Talking Green

Green Jobs National Conference

Oh this is so cool. I am so excited to attend and blog the 3 day conference starting tomorrow in DC. (h/t Blue Green Alliance). The conference is a combination of advocacy, workshops, and job expo. If you're wondering about the registration. Sorry, it's closed. They won't even accept walk-ins. Apparently, the response was 'so' overwhelming that they have close the registration, since it's reached this year's full capacity.

The blurb. (See also the lineup).

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson will address more than 2,500 labor, environmental and business advocates on Friday,February 6, at 11:40 a.m. EST at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. during the Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference. Among the other speakers at the Conference are: United Nations Environment Programme Executive Director Achim Steiner, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Debbie Stabenow, and Governors Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Martin O’Malley of Maryland.

Though, the conference is closed, you can still go to the Green Jobs Expo. The Expo free and open to the public. There will be over 85 booths to visit that represent a wide spectrum of businesses from non-profit to profit. Check out the list here.

For more details here.

Blogging: Greentech and Green Building Opportunity

This webminar is hosted by Greentech media with Michael Canellos, Editor-in-Chief. Speaker: Pat Bailey, Product Manager, AEC Sustainable Initiatives Autodesk, Inc. 

Michael Canellos: Introduced Pat Bailey. AEC= architecture, engineering & construction

Pat Bailey: He's got cold. Apologizes for his not so clear voice.

2:09pm: Architecture 2030. LEED is a proxy of green building in the U.S. All around the world there are effort. Green Globe.

2:12: 25 years sustainability practice at Autodesk. Talks about the definition of sustainability. 3x bottom line. Administration wants green jobs. Context in econ. benefits, benefits to eco-system. Take energy price for the year, it will an increase from previous. Recognize the volatility and harmful to business community. The problem uncertainty in energy prices.

2:14: Very specific def: context building enviro: energy, lighting cooling, etc. Goal green building reduce value to as close as to zero.

2:16: Water conservation or efficiency. Building as efficient as possible. Think about water. Like reclaiming gray water, water from roofs. Give example of City of Atlanta, which had water shortage last year. Think about water and efficiency in the beginning of project.

2:19: Think about the way land is use. Autodesk: thought should be given what happens if I change orientation, shading solar panels, etc. Analysis can be done in a matter of minute now. Energy use incl. solar analysis, daylighting; if you're in Tucson what happens with window choices? Have to optimize natural light and heat use.

2:23: Carbon neutral design. Out of roof area if power with solar. Building efficiency. Reclaim, recover, gray waters. Lack of attention: structure of building.

2:25: Tools. Touch Autodesk products: Green building studio and Ecotech. Ecotech is not whole building energy analysis, i.e. look @ views, 2 sticks, primary benefit rich, visual enviro allows people to communicate idea with pixs. 

2:30: Leveraging BIM. BIM Suite. Proposing people looking at multiple form. Build a model in kinda 3-4 hrs, look at 'what if' implications. Analysis can be done in something like 30 sec.

2:36: Constrution cos. building own information models. They believe they're close to project, can identified with cost savings. Point is: there is a place for everybody in BIM. Intent: users can work in virtual enviro, do analysis of various sort esp sustainability related. They can do this early in process. Same model should be followed with retrofit. Analysis costs less to do virtually than 'real life.' Check autodesk.com/green.

Q&A:

What is carbon neutrality? A: Carbon neutrality= not absolute green in def yet. Simplest is to take natl ave carbon footprint of a kw elect reduce your building that even if you don't use or you offset them with RE or buying REC. 

- N. America on the cutting edge or lagging behind in this tech (again)? Fully functional in America for both tech. Can't say too much about the exact plan. There's desire to have this avail throughout the world. Right now N. America. Stay tuned.. Rabid? name of software.. German co. Think that EU gen population, Germany for example solar potential there, gov. mandate & subsidies. Knows a couple of friends uses solar energy that heats the entire 2k s.f. US, lotsa changes coming. 

-- intermittent connection.. argh..I should say got disconnected!.. missed a lot of Q&A.

Autodesk is building HQ LEED platinum. Couldn't go into more details. He's a big fan of locally available material. Agnostic when it comes to specific tech. Electric chrome window, issue is window the biggest design. In Tucson or Phoenix maybe important...

Note: check also on Twitter..will also upload slides sometime today, so check back.

Green Jobs on the Rise..

The money quote, via Fortune.

And "green" jobs are on the rise: The number of job postings at TheLadders.com requiring an environmental-planning or engineering background has gone up about 25% over the past year, and Douzet expects that trend to accelerate by midyear.

Find out more here..

Gov. Tim Kaine Proposes Green Legislation

Gov. Kaine's push to green Virginia's economy. This is part of the Renew Virginia initiatives. He is weighing incentives, grants, tax credits, exemption - to create green jobs and attract manufacturers to the state - as part of his 'signature' green package.

The Gov's proposals (almost) in it's entirety, via PR.

Clean Energy Manufacturing Incentive

This bill will expand the existing incentive grant available to solar photovoltaic manufacturers to include manufacturing of other low and no-carbon energy sources. The grants will be available to new and expanding businesses producing goods and equipment for energy efficiency, as well as solar, biomass, wind, nuclear, and other clean energy sources.

The incentive grant will be a valuable tool to the Interagency Task Force for Energy Project Recruitment, which was announced in December and provides a necessary tool to bring green jobs to Virginia. The size of the grants will be based on the economic return to the Commonwealth from the new business activity.

These also will be performance grants so that the Commonwealth will already have received the benefits of the investments before providing state incentives -- a unique partnership between government and private businesses.

To prime this effort and help to support Virginia's commitment to green jobs, $2 million is included for this program in the introduced budget.

Biofuels Incentive Grant

This bill will modify the existing financial support given to biofuel producers to provide a higher level of support for biofuels produced from sources that are not also used for food. The bill will provide a 10-cents-per-gallon incentive for biofuels produced from these sources. Biofuels produced from food crops would receive a lesser amount, 7.5-cents-per-gallon.

The bill will also reduce the minimum threshold required to be eligible for the grant from two million gallons per year to one million gallons per year. This will encourage the development of a network of biofuels producers across Virginia's farming communities and provide new economic development opportunities in rural areas.

Renewable Energy System Income Tax Credits

This bill establishes Renewable Energy System Income Tax Credits.

This will be an income tax credit for individuals and corporations installing solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, and small wind systems.

The credits vary based on the size of the systems installed: individuals can receive up to $8,000 for solar photovoltaic, $4,000 for solar thermal, and $6,000 for wind-power electric generators. Corporations can receive up to $20,000 for solar photovoltaic, $10,000 for solar thermal, and $15,000 for wind-powered electric generators. The total tax credits available for all individual and corporate taxpayers would be capped at $1 million total per year for residential taxpayers and $1 million total per year for corporate taxpayers.

This proposal balances the need to provide incentives with the need to be careful with financial commitments in the state budget. This takes the first steps towards building a long-term marketplace for renewable energy in Virginia.

Renewable Energy Equipment Sales Tax Exemption

This bill exempts, year round, solar photovoltaic and thermal systems as well as small wind systems from payment of sales tax. This also will provide savings to these companies' consumers, lowering their costs to install the systems.

'09 Trending Green

It's a few days old, but still worth reading: seven green trends to watch this year.

DC Will Get 24k Green Jobs?

A story over at Washington Business Journal pointed to a report that with the current (real estate and construction related) of 22,000 jobs, DC is expected to create another 24,000 green jobs. OK, I should say 'green jobs opportunities,' that is.

Where jobs will be created, via Washington Business Journal.

In all, the report estimates about 166,540 green jobs opening up in the next decade in D.C., a city that now employs 702,000 people. Though, the report acknowledges that most of those green positions will result from an environmental tweaking of existing jobs, with carpenters, construction laborers and managers, operating engineers, plumbers, roofers, electricians, cement masons and painters in highest demand.

Indeed, the District’s Green Building Act of 2006, which requires much of the city’s new public and private-sector construction to adhere to green building standards, will spawn nearly three-fourths of those anticipated green jobs in the next 10 years. An additional 12,100 jobs will stem from another recent bill, the Clean and Affordable Energy Act, which passed earlier this year and creates a new third-party contractor to roll out D.C.’s renewable energy programs among other environmental mandates.

Jobs such a 'rare' thing these days. So, bring 'em on..

Tim Kaine's Green Initiatives: Renew Virginia

A follow up to previous post on Tim Kaine's green initiatives, 'Renew Virginia.' Kaine kicked off campaign last Thursday meeting with his economic development team and energy-related business owners to "..discuss strategies for attracting renewable energy companies to the Commonwealth, and unveiled plans to form interagency task force and create an energy marketing plan to attract green jobs to the Commonwealth," according to information on the website. Tom Farrell, the CEO of Dominion Power was among the 10 business leaders in attendance. Good or bad thing?

What's in Renew Virginia package, via Virginia.gov.

• Under the leadership of Secretary of Commerce and trade Patrick O. Gottschalk, an Interagency Task Force for Energy Project Recruitment will work with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership to build Virginia’s compelling case for renewable energy-related businesses. The task force will include state agencies, university research centers, and federal laboratories based in Virginia.  
• The Governor has tasked VEDP with assembling an aggressive marketing plan for promoting Virginia’s business case for new investments and employment generating projects in renewable energy production and energy efficiency projects. 
• The Governor’s 2009 legislative package, which will be unveiled in the coming weeks, will improve energy conservation, encourage green businesses to relocate to the Commonwealth, and help create a customer base for those already present.
•  Through his roles as Chairman of the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council and of the Southern Governor’s Association, Governor Kaine has pledged to work for more aggressive policies for Bay cleanup, and to create a dialogue within the Southern States on ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and how our natural resources can be an asset for the nation in the area of energy independence.

This is long due for Virginia. Even though, the initiatives looks like work-in-progress. It's better late than never, no?

Because Virginia kinda behind Maryland in terms of  renewable energy productions, energy efficiency projects and other of smart green choices.

How Building Sector Can Make A Difference..

 LIVE FROM ECOBUILD WASHINGTON

Just got back from High Performance Building Caucus Coalition meeting. Ed Mazria (with Architecture 2030) opened the meeting this morning. This is the second time I heard him talking. Very impressive. First he talked about Obama's transition economic package, the challenges facing building industry, and the opportunities for the industry to make a difference.

He says, that "with the economic package for all new buildings to be carbon-neutral, zero emission by 2030, there's a lot of opportunity for the industry pushing the envelope" since 76% of U.S. electricity consumption is for building operations. He says, that each year in the US, we build approximately 5 billion s.f., 72 billion s.f. of offices is potential for tear down, another 150 bil s.f. for renovation, so by 2038 three-quarters of buildings in the U.S. will either be new or renovated. The transformation for build environment is to dramatically reduce energy consumption and the need for coal-fired power plants.

Why efficiency? It saves consumer money. Simple as that..

Opportunity lies in energy construction reduction legislations, i.e. where Federal buildings targeted 55% reductions in energy by 2010, carbon neutral by 2030. Gave example of recent California legislation that require Net Zero Energy buildings.

The 2030 challenge calls for: 1) all new buildings and renovations to cut 50% of annual consumption, if we do this we wiped out the increase and aim for coal reductions. 2) There should be fossil fuel reduction standard for all buildings be increased to 60% in 2010, 70% in 2015, 80% in 2020, and carbon neutral by 2030.

Ed recommends ramping up the National Model of Building Energy Code Standard, with target dates by 2010 30% of buildings below code, 50% below code by 2016, 75% below code by 2022 and by 2028 will be carbon neutral or zero emission. He also mentioned about asking the Fed for $84.6 billion for building energy efficiency buildings that over 5 years will save consumer $170 billion.

--

** Notes:
- There's a lot of detail that goes between the last paragraph. However, because he talks so fast, I couldn't even read some of my handwriting :-)
- Images pulled from Architecture 2030 website.
- EcoBuild suppose to have the video clip of the meeting sometime soon..

Resources:

* The 2030 Blueprint

* Meeting the 2030 Challenge Through Building Codes

Kaine to Announce Renew Virginia Campaign

The Guv will announce a new green initiative this Thursday in Richmond, via email.

Governor Timothy M. Kaine will kick off his Renew Virginia campaign, announcing a major initiative regarding the creation of “green jobs” in Virginia.

Will fill you in as we get more info.

If It Isn't Boring, It's Green

I went to attend the Green Recovery event today, hosted by Center for American Progress. The room was packed! Think there were more people coming to this event than last one (with Van Jones). The three featured speakers are: Gov. Rendell (PA), Thomas Friedman, author of the book "Hot, Flat and Crowded," and Carol Browner, former Administrator of EPA who is now a Principal with Albright Group, LLC.

A few notes from the event.

Rendell:

• "The big motherlode is still coal. We're truly the Saudi Arabia of coal."
• Talks about the new deal op-ed by Paul Krugman referring to FDR when faced with the price tags during Depression.
• The 5 things we must do: 1) Make tax credit for renewable energy permanent, 2) Fuel portfolio standard, 3) Federal investments into clean technology (mention about PA energy independence fund), 4) No more burning coals, and 5) Invest in infrastructure sensitive to help become green like freight trains, mass transit, etc.
• In the end, we still have to sell this idea (conservation, energy efficiency, and use of renewable energy) to the American people.

Friedman:

• Green is the new red, white and blue. If it isn't boring, it's green. 
• After every book tour, his pocket is always stuffed with biz cards of innovators. This just show that there are so many people out there working on some ideas. Even the craziest green ideas.
• ET= energy technology revolution.
• Exxon is not your friend. They are not on Facebook. They don't have chat room for people to talk to them directly. So, he encourages the young people to get out of FB and move into the board room and speak out. 
• Mother nature is about chemistry, biology and physics so we can't tell ma nature our excuse of not to do anything about climate change "sorry, we have a recession."

Heard it also there Gov. Rendell was asked twice by reporters about the potential of him becoming Sec. of Energy or in maybe getting in to some sort of advisory capacity for the White House. Another reporter asked Carol if she'll be heading to EPA (again). Both flatly denied the rumors.

It was not easy to juggle between taking notes and listening to the speakers. I could hardly read my own notes. However, because we're living on the Internet speed, CAP has the short version of video of the program (from their website).

Here it is, enjoy..