New Energy Star program promotes commercial building energy efficiency

By Bruce Gruenewald

Director, Sustainability Operations

A new Energy Star pilot program designed to further improve commercial building energy efficiency offers state and local governments another way to meet their greenhouse gas reduction (GHG) targets..

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with several states and utilities, introduced the Building Performance with Energy Star program last month. It will link eight Energy Star partner utilities and state energy efficiency programs throughout the country in a pilot designed to strategically pursue whole-building energy improvements with commercial customers, according to a Department of Energy newsletter.

Modeled after the successful Home Performance with Energy Star program, Building Performance with Energy Star will provide a framework for regional energy efficiency programs to align their financial incentives and technical assistance with a comprehensive approach to building upgrades, according to the EPA press release.

The new program includes several key elements to help states and utilities promote an inclusive strategy for improving energy efficiency, including measuring energy use, approaching energy efficiency opportunities based on building assessments, and creating a delivery network for whole building efficiency services. It will also reinforce the Obama Administration’s clean energy investment effort by helping to reduce energy use in commercial buildings, which accounts for 17 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at a cost of over $100 billion per year.

NSI will certainly look to this program as a tool for clients capable of assisting state and local governments in ways that meet their energy efficiency objectives.

Bruce Gruenewald is the Director, Sustainability Operations for NSI. He runs the day-to-day operations of the sector and works with the vice president to help clients develop sustainable energy and environmental solutions for state and local governments. Prior to joining NSI, Mr. Gruenewald served as a program manager on several US EPA contracts. He provided technical leadership for the contracts, supervised multi-disciplinary consulting staffs, and managed the business and contractual relationships with the government. He also positioned his employers for new business opportunities in federal, state, and local markets, evaluated potential teaming partners, and wrote proposals and developed pricing and cost strategies in response to RFPs. Prior to working in the federal contracting field, Mr. Gruenewald worked for the US EPA for 8 years, the last two as the Lead Economist on the Superfund reauthorization task force where he advised legislative negotiators and political appointees on the economic, budgetary, and programmatic impacts of various legislative proposals to reauthorize the Superfund program. Mr. Gruenewald graduated with honors from Saint Louis University with a BA in Economics. He also holds an MPA from George Washington University and is an associate member of the American Bar Association’s Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources.

Reports indicate life after stimulus for clean energy

By Bruce Gruenewald

Director, Energy and Environmental Operations

Reports continue to indicate the clean energy sector’s strength despite the recession and uncover signs pointing toward steep growth in the coming years. Perhaps there’s life after stimulus after all?

A recent report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance noted that worldwide financial investment in clean energy, including wind farms, solar parks, biofuel plants, and other projects, as well as public market, venture capital, and private equity financing for clean energy companies reached $27.3 billion in the first quarter of 2010. That level represents an increase of 31 percent from the first quarter of 2009 but is down 13.6 percent from the fourth quarter.

However, Bloomberg expects clean energy investments to set a record in 2010, possibly reaching $200 billion. And the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration predicts renewable energy will be the fastest-growing source of energy throughout the world over the next 28 years. According to highlights of an EIA report released last month, International Energy Outlook 2010, the anticipated growth will meet a projected 49 percent increase in world energy use.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has so far been the main driver of the U.S. clean energy market. Critics have suggested there won’t be a return on that investment or that if the investment has to be made in the first place, it’s an artificial marketplace. The recent reports blow those theories out of the water.

I believe these signs most certainly suggest there’s life after stimulus funding. The stimulus primed the pump. And there’s no stopping it now.

Bruce Gruenewald is the Director, Energy and Environmental Operations for NSI. He runs the day-to-day operations of the sector and works with the vice president to help clients develop sustainable energy and environmental solutions for state and local governments. Prior to joining NSI, Mr. Gruenewald served as a program manager on several US EPA contracts. He provided technical leadership for the contracts, supervised multi-disciplinary consulting staffs, and managed the business and contractual relationships with the government. He also positioned his employers for new business opportunities in federal, state, and local markets, evaluated potential teaming partners, and wrote proposals and developed pricing and cost strategies in response to RFPs. Prior to working in the federal contracting field, Mr. Gruenewald worked for the US EPA for 8 years, the last two as the Lead Economist on the Superfund reauthorization task force where he advised legislative negotiators and political appointees on the economic, budgetary, and programmatic impacts of various legislative proposals to reauthorize the Superfund program. Mr. Gruenewald graduated with honors from Saint Louis University with a BA in Economics. He also holds an MPA from George Washington University and is an associate member of the American Bar Association’s Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources.

Offshore wind market could take off

By Bruce Gruenewald

Director, Energy and Environmental Operations 

With the nation’s first offshore wind project approved after a contentious nine-year battle between government officials and a wealthy opposition group, investors and developers might gain some long-awaited opportunities along the coastline.

The controversial Cape Wind project in the waters of Nantucket Sound “will be the first of many projects up and down the Atlantic Coast,’’ Interior Secretary Salazar said at a Massachusetts State House press conference with Governor Deval Patrick at his side. According to the Boston Globe, Cape Wind will create 1,000 construction jobs and help the state in its goal to be a national clean energy leader.

The move paves the way for additional offshore wind projects to move forward. . In the end, regulators determined that the environmental, cultural, and aesthetic impacts of the project could be effectively mitigated, providing a much-needed victory for renewable energy and the offshore wind industry.

Unlike intermittent energy gleaned from solar panels or onshore wind farms, offshore wind offers a sustained energy supply that generally results in lower environmental and aesthetic impacts. Wind farm projects are proposed in numerous other states, several of which are being developed by one company in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and New York.

Offshore wind provides yet another example of a largely untapped renewable energy source for the nation’s energy portfolio. While no single renewable energy source will meet all of America’s future energy requirements, renewable sources of energy will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. We need look further than the spill in the Gulf to be reminded of the environmental and human costs associated with our fossil fuel dependence. 

Bruce Gruenewald is the Director, Energy and Environmental Operations for NSI. He runs the day-to-day operations of the sector and works with the vice president to help clients develop sustainable energy and environmental solutions for state and local governments. Prior to joining NSI, Mr. Gruenewald served as a program manager on several US EPA contracts. He provided technical leadership for the contracts, supervised multi-disciplinary consulting staffs, and managed the business and contractual relationships with the government. He also positioned his employers for new business opportunities in federal, state, and local markets, evaluated potential teaming partners, and wrote proposals and developed pricing and cost strategies in response to RFPs. Prior to working in the federal contracting field, Mr. Gruenewald worked for the US EPA for 8 years, the last two as the Lead Economist on the Superfund reauthorization task force where he advised legislative negotiators and political appointees on the economic, budgetary, and programmatic impacts of various legislative proposals to reauthorize the Superfund program. Mr. Gruenewald graduated with honors from Saint Louis University with a BA in Economics. He also holds an MPA from George Washington University and is an associate member of the American Bar Association’s Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources.

Found money good news for all

By Kevin Matthews

Vice President, Energy and Sustainability Sector

The Obama Administration has done its share to create new opportunities for the energy and sustainability markets. As it turns out, there are even more worth billions of dollars within existing federal programs.

The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council released a report last month that concludes the Administration has the ability to use more than 30 existing federal programs worth $72 billion to enhance efficiency in commercial buildings and multifamily housing, with no new legislation.

The report is a legal analysis sponsored by leading organizations in energy, housing, environment and real estate. According to a press release, the report concludes that the Obama Administration is authorized to play a more active and supportive role in encouraging and progressing the energy efficiency and sustainability of America’s multifamily and commercial building stock.

“As an early adopter of green buildings and the LEED green building certification system, the federal government has been a leader in bringing green buildings to cities and towns across America,” stated Roger Platt, Senior Vice President, Global Policy & Law, USGBC. “This new report unveils an even larger opportunity for the Obama Administration to increase our nation’s energy efficiency, while creating thousands of jobs and saving taxpayers money.”

The report presents an extensive menu of options, across an array of programs, which the Obama Administration could begin implementing immediately without having to seek new funds or authority from Congress.

This is all refreshingly good news for a very diverse bunch; the public sector, fiscal conservatives, environmentalists and an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013.

Kevin Matthews is Vice President of Energy and Environment for NSI where he runs the day-to-day sector operations and works with clients on sustainable solutions for interfacing with state and local governments. Prior to joining NSI, Mr. Matthews held various positions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. where he worked for Administrator Carol M. Browner and served as both Special Assistant and Senior Congressional Liaison. He also worked as an aide to U.S. Senators Dale Bumpers and Joseph Lieberman. Mr. Matthews holds a B.A. in History from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas and an MPA from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Brownfield News and Sustainability Report and is a certified Environmental Risk Manager from Texas State University.

Green definition varies, but doesn’t really matter

By Kevin Matthews

Vice President, Energy and Sustainability Sector

The U.S. Department of Commerce issued a report last month that indicates ­— as many have over the past several months — that the green sector of the U.S. economy appears poised to grow quickly.

We already knew this, but it’s always nice to hear.

The report also said a lack of data and multiple definitions of “green” make identifying trends difficult. Specifically, the “green share” of total product shipments in the manufacturing sector grew from 1.3 percent in 2002 to 1.4 percent in 2007, using a broad definition of what constitutes “green,” according to a press release. Using a narrower definition led to a finding of zero growth between the two years, according to charts in the document.

The report surmises consumer demand for green products and services and high energy prices that create incentives for firms to develop more energy-efficient goods and services are driving growth.

Exactly.

Regardless of the trends, we’re moving in the right direction. And government has been and will continue to be a crucial driving force as we navigate the road ahead.
 

In fact, here’s what Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said in a statement accompanying the report:

“The Obama Administration's agenda for economic recovery depends in part on efforts to develop clean energy and energy-efficiency technology. These reports provide important insights and are a valuable foundation to measure our success as that agenda moves forward.”

And as that agenda moves forward, the private sector would do well to incorporate a strong government strategy within business development plans. Executives might also want to brush up on their knowledge of Environmentally Preferred Purchasing directives.

We’re moving in the right direction, but now is definitely not the time to cruise.

Kevin Matthews is Vice President of Energy and Environment for NSI where he runs the day-to-day sector operations and works with clients on sustainable solutions for interfacing with state and local governments. Prior to joining NSI, Mr. Matthews held various positions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. where he worked for Administrator Carol M. Browner and served as both Special Assistant and Senior Congressional Liaison. He also worked as an aide to U.S. Senators Dale Bumpers and Joseph Lieberman. Mr. Matthews holds a B.A. in History from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas and an MPA from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Brownfield News and Sustainability Report and is a certified Environmental Risk Manager from Texas State University.

After 40 years, it’s all about energy

By Bruce Gruenewald

Director, Energy and Sustainability Operations

For environmentalists, surely each Earth Day has marked another year of climbing the proverbial uphill battle. First, it was all about a whole lot of cleanup — the air, the water, litter along the highways. Some time later recycling was all the rage as a means of reducing waste streams.

Today, on Earth Day’s 40th anniversary, our efforts to effect environmental change have everything to do with energy and how it’s generated and used. The past few years have seen huge strides in this vein, from building retrofits, including numerous DOE programs and ARPA-e. Also, the new HomeStar program, currently in development, will provide incentives for homeowners who make energy efficiency investments in their homes. These accomplishments save money, improve the efficiency of the energy we already use and achieve environmental benefits.

It occurs to me that what marks this anniversary is that the connection between energy and the environment has been clearly established, and that the celebration is also about how we can achieve environmental benefits by focusing on energy efficiency. We’ve made a lot of headway — and we can celebrate that. But as you celebrate, remember that our work on energy efficiency is really just getting started. In fact, according to published reports, White House Administration officials will visit more than a dozen localities today to promote energy efficiency and hope to use the Earth Day commemoration to push for action in Congress on its clean-energy plan, which remains stalled in the Senate.

Allow me to suggest that we take a moment to celebrate what we’ve already achieved and renew our commitment to the things we still need to do, including:

·      We still need to improve vehicle efficiency and scale adoption of more efficient power plants for all types of vehicles. These include improved gas engines, diesel, diesel-hybrid, and electric. We need a portfolio of technologies to meet different driving needs. DOE’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing loan program and ARPA-e are intended to meet these needs.

·      We need to both improve the efficiency of the electricity grid and provide it with networking capabilities (i.e., make it a smart grid). Again, DOE has programs to pilot, mature, scale, and ultimately commercialize and deploy the technologies we need to achieve these two objectives.

These and other energy efficiency efforts will enable us to improve energy efficiency and substantially reduce GHG emissions. While some of these efforts may take decades to fully deploy, we are laying the foundation for a cleaner and more energy efficient future.

Just imagine what we’ll have accomplished in another 40 years.

Bruce Gruenewald is the Director, Energy and Environmental Operations for NSI. He runs the day-to-day operations of the sector and works with the vice president to help clients develop sustainable energy and environmental solutions for state and local governments. Prior to joining NSI, Mr. Gruenewald served as a program manager on several US EPA contracts. He provided technical leadership for the contracts, supervised multi-disciplinary consulting staffs, and managed the business and contractual relationships with the government. He also positioned his employers for new business opportunities in federal, state, and local markets, evaluated potential teaming partners, and wrote proposals and developed pricing and cost strategies in response to RFPs. Prior to working in the federal contracting field, Mr. Gruenewald worked for the US EPA for 8 years, the last two as the Lead Economist on the Superfund reauthorization task force where he advised legislative negotiators and political appointees on the economic, budgetary, and programmatic impacts of various legislative proposals to reauthorize the Superfund program. Mr. Gruenewald graduated with honors from Saint Louis University with a BA in Economics. He also holds an MPA from George Washington University and is an associate member of the American Bar Association’s Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources.

Financing alternatives put solar within reach

By Scott Sklar

Senior Advisor

While no one argues against the merits of harnessing the sun’s power, the half-century-old technology’s growth has been slow in the United States. But that’s starting to change thanks to some creative financing options that are gaining favor in the public and private sectors.

According to a recent Fast Company piece, despite the dramatic drop in cost of solar energy components and overall systems, companies remain slow to embrace the option due largely to the necessary capital investment regardless of its long-term payoff. 

Unfortunately, this is true despite government incentives. Businesses can obtain a 30 percent tax credit and other benefits for on-site renewable technologies that reduce capital costs by 25 to 40 percent, a huge incentive that NSI is helping to facilitate for several clients. However, the Fast Company article aptly points out that all the grants and subsidies in the world won’t make for a sustainable market.

Alternative financing methods might turn that around. Lately, more companies have turned to options involving lease contracts and Power Purchase Agreements that are far easier on recession-strapped budgets and ease nervous board members’ minds.

In one scenario that’s become more common recently, a solar power vendor works with a client and leasing company who purchases the solar energy system. The client then holds and pays on the lease contract rather than an acquisition.

Another option involves a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), in which the vendor finances and builds a system on the client’s property and the client signs an agreement to pay a fixed monthly amount for use of the generated power. This has been a valuable tool for expensive, large-scale systems that clients don’t want to shoulder the cost of or responsibility for.

The PPA model, according to the Fast Company piece, has been used across a range of power-related industries globally.  With the right credit-worthy partner, solar is suddenly within reach for many entities that are unable or unwilling to make any upfront investment, the article states.

These financial options could very well be the key to the growth that has eluded the solar power industry for so long. Because once cost is no longer an obstacle, the reasons to forgo solar energy are what become elusive.

These and other financial options could very well be the key to the growth that has eluded the solar power industry for so long. Because once the up-front cost is no longer an obstacle, there are no other reasons to forgo solar power as a long-term, reliable, emissions-free and renewable energy resource.

Scott Sklar, a nationally known expert and frequent speaker on clean energy policy, technology and applications, serves as a strategic advisor on NSI’s Energy and Sustainability teams, focusing on clean tech, sustainability and renewable energy issues.  He has assisted a wide-range of national corporations and government clients on dynamic, diverse projects that include interconnection equipment, fuel cells, photovoltaics, waste heating engines, modular biomass and concentrated solar power. Scott is also President and Founder of the Stella Group, Ltd and Executive Director of the Solar Energy Industries Association.  He also serves on the Boards of Directors of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and the Renewable Energy Policy Project, co-chairs the Policy Committee of the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council, and serves as Chair of the Steering Committee of the Sustainable Energy Coalition. Scott served for nine years as Energy and Military Aide to Senator Jacob K. Javits (NY), and for three years was Washington Director and R&D Director of the National Center for Appropriate Technology.  For 15 years, he simultaneously served as the Executive Director of two industry groups, the Solar Energy Industries Association and the National Biomass Industries Association. For the past eight years, he has served as President and Founder of The Stella Group, Ltd., a strategic marketing and policy firm for clean distributed energy users and companies using renewable energy. Scott is also a noted author, whose book, “A Consumer Guide to Solar Energy,” was just re-released for its third printing, and his coauthored book, “The Forbidden Fuel: A Political History of Biofuels,” was published in 1985 and was republished in 2009.