From The Green Insider Podcast Episode 260 is coming to you from our podcast lounge at the Commodities People conference, Energy Trading Week Americas in The Woodlands, TX. Stan Nabozny from Michaels Energy joined us again to tell us about the Department of Energy’s ITAC Program. This grant can provide up to $300,000 for a project. Learn how Michaels Energy is only one of 12 providers in the US that can provide audits to satisfy the application for this grant. More details about the ITAC The Industrial Training and Assessment Centers (ITAC) Program, established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), offers in-depth energy assessments to small and medium-sized manufacturing…
Read More
From Inc: When Jeffrey Ihnen was growing up on a farm in Minnesota, the country faced a reckoning in the form of the 1973 oil crisis. That event marked an early inflection point for the U.S. and its shift toward energy conservation, and for Ihnen, it was the beginning of a lifelong interest in sustainability. Read the rest of the article here.
Read More
Michaels Energy was awarded a spot on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in the United States in 2023. In 2023, Michaels achieved nearly 425% growth in revenue and 339% growth in staff compared to 2020! They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent--not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies--as of December 31, 2023. - For more information, visit Inc 5000 list. Rank: 1,598 24 in Energy 15 in Wisconsin
Read More
From the Green Insider Podcast Stan Nabozny, the Thermal Energy Consulting Director from Michaels Energy, is a name that’s becoming increasingly synonymous with innovation and sustainability in the energy sector. His recent appearance on The Green Insider podcast has sparked a wave of enthusiasm among those passionate about energy efficiency and the future of thermal energy management. At Michaels Energy, Stan and his team are at the forefront of integrating thermal energy systems with the electricity grid and natural gas pipeline supplies. Their approach is not just about reducing energy costs; it’s about enhancing grid resiliency and promoting a healthier planet. With solutions…
Read More
Unlock Efficiency, Sustainability, and Profitability in Your Industrial Operations We are excited to announce that we have been qualified by the U.S. Department of Energy as a provider of Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC)-equivalent assessments! The IACs have performed no-cost technical energy assessments for small- and medium-sized manufacturers for over 45 years. Now, through the IAC Implementation Grants Program, recipients of assessments from qualified assessors like us can apply for grants of up to $300,000 (with a one-to-one match) each application round to implement assessment project recommendations. When your facility wastes energy, you're impacting more than just the environment; you're also…
Read More
Non-residential behavior change programs are becoming increasingly popular. Not only do they move customers beyond widgititis, but can also result in larger, longer lasting savings.
Read More
What is it? Energy recovery ventilators (ERVs), which recover heat from exhaust air, are common in commercial HVAC systems but have typically not been included on kitchen exhaust systems because grease build-up hinders their effectiveness. However, new generations of ventilation equipment are overcoming this obstacle to allow exhaust air to be used to pre-heat domestic hot water. How does it work? One approach to heat recovery for kitchen hood systems has been to use systems similar to traditional ERVs and either clean the exhaust air sufficiently upstream or provide wash-down to maintain effectiveness. These approaches have had limited success. A…
Read More
What is it? Carbon dioxide (CO2) is everywhere in nature, but it’s not widely known that it can be used in refrigeration systems. Calling CO2, designated “R-744” as a refrigerant, an emerging technology may be a bit of a stretch. It was originally patented as a refrigerant in 1850; however, it fell out of use with the development of synthetic refrigerants. In recent years, CO2 has become increasingly popular again as a refrigerant with an increased focus on environmental safety and ozone depletion. How does it work? CO2 is used in vapor compression refrigeration systems similar to any refrigerant. When…
Read More
What is it? Many chemical processes involve the separation of liquid mixtures into their components. For example, crude oil is a mix of hydrocarbons (wax, oil, kerosene, gasoline) that are separated at a refinery. In the ethanol industry, fermentation produces a mix of water and ethanol called ‘broth’. Broth is 90 – 95% water, but auto fuel requires >99% ethanol and <1% water. Distillation columns separate most of the ethanol from the broth. But other (hybrid) techniques must be used to remove the rest of the water. How does it work? In ethanol distillation columns, heat is applied to the…
Read More
