A recent Department of Energy study shows that the United States’ potential for wind power generation, using today’s technology, is nearly ten times the total amount of electricity generated in the United States last year.  See the story here.

We are rapidly approaching the United Nation’s climate change conference in Copenhagen (or “COP-15″, the 15th annual conference of parties).  Last week, the White House announced U.S. targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and announced that President Obama will head to Copenhagen on December 9th to attend the United Nation’s climate change conference.

What are President Obama’s targets for GHG reductions?  Initially, the U.S. will pursue a 17% reduction below 2005 levels by 2020 (to put this goal in historic context, the modest Kyoto targets were 7% below 1990 levels).  This proposed target corresponds to the GHG limits contained in the climate change legislation passed by the U.S. House.  It is worth noting that the U.S. Senate is considering a bill that would set a more aggressive target of 20% below 2005 levels by 2020.  Long term, President Obama has a stated goal of an 83% reduction in GHG emissions by 2050.  These long-term goals have been incorporated into pending climate change legislation by targeting 30% below 2005 levels by 2025 and to 42% below 2005 levels by 2030 (the same year that the Department of Energy is targeting affordable zero energy homes for all Americans).

In addition to President Obama, several top White House officials and cabinet members are also expected to attend the Copenhagen conference, including Energy Secretary Steven Chu.  For the first time in history, the United States will establish a Center at the conference where top U.S. officials will deliver keynote speeches on energy efficiency and climate change.  In a sign of the times, the U.S. Department of State has established a “COP-15″ Facebook page and website to track the event.

See the White House press release, the COP-15 Web site, and COP-15 Facebook Page.

In a parallel move, the day after the White House announced U.S. GHG targets, China announced a reduction of the “carbon intensity” of its emissions by 40%-45% by 2020.  This measure of emissions, which differs from the U.S.’s emission measurements focuses on the amount of CO2 emissions per unit of GDP.  China’s measurement would mean that total GHG emissions in China would actually increase from today’s levels, but would result in far less GHG emissions than the expected increases associated with the rapid growth of the economy in China.  To achieve these binding goals, China will focus on research, development and commercialization of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and encourage low-carbon lifestyles.  In addition, China’s Premier will attend the Copenhagen conference.

Populus is a full service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus guides architects and builders through the requirements of mandatory green building codes and optional green home certification programs, providing HERS rating, LEED for Homes Green Rater services and municipal energy code consulting.  In addition, Populus offers an Energy Code Workshop for architects and municipalities, as well as LEED for Homes training.  Visit Populus at www.popboulder.com.

The Department of Energy Building Technologies Program is hosting a free webinar on green home building and Greensburg, Kansas:

DOE Webinar November 23—Greensburg: America’s Model Green Community in Their Own Words

November 12, 2009

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Technologies Program is offering a webinar on Monday, November 23, 2009, from 1:00-2:30 p.m. EST titled “Greensburg: America’s Model Green Community in Their Own Words.”

This webinar will provide an overview of how Greensburg, Kansas, a town that was nearly destroyed by the largest tornado on record, found new life and purpose rebuilding as “America’s model green community.” Hear from city and government leaders how decisions were made to rebuild with the largest concentration of LEED^® certified buildings in the world, and where the town is headed today.

This webinar is geared toward federal agencies, state energy offices, renewable energy and energy efficiency associations, architects, residential and commercial builders, planning firms, and homeowners. The presenters will include:

• Bob Dixson, Mayor, City of Greensburg
• Kelly Estes, President, BTI-Greensburg John Deere Dealership
• Darin Headrick, Superintendant, Greensburg Schools District USD 422
• Daniel Wallach, Executive Director, Greensburg GreenTown

This webinar is free of charge, but you must register in advance to obtain a URL for the presentation and call-in phone number. Learn more about the webinar.

Visit the Building Technologies Program Web site for information about research and development of technologies and practices to achieve the goal of marketable net-zero energy commercial and residential buildings.

Looking for a thorough guide to increase the performance of commercial buildings?  Today, the Department of Energy (“DOE”) and National Laboratories released new data that will help commercial building owners achieve their energy goals.  The technical data, being released today for the first time, includes a “how to guide” for achieving 50% energy savings in four key commercial building segments:

• General Merchandise (PDF 3.5 MB)
• Grocery Store (PDF 2.6 MB)
• Lodging (PDF 987 KB)
• Medium Office (PDF 1.2 MB)

These technical support documents were created by DOE national labs as part of the DOE’s Building Technologies Program.  These technical guides represent significant progress – especially when you consider that it was less than two years ago that the DOE launched its Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Initiative, which seeks to achieve cost-effective net-zero commercial buildings by 2025.

In addition to including sets of energy upgrade recommendations, DOE’s  “how-to” guides (linked above), describe the assumptions, methodologies and analyses used to reach 50% energy reduction over ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004 for each building sector addressed.  These technical support documents are meant to demonstrate how higher levels of energy performance can be achieved in commercial buildings.

Populus is a full service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus guides architects and builders through the requirements of mandatory green building codes and optional green home certification programs, providing HERS rating, LEED for Homes Green Rater services and LEED for Homes training.  Visit Populus at www.popboulder.com.

The Department of Energy came to Denver this week, promoting its Builders Challenge initiative, which seeks to promote affordable, zero energy homes for all Americans by 2030.  Ed Pollock, the Residential Team Leader for the U.S. Department of Energy hosted the Builders Challenge tour at the EEBA Conference which featured two homes, including Sean Smith & Co.’s Wash Park Green LEED Certified Duplex in Denver’s Washington Park neighborhood and Ecofuture’s Solar Harvest House in Boulder.

Ed Pollock of the U.S. Department of Energy promotes the Builders Challenge alongside David Neiger and Laura Hutchings of Populus and Sean Smith of Sean Smith & Company (seen here in Builders Challenge-inspired t-shirts)

David Neiger, Principal at Populus Sustainable Design Consulting, led the EEBA conference tour through the high-performance energy features of the Wash Park duplex, which scored a 37 on the Builders Challenge E-Scale.  The E-Scale, which is a “miles per gallon” type rating for a home, is tied to the Home Energy Rating System Index Score, and denotes how the home performs compared to a typical home built to code.  A home must score below a 70 on the Builders Challenge E-Scale to be eligible for certification under the Department of Energy’s program.  In addition, the Builders Challenge program requires the implementation of greenbuilding best practices which address indoor air quality and durability management.

Following the Builders Challenge Tour, the Populus team joined Ed Pollock, Sean Smith, Eric Doub of Ecofutures and Tom Wade of Artistic Homes at a panel discussion focusing on zero energy homes and the goals of the Builders Challenge / Building America program.  Mr. Pollock began the panel presentation by discussing the Department of Energy’s Builders Challenge goal of an affordable zero energy home (or “Net Zero”) for all Americans by the year 2030.  In order to achieve these substantial increases in residential energy efficiency, it is essential that the building industry highlight the operational savings of a zero energy home, rather than merely focusing on the first costs of high-performance home features.

David Neiger of Populus presents to a group of industry professionals at the Department of Energy Builders Challenge EEBA Conference Home Tour

To date, the Builders Challenge program has certified a total of 1800 homes, with six homes scoring net zero or better on the E-Scale and with an average E-Scale score of 63.  While this represents only a tiny fraction of the homes built in the United States each year, the high-performance energy features of these 1800 homes results in an average cost savings of $1.6 million per year.

If you are a builder, developer or architect and would like to learn how you can pursue Builders Challenge certification for your next project, contact Populus Sustainable Design Consulting, a Partner in the Builders Challenge program, and we’ll walk you through the program requirements and the steps to certification.  Unlike some green home certification programs, there is no fee for registering your project in the Builders Challenge program, although there are costs associated with the third-party verification and energy rating that is required under the program.  In some cases, building an above-code performing home can qualify you for substantial rebates, incentives or tax credits.

Populus is a full service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus guides architects and builders through the requirements of mandatory green building codes and optional green home certification programs, providing HERS rating, LEED for Homes Green Rater services and LEED for Homes training.  Visit Populus at www.popboulder.com.

Sean Smith & Co.’s Wash Park luxury duplex was recently featured as a case study in Eco Home Magazine.

LEED for Homes Gold Wash Park Duplex by Sean Smith & Company (photo copyright Ooms Photography)

This high-performance, green home pursued various green home certifications and was recently awarded LEED for Homes Gold Certification by the USGBC and Builders Challenge Certification by the Department of Energy.  The home is also labeled under the EPA’s Indoor Air Package (now called “Indoor airPLUS“) and Energy Star programs.

In addition, the home will be featured in the upcoming EEBA Conference Builder’s Challenge Tour on September 28th, led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Residential Building Technologies Team Leader, Ed Pollock.

Populus Sustainable Design Consulting provided consulting services, HERS rating / energy modeling and LEED for Homes™ Green Rater services for this upscale duplex in Denver’s Washington Park neighborhood.  The project, including its high-performance features, was also recently profiled in Colorado Expression magazine in the article, “Greened to Perfection.”

Look for more energy efficient, sustainably built, green homes from Sean Smith & Company in the future.

Populus is a full service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus guides architects and builders through the requirements of mandatory green building codes and optional green home certification programs, providing HERS rating, LEED for Homes Green Rater services and LEED for Homes training.  Visit Populus at www.popboulder.com.

Following American Reinvestment Recovery Act spending for clean energy projects?  Here is the latest from the Department of Energy today:

This morning, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Energy Secretary Steven Chu hosted a group of clean energy developers and manufacturers at the White House to discuss how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) is creating jobs and helping expand the development of clean, renewable domestic energy. At the meeting, Secretaries Geithner and Chu announced $550 million in new awards through the Recovery Act’s 1603 program, bringing the total to more than $1 billion awarded to date to companies committed to investing in domestic renewable energy production.

“This Recovery Act program is an example of a true federal partnership with the private sector,” said Treasury Secretary Geithner. “Not only are our Recovery dollars meeting an immediate funding need among innovative companies, they are also jumpstarting private sector investment in communities across the country—with benefits for the renewable energy industry and our economy alike.”

Said Secretary Chu: “These investments are crucial to ensuring America can compete and win in the race for the clean energy jobs of the future. With American workers and American innovation, we can and must lead the world when it comes to the new Industrial Revolution in clean energy.”

Created under Section 1603 of the Recovery Act, the program provides cash assistance to energy producers in place of tax credits. The payments improve project viability, enabling companies to create and retain jobs, and establish sufficient financing bases for projects that may otherwise not be possible, dramatically expanding and accelerating the development of renewable energy projects throughout the country. Under this program, the federal government provides a cash payment in lieu of a tax credit totaling 30% of the qualifying cost of the project; for each federal dollar spent in payments, more than two dollars are spent in private sector investments.

Today the Treasury Department will make the second round of awards, all of which will be made in half the statutorily mandated turnaround time of 60 days. The first round of awards totaling $502 million was announced on September 1, 2009. Today’s announcement provides an additional $550 million. The 1603 program is having an immediate effect on the renewable energy industry by significantly increasing the availability and liquidity of project capital in three ways:

• Recycling grants into new projects. Project developers are able to begin construction of additional projects thanks to the extra capital from the grants they are receiving.
• Increasing the flow of capital. By reversing the drop in availability of equity investment available, the 1603 program brings significant private capital off the sidelines to finance more renewables projects.
• Attracting investment for domestic projects. Large project developers allocate capital across many countries, and the 1603 program is attracting billions of dollars of additional capital towards projects in the US.

Project developers receiving awards through this program participated in today’s meeting, including Ameresco, First Wind, Horizon Wind, and Sun Edison. Also participating were several renewables manufacturers who supply these developers, including Cardinal Fastener, GE Energy, Gamesa, Solyndra, and Vestas Americas.

• At a site in Pittsburgh, California, Ameresco is using a landfill to provide power to the City of Palo Alto. Payments awarded because of this project will allow Ameresco to accelerate its development of renewable energy projects by a minimum of four more domestic projects a year.
• Solyndra is helping to provide energy to a building in downtown Denver, Colorado through solar panels on the roof, a project that would not have been possible without Recovery Act payments.
• Vestas Americas has made a significant investment in developing renewable energy in the United States. The company has allocated $1 billion for new manufacturing facilities throughout the country, and the 1603 program will allow these facilities to be fully operational by 2011.

The following is a chart of the 25 projects that qualified for awards as part of today’s announcement.

STATE	PROJECT/SUBSIDIARY	LOCATION	AMOUNT
California	Bob’s Big Boy, LLC	Burbank, California	$53,648
California	Ameresco Half Moon Bay, LLC	Half Moon Bay, California	$6,641,747
California	Ameresco Keller Canyon, LLC	Pittsburgh, California	$2,796,377
California	BioFuel Oasis Cooperative, Inc	Berkely, California	$16,858
Colorado	5135 Company	Denver, Colorado	$23,130
Florida	Conditioned Air Corporation of Naples	Naples, Florida	$50,250
Hawaii	Two Daughters	Kihei, Hawaii	$15,150
Iowa	Barton Wind Farm	Kinsett, Iowa	$93,419,883
Minnesota	BI	Minneapolis, Minnesota	$25,649
Minnesota	Spruce Tree Centre	St. Paul, Minnesota	$107,764
Missouri	Farmers City Wind Farm	Tarkio, Missouri	$84,959,857
Missouri	Ameresco Jefferson City, LLC	Jefferson City, Missouri	$2,300,244
North Carolina	Solar Billboard Property	Bolivia, North Carolina	$5,850
New Jersey	Meadowlands Exposition Center	Secaucus, New Jersey	$767,937
New Jersey	EHT Leasing, LLC	Egg Harbor Township	$118,560
New Jersey	OC Kearny	Kearny, New Jersey	$992,006
Nevada	Enel Salt Wells, LLC	Fallon, Nevada	$21,196,478
Nevada	Enel Stillwater, LLC	Fallon, Nevada	$40,324,394
New York	OP 110 E. 59th St. CHP	New York, New York	$415,774
South Dakota	Impervious Energy Systems, LLC	Whitewood, South Dakota	$31,511
Texas	Barton Chapel Wind Farm	Jacksboro, Texas	$72,573,627
Texas	Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers, Inc.	Santa Rosa, Texas	$10,232,261
Texas	Bull Creek Wind, LLC	O’Donnell, Texas	$91,390,497
Texas	Pyron Wind Farm, LLC	Roscoe, Texas	$121,903,306
Vermont	Wheeler Brook Apartments	Warren, Vermont	$19,155

$550,381,913

Today the Obama administration announced the award of $502 million in the first round of ARRA Stimulus funding to provide cash assistance to energy production companies in place of earned tax credits.  Boulder Colorado’s Movement Gym received an award for their PV System.  Read the full announcement from the Department of Energy:

Marking a major milestone in the effort to spur private sector investments in clean energy and create new jobs for America’s workers, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced $502 million in the first round of awards from an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) program that provides cash assistance to energy production companies in place of earned tax credits. The new funding creates additional upfront capital, enabling companies to create jobs and begin construction that may have been stalled until now.

“The Recovery Act is investing in our long-term energy needs while creating jobs in communities around the country,” said Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. “This renewable energy program will spur the manufacture and development of clean energy in urban and rural America, allowing us to protect our environment, create good jobs and revitalize our nation’s economy.”

Said Secretary Chu: “These grants will help America’s businesses launch clean energy projects, putting Americans back to work in good construction and manufacturing jobs. The initiative will help double our renewable energy capacity over the next few years and make sure America leads the world in creating the clean energy economy of the future.”

Created under Section 1603 of the Recovery Act, the program is expected to provide more than $3 billion in financial support for clean energy projects by providing direct payments in lieu of tax credits. These payments will support an estimated 5,000 biomass, solar, wind, and other types of renewable energy production facilities in all regions of the country over the life of the program. As a result of this first round of funding, more than 2,000 Americans will have access to jobs in the renewable energy industry—both in construction and in manufacturing—while moving the nation closer to meeting the administration’s goal of doubling renewable energy generation in the next few years.

The Treasury Department opened the application process for the 1603 program on July 31, 2009, and is today making the first awards in half the statutorily mandated turnaround time of 60 days. The following is a chart of projects funded as part of today’s announcement. Additional awards under the program will be announced in the coming weeks.

STATE	PROJECT	LOCATION	AMOUNT
Colorado	Movement Gym PV System (Solar)	Boulder, Colorado	$157,809
Connecticut	Solaire Development, LLC	Danbury, Connecticut	$2,578,717
Maine	Evergreen Wind Power V, LLC	Danforth, Maine	$40,441,471
Minnesota	Moraine II Wind Farm	Woodstock, Minnesota	$28,019,520
New York	Canadaigua Power Partners, LLC (Wind)	Cohocton, New York	$52,352,334
New York	Canadaigua Power Partners II, LLC (Wind)	Cohocton, New York	$22,296,494
Oregon	Wheat Field Wind Farm	Arlington, Oregon	$47,717,155
Oregon	Hay Canyon Wind Farm	Moro, Oregon	$47,092,555
Oregon	Pebble Springs Wind Farm	Arlington, Oregon	$46,543,219
Pennsylvania	Highland Wind Farm	Salix, Pennsylvania	$42,204,562
Pennsylvania	Locust Ridge II, LLC (Wind)	Shenandoah, Pennsylvania	$59,162,064
Texas	Penascal Wind Farm	Sarita, Texas	$114,071,646

$502,637,546

Interested in learning about the DOE’s Solar Decathlon?  Find out more by attending this free seminar on September 15th from the Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Program.  More information about the event from the DOE’s Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy News:

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Program (BTP) is offering a Webinar on Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 12:00-1:00 p.m. EDT titled “The Building of the Solar Decathlon.” In addition to information about the development of the Solar Decathlon from concept to the growth of the event, this Webinar will feature discussions on:

• Technology usage
• International engagement
• The students who make the Solar Decathlon happen

This Webinar is geared toward homeowners serious about understanding the options for building a solar home, workforce development in the buildings arena and building science, university professors, and both residential and commercial industry professionals.

The presenter will be Richard King, Director of the Solar Decathlon and 23-year employee of DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Program, Photovoltaic R&D Program, and BTP.

This webinar is free of charge, but you must register in advance to obtain a URL for the presentation and call-in phone number. Learn more about the Webinar.

Want to learn about grant opportunities for energy efficiency and renewable energy?  Colorado will be receiving about $50 million in U.S. Department of Energy State Energy Program funds over the next three years from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (“ARRA”).  This funding will go to the Governor’s Energy Office (“GEO”) to implement its State Energy Program (“SEP”) plan.  The GEO received approval for its plan on July 17, 2009.  Read a summary of the GEO’s SEP plan here.  The goal of Colorado’s SEP plan is to create and preserve jobs, save energy, increase the use of renewable sources of energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen Colorado’s New Energy Economy.  The GEO is preparing to launch SEP funded programs beginning in the fall of 2009.  Read below for more details from the GEO of what programs to expect in the coming months:

Here’s a glance at how the GEO will distribute SEP funds. More details about how you can benefit from ARRA SEP dollars will be announced to the GEO newsletter and posted here over the coming summer and fall.

• Residential building programs: The GEO’s Residential Program will use ARRA SEP funds to promote advanced energy codes, increase energy efficiency in new home construction and offer programs to help homeowners improve efficiency in existing homes, including a “whole house tune-up” that will bundle various energy saving incentives.
• Renewable energy programs: The GEO’s existing solar and wind incentive programs for residents and businesses will be expanded through ARRA SEP funds. These incentives are designed to complement existing utility incentives and create partnership opportunities while stimulating the renewable energy market and reducing demand on the utility grid. The GEO will also be spearheading a concerted effort to take advantage of Colorado’s geothermal production potential and expand micro-hydro development opportunities. The GEO will also partner with appropriate institutions to provide job training in various locations for those who want to design and install renewable technologies.
• Commercial building programs: The GEO’s Commercial Buildings Program focuses on existing buildings, as well as the high performance building of new commercial buildings. ARRA SEP funds will be directed toward the effective use of a strong energy performance contracting (EPC) industry in Colorado to maximize efficiency and job creation. The GEO’s high performance building program will achieve its goals through a combination of technical assistance to public agencies engaged in new construction and major renovation projects, as well as providing workshops and trainings and dissemination and development of tools and best practices.
• Public information and consumer outreach: The GEO will direct ARRA SEP funding toward streamlining information for Colorado consumers faced with trying to look for energy efficiency and renewable energy information amid 57 utilities, 271 municipalities and 64 counties, as well as changing state and federal programs and incentives. Easing access to such information will include a web strategy and a telephone hotline, as well as a comprehensive consumer outreach efforts.
• Finance/capital investments: Upfront costs can keep an individual or a business from making cost effective investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy simply because of a lack of financing options. The GEO will commit funds from the ARRA SEP allocation to provide a suite of products that will reduce financial barriers to renewable energy and energy efficiency. Programs will include grant programs to infuse ARRA funds into projects at the final stage of development and a revolving loan fund to provide low-cost capital for banks to provide short- and medium-term loans to consumers.
• Greening Government: An executive order signed by Gov. Ritter calls for state employees to take a position of leadership to reduce the environmental impact of state government operations. The GEO works closely with state agencies, colleges, and universities to help them achieve the Greening Government goals by 2012, and will set aside a small portion of ARRA SEP funds to continue that effort. Program goals include reducing petroleum usage by 25 percent, energy consumption by 20 percent, paper usage by 20 percent, water usage by 10 percent and diverting 75 percent of consumed materials from the waste stream.
• Utilities and transmission: The GEO will be conducting a set of major education and outreach activities involving climate policy, electric generation, and general energy profile data on state utilities. Gov. Ritter has issued the Colorado Climate Action Plan (CAP) which outlines a 2020 goal of reducing CO2 emission by 20% from the electric, transportation and industrial sector. The GEO will be developing a suite of products to create a strong vision for accomplishing the emission reduction goals in the CAP for utility customers, electric utilities and the Colorado legislature.

Populus is a Boulder-based, full-service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus is your partner in high-performance design solutions, specializing in energy efficiency codes, green building certifications and LEED for Homes™ training.  Contact Populus at news@popboulder.com.