A UK report says that nearly half of the electricity consumed by British businesses is wasted when employees are not at work.

In an analysis of more than 6,000 smart meters, British Gas found that 46 percent of electricity use occurs from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m., when most businesses are typically closed. Common examples of unnecessary electricity use include the lighting of parking areas during weekends, keeping the lights on at retail stores even after shopping centers are closed, and running vending machines around the clock.

The UK utility also released a series of thermal images illustrating how much energy is lost from energy-inefficient buildings in London, Manchester, and Liverpool during the evening hours. According to British Gas, the average business could save £1,200 ($1,900) on its annual electricity bill by simply switching off the lights at parking lots during weekends.

A recent report by Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute suggested that reducing energy waste will be a critical component of UK efforts to achieve its climate change targets.

Article appearing courtesy Yale Environment 360.

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The building equipment and services industries have always been highly fragmented. While leaders such as Honeywell and Johnson Controls have large, multinational presences, most of the market is divvied up among thousands of smaller companies with a relatively narrow regional or technological focus. Even CB Richard Ellis, the real estate firm with the largest footprint of space under management (2.9 billion square feet), has only captured less than 1 percent of the world’s 400 billion sf of commercial space.

The result is an industry that has historically consisted of an overwhelming array of service providers, each with different capabilities. This has posed a challenge to tying building systems together into single solutions, as I explained in my last blog. In the past, vendors designed products such as building automation systems, controls, and certain types of equipment specifically so that they would not work with other vendors’ products, ensuring the vendor a long-term market for replacements and upgrades.

These vendor-specific fiefdoms are starting to break down as demand for building energy management systems (BEMS) as well as comprehensive, end-to-end solutions for energy efficiency including new capabilities such as demand response and energy procurement continue to grow. The word of the decade in the building sector is convergence: the integration of building control technologies with ICT. No single player on either the HVAC or IT side can do it all, so the drive toward convergence has resulted in “co-opetition” – i.e., partnerships between competitors that would have been pitted squarely against each other in the past, and in some cases still are.

This week Schneider Electric and Cisco announced that they were expanding their partnership efforts to deliver better enterprise energy management solutions. The partnership will pair the strengths of Cisco’s EnergyWise platform, which is ideally suited for data center and IT energy management, with Schneider Electric’s building management system (BMS). The union is mutually-reinforcing, as the BMS can be used to monitor and control parts of the information and communication technology (ICT) network, and vice versa.

This is not the only example of this we’ve seen over the last few years. IBM made one of the earliest moves toward co-opetition in smart building technology when it launched the Green Sigma Coalition in 2009, an industry alliance that has helped tie smart building technology into enterprise energy management and includes Honeywell, Siemens, Johnson Controls, and others. There are also countless sub-rosa partnerships between rivals to enable a wider range of offerings in RFP responses and major contracts.

The co-opetition trend, however, isn’t all about vendors deciding to play nice. It’s about vendors finding that the combined capability of two systems – whether ICT systems linked with BMSs, demand response services tied with energy procurement services, or one of the dozens of other possible permutations – is often greater than the sum of the parts. Combining two powerful solutions from separate vendors can open up new opportunities that are impossible to achieve individually.

Make no mistake; competition is still alive and well in the building sector, and that’s a good thing for the industry as a whole. But these co-opetion arrangements demonstrate that the highly fragmented building industry is finding opportunities to pair technologies in novel ways to deliver smarter buildings in mutually beneficial ways.

Article by Eric Bloom, appearing courtesy the Matter Network.

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Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs allow local governments to loan money to homeowners to do energy efficiency projects.  The PACE loans are generally repaid as a property tax line item.  PACE programs were initially very popular, and more than 25 states passed PACE-enabling legislation.

As discussed in earlier posts, in the summer of 2010 the Federal Housing Finance Agency put the brakes on PACE programs.  The FHFA issued an advisory that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should put more stringent evaluation standards in place for mortgages on properties with PACE assessments.  On February 28, 2011, FHFA issued a directive stating that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should continue to refuse to purchase mortgages on properties with PACE loans.

In the wake of the FHFA actions, several law suits were filed, including one in the Northern District of California.  The plaintiffs in the California PACE case alleged that the FHFA acted without following the appropriate administrative procedures, and without doing and Environmental Impact Assessment. 

The District Court issued a preliminary injunction requiring FHFA to proceed with the the necessary administrative steps that FHFA had failed to do prior to issuing its greenlining mandates.  

On January 26, 2012, the FHFA began the  "notice and comment" period for advanced notice of proposed rulemaking on PACE.  Specifically, the FHFA’s proposed action is to prevent Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from buying certain mortgages whether or not the particular mortgage has a PACE assessment associated with it:

FHFA’s Proposed Action would direct [Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac] not to purchase any mortgage that is subject to a first-lien PACE obligation or that could become subject to first-lien PACE obligations without the consent of the mortgage holder.

The wording of the proposed rule is interesting.  Not only would it prevent Fannie and Freddie from buying mortgages on properties with PACE loans, but also potentially from buying any mortgages in a community that has a PACE program, whether or not the particular mortgage has a PACE loan associated with it. 

The Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking triggers a 60-day comment period, which opened January 26 and closes March 26.  The ANPR seeks comments about both the environmental and fiscal aspects of PACE.  The ANPR is here.

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The ever-changing solar market continues to move ahead with enormous strides. While such innovations such as the new “plug ‘n’ play” solar panels are creating buzz, there are a number of other significant innovations that are helping homeowners fulfill their energy-saving goals.

Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation recently introduced a material that enables the walls of buildings (and other structures) to generate electricity. Unlike solar panels or films, the energy is produced within the actual building materials, integrating them into the structure of the facility.

According to the company, each square meter of the material is capable of generating about 80 watts of power, with an efficiency of 11% (most solar panels are 10% to 20% efficient).

When you consider the potential for commercial and industrial applications, in particular, this technology could prove to be a significant step.

…To the Top of the Wall
And if solar-capable walls aren’t enough, keep climbing up the walls. And no, it’s not a solar panel you’ll see.

Those are shingles.

Looking for an alternative to traditional solar panels, but don’t know where to turn? You’re in luck. The Dow Chemical Company launched its POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle late last year in Denver, (they are expected to expand to other markets this year).

The new, three-part solar roofing system package includes shingles, an inverter and an energy monitoring system. The shingles can be customized to fit budget and energy goals, and can be arranged to integrate with the style and form of the home and roofline. Moreover, they provide the same functionality and protection as a traditional shingle.

An inverter then converts Direct Current (DC) produced from the shingles into Alternating Current (AC), which is then fed to the home’s appliances (or back to the power grid). And a real-time monitoring system provides readouts to homeowners to assess energy usage, production and the amount of excess power flowing back to the grid.

What Could Be Next?
With significant improvements to window and door solar technology, and the potential for solar-powered sidewalks and roads, what will be the next frontier for the solar-powered home? Printable solar strips for your inkjet, perhaps? Let’s hear your ideas!

Article by Tim Laughlin, appearing courtesy Xcel Energy Blog.

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Balancing the big picture with the details can be tricky. However, finding this balance can be very powerful when addressing a building’s energy needs and energy costs.

One way of achieving good balance is to take an integrated approach that looks at the synergistic aspects of various energy-reduction programs to achieve an optimal balance.

Often times energy projects are looked at individually rather than taking a moment to see how they relate to each other and to the building as a whole. Infrastructure projects, such as replacing an chiller are easy projects to know when to add to a capital plan. However, a building owner can get more for their money if they take the time to see how this one proposed project relates to others. For example, a chiller works hard to perform its function based on the current conditions of the building.

What if you were able to reduce the amount of energy load on the building and change these conditions? Perhaps there are building envelope projects scheduled a little later in the capital plan. What if these projects were looked at from an energy savings and cost stand point in conjunction with the chiller replacement? Could you then reduce the size of the replacement chiller and save more money than the other improvement cost? Looking at this new information might create more favorable payback and energy savings options for the proposed projects.

It’s such an exciting concept that it was the topic of our most recent Sustainability Sessions web conference. Guest speakers Jean Savitsky, Practice Lead—Energy and Sustainability Projects, LEED AP and Dana Schneider, Northeast Market Lead—Energy and Sustainability Projects, LEED AP shared details about this approach and how we have been able to find optimal solutions for several clients, including the Empire State Building.

Article by Carey Guerin, appearing courtesy 3BL Media.

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This house is beyond cool. Those in Southern California should swing by the California Science Center in downtown Los Angeles to tour a solar home nonpareil.

Known as the CHIP house, for “Compact, Hyper-Insulated Prototype Solar House,” the home was designed and built by students of the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

The project won first prize in the Energy Balance division of the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition held in Washington, D.C..

On approach, the CHIP house looks as if it’s been turned inside-out. CHIP wears the heart of its green technology on its sleeve. Most of the home’s exterior is wrapped in insulation, a flexible, quilted vinyl membrane.

It’s this exterior insulation, combined with solar technology, that creates the high R-values necessary for a net-zero dwelling. The home looks a bit like a giant pillow topped with a solar panel hat.

CHIP is equipped with 45 solar panels, enough to provide three times the amount of energy the house consumes. The intention was not only to power the home, but to keep two electric cars up and running as well. As the primary sponsor for the CHIP project, Hanwha SolarOne, from their North American headquarters in nearby Costa Mesa, provided the panels.

It’s not the solar panels that make this 750-square-foot home so distinctive, but the way that the panels, and the entire home’s green technology, are operated. The CHIP home interface uses Apple iPad apps and an Xbox Kinect system as a master command center.

Residents not only can operate the home’s lights and electronic devices, but monitor the home’s energy systems by using natural gestures like pointing and waving their arms. The home is equipped with 3-D cameras, too, that signal light to turn on and off as residents move through the space.

The interior of the home features a single, open space, with living areas defined by a series of platforms, terraces that climb upwards and inwards into the home. Private areas occupy the highest platforms. The open floor plan is arranged around the natural flow of daily activities.

It took more than 100 students, two years and $1 million in funding to build CHIP, although the project team estimates that replicating the home elsewhere would cost about $262,000. You can take a look at the CHIP home, inside and out, at the California Science Center, through May 31, 2012. Free tours are available every weekday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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In April 2010, the Department of Defense (“DOD”) issued a memorandum (“memo”) that altered the structure of the defense budgeting cycle, beginning with fiscal year (“FY”) 2012 budget. These changes were ostensibly made to offer more stability to the budgeting process, which prior to the memo involved a more complicated two-year budgeting process where major funding changes were supposed to be made in even-numbered years and smaller adjustments were supposed to occur in odd-numbered years. However, as then Deputy Secretary of Defense Willy Lynn stated, “everyone involved just ignored that second year.” 

The new rules replaced the two-year cycle with single-year budgets, which were intended to more accurately reflect current defense needs and budgeting realities caused by the economic slowdown. A second requirement of the memo, however, could have the unintended consequence of hindering DoD green building projects.

The memo requires that the Pentagon’s annual Program/Budget Reviews, or Future Years Defense Program (“FYDP”), to focus on a five-year period each cycle. Readers may recall my earlier post on the recently enacted National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”), which among other things, prohibits the DoD from using appropriated funds to achieve LEED platinum or gold certification unless the Secretary of Defense can certify that the LEED project in question will result in no additional costs to the DoD, or if a cost-benefit analysis reveals that the project will produce a financial payback.

A potential concern to proponents of DoD green construction projects could be the imposition of a five-year “horizon” to determine the financial benefits of energy improvements or sustainable design features. While the NDAA does not specify a time window to be used in conducting cost-benefit analyses, defense officials may be discouraged (under Congressional opposition to seeking LEED gold or platinum certification) from proposing green projects that will have a payback period beyond the five-year FYDP cycle.

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Located in the center of Manhattan, New York is Columbia University. Columbia University has been one of the leaders since the creation of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PlaNYC to make New York City a more sustainable city. Therefore, the university has created a number of sustainable initiatives to aid in helping the university achieve its goal of being one of the most sustainable universities not just in New York State, but also throughout the entire United States. Here is a list of just a few of the sustainable initiatives Columbia University has taken on to make their campus much more sustainable and to teach the students and employees about sustainability for the future.

1. Environmental Stewardship Office. The Environmental Stewardship Office at Columbia University looks to have everyone on the campus work together “to reduce our consumption of resources in the classrooms, offices, and residences, [to] begin to develop a culture of respect for the environment.” The office works to implement a number of practical programs that will reduce the environmental footprint of the university and promote a strong culture valuing the environment and protecting it. The office sets up a number of interdepartmental and interdisciplinary working groups as well as joint programs to achieve all sustainability goals.

2. Administration. In 2007, Columbia University joined with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PlaNYC Challenge, making toe pledge to reduce the total carbon dioxide emissions coming from the university by a minimum of 30 percent by the year 2017. The university’s Environmental Stewardship Office has a full time and part time staff that is dedicated to this by creating a number of policy recommendations as well as principles of sustainability.

3. Climate Change and Energy. Columbia University recently created a new policy that will reduce cooling and heating consumption throughout all residential buildings and classroom buildings. The university is doing this with the help of a computerized building management system that they are currently launching. Known as the Cool Columbia campaign, energy audits are conducted throughout off-campus housing, providing information on energy-efficient appliances and how to get them at reduced prices. The campaign also encourages the residents to take a three step pledge in an effort to reduce overall energy consumption.

4. Food and Recycling. Columbia University has made the commitment to purchase a percentage of its food locally. Currently, this percentage is at 16 percent. There is an organic student co-op in one of the campus dining halls well campus-grown produce is sold. As well, all food venues service fair trade coffee. As well, twice a week the campus has a farmer’s market right on the campus for people. All to-go containers in the dining halls are biodegradable. There is also a reusable mug program that offers discounts on the price of coffee to all participants.

5. Green Building. Currently, Columbia University required at all new construction projects on campus meets the standards of LEED Silver Certification. Right now the campus has five registered LEED projects currently in work. In 2008, Columbia University launched the beginning of its very first green residential dormitory. This dormitory features items like an automated energy monitoring system, energy efficient windows, and energy efficient boilers.

6. Student Involvement. There are a number of sustainability-related opportunities that are directed toward the students. This includes internships at the Environmental Stewardship Office and a number of Eco-Reps programs. There is an Eco-Reps program at Columbia’s medical campus. There is also the Green Umbrella Program, which is collaboration between the various environmental student groups to provide a voice to environmental sustainability and get more students involved in making the university a sustainable one, such as offering information of what students are doing at home. In the student-led RecycleBank program, students earn various rewards, including free meals and university apparel, for recycling items on campus.

7. Transportation. The entire Columbia University campus is serviced by an inter-campus shuttle that makes stops near major subway stations and bus stations. Columbia University also provides employees to purchase mass transit tickets with their pretax dollars. The university has also set up numerous bike racks for students to bike to classes rather than taking other transportation options. Eventually, the university will also be adopting a brand new policy for telecommuting.

8. CUIT. The Columbia University Information Technology center has also made the commitment to reduce their carbon footprint by creating a new project that will make various energy efficiency improvements to Columbia University’s Morningside Heights Data Center. The project is being supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

9. Clean, Give + Go Green. During December, Columbia University has the Clean, Give + Go Green recycling and donation drive. Hosted by the Environmental Stewardship Office along with other departments in the university, the drive collected more than 5,000 pounds of clothes, as well as hundreds of pounds of canned goods, computer equipment, toiletries, and other items for nonprofit organizations and homeless shelters. The drive also provided the opportunity for people to shred paper and recycle it rather than just rip it up and throw it away. The goal was to aid in bringing sustainability awareness to Columbia’s campus. It occurred at the end of the semester, providing students with a place to donate items they did not need while moving out.

10. Energy Conservation Pilot Programs. Columbia University has created a number of innovative pilot programs to test the different ways to improve overall energy efficient across the campus using LEDs, microturbines, as well as “dashboards” web interfaces that track energy. For instance, LED lights were installed throughout locations within the School of International and Public Affairs because the LED lights last longer and use much less energy than the regularly used fluorescent light bulbs. In another example, the facilities at the School of Social Work use the dashboards in an effort to track the heat and electricity being used in the business on an hour-by-hour basis, allowing the school to see data required to create strategies that will reduce energy consumption.

Article by Shawn Lesser, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Atlanta-based Watershed Capital Group – an investment bank assisting sustainable fund and companies raise capital, perform acquisitions, and in other strategic financial decisions. He is also a Co-founder of the GCCA Global Cleantech Cluster Association ”The Global Voice of Cleantech”. He writes for various cleantech publications and is known as the David Letterman of Cleantech for his “Top 10″ series. He can be reached at shawn@watershedcapital.com.

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There’s no better opportunity to green up a home than during a remodeling project, and working with eco-savvy architects, designers and contractors can ensure you make the most of green alternatives.

For a remodel of a 1953 bungalow in Venice, California, architects Todd Erlandson and Nori Fukuda worked hand in hand with contractor 44 West Construction and Bridgid Coulter Design to transform the dwelling, inside and out, into an attractive, energy-efficient home. Landscaping by Annie Wright of Hollyhawk also focused on green alternatives.

Budgeting for Green

A home remodeling project always begins by establishing a realistic budget, and budgets are typically driven by design goals. The primary goal of the bungalow project was to create a feeling of spaciousness within the 1,297 square-foot home, without sacrificing energy efficiency.

The decision was made to alter the line of the roof to add cathedral ceilings to the home’s interiors. Clerestory windows were installed, both to bathe the rooms in natural light and provide energy-saving air circulation. The cathedral ceilings not only enhanced the interior design of the home, but angled the roof into a good position for solar panels.

While a residential solar photovoltaic system wasn’t in the current budget, the team thought ahead for a future installation. They further tilted one portion of the roof, in anticipation of solar panels, and incorporated it into a striking architectural design.

To assess your own home for solar, or for pricing, click here.

Sustainable Bones

A renovation that requires structural changes gives homeowners the opportunity to work sustainable and energy-smart features into the walls and flooring. The bungalow projects included new energy-efficient window replacement and a radiant heating system installed beneath bamboo flooring. The fireplace uses clean ethanol fuel.

Contractor 44 West Construction, a company that has been routinely including green alternatives in their projects for over 30 years, includes solar options for all their projects, preparing each home for solar electric and solar hot water applications, whether they are installed immediately or not. For the exterior of the home, the team installed sustainable siding.

Eco Features

Energy Star appliances were installed in the kitchen, but the green options didn’t stop there. The kitchen cabinets were constructed with materials certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The countertops are Greenguard certified. The team even used fume-free paints and glues.

Greening Up the Landscape

Whenever possible in the bungalow project, the team recycled construction materials. The landscaper used wood reclaimed from the pallets that carried the exterior siding, creating planters for raised vegetable gardening. Concrete from the old driveway were cut into square concrete pavers for the paths and patio. Drought-resistant plants were used, and a drip irrigation system was installed throughout the landscaping.

The takeaway from the Venice bungalow project? Plan ahead for green options like home solar power. While plans are still on the drawing board, consider future opportunities to go green, particularly options like home solar that will add green to your wallet, and work those options into the architectural and interior design.

More photos available via LA Times

Article appearing courtesy Residential Solar Power Blog.

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Having the right resources can make going solar easy and affordable. And we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeve to help you do just that.

Below is a list of industry-leading resources for residential solar installation. Not only can these organizations help you learn what type of home solar power system you’ll need, but even which financing options and solar rebate programs are available, as well as tips to find the right solar contractor for you.

You’ve dreamed about it. You’ve poked around online looking at solar costs and types of panels. Now you can take that extra step to finally wean your home off fossil fuels, cut your electrical bills now, and save money for years to come.

Here are 7 killer resources for going solar in 2012.

1. Finding Contractors

At CalFinder, we’re in the business of connecting you with great solar contractors. We know each contractor, we carefully review their work, and we match them with interested homeowners nearby. All it takes is a few minutes to get your home assessed for its maximum solar potential.

For pricing and solar contractor referrals, click here.

2. Solar Incentives

Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) is a good source for information on state, local, utility and federal incentive programs that can sometimes cut the cost of residential PV installations by up to 60% or more. The programs are periodically reviewed, but sometimes the site may contain outdated information or broken links. Still, DSIRE remains the most comprehensive source for information about incentive and rebate programs.

We also maintain a list of solar rebates broken down by state, but in a more easy-to-understand format. Solar incentive data can be difficult to digest, so we’ve done our best to make it accessible to all.

3. How Much Electricity Should You Offset with Solar?

The first step to going solar is to determine whether your home is a good candidate for a home solar power system. Part of that process is calculating how much electricity your home is using now. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) collects, analyzes and reports on energy information, including statistics about how much electricity the average American home consumes.

Check out their user-friendly FAQ page to access specific data. The Energy Department has some basic information about how solar works and what to consider before making the decision to go solar.

4. Top Solar Panel Brands

Wikipedia offers a list of the top 10 solar manufacturers, gleaned from an annual report put out by Photon Magazine, an industry subscription publication. Another industry organization, Solar Buzz, also reports annually on the rankings of solar manufacturers.

5. Industry Information

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is the leading national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. SEIA releases quarterly reports on the state of the industry. In addition, a contractor who is an SEIA member is likely to be experienced and reputable. SEIA recently merged with the solar advocacy organization Solar Alliance.

6. Solar Price Calculators

CalFinder has links to a number of online calculators that can help you calculate what sized system you’ll need for your home. We also provide info on how many solar panels you’ll need.

7. Solar Chat Forum

Solar Panel Talk offers a online forum for people interested in learning more about solar energy systems. From conventional residential solar systems, to off-grid and DIY applications, you can chat about it all.

Did we miss anything?

Pipe up! We’re happy to hear your suggestions in the comments.

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