The Washington State Ocean Energy Conference will be held on Nov. 8-9 at the Kitsap Conference Center in Bremerton.

This conference will bring together ocean energy leaders, policy experts, and key stakeholders from across the spectrum of interests related to renewable energy from ocean wind. It will provide a comprehensive overview of the issues read more »

Bremerton’s top leaders in rental property management and community organizing attended Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent’s Mayor Summit on Oct. 11 to make a public commitment to prioritize energy efficiency. The summit kicked off RePower Bremerton, a communitywide program — funded by a BetterBuildings award from the U.S. Department of Energy — to increase energy efficiency in homes and create local jobs in the energy-efficiency industry. Bainbridge Island and the greater Kitsap County have similar programs underway. read more »

Installation is underway near Shelton for what may be one of the largest solar power arrays so far in Western Washington. A 225 kilowatt photovoltaic system is being placed on the site of Mason County PUD No. 3’s Johns Prairie Operations center.

The operations center will be the site for the PUD 3 warehouse; field operations such as Shelton line workers; vehicle maintenance, repair and fueling; engineering, telecommunications, the meter shop, transformer and substation maintenance; and various administrative functions. read more »

The Kitsap Humane Society (KHS) enters a new realm of social responsibility by using Green Pet Compost Company’s services. Green Pet Compost Company has biodegradable waste bags, picks up dog waste and composts it.

The average dog’s output per day is 0.75 pounds of waste. KHS at any giving time may have 50 to 60 dogs in the shelter, equaling approximately 45 pounds of dog waste per day. read more »

Installing energy-efficient lighting in a building is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to save energy and money on the utility bill. Puget Sound Energy is offering various rebates to encourage business customers to install energy-efficient lighting.

These rebates include: $10-$25 for LEDs, $3-$12 for CFLs, $25 for CMH lamps and $1 per reduced-wattage T-8 fluorescent lamps (one-time rebate for projects relamping the entire building or floor). read more »

Building energy audits have become more popular in the residential sector in the last few years, as homeowners look for ways to save money on their power bill while making their homes more comfortable. Now, the idea is slowly taking off in the commercial sector. While many companies have already replaced their lighting fixtures to newer, more energy-efficient ones, some are taking the next step — looking at other aspects such as the building envelope, heating and appliances.

“The idea is moving into the small commercial sector and I think who’s leading the way is the utilities, as they look for ways to conserve energy in all sectors,” said Callie Ridolfi, managing director for EcoFab, a Seattle-based energy-conservation company that has been working with the RePower Bainbridge, RePower Kitsap and RePower Bremerton projects. read more »