Artist’s rendering of 110 Embarcadero (Illustration: Pelli Clarke Pelli)

A 10-story clear glass building designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects and dubbed 110 Embarcadero is being proposed for a site along San Francisco’s waterfront. The structure would sit on a narrow 44-foot-wide site and include solar panels and planters contained by a trellis-like mesh that would be attached between each floor. The vines would snake around cables, forming a sort of taut net around the building for a cooling effect, with vertical cables spaced every 5 feet and horizontal ones stretched waist-high across each floor. The cables supporting the vines would also be used to irrigate the planters, recycling filtered wastewater from the building. Douglas fir piers beneath the structure would be recycled as decking for a publicly accessible rooftop open space. The architect and developer, Hines, say the goal is to earn a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-Platinum rating, the top honor bestowed by the U.S. Green Building Council. The building could open as soon as late 2009.

• Read more: “A Beautiful Green Building for Embarcadero,” By John King, San Francisco Chronicle (2/04/08)
• Read more: “Green Renovation Project Proposed for San Francisco’s Parkmerced” (e-Newswire, 2/6/08)
• Read more: “World’s Most Energy-Efficient Tower Rising in China” (Power Plug, 1/31/08)
• Read Flex Your Power’s best practices guide for commercial office buildings

(Photo: Pacific Institute)

“We’ve learned over the years how powerful the actions of individuals, industry and farmers can be at reducing water use. The simple act of setting efficiency standards for toilets and shower heads, or replacing flood irrigation with drip irrigation, has saved us billions of gallons. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, individual Californians use 40% less water today than they did 30 years ago, a truly remarkable achievement that’s received far too little attention.”

• Read the rest of “Billions of Drops in the Bucket,” By Peter Gleick, Pacific Institute

President Bush at the 2008 State of the Union address (Photo: WhiteHouse.gov)

In President Bush’s January 28 State of the Union address, he said that the U.S. is “committed to strengthening our energy security and confronting global climate change,” and he touted the way forward as “the development of cleaner and more energy-efficient technology.” However, the fiscal year 2009 (FY 09) budget Bush submitted to Congress cut the energy efficiency and renewable energy budget by 27%, completely zeroing out the Renewable Energy Production Incentive and the Low-Income Weatherization Assistance Program and increasing fossil fuels funding 25% over FY 08.

Here are some specifics, courtesy of Climate Progress and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute:

Budget Cuts (compared with FY 08):

• $227 million cut in the Weatherization Assistance Program Grants (100% cut)
• $12.3 million cut in the Solar Energy Program (7% cut)
• $5.0 million cut in the Renewable Energy Production Incentive (100% cut)
• $6.9 million cut in the Hydropower Program (70% cut)
• $4.9 million cut in Tribal Energy Activities (83% cut)
• $4.6 million cut in the DOE Office of Electric Delivery and Energy Reliability Budget (3% cut)

Budget Increases (compared with FY 08):

• $222.7 million increase in Fossil Fuels (25% increase)
• $385.5 million increase in Nuclear Energy (37% increase)
• $26.8 million increase in Biomass and Biorefinery Systems R&D (13% increase)
• $ 14.8 million increase in Building Technologies (13% increase)
• $ 10.2 million increase in Geothermal Technology (51% increase)
• $7.5 million for the Asia-Pacific Partnership, one of the President’s priorities for addressing climate change (unfunded in FY 07 and FY 08)

• Read “Details on Bush’s Anti-Efficiency Budget,” Climate Progress (2/05/08)
• Read more: “Lawmakers Urge President Bush to ‘Fully Fund’ Energy Efficiency and Renewables” (Power Plug, 12/15/06)

The U.S. has more than 275 million TVs in use, consuming over 50 billion kWh annually (Photo: Flickr)

Beginning November 1, digital televisions qualifying for the ENERGY STAR label will have to be up to 30% more efficient than conventional models, the the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on February 5. This is the first time that the ENERGY STAR designation will be given to televisions for using less energy while they are on and in standby mode. According to recent market research, North American shipments of TVs will top 36 million units in 2008. These TVs will typically be larger and in use more hours a day. If all televisions sold in the United States were to meet ENERGY STAR’s new requirements, it would save consumers $1 billion annually and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking about 1 million cars off the road.

• Read background
• Read more: “Sony to Release World’s First OLED TV” (Power Plug, 10/9/07)
• Read more: “Ampere Strikes Back Finds Explosion in Consumer Electronics’ Electricity Consumption” (e-Newswire, 7/11/07)
• Guides for energy-efficient products and equipment for your home

SDG&E hopes that increased incentives will encourage fire victims to rebuild to New Solar Homes Partnership standards, such as in the home pictured above (Photo: GoSolarCalifornia.ca.gov)

San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) has increased its residential new construction incentives by 100% for customers who were victims of the 2007 firestorm, and who choose to rebuild with energy efficiency in mind. The most generous incentives are available to qualifying homeowners who rebuild to meet the Advanced Home Program Tier II requirements of the California Energy Commission’s New Solar Homes Partnership (NSHP) program. SDG&E is offering $4,000 for these super-efficient homes, which exceed California’s Title 24 efficiency standards by 35% to 40% with the help of high-efficiency HVAC systems and ENERGY STAR qualified appliances. SDG&E is also increasing incentives for the installation of photovoltaic systems. Fire victims who install PV and build to NSHP requirements, for example, can earn the $4,000 incentive mentioned above, approximately $5,040 as an incremental incentive for installing solar, and approximately $9,360 from the state under the NSHP — incentives worth a total of $18,400. For more details on incentives for fire victims, call (800) 411-SDGE (7343), or visit SDG&E’s 2007 Firestorm site.

• Download this flyer (PDF, 54KB) on SDG&E’s incentives for victims of the 2007 San Diego Firestorm and visit SDG&E’s 2007 Firestorm site
• CEC’s New Solar Homes Partnership program
• Read more: “Fireman’s Fund Green-Gard Coverage: First Insurance Designed for Green Buildings” (e-Newswire, 8/22/07)
• Read more: “Energy-Efficient Nature Center Replaces Buildings Lost to Fire in San Diego Park” (e-Newswire, 9/21/06)
• Find rebates, incentives and services for your home

The California Energy Commission (CEC) just awarded a $2.3 million contract that will allow it to continue to offer no cost energy audits to public agencies to promote energy efficiency. The CEC energy audits can cover up to $20,000 of engineering costs to the public agency, such as schools, local governments, hospitals, special districts and colleges/universities. The assistance allows CEC to partner with a contractor for technical engineering and architectural expertise. A team of engineers might, for example, perform energy analysis and audits, undertake energy feasibility studies, and investigate load reduction and renewable energy generation projects. A contracted team of architects, meanwhile, can provide expertise in new public building construction projects including schools, small and large institutional facilities (such as jails), and city and county office and administrative buildings. For more information, visit the CEC pages on audits for schools and local governments.

• Read background on CEC energy audits for schools and local governments and higher education
• Read more: “Loan-Funded Project Will Save Alameda County Over $350,000 on Annual Lighting Costs” (e-Newswire, 1/23/08)
• Read more: “With CEC Loan, Contra Costa County to Retrofit Lighting in County Buildings” (e-Newswire, 10/17/07)
• Find rebates, incentives and services for the institutional sector

PV arrays on the UCI campus (Photo: UC Irvine)

Chicago-based UPC Solar recently signed a 20-year contract with UC Irvine (UCI) to install a 1.2-megawatt photovoltaic solar system on 11 campus buildings, which will generate enough power to supply the equivalent of 212 Irvine homes. UPC Solar will design, install, own and maintain the panels, selling the clean power to UCI at no net cost increase to the university. The solar power system will deliver an annual reduction of approximately 2 million pounds of carbon dioxide. Kiosks around the campus will monitor the system and inform passersby about how much energy is being generated and how much carbon offset. The vehicle under which UCI will purchase solar, a power purchase agreement (PPA), is quickly becoming the industry standard for the commercial and institutional sectors. According to a new report from Greentech Media, 50% of the national commercial and institutional solar market was developed under PPAs in 2007, up from 10% in 2006.

• Read background
• Read more: Solar Power Services: How PPAs Are Changing the PV Value Chain, By Jon Guice and John D.H. King, Greentech Media (2/14/08)
• Read more: “Contra Costa County Community Colleges Undertaking North America’s Largest Solar and Efficiency Project for Higher Education” (e-Newswire, 2/06/08)
• Read more: “East Los Angeles College to Be First LACCD Campus to Go Off-Grid” (e-Newswire, 9/19/07)
• Read more: “San Jose Unified School District Announces the Nation’s Largest K-12 Solar and Energy Efficiency Program” (e-Newswire, 8/08/07)
• Find rebates, incentives and services for the institutional sector

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just released its updated list of ENERGY STAR qualified buildings and, once again, more of these energy-efficient buildings are found in California than any other state. Nationwide, more than 4,050 buildings have achieved ENERGY STAR status, and 917 of these, up from 779 in 2006, are in California. Altogether, 1,400 hundred office buildings, schools, hospitals and government buildings earned the ENERGY STAR label last year. ENERGY STAR qualified buildings typically use about 40% less energy than standard buildings. The nation’s 500 most efficient ENERGY STAR qualified buildings use 50% less energy than standard buildings. California’s ENERGY STAR rated buildings saved building owners $199 million in energy costs and prevented 1.6 billion pounds of CO₂ emissions in 2007.

• Read background
• See the complete list of ENERGY STAR qualified buildings (as of 12/31/07) (PDF, 163 KB)
• Read Flex Your Power’s best practices guide for commercial office buildings

Cyan Dandridge of Strategic Energy Innovations receives an Education & Leadership Award from CEC Commissioner John Geesman at the 5th Annual Flex Your Power Awards (Photo: Flex Your Power)

Strategic Energy Innovations’ program Awareness for Communities about Energy (ACE) trains paid student interns and other students on energy efficiency, auditing techniques and sustainable living. Once trained, the student energy auditors head out into the community, sharing their knowledge with small-business owners, senior citizens, parents and other community members. More than 300 students — including many at-risk youth — have participated in the program, which has saved an estimated 920,000 kilowatt-hours and $120,000 at more than 500 senior facilities, small businesses and residences. Strategic Energy Innovations was the recipient of an Education & Leadership Award in the 5th Annual Flex Your Power Awards.

• Read background
• View the winners of the 5th Annual Flex Your Power Awards
• Read more: “Bay Area Youth Helping to Bring Energy Efficiency to Underserved Neighborhoods” (e-Newswire, 6/28/06)
• Read about Green for All, a new campaign working to bring “green collar” jobs to urban areas
• Energy- and money-saving tips for the home

MicroPlanet’s High Voltage Regulation (HVR) device (Photo: MicroPlanet)

Seattle-based MicroPlanet recently announced that over a 131-day trial its voltage management products reduced air conditioning and lighting loads for a Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) customer by approximately 10%. The findings are from an Advanced Technologies Evaluation Report released by SMUD in December 2007. SMUD’s report concluded that MicroPlanet’s products brought line voltage to optimal levels — 114 volts, the voltage at which most electrical equipment, including air conditioning, refrigerators, appliances and lighting, is designed to operate most efficiently. Electricity delivered at a voltage higher than 114 is wasted, MicroPlanet says, released as excess heat that can shorten equipment life. MicroPlanet says that the more than 600 voltage management systems it has installed in pilot programs worldwide have yielded 5% to 8% energy savings in residential applications and 5% to 12% in commercial applications.

• Read background
• Read more: “eCube Launches in the U.S. on May 1” (Power Plug, 4/12/07)
• Guides for energy-efficient products and equipment for your home
• Energy- and money-saving tips for your home