What’s Inside
Page 2
“Community Solar”
Page 3
“2016 Rebates”
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South Central Electric Association
March 2016
˜
Annual Meeting Notice
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South Central Electric Association
Annual Meeting
When:
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Location: St. James High School
1001 10th Ave N., St. James, MN 56081
Lunch Served: 11:15am to 12:30pm
Meeting:1:00pm
Entertainment, Capital Credit checks to be distributed, election
of two directors, presentation of Youth Tour Awards, Basin
Scholarship Winner announced and a chance to win prizes.
What is geothermal
all about?
You have probably heard some of your
friends and neighbors talking about their
geothermal home comfort system and might
be wondering if these systems are really as
good as advertised. Let’s take a look at how
they work and if a geothermal system might
be right for you.
Geothermal systems use a refrigeration
process to absorb heat from a solution that
is circulated through tubes in the ground. In
the winter, the collected heat is concentrated
by the geothermal heat pump and distributed through your home, either through ductwork like a conventional furnace or through
radiant floor heat systems that typically use
Continued on page 2…
Save
the
date!
What is geothermal all about?
Continued from page 1…
either a gas or electric boiler. A top of the line furnace or boiler
today can boast efficiencies in the 95% range but a geothermal
heat pump operates at 350%-to 450% efficient. You may ask
how anything can be over 100% efficient: The answer is that
geothermal heat pumps don’t make energy, they simply move it
from where it already exists. The kilowatt of electricity you buy
moves 3 kilowatts of heat from the earth into your home. In
the summer, the geothermal heat pump absorbs heat from your
home and moves it back into the relatively cool earth making it
much more efficient than the best of air conditioners.
The EPA has rated geothermal heat pumps as the most efficient and environmentally way to heat and cool your home
that exists. To encourage people to adapt this technology, they
offer a 30% tax credit for the geothermal heat pump and related
installation costs. This is scheduled to expire December 31,
2016. South Central Electric supports geothermal systems as
this is a perfect load for our system, provides maximum comfort
for your home or shop and promotes efficient use of electricity. In order to further support your geothermal purchase, we
provide a $400 per ton rebate.
So what does it cost to install a geothermal system? There are two
parts to that answer. The first is the upfront cost. Upfront costs
include the installation of the loop field, the cost of the geothermal equipment and the labor to install the system. The cost of
the heat pump is roughly the cost of a competitive furnace and air
conditioner. The big increase in upfront cost is the loop field that
we use to collect the energy. In a way, it is like pre-paying for the
energy source to power your home for years to come. How many
years? The projected life expectancy for the loop field is 200 years!
On average, this increase in upfront costs is paid back over a 5-7
year period by reducing your operating costs and after that, those
savings just continue to add up year after year.
SCEA Statement of Nondiscrimination
“South Central Electric Association is a recipient of Federal
financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA prohibits discrimination in all its
programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national
origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital
status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or
because all or a part of an individual’s income is derived
from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited
bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who
require alternative means for communication of program
information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should
contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice
and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to
USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence
Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)
795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an
equal opportunity provider and employer.”
We need updated phone numbers
If you have dropped your landline and have a
different phone number, please call our office so
we can update our
records. If you
have any additional
phone numbers we
could call to reach
you, please feel free to
share those with us.
Top Five Energy Users
in U.S. Homes
“Worry-Free Solar from
South Central Electric
Community Solar”
Construction has been completed
on our South Central Electric
Community
Solar array.
Information
on how you
can participate will be
coming soon.
Space Cooling
13%
Estimated residential electricity
consumption by end use, 2014*
Lighting
11%
Other uses include TV,
set-top boxes, home
entertainment and gaming
systems, monitors and
networking equipment,
clothes dryer, small
electric devices, heating
elements and motors.
Water Heating
9%
Space Heating
9%
Refrigeration
7%
*Source: EIA
2
2016 South Central Electric Rebate Programs
Recipient must be a South Central Electric member. Any
checks or credits will be made in the name or account of the
member. The program will end when funds are exhausted;
additional rebates may be added at a later date. The completed
applications will be processed on a first come first served basis
as they are received in our office. Rebates are limited to a total
of $8,000 per year per member. Rebate applications can be
requested by calling the St. James office or available on line at
www.southcentralelectric.com.
Air Source Heat Pumps - Quality Install:
SEER 13 or greater...............$550.00
Central Air Conditioner - Quality Install:
SEER 13 or greater...............$75.00
Non quality install air conditioners or heat pumps
will be rebated at 50% of quality install rebate.
Ductless Heat Pump.................$550.00
Ground Source Heat Pump......$400.00/ton
Appliance Rebates: Please see rebate applications for
ECM Furnace Motors...............$25.00
details, must be an Energy Star appliance to qualify.
Clothes Washer........... $15 Credit applied to the energy bill Room Air Conditioner..............$15.00
Dehumidifier............... $15 Credit applied to the energy bill Air Conditioner Tune Up.........$25.00
Freezer......................... $15 Credit applied to the energy bill LED light fixtures (home).........$3.00/each
Limit 15 per member/year
Refrigerator................. $15 Credit applied to the energy bill
Holiday LED light strings........$1.00/each
Dishwasher.................. $15 Credit applied to the energy bill Limit 15 per member/year
Purchase new Energy Star Refrigerator and recycle
Commercial and Industrial Rebates: Rebates are
old refrigerator............. $75 Credit applied to the energy bill available on a case by case basis. Rebates can be for
Purchase new Energy Star Freezer and recycle
lighting upgrades and efficient electric motor upgrades.
old freezer.................... $75 Credit applied to the energy bill Call SCEA for information on these rebates.
Cogeneration Notice
South Central Electric Association is required to
interconnect with and purchase electricity from
cogenerators and small producers, which satisfy the
conditions of a qualifying facility. South Central
Electric Association has available and will provide
free information to all interested members regarding
rates and interconnection requirements. An application for interconnection is required for a qualifying
facility to interconnect and operate in parallel with
the cooperative’s distribution system and is subject
to approval by the cooperative; any disputes over
interconnection, sales and purchases are subject to
resolution by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Members interested in further information
should contact Ron Horman, General Manager,
South Central Electric Association, 507-375-3164.
Need
a new
Electrical
Service or
Upgrade?
We are making plans and ordering material for this upcoming
construction season. If you are planning to build and may need a
new service or if you think you may need a service upgrade within
the next year, please give us a call.
Did you know?
Space heaters are responsible for 32 percent of house fires, according to the
National Fire Protection Association.
✦ Place your space heater on a level, non-flammable surface.
✦ Make sure your space heater has an auto shutoff function.
✦ Never pair your space heater with an extension cord.
✦ Never leave a space heater unattended when in use.
✦ Purchase space heaters that are cool to the touch.
3
Save on Postage – Get E-Z Pay
Tired of paying for postage to send in your monthly payment. South Central Electric
offers the E-Z Pay Payment Plan. You can have your electric utility payment made automatically from your checking or savings account. And, you won't have to change your
present banking relationship to take advantage of the service.
The E-Z Pay Plan will help you in several ways:
4It saves time.
4Helps meet your commitment in
a convenient and timely manner;
even if you're on vacation or out
of town.
4No lost or misplaced statements.
Your payment is always on time.
4Easy to sign up for, easy to cancel.
4Monthly meter reading can be
submitted on-line or by calling
our office.
It takes one billing cycle to begin the automatic process. You simply pay your electric
bill this month and starting the next month, your bill will be paid automatically. You
can get the form on our website or call or visit the St. James office.
Official monthly newsletter
South Central Electric
71176 Tiell Dr., PO Box 150
St. James, MN 56081-0150
(507) 375-3164
E-mail address:
[email protected]
Web:
www.southcentralelectric.com
Office hours:
Monday through Friday
May 1 – September 30: 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
October 1 – April 30: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Ron Horman, General Manager
Board of Directors
Mark Sandberg, President
Bruce Falk, Vice President
Brent Imker, Secretary
Mike Miest, Treasurer
Ron Jorgenson, Director
Brad Asendorf, Director
William Kunz, Director
The Board meets the fourth Tuesday of the
month at South Central Electric’s building
at 71176 Tiell Dr., St. James, MN.
Starting October 1 office hours
are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
This institution is an equal opportunity
provider and employer.
If you wish to file a Civil Rights program
complaint of discrimination, complete
the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at http://www.
ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.
html, or at any USDA office, or call (866)
632-9992 to request the form. You may
also write a letter containing all of the
information requested in the form. Send
your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax
(202) 690-7442 or email at program.
[email protected].
Watt’s Cookin’?
Mothers Pancakes
Judy Anderson, St. James
½ cup sugar
5 eggs separated (the yolks from the whites)
1 ½ cup milk
2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 T. melted shortening
5 egg whites
Mix sugar, egg yolks, flour, baking powder and shortening together.
Beat egg whites till stiff and fold into batter. Bake on griddle.
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