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Renewables & Efficiency
New Solar Venture Capital FundSolar Development Capital (SDC) is a 10-year, $28.75 million private equity fund designed to invest globally in PV-related businesses. It will be managed by Triodos PV Partners and invest in companies that distribute PV products or services in unelectrified rural areas in developing nations. Most companies will provide customer leasing or credit that extends payments to overcome the initial expense of installing PV systems. SDC is working with the Solar Development Foundation to support entrepreneurs with funding for management, technical and market assistance. Projects have been identified in Africa, Asia and Latin America.Lead investors are the International Finance Corporation (for its own account and acting on behalf of the Global Environment Facility), the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and Triodos Groenfonds. Other investors include AstroPower, Inc., Calvert World Values International Equity Fund, Cordaid, Rabo Sustainability Fund and the Wind Fund. The World Bank Group and several charitable foundations initiated the Solar Development program. Management was awarded to Triodos PV Partners, formed by Triodos Bank Group, Environmental Enterprises, and Global Transition Consulting, who collectively have $280M under management and broad experience with PV businesses. See our Business Opportunities section for a list of VCs that invest […]
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A May 15th New York Times article says that multinationals plan to continue reducing emissions regardless of Bush policy. In fact, many companies advocate action. For example, Peter Pestillo, chairman of the Visteon Corporation, one of the world’s largest auto parts makers, says that efforts to address environmental issues are not very expensive if identified early in the design process. Companies also continue to face strong pressure in Europe and Japan. Another NY Times article reports on government studies that conclude that depending on how aggressively the government supports efficiency gains in appliances and buildings, the growth of U.S. energy demand could drop by 20-47 percent. This would eliminate between 265 – 610 of the 1300 new large power plants the Bush Administration insists the country needs. The range also depends on the price of energy – the higher the price, the more efficient technologies become economically attractive. H Power Corp., a fuel cell development company, is bringing Residential Fuel Cells to California. They will be arriving over the next few months and will be marketed with their partner, Energy Co-Opportunity, Inc. (ECO). Altair Energy LLC, will be the non-exclusive distributor for the Southern California market, to sell, install and […]
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A revived solar power initiative of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority
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Goals for long term sustainability
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The 27-story, 250 apartment building will go up later this year
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After only a year and a half, over 100 homes have been certified as EarthCraft Houses in Atlanta, GA., with hundreds more committed to the program.
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The future of transportation
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450 wind turbines will supply the needs of 70,000 homes annually
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Do you have a commercial building that might be a good candidate for ‘high performance’? The picture at the right is the Real Goods high performance building in Hopland, CA. The U.S.Department of Energy is looking for commercial developments in the design phase that might qualify as High Performance Buildings demonstration projects. Steven Winter Associates (SWA) is under contract with the DOE to identify and consult to commercial building project teams. Potential clients must be interested in incorporating high-performance practices including energy and water conservation, resource-efficient materials, indoor air quality, recycled waste programs, state-of-the- art HVAC systems, fuel cells, photovoltaics, or low-impact landscaping. SWA is consulting on three projects in different parts of the country: a public library in Chicago that is building a green roof, recycled building materials, and extensive daylighting; a prototype office building for a major developer in Boston that will have reusable/recyclable interior materials and finishes, and advanced mechanical/electrical/plumbing systems with raised floor distribution; and a mixed use commercial/residential building on a site in Arizona that may incorporate PV panels, solar water heating, water harvesting, and a water-source heat pump system. Contact Mike Crosbie, SWA: mcrosbie@swinter.com[sorry this link is no longer available]
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Maryland Smart Growth ProgramSince 1997, Governor Glendening has spearheaded the nation’s most comprehensive smart growth program in the state of Maryland. The award-winning “Smart Growth and Neighborhood Conservation Program” provides incentives to attract commercial and residential growth in communities with existing infrastructure and away from undeveloped areas. [sorry this link is no longer available]In March, the governor announced that Baltimore’s largest office building – a $75 million complex called Montgomery Park – will be a green renovation of a vacant 1.3 million square foot building. The Maryland Department of the Environment will occupy 262,000 square feet of floor space. The building’s energy efficiency features such as extensive daylighting, and insulating glass and sensors, will reduce energy costs from the $2 per square foot of a typical comparable building to about 98 cents a square foot annually. Recycled materials will be used throughout the building in partitions, ceiling tiles and carpet. Collected rainwater will be used to flush toilets. Contractors expect to salvage about 75 percent of the demolition debris. Also in March, Governor Glendening signed an executive order that creates a commission to recommend criteria for a comprehensive energy conservation strategy, green buildings and for the purchase of renewable energy. […]
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