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August 2015

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Volume 69, Number 8, August 2015

“The Rural Voice of Nebraska”

Staff Editor Wayne Price Editorial Assistant Kathy Barkmeier Published by the

Contents Features

A cute and cuddly collection

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Lori Kallweit of Humphrey, Neb., has been collecting dolls and stuffed animals since 1977 when her grandparents gave her a Raggedy Ann doll, plus Ann’s brother Raggedy Andy. She has been an avid devotee of the Raggedy Ann collection of dolls ever since.

Visit us at www.nrea.org General Manager Troy Bredenkamp President Randy Papenhausen, Cedar-Knox Public Power District Vice President/Secretary Ron Jensen, Loup Valleys Rural Public Power District

Celebrating Nebraska’s Czech Heritage For three days this summer the streets of Wilber, Nebraska will be transformed into a celebration of Czech heritage and culture.

The Wilber Chapter of the Nebraska Czechs Inc. will host its 54th annual Czech Festival on July 31, Aug. 1 and 2.

Treasurer David Keener, Niobrara Electric Association, Inc. Published monthly by the Nebraska Rural Electric Association, 1244 K Street, Box 82048, Lincoln, Nebraska 68501, (402) 475-4988.

Advertising in the Rural Electric Nebraskan does not imply endorsement for products by the Nebraska Rural Electric Association. Correspondence should be sent to Wayne Price, Editor, Rural Electric Nebraskan, Box 82048, Lincoln, NE 68501.

The Rural Electric Nebraskan is printed by Quad Graphics, 2300 Brown Ave., Waseca, MN 56093.

Form 3579 should be sent to the Rural Electric Nebraskan, Box 82048, Lincoln, NE 68501.

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Departments EDITOR’S PAGE

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SAFETY BRIEFS — Murphy

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CUT YOUR UTILITY BILLS by James Dulley

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RECIPES

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MARKETPLACE/CLASSIFIEDS

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Periodicals postage paid at Lincoln, Neb. POSTMASTER: send address changes to the Rural Electric Nebraskan, 1244 K Street, Box 82048, Lincoln, NE 68501.

On the cover

Publication numbers are USPS 071-630 and ISSN 0193-4937.

The 54th annual Czech Festival will be held in Wilber, Nebraska the first weekend in August. See the related story on Page 12. Photograph by Wayne Price.

Rates: $10 for one year; $15 for two years; $20 for three years, plus local and state tax.

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EDITOR’S PAGE

Talk to your kids about school bus safety he greater part of my adolescent youth was spent on a school bus, riding the dusty gravel roads of Richardson County, going to and from school. The farm where I grew up was about a mile away from the house of the farm couple that drove the school bus. My house was the first stop on the way to school and the last stop on the way home. His two daughters were the only kids to ride the bus longer than me.

Looking back I don’t remember it being a bother. I remember spending most of that time hunkered down in my seat reading. Luckily I never had to worry about motion sickness from reading in a moving vehicle, something that has apparently changed over the years.

I was lucky to never have been in an accident on the bus either. I remember once the bus got stuck in a muddy driveway and we had to have the farmer pull us out with his tractor.

My children now ride the bus to school. I’ve talked to them about being safe and careful on the bus during their trips, using a list of tips from the National Safety Council.

• When waiting for the bus, stay away from traffic and avoid roughhousing or other behavior that can lead to carelessness. Do not stray onto streets, alleys or private property.

• Line up away from the street or road as the school bus approaches. Wait until the bus has stopped and the door opens before stepping onto the roadway.

• Use the hand rail when stepping onto the bus.

• When on the bus, find a seat and sit down.

Loud talking or other noise can distract the bus driver and is not allowed. Be sure to keep all parts of your body inside the bus at all times. You shouldn't be waving or sticking your head outside the window.

• Keep aisles clear — books or bags are tripping hazards and can block the way in an emergency.

• Before you reach your stop, get ready to leave by getting your books and belongings together.

• At your stop, wait for the bus to stop completely before getting up from your seat.

Then, walk to the front door and exit, using the hand rail.

• If you have to cross the street in front of

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by Wayne Price

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the bus, walk at least ten feet ahead of the bus along the side of the road, until you can turn around and see the driver. Make sure that the driver can see you. Wait for a signal from the driver before beginning to cross. When the driver signals, walk across the road, keeping an eye out for sudden traffic changes.

• Do not cross the center line of the road until the driver has signaled that it is safe for you to begin walking.

• Stay away from the bus' rear wheels at all times.

The Council also suggests that parents review with their children the correct way to cross the street.

• Youngsters should always stop at the curb or the edge of the road and look left, then right, and then left again before crossing.

• They should continue looking in this manner until they are safely across.

• If students' vision is blocked by a parked car or other obstacle, they should move out to where drivers can see them and they can see other vehicles — then stop, and look left-rightleft again.

Approximately 22 million students nationwide begin and end the school day with a trip on a school bus. Unfortunately, many youngsters are injured and several are killed in school bus incidents each year.

Over the past six years, about 70 percent of the deaths in fatal school bus related crashes were occupants of vehicles other than the school bus and 20 pecent were pedestrians.

About 4 percent were school bus passengers and 2 percent were school bus drivers.

Of the pedestrians killed in school bus related crashes over this period, approximately 77 percent were struck by the school bus.

Motorists also have a responsibility to follow safe traffic practices. Nebraska law requires that all drivers must stop for a school bus which has stopped to load or unload passengers. Red flashing lights and an extended stop arm reminds motorists that a bus is stopping to load or unload passengers.

Although drivers of all vehicles are required to stop for a school bus when it is stopped to load or discharge passengers, children should not rely on them to do so.

Watch out for kids going back to school.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Smart thermostats save money and energy ntil recently, few people paid attention to the thermostat.

It hung on the wall, waiting for someone to adjust the temperature either up or down. And while the thermostat has been known to be the cause of a few arguments between couples, “cool” would never be a word to describe them. Today, a new breed of thermostat is on the market and promises to turn what was once an afterthought into a powerful tool that can save energy and make your home more comfortable.

One of the major energy savings advances in thermostat design was the programmable thermostat. It was a simple concept. You told the device what temperature your home should be during specific spans of time on specific days, and it would handle the rest. Problems arose when reports began to surface that these thermostats did not save energy because people were either too confused by the user interface to actually program them, or people constantly adjusted them and defeated the programming capabilities.

Programmable thermostats are still around, and they can still save energy – but only if they are actually programmed.

Now, a new type of thermostat is capturing people’s attention – the smart thermostat, also known as the learning thermostat.

These thermostats attempt to take the pain out of programming, and they do this by learning your behavior. The key to the smart thermostat is the ability to connect to the Internet. It should be noted that you can use a smart thermostat that doesn’t connect to the Internet, but its functionality will be limited.

The most well-known of the smart thermostats is the Nest Learning Thermostat. Developed by former Apple employees, the Nest asks that you use the thermostat as a regular manual thermostat. After a week or so of use, the device remembers

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preferences and settings. It then begins to automatically adjust heating and air conditioning with a goal to save energy.

Nest may be the most well-known of the smart thermostat brands, but there are other options available.

The Lyric thermostat by Honeywell is designed to put you back in control. Using the location of your smartphone, the geofencing feature automatically turns the Lyric thermostat into energy saving mode when a home is empty, and then senses when you are coming home and heats or cools the house to your preferred temperature.

Beyond a smartphone, the temperature can be managed using Honeywell’s familiar round dial control on the thermostat itself. With the Lyric app (available via the App Store on iTunes and Google Play), homeowners can adjust their home’s temperature to life as it happens, wherever they are. When a homeowner walks up to the Lyric thermostat, a built-in proximity sensor signals the display to turn on and show current temperature and the home’s heating or cooling status.

A soft halo of light in orange (heating), blue (cooling), or green

(away/energy savings) momentarily illuminates around the thermostat to indicate it is making temperature adjustments.

Additionally, touchsensitive buttons flank the center display – one for accessing current and upcoming weather information, and one for setting back your temperature while you’re away.

The Lyric thermostat provides easy-to-understand alerts on when to change a filter, if and when your furnace needs servicing, and even help find a trusted service professional.

The gloss white finish and silver accents of the Lyric thermostat, along with its shallow depth and flush wall mount, add a contemporary appearance to any room. Beyond contemporary design and innovative functionality, it delivers the same reliable control and accuracy for which Honeywell is known since it introduced the iconic ‘Round’ in 1953.

Since the smart thermostat connects to the Internet, you can control it from your phone via an app – a convenient feature that many consumers enjoy. But the best part about using smart thermostats? You can come home to a temperature that’s just right for you and control the system while you’re away for extended periods of time.

A smart thermostat can cost between $200 and $400. The amount of energy saved will still depend on how long you are away from home and how much you override the system. In addition to smart thermostats, other home appliances are connecting to the Internet, which may become a critical component of a home for the future. For thermostats, that future is now.

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Humphrey W woman loves stuffed animals plus dolls, dolls and more dolls

by LaRayne Topp

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hen Cabbage Patch dolls were on the scene, they arrived with their own birth certificates.

Betsy Wetsy had a baby bottle, and Barbie has Ken. But Raggedy Ann has birthdays.

One hundred of them.

Just ask Lori Kallweit of Humphrey, Nebraska. Her collection of Raggedy Ann dolls contains a doll for every one of those birthdays. And more.

Kallweit’s first doll was a handmade rag doll made by her mother, Shirley Boning. Kallweit named her Polly. She also had a special doll named Velvet with hair that grew longer

or shorter, depending on Kallweit’s whim that day.

She had the usual collection of Barbies, and at the Creston, Nebraska, Centennial in 1986, Kallweit’s well-worn Teddy Bear, Andy, was named the most loved bear.

“I have always loved dolls and stuff animals,” Kallweit said. “As a little girl, my memory shows me with a doll or my stuffed bear all the time.”

But the day after Kallweit graduated from Leigh High School in 1977, her grandparents—the late Louie and Hulda Boning—gave her a Raggedy Ann doll, plus

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Ann’s brother Raggedy Andy. Since that day, Kallwait has become an avid devotee of the Raggedy Ann collection of dolls.

Raggedy Ann was originally invented in 1908 when Johnny Gruelle, an illustrator and cartoonist for an Indianapolis newspaper, discovered a rag doll his mother had made years before. He added a new face to the doll, plus a head full of yarn hair, and gave it to his small daughter, Marcella.

Around 1915, the Gruelle family trademarked the doll and began creating the handmade rag dolls for sale. Originally, the dolls were made with candy hearts stitched into their chests. The dolls were sewn of muslin, with red and white striped legs and black shoes. Each doll featured orange yarn hair, with tin or wooden shoe-button eyes sewn on a white circle. Eyelashes were painted beneath, with a red triangular nose in the center, and curved mouth with a red center.

That same year, Gruelle’s 13-yearold daughter Marcella became ill and died of an infection. To help him work through his grief, Gruelle submitted stories he’d written about the Raggedy Ann doll to a publisher, P.F. Volland.

“His stories are about a mischievous rag doll and her delightful toy friends,” Kallweit said.

The Volland company also gained the rights to manufacture the dolls.

Through the years, however, the doll has gone through various transformations along with a variety of manufacturers, but all are inspired by the original Gruelle doll.

In 1920, Raggedy Ann’s brother Andy came on the scene. His look was similar to his sister, except he wore a white-brimmed blue cap, a one-piece outfit and a plaid shirt. By 1994, the Applause company, which held the manufacturing rights at that time, had introduced a little baby Raggedy along with an AfricanAmerican Raggedy Ann doll, Beloved Belindy.

“All have ‘I love you’ hearts on the chest,” Kallweit said. “All have red

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Opposite: Lori Kallweit and two of the larger Raggedy dolls.

Top left: One of the oldest dolls in Kallweit's collection is fashioned of painted wood and twine.

Top right: Lori shows a trio of stuffed dolls.

Above: No matter how new or old the Raggedy Ann and Andy pairs of dolls are, they feature a red, triangle-shaped nose. Photographs by LaRayne Topp triangle noses; some are outlined in black. Some have eyelashes above and below the eyes, and their smiles have changed through the years.”

Kallweit’s figurines of Santas holding a Raggedy Ann doll are the most valuable in her collection.

However, she said each doll’s value

remains in the eye of the beholder.

“Many have no value except to me. I just go with what I like.”

Raggedy Ann and Andy are portrayed in a variety of shapes and Please turn to page 8 sizes, and Kallweit is always on the

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Dolls and more dolls From page 6 lookout to see what manufacturers and individuals will come up with next. Some of the merchandise she’s run across includes puzzles, blocks, clocks and cookie jars. Raggedy Ann and Andy can be found painted on rocking chairs, on ceramic dishes and woven into baskets. Sometimes they’re stitched into afghans, sewn into quilts, and embroidered onto tea towels, and fashioned into storybooks, activity books, coloring books, cloth books and felt books.

They’re also found stamped onto playing cards and made into paper dolls, magnetic wall hanging, candles, tea set, hat box, puppet, calendars, music box, sand bucket and even postage stamps.

Ornaments are crafted from ceramic, plastic, wood, cut glass and blown glass. Many of these variations of Raggedy Ann and Andy are found among Kallweit’s collection.

Her favorites ornaments are from

designer Kurt Adler. They are glass ornaments, very fragile, but pretty.

Enesco and Danbury Mint, among other companies, manufacture figurines of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy; Kallweit has been able to find quite a few of those.

“The figurines are no longer in the stores, but if you are lucky and search sometimes, there they are

Top: A trio of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls.

Above: Lori Kallweit arranges Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy items for a display at the Madison County Museum in Madison, Nebraska.

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behind something on a shelf in consignment shops.”

She has collected so many Raggedy Ann and Andy memorabilia, they fill the china hutch in the Kallweits’ dining room, and many of them have threatened to take over the living room, as well. The overflow is stored at the home of her parents, Shirley and the late Thomas “Toby” Boning.

Kallweit’s husband Carroll has learned to tolerate the dolls as they take up his living space, often musing that living with his wife is like living with a three-year-old.

Kallweit often teases her husband that she only purchases dolls when she’s irritated with him. When they moved from the family farm into Humphrey in 2000, among the items they loaded were boxes and boxes of dolls.

“I didn’t realize you were irritated with me that often,” Carroll told his wife.

Some of the dolls have been given to Kallweit as gifts; others she has run across in antique stores and other places—in antique shops and stores in Central City and Fremont, for example, or on the back shelf in a store in Seward.

“It’s kinda fun, the hunt,” she said.

When the Kallweits were on vacation in Sedona, Arizona, she noticed a display bucket in a store window, filled with a variety of magazines.

Although it barely peeked out from beneath the others, one of the books had an NN printed on it. The Kallweits went inside and the NN was part of the title of an original 1941 copy of a Raggedy ANN storybook.

“Of course, I had to buy it and it followed me out of the store,” Kallweit said.

On another vacation, this one to a farm show in Louisville, Kentucky, friends arranged a side trip to Arcola, Illinois—birthplace of Raggedy Ann. Although the roads were icy, they arrived safely and were given a private showing of the Arcola museum by Joni Gruelle Wannamaker and her husband Tom. Joni is the granddaughter of Johnny

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Gruelle. Since that time, the museum has closed and the items were moved to and are on display at the Smithsonian in New York.

Kallweit also browses websites such as Raggedyland, a company based in Macon, Georgia. She enjoys the carved wooden collectibles designed by John R. Wright. Many of his pieces fetch as much as $1,250 apiece, however. Kallweit had pictures of those pieces which she says are as close as she gets to the originals.

She also has some odd pieces. A wooden doll tied with twine is the most unusual in her collection.

Precious Moments and Snowden figurines are among the most valuable. She also has a few Dick and Jane books in her collection. How do those fit in? Illustrations show Dick and Jane’s little sister Sally carrying a Raggedy Ann doll.

When Kallweit’s not scouting around for dolls to add for her

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A wide variety of items are made with the Raggedy Ann and Andy theme, from books and puzzles to mugs and cookie jars. collection, she works in the accounting department of Behlen Manufacturing in nearby, Columbus, where she’s been employed for the

past 38 years. The Kallweits live in Humphrey, served by Loup Power District which provides electric service to the town. Cornhusker Public Power District serves the rural area, including Kallweit farm ground.

Both offices are headquartered in Columbus.

Currently, Kallweit’s collection is on display at the Madison County Museum in Madison, Nebraska.

Someone who sees the collection will be sure to ask just how many Raggedy Ann and Andy and Beloved Belindy dolls Kallweit owns. She says she has not as many as some, but more than others. If you ask her husband, she said, he will say, “Way too many.”

Recently, Kallweit visited eBay for the first time. She entered Raggedy Ann as the search code and up popped over 5,000 items.

“See, Carroll,” she warned her husband, “I do not have everything.

Yet.”

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Is solar power right for you?

by Tom Tate

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or many folks, the use of solar panels to generate electricity is a recent technological development. When I think of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, images of early NASA vehicles in outer space immediately come to mind. Indeed, America’s first permanent satellite, Explorer I, was powered by PV panels in 1958.

However, the use of solar energy dates back to 1767 when a Swiss scientist named Horace-Benedict de Saussure built an insulated, glassfaced box, generating temperatures of up to 230 degrees from sunlight. His invention was dubbed the “solar oven.”

Fast-forward to today, and nearly everyone is aware of solar. Yet, PV has remained one of the most expensive forms of electricity. People always ask why this is the case when the fuel is “free.” It’s because the equipment is expensive, and the sun doesn’t always shine. While equipment prices have dropped dramatically, the output of commercially available panels ranges from 5 to 19 percent (15 percent is

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common) of the theoretical limit, assuming there were never clouds and the sun was at high noon 24 hours a day.

So, is solar electricity right for you?

The short answer is, “It depends.”

How’s that for an ambiguous answer?

But it truly does depend on a number of factors. The first thing you should consider is why you want to go solar.

If it is for backup power in an emergency, stop here. PV systems are tied to the grid for safety reasons.

When the power goes out, the PV array shuts down. If it is for environmental reasons, read on.

Your next step is to contact your local public power district or electric cooperative to discuss your plan. Talk to our energy experts, and let us help you decide what makes the most sense for your home. A south-facing roof is typically the preferred direction for the placement of solar panels. Do trees shade the roof at any time? Next to darkness, shade is the natural enemy of solar panels. Is your roof structure capable of accepting the weight of the panels and any other load, say wind and snow?

Are there any neighborhood or local regulations prohibiting solar panels?

Now to the nitty gritty. Grab your electric bills from the past year and see how many kilowatt hours (kWh) your home has used. Your local public power district or electric cooperative can assist with this task. The typical American home PV system produces 5 kWh per hour. How much of your home’s annual use can be covered?

Then comes the cost. The 5 kWh system has an average cost of $24,650 before any incentives. The most common incentive is a 30 percent tax credit from the Federal Government.

Then there are savings in reduced energy use costs and the potential benefit of any electricity sold back to your local public power district or electric cooperative. Calculations have shown paybacks between seven and 15 years.

If the cost of the system is too steep, you might be able to sign a contract with a solar company who will install the system at no cost but take all the incentives and charge a monthly fee.

If you want more information, reach out to your local public power district or electric cooperative. If you decide to talk to a contractor, be sure to check references. Increased interest in solar has spawned a large number of sellers who have little knowledge in PV installations.

Caveat emptor is the rule to obey here.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Motor Myths lectric motors account for 23 percent of all electricity consumed in the U.S. and almost 70 percent of manufacturing sector’s electrical consumption. In rural Nebraska during summer, the most common motor loads include air conditioning and irrigation systems.

Consequently, you would think many of us would know how to optimize electric motor use. However, the following are a handful of “motor mistakes” many of us make:

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MYTH: Temperature elevation has little influence on an electric motor.

FACT: Motors are designed with a specific insulation classification, which specifies the motor’s maximum operating ambient temperature.

When fully loaded, a motor’s temperature increases. The ambient temperature rating accounts for the maximum amount of heat the motor can reasonably operate under. For each 10°C this threshold is exceeded, the motor’s life is cut in half. This can become a critical consideration when summer temperatures approach their peaks.

MYTH: Frequent startups do not impact a motor.

FACT: If not specifically designed for them, frequent starts will shorten a motor’s life. The brief inrush of starting current causes extra heat to buildup, which is usually dissipated while the motor is running. If the motor does not run long enough between starts to dissipate the extra heat, it can exceed the motor’s maximum operating temperature.

MYTH: High-efficiency motors always provide energy savings when compared to standard efficiency motors.

FACT: The actual operating speed of an induction motor is somewhat less

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than its synchronous speed.

Synchronous speed would be produced if rotation of the motor’s shaft is at the same frequency of the supplied electrical alternating current. This difference between synchronous and actual speed is referred to as slip.

Many energy-efficient motors tend to operate with less full- load slip or at a slightly higher speed than their standard efficiency counterparts.

For centrifugal fans and pumps, even a minor change in the motor’s operating speed translates into a significant change in the imposed load and annual energy consumption. Fan and pump “affinity” laws indicate that the horsepower loading placed on a motor by centrifugal loads varies as the third power or cube of its rotational speed. A seemingly minor 20 rotations-per-minute increase in a motor’s speed can result in a 3.5 percent increase in electrical load.

MYTH: Using soft-start equipment on big electrical motors can cut utility demand charges.

FACT: The use of soft-start equipment can lead to savings, but it will not significantly reduce the demand charge on your electric bill.

When a motor starts, it draws an “inrush” of electrical current often five to six times the motor's full-load running current. This creates a lot of heat, and heat is what kills motors over time. Soft-starters ramp up voltage applied to motor terminals over time, thereby limiting inrush, which significantly reduces heat buildup. By doing so, soft- starters can extend motor lifetimes, in particular, for motors that are stopped and started frequently.

But why are demand charges from the utility not affected? If electrical kilo-watt (kW) demand is measured and billed on your electric utility account, the electric meter measures

the average kW you consume over each 15 or 30-minute period. In contrast, a soft-starter affects a motor's power draw over the course of just a few seconds. The reduction of the motor's power draw over that short period is fairly insignificant when compared to the time over which the demand charge is calculated.

MYTH: Power-factor correction saves significant amounts of energy.

FACT: Power-factor correction can reduce energy use by only a small amount. But unless your utility requires power factor correction or charges a penalty for low power factor, improving it will not have a big impact on your electricity bill. The amount of energy saved is dependent on a number of site-specific factors, including the mix of electrical loads connected to your meter, the type and length of conductors, and where any power-factor-correction equipment may be placed (i.e. – closer to the meter versus closer to the motor loads). However, even in the most extreme cases, it is unusual for electrical consumption savings to exceed 2 percent.

Source: Nebraska Public Power District

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Celebrating Nebraska’s Czech Heritage or three days this summer the streets of Wilber, Nebraska will be transformed into a celebration of Czech heritage and culture. The Wilber Chapter of the Nebraska Czechs Inc. will host its 54th annual Czech Festival on July 31, Aug. 1 and 2. The festival takes place on the streets in the downtown area, covering several blocks in each direction.

The Wilber Czech Festival is one of the largest ethnic celebrations in America and hosts over 50,000 people each year. Many come to take part in the Czech heritage and culture celebration that includes authentic meals of roasted duck and pork, sauerkraut and dumplings and the famous sweet pastry, the fruit filled “kolace.” There’s even a kolace eating contest.

The three-day festival includes three parades with the first on

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Friday evening at 7 p.m., where the parents and children strut their costumes, pets and floats that display the theme. This year’s theme is “A Czech-American Adventure.”

The Saturday and Sunday parades begin at 2 p.m. and often last more than two hours.

In addition to the parades the festival will offer a wide variety of attractions, including the Miss Czech-Slovak U.S. pageant, an art show, car show, costume exhibits, and various music groups performances.

Street vendors and store merchants will offer food, drinks, costumes, clothing, many various items and souvenirs. Rides and games are available for kids while adults can participate in the Legion Bingo game.

Visitors are encouraged to stop by the historical exhibits at the Wilber Czech Museum also.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Wilber launched its First Annual Czech Festival in August 1962, attracting 20,000 people to the event.

Four citizens of Wilber, Senator Joe T. Vosoba, Judge Eugene Zajicek, Pastor William Temps, and Walter A. Baer conceived the idea of forming a Wilber Czech organization for the purpose of perpetuating Czech culture and tradition, making Wilber the Czech Capital of Nebraska, providing a tourist attraction by holding an annual Czech Festival, and building a museum for the preservation of Czech literature, culture, and artifacts. The Fifth Annual Wilber Czech Festival, held in 1966, achieved a new high in attendance, 60,000 people in two days.

The Nebraska Czech costume, locally made and designed, is worn by many Czechs and non-Czechs, adding to the color of the Festival.

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The electric grid connects us all

by Justin LaBerge

he energy industry is in the midst of an unprecedented period of transition. As this energy revolution unfolds, a modern, interconnected and reliable electric grid has never been more important.

In April, Elon Musk, the charismatic billionaire CEO of Tesla, introduced a new lithium ion battery called the PowerWall. In typical fashion for this brash tech entrepreneur, Musk paints a rosy picture of a future where homeowners disconnect from the power grid and meet all their power needs through a combination of rooftop solar and battery storage.

It’s exciting to imagine a future

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where renewable energy systems will allow us to generate and store electricity in a reliable and costeffective way. Though there are many working hard to realize that goal – including public power districts and electric cooperatives – it is still a long way from reality.

Unlike gasoline or propane, electricity is a form of energy that is difficult to store in large quantities.

Batteries can hold enough energy to power small devices for moderate amounts of time, but current battery technology cannot practically and economically store enough energy to power larger items like appliances and TVs for longer durations.

We don’t know when the cost, size, quality and reliability of battery storage will improve to the point that it becomes a viable option to help

meet our energy needs. If/when that happens, it has the potential to transform countless aspects of our lives, from our smartphones to our cars to our electric system.

The lack of a viable option for large-scale energy storage creates another challenge for power companies. Electricity supply and demand must always be perfectly matched.

If you’re a farmer, imagine what your job would be like if you couldn’t store your product – not even for a short period of time until a truck could come to pick it up. Imagine if the grain you grow or the milk your cows produce had to instantly go from harvest to consumption. Lastly, imagine that the demand for your product never stops and varies wildly throughout the day, but you always had to produce the exact right amount with no shortages or overages. That’s what public power

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districts and electric cooperatives do every day to keep the lights on.

To meet this challenge, power companies rely on a complex and interconnected electric grid to deliver power to homes and businesses across America the instant that it’s needed. The electricity powering the lamp that you’re using to read this article was generated a fraction of a second before it was delivered to your home – most likely at a power plant far away from where you live.

These same challenges are true for people who want to generate electricity at their homes or businesses through technologies such as solar panels, small wind turbines and manure digesters that produce methane.

It’s unlikely that the amount of available sunshine, wind or manure is always perfectly matched to your immediate energy needs. Sometimes the sun is shining brightly when nobody is home, but most people still want electricity after the sun goes down. That’s where the electric grid comes into play.

By staying connected to the electric grid, your home is part of a larger system. You can usually feed extra energy back into it when you don’t need it, but more importantly, the grid is there to make sure you always have enough power when you need it.

In addition, the interconnected nature of the grid means that when there’s a problem with a generator on the system – whether that’s a homeowner’s rooftop solar array or a large power plant supplying energy to hundreds of thousands – there are plenty of other generation resources available to step in and quickly meet the need.

In some ways, the electric grid is the ultimate example of a cooperative. Every power company, from electric co-ops to investor-owned utilities to government-run systems, must work together across state lines to ensure there is always enough energy to power our lives.

Public power districts and electric cooperatives are leaders in the renewable energy revolution. Three

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of the top four solar utilities in America are electric cooperatives.

The vast majority of wind turbines in this country are built in rural areas served by cooperatives. In fact, America’s public power districts and electric cooperatives support an entire team of researchers who work on issues related to renewable energy, power reliability and future technology.

Great leaders always look to the future but remain grounded in

practical reality. Great leaders look out for everybody they serve and strive to ensure their actions will serve the greater good. These are the same qualities that make rural electric utilities special. Though our nation’s energy future is uncertain, there’s no doubt that America’s public power districts and electric cooperatives are helping to write it – and doing so with our members’ best interests driving every action we take.

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SAFETY BRIEFS

Prevent Deadly Shocks—Check Your Boats and Docks f you have a boat or dock, help prevent electrical accidents by inspecting and maintaining all electrical systems on or near the water. Exposure to the elements and the motion of water can degrade the condition of electrical components allowing electricity to leak into the water or energize surrounding metal.

Each year, people are killed by electrical shock while in the water near docks or boats plugged into shore power. Proper maintenance and safety equipment are vital in helping to prevent these tragedies.

Safe Electricity in conjunction with the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers/National Electrical Contractors Association recommend: • Docks should have ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) breakers on the circuits feeding electricity to the dock.

• The metal frame of docks should be bonded to connect all metal parts to the alternating current (AC) safety ground at the power source. That will ensure any part of the metal dock

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that becomes energized because of electrical malfunction will trip the circuit breaker.

• Neighboring docks can also present a shock hazard. Ensure your neighbor’s dockside electrical system complies with the National Electrical Code and has been inspected.

• All electrical installations should be performed by a professional electrical contractor familiar with marine codes and standards.

When it comes to your boat’s electrical system, particularly those with AC systems, keep in mind: • Boats with AC systems should have isolation transformers or

equipment leakage circuit (ELCI) protection, interrupter comply with ABYC standards, and should be serviced by an ABYC Certified Technician.

• There are some big differences between your house and your boat.

Household wire is not suitable for use on boats as houses are motionless and generally dry. Even marine-rated wire that is not supported along its length will break with constant motion stress.

• Do NOT use wire nuts or splice connectors! Wire nuts are for solid conductor wire, which should never be on a boat, and splice connectors cut wire strands.

• Fuses are rated to protect the wire, not the appliance. If a fuse blows continuously, it should NOT be replaced with a larger one just to keep it from blowing again— something else is wrong.

• Have your boat’s electrical system checked at least once a year.

Boats should also be checked when something is added to or removed from their systems.

Learn more at SafeElectricity.org and www.abycinc.org.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Common questions about the electric vehicle

by Thomas Kirk

here’s no denying it – the electric vehicle market is evolving and maturing.

Although the concept of electrically powered vehicles was pioneered over a century ago, only recently have they become a viable vehicle choice for many Americans.

In 2014, more than 120,000 electric vehicles (EVs) were bought in the U.S., breaking the previous record of fewer than 100,000 in 2013. People are buying EVs in greater numbers, but many still have questions about range, charging time and fuel-savings.

One of the greatest fears of EV ownership is running out of power on the road with no charging station in sight.

EVs are particularly susceptible to this because most EVs have less range than a comparable gasoline-powered vehicle, and there are fewer public charging stations than gas stations.

However, the numbers suggest that this shouldn’t be a problem for most trips.

The average single trip distance is six miles, and even for rural areas with longer drives, 95 percent of all trips are less than 50 miles. New EVs have ranges typically between 70 and 120 miles, and some even have ranges up to 300 miles.

Some consumers fear that the time to recharge an EV is excessive. Filling

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up a car with gas only takes a few minutes, but filling up an EV battery can take 10 hours or longer, depending on the car and the charging method. All passenger EVs can be charged at home using a standard outlet. Simply park the car at the end of the day, and when you awake to go to work, school or church, your car will be fueled up and ready to go.

If 10 hours is too long of a wait, there are special charging stations that can be installed at your home that will let you charge the EV in just a couple of hours. Consumers opting for this method should try to set their timer to charge the car late at night.

Some electric co-ops offer incentives for this “off-peak” charging.

Electric motors are more efficient than traditional internal combustion engines, making them cheaper on a fuel per mile cost basis. How much you will save on fuel with an EV depends on just how efficient your EV is and the cost of electricity compared to the cost of gas. EVs typically get between

two to four miles per kWh, and the average retail electricity rate is 12 cents per kWh, which comes to a per mile rate of 3 to 6 cents (Remember, some utilities offer special rates for customers who charge their EVs at night, bringing this rate lower).

Comparatively, an average gaspowered car can expect a per mile fuel rate of 9 to 11 cents, but this number will vary dramatically based on the price of gas and the car’s gas mileage. What does this mean for annual fuel savings? Right now, a Nissan Leaf (EV) will cost around $350 a year for fuel, while a Nissan Versa (gasoline) will cost $771.

Buying an EV is a decision that requires careful consideration. EVs are often more expensive up front, and the potential savings of an EV are largely dependent on the cost of gasoline (currently at a six-year low) and state and federal tax credits. Be sure to consult your local utility provider to see if special EV charging rates or other incentives are offered.

Most EV owners report high satisfaction, and the high torque means you will have no problem beating that Mustang off the line.

Thomas Kirk is a technical research analyst specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy for the Cooperative Research Network (CRN), a service of the Arlington, Va.-based National Rural Electric Cooperative Association

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CUT YOUR UTILITY BILLS

Roofing materials impact air conditioning costs

by James Dulley

My black asphalt shingle roof Q :needs to be replaced. I want to install a new roof that will last longer and help keep my home cooler during hot summer afternoons. What type of roof do you recommend? : From the standpoint of a long and keeping your home cooler, a black asphalt shingle roof is probably the worst option. The dark color absorbs much of the sun's heat, which not only makes your home hotter and drives up your airconditioning costs, but hastens the degradation of the shingle material itself.

A black shingle can easily reach 150 degrees Fahrenheit in the hot afternoon sun. If you have ever tried to lift a square (100 sq. ft.) of shingles, you know how heavy they are. When this thermal mass gets hot, it stores the heat and radiates it down into your home well into the evening.

Even if you have adequate insulation on the attic floor, the radiant heat from the hot roof easily passes through to room ceilings.

Standard thermal insulation, such as batts and blown-in fiberglass or rock wool and cellulose, are most effective for blocking conductive heat transfer, but less so for radiant heat from a hot roof.

The two most common roofing materials for homes are shingles and metal. White shingles can be fairly energy efficient and effective for reflecting much of the sun's heat.

Some white shingles even qualified for the former Federal energy tax credit. Keep in mind, it takes very little color tint before shingles start to absorb heat, so white is the most efficient option.

Metal roofing can cost twice as

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much as shingles, but many types have lifetime warranties, and they can reflect the majority of the sun's heat. Aluminum and steel are the two most common and reasonably priced materials. Copper is attractive and durable. It is quite expensive, but the natural aged patina color is beautiful and it absorbs heat well.

I installed an aluminum simulated shake roof on my own home five years ago while the energy tax credit was in effect. My roof consists of 1x2-ft. interlocking panels with a special

A completed metal roofing with new flashing and decorative hip trim over the seam. Photograph by James Dulley heat-reflecting paint coating. The panels are made of recycled aluminum from soda pop cans and are formed to look like cedar shakes.

Aluminum is a particularly efficient roofing material because the underside surface of the roofing panels is bare. With a low emissivity rating, it does not allow the heat from the hot metal to pass through to the roofing lumber and insulation below.

When selecting an aluminum roof, it is important that its contour provides an air gap over the sheathing for its

low-emissivity properties to be effective. A simulated clay tile aluminum roof is also very effective with the many air gaps under it.

After my aluminum roof was installed, the second floor bedrooms stayed much cooler during summer afternoons. The only drawback to an aluminum metal roof is you must be careful walking on it and stepping on the high shake’s edges so it is not damaged. During winter, snow sometimes slides off in large sheets and crushes shrubs and blocks the garage door. Snow stops can be glued to the roof to stop this, but they may also catch leaves and debris from nearby trees.

Painted steel roofs are also available in many colors and simulated contours. The steel is treated with many layers of corrosionresistant coatings so rust is not a problem. Steel roofs with an aluminum-alloy coating are particularly durable. Steel is very strong, so there are fewer problems with walking on it.

Since your old shingles are likely cracked with curled edges, they would have to be torn off before new shingles are installed. Most metal roofs, because of their rigidity, can be installed over existing shingles no matter what their condition. This saves the cost (often about $1,000) of tearing off the old shingles.

Whether you choose white shingles or a metal roof with heat-reflecting paint, also consider installing an attic ridge vent. When replacing a roof, adding a ridge vent is a minor additional expense. If you install, make sure the soffit vents are not blocked by attic insulation. Even with the metal roof, adequate attic ventilation is needed for both summer and winter energy efficiency.

Send inquiries to James Dulley, Rural Electric Nebraskan, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit www.dulley.com.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Winning means using less merica is a competitive country. Fast cars, backboard shattering dunks and upper deck home runs get our adrenaline pumping. We even turn eating into a competition. So why not turn energy efficiency into a competitive effort?

Most people agree that using energy wisely is a smart decision. It’s good for your wallet, and it’s good for the planet. But let’s be honest – it can be pretty boring. Dancing with the Stars turned ballroom dancing into something exciting, so the same can be done with energy efficiency.

Several electric utilities have used the concept of energy challenges to turn energy efficiency into something that gets people excited, and it’s easy to recreate this friendly form of competition. All you need are two groups or even just one family to turn finding energy hogs into a fun activity that saves money.

So, how can you get in on the fun?

You will want to compare your energy use this month to the same month last year. This will give a more accurate account of your use. If you don’t want to compare to the same month as last year, you can also do a month-tomonth. Just use data that you can easily access – and remember, this is meant to be fun.

Let’s use an energy competition between two neighbors as an example.

Both neighbors will need to know what their baseline energy use is (contact your utility provider if you do not have this information handy).

Ideally, use the month from the prior year. This is the number that you will be competing against. The goal of the competition is to have the greatest percentage reduction for the month against that baseline. Now the fun starts. Simply figure out ways to reduce your energy use by the largest amount without spending more than $50. The goal is fun and easy. You shouldn’t have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on improvements to make a positive impact.

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The secret weapon to winning will be to use your kids, since they are amazingly creative and have a unique way of looking at things. Here are some of their suggestions for winning strategies: • Cook meals on a grill instead of the kitchen • Watch less TV, disconnect the video game system or turn off the computer (Please be aware that these tips may lead to family bonding time.)

• Unscrew some light bulbs • Unplug battery and cell phone chargers • Cut down on washing by using washing machines and dishwashers only when they are truly full • “Fine” family members (usually the husband or kids) for leaving the lights on in an empty room or a door to the outside open Once the competition starts, engage everyone in your home to brainstorm ideas to reduce energy use. Challenge everyone in your home to develop a list of things to do. The person with the longest list could win a candy bar.

Then do them. Equip the kids with caulk guns to shoot the energy leaks

or weather stripping to reinforce the windows. Try to turn everything into a game or a race.

What does the winner of the competition get? In this sort of competition, everyone wins because they are saving energy and saving money. But the prize can be as simple as a pizza party for the winner.

Several colleges have tried energy competitions among their dorms. It is amazing what college students will do to earn a free pizza party.

How much energy can you save doing a competition like this? Electric utilities that have engaged their consumers in these sorts of competitions have reported energy savings ranging from 9 to 58 percent.

Those that saved the most made more drastic changes, such as grilling or camping. The energy savings do go down once the competition ends. But utilities have found that even when the competition is over, those who played the game are still using less energy than before the competition, and some of the easier behaviors like only running a full dishwasher or unscrewing light bulbs stick.

These ideas can be fun for all who compete, but making a long-lasting impact on home energy savings is the best prize of all!

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Down Home Recipes

Travel with your taste buds rilling season is already in full swing, but there are plenty of options to take your grilling menus to another flavorful level.

The barbecue and sausage experts at Johnsonville recommend incorporating your favorite flavors from various world cuisines into your outdoor entertaining menu.

One example is the unique combination of flavors found in the Vietnamese banh mi – a sandwich layered with savory grilled meat, crisp vegetables and a touch of spice atop a crusty baguette.

The options for international variations of grilled grub are limitless; here are a few other ideas: • Mexican: Top your bratwurst with pico de gallo, guacamole or refried beans. Enjoy on a lightly toasted tortilla with melted cheese instead of a bun.

• Greek: Give the gyro a twist by substituting brats for the lamb, and serve in a pita with shredded lettuce, tomato and tzatziki.

• Italian: Enjoy sausage with roasted peppers or with marinara sauce instead of your favorite condiment. Or serve up this flavorful sandwich, which incorporates crunchy red and bell peppers, with juicy Johnsonville mild Italian sausage links. It’s sure to be a hit around your backyard grill.

For additional entertaining recipes and ideas, visit www.johnsonville.com and tag your photos @jvillesausage on Instagram to share a picture of your summer grilling gathering.

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Brat Banh Mi 1/2 cup thinly sliced baby carrots 1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes 1/4 cup (or to taste) thinly sliced fresh jalapenos 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 1/2 cup rice vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) salt 3 ounces Braunschweiger 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 5 tablespoons Thai-style sweet red chili sauce 1 tablespoon finely minced onion 6 Johnsonville Bratwurst Grillers 2 crusty French baguettes (8-12 ounces, 22-24 inches long) 1 cup thinly sliced Persian or English cucumbers 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 1/2 cup cilantro, stems removed In small sauce pan, mix carrots,

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radishes, jalapenos, ginger, rice vinegar, sugar and salt, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and allow to steep.

Mix Braunschweiger, mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce and onion.

Grill frozen Johnsonville bratwurst burgers according to directions.

A few minutes before burgers are done, slice baguettes lengthwise, but not all the way through.

Brush bottom half on cut side of bread lightly with remaining sweet chili sauce and place opened baguettes cut side down over grilling burgers until bread is warmed and slightly toasted around edges.

Spread Braunschweiger mixture on bottom half of bread. Cut each brat burger in half and tuck into sandwich, rounded side out.

Using slotted spoon, top burgers with marinated vegetables and cucumbers, mint and cilantro.

Cut between patty halves for individual sandwiches.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Reader Submitted Recipes

Chicken Paella with French Green Beans 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 small onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1 1/2 cups parboiled white longgrain rice, uncooked 2 cups chicken broth 1 can (14.5 ounces) Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes, undrained 1 package (11 ounces) Alexia French Herb Green Beans 1/3 cup sliced ripe olives 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley Lemon wedges Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large deep skillet or Dutch oven over mediumhigh heat. Add chicken, salt and pepper. Cook 7–9 minutes or until golden brown on all sides. Transfer to plate.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and heat. Add onion, garlic and paprika. Cook 3–5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring often.

Stir in rice; cook 1–2 minutes or until coated well.

Stir in broth, tomatoes and chicken; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook 12 minutes.

Stir in frozen green beans; cook covered 8–10 minutes more or until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat; let stand covered 5 minutes.

Stir in olives. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Source: Alexia Foods

August 2015

Sunny Vegetable Salad 5 5 2 2/3 1/2 1 1/2 2 6 1/4

cups broccoli, chopped cups cauliflower, chopped cups shredded cheddar cheese cup chopped onion cup raisins cup mayonnaise cup sugar tablespoons cider vinegar bacon strips cooked & crumbled cup sunflower seeds

Toss broccoli, cauliflower, cheese, onion and raisins in large bowl.

Combine mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar. Pour over salad. (Do not do until shortly before serving.) Sprinkle bacon & sunflower seeds on top.

Barbara Baca, Wilsonville, Nebraska

Chocolate Chip Peanut Pinwheels 1/2 1 1/2 1 2 1 1/4 1/2 6

cup margarine cup sugar cup chunky peanut butter egg tablespoons milk cup flour teaspoon baking soda oz. pkg chocolate chips

Mix together margarine, sugar, peanut butter, egg, milk, flour and baking soda. Pat dough flat onto floured wax paper. Melt chocolate chips and spread over dough. Roll up and chill. Cut and bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. May keep in fridge until later date.

Dolores Florian, Ord, Nebraska

Crab and Pea Salad 1 1 6 1/2

(10 oz) frozen peas (12 oz) imitation crab meat bacon strips cup mayonnaise Chopped onions (optional) Salt & pepper

Thaw peas. Cook bacon and crumble it. Add peas, crab meat, bacon, mayonnaise, onions, salt and pepper.

Mildred Marcum, Spencer, Nebraska

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Rural Electric Nebraskan

Before you switch on the lights, we’ve already put up the poles, connected miles of wire and flipped more than a few switches of our own. All to make sure your life is always “on.” Learn more about the power of your co-op membership at TogetherWeSave.com.

YOUR ELECTRICITY ISN’T SOMETHING WE TAKE LIGHTLY.