First Jobs Bill Advances in Senate

by Matt Golden on February 23, 2010
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Employment stimulus legislation moves forward with bipartisan support, paving the way for further job-related measures

Following yesterday’s test vote on a $15 billion job-creation package proposed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the first in a series of bills aimed at lowering the nation’s unemployment rate is poised to pass the Senate later this week. Congressional leaders have indicated that three to five more job bills are in the works, including legislation authorizing the proposed HOME STAR retrofit incentive program.

The current bill creates or extends tax breaks designed to encourage hiring of unemployed workers and retention of existing employees, and allocates funds for various labor-intensive infrastructure projects. Five Republican Senators voted in favor of the legislation, including newly elected Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown. The 62-30 vote blocked a GOP filibuster and virtually assures passage of the bill when a final vote is taken.

Efficiency First continues to be actively engaged in the legislative process, and is working closely with members of the House and Senate to assure inclusion of the HOME STAR language in subsequent legislation.

Drafty House? New Windows May NOT be the Solution.

by Adam Winter on February 21, 2010
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We hear this question from homeowners all the time:

I think I need to replace my windows because I can always feel a cold draft when I am next to them. Are there any alternatives, since it’s such a pricey upgrade?

Surprising to many, replacement windows are not always the best solution to cold drafts – particularly for homeowners on a tight budget. So before running out to the local window retailer, be sure to consider other possible causes for drafts and their (often times) less expensive solutions.

Typically, the cold feeling you get when standing by a window is caused by a combination of radiant heat loss as your home’s heat is drawn directly through the glass, and air leaks that allow cold outside air to flow through your home. Swapping single-pane windows with double-pane replacements will help with radiant heat loss, but if your house isn’t well sealed and insulated, investing in costly new windows might not solve the problem.

Draftiness is usually the result of warm air rising and escaping into your attic through leaks in walls, ceilings and can lights. As the warm air escapes, it is replaced by cold air that flows in from poorly sealed crawlspaces and other low-lying areas. That’s when you feel the drafts.

Finding and sealing air leaks can have a huge impact on interior comfort. The average home leaks 100 percent of its heated air every hour. At Recurve, we prefer leakage rates closer to 35 percent, which seriously reduces drafts and energy waste.

In most homes, windows only account for a small fraction of the air that leaks out. And because replacement windows are such a big investment, it’s usually more cost-effective to tighten your home first by improving insulation and sealing air leaks– particularly in the attic and crawlspace. Your home will also feel warmer if you close your blinds or drapes at night to reduce the amount of radiant heat loss.

In any case, it’s best to begin with a professional audit of your home’s energy performance. By conducting a thorough inspection of the various elements that contribute to your home’s overall comfort and energy consumption – including insulation, heating and cooling systems, and duct systems – the auditor can help you figure out which improvements will give you the most bang for your buck. You might find that $2,000 worth of insulation and air sealing will have the same impact as a $20,000 window upgrade.

If you have enough money left in your remodeling budget, energy-efficient replacement windows can be a terrific option. We’ve seen impressive results from a line of fiberglass windows manufactured by Sunnyvale-based SeriousWindows. Their top-of-the line windows achieve an insulation rating of R-11, which is better than what many people have in their walls and ceilings.

Finally, no matter what home energy improvements you decide to make, be sure to take advantage of the tax credits and other incentives that are available for this kind of work. An experienced energy retrofit contractor will be able to tell which incentives are available in your area, and even help you with the necessary paperwork.

Recurve Ranked Third Most Innovative Energy Company in the World by Fast Company

by Shana Fong on February 18, 2010
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Today, Recurve was named 3rd among Fast Company’s 2010 ranking of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in Energy … an honor that cements its place among other top energy innovators like First Solar and Silver Spring Networks.

Check out the full article on Fast Company here.

Bay Area’s Top 25 Movers and Shakers in Cleantech

by Shana Fong on February 11, 2010
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Recently, RoseRyan compiled a list of 25 Northern California cleantech leaders, based on informal polling at key cleantech events in 2009. Matt Golden, president and founder of Recurve made the illustrious list, along with others such as Steve Westly, Chuck Reed (mayor of San Jose), and Richard Swanson (founder of Sunpower). Check out the rest of the list here.

San Francisco Introduces Its Own Innovative Financing Plan for Energy Projects

by Shana Fong on February 9, 2010
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In January, I mentioned how innovative financing is changing energy in America. San Francisco residents can now share bragging rights with other progressive counties such as Berkeley and Sonoma – GreenFinanceSF has officially been signed into law! This innovative program is the nation’s largest PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) program to date, making $150 million in bonding capacity available to private property owners to finance water conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements starting in April. Learn more here: http://greenfinancesf.org/

In 2010, 200 local governments nationwide are expected to have administered programs based on the PACE model. Good ideas are worth spreading!

Berkeley Residents: Get off your Gas!

by Shana Fong on February 3, 2010
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The City of Berkeley is once again hosting the residential natural gas efficiency contest for Berkeley residents (renters and homeowners). All residents who receive a natural gas bill from PG&E, either directly or through their landlord, are eligible to enter and win. Cooperatives are eligible this year as well.

The contest period covers natural gas use for the month of February, so start conserving now! Last year’s prizes included Whole-House Performance Testing, $100 in BART tickets, Farmer’s Market Gift Certificates and gift baskets, and Berkeley Repertory Theater tickets.

Categories include: Lowest Natural Gas Use Overall, Lowest Natural Gas use Per Person, Greatest Percentage of Natural Gas Reduction, and Most Creative Effective Strategy for reducing natural gas consumption.

Contestants may also be eligible for up to a 20% bill credit from PG&E through their Winter Gas Savings program.

Download a contest application here: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=34650

For additional information, please contact the Contest manager at Energy@CityofBerkeley.info or call 510-981-7435. PG&E is a co-sponsor of this contest.

An Illuminating Statistic on Fuel

by Shana Fong on February 2, 2010
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As originally reported by The Thin Green Line, for every unit of fuel burned, only 13 percent of the potential energy is actually converted as useable output to power machines, and illuminate and heat buildings.

That means that 87% of the energy produced by fuel is wasted.

Who thinks it’s time to move to more efficient sources of energy?

Venture Funders Take Aim at Energy Waste

by Shana Fong on January 28, 2010
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‘Energy efficiency to shine in 2010’ reports the San Jose Mercury News

A pair of articles in yesterday’s edition of the San Jose Mercury News shed light on the growing national interest in energy efficiency and on the proposed HOME STAR retrofit incentive program. “Solar and wind power may get the headlines and attention,” the newspaper reported, “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.”

Of particular interest to business leaders in the construction and related manufacturing sectors is the fact that investors are increasingly betting on the profitability of reducing energy waste:

Venture capital investment in energy efficiency hit a record in 2009: at least 115 deals worth nearly $1 billion, according to a preliminary tally by the Cleantech Group and Deloitte. That’s up 39 percent from 2008. Meanwhile, solar, which had 84 deals worth about $1.2 billion, was down 64 percent from 2008, and there’s increasing talk about solar being “overfunded.”

“In 2009, there was a pullback and realization by investors that because of the capital intensity of solar, there may be safer places to put their money,” said Scott Smith, U.S. cleantech leader for Deloitte.”

Mercury News staff writer Dana Hull also emphasized the wider economic and environmental benefits of energy efficiency: “It’s increasingly seen as an effective way to create desperately needed jobs, save struggling consumers money, wean America from its dependence on foreign oil and reduce carbon emissions – all at the same time.”

A second article provides an overview of the HOME STAR incentive program:

Silicon Valley venture capitalist John Doerr, who serves on President Barack Obama’s board of outside economic advisers, is a leading champion for Home Star, which he describes as “Cash for Caulkers.” The idea has widespread support from big-box retailers, labor unions, environmental groups and the construction and contracting industries, which have been devastated by the collapse of the housing market. Although national unemployment remains at about 10 percent, almost a quarter of the nation’s construction workers are unemployed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

We are in an urgent moment where we desperately need jobs,” said Bracken Hendricks, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and an architect of the Home Star legislation. “You have business and environmental interests aligned around making this happen, and happen now. I have never seen a coalition this broad and this committed.”

Here are links to the full articles:

“Energy Efficiency to Shine in 2010”
www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14241691

“Government working on ‘Home Star’ Plan for Energy-Efficiency Rebates”
www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14261182?nclick_check=1

How Innovative Financing is Changing Energy in America

by Shana Fong on January 27, 2010
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Here’s a great post on Grist by Recurve friend and client Cisco DeVries, CEO of Renewable Funding.

In this article, Cisco discusses a shift in financing models for energy efficient improvements and renewable energy projects by funding them through loans attached to property tax. Dozens of states and municipalities, including several in the Bay Area such as Berkeley, Sonoma, and San Francisco, have already hopped on the bandwagon – thus demonstrating support for a public-private hybrid financing model that will achieve several goals at once: cutting energy use and carbon emissions, putting Americans back to work, and stimulating economic growth.

eWaste Recycling Fund Raiser

by Shana Fong on January 26, 2010
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Who doesn’t have a pile of unused electronics that they would love to get rid of – without just dumping it into a landfill? For those in the Bay Area, Conexions is hosting a FREE electronic ewaste recycling event. Bring your unwanted tv’s, computer monitors and equipment, and many other hard-to-recycle items to this event. Check out the details here.

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