July 2019 Light Reading

Inland Power is my cooperative!

July 2019

LightReading inlandpower.com

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Congratulations to Inland Power’s 2019 scholarship winners who are joined by Inland Power members, Sandi McKee and Tracy Kieffer, from the 2019 scholarship selection committee.

Inland Power goes to school

The future looks bright! artin Luther King Jr. once said, “Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.”

We at Inland Power and Light believe this year’s recipients of the Inland Power scholarship have both intelligence and character and are on their way to making our world a brighter place. These young people have excelled both academically and as philanthropists in our communities.

The selection process is not an easy one, with more than 50 highly qualified applicants.

This year’s Excellence winners are Jacob Brown from Spokane Valley, Jenna Cosgrove of Spokane, Paul Fricke of Spokane, Carmen Gingerich of Pomeroy, Megan Goertz of Medical Lake, Rhea Jansen of Valleyford, Benjamin Kiehn from Greenacres, Eva Knight from Spokane, Hayden Nolting from Greenacres, Madison O’Callaghan from Cheney, Mariya Pirumyan from Spokane, Evelyn Rowe from Cheney, Andrew Simmerman from Valleyford, Dominic Treis of St. John and Peyton Van

SAFETY Be safe this 4th of July

COMMUNITY Inland Power awards scholarships

EFFICIENCY Cool off this summer with a heat pump

Here is a look at this year’s scholarship recipients

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inside...

Pevenage of Harrington.

The top 19-scoring applicants were only split by 15 points. The scholarship committee, in cooperation with Operation Round Up elected to award four additional scholarships. Those recipients are Grace Lilje from Davenport, Lanessa Simon from Davenport, Tashina Sheldon of Davenport and Raymond Strozyk of Creston.

Since 1992, Inland Power has proudly helped fund our top youth in their quest for higher education. This past month, the 2019 recipients visited the Inland Power headquarters and chatted with staff and the selection committee about their personal dreams and ambitions for the future.

Their futures are indeed bright.

Inland Power applauds success and we know these students are on their way to successful careers and lives. We are proud of them and can’t wait to see what they accomplish in their respective new chapters.

Young minds exploring career possibilities It seems that as times change, some things remain the same. Children are still asked what they want to be when they grow up. For some, becoming a pilot or ballet dancer is their ambition. For others, a police officer or fire fighter is more up their alley. Some have their eyes set on doing what their mom or dad does for a living.

Whatever their dream, those goals are ambitious and should be cultivated as the child grows.

On May 24, 2019, the second annual Touch-a-Truck event brought utility, public

service and other industries together in saw more than 1,000 students from one location so students from elementary Riverside and the surrounding area. Kids school to were able to sit in one of Inland’s “...our focus and high schoollarge bucket trucks and see commitment is our age could just how big the vehicle is. They members, our future interact with asked questions about how the members and the professionals lineworkers use the bucket to raise and see and communities we serve,” and lower themselves to and from handle the power lines. ~ Rick Luiten vehicles and “Inland’s participation at the equipment used Riverside School District’s annual Touchevery day in their respective industries. a-Truck and RamFest embodies the core Inland Power was part of the lineup and values of our cooperative,” said Rick Luiten, Continued inside

“OUR mission

Continued from front

IS OUR

members.”

a journeyman lineman for Inland Power. “Very simply put - our focus and commitment is our members, our future members and the communities we serve.”

Photo by Leo’s Studios

How ductless heat pumps can save on cooling lthough not a new technology, ductless heat pumps are rapidly gaining popularity in the U.S., and why not?

Ductless heating and cooling systems can save 30-40 percent off the energy costs of a forced air system. They are the go-to choice for newly constructed houses and additions, as well as those houses with no existing ductwork and which rely upon radiator or electric baseboard heating. If this describes your home, here are some ways the ductless heat pump system can drive your energy costs down.

“It’s very rewarding to see young minds thinking about what their next great adventure will be in terms of a career field or asking questions as it relates to power distribution,” said Inland Power’s Lindsey Hobbs who also attended the event.

In conjunction with the Touch-a-Truck event was the Riverside RamFest, which celebrates the community and the people who live there. The evening event featured a carnival, live music, food vendors and community businesses. Inland Power showcased a booth and promoted our co-op to event goers. In addition to the more than 1,000 students earlier in the day, RamFest drew in more than 400 participants that evening.

The same unit delivers both heating and cooling

“I feel like it’s important for employees to get out and meet our members just as I feel it’s important for our members to get to know us,” Hobbs said.

Inland Power enjoys celebrating our successes and is committed to the communities we serve. We look forward to more events like this in the future. If your community has an event and you would like Inland Power to be represented, email Andy Barth at andyb@ inlandpower.com.

Inland Power’s Breann McCoy works with students as they hoist a transformer to Inland’s Rick Luiten during a pole demonstration at this year’s RamFest.

Your Co-op Connection | Get to know who works for you

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im O’Brien has been with Inland Power since 2015. Prior to Inland Power he began his legal career in 1990 and worked for the City of Spokane and Spokane County. Toward the end of his tenure working for the County, Tim created and led the labor relations department to represent Spokane County in its labor relations.

“The variety of work I get to address at Inland Power is most rewarding, but my team of employees and leadership team members I have the privilege to work with, makes my work days all the more enjoyable,” Tim said.

In his spare time, Tim enjoys hitting the snow-covered slopes and spending the warm seasons hiking and bike riding. He and his wife have been married for more than 30 years and they have a handful of grandkids who keep them young and laughing.

General Counsel/Human Resources

Heat pumps - for cooling?

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Students experienced how heavy the equipment and tools are that lineworkers have to carry around their waists when working on the lines.

Tim O’Brien

Inland Power is my cooperative!

– M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T

If you are in an older house with an old boiler delivering radiated heat, and you want to add energy efficient air conditioning, switching to a ductless heat pump system can kill two birds with one stone, bringing both cooling and heating in one system. An air conditioner works by transferring the heat from inside to outside. A heat pump is an energy-saving air conditioner that simply reverses the flow of refrigerant. Combining the functions means one less system to worry about, joining the best of both worlds to create one of the best heating and cooling systems on the market today. And newer hyper-heating systems provide reliable heat even when it’s below freezing outside.

Ductless heat pumps are easy to install and simple to use A basic ductless cooling and heating system consists of two units, one indoors and one outdoors, which is why the system is often called a split-ductless system or mini split system. Together, they take up considerably less space than equivalent traditional home comfort systems.

The refrigerant lines deliver the heating and cooling energy to the space much more efficiently than air ducting can.

Forced air systems lose as much as 30 percent of their energy by pushing dense, cold air up big, wide ducts and through an

entire house. Ductless heat pump systems in turn rely on thin refrigerant piping to deliver the heating and cooling energy to compact indoor units delivering air to the space much more easily, allowing you to save on energy.

Save on energy with zone-based heating and cooling Split-ductless systems and mini split systems can use up to eight separate indoor air-handling units for each outdoor unit. In this way, you can have eight separate rooms or zones, each with its own controller. You can save a lot of money and energy by sending less heat into lesser-used areas of your home. For larger homes, you might consider purchasing two ductless multi-room outdoor units in order to boost your indoor cooling and heating to the entire house. The extra costs will be more than compensated for through eventual energy savings, as well as giving you green heating and cooling which will reduce your carbon imprint on the earth.

The “greener” the house, the better the savings Green heating and cooling help save on energy, but in order to maximize your savings, you want to secure your building “envelope.” You need to make sure you have adequate insulation, and that all window, door and attic air leaks are sealed. It wouldn’t make much sense to purchase and install a new heating and cooling system, only to have the energy savings it brings go seeping out of your leaky house. This is especially true in colder climates, where the ductless heat pump needs to work harder to maintain heat in the winter.

The best part is you won’t have to sacrifice having one of the best heating and cooling systems on the market to have a green heating and cooling system.

For more information, contact your conservation team at conservation@ inlandpower.com.

VISIT INLANDPOWER.COM FOR MORE ENERGY EFFICIENCY TIPS

Firework Safety Have fun and stay safe this 4th of July.

Fireworks and the Fourth of July go handin-hand and we want you to have a safe, fun-filled celebration! About two-thirds of all firework-related injuries occur between June 16 and July 16, so keep these safety tips in mind: • Make sure fireworks are legal in your community before using them.

• Never buy professional-grade fireworks.

They are not designed for safe consumer use.

• Keep small children a safe distance from all fireworks including sparklers which can burn at temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees.

• Never reignite or handle malfunctioning fireworks. Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose nearby to thoroughly soak duds before throwing them away.

• Keep pets indoors and away from fireworks to avoid contact injuries or noise reactions.