MORE NEWS, 10-14: WITH WIND, A WINDFALL; SEEING ALL OF SOLAR; BETTER WORK DONE IN GREEN BLDGS; BUILDING NET ZERO HOMES IN TEXAS

WITH WIND, A WINDFALL
USU study: Wind power could mean huge $$$
October 13, 2009 (Utah State University Media Relations)

"A newly-released Utah State University-U.S. Department of Energy study estimates that a modest 50-megawatt wind power development in Summit County, Utah, could generate more than $31 million in economic output to the state of Utah during its construction. It could support 51 onsite construction jobs with a total payroll of almost $3 million, the study concludes…

"During its first year of operation, a 50-megawatt wind power plant could generate about $150,000 in land lease payments to Summit County landowners. It could also generate more than $800,000 in local property taxes for Summit County, of which more than $631,000 would support the South Summit School District, the study concludes."

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…"Analysis of State-Level Economic Impacts from the Development of Wind Power Plants in Summit County, Utah… examines the economic impacts of several scenarios of wind-project installations, ranging in size from 25 megawatts to 130 megawatts, for the Porcupine Ridge area of Summit County. The Utah State Energy Program’s anemometer loan program has identified the Porcupine Ridge site as having wind resources sufficient for large commercial development."

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"The economic impacts were estimated using the Job and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) model developed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo. [Cathy Hartman,] David Ratliff…and Edwin Stafford…were co-authors of the study…

"Utah’s first wind farm opened at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon in the summer of 2008. That successful project overcame numerous policy, locational considerations and market obstacles to pave the way for more wind development throughout the state…[A] 203.5-megawatt wind project is expected to open by year’s end near Milford…in southern Utah…"


SEEING ALL OF SOLAR
Evaluating the potential of solar technologies; Solar power is poised to grow into a reliable alternative energy source, promising lower carbon emissions and decreased dependence on fossil fuels. What technologies are currently jostling for leadership in the market?
September 2009 (McKinsey Quarterly)

"Solar power is gaining ground as a viable, low-carbon alternative to traditional energy sources. A number of technologies are competing to be the lowest-cost and the most efficient choice…"

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"…[P]hotovoltaics (including silicon-wafer based and thin film) and concentrated solar thermal (CST) power both have advantages and disadvantages depending on the application; other technologies are still in the nascent stages of development. The economics of the solar-power market will likely improve…benefiting from ongoing innovations and cost reductions."

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"The future course of the solar market will depend greatly on which technologies take center stage. This [Mckinsey] interactive offers a look at the different players and an assessment of their prospects."


BETTER WORK DONE IN GREEN BLDGS
Green buildings = Increased worker productivity
Melissa Hincha-Ownby, October 12, 2009 (Mother Nature Network)

"…[E]mployees in a green building are more productive than their counterparts in a standard building.

"Recent studies have shown that green buildings lead to higher rental income, lower occupancy rates, and an additional premium at the time of sale. Now [Green Buildings and Productivity] by the University of San Diego and CBRE allows building owners to add increased worker productivity to their list of green building benefits…"

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"Study authors examined the effects that telecommuting, health care maintenance, temperature, indoor air quality, indoor pollution, innovative workspaces, and several other factors influenced employee productivity…The report also discusses the effect that sick building syndrome (SBS) has on employees. Causes of SBS include inadequate ventilation, chemical contaminants from indoor and outdoor sources, and biological contaminants. Green building rating systems, like the LEED certification system by the U.S. Green Building Council, address these causes and guide building designers.

"The research team collected responses from 534 tenants in 154 buildings that were either LEED certified or were recognized by the EPA as an EnergyStar building…[T]o determine the productivity of workers in the building, tenants were asked to report on employees’ sick days and the self-reported productivity figures after the tenant moved into the green building."

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"…54.5 percent of tenants reported that employees are more productive with 12 percent strongly agreeing with this statement…45 percent…noticed a decrease in sick days since their individual company moved into the green building.

"Surprisingly, 10 percent of the tenants reported an increase in sick days taken by employees. However, every tenant represented by this 10 percent was in an EnergyStar rated building that was not also LEED certified. Further research is needed to help account for the increase in sick days…"


BUILDING NET ZERO HOMES IN TEXAS
Study pushes for solar homes in Texas
October 1, 2009 (AP via Dallas Morning News)

["Building for a Clean Energy Future] from…[Environment Texas] says Texas can dramatically clean up its skies and save billions in utility bills with solar-powered homes."

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"The Environment Texas Research and Policy Center's study… says the savings would come from building "net-zero homes" that can generate the same amount of energy they use.

"…[R]educed annual emissions in the nation's leading greenhouse-gas producing state would be the equivalent of cutting the pollution of more than 3 million cars by 2030."

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"The study found huge savings if 10 percent more net-zero houses are built each year for the next decade, then by 2020 all new homes were built that way. Environment Texas' director thinks it's a realistic goal."