SURGE - The Blog

A Somber New Year’s Eve for Solar?

2011-12-11T10:10:00.000-05:00

While renewable energy advocates have long argued that government subsidies for the sector are dwarfed by those for more traditional energy industries, they have had a more poignant complaint since the onset of the recession: one of the subsidies they do get, an investment tax credit, has been rendered nearly useless by the general business downturn.

Congress stepped in with a temporary fix, but it expires at the end of the year, which may make solar executives’ New Year’s Eve parties a bit melancholy. The industries are pressing for an extension, but with Congress deadlocked on higher-profile tax issues like the payroll tax cut, prospects are highly uncertain.

Thomas P. Kimbis, a spokesman for the Solar Energy Industries Association, gave this example: a company installs a rooftop solar array that cost $100,000. Under the system that existed before the recession, the company is entitled to a $30,000 tax credit, meaning that it can subtract $30,000 from the amount it owes in federal tax in the year that the system is put in service.

In Midtown, Country’s Largest LEED-EB Building Lands Major New Tenant

2011-04-12T22:44:00.000-04:00

Back in mid-2009, Beacon Capital’s 1211 Avenue of the Americas (on Sixth Avenue between West 47th and 48th Streets) earned LEED-EB Silver certification from USGBC. At 45-stories and two million square feet, the tower is the largest commercial office building that has been certified to date under the LEED for Existing Buildings rating system (either Version 2.0 or Operations and Maintenance). In February, Beacon signed Axis Re, a division of Axis Capital, a Bermuda-based reinsurance company, to a 121,000-square-foot lease on the building’s 24th through 26th floors. Asking rents for the space were approximately $65 per square foot (slightly above overall Midtown asking rents, which were $57.97 per square foot in February, up from $55.82 in January). Overall Manhattan asking rents in February were $47.61 per square foot, up from $48.31 in January.
Specific green features that Beacon Capital incorporated into its retrofit effort include efficient and reduced-content mercury lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and new glazing that boosts the amount of daylight that reaches the tower’s interiors. 1211 Avenue of the Americas earned BOMA’s “Best Operating Office Building” award in 2008 for buildings larger than one million square feet; current tenants include the New York Post, Fox News Channel, and the Fox Business Network.
The building was originally developed by the Rockefeller Group as headquarters for the Celanese Corporation in 1973; 1211 Avenue of the Americas is one of the three “XYZ” towers that line the western side of Sixth Avenue (the Y and Z towers are the McGraw-Hill Building at 1221 and the Exxon Building at 1251). Rockefeller sold its interest in 1211 in 1980; the building’s original architects were Harrison & Abramowitz & Harris.

NYC to curb water runoff with blue and green roofs

2011-04-12T22:40:00.002-04:00

New York City wants to catch and store rainwater temporarily in new roof systems to stop heavy storms sending sewage spilling into city waterways.

The catchment systems would consist of "blue" roofs that have a series of drainage pools and "green" or grass- or ivy-covered roofs, under a plan unveiled by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

VIRTUAL JOBS WITH A GREEN TWIST: Focusing Your Green Job Search

2010-12-01T19:57:00.000-05:00

Here are a few recommendations on how to maximize the odds of finding your perfect green job while minimizing the time required to find it:
1. Most of the large green job boards have the same listings because employers post their job ads on multiple sites. Pick your favorite and go with it – don’t waste time checking them all.

2. Add to your favorite large green job board one aggregator like Monster, Indeed, or SimplyHired, but once again, chose only your personal favorite best suited to your job search and bypass the rest, they’re redundant.

3. Find 2-3 boards specific to your niche and follow them. For example, just as Green Gigs specializes in home-based green jobs, there are boards that specialize in just solar jobs, or just green building jobs, or just cleantech jobs, or just graphic design jobs.

4. Don’t overlook your local newspaper (be it in virtual or paper form) – it most likely still offers one of the best selections of region-specific employment opportunities.

5. Network in person! Life doesn’t occur in front of a computer screen and neither should your entire job search. If you are looking for a job, let people know that you are. Of course there are sticky areas, for example, if you are looking to leave your current employer and don’t want them to know, but let family, friends, and people you trust know you are looking for a new gig. You never know who knows who and what will come of a simple conversation.

Hydraulic Fracturing in the Spotlight

2010-12-01T08:30:00.000-05:00

Hydraulic fracturing — that contentious part of the gas drilling process involving high-pressure injections of water, sand and chemicals deep underground — took center stage on Tuesday with two forums in Washington and a decision by the New York State Legislature to ban the practice until more is known about its health and environmental impacts.

The New York State Assembly voted on Monday to place a six-month moratorium on issuing new permits for gas drilling that relies on fracking, which opponents fear could lead to contamination of drinking water. The moratorium would encompass virtually all drilling in New York’s portion of the Marcellus shale, a vast and deep deposit of natural gas stretching under several states.

The Assembly’s move follows the state Senate’s approval of a moratorium in August, and the legislation now heads to Gov. David Paterson’s office — although it remains unclear at the moment if he will sign it. Meanwhile, a pair of panels discussed the ups and downs of shale gas — and the fracking needed to get at it — on Tuesday in Washington.

Today: New York Harbor

2010-11-14T15:57:00.000-05:00

Since 1909, the city has tested the waters within New York Harbor to measure their overall quality. The effort started when the harbor, with nearly 600 miles of waterfront and about 240 miles of shipping channels, received hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage discharged straight from the sewer pipes.

Such dumping still occurs but to a far lesser extent (when heavy rain overwhelms the city’s waste treatment plants) because of the passage of environmental laws and upgrades to the plants allowing them to handle a daily average of 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater generated by city residents.

Abu Dhabi: Shifting plans for $22 billion clean-energy city

2010-10-31T07:11:00.000-04:00

A $22 billion clean-energy city being built in the desert outside Abu Dhabi will no longer aim to produce all its own power, the developer revealed Sunday following a wide-ranging review that retools some of the project's ambitions.

Plans originally called for Masdar City to become a self-contained "carbon-neutral" community of 40,000 residents and even more commuters. Cars would be banned. Waste and water would be recycled.

It is meant to be a marked environmental contrast to other cities in the Emirates, where fuel-guzzling SUVs and year-round air conditioning powered by fossil fuel are common.

The state company behind the city said Sunday the project now won't be completed until at least 2020 — four years after the original deadline — and that work could stretch until 2025.

The Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co. — which goes by Masdar or "source" in Arabic — also backed away from original plans to power the city solely on power produced on site. The latest plans still call for the project to rely solely on renewable energy, however.

Chief Executive Sultan al-Jaber insisted that the project is in no way being scaled down or scaled back. Rather, he said, Masdar is adapting its plans to account for new research and technologies as they become available.

Masdar said it is exploring a range of clean-energy sources for the city, including geothermal energy and solar thermal cooling, but that it will also consider buying renewable power from other locations.

Vast solar arrays were originally slated to provide the bulk of Masdar City's power.

The changes mark the biggest shift in Masdar's strategy since the project was announced in 2006. Work on the site started in 2008.

The "personal rapid transit" podcars, which would travel on fixed tracks, were meant to replace personal vehicles in a city that promised to be entirely car-free.

Masdar now says the podcar system will be limited to an "ongoing pilot project," and that other types of electric vehicles may be allowed in the future.

Energy Efficient Path to 100% Renewables

2010-10-09T07:12:00.000-04:00

The energy-efficient use of non-renewable energy still saps resources, pollutes the planet and can harm local communities, although they do so more slowly than non-efficient operations. On the other hand, operations designed to be powered by renewable energy create green collar jobs, avoid climate change emissions and foster domestic energy production.

This does not, however, mean that energy efficiency isn't important. In fact, energy efficiency represents a vital path towards becoming renewably powered, as it reduces the amount of energy required to be 100 percent renewable. Moving to the use of entirely renewable energy may seem like a daunting and even impossible task from where your organization stands now, but the goal is achievable and can build from your current efforts in energy efficiency as more and more companies are realizing.

But how do you get there? The road to 100 percent renewable begins with establishing the goal for your organization, measuring your current mix of electricity sources (e.g., coal, oil, natural gas, solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric), and assessing the potential for generating renewable energy on-site or nearby. The next steps include implementing energy efficiency projects and investing the financial savings to develop your renewable energy program. Along the way, consider purchasing Green-e certified RECs to mitigate your existing carbon footprint and continuously monitor for new local or remote opportunities for directly harnessing renewable energy. As such opportunities are identified, begin implementing them as soon as they become cost-effective. Finally, complete the shift to powering your operations with 100 percent renewable energy, as costs and infrastructure allow.

Set the goal of becoming 100 percent renewable and become more energy efficient while utilizing more renewable energy. The result will be a tangible transition from only reducing your negative footprint to creating a positive footprint through your actions and leadership.

New York City Gets Mapped for Solar

2010-09-24T19:21:00.002-04:00

A twin-engine Shrike Commander equipped with a laser system flew aerial missions over New York City to collect highly precise 3-D images of the city and its rooftops, trees, wetlands and everything else, reports the New York Times.

The data collected with a laser technology known as Lidar (light detection and ranging) will help the city determine if there are any wetlands and how many flat and pitched roofs there are to create an online solar map that will help assess the city’s capacity for solar power, according to the article.

The project, which will cost about $450,000, is part of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s environmental agenda, known as PlaNYC. The federal Energy Department provided partial funding of $205,470. PlaNYC calls for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from the city’s municipal buildings and operations by 30 percent by 2017.

Sanborn, the mapping firm hired for the project, told the New York Times it scanned the city at about 3,500 feet in nine six-hour, post-midnight flights from April 14 to April 30. The collected data will be analyzed over the next several months, producing solar and flood maps by the end of the year.

To help businesses meet New York City’s new building energy-efficiency laws, CodeGreen developed an online software tool, ProAct, which tracks sustainability and operational performance in existing buildings.

The new tool is expected to help building owners comply with mandatory energy and water efficiency reporting required by the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan. The new laws, which recently passed in New York City, require all buildings over 50,000 sq. ft. to report energy and water efficiency benchmarks by May 1, 2011.

Bronx River Clean-Up Gets $2.5 Million Boost

2010-09-17T15:33:00.002-04:00

Organizations and municipalities with projects to fight pollution in the Bronx River are getting a financial boost from a 2007 settlement between the state attorney general's office and polluters.

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday that $2.5 million of the settlement will be used to fund 12 projects. They range from $60,000 to the village of Tuckahoe to treat storm water in it's municipal public works yard to a $199,232 grant to the nonprofit GAO Institute to build a 1-acre habitat for mussels and other animals that can filter river water.

The state attorney general's office allocated the funds from a $7 million settlement with Yonkers, White Plains, Scarsdale, Mount Vernon and Greenburgh, and Yonkers Raceway. They were accused of dumping raw sewage into the 23-mile river. The settlement was part of the office's Bronx River Watershed Initiative.

Cuomo cited the projects for being "green," and taking creative approaches rather than traditional ones, such as using water treatment plants to work on the problem. Some of the projects use rooftop gardens, street planters, trees and other vegetation to capture storm water.

An additional $2.5 million in matching funds also was announced. Last year, Cuomo's office allocated more than $1.8 million in grants to river restoration projects and $1.9 million in matching funds.

Obama: No Solar Panels for the White House!

2010-09-11T06:59:00.000-04:00

President Obama is the biggest booster of renewable energy since President Jimmy Carter. But on Friday he declined – or White House officials declined for him – to follow Mr. Carter's footstep and put solar power on his home rooftop.

Author and environmentalist Bill McKibben and a band of college students tried Friday to put the president on the spot over his green credentials. Bopping down the highway from Maine with a 31-year-old solar panel strapped to their van, the merry band tried to return the panel to its former home: the White House roof.

What a long strange trip that panel has had. Back in the oil-embargo-challenged 1970s, then-President Carter bolted 32 solar hot water panels onto the roof of the White House – a symbol for America to get cracking and create energy from the sun.

In a statement, the White House said it was doing enough already along the same lines as McKibben, founder of 350.org, a group pushing for reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions.

“Representatives from the White House met with the group to discuss President Obama’s unprecedented commitment to renewable energy including more than $80 billion in the generation of renewable energy sources, expanding manufacturing capacity for clean energy technology, advancing vehicle and fuel technologies, and building a bigger, better, smarter electric grid, all while creating new, sustainable jobs," the statement read.

NY Solar Bill Would Create 22,000 Jobs

2010-09-05T03:58:00.000-04:00

A solar power bill pending in the New York State legislature would create thousands of green jobs and billions of dollars in economic output for the state, according to a new report released this week by Vote Solar.

A coalition of organizations – including Vote Solar, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Solar Alliance, the Apollo Alliance, and the Alliance for Clean Energy New York – urged state legislators to pass the Solar Industry Development and Jobs Act and make New York a leader in the nation’s growing solar economy.
By supporting the development of enough solar to power about one million homes by 2025, this legislation would drive significant economic opportunity in the state while adding less than the price of one postage stamp to New Yorkers’ monthly energy bills.

Specifically:

Job Creation: 22,198 direct and induced jobs.
Economic Output: US $20 billion dollars. This includes wages, salaries and revenues that can be reinvested into the state economy.
Average Residential Electric Bill Impact: $0.39 per month.

Foster + Partners Unveil Huge Carbon-Neutral Park for Hong Kong Read more: Green design will save the world

2010-08-21T16:49:00.000-04:00

Foster + Partners have just unveiled plans for a massive 56-acre urban park on a reclaimed harbor-front site in Hong Kong. Designed as a carbon-neutral development, West Kowloon Cultural District will seamlessly blend into existing streets while creating large expanses of green space and seventeen new cultural venues. Multi-purpose facilities, public transportation links, energy efficient-design and renewable energy generation will help make the new City Park a prime Hong Kong destination.

Smart city governments grow produce for the people

2010-08-06T09:03:00.000-04:00

There's a new breed of urban agriculture germinating throughout the country, one whose seeds come from an unlikely source.

Local government officials from Baltimore, Md., to Bainbridge Island, Wash. are plowing under the ubiquitous hydrangeas, petunias, daylilies, and turf grass around public buildings, and planting fruits and vegetables instead -- as well as in underutilized spaces in our parks, plazas, street medians, and even parking lots. The new attitude at forward-thinking city halls seems to be, in a tough economy, why expend precious resources growing ornamental plants, when you can grow edible ones? And the bounty from these municipal gardens -- call it public produce -- not only promotes healthy eating, it bolsters food security simply by providing passersby with ready access to low- or no-cost fresh fruits and vegetables.
But is this really city government's job?

THE CULTURE SHED: Coolest-Looking Mystery in New York City!

2010-07-28T11:36:00.000-04:00

The building rendering you see above is that of what is currently perhaps the coolest-looking mystery in New York City. Its name is the Culture Shed, and it’s a 22,000-square-foot combination art gallery and event space that’s being developed by the Hudson Yards Development Corporation on 30th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues. It just received a $100,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and may wind up functioning as a sort of floating adjunct gallery for a host of foreign and domestic art institutions.
The design comes courtesy of Diller Scofidio & Renfro and The Rockwell Group, and while little is known about any green building elements in the plan, it’s worth noting that
1) basically no one knows anything about this building or project at this point and
2) Hudson Yards Development Corporation is a city entity, and therefore likely to insist on some sort of third-party green certification.
The design calls for a five-story building with two translucent sheds that fit over it like trestle tables and can roll out into the plaza to temporarily create an exhibition hall of more than 55,000 square feet.
I am sort of inclined to agree myself, but mostly I’m just interested in hearing more about those translucent sheds. Translucent sheds!

SURGE, LLC joined Kickstarter - Help us fund Green Energy Projects!

2010-07-20T09:17:00.000-04:00

SURGE - Standards, Updates & Recommendations in Green Energy, LLC has joined today the fund-raising website 'Kickstarter', based in New York City, NY. Our goal is to inform green industry and non industry people, as well as investors of the latest and greatest in the over-saturated Green Industry.

Please help us to fund our Green Energy projects to improve NYC's environment.

Kickstarter is a new way to fund creative ideas and ambitious endeavors.
• A good idea, communicated well, can spread fast and wide.
• A large group of people can be a tremendous source of money and encouragement.

Kickstarter is powered by a unique all-or-nothing funding method where projects must be fully-funded or no money changes hands. Check out our fund-raising profile on http://www.kickstarter.com/profile/surgeoffice to keep you up-to-date with our latest projects.

The Muse: An Eco-Friendly Hotel In NYC

2010-07-20T09:10:00.000-04:00

The hospitality industry has made major strides in becoming more eco-friendly. It is no longer a rare occurance to find an established, high-end hotel trying to become more environmentally friendly, but some hotels go further than just changing light bulbs. The Muse , a hotel in New York City, has taken the term eco-friendly to a new level.

How They Did It

First and foremost, they have garnered a lot of credibility as an eco friendly hotel by being certified by a reputable agency. In The Muses’ case, they have been certified by Green Seal’s certification team. The Muse was awarded GS-33 Green Seal certification.

The Muse has instituted a paperless guest check-in/out service. Something so simple as this can dramatically the amount of paper used by any hotel. They also offer eco-friendly bath comforts, in-room recycling bins, organic snack and beverage options at the in-room bar as well as organic or fair-trade coffee and tea.

The rooms are well stocked with linens cleaned with eco-certified cleaning supplies. It should be noted that there is a towel and linen reuse program which reduces overall water and energy use. Something that The Muse offers, which is a great idea, is the availability of guests to use ceramic mugs instead of paper cups. They also use low flow toilets, showers and faucets while having a comprehensive recycling program for cups, clothes hangers, batteries and more.

Maybe the coolest thing about this hotel is that many unused items, such as unused bath amenities, are donated to community programs.

This is one hotel that has made its eco-friendly mark in one of the greatest cities in the world. We salute The Muse.

UAE deal, outlook boost South Korea nuclear power stocks

2009-12-28T10:23:00.000-05:00

A consortium led by Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) won the landmark deal on Sunday to build and operate four nuclear reactors.

Following the deal, KEPCO also said it was in talks with Turkey for two nuclear power reactors and was planning a separate bid for a Ukraine nuclear power plant.
Analysts expect growing demand for nuclear energy and recognition from the UAE deal to help Korean builders, already strong players in refining and other industrial facilities, become leaders in nuclear power projects.
The financial crisis in late 2008 hit power plant projects globally, leading to suspensions and delays in 2009, but a recovery is seen as likely next year, especially in nuclear facilities.

By 0219 GMT, shares in KEPCO were up 7.18 percent to 35,100 won, after briefly rising by the daily limit of 15 percent.
Korea Power Engineering Co Inc (052690.KS) and KR Plant Service & Engineering (051600.KS), both units of KEPCO that specialize in power plant businesses, also hit limit highs.
Other consortium participants also jumped, with Hyundai Engineering & Construction (000720.KS) rising to as much as 76,900 won, its highest intraday level in more than 18 months. The stock was last up 8.53 percent.

Executives at Doosan Heavy said in November it expected to win five to six new orders for nuclear power plant equipment in the United States and China in 2010.

Renewable Energy: £50bn investment needed for the proposed supergrid between Africa and Europe

2009-12-04T14:32:00.000-05:00

New findings from Dr Anthony Patt of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Africa shows that the proposed supergrid that could power all of Europe with renewable energy only would need around £50 billion of government funded money to become a reality.

The £50 billion government investment would, according to Patt, convince private companies that the supergrid idea is both “feasible” and “attractive”, the Guardian reports.

“In the long term, such a plan, combined with strings of windfarms along the north Africa coast, could “supply Europe with all the energy it needs”.

He said technological advances combined with falling costs have made it realistic to consider north Africa as Europe’s main source of imported energy.

“The sun is very strong there and it’s very reliable. There is starting to be a growing number of cost estimates of both wind and concentrated solar power for North Africa….that start to compare favourably with alternative technologies. The cost of moving [electricity] long distances has really come down.”

Organic Architecture and Biophilia: an Evolution

2009-11-17T14:55:00.001-05:00

Wright was notorious for redefining it, and never arriving at a comprehensive definition.

Basically, he called for a sympathetic relationship between the built environment and the natural one, whether in buildings or siting, then carried the term into the making of any building, in which the elements of design and construction bear a kind of synchronous alignment: “the part is to the whole as the whole is to the part”—a difficult phrase that describes how any detail should bear a relationship to the whole project.

And how does biophilia differ? The biologist Edward Wilson, who coined the phrase, seems to be projecting the term towards a scientific end, in which human accommodation affects human well-being, eventually in a measurable way. While the science, and data remain inconclusive, certain facts are making their way into the literature, including studies on learning and healing, that may build into a credible body of knowledge.

Furthermore, it seems to be exploring other avenues for bringing naturalistic traits to design, including naturalistic settings that may or may not be genuine. As an example, Robin Guenther has introduced a tree-form into a hospital setting, which aids comfort and healing, something Wright would have had an apoplexy over.

Biophilia is developing a more systematic approach toward siting, urban settings, and the design of buildings, while Wright's ideas were more loosely applied and philosophical. The recent book entitled, Biophilic Design by Stephen Kellert and Judith Heerwagen and Martin Mador teems with lists of do's and don'ts, again something so un-Wrightian, yet helpful for a new generation of designers. We're evolving, and things are changing.

Should that study prove out, it could be a holy grail for the design professions. At the least, it reminds us that human beings are living organisms, inhabiting a finite planet with other life-forms, and that our continuing evolution demands recognition of our relationship to the “bios” (living) sphere, indeed a love of that fact (philia).

The Companies Mixing Up Greener Cement

2009-11-17T14:52:00.001-05:00

You don't have to look far to see just how much concrete humans use. Everything from highways to high-rise and bridges to runways around the world are made with the energy-intensive, carbon-spewing material.

Contributing at least 5 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the cement industry is ripe for changes to lower its impact. Cement, the glue that binds concrete, is one of the most carbon-intensive materials out there: It produces one ton of CO2 for every ton of cement made.

A number of companies, looking to cut the global impact of concrete, as well as open up huge markets for greener building blocks, are using a variety of methods like replacing concrete ingredients and adding new materials that make concrete waterproof.

Fortune Data Centers Lands LEED Gold Certification, Facebook as Tenant

2009-11-12T13:29:00.000-05:00

With the certification, Fortune Data Centers has joined a very small number of LEED-rated data centers; the company estimated that it is one of only five such buildings in the United States.

The eight-megawatt data center can also brag a gold-star tenant: internet phenomenon Facebook confirmed that it is leasing some of the floor space in the facility, part of an ongoing expansion for the website, all of which has gone to green data centers, according to Data Center Knowledge.

Among the features of Fortune Data Centers' San Jose facility that helped it earn LEED certification include:

• a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) ratio of 1.37 at full load, far lower than the industry average of about 2.0;
• Diverting 96 percent of construction waste from landfill, leading to the recycling or reuse of over 1,100 tons of materials;
• Setting energy efficiency guidelines for procurement of uninterruptible power supplies and other hardware within the building.

The Green Grid's EPA Data Center Case Study

2009-11-02T10:48:00.002-05:00

This report highlights how The Green Grid and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were able to use simple, low-cost best practices in one data center to achieve a 20 percent increase in energy efficiency, saving $15,000 per year in energy costs.

From the introduction to the report:

In April of 2008, The Green Grid signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promote energy efﬁ ciency in small to mid-sized data centers. This effort promotes the innovative efforts of the Information Technology (IT) industry and EPA to facilitate the improvements in the energy efﬁciency of computing facilities.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, data centers across the United States accounted for 1.5 percent of total US electricity demand in 2006 -- equivalent to the annual electric consumption of the state of Florida -- and have become one of the fastest growing users of energy. While the power consumed at these individual data centers may be small, they are numerous at EPA and other large organizations. IDC estimates that in the US there are 3.6 million servers in closets and rooms, 3.2 million mid-tier servers, and roughly 3.1 million servers in the enterprise-class space. Therefore, this report is relevant to roughly one-third of the servers in the United States.

The following is the initial report documenting ﬁndings and making recommendations around a typical EPA mid-tier data center in the Washington D.C. area: One Potomac Yard (OPY). The Green Grid Assessment found that OPY is currently underutilized and has a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of approximately 2.9. Total power for the data center is estimated to be 132 kW, with approximately 45 kW used by the IT equipment, and 87 kW consumed by cooling, power distribution, and lighting. OPY's density is currently less than 25 W/ sq ft. There are a number of speciﬁc cooling system design issues that if addressed could increase cooling system efﬁciency at OPY.

LEED Buildings Cut Energy and Emissions, Boost Worker Comfort

2009-10-29T14:46:00.002-04:00

CHICAGO, IL — The Chicago chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council this week released the first study of post-construction performance of LEED-certified buildings in the region, measuring their performance compared to conventional buildings.

The group's report, Regional Green Building Case Study Project: a Post-Occupancy Study of LEED Projects in Illinois," summarizes the first year of a mulit-year study of 25 LEED-certified projects in the Chicago area, looking specifically at energy intensity, greenhouse gas emissions, water use, operating costs and occupant comfort.

The report found a wide variance in resource use at the buildings, all of which were certified under an older version of the LEED standard. Figure 1 below shows the Energy Usage Intensity (EUI) for 17 of the 25 projects, each of which provided full energy data for the facility. The energy used in BTUs per square foot per year varies from 30,000 to nearly 140,000 in these projects, but on average performed 24 percent better than the national average.

Also among the findings from the report are that a premium for green buildings practices exists: The average premium reported by the facility owners was 3.8 percent, in line with the national average. Those premiums can be offset by savings in energy and water use, as well as overall quality of workplace environment.

Solar Power to the People

2009-10-19T12:54:00.002-04:00

The Sungevity approach isn’t for everyone. Some customers want hand-holding before ordering a solar photo voltaics, which can be a substantial investment -- easily $20,000 or more. So far, the company has orders from about 250 homes.

Sungevity raised about $2.7 million from friends and family back in 2007 and recently raised another $6 million from the original investors and a small venture capital firm called Greener Capital.

Because of the global economic slump, there’s a surplus of manufacturing capacity for solar panels and costs are dropping. “This is the best time in history to buy solar,” Danny says. In California, homeowners can take advantage of utility company rebates covering 15 to 20% of the costs, as well as the 30% federal tax credit for solar. In places where electricity costs are high, “the economics are unbelievable,” he says.

If you are a believer in solar PV -- and I’m not persuaded yet that the costs will come down to a place where the industry can thrive without subsidies -- an interesting question arises: Should it be distributed on rooftops, or centralized in utility-scale power plants to take advantage of economies of scale?

By coincidence, the day after seeing Danny, I visited with executives of Edison International, which operates Southern California Edison, the big regulated utility in southern California. They told me that it’s much cheaper and more efficient to aggregate lots of solar PV or deploy solar thermal technology in the desert. (Solar thermal uses the sun’s heat, not its light, to generate electricity).

The issue isn’t simple. For one thing, we all benefit from carbon-free electricity. For another, Danny points out that rooftop solar does not require new transmission lines and avoids the potential problem of “energy sprawl,” which is the idea that lots of land will be needed for solar and wind plants as they scale up.

10 Key Questions That Focus Suppliers on Sustainability

2009-10-16T08:17:00.002-04:00

What if you had the suppliers address some questions that will drive their sustainability performance both now and in the future? Here are some questions that might help them address sustainability:

Do you coordinate your operational risk management efforts with your sustainability efforts?
Do you have a business continuity plan that is linked both to your operational risk management program and your sustainability effort?
Do you have an active engagement program that you use to determine the interests of your key stakeholders?
Are you making compliance with legal and other requirements (i.e., environment, health & safety, social and financial) part of how EVERY employee does his or her job every day?
Do you use an integrated management system to make sustainability a key component in how you operate your business rather than having it work as a peripheral activity?
Are you using "leading indicators" (i.e., from a formal operational excellence program) to drive your sustainability efforts instead of relying on the lagging indicators found in the Global Reporting Initiative and other sustainability indices?
Are you scoring the performance you are making on the areas covered by your leading indicators and lagging indicators and reporting your performance to your key stakeholders?
Are you quantifying the continual improvement made within your sustainability program with a single score?
Are all three responsibilities (i.e., environmental stewardship, social equity and well being and financial prosperity) integrated in your sustainability program?
Do you require your contractors and suppliers to adhere to a "Code of Conduct" that helps them operationalize sustainability in their businesses?

For each of these questions, the supplier should provide a written "approach" to the performance category. They should then suggest how they are "deploying" that approach. Next they will provide some of the results (lagging indicators, including those in the sustainability index) of their approach and deployment. Finally they will report on the improvements that have been made in their sustainability effort.

Taking Care of Business

2009-10-16T08:06:00.001-04:00

These days it seems like just about everyone is either an environmental consultant or is looking for one. Based on the calls and emails I get, there's a marketplace mismatch: nearly as many companies trying to find help as there are service providers trying to find clients. That's a good thing, of course -- signs of a robust marketplace in the making. But did I mention that it's a mismatch?

GreenBiz.com just soft-launched a new feature to ease the inefficiency: the Professional Services Directory, designed to help green consultants and other B-to-B service providers gain exposure before our targeted and highly qualified audience.

If you have a service to offer, listing your company will not only give great exposure, but also provide trackable results and other features.

If you're a company seeking help, this is a one-stop resource to gain access to dozens of service providers. More than 70 firms have already listed themselves.

The Professional Services Directory is currently free for businesses to list. It will become a paid service later this fall, with premium listings averaging approximately $20/month. (It will be free to users seeking a consultant.) As an incentive to encourage you to list your business, you'll get an additional 90 days free once we convert to a paid service.

Listing is easy. Simply click on the "Add Your Listing" button here.

Green Puzzle: Rooftop lawn generates green energy for your home

2009-10-05T11:07:00.002-04:00

We have already witnessed a variety of terrace lawns or gardens in the past, but the “Green Puzzle” from Kalomix is a roof green with a difference that gives a whole new meaning to rooftop plantation. For it not only keeps the surrounding green but also generates green energy for your home. Integrating flexible solar panels, the new grass pad accumulates sunlight to turn it into sustainable energy. While the natural grass, grown on the green puzzle pad, converts the carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis and provides fresh and clean air.

Six Keys to Running an Efficient Green Business

2009-10-05T09:48:00.001-04:00

• Firms recognize the energy paradigm is changing rapidly. Over 50 percent of the survey respondents expect energy prices will exceed the equivalent of $100 per barrel of oil by 2014. Additionally, almost all respondents project that Congress will soon pass national climate legislation that mandates carbon reductions; 57 percent believe such legislation will pass before 2010.

• Companies are responding by establishing corporate-wide energy efficiency targets. Voluntary goals have proliferated over the last decade, and while different companies use different metrics and timelines, the average target among our sample was an annual 2.2 percent improvement in energy intensity. Primary motivations for pursuing efficiency strategies were somewhat split between environmental concerns and cost control reasons, although many companies cited both drivers.

• Senior management support is critical in the development and implementation of energy efficiency programs. The CEO and senior management team were most frequently identified as the key champions of corporate efficiency programs, ranking higher than facility managers, and environmental health and safety staff.

• The most common challenge companies face in pursuing efficiency gains are resource constraints, especially limits on capital. Companies have overcome this hurdle by focusing on low-cost operational improvements, and in some cases, giving privileged status to energy efficiency investments. Examples include setting aside special pools of capital, relaxing payback requirements for projects that accomplish sustainability goals, and factoring in some of the less tangible co-benefits of energy efficiency investments, such as enhanced corporate reputation, improved employee morale, and higher worker productivity.

• Employee engagement is an effective, but possibly underutilized strategy for improving energy efficiency. Energy is pervasive within a corporation; almost every employee has the ability to make an impact to reduce its use. Recognizing this, many companies have launched programs to educate and engage employees in energy saving programs. Some have established innovative programs that reward employees for energy savings, and others have made progress toward efficiency goals a standard component of their employee review process. Still, while our survey respondents noted that these programs often yield surprisingly positive responses, they also reported that employee engagement receives the least financial and staff resources relative to other efficiency program elements.

• Energy efficiency can be a gateway to wider business innovation. Ambitious energy efficiency goals can drive change within organizations by challenging employees to reexamine existing processes and systems. This reexamination can lead to business improvements that, while unrelated to energy efficiency, would have never materialized were it not for the initial focus on energy.

Green Roofs & the Return of OPPOSITIONS

2009-10-01T18:43:00.002-04:00

Green Roofs have been touted as the solution to various environmental ills. Some believe that less expensive and less complicated alternatives, like White Roofs (reflective roof coatings) and Blue Roofs (rooftop stormwater retention), are just as effective. How do the performance characteristics of these options compare? The inclusion of thought leaders from both sides promises a lively debate.

About Solar Decathlon

2009-09-30T21:26:00.001-04:00

For three weeks in October 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy will host the Solar Decathlon—a competition in which 20 teams of college and university students compete to design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar-powered house. The Solar Decathlon is also an event to which the public is invited to observe the powerful combination of solar energy, energy efficiency, and the best in home design.

Exact dates of the 2009 event are:

Oct. 8-16—Teams compete in 10 contests
Oct. 9-13—Houses are open to the public
Oct. 15-18—Houses are open to the public
Oct. 19-21—Teams disassemble their houses.

The Solar Decathlon houses will be open for public tours 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Monday–Friday and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Please note that all homes will be closed Wed., Oct. 14.

The Solar Decathlon consists of three major phases:

Building: This is where most of the work—and the learning—happens. In addition to designing houses that use innovative, high-tech elements in ingenious ways, students have to raise funds, communicate team activities, collect supplies, and work with contractors. Although the Solar Decathlon competition receives the most attention, it's the hard work that students put in during the building phase that makes or breaks a team.
Moving to the Solar Village: When it's time for the Solar Decathlon, the teams transport their houses to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and rebuild them on site.
Competing: During the competition itself, the teams receive points for their performance in 10 contests and open their homes to the public.

Purpose

The Solar Decathlon brings attention to one of the biggest challenges we face—an ever-increasing need for energy. As an internationally recognized event, it offers powerful solutions—using energy more efficiently and using energy from renewable sources.

The Solar Decathlon has several goals:

To educate the student participants—the "Decathletes"—about the benefits of energy efficiency, renewable energy and green building technologies. As the next generation of engineers, builders, and communicators, the Decathletes will be able to use this knowledge in their studies and their future careers.
To raise awareness among the general public about renewable energy and energy efficiency, and how solar energy technologies can reduce energy usage.
To help solar energy technologies enter the marketplace faster. This competition encourages the research and development of energy efficiency and energy production technologies.
To foster collaboration among students from different academic disciplines—including engineering and architecture students, who rarely work together until they enter the workplace.
To promote an integrated or "whole building design" approach to new construction. This approach differs from the traditional design/build process because the design team considers the interactions of all building components and systems to create a more comfortable building, save energy, and reduce environmental impact.
To demonstrate to the public the potential of Zero Energy Homes, which produce as much energy from renewable sources, such as the sun and wind, as they consume. Even though the home might be connected to a utility grid, it has net zero energy consumption from the utility provider.

eBay Bids on a 15 Percent Emissions Cut

2009-09-28T13:59:00.002-04:00

A combination of energy efficiency, renewable energy and promotion of more environmentally friendly behavior will be used to cut eBay ’s greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent by 2012.

The e-commerce giant unveiled its first greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal this week in its most response to the Carbon Disclosure Project, a nonprofit GHG reporting registry that solicits climate-related information from the world’s largest companies. The goal translates to eliminating 17,850 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent over the next three years, relative to a 2008 baseline.

Total emissions grew 21 percent between 2007 and 2008, a period in which company revenue increased 9 percent. eBay’s largest source of emissions is the energy used in its data centers, the infrastructure and management of which comprises a key efficiency driver.

The company plans a complete data center refresh at each of its 11 domestic data centers, which will also enable eBay to process more transactions per watt. The company also plans to introduce new initiatives to increase the useful life of its hardware.

Next year, eBay will open a new data center built to LEED Gold standards with top-of-the-line cooling and power management capabilities. The facility, to be located in South Jordan, Utah, will house more than a third of the company’s worldwide data infrastructure.

Green Mountain Coffee Distribution Center Now Powered by Solar

2009-09-24T13:56:00.003-04:00

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters completed the installation of a 572-panel solar array on the roof of its Waterbury distribution center this summer.

The 100 kilowatt solar energy system was constructed through a partnership between Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, the State of Vermont's Clean Energy Development Fund and Green Mountain Power, a utility that provides a quarter of the state's electricity. Green Mountain Power has now achieved 25 percent of its goal of installing 10,000 panels in 1,000 days in the state.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters also offers its employees group discounts on solar power systems through a green benefits program with groSolar. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters donates $1,000 toward a participating employee's solar electric system, which also receives a $0.25 per watt installation discount from groSolar.

Corporate America's Adoption of Green Practices Doubles

2009-09-21T09:36:00.003-04:00

Sustainability is no longer seen as a niche activity in corporate America," the study said, adding that its findings show "a substantial growth in sustainability activity over the last three years with a shift in focus from internal operations and public relations to a core part of business performance."

"Over the past three years, the level of involvement has increased steadily, with the market fully shifting toward green building adoption," the report said. "By 2011, more firms will be dedicated to green than will be moderately involved or less. This tipping point marks a more complete entrenchment of green building into standard corporate practice and as a core component of the sustainability plans of large firms."

The report, called "2009 Greening of Corporate America," revisits territory charted by McGraw Hill and Siemens in 2007, when they reported on the green landscape of some of the larger U.S. businesses in 2006. The current study is based on research conducted in February and March this year. The 203 firms interviewed represent more than 75 percent of the $36 trillion equities market in the U.S., and no participating firm had less than $250 million in revenue.

• Sustainability will continue to become part of standard corporate practice. As such, firms have a short window of engagement before they will lose first-mover advantage.

• At some level, sustainability is insulated from economic downturns—most likely due to the innovation it can spur. Firms should capitalize on the advantages of sustainability in order to position themselves to reap the benefits when the economy rebounds.

• Increased regulation is likely to occur. Firms should look for opportunities to position themselves ahead of regulation. Those that do will be able to compete in more markets and may also gain incentives offered to early adopters.

• Public reporting and transparency is becoming routine. Firms should take stock of their current baselines in order to be able to report accurately their performance and set goals and metrics for improvement. Customers will start to expect sustainability reports.

• Larger corporations are embracing sustainability more enthusiastically and engaging in more benchmarking activities. As a result, these large firms will influence the supply chain by requiring their vendors to provide them with sustainability and environmental reporting information. Smaller firms and service providers should establish their energy use, carbon emissions and other environmental and sustainability metrics in expectation of these requirements.

Green Certification for the White House

2009-09-17T14:22:00.001-04:00

Going far beyond the organic vegetable garden and playground made from recycled materials, President Barack Obama intends to get the White House LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) spokesperson, Christine Glunz, says the effort to get the White House to LEED certification includes energy and water systems as well as waste. She believes it is vital to consider toxicity and life-cycle when making purchases for facilities. CEQ is looking to reduce the carbon footprint of the White House by implementing computerized energy management systems, automatic light sensors that turn off in unoccupied rooms and low-flow water valves. Paints and sealers with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), biodegradable cleaners and recycled equipment will all be used by White House groundskeepers and engineers, according to a White House spokesperson. Window films that will lower UV rays and save energy will also be added.

According to an article on the National Geographic website, any leftover materials from White House renovations and demolitions will be donated to local reuse organizations. If President Obama continues to enforce such eco-friendly changes throughout his term, he will be on the right track to making the White House more of a "green house," proving with a LEED certification that he can lead Americans to a greener world.

Global Climate Week

2009-09-14T13:42:00.000-04:00

Corporate carbon policies and practices are destined to be a major theme for the rest of this year -- and likely well beyond that. Next week, September 21, has been dubbed Global Climate Week, corresponding to the annual opening of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. There is a sizeable list of activities planned, both within and around the U.N. (such as the 2nd U.N. Private Sector Forum: Climate Change on September 22) as well as many others surrounding and coinciding with the Kleig lights of attention that will be focused there.

One of those will be the release of the annual survey of corporate climate strategy and risk management by the Global 500 and S&P 500 companies, produced by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the Carbon Disclosure Project. Backed by 475 institutional investors with assets of more than $55 trillion, CDP's climate change questionnaire was sent to 3,700 of the world's biggest companies. The results of that survey will be officially released on September 21, 2009.

Grading the Office Supply Industry on Paper Practices

2009-09-09T12:41:00.001-04:00

Many companies are distancing themselves from two of the world’s most controversial paper companies, International Paper and Asia Pulp & Paper. FedEx Office, Staples and Office Depot are making great strides in shifting their sourcing to paper from FSC-certified forests. That’s great to see when schemes like the Sustainable Forestry Initiative are trying to pass themselves off as green eco-labels, which not only misleads consumers but also undercuts the hard work of companies that sincerely want to be more sustainable.

In other words: Greenwash. This year we have a small "Greenwash" section to highlight some of the lowlights of green spin. Several companies in this report card talk a green game while supporting destructive practices.

TheMicroCapJournal

2009-08-28T08:15:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the PREMIER EDITION of the 'Emerging Micro-Cap Report'.
I hope all of our friends have been following the progress of ourselected profile.
Since we alerted our readers to this company onMonday, the share price has climbed almost 400% from $0.08 to $0.30
We hope you got in early...

This commpany is SOLANEX (SLNX)Solanex Management Inc.Currrent: $0.30 ( +25% )End of Week Tarrget: $0.55End of Year Tarrget: $1.00Solanex's business is the "development, manufacture, distribution,marketing and sales of alternative, renewable and waste energytechnologies".

Today they released a pressreport that we believegives Solanex significant growth opportunities (attached below).Currently their finances are slim, but with this recent announcementwe believe the company is ready to soar :

MARKETWIRE NEWS 08/25/2009 (Tue 9:30am) : SOLANEX MANAGEMENT INC.AND GEO FINANCE CORPORATION SIGN ("MOU") TO FORM JOINT VENTURE

Green For All announces new program for businesses!

2009-08-24T16:44:00.000-04:00

Today, I am pleased to announce Green For All's Capital Access Program.

The Capital Access Program (CAP) brings our work for an inclusive green economy directly to the private sector.

CAP engages businesses and nonprofits - large and small - to create, sustain, and scale green jobs.

We're kicking off CAP's public launch with two premier resources: a guide and a webinar on how businesses and nonprofits can access Recovery funding to create green jobs.

Green Tips for Apartment Residents

2009-08-24T16:40:00.000-04:00

Do your part! By taking these simple steps, apartment residents can conserve fuel and water, reduce waste and save energy:

Lights Out
Turn off all lights when you leave a room. Replace incandescent light bulbs with EPA ENERGY STAR-qualified compact fluorescents (CFL) or Light-emitting diodes (LED).

Did you know?

Lighting accounts for nearly 25% of total energy costs in the home or office.
Fluorescent light bulbs consume 75% less electricity, last 4-15 times longer, and generate 74% less heat than incandescent bulbs.

Power Off
Home electronics such as computers, TVs and printers use power even when idle. Turn your electronics off when not in use.

Conserve Water
Have all leaks or drippy faucets repaired immediately. Run your dishwasher with only full loads, and use the energy-savings setting if you have the option.

This Company positioned to grow

2009-08-19T08:36:00.001-04:00

Welcome to this issue of the Green Market Report. We have a Turbo Charged
company for you this week. A company which we believe has Begun a Major
Growth phase. Talk about the right place at the right time! Here is Neohydro
Technologies.

Neohydro Technologies

Siymbol: NHYT
Currrent: 0.24
Near-teerm Tarrget: 0.65
Long-teerm Tarrget: 2.40

Neohydro Technologies Corp. has recently acquired the Exclusive license to the
patented Green Interactive Hybrid System(tm) (GIHS) for all of Canada. The GIHS is
a unique turbo charging system for motor vehicles that dramatically increases
fuel economy while substantially increasing horsepower, torque and
performance with a significant reduction of the carbon footprint.

How to Build a Framework for Sustainability 2.0

2009-08-17T09:08:00.001-04:00

For companies to succeed during these times of change, they'll need to define and embrace a rigorous framework for sustainability -- something that goes beyond well-intended but overarching statements and builds a foundation that helps a firm achieve its sustainability and business goals.

The starting point for any measurement of the sustainability of companies should be the work of the Brundtland Commission of a generation ago, which in effect held that we need to find a way to meet the needs of the current generation without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The commission's work came as the world was said to have passed the point of consuming an amount of resources per person that would ultimately be sustainable, so equity and fairness are also implied in the definition.

Ultimately, then, sustainability is a risk factor and an all-encompassing one at that. Some companies and their business practices, as well as many traditional investors, will likely have no chance of succeeding in this new reality without evolving, as we move to an inevitable situation of rectifying overconsumption on a global basis.

Further, before our eyes, during this current economic downturn, we have witnessed the coalescing of the meaning of sustainability as pertaining both to the outright survivability of companies (let alone those which will be most profitable) and to those that survive environmental, social, governance (ESG) scrutiny.

To measure true sustainability, therefore, a framework is required that also encompasses mainstream factors -- the usual ones that financial analysts use to measure profitability and valuation, such as return on capital, stock price to earnings, cash flow, etc. At the same time, this framework needs to judge companies looking to succeed in a changing world, while positioning themselves best from a risk standpoint with ESG factors in mind.

We suggest that companies need to be measured on a sliding scale of relative sustainability from an overall ideal score of 1 -- where 1 represents the most sustainable company in the world (and it is almost certain that no company is currently a 1) -- down to 0, which denotes companies that have no hope of surviving.

Key to this all-encompassing framework is that failure in any one factor is in and of itself disqualifying. Thusly, ESG and mainstream factors act in an independent, parallel fashion in this risk assessment, as opposed to being percentage factors in a score.

Any or all ESGFQ (environment, social, governance, financial, quality of management) factors can bring a company down to 0. It's assumed that many or most companies would score between .1 and .9, with a majority skewed between .1 and .5, and that this could become a coefficient for investment. Because failure on any one factor is disqualifying, there is no room for the sort of calculation that would enable a company to score 30 percent for its E factor, 40 percent for S and 30 percent for G to equal 100 percent or a similarly deceptive "strong" score. A company that fails on any one of these factors may well fail completely as a business, so why give any of these factors less than 100 percent weight. Furthermore, these are potentially disqualifying factors for companies that are looking to avoid risk as they evolve with the changing world, instead of embracing the concept that excellence can be achieved only by across-the-board out-performance.

This proposed method is therefore overarching and of equal relevance to mainstream and socially responsible investing. Investors and asset owners who ignore it would do so at their peril. Call it Sustainability 2.0!

Bill Browning Discusses Biophilic Design for Cities

2009-08-14T02:54:00.000-04:00

Biophilic Design: A powerful concept which stipulates that recognition and understanding of our species and connection to the natural world must be central to our design process.

In a presentation specifically developed for Urban Green Expo 2009, Master Speaker Bill Browning will explore recent case studies informed by the award-winning principles of biophilic design and describe how these principles can apply to the retrofitting of existing buildings and transform the face of urban living.

Browning is a partner at Terrapin Bright Green and helped build Buckminster Fuller's last experimental structure, based on advanced geometric systems. In 1991, he founded Green Development Services at Rocky Mountain Institute, an entrepreneurial, non-profit “think and do tank” whose work advances energy-efficient and environmentally-responsive design

LED Light Life Span and Energy Useage Vs. Incandescent Lights

2009-08-11T23:31:00.000-04:00

LED Light Life Span	LED 7 Watt Bulb	Incandescent Light 60 Watt
Number of Bulbs Used	1	1
Bulb Lifespan	50,000 hours	1,000 hours
Cost of Bulbs	$50.00	$1.00
Electricity Cost (assuming 11hr/day use 365 days per year @ $.14kWh)	$3.93	$33.72
Usage Before Replacement	About 12.5 years	About 3 months
Total Yearly Cost	$3.93	$37.72
Total Cost Savings per LED light Bulb per year:	$33.79
Total Cost Savings per LED light Bulb over entire lifespan:	$422.37

*Cost savings are based on one (1) LED light bulb, and do not include the cost of time to change the bulbs.

Conclusion: With an initial investment of $50.00 per LED light bulb, you will break even mid-way through your second year, and you will save over $400 per bulb over the course of the bulb's entire lifespan. The more often you use the bulbs, the sooner the savings become apparent; if you light your business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you turn a profit within the first year!

Building Rating System Requirement Raises Concerns

2009-08-10T23:18:00.001-04:00

Though green-building experts and construction lawyers laud the good intentions of the U.S. Green Building Council about its popular Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green-building rating system, many have serious concerns about at least one new requirement in the latest version of LEED, which went into effect on July 1. The requirement, a “precondition” of certification for all buildings under LEED Version 3, says owners must commit to sharing building energy and water-usage data for at least five years after a new building is occupied or an existing building is certified. Another change sending shudders down the spine of construction lawyers and others is that LEED certification may be revoked if there is noncompliance with this new “minimum program requirement” or any of the other six so-called MPRs.

Questions About LEED 2009?

2009-08-05T22:17:00.002-04:00

Green Building Design Foundations is a 4-hour course designed for those seeking a technical introduction to green building design and the implementation of LEED 2009. The course will begin with an overview of green building, including the environmental impact of buildings and how they are typically mitigated, and a detailed description of LEED 2009.
More details here.

U.S. ENERGY BILL WOULD TRANSFORM BUILDING INDUSTRY

2009-08-05T22:15:00.000-04:00

Much of the attention focused on the energy bill that passed the House of Representatives on June 26 has surrounded the somewhat controversial cap-and-trade program. A less noted but equally important part of the American Clean Energy and Security Act is the nearly three dozen programs the bill contains with far-reaching impacts on the built environment and those who design, construct, and operate the millions of buildings scattered across the country.

"The fact that there was so much that relates to buildings is an important moment for the building community," said Andrew Goldberg, the senior director for federal relations at the AIA. "It supports the message we've been pushing for a long time, that buildings are a part of the solution. It's finally sinking in and they're taking action about it."

The proposed cap-and-trade system is still at the heart of the new legislation, as the funds it will raise will go to support many of the new building programs. The most expansive piece of buildings-related legislation is the establishment of a new national building code that sets minimum standards for energy usage in all new and existing buildings. States either have the option of developing their own code or applying the national one, but they must include a 30 percent reduction in energy usage within 18 months of the bills passage, a 50 percent reduction by 2014 for residential buildings and 2015 for commerical building, and an additional 5 percent reduction every three years through 2030.

Read more...

Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the U.S. Economy

2009-08-04T03:47:00.001-04:00

This report examines how the nation can increase energy efficiency in buildings and other non-transportation sectors by using existing technology and methods.

Doing so could yield a 23 percent drop in energy use by 2020, save the U.S. economy $1.2 trillion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.1 gigatons annually, the study says.

The study also takes a hard look at the barriers to progress, why the changes haven't already been made and what can be done to clear the hurdles.

McKinsey & Company released its 165-page report, "Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the U.S. Economy," today. The U.S. Green Building Council and 11 other governmental, non-governmental and private sector organizations helped sponsor the study.

Postal Service Unveils Large ‘Green’ Roof

2009-08-01T01:04:00.002-04:00

One of the largest “green” roofs in New York City was unveiled Wednesday by the United States Postal Service at its Morgan Processing and Distribution Center on Ninth Avenue, between 29th and 30th Streets.

The seventh-floor rooftop of the 1930s building has been transformed from a tar- and stone-covered no-man’s land into a 2.5-acre parklike recreational space for its employees, with benches, billowing grasses and a view of the skyline that includes the Empire State Building. The project was part of the Postal Service’s broader environmental initiative, which includes hybrid vehicles, recycling efforts and architecture initiatives.

The new roof is expected to last 50 years, and it will provide better insulation, cutting heating and cooling costs by about $30,000 a year. In addition, the landscaping on the roof is expected to help reduce storm-water runoff into the sewage system by as much as 75 percent in the summer and 40 percent in the winter.

More Green Building and Energy Efficiency Could Save U.S. Economy $1.2 Trillion

2009-08-01T01:00:00.001-04:00

The report examines how the nation can increase energy efficiency in buildings and other non-transportation sectors using existing technology and methods -- some of them are as basic as using the efficiency settings on equipment and appliances.

The study also takes a hard look at the barriers to progress, why the changes haven't already been made and what can be done to clear the hurdles.

The report says a targeted investment of $50 billion a year for a 10-year period could produce the big savings and reductions described. In addition, say McKinsey and the USGBC, almost 900,000 jobs would be created.

"This confirms a critical path forward that we have long championed. Harnessing the engine of green, energy efficient buildings can cost-effectively drive tremendous improvements in our economy and environment," USGBC President, CEO and Founding Chairman Rick Fedrizzi said in statement.

"Green building can stimulate the economy at a level one and a half times larger than the federal stimulus bill. In terms of climate change, a commitment to energy efficiency would be the equivalent to taking the entire U.S. fleet of passenger cars and light trucks -- more than 200 million vehicles -- off the road."

What Are Green-Collar Jobs?

2009-07-29T21:21:00.000-04:00

Over the next 18 months, green-collar jobs are expected to grow significantly in the United States, mainly due to government investment through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (aka the stimulus package). This means more training programs that will give you a leg up in entering green-collar fields.

Opportunities to Watch For

Look for growth in these fields below. This list illustrates the range of green jobs available, from "green-collar" to white-collar work in green fields:

Green Building Retrofitting -- Fixing up buildings so that they leak less energy helps homeowners save on energy bills, lowers the use of dirty energy, and creates jobs like:

- Energy auditor
- Green carpenter
- Insulation installer
- Environmental compliance specialist

Mass Transit and Transportation -- Clean mass transit options (trains and zero-emissions buses) that cut down on carbon pollution.

- Civil engineers
- Rail track layers
- Bus/train systems operator
- Urban planner

Renewable Energy -- Wind and solar energy are clean and safe energy sources, and rapidly expanding fields. It takes 250 tons of steel to make one wind turbine -- that's a lot of work for steel workers, many of whom are currently unemployed.

- Wind turbine machinist
- Solar and PV (photovoltaics) installer
- Iron and steel workers
- Solar operations engineer

Public Utilities (recycling, water treatment)

- Recycling center operator
- Waste water engineer
- Water quality consultant

Learn more at GreenForAll.org.

All Recent Posts on GreenBiz.com * Green Wineries Embrace Innovation from the Fields to the Bottle

2009-07-27T09:15:00.003-04:00

In terms of wine, does "sustainable" connote a commitment to greener growing practices or is it a marketing gimmick? After a cursory perusal of winegrowers' websites, I reminded myself that a slick marketing strategy does not always equal sustainability.

Honig begins the tour of Honig Vineyard & Vinery by showing us his solar array. Installed in August 2006, the winery's photovoltaic system -- "our electricity farm," is how he describes it -- consists of 819 Sanyo 200-watt modules mounted on the ground, which generates plenty of power for the winery, including cooling and bottling, he explains. Over the next thirty years, Honig's solar system will prevent the emission of over 7.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide -- the equivalent of planting more than 34 acres of carbon dioxide-absorbing trees.

The solar panels and infrastructure cost $1.2 million, but Honig only had to pay for about one third of that. As part of Schwarzenegger's Million Solar Roofs Initiative, California's Public Utilities Commission has mandated that PG&E give credits to customers who feed solar power back into the grid.

These credits, combined with state and federal tax credits, make solar affordable enough for widespread use. "We'll pay this off within 10 years, less if the cost of energy goes up," says Honig. "The warranty on these panels is 25 years, so our vineyard should enjoy 100% cost-free solar-powered energy for at least 15 years." Honig's support of clean power also extends to his choice of fuel. He uses biodiesel in all of his trucks.

It's Summertime, but be aware: SAVE Energy & Water

2009-07-26T14:00:00.001-04:00

Replace an incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb (CFL)
CFLs use only one quarter to one third of the electricity of a comparable incandescent. Save $44 on your electric bill for each CFL installed over the lifetime of the bulb.
Drive properly
Speeding, tailgating and jack-rabbit starts can reduce your gas mileage by 40%.
Wash and rinse your clothes in cold water rather than warm or hot
Your clothes will still be clean and the typical household will save $60 per year.
Choose Energy Star® appliances
When replacing high-consumption appliances like refrigerators, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, clothes washers and dish washers, buy an energy-efficient model. See link at right to go to the Energy Star site.
Insulate your attic
Uninsulated or under-insulated attics lose tremendous amounts of heat. Add extra insulation if your attic has R-19 or less (equal to 6" fiberglass or about 5.5" cellulose). New York State building code currently requires R-38 in attics (12" fiberglass or approximately 11" cellulose).
Cook for the week
Cook larger quantities of dinner and baked goods at one time to reduce oven use later in the week.
Get a push mower
The new reel mowers are light, good for your grass and give off no greenhouse gases or air pollutants
Powered lawn mowers use lots of (expensive) gas and give off more greenhouse gases than a car. The new push mowers, also called reel mowers, are light (less than 20lbs), and shear the grass rather than tearing it, as conventional mowers do, which is healthier for the grass.
Use the proper temperature settings
Set your refrigerator between 38 and 42 degrees F. Set your freezer between 0 and 5 degrees F.
Summertime temperature control
During the warmer months, keep windows, shades and/or drapes closed during the day to keep out the heat and open at night to let the cooler air in.

GREENING our Homes

2009-07-24T20:22:00.000-04:00

Greening What We Have

For nationwide impact, the greenest housing may be the housing we save, not the housing we build. While the design community focuses primarily on sustainable new construction, most U.S. housing units today (more than 107 million, by U.S. Census count) were built before 1970, are extremely inefficient, and will house many of our most vulnerable citizens well into the future. In fact, we have already built 75 percent of all buildings that will be in use by 2050, the Brookings Institution estimates.

The "Greening Our Homes" conference will convene design professionals and policy makers to define the issues, address the challenges, and share the best practices of making our existing housing stock more healthy and sustainable.

One Weekend, Five Knowledge-Packed Sessions

You'll explore the challenges and opportunities of greening the existing housing market with some of the nation's most knowledgeable design, construction, nonprofit, and government professionals. The program will cover these topics and more:

The Environmental Impact of Existing Housing—environmental and health risks of low-quality building materials and construction
Greenwashing: Protecting Against Overpromising and Underdelivering—strengths and weaknesses of the leading green-building rating systems
Challenges for Different Time Zones and Housing Ages and Types—primary considerations related to regional, age, and housing-type characteristics
What Is Successful, and How Do We Know?—case-study demonstrations of how to measure and verify achievement of owners' and occupants' goals
Public Policy and Funding for Renovations and Retrofits—legislation, innovative financing, and other funding opportunities at the federal, state, and local levels

Google Power Meter

2009-07-22T09:09:00.002-04:00

Google PowerMeter, now in prototype, will receive information from utility smart meters and energy management devices and provide anyone who signs up access to her home electricity consumption right on her iGoogle homepage. The graph below shows how someone could use this information to figure out how much energy is used by different household activites.

Top Green Cities

2009-07-22T09:05:00.002-04:00

The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) recently came out with their list of top sustainable cities.

This list is based on scoring criteria that were used to evaluate a number of categories ranging from green buildings to transportation options, and the final list is sorted by small, medium, and large cities.

The top three large cities (Seattle, San Francisco, and Portland) came as no shock to me, but I was surprised to see that Dallas cracked the top 15, while my hometown of Washington, DC did not. The good news for DC is that we hit #4 for top transportation (thank you Metro, sidewalks, + awesome bike routes).

Check it out and see where your city ranks.

Sun energy empowers Ethiopian village

2009-07-19T17:45:00.002-04:00

Two years after the installation of a solar power project funded by international aid groups, villagers in northern Ethiopia say the sun's energy has turned their lives around.
Rema, 150 miles north of the capital Addis Ababa, is home to Ethiopia's largest solar project.

Here, every house in the village has electricity powered by solar lighting systems.

This is unique in Ethiopia - 80% of the population live in rural areas where only 1% of the population have access to electricity.

Lighting up the countryside has long been a challenge for African governments. Unlike houses in urban areas, villages in rural areas are often difficult to connect to the national electricity grid.

Solar power has been touted by some as the long-term solution to Africa's energy needs.

Domestic solar panels can provide cheap, clean and reliable electricity.

Vote for Your Favorite Green Idea!

2009-07-19T17:39:00.003-04:00

Who Should Be Awarded $20,000 in Funding?

YOUR votes will help select one winner. (See who’s in the lead below!) Check out all ten finalists and vote up to once a day for your favorite. Voting ends July 20. Our panel of judges will choose the other four winners, and all five will be announced July 22.

First LEED certified hotel in the USA 'One-Hotels'

2009-07-17T08:49:00.002-04:00

“1″ Hotel and Residences is the world’s first luxury, eco-friendly global hotel brand. The new brand will open New York City’s first
five-star green hotel on West 40th Street in Manhattan, across from Bryant Park. The “1″ Hotel and Residences will be part of a proposed 31-story mixed-use green tower being developed by 40th Street Development, LLC, an affiliate of Ascent Real Estate Advisors, LLC, of New York. The project will also feature condominium residences and dining concepts developed by restaurateur Stephen Hanson, and will be a green project built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Standards.

The “1″ Hotel and Residences at Bryant Park will open during the first half of 2010.

The building will feature a number of green construction and operational components, including:

Extensive use of high recycled-content and locally procured materials.

Low- and no-VOC emitting materials to improve indoor air quality.

50% of the energy used will come from renewable sources such as wind, hydro and biomass.

Greenhouse gas emissions from operations will be reduced 30%.

Potable water use will be reduced by 30% and no potable water will be used for landscaping. Irrigation water use will be reduced by 50%.

Non-toxic products will be used for housekeeping.

Webinar: By the Numbers: Greening Your Business Operations

2009-07-15T09:19:00.001-04:00

FEATURED EVENT
Date: July 22, 2009 - 11:00am
REGISTER NOW

In this 50-minute session, four experts will discuss their companies' journeys toward sustainability using data analytis, modeling and a whole- systems approach. They will address the benefits of increasing efficiencies to save costs, improve performance and meet environmental targets using IBM Green SigmaTM, a proven methodology for delivering value to key stakeholders while driving out waste and inefficiencies. And they will discuss how they have joined with other sustainability- focused companies to form the Green Sigma Coalition and bring this successful methodology to others.

Co-sponsoring the Energy Efficiency in Housing Act of 2009

2009-07-14T21:22:00.001-04:00

Last month, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced major green affordable housing legislation.

The Energy Efficiency in Housing Act of 2009 (S. 1379), marks the Senate’s most comprehensive attempt to promote energy efficiency in our nation’s homes. S. 1379 will provide incentives to lenders and financial institutions to offer lower interest loans and other benefits to consumers who build, buy, or remodel their homes to make them more energy-efficient. Similar legislation, the GREEN Act, was recently approved by the House of Representatives as part of the climate change bill (article about the GREEN Act)

HydroPoint Webcast

2009-07-12T21:43:00.003-04:00

Achieving Sustainable Savings with Outdoor Irrigation:
What the Landscape Industry, Contractors and Property Managers need to know about Smart Water Management Solutions.

Implement a successful irrigation system upgrade with the right smart controller for every job, every time. Mr. Loren McIrvin of Allied Landscape Services will share best practices – from conducting initial site assessments to selecting the market-leading solution – to achieve sustainable savings with a complete ROI analysis, measurement and verification report. Experience immediate results that return cash back to your clients’ bottom line and your business with WeatherTRAK.

Register Now for HydroPoint's Next Sustainability 2.0 Webcast.

Supercars Reborn Green

2009-07-10T18:15:00.004-04:00

Mercedes SLS eDrive

Up first is the replacement for the Mercedes 300SL gullwing. Mercedes has been working on a replacement for 2010 which will be revealed later this year. But they just announced an electric version that will hit the stage in 2015.

Highlights:

Among the changes aimed at accommodating the new hardware is the inclusion of a new pushrod front suspension, with coilover damper units mounted horizontally in place of the standard car’s more conventional upright double wishbone arrangement to free up space around the front axle. This allows the fitment of two 98kW (133bhp) motors up front, effectively turning the SLS eDrive into a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Each of the front wheels is driven via a planetary drive set that acts like a torque vectoring device, providing drive to the wheel possessing the most traction. The set-up at the front is mirrored at the rear; each back wheel is powered by a 98kW (133bhp) motor that drives through a planetary drive set, although the standard rear double wishbones have been retained without modification.

All up, the SLS eDrive possesses 392kW (532bhp) and a sturdy 649lb ft of torque. By comparison, the standard SLS, powered by a heavily reworked version of AMG’s familiar 6.2-litre V8 engine, boasts 420kW (571bhp) and 479lb ft.

Source:

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/241425/

McLaren P1

Replacement for the famed McLaren F1 with the driver seat in the middle and sourced BMW v12 creating +600hp. This was the fastest car in the world for many years before the Veron's and Enzo's hit the streets. Now finally with a successor designed by the orginal designer of the F1 it will be green as well.

Highlights:

McLaren designer Jim Dowle made headlines last February when the first details of his P1 sports car were announced. The response was positive, and now the switch has been made to electric power.

The new green P1-E is expected to have a 230-mile range, be able to reach 60 mph in less than three seconds and comes in weighing just 2,326 pounds. The gullwing-door equipped P1 should sell for about $76,000.

The two-door electric coupe will have two electric motors and low-sitting, lithium-ion batteries. The four-wheel-drive car will have a wishbone suspension and regenerative braking.

The P1-E was conceived by Dowle, the designer of the stellar McLaren F1.

Source:

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090126/GREEN/901269975

Green Roofs Continue to Proliferate

2009-07-09T08:05:00.000-04:00

Vegetated roofs remain small oases amid a desert of more conventional roofs, but according to a survey by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, a nonprofit industry organization, 3.1 million ft² of green roof were installed in 2008, reflecting a growth rate of 35% over 2007.

Chicago distinguished itself for the third year in a row as the city with the most green roof—over half a million square feet—installed in the year covered by the survey. Washington, D.C., New York, and Vancouver, British Columbia, also placed high in the rankings.

A dramatic example of growing public policy support for green roofs is Toronto’s green roof bylaw, passed in May 2009, which sets a construction standard for the roofs and establishes minimum percentage requirements for green roof area on new large residential buildings, schools, commercial and industrial buildings, and nonprofit housing.

ECO-BATT: Natural Insulation

2009-07-09T08:02:00.002-04:00

Thermal protection to keep buildings warm in winter and cool in summer.
Lower energy bills by preventing heat loss from buildings in winter and enabling more efficient air conditioning in summer.
Acoustic protection to block outside noise and segregate internal noise.
Sustainability and a better environment by reducing energy use in buildings to counter “global warming.”

Online Sustainable Business Course, USM Center for Continuing Education

2009-07-08T08:40:00.001-04:00

Jun 11 2009 - Sep 8 2009, Portland, Maine, United States

Managing for financial, environmental, and social performance

Climate change, volatile energy prices, consumer interest in green products and services, and stakeholder demand for corporate accountability call for the adoption of sustainable business practices and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Learn how large corporations like Interface, small firms like New Belgium Brewing, and green-tech start ups are prospering by managing the triple bottom line of People, Planet, and Profit.

Who should enroll?

Entrepreneurs, leaders, and managers who understand traditional management, but want to move their organization toward sustainability. Perhaps the buzz about green business has piqued your interest. Or perhaps you seek the next level of knowledge after having been inspired at a business seminar or reading a best seller like Hot, Flat and Crowded, Natural Capitalism or Green to Gold.

LEED Green Associate

2009-07-04T09:52:00.003-04:00

Looking beyond 2009, GBCI is working to develop a third designation, currently referred to as the LEED AP Fellow credential.

LEED Fellows would become part of an extraordinary class of leading professionals distinguished by their years of experience and contributions to the standards of practice and body of knowledge for achieving continuous improvement in the green building field. This credential is still under development.

For professionals who want to demonstrate green building expertise in non-technical fields of practice, GBCI has created the LEED Green Associate credential, which denotes basic knowledge of green design, construction, and operations. The Green Associate credential also serves as the first step for professionals pursuing a LEED AP specialization.

Did you know?? LEDs = HUGE Savings!

2009-07-03T12:19:00.000-04:00

LED Lighting for Property Managment, Owner/Investors, Retail, Office, Industrial, Shopping Centers, Multi-Family, Student Housing, Senior Housing, and much more!

Benefits of Owning LEDs:
1. Significantly reduces your monthly energy bills by 60% to 90%!
2. Lower energy bills raise the net operating income (NOI) on your properties and/or business!
3. LEDs can save you over $500 per bulb on your electricity costs!
4. LEDs Raise your property/business value by lowering your utility expenses!
5. Experience ROI greater than 50% in the first year of using LEDs!
6. LEDs operate for more than 50,000 hours!
7. LEDs do not produce UV or IR rays!

8. LEDs ARE GREEN!!!

Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance (REEP)

2009-07-01T19:17:00.002-04:00

Many people are screaming that the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) doesn't go far enough; when architects, builders and building code officials get through it, there will be a lot of screaming that it goes way too far. No doubt they will complain that an industry on the ropes can't handle more regulation and higher standards, we have heard it all before. But 46% of our greenhouse gases come from buildings, so it is a key part of any attempt to reduce emissions.

Government Programs to help:
More money is being put into the Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance (REEP) programs to facilitate building retrofit programs for energy efficiency and efficient water use. Funding will be made available through REEP to the State Energy Programs for state and local efforts, including audits, incentives, technical assistance, and training. States are permitted to choose funding mechanisms, with options including credit support, such as interest rate subsidies or credit enhancement, providing initial capital, and allocating funds for utility programs.

1211 Avenue of the Americas: LEED-EB Program Certifies Its Largest Building

2009-07-01T19:12:00.003-04:00

Beacon Capital's 1211 Avenue of the Americas (on Sixth Avenue between West 47th and 48th Streets) recently earned LEED-EB Silver certification from USGBC. The 45-story, two million-square-foot tower is the largest building that has been certified to date under the LEED for Existing Buildings rating system (it's unclear to us whether the project sought certification under LEED-EB Version 2.0 or Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance- we'll clarify in the comments if possible). Specific green features incorporated into the retrofit include efficient and reduced-content mercury lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and new glazing that boosts the amount of daylight that reaches the tower's interiors. 1211 Avenue of the Americas earned BOMA's "Best Operating Office Building" award in 2008 for buildings larger than one million square feet; current tenants include the New York Post, Fox News Channel, and the Fox Business Network. The tower was developed by the Rockefeller Group as headquarters for the Celanese Corporation in 1973; 1211 Avenue of the Americas is one of the three "XYZ" towers that line the western side of Sixth Avenue (the Y and Z towers are the McGraw-Hill Building at 1221 and the Exxon Building at 1251). Rockefeller sold its interest in 1211 in 1980; the building's original architects were Harrison & Abramowitz & Harris. Cushman & Wakefield currently serves as managing agent.

Creating environmentally friendly jobs could put Charleston, S.C., on the map as a national model

2009-06-30T14:13:00.003-04:00

The city of Charleston, S.C., is assessing ways to reduce energy consumption in the city, not only making the city greener, but also creating green jobs. The city’s Boston-based consultant Serrafix recommends the city launch an organization that would give businesses and homeowners everything they need to know about energy-efficiency projects in one place.

According to this article in The Post & Courier: “From this single organization a building owner could arrange a home energy audit, find out what changes would produce the greatest savings, learn about rebates and government incentives, select an approved contractor, and have the work done with no up-front cost. The building owner would realize utility bill savings immediately, and pay off improvement costs over an extended period of time through a surcharge on their water bill.”

Charleston could become a national model for energy efficiency if it implements some of the recommended programs.

You know those entertainment books filled with retail and restaurants coupons? Well, San Diego now has something similar but with a green twist. The “Go Green Book” ($25) has coupons from eco-friendly retailers as well as tips and ideas for how to green your home, dine on organic food, get fit and exploring San Diego’s many parks and attractions. What a great way to save some green! (Employers, think about this as a good employee incentive gift.)

OK, let’s hear the cool green ideas you’ve found recently. Post a comment below.

PLANYC 2030 - GreeNYC

2009-06-29T18:33:00.001-04:00

We need your help to GreeNYC. New York City can't reach the target of reducing carbon emissions by 30% by 2030 without you. You can make a difference. We all can. By following some easy tips, you can save money while you save the environment, and make New York City a healthier place to live. It doesn't take long to make small changes that will significantly shrink your carbon footprint. This site contains tips for what you can do at home, at work, on the go, and in general. Each New Yorker's small steps, put together, will add up to big strides.

This season's featured campaign asks you to BE COOL AND SMART...

Greening Calendar of Events

2009-06-29T18:21:00.000-04:00

Syracuse: U.S. Green Building Council New York Upstate Chapter

July 9, 2009, 6:00 p.m.

Genesee Grande Hotel, Genesee Street

Green Drinks: Green Conversations & Sustainable Socializing

Information: Tracie Hall tracie@greenupstateny.org or Jim D’Aloisio jad@khhpc.com

_____________________________________________________________________

Auburn: Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES and the Partnership for Results

July 14, 15, 16 & 17, 2008, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES, 1879 W. Genesee Street Road

Green Energy Kids

A Camp for Kids who want to learn about energy related issues!

Information: Ray Ludemann, 315-253-0361 x5611, rludemann@cayboces.org

_____________________________________________________________________

Syracuse: International Society for Indoor Air Quality and Climate

Hosted by: The Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems

September 13-17, 2009

Oncenter Complex

Healthy Buildings 2009

An international forum for the exchange of leading research and technology developments, with opportunities for smart B2B connections at OppEx.

Plenary Speaker: Rick Cook, Cook+Fox Architects, “Drawing from Nature: Giving Form to Biophilia”

Information & Registration: www.hb2009.org

___________________________________________________________________________

The Key to Cracking the Tight Job Market: Expanding Green Skills, Knowledge

2009-06-29T18:06:00.000-04:00

We at Bright Green Talent recently surveyed 430 jobseekers who are interested in moving into the green sector. Here are some of the more striking results:

• 50 percent of respondents are currently unemployed

• 61 percent have a master's degree or a doctorate

• 40 percent have an annual income higher than $80,000; 24 percent have an annual income higher than $101,000

• 83 percent have previous experience or some training/
experience that would be relevant to a green company

• 69 percent say one of the strongest barriers to getting into the green sector is the lack of available jobs

• 41 percent say lack of proper training is a barrier to entry

With all the talk about green collar workers (blue collar jobs in the green economy) and the stimulus money that has been allocated to green workforce development, little attention has been paid to the demographic in this survey: highly qualified, well-educated people who are willing and ready to move into the green sector.

So what's the hold up? What are the challenges they're facing as they try to channel their skills and background towards the green sector?

Beyond the 69 percent who say there just aren't enough green jobs (because, realistically, there aren't enough of any kind of job right now, with unemployment rates at over 9 percent nationally), 41 percent of our respondents said they don't have the proper training and 33 percent said they just don't know where to look.

What this illuminates is a basic need for training programs and clear direction for jobseekers on how and where to find green jobs. In fact, this only reinforces our own anecdotal understanding of the state of affairs -- people come to us at Bright Green Talent every day for advice on how they can get into a sector that's increasingly seeming like a mirage. Of late, there's more frustration in their voices, and people are wondering if all these green jobs evangelists are really just snake oil salesmen.

But after two years in this space, we remain confident that the jobs are not an illusion -- if they were, we'd pack up shop and head elsewhere rather than leading people on.

The immense sense of hope and optimism hung upon green jobs was multiplied exponentially by the state of the economy and soaring unemployment rates.

Yes, the sector is still growing even despite the economy (confirmed by a recent Pew report) and green companies are hiring, but not at a rate that can keep pace with the demand created from hundreds of thousands of people that have suddenly flooded into the sector.

The takeaways? Our same old line: There might not be a green job for you right now, but in six months or a year, when the dust settles from the economic collapse, there will be. The stepping stone in between, and how you'll succeed in separating yourself from the crowd when that time comes, is training and preparation.

We're not saying you're not willing -- more than 30 percent of respondents said they'd take a week for training in greenhouse gas accounting or energy audits, and another 30 percent said they'd take a month. Most were ready to put up somewhere between $100 for $1,000 for the training.

Bright Green Talent and some of our partners are working on creating and facilitating training to help you get on the right path. In the meantime, there are lots of great resources to help you learn and network as we all ride out the storm. Hang in there -- opportunity and a clean, prosperous future are waiting on the other side.

Carolyn Mansfield is the community engagement associate at Bright Green Talent, which helps connect people with green jobs around the world.
_{Image by Matthew Savage, Courtesy of Bright Green Talent.}

ITS NAU OR NEVER! GREEN CLOTHING THAT LOOKS GOOD

2009-06-25T13:17:00.000-04:00

NAU BRINGS STRONG DESIGN TO THE GREEN CLOTHING MARKET

Nau is not a hippy managed clothing startup selling hemp purses and scarves. Their designs are clean and most importantly wearable! Nau was started by design junkies at some of the top companies, see details below:

"Many of the startup's 45 staffers came from important jobs at some of the biggest names in retail, like Starbucks and Adidas. Van Dyke, Nau's president, worked at both Nike and Patagonia, as did Yolles, the vice president of marketing. Nau's high-profile employees took pay cuts as high as 70 percent to gamble on a socially responsible company that intends to take a notably upright stance toward the environment. Starting with its chic, logo-free, high-end garments."
-Andrew Tilin Outside Online

Check the source: Nau.com
Check the source: Outside Online (Nau Article)

GOODBYE AMERICAN BIODIESEL

2009-06-24T14:36:00.000-04:00

BIODIESEL ON SLIPPERY SLOPE

Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil or animal fat based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl methyl, propyl or ethyl) esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically-reacting lipids (e.g., vegetable oil, animal fat (tallow)) and alcohol. (

Biodiesel is meant to be used in standard diesel engines and is thus distinct from the vegetable and waste oils used to fuel converted diesel engines.

Biodiesel can be used alone, or blended with petrodiesel.

Energy policy in 2007 mandated that 500 million gallons of biodiesel be blended in 2009. Since then the biodiesel industry has deteriorated in part due to the EPA's strict approval standards for the production of this green energy source. One EPA standard calls for 50 percent less emissions during the production of biodiesel than that of petroleum. Currently biodiesel produces 22 percent less emissions than Petroleum- well under the required standard. In addition, EPA is complaining that to produce the soybean biodiesel, its most effective and common form food crops would need to be replaced by soy bean crops. These food crops would in turn be moved to places like Indonesia where land would be cleared by cutting down emission eating crops. Clearly EPA's logic may be correct, however biodiesel executives like Joe Jobe are not happy with the fuzzy logic used to come up with regulations "It’s a guess, and it’s a bad guess at that because it absolutely defies common sense,” said Mr. Jobe.

The effects of EPA's high standards, coupled with Europes trade tariffs recently placed on biodiesel imports from America, have resulted in large plants such as Green Hunter Energy biodiesel refinery, once praised by Rick Perry as "the future of energy in Texas and the United States.", to seek immediate financial aid or possibly sell the company.

What this means to the people: Well it seems as if big oil is still winning the war to be the dominant source of energy. EPA is aiding this by imposing these standards on the green fuels like biodiesel and ethanol, without applying them to petroleum production. There is no calculation for indirect emissions by the EPA for petroleum. So with the threat of green fuel subsiding, oil companies have even less competition, possibly meaning higher gas prices. What are we paying at the pump now???

Check the source: Houston Chronicle ( Green Hunter Energy Refinery )

Check the source: New York Times Article (EPA strict regulations for Biodiesel)

Check the source: New York Times Article (European Trade Tariffs)

NEW SHOW: THE LAZY ENVIRONMENTALIST ON THE SUNDANCE CHANNEL, 9PM TUESDAYS

2009-06-23T11:21:00.000-04:00

Do not expect the drama of your average reality tv show. The Lazy Environmentalist almost makes you feel lazy watching it. This is in part due to the subject topic, and the guests lack of general knowledge about green things as a whole. You see alot of blank stares and aloofness. In contrast to that in cases such as the interview with the singer Ryan Leslie you see an almost overemphasis on the "trendiness" of green as Ryan coins the term EFF (Environmentally Friendly Fashions).

The show is about one mans goal, Josh Dorfman, to implement easy green practices into the everyday citizens lifestyle and the occasional megastar's for ratings purposes. What gives this show substance in my opinion, is the focus on making this collective responsiblity achievable and effortless, hence the term The Lazy Environmentalist. You can catch the show Tuesdays at 9pm on the Sundance Channel.

check the source: http://www.sundancechannel.com/lazy/

GO GREEN WITH CUSTOM WATER BOTTLES!!

2009-06-21T19:08:00.000-04:00

THE EASIEST AND HIPPEST WAY TO 'GO GREEN'

A company called SIGG makes reusable water bottles, allowing us to throw away less plastic, thus polluting less landfills. They come in many cool customizable designs.

Check the source: SIGG , and for customization visit CAFE PRESS

A JOBS BONANZA FOR HVAC

2009-06-21T17:02:00.000-04:00

GREEN JOB EXPLOSION FOR HVAC SPECIALISTS!!!

There is currently a market for a green process called HVAC retrofitting. Many of you have heard about it, and if not its the process of substituting new or modernized hvac parts or systems for older equipment. It is a form of heat recovery, which is a green standard applicable toward achieving LEED certification in a building. See below for more info:

"This story broke in a Greenwire report from Nathanial Gronewold that was carried in The New York Times on April 29 (”NYC sees economic boost in ‘green building’ effort“). Gronewold came barreling out of the gate with the news that.

"The federal stimulus package and the city’s ambitious “green building” initiative should provide a jobs bonanza for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) specialists, city officials said yesterday."
GET TRAINING OR AN EDUCATION
I typically prefer to wait these "announcements" out due to the nature of politics. Ive worked on the World Trade Orientation Center which has been delayed indefinitely due to false ear marks and fake political announcements. But I feel that in order to jump on this oppurtunity, folks interested need to begin their training now. below is a school which offers HVAC training in Bohemia NY.
Branford Hall Career Institute

RECYCLEBANK PAYS FOR YOUR RECYCLABLES

2009-06-20T17:01:00.000-04:00

RECYCLE AND GET POINTS LIKE SKYMILES!

See company details below:

"RecycleBank is a rapidly-growing and innovative rewards program that motivates people to recycle and to enjoy a green lifestyle. It's a simple 3-step process:

Recycle: Just toss all of your recyclables into your recycling cart, no sorting needed.
Record: The amount you recycle is converted into RecycleBank Points.
Reward: Redeem Points for rewards from hundreds of local and national businesses.

RecycleBank is backed by Kleiner Perkins, RRE Ventures, Sigma Partners, Coca-Cola and Columbia University. In January 2009 RecycleBank was honored by the World Economic Forum, in Davos, with the 'Technology Pioneer Award' and, in April, the United Nations Environment Program recognized RecycleBank as the '2009 Champion of the Earth' for the impact we are having in protecting the environment."

Check the source: https://www.recyclebank.com/

Most importantly, RecycleBank is hiring!! I am sure with their expansion, they will be hiring more and more folks. Get on board!!! See the job link: http://www.justmeans.com/jobs/recycle-bank/7251.html?&byjobsearch=1

GREEN BUILDINGS NY EXHIBITION 2009

2009-06-20T16:24:00.000-04:00

CONTROL YOUR HOME ENERGY USE FROM A BEACH IN THAILAND

This service was crazy!! I saw with my own eyes, Roberto the creator of this technology, turn the lights off on the second floor of a scaled down architecture model from his Blackberry Storm (poor choice of phone, he showed me the Vertu in his back pocket). He then unlocked and locked a door in the exhibit from the same phone. The technology has unlimited range because its accessible wherever one can get online. Read below for product synopsis:

"DiMi is the missing link between green builders and buillding intelligence providers by delivering the ability to monitor and control energy use, carbon emissions and water consumption in new and older buildings. DiMi provides a measurable path to reducing fuel consumption and lowering bills.

DiMi is a monthly service provider that puts critical information in the palm of your hand. Dimi enables property managers and building owners the ability to monitor and control multiple systems in multiple buildings onsite and remotely from their desktop, laptop, BlackBerry or other IM enabled device. It is a customized interface that requires no proprietary equipment and integrates with existing systems for simplified, economical greener solutions.

DiMi proveds the interface to remotely monitor and control lighting, temperature, humidity, keycard access, hurricane shields, and many other vital systems."

Check the source http://www.dimispeaks.com/index.html

GREEN BUILDINGS NY EXHIBITION 2009

2009-06-20T14:47:00.000-04:00

CHEMICAL FREE CLEANING SOLUTION

I witnessed this technology with as much apprehension as anyone. I mean, I have a 6 year old son (hi Micah) and I need stuff to be clean. I cant just trust some company looking to get rich by selling us fools gold. I follow that by saying this is not fools gold. This will clean anything and everything including grease. The demonstrator cleaned chapstick off of a mirror, with two sprays of tap water from the spray bottle. The implications are endless, from cleaning oil tankers with recycled ocean water, to a replacement cartridge free swiffer mop (im shouting at the top of my lungs. yes!!!!). See product details below:

"Set to revolutionize the cleaning industry, the Activeion Pro is safe because it contains no added chemicals of any kind. The only hand-held cleaner that does not carry a chemical-related health warning label, Activeion Pro uses activated water technology rather than harsh chemicals to clean, making it the safest option for cleaning professionals, the customers they serve, as well as the environment. Activeion Pro is a versatile cleaner ideal for use on glass, stainless steel, wood, stone and marble as well as carpet and clothing. In fact, it can replace many general-purpose chemical cleaners commonly used for these types of surfaces. The unit, which retails for $299, can help professional cleaning companies save considerable money each year by eliminating the need to purchase a variety of general-purpose, window, glass, and stainless steel cleaners."

Check the source, http://www.activeion.com/

Research shows that Activeion has licensed the ec-H2O technology from the Tennant Company. Lets hope the technology is patented so that we know where to invest.

Check the source, http://www.tennantco.com/na-en/about/news/ec-h2o-chemical-free-cleaning-technology-now-available-in-hand-held-device.aspx