Apr. 2, 2008 / #617

This San Diego home was recently selected to receive an Xtreme Energy Makeover. The newly retrofitted home can be toured at an Open House this Saturday, April 5. See story below. (Photo: SDG&E)

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Justin Gerdes is Editor of
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Fast Fact

Carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. power plants climbed 2.9% in 2007, the biggest single-year increase since 1998. (Source: " Running Out of Time: New U.S. EPA Power Plant Data Shows Greenhouse Gases Rising Steadily," Environmental Integrity Project, PDF, 31 KB)

Key Resource

Low Impact Living's Impact Calculator

Developed by Low Impact Living Inc., the Impact Calculator shows the carbon, energy, water, wastewater, trash and stormwater runoff footprints of your home and lifestyle. Use the Impact Calculator to tally your Low Impact Living Index, or LILI, which encapsulates your environmental footprint in one number.

·         Calculate your Low Impact Living Index

Events

Creating a Sustainable Energy Plan

April 2, Online

Association of Energy Engineers

How Energy Efficiency Issues Impact Utility Customer Service Operation

April 2, San Diego

Edison Electric Institute and American Gas Association

Overview of Worldwide Wind Energy Development

April 2, San Francisco

Pacific Energy Center (PG&E)

LEED for New Construction Technical Review

April 2, Sacramento

Sacramento Municipal Utility District

Solar Crosses the Chasm: Berkeley Entrepreneurs Forum

April 3, Berkeley

Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley

Energy Management Systems (EMS)

April 3, Sacramento

Sacramento Municipal Utility District

Environmental Fair: Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

April 5, Concord

Office of Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier and California State University, East Bay - Concord Campus

Green California Summit and Exposition

April 7 - 9, Sacramento

Green Technology

Sustainable Green Buildings: Introduction to LEED for New Construction and Existing Buildings

April 7, Online

Association of Energy Engineers

California Clean Energy Roundtable

April 8 - 10, San Diego

Montreux Energy

Direct Digital Control Retrofit: From Project Planning Through Verification

April 8, San Francisco

Pacific Energy Center (PG&E)

Green Buildings and Climate Change

April 9, Sacramento

Sacramento Municipal Utility District

Exterior Lighting for Homeowners

April 9, Sacramento

Sacramento Municipal Utility District

Energy Efficiency Finance Forum

April 10 - 11, Arlington, VA

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and Financial Research Associates, LLC

Are LEDs Ready for Prime Time?

April 10, San Diego

San Diego Gas & Electric Company

·         Full list of events

e-News Back Issues

·         March 19, 2008

·         March 5, 2008

·         February 21, 2008

·         February 6, 2008

·         January 23, 2008

·         January 9, 2008

·         December 12, 2007

·         November 28, 2007

·         November 14, 2007

·         October 31, 2007

·         View all back issues

CEC Adopts Recommendations to Reduce GHG Emissions

Report: Green Building Easiest Way to Cut Carbon

Xtreme Energy Makeover Offers Homeowners Tips for Retrofitting Older Homes; Public Welcome to Open House on April 5

Pasadena City Hall Gets LEED Gold in Historic Building Retrofit

Heard Here: Richard Moe, President, National Trust for Historic Preservation

San Francisco Supervisor Proposes Fines for Energy Waste in Downtown Skyscrapers

SCE to Install 250 MW of Solar on Over 100 Rooftops in Fast-Growing Areas of Southern California

Palomar College Reaps Rebates and Energy Savings With New Science Building

UC Santa Barbara Cutting GHG Emissions With Host of Energy- and Water-Saving Measures

UCLA Researchers Release Updated Home Energy Efficiency Design Tool

CEC Adopts Recommendations to Reduce GHG Emissions

The California Energy Commission (CEC) recently adopted a report, the Interim Opinion on Greenhouse Strategies, that was prepared jointly by the CEC and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The report makes recommendations to the California Air Resources Board (ARB) for a regulatory structure that includes market and program approaches to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the electricity and natural gas sectors and is based on the state’s “loading order” which puts energy efficiency as the top priority, followed by renewable energy investment. The report recommends that deliverers of electricity to the grid must comply with AB 32 and, further, that some portion of the available GHG emission allowances be auctioned with a majority of the proceeds used in ways that benefit California’s electricity consumers. The Interim Opinion also recommends that the electricity industry should take part in any multi-sector cap-and-trade program developed for California. A second opinion to be issued this summer will describe the specific mechanisms for requiring the electricity and natural gas industries to meet their goals. Both reports will be considered in ARB’s Scoping Plan for AB 32, which will put a program in place by 2012.

·         Read background on and download the complete Interim Opinion on Greenhouse Strategies (PDF, 416 KB)

·         Read more: “ CPUC Releases Updated Energy Action Plan Focused on Climate Change” (e-Newswire, 3/05/08)

·         Read more: “ CEC’s Draft 2007 Integrated Energy Policy Report Recommends Feed-In Tariffs for Renewables, Ramped Up Efficiency Efforts” (e-Newswire, 10/17/07)

·         How energy efficiency helps combat climate change

Posted by Stacey Meinzen on 04/02/08. Email story

Filed under: Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Institutional, Agricultural, Climate Change

Report: Green Building Easiest Way to Cut Carbon

Promoting green building could cut North American greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions more deeply, quickly and cheaply than any other available measure, according to a new report, Green Building in North America: Opportunities and Challenges, issued by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). The report is the result of a two-year study and was prepared with advice from an international advisory group of developers and architects, sustainability and energy experts, real estate professionals, and local and national government representatives. The report calls upon North American government, industry and nongovernmental leaders to:

·         Create national, multi-stakeholder task forces and develop a set of planning tools for green building

·         Set clear targets for rapid adoption of green building

·         Promote private sector investment and proper valuation methods in green building

·         Conduct research and development, capacity building, labeling and disclosures on green building performance.

North America’s buildings cause the annual release of more than 2,200 megatons of CO ₂ into the atmosphere — about 35% of the continent’s total. The report says rapid market uptake of currently available and emerging advanced energy-saving technologies could result in over 1,700 fewer megatons of CO ₂ emissions in 2030, compared to projected emissions that year following a business-as-usual approach. A cut of that size would nearly equal the CO ₂ emitted by the entire U.S. transportation sector in 2000.

According to the report, it is common now for more advanced green buildings to routinely reduce energy usage by up to 50% over conventional buildings, with the most efficient buildings now performing more than 70% better than conventional properties. However, today green building accounts for only 2% of the new non-residential building market, less than half of 1% of the residential market in the United States and Canada and less than that in Mexico.

·         Read background on and download the complete Green Building in North America: Opportunities and Challenges (PDF, 2.1 MB)

·         Read more: “ Committee Recommends Strengthening International Energy Conservation Code to Boost Efficiency of New Homes by More Than 20%” (e-Newswire, 3/19/08)

·         Read more: “ Study Confirms Higher Rents, Greater Occupancy Rates, Lower Operating Expenses for ENERGY STAR Buildings” (e-Newswire, 11/28/07)

·         Read more: “ Zero-Carbon Sonoma Mountain Village: North America’s First ‘One Planet’ Community” (Power Plug, 11/28/07)

·         Read Flex Your Power’s Best Practices Guide for Commercial Office Buildings

Posted by Stacey Meinzen on 04/02/08. Email story

Filed under: Green Building, Residential, Commercial

Xtreme Energy Makeover Offers Homeowners Tips for Retrofitting Older Homes; Public Welcome to Open House on April 5

The San Diego home selected to receive an Xtreme Energy Makeover opens its doors to the public this Saturday, April 5, 2008. The makeover project provides cost-effective, energy-saving retrofit information to contractors, builders and homeowners seeking to reduce energy usage in older, single-family homes built before California’s Title 24 energy code took effect (e-Newswire, 1/11/06). The project, administered by San Diego Gas & Electric Company and undertaken by Richard Heath & Associates Inc. (RHA), targets energy-consuming appliances, lighting, heating, air conditioning and structural components. The Open House event will showcase energy-saving products including solar energy, new high-technology windows, new ENERGY STAR appliances, a tankless and solar water heater, a whole-house fan, energy-saving pool pump, decorative energy-efficient lighting, a new HVAC unit and water conservation measures. The Open House will feature: tours of the Xtreme Energy Makeover home, energy experts and educational materials to answer questions, trade booths featuring energy-efficient products, a prize drawing for an ENERGY STAR refrigerator, rebate information and a compact fluorescent light bulbs giveaway.

·         Read more about the Xtreme Energy Makeover and Open House (PDF, 1.5 MB)
 

·         Read more: “ CEC Booklet Helps Home Buyers and Sellers Raise Their Energy Efficiency IQ” (e-Newswire, 5/02/07)

·         Read more: “ California Energy Commission Report Calls for Exploiting Efficiency Potential in Older Buildings” (e-Newswire, 1/11/06)

·         Find rebates and energy- and money-saving tips for the home

Posted by Stacey Meinzen on 04/02/08. Email story

Filed under: Green Building, Residential

Pasadena City Hall Gets LEED Gold in Historic Building Retrofit

Built in 1927 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Pasadena City Hall has recently been awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating by the U.S. Green Building Council. The retrofit was completed ahead of schedule and within budget; Pasadena Water and Power funded LEED certification and many of the energy and water efficiency measures. The project includes: energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; restoration of historic windows and skylights for increased daylighting; automatic shut-off for lighting fixtures; purchase of 100% green power for the building; and low-flow faucets, dual-flush toilets and waterless urinals for reduction of water use by 40%.

The project comes at a time when recent studies (see “Heard Here” quote below) tout the energy savings inherent in retrofitting old buildings. According to a formula produced for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, about 80 billion BTUs of energy are embodied in a typical 50,000-sq.-ft. commercial building — equivalent to 640,000 gallons of gasoline. Thus, constructing a new commercial building of the same size releases about the same amount of carbon into the atmosphere as driving a car 2.8 million miles. Recent research also indicates that even if 40% of the materials of a new construction project are from recycled materials, it still takes approximately 65 years for a new green office building to recover the energy lost in demolishing an existing building.

·         Read background

·         Read more: “ Rebuild Out of Global Warming,” By Richard Moe (see “Heard Here” below)

·         Download the USGBC’s LEED checklist for existing buildings (Excel, 40 KB)

·         Read Flex Your Power’s Best Practices Guide for Local Governments

Posted by Stacey Meinzen on 04/02/08. Email story

Filed under: Green Building, Institutional

Heard Here: Richard Moe, President, National Trust for Historic Preservation

“Nearly half the greenhouse gases we Americans send into the atmosphere comes from our buildings. In fact, more than 10 percent of the entire world’s greenhouse gas emissions is produced by America’s buildings — but the current debate on climate change does not come close to reflecting that huge fact. The message is clear: Any solution to climate change must address the need to reduce emissions by being smarter about how we use our buildings and wiser about land use.”

·         Read “ Rebuild Out of Global Warming,” By Richard Moe, Vincent Scully Prize Acceptance Speech (3/30/08)

Posted by Justin Gerdes on 04/02/08. Email story

Filed under: Heard Here

San Francisco Supervisor Proposes Fines for Energy Waste in Downtown Skyscrapers

San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin recently proposed a law that would force businesses in the city’s downtown skyscrapers to turn off unnecessary lights at night. “Anyone who has passed through our Financial District after dark knows that many large financial buildings in the downtown keep their lights on throughout the night even when there is not work or janitorial service going on,” Peskin told the San Francisco Chronicle. Peskin’s bill would assess fines for each floor of lights left on: $50 for a first offense, $100 for the second and $250 for any that follow. Also included in the proposal is a requirement that businesses undertaking major renovations install lighting occupancy sensors. Officials representing downtown businesses responded coolly to the fine-based bill. “It’s a well-meaning idea, but instead of using a carrot, Supervisor Peskin prefers the hammer to conform to his idea on what is proper behavior in the business community,” Ken Cleaveland, director of government and public affairs for the Building Owners and Managers Association of San Francisco told the Chronicle.

·         Read “ Supervisor Proposes Lights-Out for Downtown,” By Wyatt Buchanan and Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Chronicle (3/26/08)

·         Read more: “ EverLED Releases World’s First LED Replacement for Glass Fluorescent Tube Lighting” (e-Newswire, 10/31/07)

·         Read more: “ CPUC Approves Deal to Allow Commercial Building Owners in PG&E Territory to Individually Meter Tenants” (e-Newswire, 9/19/07)

·         Read more: “ Gavin Newsom Wants to Ban Obsolete Fluorescent Tube Lighting in San Francisco” (Power Plug, 2/07/07)

·         Read Flex Your Power’s Best Practices Guide for Commercial Office Buildings

Posted by Justin Gerdes on 04/02/08. Email story

Filed under: Commercial, Institutional, Policy

SCE to Install 250 MW of Solar on Over 100 Rooftops in Fast-Growing Areas of Southern California

Last week, Southern California Edison (SCE) announced a plan to install 250 megawatts (MW) of solar, enough to cover two square miles of rooftops, on more than 100 large commercials buildings across Southern California. The solar panels ordered by SCE — roughly equal to the entire quantity manufactured in the U.S. last year, according to The New York Times — will supply enough electricity to power 162,000 homes. SCE plans to cluster the panels in hot, fast-growing areas of its service territory already connected to the grid such as Riverside and San Bernardino counties. SCE will install the panels, which it will own, on leased rooftops at a rate of 1 to 2 MW each week over the next five years. The $875 million project must be approved by the California Public Utilities Commission.

·         Read background: The New York Times and Green Wombat blog

·         Read more: “ UC Irvine to Install 1.2 Megawatts of Solar Power; PPAs Dominating the Solar Market” (e-Newswire, 2/21/08)

·         Read more: “ Solar Power Investment and Installations Soaring in California” (Power Plug, 2/14/08)

·         Read more: “ PG&E to Buy 553 MW of Solar Power From World’s Largest Concentrated Solar Plant” (e-Newswire, 8/08/07)

Posted by Justin Gerdes on 04/02/08. Email story

Filed under: Commercial, Renewable Energy

Palomar College Reaps Rebates and Energy Savings With New Science Building

Designed by Marlene Imirzian & Associates Architects and SC Engineers, Palomar College’s new Natural Sciences Building employs natural lighting, extra insulation, a computer-controlled heating and cooling system, and light-switch controls controlled by occupancy sensors. The green features have helped earn the community college more than $131,000 in cash incentives from San Diego Gas & Electric Company through the statewide Savings By Design program. Efficiency measures designed into the $32 million, 107,000-sq.-ft. science building will save the district about $275,000 annually in energy costs compared with a conventional building. That equates to a savings of about 1.3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, or enough to power about 200 medium-sized homes annually. College officials say they intend to implement energy-saving features used in the Natural Sciences Building in upcoming construction projects.

·         Read “ Palomar College Receives Accolades for New Science Building,” By Noelle Ibrahim, North County Times (3/12/08)
 

·         Use Flex Your Power’s Rebates, Incentives and Services Locator

·         Read more: “ Contra Costa County Community Colleges Undertaking North America’s Largest Solar and Efficiency Project for Higher Education” (e-Newswire, 2/06/08)

·         Read more: “ East Los Angeles College to Be First LACCD Campus to Go Off-Grid‘ (e-Newswire, 9/19/07)

Posted by Stacey Meinzen on 04/02/08. Email story

Filed under: Success Stories, Institutional

UC Santa Barbara Cutting GHG Emissions With Host of Energy- and Water-Saving Measures

The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) is cutting power use through lighting, HVAC and equipment upgrades, and is saving 11,300,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity (17.3%), 146,000 therms of natural gas and $1,389,000 annually. Most importantly, these measures have reduced GHG emissions by 8,100 tons (16,200,000 pounds). To save even more energy the school has taken serious water conservation measures, installing waterless urinals and drought-resistant landscaping. UCSB also involves the student body with educational programs, competitions and other activities that promote conservation. UCSB was the recipient of an Energy Efficiency Award in the 5th Annual Flex Your Power Awards.

·         Read background

·         View the winners of the 5th Annual Flex Your Power Awards

·         Read Flex Your Power’s Best Practices Guide for Commercial Office Buildings

Posted by Justin Gerdes on 04/02/08. Email story

Filed under: Success Stories, Institutional

UCLA Researchers Release Updated Home Energy Efficiency Design Tool

Researchers at the UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design have posted online a new release of HEED (Home Energy Efficiency Design), a no-cost energy design tool that helps consumers make energy-efficient design and remodeling decisions for their homes. New to this version of HEED is the ability to draw in your own home, including placing windows and doors at their correct locations, and pick your construction type. Add different energy efficiency design options, and HEED automatically loads your local climate and utility rates and then calculates your energy consumption as reflected in a bar chart with dollars per year, kBTU per year or pounds of greenhouse gas CO ₂ as a percentage of your base-case home. Particularly useful for homeowners looking to add solar systems and take advantage of California Solar Initiative (CSI) incentives, HEED can help you decide among efficiency options that will get your home to CSI Tier 1 (15% stronger than Title 24 requirements) and Tier 2 (35% stronger than Title 24).

·         Use the updated version of HEED

·         Read more: “ New Software Creates Carbon-Neutral Building Design in Minutes” (e-Newswire, 10/31/07)

·         Read more: “ ‘Climate Consultant’ Software Helps Californians Design Energy-Efficient Homes” (e-Newswire, 3/07/07)

·         Energy- and money-saving tips for your home

Posted by Justin Gerdes on 04/02/08. Email story

Filed under: Technology and Products, Residential

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