Clean Edison Blog

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) recently proposed reforms to the interconnection regulations for small generators – those with a capacity of 20 MW or less. These reforms are meant to make the interconnection process for solar and wind faster and cheaper. Details on the proposed rules and how to participate in the currently open comment period can be found here.

It is essential to both know the rules and when the rules apply. Understanding how energy is governed – whether by federal, state, or local entities – is essential for crafting a financially successful endeavor. As Frederick R. Fucci and Natara Feller put in The Law of Clean Energy: Efficiency and Renewables, “interconnection problems and delays are the single greatest impediment to the successful installation of distributed energy equipment and are holding back the greater development of distributed resources.”

So, when will a small generation facility be impacted by FERC’s proposed reforms? When does FERC’s jurisdiction become relevant when entering into an interconnection agreement?

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Just because you’re doing your part for the environment and instituting more eco-friendly measures, it doesn’t mean you have to throw your fashion sense out your newly-green windows. These days, there are more ways than ever to introduce earth-saving accessories to our energy-efficient windows that are as easy on the eyes as they are on the environment.

Choosing eco-friendly window treatments is also much easier on the wallet than replacing every window in your home with energy-efficient ones. Including the cost of labor for installation, one can reasonably expect to pay anywhere from $400-$1,000 per energy-efficient window; for someone with even a dozen windows in their home, the costs could easily come in between $4,800-$12,000 for the entire project!

Once you consider the fact that you cannot take your super-expensive windows with you when you leave and that you will almost certainly not recoup 100% of the costs, other alternatives start to look much more promising.

Meanwhile, upgrading your window treatments is not only an exponentially more economical choice on the front end, but you are also able to transport them to your next home if you decide to move.
Here are a few of the most energy-saving options for eco-fashionable window treatments.

Honeycomb Cell Shades

In terms of extreme insulators, the honeycomb cellular shades can’t be beat! The unique honeycomb shape works like a quilt in that it insulates your windows by trapping air between the honeycomb cells. They not only block heat in the summer but they also block cold air from entering in the winter.

On the surface, they have an accordion-esque appearance and come in a variety of colors. Honeycomb cell shades are a good way to incorporate a bit of textural interest to your windows, as well.

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The U.S. solar industry has reached a point in which the cost of solar is favorably comparable to the costs of retail electricity in many states.  The price for photovoltaic (PV) modules have experienced rapid declines due to fierce international competition and subsequent over supply. Still, non-hardware costs such as permitting and inspection have remained relatively constant.

The United States is comprised of more than 18,000 local jurisdictions whose permitting requirements and fees vary widely. This lack of permitting standardization across jurisdictions and inefficient permitting processes create challenges that impede national solar deployment.

Here are 10 ways in which the solar permitting processes could be improved and costs lowered:

1) Statewide Legislation

The first thing states need to do to lower the costs and time involved in solar permitting is to create a broad standard that remains consistent from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

This would eliminate inconsistencies across regions and allow for a simplified solar energy training process for permitting employees and solar installer statewide.

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Despite the growth of public transportation and other transportation alternatives, parking locations remain necessary in much of the nation. Even though parking consultants and design teams have been using sustainable practices for parking structures in recent years, many do not calculate energy use as part of their standard methodology. Unknown to most, a garage typically uses 15% of the energy that the building that it is designed to support uses.Worse, this energy use is often lost in the periphery of energy efficiency efforts. Parking structures should not be overlooked, though, because the savings potential is immense. Energy use can be reduced by more than 90% over an ASHRAE Standard 90.1 2007 baseline parking structure with typical construction costs.

Here are some design elements that can be implemented to improve the energy efficiency of parking structures

Ventilation

Design the parking structure to maintain an approximate 40% façade openness, which allows natural ventilation on all levels. This will be enough ventilation to preclude the need for mechanical ventilation systems.

Daylighting

Lighting is typically the largest load, particularly for naturally ventilated structures. To reduce the lighting load to almost zero during daylight hours, perforate the façade with aluminum panels that let in sunlight (while keeping out weather) and, if possible, design to include a “light well” in the middle of the structure to meet a full daylighting effort in the center of the space. If done properly, only a few places in the structure, such as under the stairs, need to be electrically lighted between sunrise and sunset.

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Q: How did you first get involved in environmental issues and the Environmental Law Institute?

A: Growing up in Michigan our home was across from a forest with a small river. Nature inspired me, and provided clean air and clear water for a young boy to breathe and play in, pushing me to want those great natural resources to continue for all generations.   Much later, as an attorney at the US Department of Justice, I had the privilege of representing the United States in Court, acting to both protect the environment but also to bring environmental enforcement cases against those who violated the law and in so doing often damaging our fragile eco-structure. The cases I was involved in ranged from the Exxon-Valdez oil spill when I first arrived at DoJ, to the Deepwater Horizon/Gulf Oil Spill which I supervised until I left DoJ in 2011 to become the President of the Environmental Law Institute.  ELI has a vision statement that makes me proud to be here, promoting “A healthy environment, prosperous economies, and vibrant communities founded n the rule of law.”  Our wonderful staff works diligently each day to make the world a better place to live in.

Q: What trends are you noticing in how environmental issues are viewed in the public? 

A: The Pew research center has tracked the public view of environmental issues over the years. What is clear is that most Americans support  environment protection. And they care about the economy. I don’t take these two data points as being in opposition. There is no reason environmental improvement has to come at an unreasonable cost to the economy if done well. Instead, I think Americans are telling us they want economic growth and economic security as well as a clean environment and environmental security for future generations. ELI is working to help bring about that reality.

Q: In your opinion, what is the single biggest hurdle facing the attempts to curb greenhouse gas emissions? 

A: The failure of Congress to enact comprehensive climate change legislation had cost the United States its leadership position on this critical issue.  To regain that position, it is imperative for this Administration to accomplish as much as it can through implementing the Clean Air Act.  The three critical decisions by EPA—the endangerment decision, the

greenhouse gas emission standards for vehicles, and the tailoring rule–which were unanimously upheld by the DC Circuit last year were a superb start, but there is much more to do.  And, I continue to believe that these regulatory actions should again inspire Congress to act in a comprehensive, bipartisan manner.

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Are you enthusiastic about energy efficiency, renewable energy, green building, electric vehicles, and clean technology? Do you want to promote clean energy as part of a kick-ass blog?

Maybe you’re a strong writer who’s interested in journalism, PR, or social media, and you’re looking to build up your portfolio of clips. Or perhaps you’re a home energy auditor, solar installer, or green building professional who would love a little more exposure for your business.

If this sounds like you, then you might be CleanEdison’s next superstar Contributing Writer! We publish 2-5 blog posts per week that get picked up by top news outlets such as Renewable Energy World, Greentech Media, Scientific American, BBC, and Bloomberg.

We research, write about, and lead the digital conversation on the most exciting things happening right now in clean energy, and we’re looking for people to join our team.

WHAT YOU’LL DO
You will be responsible for contributing at least one blog post every other week over an initial six-month commitment period. The quality of your research and writing should be on par with the pieces already published on our blog.

WHAT YOU’LL GET

• Your name and profile on our blog as a Contributing Writer
• If you’re interested in breaking into journalism, PR, or social media marketing, then you’ll learn everything you need to know from our experienced team and build a great portfolio of clips
• If you’re a solar installer, green contractor, or other clean energy professional, then we’ll help you promote your business
• Free access to your choice of one online courses: LEED Green Associate, LEED AP Professional, NABCEP Solar PV Installer, or BPI Building Analyst

WHO ARE WE?
At CleanEdison, our mission is to promote clean technology and sustainable building practices throughout the United States with exceptional training, education and career assistance. We are a national training provider offering online, in-classroom, and hands-on vocational training to individual professionals, businesses, postsecondary institutions, and government organizations.

HOW TO APPLY
Please email the following to Managing Editor Comly Wilson at comly.wilson@cleanedison.com:

1. A one-paragraph description of who you are and why you’d be a great Contributing Writer for CleanEdison.
2. A sample blog post on energy efficiency, renewable energy, green building, or electric vehicles. Take a look around our blog for inspiration.
3. Links to your social media presence: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, etc.

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The wind industry’s rapid expansion in the past few years underscores the industry’s significant potential to create jobs, spur economic activity, reduce water use, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, all while producing clean electricity.

However, many myths of wind energy have been spread, sometimes intentionally, sometimes through hearsay. It is important to cut through the noise and get down to the facts. Here are eight of the most commmon myths about wind energy

Myth #1: Wind projects are not economically feasible without the Production Tax Credit (PTC) or the Investment Tax Credit (ITC).

Fact: Although the PTC and the ITC have been important tools for expanding the wind energy industry, wind projects can utilize a number of economic models and financing opportunities that allow projects to be economically feasible without these two federal incentives. In fact, many wind projects have not qualified for the PTC.

The ITC for wind projects is a relatively new mechanism that was established as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and so its value as a tool is only now being realized. Although these two mechanisms have aided wind projects with initial financing, developers often utilize other financing models, such as vendor financing, construction loans, permanent loans, investors, tax equity, new market tax credits, bonding, utility pre-payment, renewable energy credits, or various other state or local incentives. Some wind projects can also qualify for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program, which can help raise private funds for the planning and construction phases of the project.

Myth #2: Wind projects negatively impact the land values of people living in proximity to them.

Fact: Individuals living in close proximity to wind projects may be concerned about property values. Anecdotal and some documented evidence indicate that in some cases, reductions in property values have occurred. In addition, some studies have observed short-term reductions in home prices corresponding to the period following a project’s public announcement but prior to the plant beginning operations.

However, these declines were not observed after operations began, suggesting that they may have resulted from buyer apprehension during project development and construction. The most comprehensive study of those listed examined nearly 7,500 U.S. residential transactions for homes located within 5 miles of wind turbine installations, 1,900 of which were within 1 mile and 125 of which occurred after the wind facilities were operational. This study concluded that there was no statistical evidence of an impact on home prices from either views of or proximity to wind facilities.

Research published to date demonstrates that wind facility impacts are either too small or too infrequent to result in broad-based impacts to property values.

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The newest installment of CleanEdison’s LEED Certifications of the month series.

The month of March had a wide variety of buildings get their LEED Certification. The usual American college campuses were joined by a Holocaust museum and a university in Hong Kong.

In no particular order, here are the LEED Certifications of March 2013

Philadelphia School’s Ellen Schwartz and Jeremy Siegel Early Childhood Education Center

The Center, located at 2501 South Street, was recently awarded LEED Silver Certification under the US Green Building Council’s LEED 2009 New Construction Rating System.

During construction, a commitment was made to use as much locally produced materials as possible; preferred materials had recycled content. Spray foam insulation and fiberglass batts installed in the ceiling and walls resulted in a high R-value, a measure of insulation’s ability to resist heat traveling through it, and reduced air leakage in and out of the building.

A radiant heat system was installed. The size and positioning of the building’s many windows ensure ample natural daylight. Interior materials meet rigorous air quality standards. The drought-resistant landscaping and hard-surfaced areas were designed to help rainwater infiltrate into the ground rather than enter the city’s storm-sewer system.

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Welcome to CleanEdison’s new series for the month of April: 18 Actionable Steps Towards Energy Efficiency!

We’ve all heard about the amount of money that can be saved by changing a few simple behaviors and making some adjustments to your home.

But where to start? Who has the time? How much can be saved?

We are here to answer these question in the form of small, actionable steps that you can take each day after work or school that will add up to major savings in the end.

On weekends, there will be slightly bigger projects that will unlock even greater energy savings.

Together, let’s make our homes and communities more energy efficient and our nation cleaner, safer and healthier!

April 18th – Repair, replace and add insulation to your attic

Remember last week when you checked for uneven insulation and water damage in your attic? Well today is the day you do something about it.

Summer is coming and you don’t want to have one day of wasted energy leaking from your attic, not this year at least. Improving your home’s air leaks are the fastest and most cost-effective ways to reduce energy waste and make the most of your energy dollars.

If you found any missing insulation you’re going to want to make sure that every inch of space between the beams is accounted for. If you see fiberglass insulation, you’re probably good, this seldom needs to be replaced – UNLESS it is water damaged. Also inspect dirty spots in your insulation for air leaks and mold. You can seal leaks with low-expansion spray foam made for this purpose.

Don’t forget to use the proper mouth and hand protection when handling fiberglass insulation.

How’d it go up there? Don’t you feel all the money you’re saving?

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