More (solar) power in Western Mass.

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Solar Panel

A proposal by the Western Massachusetts Electric Co. (WMECO) to build up to 6 megawatts of solar photovoltaic power in its service area was approved August 12th by The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities.  The utility provides power to roughly 200,000 residents in Western Mass, specifically the counties of Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire county.   Approval was received after applying under Massachusetts’s Green Communities Act, an Act that allows utilities to own and operate solar generating facilities up to 50 megawatts.  Utility revenues will be used to fund the project, and WMECO agreed to spread those charges out over a number of years.  The project is set for completion and full operation by 2012.

In the New England publication Mass High Tech, DPU Chairman Paul Hibbard was quoted, “Today’s action is consistent with Gov. Patrick’s pursuit of a robust solar energy industry in Massachusetts.   It moves the Commonwealth closer to the governor’s goal of 250 megawatts of solar power by 2017 while protecting ratepayers by spreading out the cost of financing WMECO’s solar ownership program.”  This is great news for Western Massachusetts and serves as an example for other communities in the commonwealth.

4×10<8×5?

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Spring Forward A little over a year ago Utah adopted a 4-day work week for state employees, to combat rising energy costs. While energy costs have come down, the policy has remained in effect, resulting in a 13% reduction in energy use. This puts them well on the way to their goal of a 20% reduction by 2015. Should other locations follow suit? It’s an intriguing proposition, but dependent upon season and locale. One of the major contributions to savings in Utah has been the shifting of work hours from blistering mid-day heat on Fridays, to cooler mornings and evenings of other days; it’s a desert and cools down relatively rapidly once the sun is down. A similar program in Massachusetts should see some reduction in summer energy use, but could increase heating demand in the winter. It is interesting to note that these shifts, and the incumbent savings, are not unlike the complicated story of Daylight Saving Time

Ocean temperature breaks June heat record & other canaries in the coal mine…

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Ocean ThermographWhile climate change skeptics continue to derail needed climate policy and deepen the public’s confusion on accepted science, the planet is exhibiting more acute global warming symptoms.  Recent observations are indicating that climate change is occurring at a faster pace and of a greater magnitude than  predicted by IPCC models.  Our Oceans are showing a decreased ability to absorb our excess carbon, leading to ocean acidification– reducing the ability of many marine organisms to build their shells and skeletal structure.

The Ocean which covers 70 percent of our planet, just broke a record last month for the warmest temperature on record and combined with land temperatures it was second to 2005’s all time high.  Run away global warming is a real concern with the potential for accelerated ice melt and rising sea levels, which are also exceeding IPCC predictions in the Latest Climate Science publication.

Summer has yet to run its course and it is likely that other potential record breaking climate change news will occur.  How much more data is needed before we can leave the debate behind and step up our collective action on climate change?  In a recent Global poll, Americans ranked government action on climate change as the lowest priority compared to any other country. We have a long way to go…

MA receives $71M for efficiency, with $106M to follow

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American Recovery and Reinvestment Act The Bay State has been awarded $22 million in the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy program, a little less than all other awards in New England combined; ME, RI and VT received $11M, $9.5M and $8.8M respectively.

Massachusetts will use its State Energy Program (SEP) Recovery Act funds to advance energy efficiency across the state, especially in the building environment. The Governor’s Energy Task Force identified a number of energy efficiency retrofit projects at public facilities with potential for energy and cost savings. The state intends to leverage SEP funds for these projects by using performance contracts wherever possible.

Additionally, Massachusetts will direct Recovery Act funds to help demonstrate solutions to a number of long-standing challenges in improving building energy performance which provides the opportunity to transform future energy efficiency efforts in the state. For instance, the state will provide funding for projects that will move toward the development of a net-zero energy building, along with examining ways to reduce the state’s petroleum usage by expanding energy efficiency opportunities to people and businesses that use oil and propane for heating.

The State also recently received $49M in Recovery Act funds to weatherize approximately 17,00 homes over the next three years, while ramping up a Clean Energy Center to train and support a growing energy-efficiency workforce in the state. Under the program, Massachusetts is increasing the number of auditors and other professionals that will be needed to meet the increased demand for weatherization activities. More than 25 additional auditors have already been hired, along with new private-sector employees that will work with local organizations responsible for weatherization work.

After demonstrating successful implementation of its SEP plan, the state will receive more than $27 million in additional funding, for a total of nearly $55 million. $61 million are available once the weatherization program has program has proven successful.

(Adapted from EPA Region I’s “Community Energy Challenge Monthly Update,” Vol. 10; DOE press release; Recap

The meat and climate debate

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Sunrise on the farm

In a recent Washington Post article, the climate change debate was brought to a new level: what about meat?  Politicians and environmental activists alike argue over cap-and-trade, mitigation, adaptation, and hybrid cars, but what about the energy used and green house gases (GHG) emitted from intensive livestock practices (factory farms) across the nation, and around the world? The Post article cited a 2006 United Nations report stating 18 percent of global GHG emissions comes from livestock. Never mind the hundreds of thousands of acres of land stripped and cleared for cattle-grazing in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest and the American West, to name just two major regions. The Amazon rainforest in particular acts as a major carbon sink on our planet, storing large volumes of CO2 from the atmosphere. Diminishing this capacity increases the precariousness of our situation.

So, is switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet all that impactful?  Interestingly, a study out of the University of Chicago noted switching to a vegan diet is more environmentally friendly than owning a Prius. Still, not everyone is comfortable giving up meat in their diet. At the very least however, cutting back a little, or buying locally raised meat can cut emissions significantly, and promote local farm production and sustainability. So next time, take a second look at that hamburger you ate for lunch and think global climate change; they’re more directly related than you may think.

The real estate industry vs climate change?

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Brian Brady

Mortgage Broker and Climate Change Guru?

Following on from an article published on Warm Home Cool Planet a couple of weeks ago on mandatory Energy Audits in Austin, TX, we have noticed a growing movement amongst the real estate industry targeting the ‘Cap and Trade’ bill and any local ordinances that might obligate homeowners into performing an energy audit on their home or making energy improvements in their home before they sell.

Here’s one from Brian Brady ‘America’s No. 1 mortgage broker’:  “Sadly, the theory of carbon dioxide emissions’ effect on climate change is accepted as fact by our politicians without rigorous examination of its merits. It’s easy to turn a blind eye on faulty legislation when it attacks “big business”.  Cap and Trade, however, is much more restrictive than its supporters would have you believe.  Your neighbor’s penchant for bay windows and your desire for key-lime green bathroom walls might just be at stake. ”

As in all cases where people attempt to sow doubt on the accepted fact of climate change, it’s important to consider the source of these opinions.  It’s also worth mentioning that the scientific community, not politicians, are responsible for deciding what is scientific fact.

Mortgage brokers make their money from arranging mortgages for people who aren’t considered good risks by banks. (Which describes at least 50% of Americans at the moment.) The mortgage broker assumes the risk of the loan for a premium on the prevailing interest rates (usually in the form of ‘points’). Mortgage companies then package up these loans and sell them to banks so they can be traded as financial instruments like CDO’s (Collateralized Dept Obligations) which in large part were responsible for the near collapse of our financial system last fall.

Mr. Brady’s business suffers if anything gets in the way of him writing another mortgage and stuffing more dodgy paper into our already teetering financial system. To prevent that from happening,  Mr. Brady has hauled the “man’s home is his castle’ trope out of the cupboard and dusted it off. According to Mr. Brady soon ‘the socialists will be invading your home and telling you how many light switches you can have’.

As a recent home seller (and potential home buyer) I can assure readers that the marketplace is already factoring energy efficiency into the price of homes. Anyone seriously considering buying our Central Square home asked our broker for recent energy bills so they could figure out what their total house expenses would be each month. A gas boiler tune-up performed the previous winter, and an Energy Star-rated air conditioning system resulted in our home energy bills comparing favorably to other homes with a similar square footage. As a result our home was sold.

Given his connection to the real-estate industry, Mr. Brady should know that potential home buyers are already performing something close to an energy ‘audit’ on every home they are considering for purchase. Local municipalities are simply reacting to current market trends and ensuring that everyone gets the information needed before they make a home buying decision.

Keep your cool

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LemonadeHere are some ideas to help you keep your cool without cranking the A/C down to 63°:

  • If your looking at installing an air conditioner, consider a whole house fan instead. En lieu of a window-mount A/C, opt for a window fan. Of course, if you’re lucky like me, and have two windows, setting a fan in front of one—with the screen out of the way—to blow the hot air out will draw a nice evening breeze in the other; especially if the door is closed.
  • Keep your refrigerator and freezer full. The more empty space there is, the more warm air you lock inside after opening and closing the door. Fill soda bottles with water and stick them in the freezer. When you need more room, move them to the refrigerator where their “coolth” will reduce the load on the system.
  • Take a brief cold shower before going to bed, and towel off lightly if at all. You may find you don’t need the A/C after all; especially with the aid of a low fan.
  • If you have the option, stay-up/sleep in later, this way you’re awake when it’s coolest. Granted, you might use a little electricity so you can see, but a CFL uses much less power than an air conditioner.
  • While it’s always a good idea to make sure unused devices are turned off and/or unplugged, it’s especially important in the summer. Any energy a machine does not use to make noise or light or espresso is given off as waste heat. In some cases this can mean the difference between an uncomfortable room and a tolerable one.

    Note: This does not mean that it’s a good idea to leave these devices turned on all winter long, electricity is one of the most expensive and least efficient means of heating a room.

Feel free to share any tips you have in the comments below.