The factors that differentiate “green” construction derive from a new set of expectations relating to structures and their function. Green buildings aim to maximize efficiency in their use of water, energy and other resources, to minimize waste, pollution, or other contributions to environmental degradation, and to create environments that contribute to health and productivity.

The Green Jobs Guidebook (Environmental Defense Fund 2008), thought by many to be the definitive green jobs report to date, lists 41 job classifications directly related to green building. Among them: Green Building Project Design and Development; Green Building Design and Engineering; Green Building Operations; Energy Efficiency Services and Installation. Other green jobs that relate to construction include: Solar Power Installation; Maintenance, Development and Manufacturing; Wind Power Installation; Geothermal Operation and Development; Plant Environmental; Health and Safety Facility Positions; Environmental Consulting; Municipal Waste Treatment and Recycling.

In addition to new methods and materials, the culture of the green construction site can be different. According to Bill Stough, “maximizing energy efficiency and material efficiency so there is less waste being generated on a construction site – the waste that is generated on the construction site is reused to the maximum extent possible.” For example, deconstructing a building in preparation for new construction is another aspect of high performance building standards that requires special training. Recycling of building materials and debris left over from clearing the site earns points for green building certification through programs such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. In addition, secondary jobs are created in the marketing of the refuse – jobs for processing the material and making it ready for use in other, less valuable products, called “downcycling”

Sponsored by the Texas Solar Energy Society and Austin Energy Green Building, the annual Cool House Tour is coming this weekend, June 6.  Go here for details and ticket instructions:  http://www.txses.org/solar/content/cool-house-tour

One of your stops will be this renovated 1917 cottage at 607 Deep Eddy Avenue featuring sustainable materials such as renewable eucalyptus cabinetry and recycled paper countertops.

Or how about this updated AD Stenger home at 440 Ridgewood Drive? 

Get your guidebook/ticket at any Central Market, and google map your favorites!  Hope to see you there!

Lew Hay, chairman and CEO of FPL Group, a top-five electric power company and No. 1 producer of renewable energy from wind and solar power, issued the following statement today on the energy and climate bill introduced by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.):

“Senators Kerry and Lieberman deserve tremendous credit for crafting a proposal that would move the country in the right direction on energy and climate issues. After years of debate and half measures, the United States still lacks a long-term national energy strategy, leaving us behind other countries in building and exporting the clean energy economy of the future. If we are to continue to lead the world in technological advances, job creation and economic security, we need a new approach. The most essential step — which is at the heart of the American Power Act — is to set a price on carbon dioxide emissions. With a gradually escalating price on carbon that begins to reflect the full social costs of emitting greenhouse gases, the country will make a smooth transition from the high-carbon fuel sources of the past to the next generation of low- and zero-emitting domestic energy sources. No legislation is ever perfect, this bill included, but Sens. Kerry and Lieberman have shown true leadership in their efforts to reach a balanced solution that all parties to this debate should be able to support. We applaud their efforts and look forward to working with them to get a bill signed into law.”

Read the full article: http://tinyurl.com/2avojo2

Until Dec. 31, 2010, homeowners can take advantage of a national tax credit on a variety of energy-saving products. Here’s a basic explanation of how the tax credit works, with help from the Internal Revenue Service.

There appears to be a cauldron of federal stimulus money going to waste these days because large numbers of Americans are more concerned about saving their houses than improving them.

This isn’t setting too well with the remodeling industry, especially home-center chains such as Home Depot, which has sent out a reminder that, earlier this year, Congress approved the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Meaning that, until Dec. 31, 2010, homeowners can take advantage of a national tax credit of 30 percent of the cost, up to $1,500, on a variety of energy-saving products. Insulation, windows and doors, roofing, heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, tankless water heaters and alternative energy programs, such as solar panels and wind turbines, are covered.

Here’s a basic explanation of how the tax credit works, with help from the Internal Revenue Service.

What the law means: First, the provision that covers this is the Residential Energy Property Credit (Section 1121 of the act), which increases the energy tax credit for homeowners who make energy-efficient improvements to their existing homes. The law increases the credit rate to 30 percent of the cost of all qualifying improvements and raises the maximum credit limit to $1,500 for improvements placed in service in 2009 and 2010.

Didn’t we have this before? A similar credit was available for 2007. Standards for products that qualify for the credit are higher than the ones allowed in the 2007 law. To be helpful, the IRS is advising manufacturers on how they can certify that their products meet these new standards for the credit. Homeowners may continue to rely on manufacturers’ certifications under the 2007 law, such as EnergyStar labels, to see if products they bought before June 1 are eligible.

Here comes the sun: Then there is the Residential Energy-Efficient Property Credit, or Section 1122, of the Recovery Act. This is a nonrefundable energy tax credit designed to help individual taxpayers pay for qualified residential alternative energy equipment, such as solar hot water heaters, geothermal heat pumps, and wind turbines.

What’s new here: The new law removes some of the maximum amounts previously allowed, and permits a credit equal to 30 percent of the cost of qualified products.

So what should I look for? For insulation to qualify, its primary purpose must be to insulate (example: insulated siding does not qualify).

Windows, doors, and skylights: Starting Oct. 1, you’ll see a red or black label, in combination with EnergyStar designations, on these products. The label identifies high-efficiency products that now qualify as EnergyStar but don’t meet the stricter requirements effective April 1, 2010. Windows, doors, and skylights purchased on or after June 1, 2009, must have U-factor and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) ratings of 0.30 or less. These ratings must be certified by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC). Look for the NFRC label.

Storm windows and doors: There is a tax credit. The best way to find ones that qualify for it is to ask your retailer for the Manufacturer’s Certification Statement for them.

Roofs? “Metal roofs with appropriate pigmented coatings” and “asphalt roofs with appropriate cooling granules” that also meet EnergyStar credits are eligible — just the materials’ cost, not the labor or roof coatings.

Alternative energy: Tax credits are available at 30 percent of the cost, with no upper limit through 2016, for existing homes and new construction, for geothermal heat pumps (they use about 30 percent less energy than a standard heat pump); solar energy systems — both solar hot water heating and photovoltaic power generating; residential small wind turbines with a capacity of not more than 100 kilowatts; residential fuel cell and microturbine systems with at least 30 percent efficiency, and hybrid gasoline-electric, diesel, battery-electric, alternative fuel, and fuel cell vehicles and electric cars.

Ask your tax accountant for details.

Solar and Wind will continue to grow, but energy efficiency will be a strong focus in 2010.

Solar and wind power will get headlines and attention, but green-tech experts say 2010 will be dominated by energy efficiency, the mundane but critical process of cutting the amount of gas and electricity that homes and offices use.

There is no question that green energy is a coming force. Economic and environmental necessity have pushed such sources of energy to the very forefront of public, corporate and governmental concern, making such energies the growing and coming sector. In fact, during 2008 and 2009, green energy overtook fossil fuels in terms of power generating investment attraction-the first time that this has ever happened. Clean technologies, including wind and solar, drew more than $140bn of investment during this period, compared to $110bn for coal and gas meant for electrical power generation. More than one-third of this ‘green money’ ended up in Britain and the rest of Europe.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given their starting points, the largest growth in renewable energy investments were seen in India and China-along with several other developing countries, as they look to match the West by switching from fossil fuels in order to improve energy security and address issues relating to climate change, which will directly and immediately impact developing world countries.

The Executive Director of the UN’s Environment Program, Ache Steiner, has postulated that such indicators suggest that a tipping point has been reached, where renewable energy is perhaps even more important than fossil fuels in the global energy mix. It is indeed encouraging that, up to the end of 2009, a wide variety of renewable energy sectors have attracted significant capital, and many different regions are entering the sector in a serious way. Up to the end of 2009, more than $155bn of new money had been invested in clean energy concerns and projects-despite the fact that the capital raised on public stock markets dropped by 51% to $11.4bn. Over this period, green firms also saw share prices drop dramatically by over 60%.

Wind energy is the current global leader of green energy sources, attracted the highest levels of investment globally at over $51bn. Next comes solar power at over $33bn. As of the end of 2009, however, the solar power sector saw Y-O-Y growth of 50%, whereas wind power only saw an annual growth of 1%. The next most-popular green energy source is biofuels, attracted an investment of almost $17bn, down 9% on 2007 levels. This was principally due to overcapacity issues and political opposition to the sector, with ethanol being squarely blamed for rocketing food prices.

Europe remains the principal center for investment in green energy and power, seeing over $50bn directed into continent-wide projects-an increase of 2% on 2008 figures. The figure for the US was $30bn-down a total of 8%.

Many countries have seen a number of “Green New Deals”, designed with the intention of re-igniting recession-depressed economies and tackle climate change-related problems. The first quarter of 2009 saw a slump in renewable investment globally, and this trend has troubled the UN. The second quarter of 2009 has shown recovery, but indications are that the year would end at least a quarter down on 2008 figures. Many analysts are encouraged by the green shoots, but insist that politicians and policy-makers should do more to ensure continued growth.

“Green’s the word in Austin, and today greenbacks are on their way to further strengthen our commitment to clean energy,” said Doggett, D-Austin. “Green jobs have the ability to not only transform the way we do business, but re-power America; this training will provide workers with the nuts and bolts to construct a thriving clean energy economy right here in Central Texas.”

The grant is a significant gain for the region’s green work force, as community and business leaders continue to eye plans to grow the sector in Central Texas, which has lost jobs in manufacturing and other key industries in the downturn.

The Central Texas plan, funded by the federal economic stimulus program, will train 1,000 workers for jobs at solar power plants in Austin and San Antonio and projects in nearby cities and states. The training will prepare workers for a variety of jobs, including in solar installation.

The grant will go to Austin’s Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee , which is sponsored by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 520 .

Gilbert Ferrales , training director for the JATC, said the training will provide workers with immediate employment opportunities in Central Texas.

The Austin IBEW will partner with ImagineSolar LLC, an Austin-based company that does job training for the solar energy industry, and the Austin Workforce Investment Board.

The training will begin as early as March and take place at JATC’s training facility in Southeast Austin over the following months.

“This grant represents a major step forward in developing the solar energy industry for Central Texas,” said Michael Kuhn, president and chief executive of ImagineSolar.

The region got one of 25 grants totaling nearly $100 million from federal stimulus funds announced Wednesday by the Labor Department.

It’s part of a larger $500 million federal initiative to train workers for careers in energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.

“Our outstanding award recipients were selected because their proposed projects will connect workers to career pathways in green industries and occupations through diverse partnerships,” Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis said in a statement Wednesday.

Article courtesy of Austin American Statesman

China currently receives only a tiny fraction of its electric power from renewable sources (other than hydroelectric). They will try to double their renewable energy production each year for the foreseeable future. It will take many years of doubling to reach an equilibrium point with an economy growing 10% per year. They talk about reducing the carbon output for each unit of production.

Why are the Chinese using this approach? Cap and trade just doesn’t work for them. They can’t put carbon limits on an economy that is growing 10% per year. If the caps really worked, their growth rate would decline substantially. They are not willing to give up the growth which provides jobs for the hundreds of millions of Chinese looking for work to move out of poverty.

To implement this policy of displacement, the Chinese government had decreed that power companies must buy all of the renewable energy produced even if the price of that energy is higher than the price of energy produced from fossil fuels. Note that the price renewable energy producers can charge is regulated by the government but is typically set at a price that provides a decent return for the company. China will also provide fast approval for renewable projects and will work to build out their electric grid to connect new power sources.

The First Solar deal with China to build 20 GigaWatts of solar collectors by the year 2020 is a good example of this policy at work. China guaranteed First Solar a rate tariff on the electricity produced that would make them a profit if they would build a factory in China to produce the panels. China will build the transmission lines to get the power to market for them. In 2020 China will have 20 GigaWatts for solar power which will mean they will product 20 GigaWatts less power from fossil fuels when the sun shines.

The displacement policy means Chinese wind and solar system producers are gearing up to increase production dramatically. This high consistent demand is allowing them to use scale to drive down manufacturing costs. One day renewable may become cost effective as a power source compared to fossil fuels and China won’t have to subsidize their production. In the mean time China creates whole new industries with tremendous export potential and thousands (millions?) of new jobs. They also don’t have to be heavy handed with energy consumers. Consumers will pay a slightly higher price for electricity as the utility companies pass through the higher prices they pay for renewable power.

Read more at Examiner.com:  http://tinyurl.com/y85gcks

This sets Obama on track to create 5 million green (not just renewable energy) jobs over the next decade. Granted, he made this promise early in his campaign, all the way back in the spring of 2008. At that point he planned to spend $150 billion total to stimulate the green economy.

The estimates in the report depend on several conditions that could be a bit of a stretch — namely that all U.S. utilities will be able to generate 20 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2020 and that a carbon emissions cap and trade system becomes a reality. It also anticipates that billions of dollars will be invested in cleantech research and development.

Considering that most utilities aren’t approaching 20 percent renewables in their energy mix, and the climate bill that would establish cap and trade has stalled in the Senate, this may be a little far-fetched.

But if these criteria are fulfilled, all 50 states will have an opportunity benefit economically from the green stimulus packages being given out one industry at a time — so far solar, Smart Grid, biomass, wind and advanced batteries have each received up to billions of dollars, mostly through the U.S. Department of Energy.

The study was produced by the University of California, in tandem with Yale University and the University of Illinois.

Another study, presented earlier this week by Booz Allen Hamilton at Greenbuild 2009, predicted that the green building industry alone will generate or support 7.9 million jobs and infuse the U.S. GDP by $554 billion in just the next four years.

Round Rock Independent School District was a close second on the list.

The EPA looked at primary and secondary schools nationwide that use the most power from renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and low-impact hydropower.

The EPA said that together these top schools are buying nearly 113 million kilowatt-hours of green power annually, equivalent to carbon dioxide emissions from generating electricity for 11,000 American homes for one year.

“Our green-powered schools are giving kids a brighter future in more ways than one. They’re leading the way in protecting our health and environment, and moving the country into the clean energy economy of the 21st century,” EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said. “This is a great lesson on how we reduce harmful pollution in our skies and get America running on clean energy.”

The top five schools using the greenest power are:

• 1 — Austin Independent School District

• 2 — Round Rock Independent School District

• 3 — Rochester City School District, Rochester, N.Y.

• 4 — Bullis School, Potomac, Md.

• 5 — The Dalton School, New York, N.Y.

Info from Austin Business Journal.  Thanks, ABJ!