Archive for the ‘Green Buildings’ Category
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
Urban environments can be a challenge to solar development. When evaluating a building's solar power potential, solar installers and consultants often turn to Google Earth or Bing Maps to get an early impression of the building; it's the analog of real estate 'drive-by'. Even knowing the pitfalls, it's hard to ...
Posted in Commercial Solar, Commercial Solar Analysis, Green Buildings, Renewable Energy, Urban Planning and Solar | Comments Off
Saturday, July 25th, 2009
In about 65 days, the US Treasury will begin to issue cash grants to owners of solar power systems of all sizes. The grant is equal to 30% of the project's cost. This includes households, solar developers, businesses, commercial buildings, and utilities. The grant is scalable. On a $34,000 home ...
Posted in Commercial Solar, Commercial Solar Finance, Commercial Solar Ventures, Department of Energy, Energy Policy, Green Buildings, Green Jobs, Solar Cash Grants, Utility-scale Solar Power | Comments Off
Friday, July 17th, 2009
Cost/benefit analysis is certainly nothing new. Leed 2009 NC adds a new twist when your design team compares maximum LEED points against maximum potential energy savings from on-site solar.
Project budgets are especially tight in the current economic downturn, and a 'least cost' point strategy may be attractive. LEED 2009 ...
Posted in Commercial Solar, Commercial Solar Analysis, Commercial Solar Finance, Green Buildings, LEED, LEED 2009 | Comments Off
Monday, July 13th, 2009
LEED 2009 introduces new standards for on-site solar power: "To encourage and recognize increasing levels of on-site renewable energy self-supply to reduce environmental and economic impacts associated with fossil fuel energy use."
What are the basics, and what are the implications for LEED point calculations and actual energy cost reductions? What ...
Posted in Commercial Solar Analysis, Green Buildings, LEED, LEED 2009 | Comments Off
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009
The Portland Habilitation Center (PHC) recently held an open house to introduce the public to the largest solar installation in Oregon. PHC is a non-profit that trains and employs people with all types of disabilities. PHC occupies a 110,000 square foot building near the Portland airport and the Columbia River ...
Posted in 2008 Commercial Solar Report, Commercial Solar, Commercial Solar Finance, Green Buildings, Green Jobs | Comments Off
Saturday, May 16th, 2009
Ten skyscrapers, planned and under construction, are described as the "Greenest Skyscrapers in the World". As exquisite as they are ambitious, these buildings represent a milestone in environmental design. From rotating towers layered with horizontal wind turbines, to a giant wing designed to funnel wind into turbine tubes, to wind ...
Posted in Green Building Policy, Green Buildings, LEED, Urban Planning and Solar | Comments Off