9/23 – LEED Certification, Energy Efficiency Increase Property Values

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Leslie Rylke

Wednesday, September 23rd 2015

The value of apartments is higher if they are designed with efficiency and sustainability in mind, according to National Real Estate Investor. Earlier this year, Fannie Mae lent $10.2 million to Station House, a 50-unit apartment community in Maplewood, N.J. The apartments had won a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The interest rate on the loan is lower than the normal 10 basis points, which will save $101,000 in interest payments over the life of the loan. The loan was the first under Fannie Mae’s Multifamily Green Building Certification Pricing Break program.

Green building is seeing dramatic growth, according to the USGBC. This year it is estimated that 40% to 48% of new nonresidential construction will be green, equating to a $120-145 billion opportunity.And 62% of firms building new single-family homes report that they are doing more than 15% of their projects green. By 2018, that will increase to 84%. Strong market demand is driving growth, in large part because of a significant cost savings for businesses and tax payers. Property owners benefit from low rental vacancy rates from LEED-certified buildings and from increased property values, the USGBC says.

In 2014, the DOE reported in its Energy Efficiency & Financial Performance study that buyers pay 10 percent to 31 percent more for LEED-certified properties.

Large buildings are far more likely than small buildings to qualify as green, at 62% and 5% respectively, according to a study by CBRE Group and Maastricht University. The 2015 Green Building Adoption Index found that 62.1% of office buildings in the US greater than 500,000 square feet hold either an EPA ENERGY STAR label, US Green Building Council full-building LEED certification or both. In contrast, only 4.5% of all US office buildings less than 100,000 square feet qualified as green.

Read more at EnergyManagerToday.com

9/18 – SEI Elects 2015-2016 Board of Directors

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Leslie Rylke

The Smart Energy Initiative’s Board met on Wednesday, September 16th for its first meeting of the 2015-2016 program year. The following was elected as the Board of Directors. Welcome to our new members!

Alan Slobojan – Manufacturing Alliance of Chester and Delaware Counties
Alex Dews – Delaware Valley Green Building Council
Bill Lauer – Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center
Bill Ronayne (Chair) – Brandywine Valley Heating and Air Conditioning
Bob Keares – Keare’s Electrical Contracting
Ed Piscopo – PECO, an Exelon Company
James Robinson – DES America, LLC
Jay Carlis – Community Energy
Jen Robinson – ICF International
Jon Costanza – SunPower Builders
Kirk Williard – Chester County Intermediate Unit
Lou Nazirides – Keare’s Electrical Contracting
Pat Bokovitz – Chester County Department of Community Development
Paul Spiegel (Vice Chair) – Practical Energy Solutions
Phil Eastman (Immediate Past Chair) – PECO, an Exelon Company
Rob Graff – Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
Steve Krug (Programming Chair) – Krug Architects

9/11 – DEP Announces Local Listening Sessions for Clean Power Plan

Posted on September 10, 2015 by Leslie Rylke

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced more than a dozen listening sessions and a 2-month comment period on the federal Clean Power Plan to hear from Pennsylvanians about the plan to cut carbon pollution. Fourteen listening sessions in locations across the state will take place between September and November.

There are two Southeastern Pennsylvania on Wednesday, September 30th:

Philadelphia County
September 30, 2015
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
University of Pennsylvania
Kleinman Center
Fisher Fine Arts Building, Room 401
220 South 34th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Delaware County
September 30, 2015
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Marcus Hook Community Center
7 West Delaware Avenue
Marcus Hook, PA 19061

Click here to read more and see the state-wide schedule.

9/10 – Job Alert: Policy Associate at Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Leslie Rylke

Wednesday, September 10th 2015

SEI is pleased to post job openings from member companies and partners, as a means of effectively reaching qualified, local candidates in the smart energy industry. Additionally, SEI staff can review applications on you company’s behalf. If you’d liked to post a Job Alert, send descriptions and application instructions to Will Williams.

T KEEA he Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA) is a business association dedicated to promoting the energy efficiency and advanced energy industries in Pennsylvania. KEEA advocates on behalf of energy efficiency and advanced energy professionals on the local, state, and federal levels. By representing the interests of the advanced energy industry in Pennsylvania, KEEA is growing the market for energy efficiency and helping the Keystone State secure a prosperous, sustainable tomorrow.

KEEA has an ambitious energy policy agenda to modernize utilities and energy markets in Pennsylvania. We have shown tremendous entrepreneurial growth over the last several years and now seek additional team members to help us take the next steps.

Position Summary

The Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA) is soliciting applications for a full-time Policy Associate.

Responsibilities

The Policy Associate will work with and support the Senor Policy Associate in all aspects of KEEA’s policy initiatives. The Policy Associate will perform policy writing, conduct research and analysis, assist with internal and external communications, engage businesses (both KEEA members and non-members), participate in coalitions with external partner groups, and engage in direct advocacy.

Reports to

Senior Policy Associate.

Project Focus

KEEA has been advancing and defending state and federal energy policy through the tactics mentioned above. The Policy Associate will focus on 1-2 priority campaigns in KEEA’s policy portfolio, to be determined.

Work products will include assisting in drafting testimony; preparing comments for submission to state decision makers; developing strategy documents to influence decision makers; organizing lobby days, business roundtables, and district meetings with legislators; producing sign-on letters and media pieces; and conducting research to guide KEEA’s policy agenda into the future.

Other Responsibilities

Miscellaneous tasks.

Qualifications

Relevant educational and/or professional experience in advocacy, research, utilities, government, energy efficiency business, energy policy, public policy, or law.

The ideal candidate will have many of the personal and professional skills to be successful in this role, including:

Persuasive written and oral communication skills.
Strong technical research and quantitative analysis skills in energy and economics.
Expertise in MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel.
Demonstrated ability to work independently, as well as, on teams.
Familiarity with utility regulation, rate-making, industrial energy efficiency, energy efficiency programs and technology, utility and advanced energy business models, and energy and climate change policy.
Experience in, or knowledge of, Pennsylvania-specific energy efficiency and energy policy issues, including Act 129, utility regulation, and environmental policy.
Experience in, or knowledge of the EPA Clean Power Plan, New York’s Reforming the Energy Vision, and other leading national initiatives.
Ability to foster and grow relationships with key partners and businesses.
Creative problem solving abilities, including in the development and execution of marketing programs and advocacy strategy.
Vision and a tireless work ethic. You are inspired and driven by being part of a hard-working team.
Demonstrated ability in generating revenue for your work.

Workplace Policy

KEEA is committed to workplace diversity and inclusion and hires on merit.

Compensation

Salary commensurate with experience. Competitive benefit package. Employment is at-will. Successful candidate is expected to remain in the organization for one year at minimum, with potential for longer-term employment and growth, pending funding.

To Apply

Please send your complete application (resume, cover letter, two relevant writing samples) to Matt Elliott, Senior Policy Associate at melliott@keealliance.org, and include Policy Associate in the subject line. No phone calls please. Please reference where you learned of this opportunity. Thank you.

9/8 – PGW Proposes Rate Hike to Meet Infrastructure Needs

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Leslie Rylke

Tuesday, September 8th 2015

From StateImpact PA:

Philadelphia Gas Works says it can cut in half the time it takes to replace its leaky pipes if it raises the customer infrastructure surcharge by 2.5 percent. For the average resident who uses natural gas to heat their home, that would mean an increase of $1.65 to $1.70 each month.

Philadelphia has struggled to replace about 1500 miles of mains — the pipes that run beneath city streets — some of which were installed more than a century ago. These cast iron and bare steel pipes include about one-quarter of the city’s gas pipes and the leaks can be deadly. In 2011, an explosion in Allentown killed 5 people, including a newborn. Leaks also pose environmental hazards because methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, and contributes to climate change at a faster rate than CO2.

via: stateimpact.npr.org

PGW has been replacing its older cast iron and bare steel pipe with the more state-of-the-art plastic pipe, but the cost is high and the pace has been slow. It takes an estimated $1 million to fix each mile of pipe. Current plans have PGW replacing all those lines within the next 88 years. But with the increase in a surcharge, known as the Distribution System Improvement Charge (DISC), the utility says it can replace those pipes within 45 years.

PGW reported 7,600 leaks in 2014, up from 6,200 in 2013. The number of hazardous leaks, meaning they could threaten life and property, rose to 3,448 last year from 3,122 in 2013.

The proposal to increase the surcharge comes several months after the Public Utility Commission, which has oversight of the utility’s rates, set out seven alternatives for paying for a pipe-replacement program. One of those recommendations included increasing the surcharge.

The PUC’s recommendation of raising the current cap of 5% of a consumer’s bill to 7.5% predicted an influx of $11 million and a reduction of the time needed to replace all the leaking pipes to 51.5 years.

Hiking the cap to 12% — which the PUC said would add $4.42 a month to the average customer’s bill — would generate up to $31 million and cut the total replacement time to 36.8 years, the PUC said in a 93-page report.

9/3 – Quinnipiac Poll: Pennsylvania Voters Support Clean Power Plan

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Leslie Rylke

Thursday, September 3rd 2015

From StateImpact PA:

Pennsylvania voters are heavily in favor of new federal efforts to cut carbon emissions from coal-burning power plants, but are split on whether the initiative will be too expensive, according to an opinion poll published on Monday.

The Quinnipiac University poll of 1,085 voters found 67 percent support the requirements that owners of coal-burning power plants reduce pollution, while only 28 percent oppose the EPA’s Clean Power Plan.

An even bigger majority – 72-24 percent – said they believe the initiative is necessary to clean the air, but voters were split 44-44 on whether the initiative will be too expensive.

8/31 – Celebrate Drive Electric Week September 19th in Devon

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Leslie Rylke

Saturday, September 19th
Noon – 5pm
Tesla Motors Sales & Service Center in Devon
470 Lancaster Avenue
Devon, PA 19333

For the fourth year in a row, the Renew America Roadtrip (RAR) is organizing the National Drive Electric Week Philadelphia regional event on behalf of the Sierra Club, Electric Auto Association, and Plug-In America and in partnership with Rowan Energy Integration.

Last year we 400 attended for test drives, and marketing/education about electric vehicles, solar, geothermal, and related sustainability products/services/issues.

This is the largest EV-centric event of the year, a nationwide celebration to heighten awareness of today’s widespread availability of plug-in vehicles and highlight the benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric cars, trucks, motorcycles, and more.

The September 19th gathering will include:

Largest EV-ent in the region, supported by National press and backed by Sierra Club, Plug-In America, and the Electric Auto Association
All Major PH/EV dealers confirmed or expected: Tesla, Nissan, BMW, GM, Ford, SMART, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Mercedes, Toyota, Audi
Tesla Model P85D confirmed!
Tesla Model P90D planned (but not yet confirmed)
BMW i8 planned
Porsche Panamera and Cayenne PHEVs planned
McLaren P1 PHEV super car – still TBD

More info, vehicle confirmations, and speakers available at driveelectricweek.org

8/27 – Job Alert: Sinton Air Conditioning & Heating

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Leslie Rylke

Thursday, August 27th 2015

The fine folks at Sinton Air Conditioning & Heating (Kennett Square, Pa) have multiple openings:

HVAC project designer/sales person
Customer service representative
Service/maintenance technician
One installation technician

Experience is preferred for all positions. Qualified candidates should submit resumes to Staffing102@gmail.com

8/24 – White House Announcement Boosts PACE Prospects

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Leslie Rylke

Monday, August 24th 2015

From greentechmedia.com:

Some barriers to popularizing the property-assessed clean energy (PACE) program across the U.S. were cleared today with an announcement made by President Obama at the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada.

PACE loan programs let homeowners finance energy-efficiency upgrades, such as adding insulation and water savings measures or installing energy-efficient windows or solar panels, to be paid back as a line item on the homeowner’s property tax bill. This lowers the risk for lenders and owners and can potentially build a much larger energy-efficiency market.

But PACE obligations enjoy first-lien status in most states, making municipalities first in line to be repaid — ahead of the mortgage agencies, in case of default — and mortgage agencies don’t like that.

So today, the White House and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) established a new PACE guidance aiming to “remove existing barriers and accelerate the use of PACE financing for single-family housing.” (The FHA guidance letter can be found here.)

According to the California Association of Realtors, the FHA guidance will require PACE liens to be subordinate to FHA single-family first-mortgage financing,

As Cisco DeVries, CEO of Renew Financial, notes in a release, “The FHA, which insures over 20 percent of new mortgage originations in the United States, outlined a set of principles associated with their new guidance — including allowing PACE financing to transfer between owners during the sale of the home if the PACE lien can be subordinated during a foreclosure.”

In a statement from today, Ed Golding, head of the FHA, wrote, “PACE allows homeowners to benefit from the improvements immediately and spread the cost over time. When the property is sold, the PACE loan may transfer to the next owner, who is responsible for repaying the loan. The ability to transfer the loan to the new owner allows for both the payment and the value of the retrofit to be transferred from one owner to the next.”

California completed about $500 million in residential PACE projects for approximately 25,000 homes in 2014, according to PACENow, a nonprofit that promotes the PACE model.

8/10 – Community Energy – Generating Great Jobs

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Leslie Rylke

Monday, August 10th 2015

We’re thrilled to see Radnor-based Community Energy as recognized by Keystone Edge as a creator of high-quality green jobs!

From KeystoneEdge.com:

Some of the highest paying and most exciting jobs being created in the current economy are in the areas of high technology, renewable energy and medical devices. Fortunately, those are also sectors experiencing propulsive growth in Pennsylvania. Whether the companies are startups or long-established enterprises, these employers are driving the demand for an educated, tech-savvy workforce.

We talked to three companies from across the state to find out exactly how they create those high-value jobs. All are Ben Franklin Technology Partners portfolio companies and all hope to employ Pennsylvanians for years to come.

Community Energy Inc.

Founded in 1999 by R. Brent Alderfer, CEO, and Eric Blank, Executive Vice President, Community Energy Inc. (CEI) initially developed a market for wind energy. In 2006, the partners sold the company to Iberdrola Renewables of Spain, the largest renewable energy company in the world. But in 2009, they bought it back and turned their attention to solar energy development.

According to Tom Tuffey, the company’s vice president of project services, as of this year CEI has produced an estimated 350 megawatts of solar energy; by the end of next year it will be close to 700 megawatts — roughly the amount produced by a small nuclear power plant (five megawatts is enough for about 2,000 people).

CEI has built utility grade solar projects large and small all over the country; they are set to begin a 120-megawatt 1,000-acre project in Colorado, which will be the largest of its kind east of the Rocky Mountains.

The current staff numbers about three dozen, all professionals ranging in age from 30s to late 60s, including engineers, financial experts, attorneys and office staff. The company, which has received support from Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern PA, contracts with EPC (engineering procurement in construction) firms to do the actual building of the projects, which usually involves 60 or more tradespeople for three to four months.

According to Tuffey, the company recently hired someone to staff the trading desk — they keep an eye on the current prices of renewable energy — and just started a new engineer last week. Prior to that, CEI hired a senior developer to oversee the projects, from acquiring land to interconnecting with the power grid, a complex process.

“We’re probably the leading solar developer on the East Coast,” he says. “To find people with the depth of experience we require is a challenge, but we’re very well known in the industry, so people also come our way unsolicited. Ours is a very narrow niche world and we’re a well known entity in that world.”

He adds that there isn’t much turnover — people seem to enjoy working at CEI.

“We’re hot now, so people like a company that’s doing well,” explains Tuffey. “And everyone has access to the management team.”