the Bonneville Power Administration and the U.S. Department
of Energy (DOE). In granting stimulus funding for the heating
system, DOE referred to the Co-op project as “unique” and
“innovative.” “This is a distinctive project,” Talley says, “because
ground source heat pumps haven’t typically been used on
a commercial scale. Not only do we estimate annual energy
savings of about 240,000 kWh, but we will also be monitoring
our system to provide valuable data for the industry.” In addition, Talley says, the GSHP utilizes an abundant and
clean natural resource and will strengthen the
Co-op’s renewable energy commitment and environmental
stewardship.
The FEC “Energy Fix” Program provided over
250 FREE home energy audits in 2010, which
could result in substantial savings!
Peak Time
Flathead Electric’s Peak Time program is well under way! A vendor has
been selected for the Smart Appliances that will be available to members and
planning for the rebate program is complete. The position of Peak Demand Coordinator has been filled in the Libby
office by Teri Rayome-Kelly who is a long-time Libby resident. Teri’s role is
to be the face for Flathead Electric’s Peak Time program. She will serve as
the primary contact for the participating areas, providing information and
education about Peak Time as well as reaching out,
engaging and assisting volunteers for the duration of
the program. She will be available to answer questions
about Peak Time and assist with resolving any concerns
or issues that participating members may have while
volunteering for the program. Teri can be reached at the Libby office, located at
121 W 4th Street, on her direct line, 406-751-1834 or
by email: [email protected]. Teri is taking
calls for volunteer households in the Libby or Marion
areas at this time.
Teri Rayome-Kelly
Learn more at www.flatheadelectric.com.
Meanwhile . . .
Libby gets Power Boost
In preparation for FEC’s Peak Time program (and as part of the Co-op’s
existing capital improvement plan), enhancements have been completed at
the existing Libby Substation. Equipment added for the smart-grid initiative
consisted of upgrading old protective equipment which will allow for better
monitoring of the system. Additional automated metering equipment will
increase the accuracy of consumer usage readings and interface with Outage
Management Software (OMS). The interface allows FEC to better troubleshoot
outages and should reduce outage times.
Another big project in Libby in 2010, was the addition of a brand new
substation. The Kootenai Substation will double the capacity that FEC has in
Libby and will add reliability and flexibility to the system. It will also pick up the
additional load that is being built at the Kootenai Business Park.
Co-op Employees Dig Deep
At a time when people began tightening their belts to buoy through a
troubled economy, employees of Flathead Electric Co-op dug deep. According
to Sherry Stevens, Executive Director of the United Way in Flathead County, Coop employees came through big in 2010: “Their personal contributions ($25,000)
to the United Way campaign, as one of the top three employee work place
campaigns, was outstanding.” An additional custom at Flathead Electric is
to host regular blood drives for the American Red
Cross (ARC). Sandy Carlson, Donor Recruitment
Representative, says the Co-op’s efforts have saved
and/or improved the quality of life for hundreds of
recipients over the years. “In 2010, FEC employees
donated 90 pints of life saving blood.”
Co-op General Manager, Ken Sugden, says
he and the board strongly support employees’ efforts: “As a member-owned
cooperative it is part of our Mission Statement and commitment, to enhance the
quality of life in our communities.”
Roundup For Safety Board bids fond
farewells and welcomes new Members
Longest-serving volunteer board members Marie Hanson and Dan Purcell
wrapped up their terms in 2010. Hanson, the only original board member since
the safety program’s inception in 1997, helped oversee the funding of hundreds
of projects and in-kind donations. Hanson says: “I appreciate the opportunity
to have been a member of this board for so many years and I hope all who
read this are as proud of their safety
contributions.”
FEC’s Roundup For Safety
Purcell, who served for eleven
program supported over 64
years,
says
he thoroughly enjoyed his
projects in 2010 with members
time on the board: “I want to thank
donating over $241,000.
all of the Co-op members who make
these grants possible. This is a very
worthwhile program even if safety improvements don’t always make front page
news.” Joining the board in 2011 are local residents Leslie Bales and Jerry Bygren.
Marie
Hanson
Leslie
Bales
Dan
Purcell
Jerry
Bygren
David Thompson Search & Rescue
Snowshoes $2,300.00
Alarm System $5,000.00
Safety Upgrades $1,000.00
Stillwater Christian School
North Valley Music School
Flathead County Sheriff’s Posse
Radios $10,000.00
1 Project Tabled
Roundup For Safety is a
voluntary program for FEC members.
Participating members allow their
electric bills to be rounded up to the
next dollar, with the extra money
going into a fund for community safety
projects. Applications from non-profit
groups are considered each month by
a board of directors representing each
Co-op district.
For information and application
forms, call 751-4483 in Kalispell and
293-7122 in Libby or go to www.
flatheadelectric.com and click on the
Your Community button>Roundup For
Safety information.
The Kootenai Substation in Libby under construction this
past summer.
Flathead Electric scholarships
offer financial assistance
Attention high school seniors, it is “scholarship
time.” Flathead Electric will be offering several
scholarships totaling $59,000. Guidelines and applications
are available to students at
the Co-op’s Kalispell and Libby
offices and on line at www.
flatheadelectric.com.
Students applying must have parents or legal
guardians currently receiving electric service from
FEC at their main residence and be a member of the
Co-op. A completed scholarship application will
be evaluated on a) Academic Achievement, 20%;
b) Personal Statement, 25%; c) Financial Need,
25%; d) School Activities, 15%; and e) Community
Activities, 15%.
The money for Flathead Electric scholarships
comes from Co-op members’ unclaimed capital
credits which,
if not used for
education in
the state of
Montana, are
then returned to the state. For questions, please call
Mike Radel at 751-4429.
Flathead Electric Board of Trustees
Trustees District 1Chris H. Byrd
Vice-President District 2Emery Smith
District 3Jay Downen
District 4Doug Grob
District 5Alan Ruby
Find out more
about your Co-op at District 6Duane Braaten Secretary/
www.flatheadelectric.com Treasurer District
7George
Taylor
2510 U.S. Highway 2 East
President
Kalispell, MT 59901
District 8Paul Holland
406-751-4483 or
District 9Earl Messick
800-735-8489
121 West 4th Street
Ken Sugden
General Manager
Libby, MT 59923
406-293-7122
Mark Johnson
Assistant
General Manager
For All Outages:
Volume 4 • Issue 1
© 2011 Flathead Electric
Cooperative, Inc.,
All Rights Reserved
751-4449 or
1-800-406-0762
Flathead Electric’s Board of Trustees meets on the
fourth Wednesday of each month – subject to change
to accommodate schedules.
All members of the Cooperative are welcome to
attend, but please call 406-751-4483 to confirm the
meeting date and time in advance. Agenda items must
be submitted at least one week prior to the meeting
date.
[email protected]