Reports and News about the Green Industry
Going Carbon Neutral: Austin Rocks
SolverClimate.com
January 25, 2010
Concerned about the impact of climate change, some state and local governments are aggressively pursuing carbon neutral status and adopting policies and strategies aimed at reducing their carbon footprint... Read More
Follow an auditor as he looks at a home for sale
statesman.com
December 27, 2009
Justin Marler kneels in the attic of a house in Northwest Austin that was built in 1973 and shines his flashlight on the crumbly, deteriorating insulation... Read More
Builders Zero In on New Goal of Energy-Neutral Housing
wsj.com
December 23, 2009
The green building movement is targeting a goal once thought virtually unattainable: zero net energy use.
While the trend is nascent, 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... Read More
BPI Continues to Experience Rapid Growth
bpi.org
August 18, 2009
Malta, NY - The Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI), a nationally recognized standards development and contractor credentialing organization for residential energy efficiency retrofit work, is reporting exponential growth so far in 2009... Read More
U.S. Military Leads Green Charge
RenewableEnergyWorld.com
July 29, 2009
The U.S. military is not just setting standards in the areas of advanced weaponry. It's also leading the renewable energy charge. It's involved in solar, geothermal and wind projects and its stake in the field will continue to grow. Consider the solar arena: If you thought the biggest solar array in the Americas was in the Southwestern United States, you'd be right... Read More
Going Green: America's 10 Greenest Cities
EmploymentSpot.com
July 29, 2009
If you love the outdoors and are environmentally conscious, you may consider earth-friendly living very important. The issue of global warming is on everyone's mind these days. MSN.com compiled a list of America's 10 greenest cities for those of us who want to keep the earth blooming... 1. Austin, Texas: Austin has taken a proactive approach in developing green energy power sources... Read More
Austin Home Sale Affirms Historical, Green Advantages
PR Web
July 29, 2009
With their purchase of a 1920s bungalow at 500 E. Monroe St., two new Austin homeowners are proving that buyers needn't sacrifice historical integrity to live in an energy-efficient home. "We looked at many options - old and new, remodeled and original - but couldn't turn away from 500 E. Monroe," ... Read More
Dobson's Flooring America L.E.E.D.s The Way With Environmental First
PR Web
July 29, 2009
Dobson's Flooring America proudly announced today that its newest store, based in Frisco, Texas, is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and programmed for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. After the review process is completed, this store will be the first LEED-certified retail location in the city of Frisco... Read More
Report: Why We Need The Climate Bill's Building Code
Reuters
July 27, 2009
A section spanning just 29 pages of the 1,428-page Waxman-Markey climate bill could have an outsized impact on energy use in the United States as it would require ambitious reductions in the energy use of new homes and commercial structures through a nationwide building energy code... Read More
With Extra Green, You Can Go Green After Disaster
Houston Chronicle
July 26, 2009
Texas homeowners willing to spend a little extra green for their insurance can now go green when it comes time to rebuild after a claim. Since last year, four insurers have started to sell coverage that will pay to rebuild a home with after it's damaged by fire or other disaster. Nearly three dozen also sell similar insurance for businesses... Read More
Energy Efficiency Boosting Home Values
Washington Energy Services
July 24, 2009
Homebuyers are said to be finding out more and more than energy efficiency is their way to a higher resale value. An article in Connecticut's Westport Minuteman newspaper notes that real estate buyers place the importance of energy costs only below price and taxes... Read More
Upgrade Your HVAC System For Energy Efficiency
Gulf Breeze News
July 23, 2009
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are often out-of-sight and out-of-mind when you're looking to buy a new home, moving into one or just making sure your current home is in good repair. However, updating your HVAC system now can increase the comfort and energy efficiency of your home, and might even qualify you for a tax credit... Read More
Study Finds Successful Retailers Are Embracing Green Practices
Reuters
July 22, 2009
A survey of retailers' green behaviors finds that companies showing better-than-average growth in annual sales are addressing sustainability concerns across all corners of their business, rather than just a branding or cost-saving exercise. The survey... dug into the motivations for why retailers are adopting green practices, and how the companies make decisions on where to place their sustainability efforts... Read More
Best Energy Savers For The Buck
Forbes
July 21, 2009
Ben Franklin famously said that the only sure things in life are death and taxes. If he lived today, he'd add energy costs to the list. Despite falling this year, the price of heating and cooling a home will eventually rebound as emerging economies such as China and India compete for resources... But homeowners have ample, overlooked opportunities to cut their home energy bill... Read More
Green Recovery: Go Green Boldly To Build Momentum
Reuters
July 20, 2009
Andrew Winston's new book, Green Recovery, comes in a small, green package, but it packs a big, relevant punch. It is a must read for CEOs who still think going green will cost too much, and for mid-level and senior managers responsible for identifying strategic sustainability initiatives to focus on... Read More
904 West Goes Green
Real Estate Center Online News
July 17, 2009
AUSTIN (Austin American-Statesman) - Construction is underway on 904 West, the first downtown condominium project to feature photovoltaic solar energy systems. Located at 904 West Ave., the $8 million, 33-unit development will boast other green features including tankless water heaters, Energy Star-rated appliances and LED lighting... Read More
Why is Austin the Going Green Authority?
by Joe Cline, EZine Articles
July 16, 2009
Year after year, the community is placing a lot of focus on Austin Texas as one of the greenest metropolitan areas in the country! It's settled along the Colorado River, this metropolitan region is not exclusively one of the quickest growing cities in the nation, but its soaring oak trees and crystal clear streams are snuggled within this buzzing metropolitan region... Read More
Wind-Farm Startup Company Gains Offshore Lease Off Mustang Island
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
July 16, 2009
Large wind turbines higher than 500 feet tall could come to the coast of Mustang Island. The Texas Green Land Office announced Thursday that it leased two areas off Mustang and South Padre islands for a proposed wind farm to newly formed Baryonyx Corp... Read More
Experts Say Energy-Efficient Homes Worth The Cost
News 8 Austin
July 15, 2009
Triple-digit temperatures have home energy bills soaring, and going energy-efficient comes with a hefty price tag, but energy experts say the returns are worth the cost. The Texas Solar Energy Society hosted a Cool Home Tour Sunday, in an effort to show people how to lower their electricity bill by making their homes more energy-efficient... Read More
Energy Efficiency Summit Helps North Texans Save On Energy Costs
TradingMarkets.com
July 14, 2009
Congressman Michael C. Burgess, MD was joined today by Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael L. Williams, local and state officials, and industry experts for a summit and fair on energy efficiency and conservation. This 3rd Annual event, hosted by Congressman Burgess, offered North Texans information on how to become more energy efficient and save on their personal energy costs... Read More
Texas Energy Projects Set to Receive $200 Million in Stimulus Money
Houston Business Journal
July 13, 2009
The U.S. Department of Energy has approved Texas' request to use more than $218 million worth of stimulus funds to help state and local governments cut their energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The funds will be administered by the State Energy Conservation Office... Read More
Texas Energy Efficiency Industry Gets Stimulated
Dallas Morning News
July 10, 2009
The Department of Energy announced Friday that it sent Texas $130.8 million to weatherize homes, as part of the stimulus program. According to a press release, 13 states got money today. Texas got enough cash to weatherize 38,000 low-income homes. That's great news for the businesses that weatherize home, and good news for the low-income families that will see their... Read More
Climate Corps: The Benefits of Monitoring Your Building's Performance
by Lindsay McCombs, GreenBiz.com
July 8, 2009
With falling asset values and limited access to capital, many in the real estate industry are spending their time on the next best thing to doing deals: going green. Not only do energy and water efficient buildings have relatively low operating costs, ... Read More
Efficiency, Renewables and Trees Vital to Global Climate Goals
ClimateBiz
July 6, 2009
Scaling up energy efficiency, renewable energy and deforestation prevention can dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the short-term while next generation technologies are developed, according to a new report... Read More
U.S. Cabinet Chiefs in China Next Week on Energy Trip
Reuters
July 6, 2009
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Energy Secretary Steven Chu will travel together to China next week to boost U.S. clean technology exports, the U.S. Commerce Department said on Monday. "As China confronts climate change, there will be opportunities for American green technology companies..." Read More
Cash for "Clunker" Homes?
by Bruce Mulliken, Green Energy News
July 5, 2009
There are a multitude of well-built older homes in the U.S. and the world, for that matter. But when it comes to the energy efficiency, most of them, it's safe to say, are clunkers. The U.S. has just started its Cash for Clunkers program... Read More
Smart Spending: Make Home More Energy-Efficient
Associated Press
July 3, 2009
Times may be tight, but in making your home more energy-efficient it's actually true that the more you spend the more you save... Read More
Green Homes Go Modular
by Bruce Mulliken, Green Energy News
July 1, 2009
This I know from personal experience: Building a stick-built home - a home built of wood onsite - is not a resource-efficient process ... Now the efficiencies of building homes in a factory are combining with energy efficiency and renewable energy... Read More
U.S. Joins International Renewable Energy Agency
Reuters
June 30, 2009
The United States joined the International Renewable Energy Agency on Monday as part of the Obama administration's commitment to developing a new energy policy... Read More
Scientific Conservation Brings A New Dimension To Energy Efficiency In Buildings
Reuters
June 29, 2009
Berkeley firm Scientific Conservation Inc. goes to market today with its SCIwatch software - a first in Automated Continuous Commissioning that its creators say enables building owners and operators to cut as much as 25 percent of annual energy spending... Read More
House Passes Landmark Climate Change Bill, Now Heads to Senate
Reuters
June 26, 2009
The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a sweeping climate change bill today that will significantly change the way Americans use and produce energy. The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES)... Read More
Tallest U.S. Building to Get "Green" Retrofit
Reuters
June 25, 2009
The tallest building in the Western Hemisphere will undergo a $350 million "green" retrofit that its owners said on Wednesday will make the 110-story office tower a beacon for environmentally sound space. Plans call for the 1,450-foot Sears Tower to reduce its electricity consumption by 80 percent and water usage by 40 percent... Read More
U.S. Department of Labor Announces US $500M For Green Job Training
RenewableEnergyWorld.com
June 25, 2009
U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis announced five grant competitions this week, totaling US $500 million, to fund projects that prepare workers for green jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. "Emerging green jobs are creating opportunities for workers..." ... Read More
Reed: Green Jobs Mean Green Backs
Austin American-Statesman
June 24, 2009
Gov. Rick Perry last week focused on getting media attention by resisting federal action to address global warming. Meanwhile, local leaders across Texas are moving forward to seize opportunities to create jobs, save money for taxpayers, clean the air and position Texas... Read More
McCracken: Austin Should Join Race To Be Leader In Clean Energy
Austin American-Statesman
June 23, 2009
On Tuesday, Environmental Defense Fund will present a preview of findings and recommendations for how Austin can lead in clean energy and ask the public for comment... Read More
Starting a New Energy Diet
The Wall Street Journal
June 23, 2009
Get ready to make an attitude adjustment, brought to you by the federal government. Through sweeping new environmental policies, the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress are planning an attack on the country's polluting, consumptive ways... Read More
Green Economy Investments Bring 300 Percent More Jobs, Reports Find
Reuters
June 18, 2009
Two new reports on the impacts of moving to a low-carbon economy show putting money toward energy efficiency, building retrofits and renewable energy projects can create 1.7 million new jobs... Read More
Smart Grid vs. Renewable Energy: Where Should We Invest?
Reuters
June 15, 2009
Meeting energy needs while being efficient and using environmentally responsible technologies is probably the single greatest change that needs to happen to alter the effects of climate change now... Read More
Trade Work Projected To Be In High Demand
Austin American-Statesman
June 14, 2009
The trade occupations in the Austin area are undergoing a shift as the entire economy begins to focus more on "green" technology and construction... Read More
Texas A Leader In Creating Jobs Tied To Clean Energy, Study Says
Austin American-Statesman
June 11, 2009
The nation's clean-energy economy is relatively small, but it's growing rapidly, and Texas is one of the leading players, according to a study... Read More
First Austin Energy Audits Find A Lot of Leaky Ducts
Austin American-Statesman
June 10, 2009
The results are in from the first 310 homes that received energy audits under a new Austin ordinance. The main finding: Most of the houses had leaky air ducts, which means lots of wasted energy. The ordinance, which went into effect June 1, requires... Read More
Texas Clean Sweep
Austin American-Statesman
June 15, 2009
AUSTIN - Texas received high marks as a clean-energy state in a recent study by Pew Charitable Trusts. According to the study, Texas ranked second to California in the number of businesses and jobs tied to clean energy in 2007... Read More
Cisco Systems Picks Allen
Dallas Morning News
June 12, 2009
A worldwide Internet and telecommunications firm has chosen Allen as the home for its new $184 million data center. City officials said California-based Cisco Systems Inc. could invest more than $500 million... Read More
Texas-Sized Data Center
Dallas Morning News
June 12, 2009
MESQUITE - A building that was once one of the largest manufacturing plants in Dallas County is about to become one of the largest data centers in the country. The Western Electric Co. facility on Skyline Dr. has been sold to a team headed by Dallas-based... Read More
Renewable Energy Firm Coming to San Antonio
San Antonio Express-News
June 12, 2009
Less than a month after the city council approved an $849 million energy conservation program, a Houston-based renewable energy firm has announced plans to set up shop in San Antonio... Read More
Surprising Green Energy Investment Trends Found Worldwide
ScienceDaily
June 7, 2009
Some $155 billion was invested in 2008 in clean energy companies and projects worldwide, not including large hydro, a new report says. Of this $13.5 billion of new private investment went into companies developing and scaling-up new technologies alongside $117 billion of investment in renewable energy projects from geothermal and wind to solar and biofuels... Read More
Dell's Renewable Power Sourcing Climbs to 26 Percent
GreenBiz.com, Reuters
June 3, 2009
New partnerships with utilities in the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and Norway have boosted Dell's worldwide renewable energy power sourcing to 26 percent... Read More
Philadelphia Creates Green Jobs to Weatherize Row Houses
Reuters
June 1, 2009
The City of Brotherly Love is tackling rising unemployment and improving the energy efficiency of homes by training people to weatherize its estimated 400,000 low-income row houses... Read More
Sustainable Buildings Mean Smart Business
Reuters
May 27, 2009
Factors such as U.S. President Barack Obama's commitment to clean energy, increased electricity costs ... and an influx of green technological innovation compel me to learn from my peers in the green industry about the issues and solutions ... Read More
Government to Announce Billions for Green Jobs, Training
Associated Press
May 25, 2009
WASHINGTON - Some of the $4 billion from President Barack Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus plan that was budgeted to renovate public housing will be spent to create so-called "green jobs" by making the dwellings more energy efficient... Read More
How Germany Created Jobs by Going Green
PARADE
May 24, 2009
President Obama says investing in a “green economy” can create 5 million jobs in the next 10 years. How? The answer may lie in Germany. The country that is home to Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen is on its way to making its green sector larger than its auto industry by 2020, according to a recent study. Germany has developed 250,000 new jobs in renewable energy, including nearly 50,000 wind-power jobs in the last five years alone... Read More
Obama Says U.S. Must Get in Front on Green Energy
CNN
May 20, 2009
President Obama said Wednesday the United States must take the lead on energy, citing the "enormous job creation potential that exists" ... Read More
Green Seal Standard for Restaurants Unveiled
GreenBiz.com
May 15, 2009
Green lodging certifier Green Seal has extended its ecolabeling program to restaurants and foodservice establishments that reduce their environmental impacts... Read More
Bidding on Weatherization Work in Texas
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
If you are interested in providing weatherization services for low-income households, contact the weatherization subrecipient agency that serves your county with the federally-funded weatherization programs... Read More
HUD Makes Nearly $1 Billion Available in Recovery Act Funds to Improve Public Housing
HUD News Release
May 11, 2009
WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Donovan today announced that HUD is offering nearly $1 billion to make substantial improvements to thousands of public housing units nationwide. The Public Housing Capital Funds being offered today are provided through The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) and are designed to help selected public housing authorities improve the quality of their housing stock, promote energy efficiency and create jobs... Read More
SA Raises Energy Efficiency Standards
Express-News
May 8, 2009
SAN ANTONIO (San Antonio Express-News) – Mission Verde, a set of new sustainability provisions to be put into effect in January 2010, will require all newly built homes in San Antonio to be 15 percent more energy efficient than current building codes allow....Read More
Visit the official Mission Verde website.
Our Electricity Deficit
PARADE
May 3, 2009
The U.S. is barely generating enough electricity to meet current needs, and demand is expected to grow 26% over the next 20 years, according to the Energy Information Administration. A new report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, a national group that oversees electrical-grid operators, predicts that power shortages will occur across the Northeast and West as well as in Texas within two years after the economy rebounds... Read More.
Military Embraces Green Energy, for National Security Reasons
Los Angeles Times
April 26, 2009
A Mojave Desert Army base is full of plug-in cars, solar panels and new experiments. Liberal agenda? Nah, it's about saving money, even lives. But the Defense Department could cement a national trend... Read More
U.S. Green Building Council Develops New Energy-Efficient Standards
Houston Business Journal
April 24, 2009
The U.S. Green Building Council has developed a new set of LEED regional credits as part of the latest version of the LEED Green Building Rating System. This new category sets out a regional standard by which companies can design, build or operate energy efficient buildings. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design... Read More
Congress Advances Legislation Promoting Energy Efficiency
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)
April 1, 2009
Actions yesterday in both the House of Representatives and the Senate advanced proposals to improve energy efficiency policy in the country. In the House, Representatives Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Ed Markey (D-MA) released a “discussion draft” of energy and climate change legislation that contains many energy efficiency provisions... Read More.
FACTBOX: Global Green Stimulus Plan
Reuters
February 5, 2009
The United States, Europe and other nations will spend about $100 billion on projects over the next two to three years to fight climate change under wider economic stimulus plans... Read More
Weatherizing Homes: The Next Big Green Industry?
CNET News
January 28, 2009
It's not the sort of thing that excited your typical Silicon Valley venture capitalist, but companies that weatherize homes could be the sleeper green-business success stories this year... Read More
