July 13, 2010--Joe and Betsy Bacon are hosting an open house to showcase a water heating system powered by Bubbling Springs Solar's own MainStream collectors, a solar pool heating system, a passive solar greenhouse, and a newly installed 12,400 watt grid tied photovoltaic system. This event will take place on July 24th from 11:00 a.m. and go until 4:00 p.m. They will have cookies, ice cold lemonade, and coffee so stop on by for a great solar experience! Call 715-231-1885 for more information.
June 30, 2010--We recently received some photos from an April 2009 installation of our solar collectors at the International Crane Foundation.. The collectors are being used to provide both domestic hot water and mass heating for the building which houses two species of African cranes: the Grey Crowned Crane and the Black Crowned Crane. Check out the photos in our photo gallery.
May 28, 2010--Who Knows This Stuff.com is an excellent new resource for renewable energy. They provide a place for experts to connect with consumers through short video programs meant to teach and entertain.
We recently received a visit from Ron Mackinnon who put together a cool video of a step-by-step assembly of our collectors. Check the video out at whoknowsthisstuff.com.
to Work at NASAMay 28, 2010--Chris Ludwig, has requested leave from Bubbling Springs to work at Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Chris has worked with us since 2008 when the company was located in the Manufacturing and Technology Incubator at UW-Stout. As a major in Applied Science with an emphasis in Materials Science, Chris found out about the internship through Dr. Rajiv Asthana, and was given a strong letter of recommendation by Dr. Charles Bomar. This is an opportunity of a lifetime, so while we know we will miss him here, we are more than happy to release Chris from his work duties this summer.
Trading in his solar collector assembly tools for the finer tools of materials science, Chris will be working at the Glenn NASA lab doing nanoparticle surface modifications, electrospinning of nanofibers, composite preparations, testing and characterization methods. We are very proud of Chris and expect to welcome him back later this summer when he returns to Stout and Bubbling Springs Solar with his head filled with great new experiences.
Chris’s duties in the shop are being taken over during the summer months by Xanthi Gerasimo, who worked for us briefly when she was in high school. She is now an honors student at UW-Stout and an intense player of women’s rugby. We welcome her tool-using skills, her strength, her sense of humor, and her ability to do the job right the first time.
April 13, 2010--Bubbling Springs Solar has joined the Help Marco community to allow for fast and easy online purchase of BSS collectors. This website will provide customers with detailed information, instant shipping quotes, and the ability to purchase at dealer/distributor price rates. Check them out at HelpMarco.com.
April 13, 2010--Bubbling Springs Solar is pleased to announce a new and exciting partnership with First Supply, a family owned and operated company since 1897. By teaming up with this Midwestern distributor, Bubbling Springs Solar’s products will be more easily available to the entire Midwestern region, thus enabling installers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and parts of Iowa and Illinois to pick up collectors at one of First Supply’s 26 locations, saving time, fuel, and crating fees.
This partnership will combine the strength of First Supply’s $30 million in inventory, 113 years in business, Wisconsin roots, 26 locations in 4 states, and stellar reputation with Bubbling Springs Solar’s emphasis on providing the region with a locally produced product featuring all U.S. and Canadian materials, 15-year warranty on collectors, lasting durable construction and cradle-to-grave concern for environmental issues. Together they will bring the region outstanding service and quality solar thermal products.
Bubbling Springs Solar and First Supply hope their new partnership will help promote the benefits of solar thermal to customers all across the Midwest.
March 15, 2010--The Western Wisconsin Renewable Energy blog reports on Wisconsin's incentive programs relative to solar thermal installations. This post shows that with the Wisconsin Focus on Energy rebate, federal tax credit, and new 2009 State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program (SEEARP) incentive, you could see your system pay for itself in under 10 years. The annual savings is dependent of course upon hot water usage and local energy prices. For more details on this, visit Western Wisconsin Renewable Energy's site.
January 19, 2010--Exciting things are happening with Bubbling Springs Solar! In addition to our recent partnership with the nationally recognized brand Organic Valley, we just learned that two of our collectors are featured on sustainable living exhibits in the 2010 Winter Olympics. These two custom-built trailers are traveling around with the Olympic Torch during the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, showcasing renewables and providing power to the informational pavillions that are set up at each stop along the way. The trailers carrying the BSS collectors will arrive with the Olympic Torch and will be set up in the Olympic Village during the games. We're so excited that two of our collectors have been included in this internationally attended event! For more information please visit the Carry The Torch website.
January 11, 2010--Bubbling Springs Solar and Organic Valley recently signed an agreement to join together in making solar thermal more affordable to Organic Valley's member farmers nationwide. The independent and farmer-owned organic foods cooperative will now be able to save on solar thermal collectors from Bubbling Springs Solar through a discounted bulk purchase rate, thus enabling its 1,398 organic farmers to go solar for a lower cost. Organic Valley is also working with Wisconsin's Focus on Energy program to assess the feasibility of installing Bubbling Springs' flat-plate collectors at one of their facilities in La Farge, Wis.
We at Bubbling Springs Solar are very excited to partner with such a reputable and mission-driven organic cooperative, and are looking forward to the opportunity of bringing solar hot water to farms in 33 U.S. states and in Canada. This exciting news has even caught the attention of the local media: the Dunn County News, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin Public Radio, and Eau claire's news team, WEAU.
December 8, 2009--The Midwest Renewable Energy Association held the Solar Thermal '09 Conference on December 3-4 in Madison, Wisconsin. The conference was well attended by great people participating in interesting workshops. From the Frank Lloyd Wright architecture on the Monona Terrace to the beautiful view of the lake, the setting was ideal for such a great event. We held several meetings with potential customers and we are looking forward to a busy and exciting 2010!
November 22, 2009--Café 27 in Steven's Point has just finished the installation of a six-panel array of Bubbling Springs Solar's collectors, performed by Bob's Plumbing. Using solar thermal technology in the foodservice industry is highly economical; the sun heats or preheats the water for dishwashing and cooking, cutting down on conventional energy bills. Café 27 is setting an excellent example and we hope to see more solar thermal in the foodservice industry. Check out Café 27 at 945 Clark St. in Stevens Point, WI or call 715-544-4730.
October 13, 2009--The results are in! Bubbling Springs Solar is proud to be a part of the 2010 Focus on Energy Calendar. The image to be included (pictured right) was taken by Bubbling Springs' Vice President, Luisa Gerasimo. The solar hot water system, installed by Bob's Plumbing of Amherst, WI is none other than the very successful Central Waters Brewery array, also located in Amherst. We are very excited to be a part of next year's calendar!
October 8, 2009--Wisconsin Builder Magazine included an excellent article about Bubbling Springs Solar and its founders' sustainable values, goals and lifestyles. The article can be found here. Also, check out more of their Green Issue online for other great articles on sustainability and green building.
October 7, 2009--A recent survey showed that 92 percent of Americans support the development of solar power, reports the LA Times. This is great news! An overwhelming majority of Americans support this specific alternative energy technology. The brief article can be found here.
August 9, 2009--The Dunn County News included Bubbling Springs Solar in its article about the UW-Stout's incubator program and its success with local businesses. The piece describes the ideal conditions the program provides to "incubate" the small but growing businesses--check it out for yourself at the Dunn County News website here.
July 22, 2009--Wednesday morning Chris Baylor of the local Eau Claire news team stopped to ask Mike Helfman a few questions about Bubbling Springs Solar's growth; Wednesday evening the interview was featured on the 5:00 and 6:00 news. Baylor reports on the success and growth of Bubbling Springs Solar with the help of UW-Stout's technology transfer institute. The STTI allowed Bubbling Springs Solar the opportunity to work with students--both tapping into the diverse talents of the students and providing hands-on experience for them. The video is available only for a few short weeks so if you haven't yet seen it, check it out here. The transcript is available at the same link location if you would prefer to read the story instead.
July 13, 2009--New Brunswick is looking to Wisconsin for a model to jump-start its entrepreneurial market. Bubbling Springs Solar was featured for its involvement with the UW-Stout Small Business Incubator program. If you'd like to read the article yourself, the newspaper offers an online version here.
June 30, 2009--Windsource is a program that provides the opportunity to subscribe to electricity generated from wind turbines. This program, offered through Xcel Energy, takes advantage of the abundant and inexhaustible natural resource while creating jobs in rural areas--a value strongly held by Bubbling Springs Solar.
All of Bubbling Springs Solar's electrical consumption needs are met by wind turbines located right here in the Midwest. If you would like to learn more about how you can become a part of this program with over 70,000 residential customers and over 1,000 business participants, please visit Xcel's windsource site: xcelenergy.com/windsource.