Alternative Clean Energy Roundup: 30 June 2013

Community wind popularity increasing in the Heartland

June 26, 2013 - The small wind power industry has been around for 30 years, but is just now reaching a critical juncture with numerous bankruptcies and acquisitions over the last 18 months. Still, the opportunity for small wind power remains strong across a variety of applications in both developed and developing countries. In fact, the worldwide market for small wind systems will reach $723 million by 2018, with $3.3 billion in cumulative sales from 2013 through 2018, according to Navigant Research.

"Small wind is growing primarily as a result of state and national incentives, including a burgeoning market in the United Kingdom," said Dexter Gauntlett, research analyst with Navigant Research. read more>>>

Energy efficiency reduces CO2 emissions for Constellation customers

June 26, 2013 - Through Efficiency Made Easy, Constellation customers have collectively reduced their carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 75,432 metric tons or 166,299,142 pounds over the past two years. According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data, 75,432 metric tons of CO2 is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of 15,715 passenger vehicles.

Launched in early 2011 in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions, Constellation is expanding Efficiency Made Easy nationwide. read more>>>

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Why is China investing so much in U.S. Solar and Wind?

Jun. 20, 2013 - The world’s two largest greenhouse gas emitters—the United States and China—have been forging a growing bond in combating climate change. Just last week, President Obama and President Xi made a landmark agreement to work towards reducing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a potent greenhouse gas. And both the United States and China are leading global investment and development of clean energy. The United States invested $30.4 billion and added 16.9 GW of wind and solar capacity in 2012. China invested $58.4 billion and added 19.2 GW in capacity. read more>>>

Creating a low-carbon, non-nuclear economy: The case of Taiwan

Jun. 16, 2013 - Can Taiwan create a low-carbon economy without nuclear energy? One MIT researcher finds out.

After the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, energy experts and policymakers around the world began to reassess the future of nuclear power. Countries, including Japan and Germany, have since scaled back or plan to shut down their nuclear power — sparking a global debate on how nations will replace nuclear.

Taiwan is just one country where this intense debate is unfolding. read more>>>

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Green Building Is Growing Rapidly in the Retail and Hospitality Sectors, According to New McGraw Hill Construction SmartMarket Report

June 25, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- According to a new report released today by McGraw Hill Construction in partnership with Waste Management, entitled Green Retail and Hospitality SmartMarket Report: Capitalizing on the Growth in Green Building Investments, owners of retail and hotel establishments are reporting growing levels of green building activity planned over the next two years. The report is based on a study of 79 retail, 30 hotel and 22 restaurant owners conducted in 2013 by McGraw Hill Construction.

The study defined a green building project as one built to LEED or another recognized green building standard, or one that is energy-efficient, water-efficient, and improves indoor air quality and/or engages in material resource conservation. read more>>>

JMB Makes Clinton Global Initiative America Commitment To Build Greenest High-rise In Los Angeles

June 25, 2013 - - Pledge To Develop Century City Center Project & Implement Innovative Training Partnership with Two of the Largest Construction Trade Unions in the Country -

JMB Realty Corporation has announced its Clinton Global Initiative America (CGI America) Commitment to Action. JMB has pledged to develop Century City Center, a new green high-rise in California – and one of only a handful of high-rise buildings in North America designed to achieve the U.S. Green Buildings Council's LEEDTM Platinum certification. Through a partnership with two of the largest construction trade unions in the country that will provide a green construction-training program, the Century City-located 37-story "Green-Rise" will create a total of 6,000 jobs and serve as a model for future high-rise construction. read more>>>

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U.S. and India Build Climate, Clean Energy Cooperation

June 24, 2013 (ENS) – India and the United States will combat global climate change, collaborate on energy security and support the development of low-carbon economies to fuel job growth in both countries, government officials said today in New Delhi.

At the annual U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue meeting, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and India’s Minister of External Affairs Salman Khurshid reaffirmed their countries’ strong commitment to work together based on the 2009 U.S.-India Memorandum of Understanding on clean energy, energy efficiency, energy security, and climate change. read more>>>

Poll: Americans Shop With Climate on Their Minds

June 21, 2013 (ENS) – Half of all Americans consider environmental impacts when deciding whether or not to buy a product at least occasionally, according to a new nationally representative survey on attitudes toward climate change conducted by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication.

For the survey, 1,045 adults over 18 years old were polled in April. Pollsters said there was a total average margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. The research was funded by the Surdna Foundation, the 11th Hour Project, the Grantham Foundation, and the V.K. Rasmussen Foundation. read more>>>

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Coalition vows to put green infrastructure at the heart of recovery

Danny Alexander promises significant new support for low carbon energy, rail network, broadband connections and flood defences

27 Jun 2013 - The government has today announced sweeping new infrastructure plans that aim to put a host of clean technologies at the centre of the UK's economic recovery.

Presenting the coalition's new Investing in Britain's Future infrastructure plan to the House of Commons, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander pledged the new strategy would mobilise over £100bn of infrastructure spend with a particular focus on "unlocking massive investment in cleaner energy, to power our economy forwards". read more>>>

Brittany Peers: Residences by French architect Patrice Bideau feature high performance envelopes

June 2013 - The Brittany region of France has been populated since ancient times, thanks in part to the area’s benign environment. The temperate yet rainy climate could be likened to America’s Pacific Northwest. Extending that comparison to a finer grain, the Bay of Biscay is the France’s Salish Sea and the island-dotted Gulf of Morbihan equates the Puget Sound. From the picturesque gulf town Auray, Patrice Bideau has been practicing architecture since 1991, during which he has specialized in sustainable residences for more than a decade.

Bideau transcended provincial geography in embracing sustainability, explaining that adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 greatly influenced his change of course. “In France, we were not focused on green building until Kyoto,” he explains, “and even our adoption of better standards depended on the testing and development of higher-performing envelopes.” Now, with proper solar orientation and deep insulation, in an oceanic location architects like Bideau can almost eschew mechanical heating. read more>>>