U.S. chemical companies including Honeywell and Chemours Co are ramping up efforts to produce alternative coolants used in air-conditioners and refrigerators, following a global pact to reduce planet-warming greenhouse house gas emissions.
On Saturday, some 150 nations struck a global agreement in Kigali, Rwanda, on ways to phase down hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) gases, which are currently used in air-cooling systems and refrigerators, and help curb the release of climate-warming emissions.
The accord is an amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which was aimed at stopping the depletion of the ozone layer. As part of a larger goal to globally reduce HFCs by 80 percent by 2047, signatories such as U.S., India and China have agreed to phase out the pollutants from cooling appliances starting 2019.
Read More (Reuters)
TreeHugger has been looking at the issues of solar power vs energy efficiency for years, how people pile solar panels on the roof to offset energy consumption instead of insulating, increasing supply instead of reducing demand. But since I first complained about this back in 2012 the price of rooftop solar has dropped in half. Under those circumstances, does it still make sense to tout efficiency over solar?
Read More (Tree Hugger)
The downward shift in global energy intensity has quickened its pace in recent years. But that still may not be enough to limit Earth’s temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency.
The IEA has turned its focus to energy efficiency as the cornerstone of sustainable energy policy in the face climate change. “We call energy efficiency the first fuel,” said Brian Motherway, head of energy efficiency for IEA. “Some countries have sun, some have oil, some have wind, but all countries have energy-efficiency resources.”
Investment in energy efficiency topped more than $220 billion in 2015, but that figure needs to be much larger. Last year the gains in energy efficiency, as measured by the drop in energy intensity, were three times what they were in 2013. Energy intensity is measured as the energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product.
Read the full story. (Greentech Media)
The hospitality industry in general, and big hotels in particular, can add a tremendous amount to the bottom line by focusing on energy efficiency. It isn’t that there are unique opportunities in the hospitality area that are seen nowhere else. It’s that just about every energy saving technology — from LEDs to efficient washing machines — can have great impact in hotels.
A typical large hotel is a 24×7 operation in which energy is poured into administrative offices, guest rooms, conference facilities, dining facilities and other areas.
Last week, Caribbean News Now reported that that The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Caribbean Clean Energy Program (CARCEP) and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) signed an agreement aimed at creating beneficial energy policy reform, research and capability development, according to the story.
Read More (Energy Manager Today)
While the political landscape in Midwest states shows a growing reluctance to mandate utility spending on energy efficiency, some states are still gaining ground in reducing energy use by approaching it from different sectors.
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy’s latest energy efficiency scorecard — a national grading system of states with the strongest efficiency policies in place — shows the Midwest region all over the map, from states in the top 10 (Minnesota) to dead last (North Dakota).
But advocates say the evolving criteria for grades mean more efforts are being taken into account beyond traditional statewide efficiency standards requiring utility investments. While states like Minnesota are still seen as having strong, years-long efforts, others are increasingly recognized for efforts in sectors like combined heat and power, transportation and building codes.
Read more (Midwest Energy News)
On October 4 we hosted the first in a new webinar series, kicking things off with “PACE in Virginia.”
Watch the “PACE in Virginia” webinar.
The webinar covers:
- An overview of the basics of Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing
- Explanation of how Virginia compares to national programs and the opportunities and challenges in Virginia from a legislative and regulatory standpoint
- Discussion of funding Virginia received from the Department of Energy and a private foundation and how we will utilize the funding to increase market outreach and education to diverse localities across the Commonwealth
- Value proposition for property owners
- Specific examples that show how PACE works within the capital stack and current financing termsSpeakers:
Abigail Johnson, Abacus Property Solutions
Bill Greenleaf, Loan Officer and PACE specialist, Virginia Community Capital
Elyssa Rothe, Director of Policy and Market Development, PACENation
Abigail Johnson, LEED AP O&M, is the President of Abacus Property Solutions (“Abacus”) and founding partner in the new venture Atlantic PACE, a PACE project development and program administrative firm. In 2009, Abby founded Abacus to serve as a an independent real estate advisor to the commercial real estate industry in financing energy efficiency and clean energy projects using conventional debt, public/private incentives, and alternative financing vehicles such as PACE. Over the past three and a half years, Abby has focused her energy in growing the PACE market, both from the origination and underwriting standpoint to working with government and non-profit entities in establishing PACE programs. In particular, she was instrumental in establishing a commercial PACE program in south Florida (St. Lucie County) and in amending the flawed Virginia PACE legislation in 2015. She holds a Bachelor of Architectural History from the University of Virginia and a Master in International Economics and Management from L’Universita’ SDA Bocconi in Milan, Italy.
Bill Greenleaf is commercial loan officer at Virginia Community Capital. He started Virginia Community Capital’s energy efficiency and solar lending program for commercial buildings in 2015. Bill first started working to bring PACE loan programs to Virginia in 2009. In 2014 he established a business coalition which successfully secured passage of Virginia’s PACE legislation in 2015. He serves on the board of the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council. Mr. Greenleaf received his MBA in Finance from the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, and his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Skidmore College.
Elyssa Rothe joined PACENation in January 2016 as Director of Policy and Market Development after working with Energize NY, NY State’s PACE program, for 4 years. She has spent her career working in the clean energy sector, primarily under several marketing and outreach contracts for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). She currently serves on the Board of Directors for 2 non-profit organizations in Westchester County. Elyssa graduated from New York University with a bachelor’s degree in Social Entrepreneurship, and received a Professional Certificate in Fundraising from NYU in 2014.
Can a green building make your company smarter? That’s what new research suggests, underscoring the ROI for green certifications — not just for optimizing the usual factors such as energy and water use, but for elevating workforce productivity.
It’s clear at Greenbuild 2016 this week that the health and wellness of workers indoors is becoming a high-level concern. No longer is human comfort something a corporation might consider from the kindness of its profit-seeking heart. Instead, evidence of a competitive advantage for fostering well-being speaks the language of the C-suite.
The early results of a new study dubbed COGFX are being buzzed about for finding 26 percent higher scores on cognitive tests for workers in LEED-certified buildings.
Read the full story. (GreenBiz.com)
A leading provider of supportive services to families in Ward 8 is constructing a new state-of-the-art headquarters with help from the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy and Environment’s DC Property Assessed Clean Energy (DC PACE) financing program. The Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative, Inc. (FSFSC), an anchor of the community for over 20 years, will use PACE financing at low tax-exempt rates to fund green building improvements for their new home in historic Anacostia. This is the first use of PACE with tax-exempt funds in the nation. This marks the fifth DC PACE deal closed under Mayor Bowser’s Administration, representing over $5.2 million in clean energy and water investments, with other major PACE deals in the pipeline.
The project includes the renovation of a vacant furniture store on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue into the new offices for FSFSC, which is currently located a few blocks from the site. The first floor will become the first “Busboys and Poets” restaurant and bookstore east of the Anacostia River.
Read the full story. (Urban Ingenuity)
Factories and other industrial energy users could make significant improvements in energy efficiency, saving money, cutting energy demand and reducing carbon emissions.
But the same measures that help homes and commercial businesses lower their energy use aren’t necessarily viable or attractive for industries, and energy efficiency isn’t always a priority for manufacturers dealing with myriad financial and technological challenges.
So the national non-profit Advanced Energy Economy Institute and other advocates are trying to push the issue of industrial energy efficiency to the forefront and to involve industrial users in policy and technology efforts, including through a series of roundtable discussions with industrial customers, utilities and other stakeholders in Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania. The next event in Illinois will be held on October 11.
The institute also held a meeting in Illinois in August in conjunction with the Clean Energy Trust and Northwestern University’s law school and Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern.
Read the full story. (Midwest Energy News)
E4TheFuture recently commissioned Tohn Environmental Strategies to perform a review and analysis of recent literature documenting residential building energy efficiency-related health impacts. Ellen Tohn’s research team* surveyed 25 studies that relate specifically to energy efficiency (EE) improvements. We will soon share these detailed results.
Our aim is to build understanding and access to relevant data that can support inclusion of health impacts as a public benefit of EE, while identifying where research gaps exist and/or where research can be improved and leveraged. Our goal is also to collaborate with others to explore new integrated approaches to improving indoor air quality that combines health and EE industry actions, in coordination with the U.S. DOE’s Roadmap for Integrating Health and Home Performance.
Read the full story. (E4TheFuture blog post)
