coloradocountrylife.coop MARCH 2017 7

The pu l se o f K .C . happen ings

K.C. Electric Association is responsible for maintaining a safe, reliable electric grid to power the communities we serve. We have an increasing number of consumers interested in installing grid-connected distributed generation systems, like solar panels or small wind turbines. K.C. Electric is prepared to assist members while still maintaining the safety and reliability of the grid.

Grid-connected generation systems allow you to power your home or business with renewable energy, but the system must be connected to the grid to keep power flowing when the sun does not shine or the wind does not blow. In most cases, these systems must be interconnected to feed excess power back into the electric grid.

Co-op members who are interested in distributed generation systems for their home or business should contact K.C. Electric first. We want to help you choose a system that includes the safety and power quality components necessary to keep you, co-op crews and members of the community safe. If a storm hits and a power outage occurs, for example, distributed generation systems must be able to properly disconnect from the electric grid to ensure K.C. Electric lineworkers are not injured or electrocuted while restoring power.

An interconnection agreement must be reviewed and signed before your distributed generation system is connected to the electric grid. The agreement is intended to ensure safe, reliable and quality electric service for all.

In addition to learning about safety concerns, members who are interested in distributed generation systems should contact K.C. Electric to review applicable metering rates.

Colorado net metering requirements were originally developed in 2008 and require K.C. Electric

to net meter residential installations up to 10 kilowatts and commercial and industrial installations up to 25 kW. Net metering means the difference between the electricity K.C. delivers to a consumer and the electricity generated by a generating facility and delivered to K.C. at the same point of interconnection.

In any billing period where the electric energy supplied to the consumer by K.C. exceeds the electric energy generated by the generating facility, K.C. will bill the generating facility for the energy provided by K.C. and at the same rate that all other consumers are charged who are in the same rate class as the customer and generator.

If a generating facility generates more electrical energy than the generating facility’s monthly consumption, all excess energy will be carried forward from month to month and credited at a ratio of one to one against the generating facility’s energy consumption and "trued up" annually.

The way we generate and use electricity is evolving. Let’s work together to ensure a safe, reliable electric system. K.C. Electric is here to help. If you have questions about grid-connected generation systems, please contact us.

coloradocountrylife.coop

The Importance of Interconnection Agreements

K.C. Electric StaffDavid Churchwell

General Manager dchurchwell@kcelectric.coop

Bo RandolphOffice Manager and CFO

brandolph@kcelectric.coop

Paul NorrisOperations Manager

pnorris@kcelectric.coop

George EhlersMember Services Specialist and

IT Manager gehlers@kcelectric.coop

Visit Our Websitekcelectric.coop

David Churchwell

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Claim Your Savings — $$!!Each month, members have a chance to claim a $10 credit on their next electric bill. All you have to do is find your account number and call the Hugo office at 719-743-2431 and ask for your credit. The account numbers are listed below. How simple is that?

You must claim your credit during the month in which your name appears in the magazine (check the date on the front cover).

Art P. Strobel 1101080000 Ronald Rudzek 1102800000 Deryl Miller 501650027 Carlin S. Stratton Jr. 1280900001

In January, we had four winners: Carol Garrison of Hugo, Shelby Fritzler of Flagler, George Miller of Stratton and Jacob Michal of Arriba. Great job, readers!

Something we haven’t touched on for a while is

the lightbulb. It is such a convenient device and an integral part of our everyday lives that

we often forget safety precautions.

Here are some safe lighting reminders from SafeElectricity.org:• Closets and storage areas are especially

dangerous for lightbulbs. Lightbulbs could easily start a fire when clothing, boxes and other stored goods are in contact with them. Keep everything 12 inches away from surface-mounted lighting and 6 inches from other types of lighting. Do not use uncovered lightbulbs.

• Use only bulbs that match the wattage of a lamp or outlet. A bulb with a higher wattage than is specified is a fire hazard.

• Lamp cords should be kept in good work-ing condition. Damaged, worn, cracked or frayed cords and power plugs with the third grounding pin removed should be repaired or replaced.

• Do not place lamp cords under rugs or in high-traffic areas, and do not tack them to a wall.

• Turn off the lights before you switch out a bulb.

• Secure lightbulbs tightly in their sockets. • Lights that flicker or light switches that are

discolored or hot to the touch should be immediately shut off. Have a qualified profes-sional replace them.

• Be especially careful using halogen lightbulbs. They run hotter than any other type of lightbulb.

• Consider using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). They do not give off as much heat and last much longer than incandescent bulbs, so you will not have to replace them as often. I am receiving calls from consumers about

their appliance purchases, and there are re-bates for Energy Star appliances as well as LED lamps. When it comes to lighting purchases, LED bulbs that are Energy Star certified use 70 to 90 percent less energy and can last 25 times longer than a standard incandescent bulb. Your savings can be $40 to $135 in electricity costs over an LED's lifetime.

You may wonder what it means to have an Energy Star rating. Products must meet strict energy-efficient requirements set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These items deliver exceptional features while using less energy and protecting the environment. En-ergy Star means high quality and performance. Products are tested regularly to make sure they live up to standards and the Energy Star name.

LEDs are “directional” light sources, which means they emit light in a specific direction, unlike incandescent bulbs and CFLs, which emit light and heat in all directions. For this reason, LED lighting is able to use light and

THE ENERGY ZONE energy more efficiently in many applications. However, it also means that sophisticated engi-neering is needed to produce an LED lightbulb that shines light all around like an incandescent A-shape bulb. Hence, this adds to the cost of the LEDs versus other lightbulbs, but it is the direction we are going with lighting. A general purpose LED bulb that does not qualify for the Energy Star rating may not distribute light in all directions and could prove to be a disappoint-ment if used in a table lamp.

Because LED lighting systems don’t radiate heat the way an incandescent or halogen light-bulb does, the heat produced from the power going into the product must be drawn away from the LEDs. This is usually done with a heat sink, which is a passive device that absorbs the heat produced and dissipates it into the sur-rounding environment. This keeps LEDs from overheating and burning out. Thermal manage-ment is probably the single most important factor in the successful performance of an LED product over its lifetime because the higher the temperature at which an LED is operated, the more quickly the light will degrade, and the shorter the useful life will be.

Please check our website for rebate information that may pertain to your purchase, or give me a call at the Hugo office at 719-743-2431. There is a time limit of 120 days to qualify for a rebate. Don’t delay. Be efficient and get in the energy zone—it’s a good place to be.

by George Ehlers

Pad-mounted trans-formers are used for underground service. The green enclosure around the transformer provides shielding from energized circuits. If the cov-ering becomes

damaged or the lock is broken, alert K.C. Electric immediately.

Pad-mounted Transformers

coloradocountrylife.coop 9MARCH 2017 coloradocountrylife.coopcoloradocountrylife.coop

Sparks From the Outlet

When you plug into Colorado Country Life, we want you to get information that captures your attention, much like a spark when you plug in an appli-ance. If you learn something new, then we sparked a valuable thing.

In January, we asked how much a leaky faucet (one drip per second) could cost you in a year.

The correct answer was up to $35, and George Gramm of Stratton was the only caller with the correct answer.

Vampires?Even when not in use, home gadgets, computers, video games and appliances can suck up energy. At one time kitchen appliances were purely mechanical. Now, they are becoming digital with electronic displays. These energy vampires also add to the cost of your electric bills. Many of these devices are becoming more energy efficient, but the problem is that there are more of them in use in the average home. Devices that are not used are in "sleep" or "standby" mode, but they consume electricity around the clock. These vampires can account for nearly one-fourth of a home's power use.

What can a person do to cut costs? National Geographic writer Wendy Koch lists five ways to stop energy vampires:

1. Unplug devices not in use or used rarely, such as a DVR set-top box in the guest bedroom, a second fridge in the garage or the furnace in the summer (switch it off if hardwired).

2. Plug devices into a power strip, or consider installing a whole-house switch that remotely turns off controlled outlets with the flip of a switch.

3. Plug them into a timer. A digital timer is better than a mechanical one because digital timers typically have a lower standby load. Use a timer for hot water recirculation pumps, instant coffee machines or towel heaters.

4. Adjust power settings. Set your computer to go to sleep after 30 minutes or less of inactivity. Turn it off when you’re done using it. Disable the “quick start” setting for televisions if they use more than a couple of watts, and disable the “instant on” mode for game consoles if you don’t need it.

5. Buy Energy Star equipment when possible, because it minimizes energy use for idle and active modes.

Kill A Watt (the silver stake)How do you know which appliances are the worst vampires? You can buy a product called Kill A Watt Meter and connect it to the device you want to measure. The assessment is displayed in kilowatt hours, so you can decide whether it is worth leaving the device plugged in. K.C. Electric has Kill A Watt meters available to members to borrow for up to 10 days at a time. Just come by the Hugo or Stratton offices to check one out. Please call ahead of time to make sure a unit is available.

K.C. trivia quiz:Since 1946, how many directors have there been on K.C. Electric Board of Directors?

___48

___79

___121

The first two callers with the correct answer will win $10.

• Aluminum cans take up to 500 years to break down. The energy saved from recycling one can will run your television for about three hours. Recycling a soda can saves 95 percent of the energy to create a new can and produces 95 percent less air and water pollution.

• Making a recycled glass bottle requires 50 percent less energy than making a bottle from new materials and generates 20 percent less air pollution and 50 percent less water pollution. Recycling a bottle will save enough energy to burn a lightbulb for four hours.

• Plastic bottles can be recycled to make all sorts of things including hiking boots, park benches, toys, carpeting and fill-ing for coats and sleeping bags. Fewer than 10 recycled 2-liter plastic bottles can make enough filling to fill an adult-sized jacket.

• It takes a 15-year-old tree to create half a box of paper. Making recycled paper instead of new paper requires about 60 percent less energy and water. One ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees and enough oil to drive halfway across the country, enough energy to power a home for six months, enough landfill space to fill a pickup truck and 60 pounds of air pollutants each year.

With facts like these,

it is easy to see why

everyone should

recycle!

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Adapt and Keep GoingBy Dee Ann Blevins

Louden Hornung is not that much different from the other linemen employed by K.C. Electric. He grew up in Stratton and resides in Flagler with his wife of six years, Danny Ray. The couple has two daughters and one son.

Louden is different in that he became an area foreman at an unusually young age. K.C. employees usually stick around until retirement. That’s good for K.C., but it also means there are not many job openings or opportunities to advance for a long time. Louden is young for a foreman, but he has been with K.C. for nine years, becoming a foreman in 2015.

What makes Louden stand out for me is that he doesn’t carry any baggage. He’s pretty straight-forward in his approach to life and work. He appears happy and well-adjusted, and you won’t see any extremes with his nature. That may sound rather boring, but that’s the way responsibility looks. You expect that look from an older lineman. It’s refreshing to see it on a younger one.

In the beginning, becoming a lineman never crossed Louden’s mind. Often young people say rural life is boring. “There’s nothing to do,” they complain. Louden agrees that it can be boring. That’s why he works so much. When he was younger, though, Louden thought he just wanted to get away from rural life, but by age 20, he decided it was time to move back home.

For a time, he thought he wanted to be an electrician. He talked to K.C. Foreman Darren Fox, who suggested that he may enjoy line work. Louden fit well in the position of lineman and has worked in the Cheyenne Wells, Stratton and Flagler offices. You will see Louden in Hugo, as well, since he covers Lincoln County. That stacks up to expansive knowledge of the entire service territory.

Louden sees the purchase of the advance metering infrastructure system as the biggest improvement to K.C. operations. “It has made us a lot more efficient," he said. "We can pinpoint outages and monitor the system without actually being there.”

He is quite modest about his experience and knowledge. “I respect the older guys," he said. “Listening to them talk, I learn from their experiences.”

Louden didn’t have to study much in school. Math came easy for him. When asked if he was prepared for life upon graduation, he flashed a smile and said, “I guess I was just a high school kid and thought I knew everything.” Lineman school in Grand Junction was more of a challenge.

Louden takes his responsibilities seriously even

though there are just the two men in the Flagler office. He enjoys being a foreman. “I would rather be the one who is responsible,” he said, “but there is a good amount of paperwork, even with all the automation we have.” When the paperwork is not done, he has to answer to the Hugo office staff. Louden and Jacob Smith have to maintain the Flagler shop and warehouse in addition to the line work, which sets them apart from the other crews.

Louden may just be the typical firstborn who takes charge, is a natural leader and is ambitious. He is diligent, competitive and conscientious, and he can talk up a storm (when he is not being interviewed).

He is the oldest of two brothers and four sisters.

He grew up on a farm and feedlot operation, helping the family at an early age. Louden and his brother run cattle on the side. Louden couldn’t do it without the help of his wife, who handles the majority of the work in the summer. His brother handles the majority of the work in the winter. Working a four-day workweek allows more freedom to pursue this lifelong interest. “You have to manage your time, which can be a difficult thing,” he said. In his opinion, it’s important to be passionate about something, or it becomes just another job.

There isn’t a lot of spare time, but Louden does find target practice to be a stress-relieving activity. As for entertainment, Louden never thinks about an ideal getaway. He hates to travel (which may be why he doesn’t carry any baggage); he has no patience for sitting in a car on a road trip; and he doesn’t enjoy flying. Louden does enjoy letting his 3-year-old son, Blake, tag along whenever he hangs out with his family on the farm in Stratton.

Being of the computer generation, Louden knows his way around the technology. He went to college for a year to study computers, and he learned a lot from just playing around with them. “If you’re afraid of the technology, you’re never going to conquer it,” he said with conviction.

The linemen use iPads in the field to manage the material used on the job and to bill consumers for items purchased. There are maps and outage information available, and the linemen receive tasks and service orders via the iPads. “Any time you can have a lot of information at your fingertips, it will make the work a lot easier,” he said.

Louden is a problem-solver and enjoys challenges. There are plenty of challenges involved with troubleshooting: in the field, on a pole, on the computer or in the vehicle, or on a more personal note, convincing George and Bo in the Hugo office that his professional football team is the best

Louden believes that K.C. Electric is a good place to work. The environment and people make his job all the more enjoyable. It’s interesting that Louden and Jake often show up in Hugo when there is food or snacks. Whether they have a sixth sense or they just enjoy eating, their youthful metabolism is still burning calories efficiently.

Being young changes Louden’s approach to his day-to-day work. His outlook on the future will no doubt be different from us old-timers. It’s good to have the diversity in the workforce and a different perspective.

“The future will be an interesting time. I think K.C. Electric is prepared to meet most challenges. No matter what happens with the political climate, we have to adapt and keep on going,” he said.

I hope that the future won’t find some attractive way to entice Louden to pack his bags and move on to a bigger and better career. Fortunately for us, he is homegrown, and he doesn’t carry ANY baggage!

“The future will be an interesting time. I think K.C. Electric is prepared to meet most challenges. No matter

what happens with the political climate, we have to adapt and keep on going.”