Community | September 11, 2009 | 4 comments

Green Diplomacy on Display at U.S. Mission

source: http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/green-diplomacy-on-display-at-us-mission/

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Vierotchka
(The U.S. Mission in Geneva is festooned with solar panels, and it now uses a high-efficiency air-conditioning system.)

Until four years ago, the United States Mission in Geneva was another unassuming concrete office block in the city’s diplomatic district.

Now staff members can boast the building is a showcase for green technologies.

The transformation began when the exterior of the building began to crumble earlier this decade. Instead of carrying out a straightforward restoration, however, diplomats asked the State Department to install a solar electric system.

Douglas M. Griffiths, the deputy permanent representative at the mission and an economic officer there when the idea for the solar system arose, said the panels protected the facade from sun and water and reduced the need for cooling by shading the windows.

But Mr. Griffiths said the project also had political benefits at a time when the United States was seen by many governments as turning up its nose at global efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

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More at link.

This seems to be the only US building abroad using so much renewable, clean energy - a show for the UN and for the very environment-conscious Swiss people...
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4 comments // Green Diplomacy on Display at U.S. Mission

  • Vierotchka
    • 0
      Vierotchka  

    • neocongo, I merely copy/pasted a comment that was made below that article - it doesn't reflect my position. I don't hate the US, I do hate its politics, especially its foreign policies which have wreaked so much death and destruction around the world for many decades.

    • 2 years ago
  • neocongo
    • 0
      neocongo  

    • Nuclear energy is clean? LMAO Thanks for the never dying toxic waste. The panels will pay for themselves in 6 years, the AC in 10. Why the love for nuclear energy and the hate for the US's efforts to go green, V?

    • 2 years ago
  • Solarlife
    • 0
      Solarlife  

    • U.S. Mission in Geneva solar panels, high-efficiency AC.

      Solar I can see, I believe in it. especially in Europe this is a good Image for Green Building (Leed). The panels are in summer shadowing the windows, saves AC.

      Well done we are on our way. good news for Solarlife, just to remember the Pope of Rome Ratzinger is handling a stunning 100 MW solar installation for the Vatican.

    • 2 years ago
  • Vierotchka
    • 0
      Vierotchka  

    • Interesting comment below that article:

      What’s the point? 95% of Switzerland’s electric generation is already clean.

      http://www.iea.org/Textbase/stats/electricitydata.asp?COUNTRY_CODE=CH

      A combination of nuclear and hydropower - the two actually cheap and realistic forms of clean energy.

      Yet the complete eradication of fossil fuels in Swiss electricity is not newsworthy, compared to this absurd little PR stunt which can’t even power the building it defaces. No, it’s far less important; it’s not worthy to be a footnote to this story.

      "The reported savings of $70,000 per year, times ten years, only comes to $700,000 or roughly half the reported cost."

      The “savings” is from government subsidies, aka “preferential rates” per the article.

    • 2 years ago
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