Sustainable Development Focus
San Jose Mercury News - Dec 16 Over the next decade, roughly 150,000 low-income renters in California will see their apartment buildings outfitted with solar panels — and their electricity bills drop. Regulations approved last week cleared the way for the state to spend $1 billion over 10 years — using proceeds from the state’s landmark climate-change program — on incentives for landlords to install rooftop solar panels on apartment buildings housing low-income residents. To qualify for the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing program, known as SOMAH, an apartment building must include at least five subsidized units for low-income tenants. It also must either be located in a disadvantaged area or be inhabited mostly by families earning 60 percent of the area’s typical income. Landlords will apply for the incentives. By law, at least 51 percent of the utility savings must go back to the tenant — a key aspect of the program.
Trucks.com - Dec 18 California is getting serious about eliminating diesel trucks. The state approved a major spending package for clean transportation last Thursday, providing $208 million in incentives for truck and bus fleets to go green. Another $190 million will go toward cleaning up freight operations. This investment will continue to drive the market for new vehicle technologies, and put more ultra-clean and zero-emission trucks and buses into the communities throughout California that need them the most, said Mary D. Nichols, head of the California Air Resources Board (CARB). More than 602,000 heavy-duty diesel trucks operate in California, according to the agency.
CleanTechnica - Dec 16 Southern California Gas is partnering with researchers at the University of California Irvine’s Advanced Power & Energy Program to design an “Advanced Energy Community” in an underserved section of Huntington Beach. The plan calls for installation of solar and wind power facilities to provide clean renewable electrical power to the neighborhood but with a plus. Instead of storing any excess power in batteries, molten salt, or a pumped hydro facility, it will be used to produce hydrogen gas.
Commercial Property Executive - Dec 18 Sacramento International Airport has opened a solar facility that is anticipated to provide more than 30 percent of the airport’s electricity. The project is the largest on-airport solar facility in California. The 7.9-megawatt solar farm is located on 35 acres on Aviation Drive. It consists of more than 23,000 LG solar panels, mounted on NEXTracker racking, which tracks the sun’s path, maximizing efficiency and energy production. The electricity generated by the facility is sufficient to power 1,600 homes a year.
NBC 7 San Diego - Dec 14 SeaWorld San Diego announced plans last Thursday to install elevated solar panels at its Aquatica waterpark in Chula Vista. SeaWorld is partnering with Onyx Renewable Partners L.P. for the project, set to be up and running by the start of the park’s 2018 season. The project will include around 3,780 solar panels, which will cover 80 to 90 percent of the park’s energy usage. SeaWorld also plans to invest $2 to $3 million in energy efficiency projects at selected parks next year.
Proud Green Building - Dec 12 The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council reached a major milestone: 2,000 LEED-certified K–12 schools. Public schools are leading. These 2,000 projects represent well over $30 billion in investment. They also cover a total of 160 million square feet of education space, approximately 2 percent of the total square footage of all U.S. public schools. Some states distribute funding to assist smaller districts. The state-level data highlights the state of Ohio’s commitment to LEED certification for all of its schools. Just over 300 schools have been certified in Ohio, more than double the number certified in the second-place state, California. The certified schools in Ohio are distributed around the state, reflective of the state’s commitment to assist smaller, less-wealthy school districts with needed capital construction funds.
