Jodi Summers = Santa Monica Real Estate

SANTA MONICA’S GOAL IS TO BECOME ONE OF THE FIRST NET ZERO CITIES

March 25, 2008 on 4:59 pm | In Fascinating Information, Green, Market Trends, Of Local Importance, The City of Santa Monica says, Uncategorized | 24 Comments

What is a Net Zero Energy City ?

You’ve heard that Santa Monica’s Goals to to become a Net Zero Energy City – but what doe that mean?

“Integrating the installation of energy efficiency, solar, and clean distributed generation throughout Santa Monica over the next 15-20 years can result in the onsite generation of enough power to meet the net annual electricity requirements of the city and may even allow the community to become a net exporter of electricity. Thus, Santa Monica would become a “net zero” energy city.” -

Susan Munves

Energy and Green Building Program Administrator

City of Santa Monica

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http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2711/t/4015/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=23561

Save the Electric Car.

Dear Governor Schwarzeneggar,

I support your agenda to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25% by 2020.

The most promising way to reach this goal is to give consumers the choice to buy Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs), like your electric Tesla Roadster.

Unfortunately, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) may reduce the number of ZEVs required of automakers by 90%, settling for only 2,500 from 2012-2014.

Please ask your appointed CARB chair, Mary Nichols, to
1. Require the full 25,000 ZEVs that automakers had promised for 2012-2014, and
2. Create a separate requirement for plug-in hybrids that lets them replace the dirtiest vehicles in CARB’s regulations, rather than the cleanest ZEVs.

Choice for consumers means cleaner air for everyone.

Jodi Summers
Sotheby’s International Realty Santa Monica
jodi@jodisummers.com
http://www.SoCalInvestmentRealEstate.com
http://www.SoCalIndustrialRealEstateBlog.com
http://www.SoCalOfficeRealEstateBlog.com
http://www.SoCalGreenRealEstateBlog.com
http://www.SantaMonicaLandmarks.com
http://www.SantaMonicaPropertyBlog.com

Comment by jodis — March 25, 2008 #
It’s a shame or maybe its just plane disgusting the oveos graft that going on in Sacramento. The leaders who clam to be Green, the greenest govnor in the country. We were lucky enough to win this law because of all the pollution that was pumped into atmospheres years ago . The state law makers have already sriped these law bear are now going to kill these law . This sate should be a leader, not a mouth piece for the oil companys . we have to get off our dependence of fossil fuels. We have the technology to have cars powder by the sun there here and running. check out Plug in America , or the city’s own fleet. This State could be a leader not a follower in the green Energy movement. The Euroupeans have over taken us Germany mandated 50 % of all new construction have Solar & in Febuary last year Spain mandated a 100% of all new consruction & in September Portugal followed suit . We need this industru here in California . there is now talk the EU with in 10 years will mandate all members must be compliant . I repet we need these jobs here in California they are good paying jobs that cant be out souced . Green colar jobs . the City should be giving the Scotts an award for there outsanding citizenship .

Daniel Beattie

2633 Lincoln Blvd Suite 606
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310 450 7208 (ph)
310 450 8111 (fax)
http://www.enviroplumbing.com

Comment by SandM — March 25, 2008 #
SAN FRANCISCO’S SUPER SOLAR INCENTIVE PLAN

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has approved a new local subsidy for residents and businesses who install solar power. The solar incentive plan, which is expected to win final approval from The San Francisco Board of Supervisors later this month, would provide between $3,000 and $5,000 for a home installation and up to $10,000 for businesses. With existing state and federal incentives, the city subsidy could eliminate more than half the cost of a solar installation.

“It’s groundbreaking,” said San Francisco Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting, co-chair of the city’s year-old Solar Task Force, which developed the plan. “I think it will help ensure that San Francisco is going to be the solar capital of the world.”

The first year would be funded with $3 million in revenue from the city’s Hetch Hetchy electricity-generating dams. The subsidy would be retroactive to Dec. 16, for those who installed solar after the December announcement of the plan, and applications may be submitted after the supervisors give their approval, said Barbara Hale, PUC assistant general manager of power.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/09/BAG3UUBSL9.DTL

This article appeared on page B – 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Comment by Phil Hale — March 25, 2008 #
Isn’t that a Smashing Pumpkins song?

Comment by Zero — March 28, 2008 #
Didja know…

For each pre ’92 Home in Santa Monica refitted with High Efficiency Toilets and SSI High Efficiency Fixtures:

The Homeowner will save;
22,393 Gallons of water per year
52 Therms of Natural gas per Year
0 kWh of electricity per year
$156 Saved (including natural gas, water and sewer)
614 lb/yr of CO2 Emissions

Comment by Enviro Dan — March 28, 2008 #
Think the upcoming Green Expo will be fun.

Comment by Rasputinita — April 7, 2008 #
Just walk.

Comment by Bug Vulture — April 12, 2008 #
Offset Your Confusion: Take the Easy Steps to Go Carbon Neutral
by Barent Roth
Residential Program Coordinator

Carbon Offsets can be a great way to offset the all of the remaining greenhouse gas emissions we can’t reduce, but right now there is a bewildering array of offsetters. Below are the simple steps to help you understand how to lower your Ecological Footprint through Carbon Offsets:

Step 1 – Double check that you have done everything you can to reduce your emissions. Remember “the low hanging fruit is in effi ciency.”

Step 2 – Consider what you want to offset – your commuting, your plane trip, your home, your party, etc.

Step 3 – Calculate your emissions. Most Offsetters have an emissions calculator at their website and don’t require you to purchase anything to use it.

Step 4 – Compare Offsetters. This is the hard part. As David Sazuki says “No all Carbon Offsets are created equal”. Using trees to offset emissions has come under scrutiny because of an issue known as “Permenance”. Eventually the trees will die and release all of the carbon they have sequestering. Another issue is “Additionality”, meaning are your dollars going to an additional offsetting project or are they simply padding the offsetters bottom line. The best thing we can do as consumers is look for transparency and third party verifi cations. Below are few offsetters to get your research started: http://www.carbonfund.org; http://www.climatefriendly.com; http://www.myclimate.org; http://www.nativeenergy.com

Step 5 – Offset. Enjoy the fact that you are doing what you can to mitigate your contribution to global warming. Remember, carbon offsets also help drive corporate action on climate change and infl uence long-term public policy.

Resources: David Sazuki Foundation – How to go Carbon Neutral; The Daily Grist – A Guide to Offsetting Your Carbon Emissions;
Carbon Offset Price Comparison

Comment by Barent Roth — May 8, 2008 #
Landmark Green Buildings Bill Passes First Hurdle

First in the Nation Zero Energy Measure Would Dramatically Reduce Carbon Emissions from California Homes

In April, the California Assembly Natural Resources Committee passed AB 2112, the Residential Buildings Zero Net Energy Bill. The bill, sponsored by Global Green USA and authored by Lori Saldaña (D- San Diego) will require all new residential buildings to be net zero energy by the year 2020.

“Energy use in buildings is the largest single global warming pollution source in the United States–accounting for 48% of all greenhouse gas emissions nationally,” said Global Green policy director Mary Luevano “Urgent action is needed to address the climate crisis and AB 2112 is a huge step in the right direction.”

The term “zero net energy building” describes a building that implements both energy efficient design features and clean onsite energy generation that combine to result in no net gas or electricity purchases annually.

“The state is committed to reducing greenhouse gases from fossil fuel power generation,” Saldaña said. “Incorporating energy saving technology and onsite renewable power generation like solar into new residential construction will make a significant contribution to the achievement of those objectives.”

Net zero buildings also significantly lower utility costs for residents. Lower energy consumption means less stress on the power grid, reducing the vulnerability to the rolling blackouts Californians experienced in 2000.

AB 2112’s next test will be in the Assembly Appropriations Committee where it will be heard next month. The model for this legislation is the Solara project in Poway, California; the first apartment community in California fully powered by the sun. Global Green USA was the primary green consultant on the Solara project.

Comment by Global Green — May 16, 2008 #
McGraw-Hill Construction estimates that 10% of all homes could be certified as green by 2010 versus 2% in 2006. As of February, about 100,000 homes were certified under local home builder association-related programs, and 540 houses under LEED for Homes, which had another 13,000 in its registration pipeline, according to Michelle Moore, the council’s senior vice president of policy and market development. By comparison, the federal government’s Energy Star for Homes program certified about 700,000 houses from 2004 to 2007. Builder polling suggests that “energy efficiency” remains a simpler concept to sell to homeowners than “green.”

Comment by ProSales Business Update — June 6, 2008 #
The Net Zero homes bill AB2112, sponsored by Global Green and authored by Assembly Member Lori Saldaña (D- San Diego) was passed by the California State Assembly on May 29, 2008.

The term “zero net energy building” describes a building that implements both energy efficient design features and clean onsite energy generation that combine to result in no net gas or electricity purchase annually. The Net Zero homes bill is now being reconciled with similar legislation (AB 1065 introduced by Asm. Sally Lieber, D-Mountain View) to try and produce a comprehensive measure for a vote on the Senate floor later this summer.

Comment by Matt Petersen — July 8, 2008 #
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has signed into law what experts are calling the most rigorous green building codes in the nation.

New regulations mandating greater energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, and lower carbon emissions, are set to take effect before the end of the year. The new standards will apply to residential projects that are taller than 75 feet, new commercial buildings over 5,000 square feet, and renovations on buildings over 25,000 square feet.

Among the ordinance’s many provisions, buildings will be required to allocate space for recycling centers, to cut the amount of potable water used for landscaping by half, and to improve stormwater management. The incorporation of renewable energy systems is also a focus.

“If we want to get serious about addressing the root causes of global warming, then let’s draw down the empty rhetoric and start taking concrete actions,” Mayor Newsom stated recently. “A lot of people don’t realize that their homes and businesses create a significant portion of our carbon footprint … .”

Comment by Builder Online — September 4, 2008 #
As the homeowner and system owner, you can take advantage of rebates and tax credits. Today’s low interest rates (in the range of 5 1/2%) make this type of financing very attractive.

For information, contact Gary Groff at New Resource Bank, (415) 995-8134 or 1 (800) 772-8190.

Comment by New Resource Bank — September 9, 2008 #
SunRun requires an upfront payment on the solar system, then you agree to purchase electric power for a fixed rate (13 cents/kWh as of June, 2008) over a contract period (for example, 18 years). SunRun takes care of monitoring and maintaining the system. As the owner of the system, SunRun takes the tax credit.

With the SunRun PPA, your initial system cost is less than with an outright purchase. You save money on your utility bill starting the first month, and your rate never goes up. There is no balloon payment or price escalator.

For more details, contact REC Solar’s Dan Burtt, at (310) 988-9494.

Comment by SunRun — September 9, 2008 #
Under the Helio Green Energy Plan (TM), HeliomU installs and owns the solar system, and you agree to buy its power.

There is no upfront payment. The plan starts at a discount from today’s highest tiered rates, and escalates at less than historical market rates. (The rate presented at the workshop was 26 cents/kWh, with an escalator of 4.5%.) After 6 years, you have the option to buy out of the contract or to renew it. HeliomU takes care of monitoring, maintenance, parts, and repairs.

For more information, contact HelioPower’s Vanessa Wendling at 1 (866) 765-2755.

Comment by Helio Power — September 9, 2008 #
I just wanted to say thank you for speaking with me at our booth at Solar Power International last week. I have added you to our press release list
and hope that we will be able to work together. Please let me know if you have anything that we can help you with and I look forward to hearing from you in the future.

Thanks so much,

Marisa Applestein
Associate
360jmg
718 Seventh Street, NW, Suite 310
Washington, DC 20001
P: 202.204.2187/ F: 202.204.2191
http://www.360jmg.com

Comment by Marisa Applestein — October 27, 2008 #
Love you SM info.

Jamie Watson, Ocean Park Branch ,Santa Monica Public Library

Comment by Jamie Watson — January 21, 2009 #
SEPA Releases “Decoupling Utility Profits from Sales”
New White Paper Outlines Options for
Addressing Utility-Solar Disincentive

Washington, D.C–The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) is pleased to announce the release of the white paper, “Decoupling Utility Profits from Sales: Issues for the Photovoltaic Industry,” providing valuable insight into a regulatory policy option that addresses the business disincentive that some investor-owned utilities face when their customers install a solar electric system and, as a result, purchase less electricity from the utility. Decoupling changes the way a utility’s revenues are structured so that profits are no longer explicitly tied to electricity sales. The full report may be downloaded for free at http://www.solarelectricpower.org.

Comment by Josephine Mooney — February 2, 2009 #
The thrust of the Clean Energy Stimulus and Investment Assurance Act of 2009 is to create green-collar jobs and revitalize the economy through clean energy investments. Section 506 of the bill, offers property owners a 30 percent tax credit for qualified green roof expenses. The tax credit applies to both new and retrofit projects, but it requires that at least 50 percent of the roof area be covered with vegetation.

Comment by Nigel F. Maynard — February 7, 2009 #
This summer, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage offered a new-construction solar home program that allows builders in California to transfer a rebate offered by the California Energy Commission’s New Solar Home Partnership directly to buyers at closing, which they can use for the down payment or as a permanent interest-rate buy-down to lower their monthly mortgage payments. The offer applies to conforming and non-conforming loans for new single-family homes, including condominiums, that will be used as the buyer’s primary residence. The rebate amount depends on the size of the solar system installed.

Comment by Rich Binsacca — March 5, 2009 #
the archetypal green city is Curitiba, Brazil. When architect and urban planner Jamie Lerner became mayor in 1972, he quickly closed six blocks of the city’s central business district to cars, delighting residents and business owners alike. Today the pedestrian-free zone is three times larger and serves as the heart of the bustling metropolis. Lerner also put in place a high-tech bus system, greatly reducing traffic, energy usage and pollution; the move also encouraged density around transit hubs and thus preserved open space in other areas that would have likely turned into suburbia. Today the bus system still goes strong, and three-quarters of the city’s 2.2 million residents rely on it every day.

Comment by AmericanTowns.com — March 9, 2009 #
A recent study by researchers at UCLA has affirmed Berkeley’s reputation as being one of the country’s most environmentally conscious cities.

The report, titled “Green Market Geography,” ranks Berkeley as one of California’s “greenest” cities, second only to its northern neighbor, Albany.

Comment by Nick Moore — June 18, 2009 #
We’ve picked 10 places — in no particular order — that we think are doing a great job at putting residents first. That means they’re obsessed with clean air and clean water, renewable energy, reliable city buses, trams, streetcars and subways, a growing number of parks and greenbelts, farmer’s markets and, very important, opportunities for community involvement.

Santa Monica, California

Just 12 years ago, the environmental future of this seaside city looked unimpressive. Thanks to an active city council, which wrote and enacted the Sustainable City Plan, Santa Monica has turned green. Three of every four of the city’s public works vehicles run on alternative fuel, making it among the largest such fleets in the country. All public buildings use renewable energy. In the last 15 years, the city has cut greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 10 percent, a feat in car-crazy Southern California. City officials and residents have made the ongoing cleanup of the Santa Monica Bay a priority — an urban runoff facility catches 3.5 million gallons of water each week that would otherwise flow into the bay. Add in the miles of beaches, extensive curbside recycling, farmer’s markets, community gardens, the city’s nimble bus system and Santa Monica is clearly more than just another bathing beauty.

Comment by Nicki Kipen — June 18, 2009 #
Dozens of “net zero” and “near net zero” developments — projects designed to use only about as much power from the public grid as they can save or produce on their own — have sprung up across the U.S. over the past five years.

In Greenfield, Mass., nonprofit Rural Development Inc. has completed eight of 20 planned duplex homes that use almost no net energy. In Berkeley, Calif., ZETA Communities Inc. plans to build a 30-unit net-zero apartment building after opening a factory that can construct 400 to 500 prefabricated net-zero homes a year. And in Green Valley, Ariz., builder Pepper Viner Homes says it plans to incorporate green techniques into a senior housing community so that it reduces energy use more than 50%. U.S. officials are working to wean federal buildings off fossil fuel by 2020, a step they say will help the buildings become almost net-zero energy users.

Comment by JIM CARLTON / WSJ.com — January 7, 2010 #