Archive for 'January, 2010'
January 27th, 2010 / 3 Comments
On Tuesday, January 27th, 2010, Greener Dawn performed an energy audit on NBA legend Bill Walton’s home in the Balboa Park area of San Diego. A 6,000 square foot home as well as a 1500 square foot home sit on the property. Marc Esser from Negawatt Consulting analyzed the large home focusing on electrical load, ducts, and ventilation. He took some great pictures throughout the home, and we’re looking forward to seeing his comprehensive report. John Adkins from Icarus Green Energy performed an energy audit on the smaller home focusing on a Home Energy Rating Score (HERS). He performed a blower door test, used a thermal camera to measure the insulation, and analyzed the ducts. Hopefully Bill’s home produces a strong HERS score!
San Diego will be launching their AB 811 Clean Generation program in June 2010. Energy Audits are expected to be required if you would like to install solar panels or perform a whole house energy efficiency retrofit. The City of San Diego is even expected to pay for these homeowner energy audits! In addition, the highly anticipated $9.8 billion Cash for Caulkers program focuses on whole house energy efficient retrofits. The government could pay up to half of the cost of a retrofit. Building Performance Institute certified Home Performance Contractors will be the ones recognized by the government to do work on homes for the Cash for Caulkers program. Energy Audits could be a critical component as well for this program. We will soon be reporting the results from the Energy Audits on Bill Walton’s homes. Stay tuned!
 The GD Crew with Bill Walton Posted by Fan Ding in Residential
January 21st, 2010 / 2 Comments
(Solana Beach, CA)- Greener Dawn, Inc today announced a fundamental commitment to protect the environment by becoming an ENERGY STAR Partner. Greener Dawn’s voluntary partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR means that we will be working toward helping their clients improve the energy efficiency and performance of their facilities; we believe that an organization-wide energy management approach will help our clients enhance their financial health and aid in preserving the environment for future generations.
“We are committed to being a nationwide leader in energy efficiency in conjunction with the EPA’s Portfolio Manager,” says Courtland Weisleder, President of Greener Dawn. “One major step towards that goal is our partnership with Energy Star in anticipation of AB 1103 in California. We are proud to be associated with the United State’s EPA.”
In partnership with ENERGY STAR, we will help our clients to:
- Measure and track the energy performance of their facilities at all locations.
- Set a goal to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings by 10% or more, in support of the ENERGY STAR Challenge
We will also:
- Encourage our staff and community to learn about the benefits of energy efficiency and to implement appropriate energy efficiency measures
By helping our clients to reduce energy consumption, we can save money and Kwh’s each year – the equivalent energy required to power numerous American homes. This will also reduce air pollution by preventing carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere – the equivalent of removing numerous vehicles from the road!
ABOUT ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR is a voluntary partnership between businesses, government and others united to protect our environment for future generations by changing to energy-efficient practices today. ENERGY STAR works with more than 9,000 partners to improve the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses. Businesses can use ENERGY STAR to improve efficiency, enhance profits, and create a competitive advantage. In 2006 alone, ENERGY STAR helped businesses and consumers save more than $14 billion in energy costs while reducing global warming emissions equivalent to those from 25 million vehicles. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES.
Posted by Fan Ding in Commercial
January 19th, 2010 / 1 Comment
http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2010/01/06/half-of-non-residential-buildings-will-be-green-by-2015-study/
According to a new study by Good Energies Inc., a New York based venture capital firm, green buildings will make up about half of the non-residential building stock by 2015, up from about 15% currently. Greg Kats, director of Climate Change for Good Energies, says that their findings and forecasts are based on USGBC’s LEED (Leadership in Energy Environmental Design) standards to define a green building. A report from October 2009 by McGraw-Hill Construction seems to offer support for Good Energies’ findings. McGraw-Hill says that the share of green building in the retrofit market could grow to 20% to 30% in the next five years, with the market opportunity for major projects growing to $10.1 billion to $15.1 billion. If we assume new green building construction could represent the other 20% to 30% then the 50% number sounds reasonable.
Good Energies also concluded that the so called “green premium” (the price to use green building practices) is much less than many people think. The public thinks that the green premium is about 17% more than a traditional building, but Kats suggests that the actual number is closer to 2%. The payback period for a green building is about 3 to 4 years and for certain projects such as lighting, as little as 6 months to a year. Their conclusion is that there is no good reason to NOT go green when there are both financial and environmental benefits.
In California, commercial building owners may soon find that going green will become a very compelling decision. According to Assembly Bill 1103 (AB-1103), commercial building owners will be required to disclose their building’s energy performance (in terms of an Energy Star benchmarked score) starting on July 1, 2010. In other words, a building’s energy efficiency (and thus utility costs) will be out in the open for all prospective buyers and lessees to see. Buildings that earn a score of 70 or more (out of a 1-100 scale) will receive the coveted Energy Star designation and are expected to command higher selling prices and rent premiums against buildings with lower scores.
By turning the commercial building market into more or less a competition for energy efficiency, green retrofits and sustainable building practices will become more market-friendly than ever. However, many property owners are understandably reluctant to spend any capital right now to retrofit their buildings in a harsh economic climate. What many owners don’t know is that there are many rebates, incentives, and even interest free, little to no out-of-pocket loans like On-Bill Financing (offered by San Diego Gas & Electric and other utilities) to help support the energy efficiency movement. OBF allow owners to pay back the loan amount through energy savings over a period of time. For example, if a building’s utility bill was $2000/month normally and a retrofit project that costs $20,000 saves $1,000/month in utilities, then the payback period would be $20,000/$1,000 = 20 months. After that period, the building owner would continue to enjoy the low utility use costs gained through OBF because it has “paid off” the loan. Building owners who are astute and take advantage of programs like OBF will get a head start in the real estate market as the green building market continues to build momentum.
Posted by Fan Ding in Commercial
January 14th, 2010 / 0 Comments
According to a preliminary Bloomberg New Energy Finance report, China’s share of the California market, in terms of supplied megawatts, has risen to 46 percent, from just 21 percent of the market at the beginning of 2009. Concurrently, the share supplied in California by American companies has declined to 16 percent, from 43 percent. Big government subsidies and incentives by the Chinese gov’t, combined with a low cost of labor (Chinese engineers out of college make about $7,000/year) have allowed companies like Suntech and Yingli to produce panels and PV cells at a fraction of the price of compeititors in other countries. Recently, Suntech Power has outlined its plan to establish an assembly plant in Arizona, both to reduce shipping costs and perhaps anti-China rhetoric among U.S. industry trade associations. Suntech has applied for a 30 percent investment tax credit from the stimulus package that applies to solar manufacturing in the United States
So if the Chinese government is subsidizing Chinese companies on the raw materials side and the U.S. government is subsidizing Chinese companies on the assembly side, how can anyone compete? Is this a zero sum game in which only Chinese manufacturers win? I don’t think this is necessarily the case. Establishing U.S. manufacturing plants will create more jobs for American citizens as well as lower the cost of overall panel production, accelerating the development of the solar industry overall. And as First Solar has demonstrated, U.S. companies can still profit handsomely with more effective technology. First Solar recently signed a large-scale deal with China for thin film PV panels. e-Solar, another U.S. company, just announced in the past week that they have landed a huge contract to build 2 gigawatts of solar thermal plants in China. So there are many synergistic opportunities available for both sides of the pond. The net result is that solar equipment costs will go down, consumers will benefit, and the solar industry will continue to flourish.
Posted by Fan Ding in Research
January 11th, 2010 / 0 Comments
On December 23, 2009 the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) passed a proposed decision authorizing the use of tradable renewable energy credits (TRECs) and unbundled REC contracts starting in March of this year. Under this proposed decision, utilities will be allowed to meet up to 40% of their annual Renewable Energy Portfolio (RPS) compliance targets with TRECs. The significance of this decision cannot be understated. Up to this point, California’s utilities could only meet RPS obligations through the purchase of bundled contracts for RECs and electricity under power purchase agreements (PPAs) or through the construction of utility owned generation. In other words, only large scale projects (in the hundreds of megawatts) could benefit.
If this new proposal goes into effect, it would greatly encourage the development of residential and commercial solar projects along with other forms of renewable energy on a smaller but wider scale. Owners of these projects could register their TRECs with the Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System and receive revenue from utility purchases of these RECs.
Posted by Fan Ding in Uncategorized
Courtland Weisleder is the founder of Greener Dawn. Weisleder first became enthralled with clean technology while studying at the University of San Diego in the Masters of Science in Real Estate program.
“After moving here I saw that San Diego will become the clean technology capital of the country” said Weisleder, on his move from Virginia. While Weisleder was completing his studies at USD, he used the money from the sale of his previous company, Interactive Financial Marketing Group, to start up Greener Dawn in January.
Greener Dawn offers clients energy and water efficiency consultation for both residential and commercial properties. Consultation on maximizing financial performance of commercial assets through sustainable green retrofits, including LEED consulting, energy efficient solutions, and a carbon credit program, is also offered to commercial clientele. The offshoot investment group provides clients with financial advice and capital maximization consultation, and publishes institutional quality clean technology research.
Read more: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-12-14/environment/the-green-35-under-35-part-2#ixzz0bxQ4zwTg
Posted by Fan Ding in Uncategorized
Political leaders and the American public have broadly recognized the need to mitigate climate change risks and increase energy independence. The results of a Washington Post – ABC News Poll conducted in Aug 2009 show wide support for President Barack Obama’s clean energy policies with 91% supporting the development of more solar and wind power compared to only 51% support for building new fossil fuel burning power plants. Because renewable energy (RE) projects generally have uncertain long-term returns and require considerable investments when compared with conventional power plants, public policy is required to engage the financial sector to attract investment and spur RE development.
In the US, the use of complicated tax incentives, rebates, and Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) has been the preferred incentive mechanisms. RECs are used to fulfill Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) contracts, currently adopted by 29 states and the District and Columbia and mandate a percentage of electricity procured by utilities come from renewable energy. (DSIRE, 2009) However, a RPS is simply a target and mostly effective only in supporting the lowest cost renewable energy technologies such as wind. California, for example, has merely seen a slight increase totaling 14 MW in deployed renewable energy resulting from current production incentives.
In efforts to drive Renewable Energy (RE) development and support RPS schemes, variations of the policy that has led Germany to become the world’s largest producer of solar energy are gaining popularity in the United States. Called Feed-in Tariffs (FiT), this policy provides financial incentive to RE producers by offering guaranteed interconnection to the electricity grid and long-term contracts at premium fixed prices. A simpler and more comprehensive policy, FiTs encourage producers to invest in research and development, establishing critical conditions to support emerging technologies and meet RPS goals. (Rickerson, Wilson H., and et. al., 2007)
As of Sept 2009, several US states, utilities, and regions including California, Florida, Vermont, Wisconsin, Oregon, and Washington have implemented and are examining the expansion of current FiT policies. In efforts to inject market mechanisms into their FiTs, California is experimenting with different pricing strategies with Assembly Bill 1106, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District FiT, and the most recently proposed reverse auction mechanism in the California Public Utility Commission FiT policy. Other states, such as Arkansas, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, New York, and Rhode Island have introduced various forms of FiT proposals in their legislature. “The feed-in tariff has proven to be the best way to get quick movement in renewable energy development and create a lot of jobs” said state Rep. Matt Pierce (D), who has introduced a feed-in tariff proposal in Indiana.
This analysis begins with a discussion highlighting the advantages of FiTs when compared to RPS type policies. The next section identifies five best FiT design practices, which maximize the impact of FiT policies. Under the framework of five best practices, the paper examines the impact of current FiT policies in the United States including Gainesville, FL, the state of Vermont, and three separate initiatives in California. The paper concludes with a brief discourse on the future of US FiT policies, underscoring areas where greater research is needed.
Posted by Michael Chang in Uncategorized
The green building movement has transformed from solar panels and low-VOC paint to a complete shift in commercial real estate transactions – are you ready for green negotiations? Savvy and cutting edge brokers, lawyers, and business analysts are scrambling to figure out how to put green into legal agreements, because it is quickly becoming a deal-closer or a deal-breaker.
Despite what jargon lawyers come up with, it is critical in this economy and real estate market that property owners and managers have a plan to deal with building performance issues, especially in California with AB 1103. Tenant and buyer reps will be certain to leverage this mandate to get their clients a better deal – as it is very likely that this becomes the strongest point of negotiation available in this leasing/purchase landscape.
Scores are based on a scale of 1 to 100, with buildings that score closer to 100 having lower operating costs compared to similar buildings in the market. If your building doesn’t have a competitive Score, you will be experiencing longer leasing periods, lower occupancy rates, reduced rent rates, and a decline in asset value. The business case for an efficient building is too strong and risks are too high.
If you have leases expiring soon, or if you are delaying capital improvements and retrofits, you may want to re-examine the implications that building performance will have on upcoming transactions. Even if you have a LEED Certified building, you may find the building is not performing as designed.
Benchmarking will allow you to assess whether or not the building is providing the NOI you were expecting; and it is the first step to identifying opportunities for improvement. Owners of 1960’s office buildings may feel their hands are tied with no capital to make substantial renovations, but there are certainly low- cost strategies available to any building.
Assembly Bill 1103
- Reporting will now begin July 1, 2010
- Requires California utilities to report all commercial buildings’ energy use data to the EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager.
- Reports a performance Score, compared to similar buildings, on a scale of 1 to 100.
- Effective July 1, 2010, this Score will be a Mandatory Disclosure for office, hospital, retail, and refrigerated space above 50,000 square feet looking to lease, sell, or finance the asset.
- Any owner occupied building above 5,000 square feet will be required
- Also Food stores above 25,000 square feet and unrefrigerated warehouses above 200,000 square feet are also required
The ROI is easy to determine for tangible costs, but the value of mitigating risks associated with the green building movement may prove exponential. The water and energy crisis, air quality problems, commuting and transportation issues, carbon regulations, and social and environmental responsibility are just a few risks hitting headlines. Now is the time to implement improvements and reposition existing buildings on the market.
Easton Gardner, LEED AP
LEED Consultant
Greener Dawn, Inc.
Greener Dawn can help you navigate the opportunities and risks associated with green building by developing and implementing a strategic retrofit plan!
444 S. Cedros Ave., Suite 195
Solana Beach, CA 92075
858-345-1672 egardner@greenerdawn.com
www.greenerdawn.com
Source: Greener Dawn Inc.
Posted by Fan Ding in Commercial
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