Ready for Its Close-Up: Solar Power as a Mainstream Commercial Solution March 24, 2008 Posted by: johnsoncontrols 06:43 PM
By Bill Guiney
One common issue facing decision-makers is how to address environmental issues – from volatile energy costs to the mammoth issue of climate change. Traditionally the business world has perceived that doing anything more than grabbing the “low-hanging fruit” such as lighting retrofits is complex and expensive.
Welcome to 2008. Market forces that include grid reliability issues, regulatory changes and heightened public interest in environmental stewardship, not to mention rising energy costs, are beginning to push businesses and other organizations to consider alternative energy sources. The granddaddy of these is solar power, which first appeared on the scene in the 1960s but was dismissed as impractical because of the size and number of solar panels needed to produce significant energy and because it was far more expensive than conventional methods of generating electricity.
Advances in solar energy technology plus rising electricity prices have changed that equation. Today solar energy is worth a second look as an on-site, reliable, environmentally friendly power source. Reasons to consider it include:
It offers a hedge against rising fuel costs
It can offset peak energy demand
It demonstrates environmental stewardship
It provides an opportunity for community leadership
It helps local utilities meet State Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) Targets
In addition, incentives such as tax credits are available in many states. You can find out what’s available in your state by searching the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (www.dsireusa.org), a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.
There are two solar options for commercial applications: solar photovoltaic which taps the power of sunlight to generate electricity, displacing utility grid-delivered power; and solar thermal, which uses the heat energy generated by sunlight to displace natural gas, electricity and LPG power sources.
Solar thermal is really the low-hanging fruit of renewable energy. It can be used very cost-effectively for hot water and steam boiler make-up as well as for heating water for swimming pools. And it’s easy to retrofit most buildings with the technology. Businesses and institutions that are already taking advantage of this technology include the hospitality industry, college dormitories, hospitals, laundry facilities and a variety of municipal entities, including the Chicago Cultural Center. Solar thermal systems are typically designed to handle 50 percent to 80 percent of the actual load for hot water needs.
Photovoltaic is a little more complex to install. However several companies now produce photovoltaic kits that deliver a pre-engineered, packaged stand-alone system. The kits can also be used as building blocks to create a larger system. Businesses interested in exploring this option can go to www.consumerenergycenter.org/renewables/estimator/index.html to quickly determine the economic benefits of a solar kit. The site connects to the Clean Power EstimatorTM, which is an economic evaluation software program. The program provides residential and commercial electric customers an estimate of the costs and benefits of investing in a photovoltaic (PV) solar (or small wind electric generation) system.
Remember that it is best to choose an installer that is NABCEP certified. NABCEP is the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, which certifies contractors as properly trained in PV installations (www.nabcep.org).A qualified installer can help assess the site and provide a power production forecast reflecting your geographical location.
Solar power is definitely worth a second look.
Bill Guiney is Program Manager, Renewable Solutions for Johnson Controls, Inc. He has more than 26 years of experience in the solar industry as a contractor, educator, distributor and manufacturer of solar energy industry. Bill was a leading instructor for solar thermal at the Florida and North Carolina Solar Energy Centers and currently serves on the North American Board of Certified Energy Professional’s technical committee for solar thermal.
Keeping a Close Eye on Green Collar Jobs – Part Two March 17, 2008 Posted by: johnsoncontrols 05:51 PM
And what an event it was!Organizers say more than 900 people attended from a broad range of interests: Businesses, state/local government, NGOs, and trade unions – all looking for ways to benefit from more jobs in the environmental sector.
“Green-collar jobs…are well-paid, career track jobs that contribute directly to preserving or enhancing environmental quality. Like traditional blue-collar jobs, green-collar jobs range from low-skill, entry-level positions to high-skill, higher-paid jobs, and include opportunities for advancement in both skills and wages.”
What I like about this definition is that it provides a better connection to the triple-bottom-line of sustainability: measuring success through financial, social and environmental advances.Reuters quotes Piper Jaffray’s Lois Quam as saying there are currently about 8 million "green" jobs in the United States in industries that attracted $148 million in investment in 2007, up 60 percent from the year before.
I spoke at a session on Friday, and from the reaction of our audience, it’s the cities and states – along with private-sector partnerships – that will make Green Collar Jobs a reality as a tool for economic development.(Note: Earlier in the week, a similar study and plan of action for state policy makers, Greener Pathways, was released in Milwaukee.)
I counted myself among the growing group of industry experts at the conference who strongly advocate energy efficiency and renewable projects as the best creator for green jobs.
An analysis by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) indicates that if investments and policies are implemented to meet Governor Martin O’Malley’s energy efficiency reduction goals of 15% of forecasted electricity consumption by 2015, more than 12,000 new jobs in the state will be created by 2025.
“These include well-paying trade and professional jobs needed to design and install energy efficiency measures. These new jobs, including both direct and indirect employment effects, would be the equivalent of some 100 new manufacturing plants relocating to Maryland, but without the public costs for infrastructure or the environmental impacts of new facilities,” according to the report.
As a bonus, these energy efficiency projects also are the most effective way to reduce carbon emissions. For example, Johnson Controls is helping the city of Baltimore reduce its $40 million annually energy budget by building a renewable methane gas energy generation facility and providing energy efficiency facility upgrades.Some of the project results:
Guaranteed reduction in energy consumption of $1.8 million annually
Captured former waste stream (methane gas) and converted it to a useful application
New facility cost funded by savings
Reduction in emissions of 13 million pounds of CO and 7.7 grams of nitrogen oxide
Most importantly, 25% of the project work done is being done by local certified minority and women-owned contractors.Johnson Controls is actively engaged in training these green collar workers, which is an investment in the city’s future.After they’ve worked on our job, they’ll be ready and able to be hired on the next green initiative.And there are sure to be others in the pipeline.
The Good Jobs, Green Jobs conference absolutely was a turning point for all involved.Now we’ve got to get the word out about the need for more public-private partnerships that advance these types of projects in every city and every state in the country.
Keeping a Close Eye on Green Collar Jobs March 10, 2008 Posted by: johnsoncontrols 05:29 PM
Joy Clarke-Holmes
Johnson Controls
An event being held in Pittsburgh March 13-14 is the first I’ve seen that focus entirely on what truly has become the buzz phrase of 2008: Green Collar Jobs.
Good Jobs, Green Jobs: A National Green JobsConference is promoted as an event that “will bring together national leaders and advocates to share the best thinking about the link between economic opportunity and environmental solutions.”I’ll be speaking Friday, March 14 at 8:45 AM, and I’m looking forward to an exciting session.
First of all, what’s a green collar job? I haven't found a single definition for it, and if you have one please share it, but it generally includes elements of what is in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, recently passed by Congress, which provides support for people in these areas:
the energy-efficient building, construction, and retrofits industries
the renewable electric power industry
the energy efficient and advanced drive train vehicle industry
the biofuels industry
the deconstruction and materials use industries
the energy efficiency assessment industry serving the residential, commercial, or industrial sectors
manufacturers that produce sustainable products using environmentally sustainable processes and materials
The term “Green Collar” actually was first brought up at a 1976 Congressional hearing, when university professor Patrick Heffernan, delivered his paper, “Jobs for the Environment — The Coming Green Collar Revolution.”
There was quite a lull in the conversation about the connection between the environment and job creation until organizations such as the Apollo Alliance (launched by the Institute for America’s Future and the Center on Wisconsin Strategy) and the Blue Green Alliance (led by the United Steelworkers and Sierra Club) recognized the powerful economic force that could be created.
Even more important – green collar businesses are attracting new, young workers who have an environmental ethic and older, seasoned workers who are eager to be retrained in growing fields.
At the Good Jobs, Green Jobs conference, I look forward to meeting other participants to share best practices, advocate more political solutions and encourage investment in green collar industries and energy efficiency projects.
Pittsburgh in March? It will never look so green.
Joy Clarke-Holmes is the Director of Local Government & Metro Markets Solutions Sales for Johnson Controls, Inc.She manages marketing and sales operations for hundreds of municipal customers across the United States for Johnson Controls, a global leader in creating infrastructure improvements with economic impact.
Joy also represents Johnson Controls in several national organizations, including the National Association of Counties, International City/County Management Association, National League of Cities, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
In addition to her 25 years of business experience, Joy is involved in many civic organizations.She has a BS in Education from the City College of New York and is a graduate of the Management Institute at the University of Southern California.
