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Here is a roundup of the latest news in renewable power installations and contracts:
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Here is a roundup of the latest news in renewable power installations and contracts:
Ikea has started operating a 290 kW solar energy system at its Burbank, Calif., store. The 35,000 square foot array has about 1,260 panels and is expected to produce 421,300 kWh of electricity a year. That should help IKEA reduce carbon dioxide by at least 334 tons – equaling the emissions of 58 cars a year.
Google will invest $168 million in equity in the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (pictured), a gargantuan 370 MW project being planned for southeast California. Developer BrightSource Energy said it has also finalized $1.6 billion in loans guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the project, which is due online in 2013.
BrightSource Energy estimates that the plant will power 140,000 homes, although the DOE puts that number at 85,000, Cnet reports. The power generated will be sold to California utilities Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison.
Another massive solar plant, the 250 MW California Valley Solar Ranch, has just received a $1.187 billion conditional loan guarantee commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy. The plant in San Luis Obispo County is expected to power about 100,000 homes and will be one of the largest photovoltaic power plants in the world when complete.
SunPower Corporation is leading the development, and NRG Energy will assume ownership after completion, which is due in 2013.
Oceanic Time Warner Cable has completed an 856 kW solar canopy system at its Mililani Tech Park facility in Hawaii, in a partnership with Chevron Energy Solutions and Tioga Energy. Tioga will own and operate the installation under a 20-year power purchase agreement, and will sell the electricity back to Oceanic Time Warner at rates below those of the local utility.
Retirement home builder Del Webb is including a roof-integrated solar power system by SunPower Corporation at two new communities in the Phoenix area. The developments will offer about 11,200 homes, whose other environmental features will include high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, CFLs, enhanced attic insulation, tankless water heaters and low water use toilets and fixtures.
Refrigerated pasta company Pasta Prima has announced that it is now using 100 percent renewable energy. Last year, the company invested over $2 million in a rooftop solar array that is expected to produce 70 percent of the power for its Benicia, Calif., manufacturing plant. The remainder of the company’s power is now offset with Green-e certified renewable energy credits, and comes from wind power, Pasta Prima said.
A football stadium being built at the University of North Texas will be the first new collegiate venue with onsite wind power, according to designers HKS Sports & Entertainment Group. The 30,000-seat venue has secured a $2 million grant from the state Energy Conservation Office for the installation of three turbines, and is seeking LEED Gold or Platinum certification. It is due to open in September.
Finally, Oregon State University has won LEED Platinum certification for its new 6.5 MW cogeneration power plant, which combines heating and electricity generation. The facility generates nearly half of the university’s electrical needs and is the first LEED Platinum power plant in the country, Sustainable Business reports.
The plant runs on natural gas, but can also run on biodiesel and methane. It is expected to lower the university’s energy costs by about $650,000 a year.Here is a roundup of the latest news in renewable power installations and contracts:... more
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The City of Houston opened a Green Resource Center in the Code Enforcement Building to assist citizens and companies in finding green alternatives for new building and renovation projects. By offering classes, workshops, mixers and hands on demostrations of many products and services available the City of Houston helps make Houston a greener city to live in.The City of Houston opened a Green Resource Center in the Code Enforcement Building to... more
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Fighting climate change just got fun. Join green building auditor Eddie Zareh as he pokes fun at the important work he loves to do. Finally, an Environmentalist with a sense of humor!Fighting climate change just got fun. Join green building auditor Eddie Zareh as he... more
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First LEED certified K-12 School in Texas. They also teach green practices within the classrooms and bring the surrounding community together by composting, solar panel installations, and "green" nights to educate parents and children on living and learning green.First LEED certified K-12 School in Texas. They also teach green practices within the... more
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Habitat for Humanity is one of the most popular volunteer activities among Vigilant employees. A few days ago, 12 of us headed out to the current Montreal build site to lend our expertise on the project. We volunteered our time at the same site in 2009, but that time we helped put in rebar in the foundation-building stage. One year later, we’re helping with the finishing touches of a brand new, affordable home for a much-deserving Montreal family.We were divided into teams, each tackling different projects. Some of us have a highly-developed ‘Do-It-Yourself’ skill-set, while others, like me, are DIY-ers in the making…
The newbies got to work on painting baseboards, window and door frames, while the veterans fixed leaks and put in hardwood floors much to the delight of the Habitat project manager. By the end of the day, they were experts at using a table saw, miter saw, and pneumatic nail gun.
Habitat for Humanity build site
I was lucky enough to attend the key-giving ceremony for the completed unit a few weeks ago and met the family who will soon move into their new home. It was even better to be able to give back by getting my hands dirty – albeit with paint and not sawdust – and really feeling like I had contributed to something worthwhile.
http://blog.vigilantfutures.com/community/how-many-vigilant-employees-does-it-take-to-build-a-house#Habitat for Humanity is one of the most popular volunteer activities among Vigilant... more
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by Rosie Powers, Media Consortium blogger
The Obama administration finally agreed to assemble solar panels on the roof of the White House. It’s encouraging news, considering that Congress was unable to pass climate change legislation this year.
While Congress may not get it, citizens across the country have committed to building green using energy-efficient guidelines such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), a rating system set out by the U.S. Green Building Council. Green buildings are no longer reserved for the wealthy or the province of distant countries. They are becoming a well-traveled path to a sustainable future.
Consideration of inward, rather than outward, urban development encourages major cities to be more self-contained and sustainable in the realms of energy and water usage. Inclusion of building features such as solar panels and energy-efficient window and wall insulation insure that energy is self-produced and not wasted.
The White House panels
Activist Bill McKibben and 350.org led the campaign to reinstall solar panels on the White House. McKibben and several college students began their road trip in Maine and delivered the panels on Sept. 10. The the solar panels were rejected at first because the administration did not want to “give the right another talking point comparing Obama to Jimmy Carter,” writes Salon. But the Obama administration changed its stance and accepted the two panels Oct. 5. Beth Buczynski of Care2 has the story.
Setbacks
Although the installation of the solar panels is encouraging, it doesn’t change the fact that Congress has not passed any substantial climate legislation this year. Furthermore, President Barack Obama faces an uphill battle with Congress regarding the regulation of carbon emissions, according to Agence France Presse in AlterNet.
At Grist, David Roberts claims that many senators have opposed climate legislation not only to align with their party, but because of ignorance. Roberts quotes a senate staffer:
“That fact is, he said, most senators, even the ones directly involved in the fight over climate policy, don’t know the rudimentary facts about climate change or clean energy. They understand very little about the policies in question or how those policies will affect their constituents.”
Green buildings
Yet sustainable development has gained momentum, despite a lack of congressional backing. Cities such as Portland and Seattle have championed self-sustaining, inward development, while Chicago is building its first pre-fab home this fall. LEED is a common, third-party evaluation of a building’s environmental sustainability. The rating system measures carbon emissions, water conservation, energy efficiency and consciousness about materials and resources used for the project.
Additional building standards have also emerged. Architect Jason McLennan has created the “Living Building Challenge”, which requires new structures be self-sustaining in regards to energy and water usage. Jonathon Hiskes of Grist writes that although the rating system is more strict than LEED, around 70 buildings have striven to meet the challenge.
“The point of our whole movement is to create abundance of life, and a healthy ecosystem for all future generations,” McLennan told Hiskes. “We have a current industrial system where nobody knows what’s in our materials, and there’s no plan for where they go with those chemicals when their lifespan is over.”
The rise of the eco-city
Congressional members and ecologically concerned citizens should look abroad for the best examples of sustainable building initiatives. Tianjin, China, the country’s third largest industrial city, began construction of one of the country’s first eco-cities. The proposed city, which would be 11.6 square miles, would house a population of 350,000 and include contributions of sustainable building material from Japanese company Hitachi and Dutch company Philips.
Tianjin’s developers say the city “will serve as an ultra-efficient alternative to ill-planned and heavily polluting mega-cities not only elsewhere in the country, but around the world.”
Siben Linden, a well-known German eco-village, is composed of straw buildings that serve as multi-family homes for around 80 adults and 30 children, according to Athena and Bill Steen of Chelsea Green. The village is agriculturally self-sustaining and is powered by photovoltaic systems. As a result, the total carbon emissions equal about 10 percent of the average German energy usage.
The future may seem far away, but with regards to sustainable development, it’s closer than we think. Congress just needs to realize it.
This post features links to the best independent, progressive reporting about the environment by members of The Media Consortium. It is free to reprint. Visit the Mulch for a complete list of articles on environmental issues, or follow us on Twitter. And for the best progressive reporting on critical economy, health care and immigration issues, check out The Audit, The Pulse, and The Diaspora. This is a project of The Media Consortium, a network of leading independent media outlets.by Rosie Powers, Media Consortium blogger
The Obama administration finally agreed... more
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Building engineers and real estate agents have seemingly become interchangeable in owners’ minds, as economics dominate hiring and retention decisions in property management. For the superintendent accustomed to keeping the building humming, the leasing, sales and paperwork expectations can be overwhelming. For the real estate agent more in tune with people management, standard building maintenance is a heavy responsibility. Of course, in this economy we are all becoming highly adaptable, but there can be a learning curve for anyone pulling double-duty. This article demonstrates that building economic performance can be enhanced with green management, even on a budget.
http://greenlandlady.com/site/business/green-property-management-on-a-budget/Building engineers and real estate agents have seemingly become interchangeable in... more
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Small town mayors may not have the biggest budgets, but they can sometimes impact their communities on a much more significant scale. Here are 20 small town mayors who are changing things in a good way.
link:http://www.masterofpublicadministration.org/top-20-small-town-mayors-shaking-things-up-in-a-good-way.htmlSmall town mayors may not have the biggest budgets, but they can sometimes impact... more
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The grand opening of the EcoCenter at Heron's Head Park is set to jump off the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. On Sunday, April 18 Literacy for Environmental Justice (LEJ) will be holding its 10th Annual People's Earth Day celebration to throw open the doors of one of the first environmental justice education centers of its kind anywhere. In San Francisco, one of the greenest cities in America, a grassroots environmental justice youth empowerment organization is about to raise its proverbial green roof on a virtually carbon neutral building meant for environmental education of its own and the greater community. To be located in Bayview Hunters Point, a neighborhood with a toxic legacy, the EcoCenter and its signature reclaimed aluminum Great Blue Heron which was sculpted, melted, and poured by District youth could become a symbol of self-determination for a community that like the phoenix medallion on Coit Tower at Telegraph Hill is on a meteoric rise out of the ashes of the implosion of a former PG & E power plant whose site is less than a football field away. As a staff educator noted, just over a century later on the anniversary of the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, a small non-profit funded by government funders and private donations is going to shake things up in the southeast corner of this city full of hybrid cars and locavores by showing the world that a few youth with green jobs can harness the fire of the sun to think globally and act locally.
http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Solar-powered-classroom-about-to-make-debut-90535939.html
http://www.earthday.org/events/10th-annual-peoples-earth-day-grand-opening-ecology-education-center
www.lejyouth.orgThe grand opening of the EcoCenter at Heron's Head Park is set to jump off the... more
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Despite his notorious record of slashing environmental protection budgets and consistently relaxing regulations for industrial polluters, George W. Bush's library blueprints demonstrate that green buildings have become the standard for modern construction in Texas.
Dallas News reports that the George W. Bush Presidential Center, slated to be built on a lonely patch of condominium land near the freeway, will meet the highest environmental and energy standards, despite a size of nearly a quarter-million square feet.
The center's 23-acre tract will include native plants and sophisticated conservation measures, such as a wetland and underground cisterns to catch and recycle most rainwater. The building, made of Texas materials over cast concrete, will get nearly 10 percent of its electricity and all of its hot water from solar energy.
"There's definitely a need for our society to evolve to more sustainable development practices. It makes sense for a variety of reasons," said Mark Langdale, president of the George W. Bush Foundation, which is coordinating the project.
Keep reading... http://ow.ly/1oxonDespite his notorious record of slashing environmental protection budgets and... more
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Environmentally friendly building design is becoming more and more mainstream in Central Florida. On February 24, 2010 7-Eleven opened a new store in Deland, FL that they hope will be their first to earn a LEED® Certified rating.
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, developed by the United States Green Building Council provides standards for environmentally sustainable construction and awards certification on four levels (Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum).
The 7-Eleven is located on a previously developed auto mechanic shop and was originally covered with an impermeable asphalt surface, but now more than a third of the property includes areas landscaped with native, drought-tolerant plants (with drip irrigation) and permeable surfaces (decreasing demand on the city’s storm sewer system). An outdoor eating area with cypress pergolas and arbors was provided for customers.
The 7-Eleven store incorporates a number of additional features that help qualify it for LEED Certification including:
* Light-colored concrete parking and roofing surfaces reduce the “heat island effect”: heat radiated back in the air typically by dark surfaces.
* High-efficiency HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning system) with UV system should eliminate viruses, bacteria and mold from entering the interior air.
* LED (light-emitting diode) signage and light fixtures help minimize energy demand and heat output; skylights installed to provide additional day lighting.
* Efficient water closets and lavatories reduce water usage.
* A waste management plan implemented to divert construction waste from being sent to the landfill.
* Many construction materials sourced within 500 miles of the site to decrease shipping burden.
* Many installed materials contain recycled content and half of the wood used is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
(Read more on the original post!)Environmentally friendly building design is becoming more and more mainstream in... more
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"With over 16,797,000 square feet (1,560,500 m2), the recently opened City Center Las Vegas has become one of the largest LEED certified projects in the world.
Inside the complex we find several towers, with hotels, casino and residences, from which the Mandarin Oriental, ARIA Resort’s hotel tower, ARIA’s convention center and theater, Vdara Hotel & Spa, Crystals and Veer towers have received LEED Gold certification.
CityCenter commenced in 2004 as a blank canvas 67 acres in size, imagined by a diverse group of people with the energy, foresight and talent to create the most ambitious and visionary development ever conceived in one of the world’s most dynamic cities.
Sustainable highlights:
· First energy-generation on The Strip through its 8.5 megawatt natural-gas co-generation plant, providing efficient electricity on site, reducing emissions and using “waste heat” to provide domestic hot water
· World’s first fleet of stretch limos powered by clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG)
· Water conservation technology and programs that will save between 30% and 43% of water within the buildings and 60% in outdoor landscaping, for an overall savings of approximately 50 million gallons annually
· Energy-efficiency initiatives providing a savings equivalent to powering 8,800 households annually
· Development of slot machine bases that serve as floor air-conditioning units, efficiently cooling guests from the ground up, rather than wasting energy on empty space by cooling from the ceiling
· Creation of a large-scale recycling operation that enabled the recycling or reuse of more than 260,000 tons of construction waste, more than 80% of the imploded Boardwalk Hotel"
More detail at the link."With over 16,797,000 square feet (1,560,500 m2), the recently opened City Center... more
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"Over the past decade, sustainable design has been transformed from a fringe movement to big business. However, given the sheer scale of the environmental damage caused by the built environment, it’s clear that far more must be done. To prevent future catastrophes, the industry must both scale up its green initiatives and increase their effectiveness."
Here is a quick interview with the Vice President of the US Green Building Council (USBGC). What is LEED and what is it doing to promote innovation?"Over the past decade, sustainable design has been transformed from a fringe... more
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...what’s really exciting is the fact that the first net-zero energy public school is scheduled to open this year in Warren County, Kentucky.
The Warren County Public School System is no stranger to saving energy though. They received the 2009 Andromeda Star of Energy Efficiency Award for their ongoing commitment to reducing energy in their schools while at the same time educating their students on the benefits of energy efficiency. Their accomplishments included saving more than $4 million in energy savings over the prior 4 years, 28% reduction in energy usage, Energy Star ratings on fourteen buildings and more.
Now, in collaboration with CMTA, (a leader in engineering energy-efficient, green and highly sustainable buildings and schools) and the LEED Accredited Professionals from Sherman Carter Barnhart, Warren County is gearing up to have the first zero energy public school in the United States - Richardsville Elementary School.
Some of the key features in this zero energy public school include: insulated concrete form wall construction, geothermal HVAC with CO2 monitoring, daylighting through light shelves and Solatubes®, compact two-story design with reduced building volume, thin roof-adhered thin film photovoltaic system, energy-efficient lighting, reduced plug loads for computers, reduced energy use in the kitchen, solar water heating, bioswales, etc.
Full story at: http://biofriendly.com/blog/energy/first-net-zero-energy-public-school-set-to-open-this-year/...what’s really exciting is the fact that the first net-zero energy public... more
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The new neighbourhood features a building that produces as much power as it uses, a renewable neighbourhood heating system, and for combination of zoning uses. Congratulations on your Platinum LEED certification, Vancouver!The new neighbourhood features a building that produces as much power as it uses, a... more
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Newspaper ballgowns, recycled plastic sandals and coats made of wool from "happy and free" sheep -- designers are showing clothes to make Mother Nature smile at GreenShows Eco Fashion Week.
After a first run last September, the event's second fashion week kicks off on Sunday, with 10 designers sending models down runways at an East Village building in New York City.Newspaper ballgowns, recycled plastic sandals and coats made of wool from "happy... more
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