CitiesGoGreen - November 2008 - (Page 7)

In Motion New Energy Resource © Iosif Yurlov - Fotolia.com Insuring Green Buildings If your green building or buildings with green add-ons are damaged or destroyed, will insurance cover recycling any debris, rebuilding to current green standards, replacing energy efficient equipment, hiring certified professionals to manage the job, and certification costs? One alternative is the new comprehensive Green Building Property Program from Chicago-based insurance broker Aon. Another alternative is the first such program, Green-GardSM from Fireman’s Fund. A new low-temperature geothermal technology dramatically increases the number of potentially productive geothermal sites. The “binary cycle” system uses water temperatures as low as 180 degrees Fahrenheit to vaporize another fluid, which drives the turbines. New Mexico’s first geothermal plant, under construction, will utilize the new approach, proprietary to Raser Technologies. The modular system links 450 kW units into a geothermal farm and is expected to generate 25 MW when complete. This is not the only installation: Anaheim, CA is reportedly purchasing the power from a 10 MW installation going into Beaver County, Utah. Waste heat is another opportunity. A cement plant may be able to generate a third of its own energy in this way, says Raser. ©Deborah Benbrook-fotolia.com 91˚ Green Roofs: Cool, Absorbent and Variable A study sponsored by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin and published in the journal Urban Ecosystems found that green roofs could cut air conditioning bills by up to 21% compared to traditional blacktop roofs. On a 91-degree day a blacktopped box without air conditioning reached 129 degrees Fahrenheit inside. Green roof replicas produced interior temperatures of just 97 to 100 degrees. “That’s a huge difference,” said Dr. Mark Simmons in the announce129˚ ment of the study. Simmons, the lead investigator, noted that the lower surface temperatures can also double the life of roofing materials. Of the 24 roofs tested, the greatest variation was in rainfall captured, ranging from almost half of a two inch downpour to just 8%. The aim of the research is to help manufacturers improve their designs. 97 -100˚ Mixed into the recent $700 billion Wall Street bailout are tax incentives and credits to support alternative transportation and energy. From $20 a month to reimburse bicycling employees, to a maximum $7,500 credit for electric cars (growing to $15,000 for heavy trucks), to an uncapped 30% credit for renewable energy installations (good through 2016), which homeowners, commercial enterprises and utilities can cash in on as well, there is plenty to be happy about on the green front. By 2016 green jobs are predicted to grow by 400,000 nationwide. November 2008 Photo courtesy Sarah Figliozzi-City of Portland Green Jobs and Other Bailout Benefits 7 http://www.Fotolia.com http://www.rasertech.com/geothermal.html http://www.rasertech.com/geothermal.html http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2008/08/07/aon-offers-green-commercial-building-insurance-allstate-tests-e-pay-eco-contribution http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2008/08/07/aon-offers-green-commercial-building-insurance-allstate-tests-e-pay-eco-contribution http://www.aon.com http://www.firemansfund.com/servlet/dcms?c=business&rkey=437 http://www.utexas.edu/news/2008/07/28/green_roofs/ http://www.bicycle.net/2008/senate-bailout-bill-to-benefit-bikers-for-20mo http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081002/AUTO01/810020388/1148/&source=nletter-business http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2008/09/29/daily72.html http://citiesgogreen.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CitiesGoGreen - November 2008

CitiesGoGreen - November 2008 Contents In Motion Disaster Housing for $200: The Hexayurt Coming Soon: A Code-Ready Green Building Standard from ASHRAE ICMA Embraces Sustainability Fort Collins, Colorado Interview: ClimateWise, Business Smart 12-for-1 Parking: Bike Corrals Fresno County More Biking and Walking for Better Communities

CitiesGoGreen - November 2008

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