Studies show that simply
giving people their energy information
can result in energy savings of up to 15%.

Google PowerMeter allows you to:

Google PowerMeter Features

Google PowerMeter is a free electricity usage monitoring tool that provides you with information on how much energy your home is consuming. Google PowerMeter receives information from utility smart meters and in-home energy management devices and visualizes this information for you on iGoogle (your personalized Google homepage). And, Google PowerMeter is free.

Studies show that being able to see your electricity usage in near real time, throughout the day, makes it easier to reduce it and save money. This sort of feedback requires either an advanced electricity meter, a "smart meter," or a consumer-owned electricity management device, and many of today's smart meters don't display information to the consumer.

Consumers should have access to data on their personal electricity use, control who gets to see this data and choose from a range of services to help them understand and benefit from this data.

Google is working with federal and state governments to ensure that energy policies encourage consumer information; read Google's comments to the Department of Energy on smart grid investment in the stimulus, Edward Lu's testimony to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and  comments to the California Public Utilities Commission and our joint statement with leading companies and NGOs.

Google hopes that consumers will soon be empowered with an entire ecosystem of energy information products and services.

If all households in developed countries achieved a 15% energy savings by 2020, it would mean about a 470 MtCO2 equiv. reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Read More at SolutionsForClimateChange.com

EPA wants to toughen the ozone limit adopted in 2008 by cracking down further on vehicles, power plants, factories and landfills. Much of the U.S. could then be in violation of federal regulations.

The EPA proposed allowing a ground-level ozone concentration of between 60 and 70 parts per billion, down from the 75-ppb standard adopted under President George W. Bush in 2008.

Eastern and Midwestern states, where much of the pollution comes from coal-fired power plants, will face utility scale changes.  Other states that have already tackled industrial emissions, such as California, will face non-point source emissions, largely from pollution from diesel engines in trucks and construction equipment, which emit nitrogen oxides, a precursor to smog.

PROTECT OUR HEALTH

Though complying with the standards could cost up to $90 billion nationwide, according to the EPA, it could also save $100 billion in health costs over time.

A 65-ppb standard -- the middle of the proposed acceptable range -- would avert 1,700 to 5,100 premature deaths nationwide in 2020 compared with the 75-ppb standard, the EPA estimates. The agency projects the stricter standard would also prevent an additional 26,000 cases of aggravated asthma compared with the Bush-era standard, and more than a million cases of missed work or school.

PROTECT FORESTS and SENSITIVE ECOSYSTEMS

The EPA also proposed setting a "secondary standard" to protect plants and trees from repeated smog exposure during growing season, a move environmentalists said would help national parks, forests and sensitive ecosystems. Trees and other vegetation absorb heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making them an important check against global warming.

Environmentalists praised the agency for proposing regulations that match the unanimous recommendations of an EPA science advisory committee.

SOLUTIONS

Small businesses won't face the same scale changes as power plants, but their fleets will be affected.  This regulation can also provide small business with opportunities to help other companies with filtration, new fuels, high-performance vehicles, and reduced electricity from coal based utility plants. 

We'll be following this legislative and administrative change that will affect local communities and businesses of all sizes.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu says: If the United States does not adopt the bill's carrots and sticks for reducing energy waste and developing carbon-free energy sources, China will leapfrog ahead of us in this field.

The Senate should take heed and pass a global warming bill at least as strong as the House's this year. Passage of the bills working their way through Congress that cover renewable energy and  "cap and trade"  is of special importance to Massachusetts, which is home to cutting-edge scientists and clean-energy research firms - some of which are racing with foreign competitors to create products that could be sold for decades around the world.

"Small Biz: Big on Green" FREE Seminar Aug 6, 6:30 PM North Easton, MA (AMES LIBRARY COMPLEX) Bring your green biz questions. Register here. It's FREE, DOWNLOAD FLIER (Limited space...Register Online)

WE ARE PRESENTING A FREE PROGRAM FOR OUR COMMUNITY...

What you will learn:  This information-packed expert presentation and Q&A helps small business people understand which green business strategies ...

•  INCREASE REVENUE  
•  DECREASE COSTS and
•  MOTIVATE EMPLOYEES  

Get an overview of what green business solutions can do for you . . . and why every job can be a greener job to motivate your team!

Michael Lemke, North Easton small business consultant, emphasis on family/business strategies for entrepreneurial growth & success. Michael publishes NewEnglandGreenSolutions.com.

Carolyn Allen, Senior editor/publisher of CaliforniaGreenSolutions.com and SolutionsForGreen.com,  about green solutions. Based in Los Angeles, CA, she brings broad knowledge of small business' solutions in the "green economy."

Come...and stump the editors!  Bring your green business questions.


Reserve your spot now! It's FREE, but Register here. 

Share the Flier with colleagues! DOWNLOAD a PDF FLIER here.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has approved a change to its residential ventilation standard to encourage home retrofits to improve indoor air quality.

ASHRAE allows alternative methods for meeting the standard's requirements for kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans.

"With the U.S. economic stimulus having a great deal of focus on weatherization and other residential retrofits, we developed this change to help improve indoor air quality for public health and safety," according to Steven Emmerich, committee chair.

Addendum "e" to ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2007, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings, allows alternative methods for meeting the standard's requirements regarding kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans. The standard currently requires fans in those rooms.

An example of an alternative compliance path that is allowed under the addendum would be increasing the overall whole-house ventilation rate to compensate for insufficient or non-existent bathroom exhaust.

While the alternative path could result in modest increased energy use due to the extra whole-house ventilation required, Emmerich notes that the proposal is being made because experience has shown that people doing retrofits will often ignore the standard if the fan requirements are too onerous.

Addendum "e" can be found at www.ashrae.org/62.2e.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that nearly 17% of all single-family homes built nationally in 2008 earned the Energy Star label, up from 12% in 2007.

To earn the Energy Star label, homes must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by EPA. Typically these include energy-saving features such as effective insulation, high-performance windows, airtight living spaces and ducts, efficient heating and cooling equipment, and Energy Star-qualified lights and appliances.

U.S. families living in Energy Star-qualified homes locked in annual utility bill savings of more than $250 million in 2008 alone, avoiding the use of more than 1.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and 155 million therms of natural gas.

Both home builders and home buyers are continuing to invest in high-performing homes that save consumers money on their utility bills and help protect the environment, EPA says.

Market share for Energy Star-qualified homes was 20% or greater in 15 states in 2008, including Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Vermont.

Nearly 940,000 Energy Star-qualified homes have been built to-date, including more than 100,000 constructed in 2008.

The Energy Star program is a joint effort of DOE and the EPA. 

Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Sustainable Industries magazine recently announced the release of its 2009 Top 10 Green Building Products guide, the annual publication profiling industry-leading green building products selected by a panel of expert judges and the Sustainable Industries editorial team.

The 2009 Top 10 Green Building Product winners are:

Acadia Combined Heating and Cooling System
Made by Hallowell International
(www.gotohallowell.com)
The Acadia is not just another heating and cooling system. It maintains 200 percent efficiency even when outdoor temperatures drop well below zero. When heating oil prices were sky high, Acadia users were saving up to 70 percent in energy costs.

ec-H20
Made by Tennant Co.
(www.tennantco.com)
Requiring no chemicals, ec-H2O uses tap water to clean most any surface of most any substance. Each machine reduces water usage by 70 to 80 percent, and the potential of 245 million gallons of water each year if it were installed in all new floor-cleaning machines.

InSpire Wall
Made by ATAS International
(www.atas.com)
This simple, elegant technology essentially uses the power of the sun to heat outdoor air before sending it indoors, thereby slashing energy use while boosting indoor air quality. Depending on what kind of heating fuel is being replaced, this product can reduce heating costs by up to $5 for each square foot of InSpire Wall installed.


kama EEBS Structural Systems
Made by kama Energy Efficient Building Systems Inc.
(www.kama-eebs.com)
kama EEBS Structural Systems integrate light gauge metal stud framing system with expanded polystyrene insulation in a proprietary design that eliminates thermal bridging and helps to create a tight, energy-efficient building envelope.

PlybooPure Bamboo Plywood
Made by Smith & Fong Co.
(www.plyboo.com)
Because it's technically a grass, bamboo had not previously been eligible for FSC certification. But in January 2008, after two years of lobbying, Smith & Fong achieved this first that propelled it to recognition on this year's Top 10 list.

RainTube
Made by GLI Systems Inc.
(www.raintube.com)
This product received more Top 10 nominations than any other product this year. RainTube is a rain gutter filter made of 100 percent post-consumer high-density polyethylene - old milk jugs, in other words. This product is also Cradle to Cradle-certified, meaning that GLI Systems Inc had to develop a Post-Use Recovery Plan that goes out with every product.

Separett Villa
Made by Separett
(www.ecovita.net/villa)
This urine-diverting composting toilet - which is 100 percent PVC fee - uses no water and keeps solids separate from liquids, reducing odor and making it possible to reuse waste and urine for composting and fertilizing. The Separett Villa can be deployed where no plumbing exists, allowing for a greater reach of the technology.

Serious Windows
Made by Serious Materials
(www.seriouswindows.com)
Serious Windows are so efficient they have the potential to allow for the elimination of a building's heating system, allowing waste heat from building appliances to serve as the main heat source in some applications. The windows have a full-frame R value of at least five and up to 11, which can cut a building's energy bills by up to 50 percent per month.

Solatube Daylighting Systems
Made by Solatube International
(www.solatube.com)
This patented technology catches direct sunlight and redirects it down an adjustable-length tube, bringing daylight to parts of buildings that would not otherwise have access to natural light. The Visa, Calif.-based company recently launched a product specifically designed for commercial applications, making it ideal for large-roofed warehouses and manufacturing facilities, as well as retail stores and schools - all places that have been shown to benefit from increased daylight, as daylight is linked to higher worker productivity, decreased absenteeism and better retail sales.

Your Old Light Fixture
Made by Eleek
(www.eleekinc.com)
Eleek is the only business to make the Top 10 Green Building Products list all four years. Though not a product, Eleek's lighting restoration service speaks to the important concept of the re-use of existing goods. When Eleek restores a light fixture, every piece of a fixture is taken apart, repaired and restored to its original splendor. Its wiring is updated to comply with modern codes and standards and a new lamp base is installed so it works with energy-efficient lamps such as CFLs and LEDs.

"Green Prosperity: How Clean-Energy Policies Can Fight Poverty and Raise Living Standards in the United States" is a new report from the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (PERI), commissioned by Green For All and NRDC.

The report finds that investments in a clean energy economy can significantly drive down the unemployment rate and provide job opportunities to Americans across all skill and education levels. Through increased employment and lower energy bills and transportation costs, the standard of living for low-income people in particular would rise.

In general, our findings show that clean-energy in-vestments create more job opportunities than spend-ing on fossil fuels, across all levels of skill and edu-cation. The largest benefits will accrue to workers with relatively low educational credentials.

We further find that a high proportion of the jobs generated by clean-energy investments should offer good opportunities for advancement through training programs, and more generally, that newly employed low-income workers will see new opportunities to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.

"Green Prosperity" focuses on job creation and the economic impact of clean-energy investments on lower-income families nationally, as well as in forty-one metropolitan statistical areas and Congressional Districts.

With solar and energy efficiency being some of the most cost effective renewable energy strategies, it is significant that energy efficiency improves affordability at the same time it reduces climate change.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY RETROFITS LOWER HOME HEATING AND UTILITY BILLS

Retrofits could reduce living costs by an average of 3-4 percent for low-income households.  Achieving these benefits will require well-designed policies to expand the market for retrofits.  The markets to provide retrofitting services must be targeted to benefit low-income renters as well as homeowners.

PERI also released a complimentary report with the Center For American Progress called "The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy: How the Economic Stimulus Program and New Legislation Can Boost U.S. Economic Growth and Employment."

Download the Executive Summary

Registration Open for Green Infrastructure Workshops (various dates in July 2009)

EPA will be hosting green infrastructure workshops at the following locations over the next few weeks. These workshops will focus on how wet weather programs can be effectively managed using green infrastructure technologies and approaches. Space is still available in each workshop. Information about the workshops, including agendas and registration, is available at: www.epa.gov/npdes/greeninfrastructure/training (You need to register for each workshop separately.)

• Ft. Myers, Florida (July 1-2)
• Hartford, Connecticut (July 8-9)
• Charleston, West Virginia (July 21-22)

How wet weather programs can be effectively managed using green infrastructure technologies and approaches

Green Infrastructure Webcast June 23, 2009 on
Funding/Incentives and Brownfield Redevelopment

This fifth webcast in the green infrastructure webcast series will be held June 23 from 1:00 to 3:00 EDT and feature Abby Hall from EPA discussing "Funding & Incentives" and Stacy Swartwood from EPA discussing "Brownfields Redevelopment." The "Funding & Incentives" portion will include summaries of local incentives that communities have used to encourage the use of green infrastructure approaches. An overview of how many communities have funded green infrastructure will be discussed.

Stormwater Management on Browfields

The second portion of the webcast will cover design considerations and appropriate best management practices for stormwater management on brownfields. This webcast will discuss how green infrastructure practices can retain, treat and then release stormwater without it ever coming into contact with contaminated or compacted soils.

Register at: www.epa.gov/npdes/greeninfrastructure/training

Natural light is not only an economical way to bring light indoors, but it's broad spectrum of light is healthier than any man-made light.  Your eyes evolved in natural light...and you see better in the colors of natural light.

Windows are the most common way to bring natural light into your home, office or workspaces.  But skylights are also options.  Skylights have gotten a bad rap because they also bring in a lot of heat.  They receive direct sun in summer and greater outside/inside temperature differentials in winter.

A recent debut onto the market is the "Tubular Daylighting Device" ... with Solar Tube as one brand.  TDD's have a smaller surface so that the temperature differential isn't as big a problem.  They gather sunlight at the roof and transmit it down to a diffusing lens mounted on/in an interior surface, usually a ceiling.

The natural light from a tube can illuminate closets, bathrooms, hallways, kitchens, garages and other spaces that typically would not have easy access to sunlight.

Not only do you get "free" light... you reduce your consumption of electric lighting -- and you save on your electric bill, and for all the replacement bulbs you would have to consume and throw into the landfill.  What a greener dealer!