COOPERATIVEconnection

Valley FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO Rural Electric Plotting out big energy savings Cooperative, Inc.

AROUND THIS time each For instance, investing in additional year, when my cabin fever insulation has little impact on heating is at its peak, I find relief by bills if a drafty front door or inefficient turning my thoughts windows conspire against it. Spending a One of 14 electric toward spring. I think of few hours on a home energy audit — a cooperatives serving Pennsylvania and my ambitious neighbors full assessment of how your house uses New Jersey and friends who have no energy and where problems lie — will doubt already begun plot- ensure that money designated for effi- ting out this year’s veg- ciency projects is spent wisely. Valley Rural Electric etable and flower gardens. Valley offers a free online energy Cooperative, Inc. by Wayne Miller They are busy scribbling auditing tool through the co-op’s web- 10700 Fairgrounds Road President & CEO out designs for their rows site. You can perform a complete audit P.O. Box 477 and beds — making sure tailored to your specific home by visit- Huntingdon, PA 16652-0477 814/643-2650 plants will be arranged so that they have ing www.valleyrec.com. Click the Save 1-800-432-0680 room to grow and taller vegetables won’t Energy tab to get started. www.valleyrec.com shade lower-growing species. After they Those who aren’t internet-savvy can settle on a plan, they’ll get to work have a free professional energy audit

BOA RD O F D IRE CT O RS preparing the soil for the seeds that will performed at their home by the energy James Stauffer hopefully yield an abundant harvest. specialist we have on staff here at the Chairman Like most endeavors, getting things co-op. He can provide advice on energy

Leroy Barnes right calls for a certain amount of plan- efficiency measures, and will systemati- Vice Chairman ning. cally inspect your home, creating a list At Valley Rural Electric, we often of potential weatherization improve- Kevin States Secretary suggest ways that you can reduce your ments. electric bills by making energy efficien- You can also conduct a basic home Clair McCall cy improvements to your home. Weath- energy audit with a simple but diligent Treasurer erization — sealing air leaks and walk-through. When auditing your home, Robert Holmes installing the proper amount of insula- keep a list of places you have inspected Allegheny Director tion — can make a big difference. On and problems you discover. Most trouble

David Wright average, weatherization reduces heating spots can be found in a few key areas. PREA Director bills by 32 percent and overall energy Checklists are available through the co-op bills by more than $350 per year. The by calling the member services depart- Cindy Bigelow Mervin Brumbaugh potential payback can be substantial. ment at 814/643-2650 or emailing mem- Earl Parsons But just as scattering seeds randomly [email protected]. usually yields a lean harvest, energy Remember: Before tackling home

C OR P ORA T E O FF I CE H OUR S efficiency upgrades done without energy efficiency improvements, be sure Monday - Friday knowledge of how your residence uses to fashion a solid plan. When it comes 7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. energy overall may not produce signifi- to weatherization, a little work up front H UN T IN G D ON / M A RT IN S BUR G /S H AD E G A P cant savings. goes a long way. l O FF IC E HOU R S Monday - Thursday 7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

MARCH 2010 • PENN LINES 14a Valley Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Co-op members nominate board candidates for ...

BELOW: Co-op members from portions of Fulton Districts 7, 8, 9 and Franklin counties enjoy a chicken dinner during the District 7 Nominating Meeting, held at the Hustontown Fire Hall Feb. 1. By Susan R. Penning Director of Member Services LAST MONTH, consumers in co-op director districts 7, 8 and 9 gathered to choose candidates for Valley Rural Elec- tric’s board of directors. Since 1975, Valley has been holding open nominating meetings where co-op members can select candidates for the board of directors rather than relying on a nominating committee appointed by the board. In 1989, those open meetings started to include meals, offered to all participating consumers and their guests. At the meetings, co-op and energy industry news is shared and time is set aside for question-and-answer sessions. Each year, Valley REC holds nominating meetings in three of its nine director districts. Next year, members will nominate board candidates for districts 1, 3 and 5. Con- sumers who reside in those districts will receive invitations to their respective meetings. The candidates nominated this year will be featured in the next edition of Penn Lines.

ABOVE: Guests enjoy fellowship Feb. 2 at the District 8 Nominating Meeting at the Shade Gap Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary Building.

RIGHT: Valley President and CEO Wayne Miller (left) and meeting chairman Robert Brubaker take nominations Feb. 4 during the District 9 Nominating Meeting at Geeseytown Fire Hall. The meeting drew a crowd of 93.

Feb. 2 - The District 8 Nominating Meeting draws a crowd of 164 from portions of Juniata and Huntingdon counties. James Burdge (bottom left) chairs the nomination procedure and incumbent Earl Parsons is nominated for director.

Feb. 1 - One hundred thirty-five co-op members Feb. 4 - Co-op executive secretary Kim Kane (above and their guests attend the District 7 Nominat- right) allows consumers to choose door prize winners ing Meeting. Donald Eisaman chairs the nomi- at the District 9 Nominating Meeting. Members from nation procedure. Incumbent Dave Wright and portions of Blair County attend the event where Alton Hill are nominated as candidates. incumbent Cindy Bigelow is nominated for the board.

14b PENN LINES • MARCH 2010 Valley Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.

HYDROPOWER: Time-tested renewable energy

By Scott Gates National Rural Electric Cooperative Association YOU MAY NOT REALIZE it, but a rush of water likely helps keep your C lights on every day. Like many electric E R

Y co-ops around the country, Valley draws E L L A on to keep electricity reli- V

F O able and affordable. Y S E

Energy from flowing water has been T R U harnessed and used for more than 2,000 O C

O years. Ancient Greeks invented the first T O H water wheels, using them to grind P wheat into flour. In Imperial Rome, river on the other side of the dam. CLEAN POWER: Raystown Hydroelectric Plant, on water-powered mills were also used for With highly efficient turbine genera- Lake Raystown in Huntingdon County, provides sawing timber and stone. The power of a tors doing the job formerly performed about 2.5 percent of Valley’s generation needs wave of water released from a tank was by water wheels, electricity can be gen- (enough power for about 8,500 homes). used for extraction of metal ores in a erated in a number of ways: federally owned and operated dams, method known as hushing. Hushing Impoundment: By plugging a river most of which were built between the helped remove lead and ores and and amassing water in a reservoir, its late 1930s and early 1960s. Despite the evolved into the hydraulic used flow can be better controlled and elec- incredible importance of these resources, during the California rush. tricity generated as needed. maintenance has lagged in recent years, In the 1880s, using rushing water to Diversion: Water is channeled away creating room for improvement. make electricity became a reality in the from a river, typically near natural falls, Electric co-ops are making efforts to United States. The breakthrough swept the down to generators at the falls’ base. address this problem, advocating that nation and within a decade, 200 U.S. plants This can be done without any visible the government set aside funds to repair were using hydropower for generation. impact to the natural course of a river. and maintain dams and the turbines Today, hydropower provides about In fact, this kind of generation was used inside them. Researchers are also look- 80,000 megawatts of capacity in this coun- to bring electricity to Buffalo, N.Y., from ing to create more efficient and environ- try and accounts for 86 percent of all renew- Niagara Falls in the 1800s. mentally sound (i.e., fish-friendly) ways able, carbon-free electricity used by co-ops. Pump Storage: This method essentially of generating hydropower. Careful stud- uses off-peak electricity to make electricity ies of aquatic environments have given How does it work? for use during times of high consumption. dam operators a better idea of how to Hydropower converts the natural ener- Two reservoirs are filled, one typically uphill simulate a natural river downstream. gy in moving water to mechanical energy. from the other, with an electric pump/gener- More unique environmental protection The water is held behind a dam, forming ator in between. At night, when demand is solutions, such as fish ladders, are also an artificial lake or reservoir. The force of low and electricity is less expensive, water being researched and put into action. the water being released from the reser- from the lower reservoir gets pumped This push for increased maintenance voir through the dam spins the blades of a uphill. During the day, when demand for and technology development will ensure giant turbine. The turbine is connected to power increases, that water is released down that hydropower remains a reliable and a generator that makes electricity as the through the generator to make electricity. affordable renewable resource for blades spin. After passing through the More than 600 electric co-ops across decades to come. l turbine, the water flows back into the the country purchase power from 134 Susan Penning contributed to this article.

MARCH 2010 • PENN LINES 14c Valley Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Do tankless water heaters live up to the hype? AN UNLIMITED SUPPLY of hot water hot water faucets will be turned on at any definitely sounds like a sweet deal to many given time and how far away the tankless homeowners. So do reduced water heating heater remains from sinks and showers. costs, instantaneous hot water on demand and more space in the utility closet. Other options These are all promises made by com- Consumers looking for an efficient panies selling tankless water heaters. But water heater should consider a heavily does the technology really deliver? insulated electric resistance unit. These Unlike traditional electric resistance or appliances are often the most cost-effec- gas-fired water heaters, tankless models tive option over the long term. And do not store hot water — they heat water because of their hot water storage capa- only as it’s consumed. One heating ele- bilities, Valley Rural Electric Co-op uses ment (or a series) within a tankless water these types of heaters as a key compo- heater is activated when a hot water nent of its demand response energy effi- faucet or valve is opened. The unit heats ciency program. The demand response water until the faucet or valve gets closed. program (formerly called load manage- ment) helps the co-op shave power costs ‘Unlimited’ hot water? during times of peak demand — a An unlimited supply of hot water proven method in keeping rates down sounds great, but generally doesn’t make and electric bills affordable. It’s worth for responsible water use, particularly in noting that tankless water heaters may areas of the country suffering from contribute to higher wholesale energy drought or chronic water shortages. want to replace an existing conventional demand costs because they often require Moreover, even the largest whole-house water heater with a tankless unit or add the bulk of their energy when demand unit may not supply enough hot water one as part of a home-remodeling project prices are at their highest; they also don’t for simultaneous, multiple uses. will incur additional costs. allow for the shifting of electric load to For example, such a unit may be able For example, a traditional tank water off-peak periods. to supply only two showers simultane- heater with 4,500-watt elements operates To reduce home water heating costs, ously or perhaps one shower, a dish- on No. 10 wire and a 30-amp circuit the Oak Ridge National Laboratory sug- washer and a sink. If users demand too breaker. One whole-house tankless model gests simple and inexpensive measures, much water, temperatures will drop. As carries an electrical load of 28,000 watts. such as tank insulation, temperature set- a result, a tankless system probably This requires wire and a circuit breaker back, heat traps and low-flow shower- won’t meet the needs of a large family. that will handle at least 120 amps. heads. All of these are more practical and In addition, water temperature depends If a tankless water heater is installed provide a greater return on investment on the volume coming out of a faucet. If in an existing home without upgrading than putting in a tankless water heater. l you turn on the faucet only a trickle, water the electrical service, low voltage or sud- Information courtesy of the National Rural runs cold. If you open the faucet further, den voltage drops are likely. This will Electric Cooperative Association’s Coopera- you will trigger hot water — the hottest cause dimming lights, blinking lights and tive Research Network, which monitors, eval- possible. If you open the faucet to maxi- other problems. uates and applies technologies that help elec- mum, the temperature will drop back a The extra load also necessitates a larg- tric co-ops control costs, increase productivity bit. If you open more than one faucet, tem- er and more expensive meter loop and and enhance service to their consumers. peratures will drop further. main breaker panel for the house. In addition, consumers may need a larger, ‘The cleanest kilowatt- Hidden costs more expensive transformer at the pole Generally, tankless water heaters do as well as new wiring between the trans- hour is the one that is not require a lot of space (a large unit can former and the meter. Check with a never generated’ licensed electrician to determine what fit in an area no bigger than 24 inches Co-op members with a 50-gallon inside improvements would be necessary; square, and extend from the wall about 8 or larger water heater may be eligible check with the co-op to see what outside to 10 inches). But they do require an to participate in demand response. upgrades would be needed. upgrade in electrical service — some- Visit www.valleyrec.com for more While gas-fired tankless water heaters thing many home improvement stores information. Follow the Programs generally do not need basic service don’t mention, and a chief reason electric and Services link to the Energy Man- upgrades, the same considerations must co-ops generally don’t recommend the agement section. Or call 814/643-2650. appliances. This means consumers who be made when determining how many

14d PENN LINES • MARCH 2010