The 2011 International Summit at Greenbuild in Toronto conveyed an international message with voices from around the world.

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Greenbuild 2011 goes into full swing tomorrow. Today's agenda was dominated by the International Summit, a one-day conference-within-a-conference where 19 LEED International Roundtable members brought the state of green building from their home countries to Toronto.

The International Summit began with a keynote by Dr. Nils Kok, a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. Kok's research last year at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, like that of David Pogue of CBRE, has shown that green buildings get more occupants, 3 percent higher rents and 13 percent higher sale prices.

Delegates to the International Summit shared best practices and success stories from their home countries. Some examples:

Poland launched a program providing information to parents about indoor air quality in schools and homes. Rumania launched a green mortgage product, the first in that market, allowing home buyers to afford better insulation and energy-efficient appliances.

UAE is diversifying its power supply with a solid waste power plant that is reducing carbon emissions. Green belts are being used there for sewage treatment and making that water available for agriculture as well as habitat. The Jordan Green Building Council is providing information and education to support the growing interest in green building.

In India, the cost of green building has come down significantly in recent years. Technologies such as solar, wind, geothermal, and fly ash bricks were never heard of in India; now they're becoming popular. Net zero buildings are the next step for India.

Mexico has launched affordable-housing programs, along with a green mortgage program to subsidize green technologies with every loan. Canada, the first country to adopt LEED outside the U.S. in 2002, still lists the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games as its premier green initiative. The CaGBC has also been instrumental in the spread of LEED among governments in Canada, from the city level up to the federal level.

Sustainable cities are in demand in Sweden, the question is how to certify them. Sweden's GBC, in conjunction with the Delegation for Sustainable Cities, is exploring options for this. Finland is placing an emphasis on low-energy buildings and wood structures.

In Columbia the government is debating a framework to require green building as part of a larger movement to protect the country's biodiversity and fresh water supply.

And a study of Brazil's stadiums, conducted before the 2014 FIFA World Cup of soccer was awarded, ultimately led to a LEED Platinum "eco-arena." Stadiums in nine of the twelve World Cup cities are en route to certification. (Watch for the Brazil green World Cup success story to be a major focus of the GLOBE conference in Vancouver BC in the spring of 2012.)

Geraud Darnis, now president and CEO of UTC Climate, Controls and Security Systems, joined USGBC Chairman Rick Fedrizzi in a closing plenary this afternoon, praising the delegates for doing well and collaborating to improve green building worldwide.UTC's Carrier division is a major sponsor of the International Summit.

"The future of green building will depend on what we do next with knowledge, economics and collaboration," Darnis said. "We have much to learn from each other."

"The environment and the economy must win together for the movement to work. It's not one or the other." Darnis said, citing a recent statistic that green buildings represent 35 percent of the construction market in the U.S.

"While construction is going down, green building construction is going up," he said. "Think of how green building will accelerate when the economy comes back."

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By Denis Du Bois at Energy Priorities

Sustainable urban development is a new way of thinking for American cities. Technology is emerging to help planners, architects and residents make the transition -- and address the converging pressures of rapid growth and decaying infrastructure. The question isn't whether to use technology to make cities more sustainable, it's how best to use it. Three experts on sustainably built cities discuss the answers with Denis Du Bois.

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Podcast

Program Notes

Meanwhile there's pressure to make cities more sustainable. If a city wants to attract residents and businesses, its infrastructure has to do much more than just keep up. It has to improve on the status quo -- to enable the clean industries and green lifestyles of the 21st century.

The idea of a sustainable city is moving gradually from theoretical to practical. But it needs to happen faster. Part of the solution is technology. It enables us to imagine and model our urban environments and shape how they'll support the needs of the people who live within. Technology let us "see" proposed memorials at Ground Zero in New York City, and "drive" a new approach to San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, long before they were constructed.

Our guests for this program are Emma Stewart, James Moore and Terry Bennett. These experts discuss the need for sustainable cities and the role of technology in creating them.

Guests

James Moore led the Florida Center for Community Design & Research, when he was an Associate Professor in the School of Architecture & Community Design at the University of South Florida. He helped Florida write its statewide transportation policy regarding the role of mobility in developing sustainable communities. He joined HDR, a global architecture, engineering and consulting company, in 2000, as the National Community Design Principal. For the past three years, he's been a member of HDR’s Sustainable Solutions Leadership Team, looking for ways to integrate sustainability best practices throughout the company’s work. He is active nationally with the Urban Land Institute and the Congress for the New Urbanism.

Terry Bennett is the Senior Industry Program Manager for Civil Engineering and Planning at Autodesk. He's been a practicing professional for 28 years and was at one time the company manager and lead designer for a civil engineering, geotechnical, & land surveying firm, directing their services throughout New England for many years.

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By Denis Du Bois at Energy Priorities

What exactly is the smart grid? Look it up!

Christine Hertzog, Managing Director of the Smart Grid Library, just announced the release of the Smart Grid Dictionary 3rd Edition.

I've been watching the Dictionary expand since Hertzog first shared the idea with me in Santa Clara several years ago. I downloaded the latest edition and I heartily recommend it for those who consider the smart grid an Energy Priority.

This latest version contains over 1,700 definitions of smart grid terms covering technology, policy, global and national standards, acronyms and organizations. Topics include:

• electricity generation, transmission, distribution, and storage
  
• water infrastructure operations and management
  
• electric vehicles and charging stations
  
• home and building energy management
  
• telecommunications and networks
  
• M2M and sensors
  
• energy efficiency
  
• cybersecurity

The Dictionary also lists web addresses for important organizations for additional information.

The Smart Grid Dictionary 3rd Edition is available in both print and ebook formats at www.SmartGridLibrary.com.

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By Denis Du Bois at Energy Priorities

Cascadia Capital expects to see a wave of acquisitions in the energy efficiency space, driven by large players who want to get in, and investors who want to get out while the getting is good.

The energy management sector is ripe for consolidation, says Michael Butler, chairman and CEO of Cascadia Capital in Seattle, WA. The next six months could bring a wave of acquisitions, triggered by Schneider Electric's purchase of Summit Energy Services.

"When Schneider made their move and paid a premium for Summit Energy, it opened the floodgates," Butler says. "Every company with a legitimate, real-time energy-management product has been approached by potential buyers."

Summit Energy Services is an energy management service provider with real-time software that commercial and industrial facilities use to save money on energy. Schneider acquired Summit for US $268 million, or approximately four times Summit's revenue.

That deal did not happen in isolation. According to Cleantech Group of San Francisco, the second quarter of 2011 saw the usual darling sectors drop behind energy efficiency -- a crossing of upward and downward trend lines that Cleantech Group predicted in 2009.

Venture capital left the capital-intensive biofuels and solar sectors in Q2, moving to the less capital-intensive energy efficiency sector. Energy efficiency was the leading sector by amount invested, with $428 million; it was also the most popular sector measured by number of deals, with 38 funding rounds, some quite healthy. Three companies -- Bridgelux (LEDs), iControl Networks (home energy management) and Hara (cloud-based enterprise energy management) -- together raised a collective $155 million in the quarter.

Based on this changing landscape, Cascadia Capital has projected that the energy efficiency sector will explode with M&A transactions throughout 2011. This year's difficult business climate is another contributor to the trend.

Small companies are having a hard time getting to market because it's expensive to build out a sales force that can penetrate Fortune 500 companies, Butler explains. "And when they do, the Fortune 500 companies look at the service provider and say,' You don't have a big balance sheet, how do I know you're going to be around?'"

Credibility is not the only barrier for small firms in this sector. Large enterprises take their time making big decisions. Energy efficiency measures also often depend on cooperation from the local energy utility, which are notorious for taking even longer.

"It's a long, long sales cycle," Butler explains. "You have to put up a fair amount of money to fund the time it takes with no guarantee of ultimate success. Venture capital investors and individual investors don't have the deep pockets to fund that."

Those investors are telling Cascadia Capital that they would rather sell now than to double down on their investments to overcome these go-to-market obstacles, Butler says. "Those investors who don't sell now are implicitly making a bet they have the capital to fund a commercial rollout, which will take a few years."

Cascadia has published a sustainable industries market report, "Energy Efficient Sector M&A Scheduled to Accelerate in Second Half of Year," available at the company's web site.

Related article:

"2011, the Year of Energy Efficiency?"

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By Denis Du Bois at Energy Priorities

Ray C. Anderson lost a 20-month battle with cancer. But he won a 17-year campaign to change the way corporations view their role in sustainability.

Interface founder and chairman Ray Anderson died yesterday at age 77.

When I last saw him, he asked, "Do you know the question your life's story will seek to answer?"

Interface chairman and founder Ray Anderson.

Seeking to answer the right question requires transformational change, creativity and innovation, he explained.

In 1994 Anderson experienced an epiphany when he first read Paul Hawken's The Ecology of Commerce. Seventeen years later, he estimated that the carpet manufacturer he founded, Interface, is more than halfway toward his vision of "Mission Zero." He chronicled the Interface journey in two books, Mid-Course Correction (1998) and Confessions Of A Radical Industrialist (2009).

Surrounded by his family, Anderson died at his home Tuesday in Atlanta, GA.

Remembering Ray Sustainable Industries Journal

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By Denis Du Bois at Energy Priorities

The Cleantech Open announced that 163 semifinalist teams have been selected from across the United States to participate in the cleantech business competition. 35 of the companies will advance in the Energy Efficiency category; 15 are competing in the Green Building category.

The semifinalists were selected from a pool of 285 cleantech entrepreneurs from across the country that submitted entries in the seven regional competitions run by the Cleantech Open.

2011 Cleantech Open Regional Semifinalists list here.

The Cleantech Open owes its beginnings to the Ignite Clean Energy, or "ICE" competition that originated at MIT in Cambridge, MA. ICE merged with the Cleantech Open to become the competition's Northeast Region. That region represents 36 of this year's 163 regional semifinalists. Today the Cleantech Open is based in California -- home to 56 regional semifinalists.

Entrants select a category in which to compete, such as "Renewable Energy" (42 semifinalists), "Energy Efficiency" (35) and "Green Building" (15). Regions and categories are somewhat fuzzy -- a California-based builder is a semifinalist in the Pacific Northwest Cleantech Open; a paper-saving printing-related software company is advancing in the Energy Efficiency category.

The semifinalists will now compete regionally for prizes comprised of cash and in-kind services. After an additional round of regional judging to be held in October, 2011, finalists will be selected to advance and represent their regions, competing at the national level for a grand prize of up to $250,000 in cash and in-kind services. National judging of regional finalists will take place November 10-13, 2011, at the Global Cleantech Forum in San Jose, California.

Over the next few months, each semifinalist team will receive coaching from the Cleantech Open's business mentors, one-on-one consulting and an intensive business boot camp at the Cleantech Open National Academy. Through this process each team must develop a comprehensive business plan and investor pitch that will be presented to professional investors and experts during the next round of judging.

Disclosure: The author is a volunteer marketing mentor for contestants in the Cleantech Open.

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By Denis Du Bois at Energy Priorities

It's possible to take rapid transit from the San Jose airport to the Santa Clara Convention Center, but it's not obvious how. Here's the run-down.

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If you'd like to avoid the hassles of parking, not to mention the roughly $50 round-trip taxi fare plus tip, step into the 21st century -- take the local light rail system from the San Jose airport to the Convention Center and Hyatt Santa Clara CA.

The ride is green, quick, convenient and only $2 per person each way. There are a few, shall we say, potential points of confusion that you should know before you go.

My flight arrived at Terminal B, but it doesn't make much difference if your flight lands you in Terminal A.

From baggage claim look for signs directing you to "Ground Transportation," specifically "Public Bus VTA 10." It's on an island across the driveway from terminal B.

Here's the first point of potential confusion: This free bus operates like an airport terminal shuttle, but it is not the same as the Terminal A-B Shuttle. "VTA 10" is your key.

When VTA bus number 10 arrives it will be clearly marked. However here's the second point of potential confusion: There are two buses numbered 10 and they connect to two different rail lines. You want the bus 10 that goes to "Metro/Airport." Don't get on the one that goes to "Santa Clara Caltrain" or you'll spend an extra half hour getting back to the airport to try again. The words "Metro Light Rail" are displayed in the front window of the bus, so it's easy to get on the right one.

It's about a six-minute bus ride to the light rail station and, as I mentioned, it's free. The bus is comfortable and has luggage racks like any rental-car shuttle.

The "Metro/Airport" bus stop is the end of the line, so you can't miss it. When you arrive, cross the street to the light rail station and buy a ticket.

The ticket vending kiosk on the train platform accepts dollar bills and credit cards for the $2 per person fare. The ticket purchase process is self explanatory. You're likely never to need to show your ticket to anyone, but hang onto it until your ride is over.

The third potential point of confusion: Two trains pass this platform, and you'll take the one labeled "Downtown Mountain View." Don't get on the Alum Rock train. If you're looking up the schedule at rta.org, the route number is 902.

I waited about 10 minutes for my train to arrive. The car is easy to board with rolling luggage, and there's a large open area near the doors where you can stand with your bags for the brief duration of the ride.

The Convention Center is at the "Great America" station, which is the ninth stop. When the onboard public address system announces the next stop is Great America, press the button to request a stop. Trains don't stop at every station during off-peak hours, they stop only if a stop is requested or passengers are waiting on the platform. The Convention Center is clearly visible across Tasman Street.

The train ride took about 16 minutes. The entire trip, from searching out the right station at terminal B to walking through the door of the Convention Center, took about 45 minutes. I saw more of Santa Clara than I would have from a taxi window on the freeway. And I arrived at this energy conference by one of the greenest means possible.

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By Denis Du Bois at Energy Priorities

CIO Magazine advice columnist Meridith Levinson tells IT workers they should get a raise for working from home. Denis Du Bois reminds employers it's not just about the money.

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Citing three recent surveys (linked in her column), CIO Magazine editor Meridith Levinson points out that IT employees value telecommuting highly -- so much so that a third of them would accept less pay for the same job if they could work from home. A home-office worker herself, Levinson advises against it. She reminds readers that, yes, they'll save gas, but they'll incur some costs for working from home, particularly in their electric bills.

Some of this is true, as I'll explain in a moment, but money is not the only consideration in creating a corporate telecommuting policy.

Based on research from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), we know that more than two thirds of workers in America commute by private car, and the average round-trip commute is 29 miles. With average fuel consumption at 19.7 miles per gallon, those miles are responsible for almost 7,000 pounds of carbon emissions per commuter, per year.

Add the benefits of job satisfaction and work-life balance for employees, and the advantages of hiring flexibility and business continuity for employers. Then add the potential productivity recovered by reducing commuting time, "smoke" breaks, lunchroom gatherings and other office time-wasters. Suddenly a telecommuting program makes a lot of sense before it saves you a single dollar.

Now let's address the perception that workers save a lot of money by telecommuting, while employers' costs go up.

Related article:

"What Is Green IT? Part 1: Cutting Emissions and Energy Use Enterprise-wide"

Related EnergyBlog:
"Telework Improvements Act of 2010 Would Reduce Commuting by Government Employees" (2010)

In reality, unless an employee's car commute is markedly shorter than the national average, their fuel savings will outweigh any increase in electricity costs from keeping their home comfortable during the day. Cutting a $150 per month gas expense by 80 percent saves more than raising a similar-sized electric bill by 20 percent.

This dynamic is more applicable in Europe and Asia, where a person living alone would habitually shut off heating and cooling while they're away at work. Americans, who enjoy low, subsidized energy prices, are not in that habit, so there is not a significant increase in energy consumption or related carbon emissions from having someone at home all day.

The energy factor comes into play at the office. The average annual energy consumption for U.S. office buildings is 23 kilowatt hours per square foot. Each employee in a cubicle needs about 80 square feet of floor space. At an average energy cost of $1.65 per square foot, a 100-employee telecommuting program could save you $13,200 per year. Oh, and subtract another 100 tons of carbon emissions from your company's footprint.

So, as Levinson writes, don't even think of asking your employees to take a pay cut for working virtual. They're helping your triple bottom line. Should you offer more money to home workers? In the case of IT, I'd say probably so.

If there are perfect candidates for working virtual, IT workers are they. Employers' concerns about home workers often center around the Help Desk cost of flakey home internet connections and far-flung workers sitting idle waiting for a PC problem to be resolved. But IT staffers actually like to resolve those issues themselves, without calling for support.

These are the workers who will design the technological infrastructure on which your other teleworkers will someday depend. Working from home is a valuable first-hand experience for them.

IT staffers are already remotely managing data center systems. And these folks tend to be the most savvy about using teleconferencing, voice over IP, and mobile devices. That means IT workers can be transparent about their physical absence from the office.

If you're considering a formal telecommuting program, your IT staff is potentially the best place to start. Are you sure they're not already working from home?
                  

Statistics came from these sources:
U.S. DOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Federal Highway Administration
U.S. DOE, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
U.S. EPA, "Office Building Energy Use Profile"
U.S. DOE, Energy Information Agency, "Emissions of Greenhouse Gases Report"

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By Denis Du Bois at Energy Priorities