1 ) Brown University. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, Brown University is one of the oldest institutions for higher learning in the United States. The university has also made the commitment to reduce energy use as well as harmful environmental impacts while increasing environmental stewardship. Through its Energy and Environmental Advisory Committee, the university has set a number of goals to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and maintain a level of carbon neutrality. This is done through the installation of energy efficient technologies in buildings, having regulations that all new buildings must meet the United States Green Building Council’s LEED Silver Certification standards, numerous student-led environmental sustainability initiatives, including conservation-based competitions and the Environmental House, and also a number of transportation initiatives to get the Brown community using alternative modes of transportation, including carpool and bike sharing programs.

2 ) Providence College. Also located in Providence, Rhode Island is the beautiful Providence College. Much like its neighbor, it does what it can to ensure it maintains its promises to environmental sustainability. This includes using a campus-wide energy management system for all buildings, installing a variety of water saving technologies, Updating HVAC systems in 14 buildings throughout campus, and free public transit passes for all students.

3 ) Rhode Island Financial Incentives for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. In an effort to help residents and businesses in Rhode Island afford making the switch the renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, the state of Rhode Island has created a number of incentives for renewables and efficiency. These incentives include corporate tax credits, local loan programs, performance-based initiatives, property tax incentives, sales tax incentives, state grand and loan programs, as well as utility rebate programs created by the primary utility in the state, National Grid (both electric and gas).

4 ) Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation Renewable Energy Fund. The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation Renewable Energy Fund is an official economic development organization that offers full services throughout the state of Rhode Island. It services as a community and government resource to assist in streamlining the business expansion in, and relocation to, Rhode Island. According to the website, “Rhode Island’s economy has changed. Rhode Island must now compete in a global economy where innovation and knowledge are the primary drivers of economic growth. Our Economic Growth Plan describes our strategy to create jobs and accelerate the state’s economic transformation.”

5 ) Rhode Island Solar on Schools Initiative. The Solar on Schools Initiative in Rhode Island provides participating school systems with solar photovoltaic installation and web-based data display on the photovoltaic system performance. The data collection as well as display system enables teachers and students to access system performance data and utilize it in science classes as well as other curricula. A primary potion of the funding for the cost of the photovoltaic system and the educational support will come from renewable energy fund as well as the Office of Energy Resources.

6 ) Rhode Island Renewable Energy Projects Receive Millions in Funding. The smallest state in the United States has some major green aspirations. The governor of the state, Lincoln D. Chafee as well as the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation executive director Keith Stokes announced in November 2011 the disbursement of $2.7 million in federal stimulus funding to 16 municipalities and organizations throughout the state for their renewable energy projects. “Lowering the cost of doing business in Rhode Island is a top economic development priority. By providing increased renewable energy alternatives that will help businesses realize energy cost savings that directly contribute to their bottom line, we will make the state more competitive and encourage future industry and job growth,” said RIEDC Executive Director Keith Stokes. “We look forward to funding some exciting new projects, which can be up and running by next year through this RFP.”

7 ) Rhode Island Energy Efficiency and Resource Management Council. The Rhode Island Energy Efficiency and Resource Management Council was established to “Provide an integrated, comprehensive, public, stakeholder-driven organizational structure to secure for Rhode Island and its people the full supply, economic and environmental benefits of energy efficiency, conservation and resource management.” The purposes of the council are to evaluate as well as make recommendations for energy programs and plans, provide stakeholder involvement in energy planning, evaluate and monitor the overall effectiveness of energy programs, and lately promote public understanding and awareness to energy issues.

8 ) Rhode Island Rebuilds Water Treatment Plants to Utilize Green Technology. In January of 2011, senior federal and state elected and environmental officials announced new efforts to aid in the rebuilding of Rhode Island water treatment plants that were heavily damaged by devastating floods over the spring months. These new water treatment plants will include state-of-the-art energy efficient and green technologies. “This is a smart investment in our state’s water and sewer infrastructure that will improve water quality and reduce costs. Energy efficiency upgrades are expected to help this Warwick facility reduce energy use by up to 30%,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee, who noted that Rhode Island has received more than $135 million in federal funding so far to help the state recover from last spring’s flood. “The floods last spring were devastating, but we will continue to rebuild and repair in a way that strengthens our community and ensures that we are better prepared going forward.”

9 ) Rhode Island Green Building Act. The Rhode Island Green Building Act passed in November of 2009 by Senator Louis P. DiPalma was passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Carieri and requires that all brand new major public facility projects and major business renovations throughout the state be designed and then constructed in conformance with high performance green building standards. “We are no longer in an era when environmentally friendly design is a luxury. Not only are green building materials and systems more affordable and available than they used to be, but environmentally responsible design pays off in lower costs for energy, water and more over the life of a building. Building green is good for the health of our environment, the public and the bottom line. It’s time we made it the standard,” said Senator DiPalma.

10 ) Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation. The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation maintains responsibility for management solid waste and recyclables in Rhode Island. It is made up of landfill management and recycling professionals that are committed to providing environmentally safe and economically sound safe solid waste management services to the community of Rhode Island. Some of the general services provided include sanitary landfilling, recyclables sorting and processing, commercial composting, construction and demolition debris grinding, and small vehicle waste sorting area.

Article by Shawn Lesser, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Atlanta-based Watershed Capital Group – an investment bank assisting sustainable fund and companies raise capital, perform acquisitions, and in other strategic financial decisions. He is also a Co-founder of the GCCA Global Cleantech Cluster Association ”The Global Voice of Cleantech”. He writes for various cleantech publications and is known as the David Letterman of Cleantech for his “Top 10″ series. He is also author of The 2012 Cleantech Directory. He can be reached at shawn@watershedcapital.com.

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Historically these processes have been invisible to the stakeholder, but with the increased demand for transparency and disclosure, companies have a greater opportunity to showcase meaningful commitments – a silver lining in the sometimes cloudy sky of reporting, rankings and ratings. And, along the way, the thousands of employees who bring the sustainability commitment to life, from environmental engineers to marketers, are elevated to playing a role in a larger mission, not just “doing their jobs.”

In developing policies and processes for sustainability, Avon has a unique asset: one of the original principles upon which Avon was founded in 1886 is a commitment to “meet fully the obligations of corporate citizenship by contributing to the well-being of society and the environment in which it functions.” Today, 126 years later, many of our 40,000 worldwide associates are passionately committed to ensuring this commitment is met

In the commitment to being internally authentic, companies face many possible environmental areas to tackle. When the lens of materiality is applied – is it meaningful to the company, the stakeholders, and the planet, and can the company have an impact – certain opportunities rise to the top.

For Avon, as a direct seller, paper usage is among our largest environmental impacts and we are in a position to influence supply and demand. Therefore, a core mission is to help end deforestation, and the Avon Paper Promise outlines specific metrics and goals for paper reduction and sourcing. Similarly, the global Hello Green Tomorrow program focuses on mobilization, education and fundraising to help restore critically endangered rain forests, with more than $3.5 million raised in its first two years.

While we don’t have traditional stores, Avon has more than 1 million square feet of real estate. Our Avon Green Building Promise commits us to LEED certification (or local equivalent) for all new or major retrofits. We have achieved Gold or higher certification in two facilities in the United States, including our New York City headquarters, and significant facilities in Brazil, China, Colombia and the United Kingdom. The Avon Colombia “Eco Branch” is the first building in the nation to achieve LEED Gold, which helps advance sustainable construction in that country.

In another case of leading by example, the Avon Palm Oil Promise lays out guidelines to help drive sustainable palm oil, which is a leading cause of deforestation in Indonesia. While more than 80 percent of palm oil is for foods, and Avon is a very minor player, we can lend our name and be a leader within our industry for this issue even if our physical influence is minimal.

This is not to say we do not assess sustainability in our products. There is a “Green Team” at Avon R&D, where new concepts, ingredients and products are developed, and the company works closely with raw material suppliers to stay abreast of the latest trends and improvements in product sourcing and ingredients.

For packaging, the Avon team seeks to limit the amount and type of materials. As an example, there is a savings of raw materials through “light weighting” plastics. Also, because Avon is a direct seller, we are already minimal in much of our packaging since we do not have to display on retail shelves.

For now, our core commitment is to ensure we are sustainable in the way we run our daily operations around the world. In addition to the policies on paper, buildings, and palm oil, we have goals and commitments for the “nuts and bolts” of our business. In 2011 Avon manufacturing and distribution facilities had a nearly 80 percent recycling rate, and our manufacturing achieved a 27 percent absolute reduction in water consumption, 11 percent absolute reduction in energy and 23 percent absolute greenhouse gas emissions reduction (from 2005 Avon baseline).

I once read an anecdote that reflects what it is to work on sustainability within a “traditional” business framework. Three stonemasons toiled away on a cathedral in medieval France. The first, unhappy at his job, complained that he had to cut endless blocks of stone every day. The second, satisfied with his job, noted that his work allowed him to provide for his family. The third, delighted with his job, believed his work was a privilege because he was a small part of a grand project that would benefit generations to come. If we do our jobs right, we can be, too.

Article by Susan Arnot Heaney, Executive Director, Corporate Responsibility, Avon Products, Inc., appearing courtesy 3BL Media

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According to panelists at the recent “Mission Critical: Clean Energy and the U.S. Military“ event in Denver, the military’s growing commitment to reducing its use of fossil fuel, for both national security and economic reasons, will not waver regardless of who’s in charge in the White House or the Congress.

Senator Mark Udall of Colorado rattled off a series of statistics that underline the reasons for the military’s emphasis on becoming as green as the army’s uniforms:

- The military is 25 percent of government’s energy burden
- The Pentagon is biggest consumer of fossil fuels in the world, burning 300,000 barrels of oil per day at a cost of more than $30 million in fuel per day
- A $1 increase in the price of oil increases DoD’s energy cost by $100 million per year
- 1 out of every 50 convoys in a combat zone results in a casualty, and the Army has accrued more than 3300 fatalities in convoys since 2001
- Convoy and security costs $100 per gallon for combat zones

Udall emphasized that the military is implementing many fuel-reducing technologies because of the high human price paid in getting fuel to the front lines. “Saving energy saves lives,” he said, adding that adopting clean energy technologies is “one of the most patriotic things we can do.”

Despite any changes that might occur in the leadership in the executive or legislative branches, the military will continue to be an early adopter of clean technologies that enable it to become more energy independent. These includes making military bases self-sufficient (and less vulnerable to attack) by creating microgrids, and purchasing a large number of hybrid and electric vehicles for its non-combat fleet.

While investors may be endangering the cleantech industry by exiting or staying out of the market, the military remains committed to deploying solar and wind. The military will generate 25 percent of its energy from renewables by 2025, according to Mark Mahoney, director of the Army Regional Environmental and Energy Office. Mahoney said one benefit to renewable adoption is that a platoon can reduce the load it carries by 700 pounds simply by replacing portable generators with solar chargers.

Fort Carson, Colorado, recently achieved the challenging trifecta of becoming a “net zero” facility for energy, water and waste. Fort Carson became the second such army facility, joining Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. The military’s unrelenting commitment to clean energy is consistent with its overarching mantra of preparedness. According to Mahoney, we can’t “afford to wait until the next international energy crisis … or national tragedy forces us to act.”

Article by John Gartner, appearing courtesy the Matter Network.

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The environmental group also said that the pig iron smelting, fueled by charcoal produced from tropical forest trees, has resulted in virtual slave labor and illegal logging of indigenous lands in northeastern Brazil. The Greenpeace investigation said that Brazil’s Carajas region — where three-quarters of the forests have been cleared, mainly for charcoal production — is home to 43 blast furnaces used by 18 different companies.

Two of the major companies, Viena and Sidepar, sell pig iron to a U.S. steel mill operated by Severstal, Greenpeace said. That mill sells steel to General Motors, Nissan, BMW, and Mercedes, according to Greenpeace. Steel originating from the Amazon pig iron also is used in John Deere tractors, Greenpeace said.

As illegal charcoal operations have decimated the forests in Carajas, loggers have been entering conservation areas belonging to indigenous tribes, who have lost 30 percent of their lands to illegal loggers, Greenpeace said.

Although Ford and General Motors have spoken about the poor labor conditions in the charcoal camps, they and other companies have done little to halt the abuses associated with charcoal production, Greenpeace said.

Article appearing courtesy Yale Environment 360.

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Now, Olafur Eliasson, an Icelandic artist known for his light-based installations, is joining the solar power revolution with the beautifully designed Little Sun, a collaboration with engineer Frederik Ottesen. They presented their solar solution last Friday at the World Economic Forum in Addis Baba, Ethiopia.

Little Sun is a LED light powered by solar energy captured with a 6 x 6 cm (2.4 x 2.4 inch) solar module. The designers say it requires four hours of charging to make it work for another five. It’s a nifty, pretty little number that can be used as a lantern, table lamp or even as a bicycle lamp.

Solutions like this bring hope to the 1.6 billion people who lack access to electricity. Little Sun will be launched in London during the arts festival that accompanies the Olympic Games in the summer. In the video below Olafur talks about his new art work for the masses.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

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1) Solar panels

These are generally installed over the roof at any home or simply at some large size backyard area. The cost may range around 10, 000 -20,000 dollars. If you install these solar panels at your place, you become eligible to benefit from most of the state and federal utility tax incentives and credits. This can therefore help you in reducing the cost up to 50 percent. It can be a good choice due to lots of flexibility attached in it.

The buyers get the choice of storing the produced electricity in batteries or selling it back to any utility company. You can therefore always remain connected to the grid at your home and at the same time have a backup for several days of high energy use. Hence when there is any power failure or shutdown from the utility company, you have sufficient power to use at home. Hence no more worries about the any rolling blackouts and severe winter storms. Generally, you will find the solar panels with ten year warranty and within that amount of time, you can recover easily your initial investment through the utility bill savings.

2) Solar hot water system

These systems are competent to render radiant heat in your home and cost wise, the solar hot water system can range around 7,000 to 15,00o dollars. It can save around 60 percent of your hot water heating costs on an annual basis. The federal, state and utility tax incentives and credits can help you in saving 50 percent of the total cost on energy consumption. You can use this system at different places like spas, pools and for your home heating. Also, the hot water heaters can be fueled using the solar energy via this system.

3) Wind turbines

By installing wind turbines you can save up to 15 percent in your utility bills. Any smaller wind turbines can range around 1000 to 5000 dollars and can benefit for federal, state and utility incentives and tax credits. In order to install the wind turbines for your home, you should be based at a proper location along with having right wind conditions and lastly, it must accommodate in your home owners association.

4) The hydrogen gas fuel cells

The hydrogen gas can easily be extracted through the natural gas coming at your home via a gas line. This extracted hydrogen gas can be then used to power the hydrogen gas fuel cells to create electricity, water and oxygen. By generating electricity via this system you are able to harness heat, water and oxygen. In this way you get three things at the same time with one system. You can use the heat at your place along with getting electricity. To run this system, you simply need a natural gas line at your home. The cost of Hydrogen gas fuel cells system start from 20,000 dollars and is eligible for the federal, state and utility incentives and tax credits.

5) Geothermal heating and cooling systems

In this system a liquid tube is drilled 400 feet inside the earth surface near your home. This liquid tube is meant to pump the cooling or heat from the earth in your house which helps in maintaining the temperature inside your place. The geothermal heating and cooling systems decrease cooling and heating cost to around 50 percent and the cost may range around 10,000 to 20,000 cost dollars. The geothermal heating and cooling systems is eligible for the federal, state and utility incentives and tax credits.

6) Biomass combustion boilers

The number of waste wood and other kind of biomass stuffs can be used to generate steam and electricity with the help of running the generator or turbines. The kind of biomass you select would determine the emissions produced. By converting the biomass into a gas before the combustion procedure can help you in harnessing cleaner burning and find low level emissions. This can be obtained by simply decaying biomass into the methane gas. Generally, this system is used by farmers and people who keep live stock.

7) Micro hydro energy systems

This system utilizes reaction or impulse turbine generator along with stable water supply to produce electricity. This option can only availed by people who live nearby any stream, river or at places receiving steady kind of rainfall. Hence places where you can see water funneling on a consistent basis can benefit from the micro hydro energy systems. If water utility can supply you water then with proper piping mechanism, you can get power from this system. The micro hydro energy systems can range around 1000 to 15,000 dollars. If you plan to have this system at home, you have to check whether its installation is eligible for the federal, state and utility incentives and tax credits.

By generating your own energy can be both environment friendly and money saving exercise. Also, you can benefit from the state and federal financial incentives by treading any of the method discussed above in the article.

Article by Alia Haley, a blogger by profession. She loves writing on technology, health and parenting. Beside this she is fond of games and gadgets. These days she is busy in writing articles on her sites diyhealth and automotto.

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The council manages the internationally recognized LEED certification issued to buildings that meet certain environmental benchmarks, including site development, water conservation, energy efficiency, use of sustainable materials and indoor environmental. The top award is LEED Platinum. Several companies are trying to conform to the standard, including some high profile ones.

General Motors has said it expects one of its engine plants being constructed in Brazil to be awarded a LEED certificate, an indication that automotive companies are looking to building sustainability to boost their green credentials.

There are other encouraging examples of sustainability in the construction sector. Pennsylvania State University chose a team of Balfour Beatty companies (Balfour Beatty Construction, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Heery International, and Halsall), one of the largest construction companies in the U.S., to provide integrated construction management services for the retrofit of Building 661 at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia, Pa. The $30 million project will house the new home of a U.S. Department of Energy Innovation Hub for Energy-Efficient Buildings (EEB Hub), one out of a total of three hubs nationwide.

EEB Hub’s mission is to reduce energy use in the U.S. commercial buildings sector by 20 percent by 2020. The Hub will design, demonstrate and deploy market-proven solutions in the Greater Philadelphia region to help the construction sector accomplish its full potential for ongoing energy efficiency. The Hub was previously known as the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster.

Elsewhere, CEMEX, one the world’s top building materials companies, has made improvements related to sustainable construction, the company’s carbon strategy, environmental and biodiversity management, and workplace safety. It has also taken forward socially responsible steps with affordable housing and infrastructure to communities around the world. The company has reached an alternative fuels substitution rate of close to 25% in its cement operations in 2011. The company says it is on track to achieve a rate of 35% by 2015. In addition, CEMEX’s Affordable Housing Program assisted in building more than 3.200 homes for economically-excluded families, and Its affordable housing solutions were made available in five new countries, including Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala and Haiti.

Article by Antonio Pasolini of Justmeans, appearing courtesy 3BL Media.

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In a national survey conducted last year, researchers from Yale and Harvard universities found that Americans, on average, would be willing to pay $162 more per year for their electricity bills — an average increase of about 13 percent — as part of a policy requiring 80 percent of energy come from green sources by 2035.

However, that willingness varies greatly depending on political affiliation, age, and geographic region, according to the study published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

For instance, support was significantly lower among Republicans, independents, and those with no party affiliation — by 25, 13, and 25 percentage points, respectively.

Also, according to the analysis, researchers found that the additional cost per household for clean energy would have to fall below $59 per year to pass the current U.S. Senate, and drop below $48 per year to get through the U.S. House of Representatives.

Article appearing courtesy Yale Environment 360.

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At the same time, building automation systems are becoming more intelligent. Increasingly, controls are not designed to be “set and left” but are connected to a building management system (BMS) that continuously monitors data streams from building controls and feeds them into energy displays that help facilities managers and other decision-makers gain visibility into how their buildings are performing. This is enabled by the convergence of IT with building controls, a process that, despite arriving later to the building industry than to other industries like telecom, is now transforming the way energy is managed in buildings. Controls were originally imagined as standalone devices that would to some extent take control of building energy out of occupants’ hands to “make sure the lights got turned off.” The new wave of intelligent controls, ironically, aims to put control over controls back in the occupants’ hands, albeit under the guidance of sophisticated BMS and building energy management systems.

These advances in building automation technology are occurring just as demand for higher levels of energy efficiency is rising. As a result, Pike Research expects the market for building automation systems to grow to $146 billion in 2021 – a near doubling of the market today. Much of this growth will come from rapid construction activity in China, where 2 billion square meters of new space are added every year, and where much of that new space will integrate sophisticated controls over time. The fastest growth categories will be those that relate directly to energy efficiency, such as lighting controls. As these devices are rolled out, they will usher in a new generation of intelligent buildings that are less expensive to operate and easier to manage than ever before.

Article by Eric Bloom, appearing courtesy the Matter Network.

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The kicker, however, was the thermostat. With Angus MacGyver (pocket that first name fact for trivia night) maneuvers, after removing the faceplate, I had to connect blue and red wires inside the thermostat by resting a u-shaped copper wire and hope it sparked. When it did, my air conditioning miraculously came on. I actually used my “ABC” Dentyne a time-or-two to help hold the connection in place.

Had I known then what I know now, I would have sprung $25 for an entry-level programmable thermostat. They’re simple to install and once set, outside of replacing a battery or fine tuning, they require no hands-on attention. Plus, according to ENERGY STAR® they can save you about $180 a year. So if you’re into spending a little cash to save money, or just want to upgrade your outdated thermostat, here are a few DIY Do’s and Don’ts to consider when installing a programmable thermostat.

1. Do turn the power to the furnace or air conditioner off. Don’t leave it on because it may start if you accidentally touch wires together.
2. Do have the proper tools in hand before you begin. Don’t forget the level. A catawampus faceplate means you’ll have to start from square one.
3. Do follow the instruction manual that came with the thermostat. Don’t try to wing it MacGyver style, you could cause a short and fry the device.
4. Do write down which color wire is connected to which terminal. Don’t assume all wires used follow common color-coded wires.
5. Do wrap any loose wires around a pencil. Don’t let them hang freely. If they do, they may slip back into the wall and be rather difficult to fish out.
6. Do double check. Don’t assume the guidelines, hole marks are correct the first time.
7. Do program the thermostat. Don’t leave it set to one temperature. By programming it to raise temperatures while you’re away or even asleep, you’ll definitely see the saving benefits.

Article by Billy Draper, appearing courtesy Xcel Energy Blog.

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