All GREEN no WASTE.......

RESORTS with lots of GREEN and little WASTE.......

By Lisa Marie, January 22, 2011

Oasis of GREEN in the South Pacific

Jean - Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort

Jean-Michel Cousteau, famed oceanographer and explorer, has spent his life communicating his devotion and concern for our planet to people of all nations and generations. As  the son of the late Jacques Cousteau, Jean-Michel is dedicated to sharing with environmental adventurers his love of land, ocean and culture -- and his commitment to their preservation.

Jean-Michel's passion for the indigenous people of Fiji, their culture, traditions, warmth and natural hospitality have led him to create an eco-friendly resort with a unique environmental philosophy. "Here we strive to maintain nature's perfect balance by respecting and participating in the living vitality of our environment.  Our ethic at the Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort is to take as little from the environment as possible, to give back as much as we can, and to respect others with whom we share this place."

Tucked beneath The Golden Gate Bridge
Cavallo Point Lodge

Originally inhabited by the coastal Miwok tribes, Horseshoe Cove - the beautiful setting for Resort Cavallo Point, became home to Fort Baker long before there was a Golden Gate Bridge. In 1866, the U.S. Army acquired the site for a military base to fortify the north side of the Golden Gate. The 24 buildings around the 10-acre parade ground at Fort Baker took shape between 1901 and 1915. The Army post remained active through World War II.  The property, long since abandoned by the US Government, is now the site of a gorgeous waterfront  Cavallo Point Resort and Spa. 

Cavallo Point is set apart by guiding principles that focus on its environmental and social ethos. Its stakeholders are proud of creating a welcoming and environmentally responsible experience for visitors, while restoring historic Fort Baker for generations to come.

Green Philosophy
Cavallo Point's long list of initiatives to support sustainability, stewardship and preservation reflects the commitments of all stakeholders involved in this treasured National Park site. Since the project's inception, environmental initiatives have been a priority.

U.S. Green Building Council had awarded LEED Gold Certification to Cavallo Point, after myriad efforts to make the project as green as possible. These include dozens of activities, among them re-use of historic materials, landscape restoration with native plants, and use of green building elements. The lodge also works to meet the Green Seal Environmental Standard for U.S. Lodging Properties. Some eco-efforts create awareness among visitors, like naming our meeting rooms after local rare, threatened and endangered species, such as the Mission Blue butterfly. Cavallo Point is proud to have received numerous honors for its green efforts.

The Institute at the Golden Gate
As part of Cavallo Point's commitment to sustainability, the Institute at the Golden Gate made its debut in fall 2008. Created by the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy in partnership with the National Park Service, the Institute promotes dialogue, collaboration, shared problem solving, and action for a sustainable world. Gathering global leaders in the non-profit, government and business sectors, the Institute connects scientists, policy makers, youth leaders, and non-profit and business managers to develop solutions to critical issues. Programs focus on sustainability, national parks and protected areas, environmental arts and communication, resource conservation and other topics to improve the health and quality of our environment. 

http://www.instituteatgoldengate.org/

California Solar Adventure

Post Ranch Inn - Big Sur, CA



Solar Panels  - Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur CA



The Post Ranch Inn, located off the scenic Highway 1 in California is recognized throughout the world as a leading green coastal property.  Two years ago, they switched on a 990-panel solar installation, the largest hotel solar project in California and one of the largest in the United States. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the system is estimated to reduce carbon emissions by 611,000 pounds annually. That is equivalent to removing more than 50 vehicles from the road or serving nearly 39 U.S. households’ electricity needs. 

The solar array is owned and operated by Recurrent Energy, a distributed power company and leading provider of onsite solar energy. Post Ranch buys its electricity generated by the system from Recurrent Energy through a power purchase agreement (PPA) at an estimated lower rate than Post Ranch would pay the utility company. In addition, Post Ranch is now insulated from future utility increases. After 15 years of operation, the hotel can purchase the system at a nominal cost and produce free electricity for itself.



“This solar project is a remarkable event at Post Ranch Inn, which, this year, celebrates its 17th anniversary,” said Mike Freed, managing partner at Post Ranch Inn. “We are now able to run much of the hotel with energy generated at the hotel. We hope Post Ranch will become an example of how solar can be installed with little cost, yet deliver all the benefits. The hotel industry is perfect for solar as energy consumption is highest during off-peak hours. Contact: www.PostRanch.com

From the moment you arrive, Post Ranch's respect for the land and commitment to the environment are evident. Guests are chauffeured in a Lexus Hybrid. The solar array minimizes energy use. Lodgings are built from sustainable materials and complement natural surroundings.  



Landscaping uses native plants and is drought-resistant. Our cleaning system is biodegradable. Grounds provide habitat for the endangered Smith’s Blue Butterfly, California Red-Legged Frog, Western Pond Turtle and California Condor. 

A long-time leader in responsible tourism, Post Ranch’s goal is to create a distinctive, luxurious guest experience that melds seamlessly with environmental and social stewardship.  

Originally posted by: SOLAR ENERGY MONITOR

 



Sustainable Living ...... growing exponentially!

You ask how?.....

                             ......The answer is simple. A healthy environment, economic profitability and socially economic equity. When people in many different capacities, from farmers to consumers, have shared this vision and contributed to it, despite the diversity of people and perspectives, these themes commonly weave through definitions of sustainable agriculture.

REAL FOOD - Stone Barns is home to Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant and Blue Hill Café.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns has no menus, at least not the traditional kind. Instead, the kitchen creates multi-course “farmer’s feasts” around the day’s harvest (and around the diner too). Guests experience the freshest possible ingredients, virtually yards from where they were grown or raised.

The restaurant is a critical part of the Stone Barns community. Blue Hill contributes to the Center’s financial sustainability as the largest customer of its livestock and four-season-farm operations. Cooks walk the farm and collaborate with the farmers. They are as excited about helping to dig sunchokes from partially frozen early-spring fields as they are about pureeing them for the restaurant’s guests. Blue Hill staff members also teach an in-the-kitchen class every month featuring seasonal ingredients. 

Dan Barber, executive chef and co-owner of Blue Hill at Stone Barns, puts it this way: “The menu is dictated by the farmers. Stone Barns Center grows what is best for this locality and raises the animals the pasture can support. It’s a wonderful way to cook and a wonderful way to be involved in food. For our guests, this type of eating is not only delicious, it’s participating in the farm—and that is the whole point.”

(For more info visit: http://www.bluehillfarm.com/)

EDIBLE SCHOOLYARD - What is that?

In 1996 ALice Waters started the Edible Schoolyard as part of her commitment to education.  Sitting in the center of a one acre garden at a California Middle School, Waters's kitchen-classroom, and an “eco-gastronomic” curriculum lives on. By actively involving a thousand students in all aspects of the food cycle, The Edible Schoolyard is a model public education program that instills the knowledge and values we need to build a humane and sustainable future. The program is nationally recognized for its efforts to integrate gardening, cooking, and sharing school lunch into the core academic curriculum. Alice established the Chez Panisse Foundation in 1996 to support the Schoolyard and encourage similar programs that use food traditions to teach, nurture, and empower young people. The success of The Edible Schoolyard led to the School Lunch Initiative, whose national agenda integrates a nutritious daily lunch and gardening experience into the academic curriculum of all public schools in the United States.

(For more info visit: http://www.chezpanisse.com/)

WATER - This Natural Resource and Farming

According to UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, University of California, Davis - Gail Feenstra writes.... When the production of food and fiber degrades the natural resource base, the ability of future generations to produce and flourish decreases. The decline of ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia, the Mediterranean region, Pre-Columbian southwest U.S. and Central America is believed to have been strongly influenced by natural resource degradation from non-sustainable farming and forestry practices. Water is the principal resource that has helped agriculture and society to prosper, and it has been a major limiting factor when mismanaged.

Water supply versus use - In California, an extensive water storage and transfer system has been established which has allowed crop production to expand to very arid regions. In drought years, limited surface water supplies have prompted overdraft of groundwater and consequent intrusion of salt water, or permanent collapse of aquifers. Periodic droughts, some lasting up to 50 years, have occurred in California. Several steps should be taken to develop drought-resistant farming systems even in "normal" years, including both policy and management actions: 1) improving water conservation and storage measures, 2) providing incentives for selection of drought-tolerant crop species, 3) using reduced-volume irrigation systems, 4) managing crops to reduce water loss, or 5) not planting at all.

Results from the Vortisand Filtering System

Water quality. The most important issues related to water quality involve salinization and contamination of ground and surface waters by pesticides, nitrates and selenium. Salinity has become a problem wherever water of even relatively low salt content is used on shallow soils in arid regions and/or where the water table is near the root zone of crops. Tile drainage can remove the water and salts, but the disposal of the salts and other contaminants may negatively affect the environment depending upon where they are deposited. Temporary solutions include the use of salt-tolerant crops, low-volume irrigation, and various management techniques to minimize the effects of salts on crops. In the long-term, some farmland may need to be removed from production or converted to other uses. Other uses include conversion of row crop land to production of drought-tolerant forages, the restoration of wildlife habitat or the use of agroforestry to minimize the impacts of salinity and high water tables. Pesticide and nitrate contamination of water can be reduced using many of the practices discussed later in the Plant Production Practices and Animal Production Practices sections.  These days, many engineers, architects and consultants are turning toward high efficiency filtering systems like the Vortisand to accomodate environmentally friendly alternative water systems.

(For more info visit: http:// www.emcosystems.net )

GREEN FARMING - Farming Practices and Philosophy

A growing movement has emerged during the past two decades to question the role of the agricultural establishment in promoting practices that contribute to these social problems. Today this movement for sustainable agriculture is garnering increasing support and acceptance within mainstream agriculture. Not only does sustainable agriculture address many environmental and social concerns, but it offers innovative and economically viable opportunities for growers, laborers, consumers, policymakers and many others in the entire food system.

Green Strings Farms in Petaluma California -

Green String farming defies categorization: because it always refers back to the land for guidance, it is necessarily a local endeavor and one which will be different depending on the farm and the farmer. The primary focus of what we do here is on growing food for people while simultaneously improving the land we grow on.

By staying in step with natural processes, we are able to produce beautiful food crops with very low input; this works because plants that grow up without the influence of outside or artificial assistance learn how to fend for themselves by creating or attracting substances in their bodies which are equally beneficial to our bodies (things like vitamins and minerals, as well as all-important anti-oxidants).Secondly, by maintaining an important balance between crops grown for human consumption and crops grown to improve the soil, Green String farmers always give back to the earth the same amount the earth gives to us. Unlike conventional produce which is grown in conditions specifically designed to put out the highest and fastest possible yields (and without room for anything but the food crop), Green String produce grows under more natural conditions, with the help of farmers who are listening to what their land tells them throughout the year.

We live and grow by the motto, "one for humanity, one for nature"; anytime we plant a food crop at Green String, we plant at least one soil improvement crop along with it. Cover crops improve the soil by adding structure to it and by bringing in minerals. In general, the higher the number and diversity of crops we grow, the better chance each crop has of thriving. This is because each plant requires good soil structure to grow, and good soil structure depends upon the introduction of organic matter.

The soil here in Petaluma has a very high clay content and, because of past use for large-scale dairy farming, much of the farmland here is extremely compacted (meaning it holds a lot of water, and doesn't let much air in). Cover crops represent one tool we use to create a balance between air and water in the soil, and to add minerals. When we let cover crops grow to maturity, die, and then reintroduce themselves into the ground, these crops add much-needed nitrogen, while also providing the root structure that holds the soil together. Some examples of cover crops we use are barley, wheat, triticale, fava beans, and clover.

Another aspect of farming with cover crops is time space sharing: by planting a variety of crops with a variety of maturing times in one space and letting them grow up together, the Green String farmer achieves a steady food supply and soil improvement all at once, and uses less land in doing so.

(General inquiries: info@greenstringfarm.com)

Do you smell ROSES or.........GARBAGE?

Have you ever really wondered where your garbage goes? 

Waste to energy: Emissions no longer an issue

By Anna Austin  / January 12, 2011

Damon Taam at the Pacific West Biomass Conference Trade Show to talk about waste to energy development.

Emissions are no longer an issue when building waste-to-energy facilities today, thanks to technological innovations over the years. Rather, one of the biggest issues today is public perception and/or NIMBYism (not in my back yard).

That was one of the key points made during the second plenary panel, Maximizing an Embattled Biomass Stream: Waste-to-Energy Developments in the Pacific West, at BBI International’s Pacific West Biomass Conference Trade Show in Seattle, Jan. 10-12.

Three panelists discussed the benefits and advancements of waste to energy (WTE) and the nation’s increased demand for it, the challenges involved, and some examples of successful projects and investments.

Panel moderator Robert Grott, executive director of the Northwest Environmental Business Council, pointed out that many landfills in the Pacific West and across the country are at or nearing capacity, and options to reduce waste are limited. “We have technologies in development to convert trash into chemicals, heat, fuel and power but we face regulatory environments that make deployment of them nearly impossible,” he said. So for now and some time to come, waste to energy is the best available option.

Self-proclaimed garbage engineer Damon Taam, system contract manager for the Spokane Regional Solid Waste System, said Spokane generates about 300,000 tons of the 5 million tons of waste Washington generates each year. Taam has spent more than 30 years in the WTE industry and played a significant role in the development of Spokane’s waste-to-energy facility, one of only three in the state. “It’s very clean, and very efficient and solves multiple problems for Spokane,” he said.

On the developer side, Taam points out that garbage is an attractive renewable energy resource. “It’s [attractive] because people pay you to take it, and you get energy from it and then people pay you for that. The development of renewable energy costs money, and this is a way to generate extra revenue.”

Because garbage is garbage there are some constraints, Taam admitted, but these constraints have to be overcome because the population is increasing and so is the amount of waste generated. “It’s a lot like a wastewater plant—it’s coming down the pipe, and you better take care of it,” he said.

Next, Waste Management-Pacific Northwest Area Vice President Dean Kattler discussed the company’s current waste-to-energy capacity, its investments in emerging technologies and plans for the future.

Waste Management’s Wheelabrator division currently operates 17 WTE facilities across the U.S., he said. The company is also involved in 124 landfill gas projects, is co-owner of the largest landfill gas-to-liquid natural gas plant in the country, and has investments in or partnerships with five WTE technology companies in North America.

One of the investments is a partnership with plasma enhanced melter technology company InEnTec, to form joint venture company S4 Energy Solutions. Together the companies have constructed a 25-ton-per-day (TPD) pilot facility in Arlington, Ore., at a Waste Management landfill, which is opening in early 2011 for testing.

The facility may be quite small, but Kettler points out that with WTE comes trial and error. “Scalability is a major concern with plasma gasification, so that’s why we’re taking very small steps with a 25-TPD facility,” he said. “You might have heard that plasma gasification is becoming the buzzword and there are some plants being built that are 200, 300 and 400 TPD, but we truly believe they are not sustainable and that technology isn’t ready for that size of commercial application at this stage.”

Final presenter Conrad Fichtner of AECOM discussed a study the company performed for Metro Vancouver to look at waste treatment, energy recovery and disposal solutions. Several options were explored, he said, including mechanical biological treatment, WTE (mass burn), a new, remote landfill 200 miles away and various combinations.

AECOM’s findings were that WTE was the most economical option, and provided the best carbon dioxide benefits compared to landfilling. “Can you build a WTE facility in a big city? You bet you can,” Fichtner said. “We don’t need to be afraid of WTE from an emissions perspective anymore. There’s this [public] perception that we kill babies, but we don’t. In Canada, it isn’t regulatory issues, it’s public perception.”

On siting plants, Kettler admitted that the issues are rarely economic, rather, it’s a NIMBY situation. That’s the tough part. “You can show them all the graphs and charts all day long and show them everything but it’s still their mind state.”

On regulations, he said it’s usually just a matter of time. “You just have to have the patience,” he said.

Damon said the U.S. EPA is now a proponent for WTE facilities, rather than a hindrance. He said he gives more than 300 presentations a year to the public to inform them of the benefits of WTE. “We have to educate, educate, educate,” he said. “[In order to move forward] the community first needs to make the decision that this is a positive thing.”

Energy efficient lighting, what you need to know...

...BE CAREFUL!!!  The following was passed on by someone who had a close call with  a "generic" compact fluorescent bulb (CFL).  

 "Below is a picture of a CFL light bulb from my bathroom. I turned it on the other day and then smelled smoke after a few minutes. Four inch flames were spewing out of the side of the ballast like a blow torch! I immediately turned off the lights. But I'm sure it would have caused a fire if I was not right there. Imagine if the kids had left the lights on as usual when they were not in the room.  I took the bulb to the Fire Department to report the incident. The Fireman wasn't at all surprised and said that it was not an uncommon occurrence. Apparently, sometimes when the bulb burns out there is a chance that the ballast can start a fire. He told me that the Fire Marshall had issued reports about the dangers of these bulbs."

CFL's are a great way to get better efficiency out of everyday lighting but they do have serious environmental and health considerations.  This goes beyond any brand name vs. generic bulbs. 

 

The environmental and health considerations apply to all CFL's!

• CFL's typically contain Mercury.  In short, people purchase these bulbs to be energy efficient and in most cases unknowingly bring this "poison" into their homes and businesses. 
• CFL's, as all fluorescent tubes, require proper disposal.  These are not intended to be thrown in the garbage as the mercury will escape to the atmosphere.  Unfortunately disposal is not always convenient.  Below is a related article:

CFL Bulbs Have One Hitch: Toxic Mercury

By Elizabeth Shogren (npr)

The Environmental Protection Agency and some large business, including Wal-Mart, are aggressively promoting the sale of compact fluorescent light bulbs as a way to save energy and fight global warming. They want Americans to buy many millions of them over the coming years.

But these bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, a neurotoxin, and the companies and federal government haven't come up with effective ways to get Americans to recycle them.

"The problem with the bulbs is that they'll break before they get to the landfill. They'll break in containers, or they'll break in a dumpster or they'll break in the trucks. Workers may be exposed to very high levels of mercury when that happens," says John Skinner, executive director of the Solid Waste Association of North America, the trade group for the people who handle trash and recycling.

Skinner says when bulbs break near homes, they can contaminate the soil.

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin, and it's especially dangerous for children and fetuses. Most exposure to mercury comes from eating fish contaminated with mercury,

Some states, cities and counties have outlawed putting CFL bulbs in the trash, but in most states the practice is legal.

Pete Keller works for Eco Lights Northwest, the only company in Washington state that recycles fluorescent lamps. He says it is illegal to put the bulbs in the trash in some counties in Washington, but most people still throw them out.

"I think most people do want to recycle, but if it's not made easy, it doesn't happen," Keller says. "And they're small enough to fit in a trash can. So by nature, I think most people are not recyclers. So if it's small enough to fit in a trash can, that's where it ends up."

Experts agree that it's not easy for most people to recycle these bulbs. Even cities that have curbside recycling won't take the bulbs. So people have to take them to a hazardous-waste collection day or a special facility.

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency program concedes that not enough has been done to urge people to recycle CFL bulbs and make it easier for them to do so.

"I share your frustration that there isn't a national infrastructure for the proper recycling of this product," says Wendy Reed, who manages EPA's Energy Star program. That programs gives the compact bulbs its "energy star" seal of approval.

She says that even though fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, using them contributes less mercury to the environment than using regular incandescent bulbs. That's because they use less electricity — and coal-fired power plants are the biggest source of mercury emissions in the air.

"The compact fluorescent light bulb is a product people can use to positively influence the environment to… prevent mercury emissions as well as greenhouse gas emissions. And it's something that we can do no—— and it's extremely important that we do do i"," Reed says" "And the positive message is, if you recycle them, if you dispose of them properly, then they're doing a world of goo"."

Reed says the agency has been urging stores that sell the bulbs to help recycle them.

"EPA is actively engaged with trying to find a solution that works for these retailers around recycling the product, because it's really, really important," Reed says.

But so far, she says the biggest sellers of the bulbs haven't stepped up to the plate.

"The only retailer that I know of that is recycling is IKEA," she says, referring to the Swedish-owned furniture chain store.

Reed says the EPA has been prodding other retailers, such as Wal-Mart, to do more.

"We are working with Wal-Mart on it, we are making some progress. But no commitments have been made on the part of Wal-Mart," she says.

Wal-Mart didn't respond to requests for a comment on the issue.

EPA also has asked retailers to sell the lower mercury compact bulbs that some manufacturers are making. Engineers say you can't cut mercury out completely.

Some other big companies have started paying attention to the recycling problem.

General Electric has been making compact fluorescents for 20 years. Now the company admits that the little bit of mercury in each bulbs could become a real problem if sales balloon as expected.

"Given what we anticipate to be the significant increase in the use of these products, we are now beginning to look at, and shortly we'll be discussing with legislators, possibly a national solution here," says Earl Jones, a senior counsel for General Electric.

In fact, Jones said he was having his first talks with congressional staffers on Thursday.

__________________
Is there a safe, environmentally GREEN lighting 
alternative for saving time, energy and money? 


YES, there absolutely is!

• EMCo GREEN Bulbs contain NO MERCURY!
• Last up to 50,000 hours (incandescents last approx. 1,500 hours & CFL's 10,000 hours)
• Made by a US based manufacturer with LED chips produced in the USA!
• Carry a 3 year manufacturer warranty.
• Competitively priced and with the large variety, it will save several trips to different specialty stores.
• Typically pay for themselves in one-fifth of their life.
• A typical 60 Watt incandescent can be replaced by a 5 Watt GREEN Bulb!

To receive valuable coupons and FREE LED GREEN Bulbs please 
take a short survey and EMCo will show you the light. 

CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY

                                                                                                   5 Watt GREEN BULB
EMCo Systems Solutions, Inc. began offering LED Bulbs to their clients primarily as a way to bring better efficiency to homes and businesses where larger scale GREEN Projects were not feasible.

LED ( or Light Emitting Diode) was quickly coined by EMCo as Low Energy Demand GREEN Bulbs.

http://www.emcogreenbulb.com/  is an online shopping store with quality LED's for everyday home use.  The bulbs here were specifically selected for the following reasons.

                                                                                                                        

California adopts first statewide green building code

For more CALGreen Solutions CLICK HERE 

By Daniel B. Wood, Staff writer / January 15, 2010 California's building commission adopted the first statewide green building code this week. Environmental groups welcomed the new standards, which mandate water use reductions and waste recycling in new buildings, but were critical of it's rating system.

California continues to take the national lead in environmental protection. The California Building Standards Commission voted unanimously this week to approve the first statewide green building code.

California Academy of Science - San Francisco, CA

Taking effect January 2011, the nation's first mandatory green building code – dubbed “CalGreen” – lays out specific constraints for newly constructed buildings. It requires builders to install plumbing that cuts indoor water use by as much as 20 percent, to divert 50 percent of construction waste from landfills to recycling, and to use low-pollutant paints, carpets, and floors. It also mandates inspection of energy systems to ensure that heaters, air conditioners, and other mechanical equipment are working efficiently.

And for non-residential buildings, it requires the installation of water meters for different uses.  The code also allows local jurisdictions, from San Francisco to Los Angeles, to retain stricter green building standards, if they already exist, or to adopt stricter versions of the state code if they choose. It's the first state in the nation to mandate a green building code. Environmental and green building groups largely welcomed the new code, though they took issue with certain aspects of it. “We applaud the state of California for being the first state in the country to raise the floor on acceptable, green building standards,” said Jason Hartke, vice president of national policy for the US Green Building Council, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit. He adds that the statewide standards adopted will “significantly save water and energy, improve indoor air quality, and create jobs at the same time.”

Buildings represent 40 percent of all carbon emissions and over 70 percent of electricity use, Mr. Hartke notes, and the new standards thus would help California meet emissions targets under its new global warming law.

Meeting new emissions targets

The law, AB32, requires the California Air Resources Board to develop regulations and market mechanisms to ultimately reduce California's greenhouse-gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020. Mandatory caps for significant sources of emissions will begin in 2012.

The new code's mandatory measures will help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 3 million metric tons by 2020, according to David Walls, executive director of the state building commission. That gives plenty of time for builders and manufacturers to transition to the new code, he says, and doesn’t even take into account emissions savings that might accrue voluntarily.

“This is going to change the whole way that buildings are conceived and constructed by incorporating green practices into our everyday building code,” Mr. Walls said. “Other states will be looking at what we’ve done to try to mimic what we’re doing.”

Rating system criticized

Some environmental groups including the Sierra Club and the National Resources Defense Council were critical of the two-tier “Calgreen" voluntary rating system suggested by the new code. That would clash with the "LEED" rating system, a voluntary green building label widely used nationwide, and cause confusion among builders, they said.

Moreover, a two-tier labeling system would be open to conflicting interpretations and thus be unenforceable by local building inspectors, they argued. More than 200 architects, engineers, and builders have also e-mailed Schwarzenegger to protest the label.

At least one major business group has welcomed the move for a single standard across the whole state, however.   

“CalGreen will define what a green building is – something that is not clear right now,” said Matthew Hargrove, senior vice president of government affairs at the California Business Properties Association.

“Having a clear statewide standard will help our companies avoid unnecessary environmental lawsuits,” he said, adding that more consistent standards across the state “means we won’t have to deal with a different code in every jurisdiction, and will allow us to meet some of the statewide regulatory mandates heading our way.”

For more information on how your home or company can benefit contact: Design@EMCoSystems.net

or visit http://www.emcosystems.net/

Making companies more energy efficient is a no brainer.

It's relatively easy, it saves money, and it is most cost effective way to reduce your carbon footprint. A July 2009 McKinseyreport concluded that, "energy efficiency offers a vast, low-cost energy resource for the U.S. economy - but only if the nation can craft a comprehensive and innovative approach to unlock it."

The hope is that companies start taking a closer look at the energy consumption within their buildings and take action to make them more energy efficient. Buildings are a big part of our climate problem, but the business case exists to reduce their impact.



YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT... (no tickling please)

According to Flex Your Power, a 50,000-square-foot office building of average operating efficiency can reduce costs by $40,000 per year just through no-cost and low-cost efficiency upgrades. Energy efficiency upgrades also can bring long-term benefits for building owners, as asset value typically increases by an estimated $3 for every $1 invested in energy efficiency.
Check out the facts: In 2007, the energy used by residential and commercial buildings accounted for 35% of U.S. GHG emissions. California's energy efficiency outreach campaign, "Flex Your Power," estimates that most commercial buildings could cut energy use by 30% through investments in improved efficiency. Along with cutting GHG emissions, efficiency improvements could translate into major savings for the companies operating those buildings. The U.S. commercial sector spends $108 billion a year on building energy bills, with more than $20 billion spent on office building energy costs alone.  The need for renewable energy is on the rise.  For more info contact: Design@EmcoSystems.net

Heat & Cool Efficiently 

As much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling.
So making smart decisions about your home's heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can have a big effect on your utility bills and your comfort. Take these steps to increase the efficiency of your heating and cooling system. For more information, see our Guide to Energy Efficient Heating & Cooling (708KB) or contact Design@EmcoSystems.net.

Change your air filter regularlyCheck your filter every month, especially during heavy use months (winter and summer). If the filter looks dirty after a month, change it. At a minimum, change the filter every 3 months. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool wasting energy. A clean filter will also prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system leading to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure.
 

Tune up your HVAC equipment yearly Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort. To learn more contact: Service@WeatherMasters.net

Maintenance Checklist
Maintain your equipment to prevent future problems and unwanted costs. Keep your cooling and heating system at peak performance by having a contractor do annual pre-season check-ups. Contractors get busy once summer and winter come, so it's best to check the cooling system in the spring and the heating system in the fall. To remember, you might plan the check-ups around the time changes in the spring and fall.

A typical maintenance check-up should include the following.

• Check thermostat settings to ensure the cooling and heating system keeps you comfortable when you are home and saves energy while you are away.
• Tighten all electrical connections and measure voltage and current on motors. Faulty electrical connections can cause unsafe operation of your system and reduce the life of major components.
• Lubricate all moving parts. Parts that lack lubrication cause friction in motors and increases the amount of electricity you use.
• Check and inspect the condensate drain in your central air conditioner, furnace and/or heat pump (when in cooling mode). A plugged drain can cause water damage in the house and affect indoor humidity levels.
• Check controls of the system to ensure proper and safe operation. Check the starting cycle of the equipment to assure the system starts, operates, and shuts off properly.

Cooling Specific

• Clean evaporator and condenser air conditioning coils. Dirty coils reduce the system's ability to cool your home and cause the system to run longer, increasing energy costs and reducing the life of the equipment.
• Check your central air conditioner's refrigerant level and adjust if necessary. Too much or too little refrigerant will make your system less efficient increasing energy costs and reducing the life of the equipment.
• Clean and adjust blower components to provide proper system airflow for greater comfort levels. Airflow problems can reduce your system's efficiency by up to 15 percent.

Heating Specific

• Check all gas (or oil) connections, gas pressure, burner combustion and heat exchanger.
•  Improperly operating gas (or oil) connections are a fire hazard and can contribute to health problems.
• A dirty burner or cracked heat exchanger causes improper burner operation.
• Either can cause the equipment to operate less safely and efficiently.

 http://www.emcosysyems.net/
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_hvac

GREEN Energy Solutions

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year with New creative financing and extended TAX credits?

Funding: Incentives for Energy Efficiency Projects

The following links provide specific funding incentives and rebates as well as databases that provide a comprehensive list of funding sources. We realize the difficulty in finding funding for energy efficiency projects, and the resources below may help ease the initial investment cost to your company.

Flex Your Power - Funding sources for commercial office buildings; internal financing, debt financing, lease and lease-purchase agreements, and energy saving performance contracts. Design@EMCoSystems.net

DSIRE - A comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.

DOE Loan Guarantee Program – The Secretary of Energy is authorized to make loan guarantees to qualified projects in the belief that accelerated commercial use of these new or improved technologies will help to sustain economic growth, yield environmental benefits, and produce a more stable and secure energy supply. The program issues loan guarantees to eligible projects that "avoid, reduce, or sequester air pollutants or anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases" and "employ new or significantly improved technologies as compared to technologies in service in the United States at the time the guarantee is issued".





Tax deductions for commercial buildings - A federal tax deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot is available to owners or designers of new or existing commercial buildings that save at least 50% of the heating and cooling energy of a building that meets ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2001. Partial deductions of up to $.60 per square foot can be taken for measures affecting any one of three building systems: the building envelope, lighting, or heating and cooling systems.

The Incentive Programs Gateway - An evolving source of information on financing renewable energy and energy efficiency. Incentives are shown by Sector, Type (Financial Incentives and Rules, Regulations; Policy Incentives), and Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Incentive Programs.

ESCOs (Energy Service Companies) are businesses that develop, install, and arrange financing for projects designed to improve the energy efficiency and maintenance costs for facilities over a seven to twenty year time period. ESCOs generally act as project developers for a wide range of tasks and assume the technical and performance risk associated with the project. The services are bundled into the project's cost and are repaid through the dollar savings generated. Design@EMCoSystems.net

Successful examples of establishing in-house funds

 

Johnson & Johnson provides a unique example of success: It instituted a corporate strategy for carbon emissions reduction, backed up by a ten-stage checklist for increased energy efficiency at all its facilities and a $40 million annual fund to support greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction projects.

In 2006, 20 capital projects were financed by the fund, which are reducing a total of 34,500 metric tons of GHG emissions each year. Over the past decade, Johnson & Johnson saw an estimated $30 million annualized savings because of projects financed through the fund, which have an average return rate of 16%.

Successful examples of effective rebates


Equity Office Properties installed 140,000 square feet of window film on floor to ceiling windows throughout One Market Plaza in San Francisco (a 1.4-million-square-foot complex). The project qualified for efficiency incentives from PG&E and reduced heating and cooling costs significantly. After the PG&E rebate, the project had a payback time of less than two years.





Variable Frequency Drive Display



A variable frequency drive was added to the fan system at Adobe towers in San Jose, enabling the system to adjust air volume adn fan power to meet cooling load. The retrofit cost $126,960 and received a $63,500 rebate. Estimate annual energy savings are $78,000, representing a ten-month payback period.