Equinox center

Future Looks Bright for Solar Industry’s Commercial Sector Posted March 9, 2010

After suffering a brutal year for business in 2009, the commercial solar industry is starting to see the sunlight again. Signs of a stronger economic forecast, combined with federal, state and local solar tax credits and incentives have local solar companies beaming, especially as commercial clients turn toward the sun for their energy production needs.

“In 2009, nobody made any money in this industry,” said Marty Reed, CEO of San Diego-based Sequoia Solar. “Some of the market is starting to come back. In the fourth quarter of 2009 and at the beginning of this year we have installed half a dozen commercial projects.”

Founded in 2008, Sequoia specializes in the design, installation and maintenance of turnkey, energy grid-connected, solar photovoltaic, or PV, power systems for residential, commercial, state and federal agencies, schools and nonprofits.

On the commercial front, Reed pointed out that under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009  solar owners can apply for a grant from the Treasury Department in lieu of the former 30 percent Investment Tax Credit, which was passed in 2008. This means that a cash grant, equal to 30 percent of the cost of eligible solar projects, can be recouped by system owners. Projects must start construction in 2009 or 2010.

Now, the available state rebate and federal grants subsidize the entire cost of solar PV installations by as much as 80 percent, Reed said. The California Solar Initiative is also helping stimulate the commercial market for the solar industry, he said. The initiative calls for a goal of 1 million solar roofs, or 3,000 megawatts of solar, by 2018.

http://www.sdbj.com/industry_article.asp?aID=145480

New Tactics In California To Reduce Ocean Trash Posted March 9, 2010

Environmental groups struck out last year with legislative efforts in Sacramento to reduce the sources of ocean garbage. But this year, several groups are adding a new strategy.

Environmental groups say plastic does not biodegrade and is bad for marine life and the health of the ocean.

Research shows nearly 80 percent of the plastic found in the ocean comes from activities on land.

Legislative efforts to pass bills to reduce plastic pollution at its source have been unsuccessful.

Gina Goodhill works as an Oceans Advocate for Environment California.

"In 2009, several environmental groups, including Environment California, were really working on a slew of bills on the statewide level," Goodhill said.

The failed bills included a plastic bag fee and a ban on single-use Styrofoam take-out containers.

Goodhill said the groups are not giving up on legislative efforts in Sacramento.

But she said this year they're trying a new tactic.

"We think the local level is actually the way to go," Goodhill said. "Because even though the state hasn't realized it, cities are realizing it. That plastic is pervasive in the environment, it's harming the oceans, it's harming their communities and their tourism and they need to actually start taking a stand on this issue."

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/mar/09/new-tactics-california-reduce-ocean-trash/

Methane seen as growing climate risk Posted March 4, 2010

Methane, a potent global warming gas, is bubbling out of the frozen Arctic faster than had been expected.

Methane had become trapped in the permafrost over time and a warming climate is now resulting in its release, researchers report in Friday's edition of the journal Science.

"The amount of methane currently coming out of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf is comparable to the amount coming out of the entire world's oceans," said Natalia Shakhova, of the University of Alaska Fairbanks International Arctic Research Center and the co-author.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/04/methane-seen-as-growing-climate-risk/

Kyocera Putting First U.S. Solar Manufacturing Plant In San Diego Posted March 4, 2010

Kyocera International announced plans today to start manufacturing solar modules in San Diego. The expansion means up to 75 new jobs for the region.

Kyocera picked San Diego as the location of its first U.S. manufacturing site for solar panels.

Kyocera Solar President Steve Hill said the company's existing headquarters on Balboa Avenue in San Diego will be used to manufacture several types of solar modules.

"We also have solar module manufacturing operations in Tijuana, Mexico, just over the border and we have a management team that supports that operation and staff there that we thought we could utilize to get this operation in San Diego up quickly," said Hill.

Hill says California's Solar Initiative helps make the state ideal for a solar manufacturing plant.

The state recently doubled "net metering," which allows homes and businesses to earn credit for any excess solar power they generate.

Hill says that move also supports the growth of solar.

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/mar/03/kyocera-locates-first-us-solar-manufacturing-plan-/

More Water Coming From State Water Project Posted March 2, 2010

The California Department of Water Resources is increasing the amount of State Water Project water it will be able to deliver this year. That includes deliveries to San Diego County, which gets about 40 percent of its supply from Northern California.

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) increased State Water Project deliveries to California's water contractors from 5 to 15 percent of requested amounts.

DWR Director Mark Cowin said the allocation estimate is still one of the lowest in the history of the State Water Project.

"In terms of rain and snowfall, we are in better condition this year than we were last year," said Cowin.

He said the state is still recovering from three years of drought.

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/feb/26/more-water-coming-state-water-project/

Calif. may ban cos. from using ocean as coolant Posted March 2, 2010

State water board regulators are mulling a plan to stop power companies from vacuuming the ocean for water to cool their machinery.

Environmentalists said the practice destroys too much sea life, while utility advocates said the impact is minimal. Banning the practice would cost too much, jeopardize the reliability of the electricity grid and slow the state's transition to clean energy, supporters of the practice said.

Screens prevent larger animals from entering the plants, but fish can die while trapped against these barriers. Anything smaller than the openings in the screens, including millions of tiny fish larvae, can enter the power plants and also die.

Federal rules ban new operations from drawing in seawater for so-called "once-through" cooling systems. State regulators now want to apply this rule to the 19 existing plants from Eureka to San Diego.

The board's proposal would give owners a dozen years to comply and contains special provisions for nuclear-plant safety issues. In most cases, plants would have to replace seawater pipes with massive cooling towers that recycle water or use air-cooling platforms.

Environmental groups support the proposal, but utilities said it would force expensive retrofits or shut down plants.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14492167

Population growth estimate presents challenge Posted March 2, 2010

Faced with the prospect of a million more people living in the county 40 years from now, elected leaders yesterday questioned whether local jurisdictions will have the financial wherewithal to furnish the services and public facilities needed to serve the future population.

The source of their consternation is a 2050 growth forecast projecting a population increase of 1.2 million residents and nearly 390,000 additional homes, most of which would probably be apartments and condominiums.

The San Diego Association of Governments, which serves as a regional planning agency, prepared the forecast. It relied not only on national economic projections and future demographic trends, but also on the ongoing land-use-planning efforts in the 18 cities and unincorporated areas of the county.

Although the region’s rate of growth will slow considerably over time as the population ages, people will continue to have children, which will be the main driver of the population gains.

“We’re already congested, we have water shortages, aging infrastructure, and now we’re talking about more people coming into a situation already in bad shape,” said Solana Beach Councilwoman Lesa Heebner. “How are we going to pay for it? This (forecast) doesn’t paint a pretty picture for me, and it’s something we’re going to have a bigger discussion about.”

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/27/growth-estimate-presents-challenge/

The State of Sustainability in San Diego Posted March 1, 2010

President Barack Obama, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders have delivered their latest “State of the ...” addresses.

Understandably, much in their speeches focused on the economic challenges we face – partly because we ignored signs of strain and weakness in the system for too long. Neglecting the signs has put our quality of life at risk; now tough choices have to be made to get the nation, state and city back on solid footing. As the governor stated, “We are about to get run over by a locomotive and we can see the lights coming at us.”

But it’s not just banks and Wall Street we need to look at. The president, the governor and the mayor also addressed other critical issues that are key to our region’s future: a reliable water supply, clean technology and renewable energy.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/26/the-state-of-sustainability-in-san-diego-county/

Obama’s Partnership for Sustainable Communities will put the feds’ weight behind smart growth Posted February 25, 2010

The word “silos” is most often used to talk about grain or coal, not the federal government. But in the case of transportation and housing—two sectors that accounted for more than 43 percent of the nation’s carbon emissions in 2008—Washington’s siloed approach of divided, blindered policymaking could put wheat farmers to shame.

The Obama administration is starting to break down those barriers between agencies, asking the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take an all-hands-on-deck approach to smart growth. Dubbed the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, the effort aims to provide federal support for localities that want to offer more walkable neighborhoods and cleaner commuting options than the car.

“When it comes to housing, environmental, and transportation policy, it’s time the federal government spoke with one voice,” HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said this month in a speech that officially tapped his deputy, former Seattle-area official Ron Sims, as the Partnership’s leader and “Designated Silo Buster.”

To smart-growth advocates who have waged long battles against sprawl without much backup from Washington, the Partnership is a cause for celebration. The White House’s 2011 budget request included $527 million for the Partnership, though Congress may not actually allocate the funds. Separately, HUD plans to award $100 million in new grants for regional sustainability plans that integrate transportation, housing, and land use by late summer.

The biggest pot of money for the administration’s smart-growth focus is coming from the stimulus law—$1.5 billion in TIGER grants (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) for transportation projects that create jobs and help develop livable communities. DOT is administering the program, but it asked HUD and the EPA to help choose the grantees.

http://www.grist.org/article/2010-02-24-obama-admin-wants-to-green-your-local-community

Building Law Seen As Threat To California History Posted February 25, 2010

In California, lawmakers have approved a measure that requires all new construction to meet significant green building standards. The law, which takes effect next year, is the first of its kind in the country.

But it's already under attack from a couple of directions. Some environmentalists say the rules don't go far enough, while some preservationists say the law could encourage the demolition of historically significant buildings.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123861278