Focus
Inventory of zero energy residences skyrockets in North America
Energy Manager Today – August 6
The market for residential zero energy buildings continues to show growth across the United States and Canada, according to the new Zero Energy Residential Buildings Study recently released by TEAM ZERO. The report shows that 22,146 units are either in design, construction, or operation representing a 59 percent increase over the prior year's inventory. A zero energy, or net zero energy building, produces as much renewable energy as it consumes over a year. California is leading in the number of projects (6,828), with New York in second place (3,022). Multifamily projects now represent 71 percent of the total zero energy residential stock.
|
News
California opens $1B in efficiency funding to electrification
Utility Dive – August 2
California regulators last Thursday updated a decades-old energy policy to allow the state’s $1 billion annual budget for energy efficiency to be directed toward building electrification efforts, giving a boost to the state’s move away from natural gas. The California Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to alter the “three-prong test” that was originally adopted in the early 1990s to avoid encouraging programs that substitute electricity for natural gas. Efficiency advocates called the rule “an incredibly obscure piece of energy policy.” California’s greenhouse gas goals will require abandoning fossil fuels entirely, say many climate advocates. But some opposed the change, including Southern California Gas, which said the new rules will “remove or reduce ratepayer protections” and obscure the real cost of some efficiency efforts.
New law eliminates appeals for new Navigation Centers
San Francisco Chronicle - August 6
Challenging the construction of new Navigation Centers in California got significantly harder last week, after lawmakers and Governor Gavin Newsom quietly passed legislation intended to speed up creation of the service-rich homeless shelters statewide. State Senator Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, introduced a bill in December to require cities to approve new Navigation Centers, as long as they comply with local zoning laws, building codes, and safety requirements, and if they provide the intensive health and housing services the centers are intended to offer. The legislation was passed as part of AB101, a budget trailer bill, and went into effect immediately. The new law eliminates the public’s ability to appeal approval of new shelters if they meet the baseline building and zoning requirements.
State threatens to sue Cupertino over housing policy
The Mercury News – August 5
Cupertino, often criticized by activists over a perceived reluctance to build homes, is now officially on notice — the city must shape up its housing efforts or face the consequences, according to a warning letter from the state. In the letter, the California Department of Housing and Community Development threatened a lawsuit if Cupertino does not meet its housing obligations under state law. At issue is a massive housing, office, and retail development proposed on the site of the old Vallco Shopping Mall, which has faced obstacle after obstacle as developers try to get the project off the ground. If the homes promised under that project don’t come to fruition, the state warned, Cupertino could fall out of compliance with its state-mandated housing goals. State housing officials sent a similar letter to San Bruno officials last week. In January, the state sued Huntington Beach for failing to allow enough home building.
Irvine joins a handful of Orange County cities creating climate action plans
The Orange County Register - August 3
Rather than waiting for broad national changes that aren’t likely to come soon, Irvine will join a handful of Orange County cities with their own plans for reducing harm to the environment. The city is in the beginning stages of creating a climate action plan, which will outline how it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and measure the success of steps it is already taking to produce less waste and be more energy efficient. The City Council decided in July to move forward with researching current emissions, setting new lower targets, and exploring strategies to reach them. A draft plan would come back to the council for approval. Statewide, California is seeking to dial back greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels and then significantly below them over the next 20 years, but cities can decide how they want to get there, said an organizer with San Diego-based Climate Action Campaign. Strategies can include encouraging people to bike or use public transit instead of driving, planting more trees to absorb carbon dioxide, and phasing out the use of natural gas (its delivery pipelines can leak methane).
Google pledges carbon-neutral shipping, recycled plastic for all devices
Reuters – August 5
Alphabet Inc.’s Google on Monday announced that it would neutralize carbon emissions from delivering consumer hardware by 2020 and include recycled plastic in each of its products by 2022. The new commitments step up the competition among tech companies aiming to show consumers and governments that they are curbing the environmental toll from their widening arrays of gadgets. Anna Meegan, head of sustainability for Google’s devices and services unit, said in an interview that the company’s transport-related carbon emissions per unit fell 40 percent last year compared to 2017 by relying more on ships instead of planes to move phones, speakers, laptops, and other gadgets from factories to customers across the world. The company will offset remaining emissions by purchasing carbon credits, Meegan said.
|