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It's always a delight to find informative resources for specific solutions.  CleanEdge.com offers two green energy stock index resources.  These company lists could also be used for other purposes -- such as job searches, marketing partners, and products that you would like to buy or carry in your green business.

NASDAQ® Clean Edge® Green Energy Index (CELS) Components

The NASDAQ® Clean Edge® Green Energy Index (CELS) is a modified market capitalization-weighted index designed to track the performance of companies that are primarily manufacturers, developers, distributors, or installers of clean-energy technologies. An exchange traded fund (ETF) is based on the NASDAQ® Clean Edge® Green Energy Index and is sponsored by First Trust Advisors L.P. To learn more about methodologies, up-to-date performance, and licensed products, click here.

NASDAQ OMX® Clean Edge® Global Wind Energy Index (QWND) Components

The NASDAQ OMX® Clean Edge® Global Wind Energy Index (QWND) is a modified market-capitalization index designed to act as a transparent and liquid benchmark for the global wind energy sector. The Index includes companies that are primarily manufacturers, developers, distributors, installers, and users of energy derived from wind sources. An exchange traded fund (ETF) is based on the NASDAQ OMX® Clean Edge® Global Wind Energy Index and is sponsored by PowerShares. To learn more about  methodologies, up-to-date performance, and licensed products, click here.

 Learn more here: http://www.cleanedge.com/ceindex/

The Mayors' Alliance for Green Schools, a coalition of mayors seeking to strategically harness the leadership and creativity of mayors across the country has been formed to promote the benefits of green schools in their communities.

Developed in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Alliance will work to accelerate implementation of programs supporting the 2007 U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) resolution calling for green schools for all children within a generation.

"As mayors, we know all too well that schools are the heart of our communities, as they represent the promise we make to our children and future generations, a promise of learning and of opportunity," said Mayor Diaz, President of the US Conference of Mayors. "With this alliance, we are coming together and reconfirming our promise to the health and learning of our children, and ensuring that future generations are mindful of the importance of protecting our environment."

"I've seen the enormous impact mayors have when they unite around a common goal," said Mayor Greg Nickels of Seattle, who launched the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement in 2005, which advances the goals of the Kyoto Protocol and now boasts nearly 900 mayor signatories. "This new coalition of mayors will shine the light on the countless opportunities to make our schools greener, our students and teachers healthier and our communities stronger."
 
"As first responders to the needs of their communities, mayors are the vanguard of sustainable development in our country," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of USGBC, "and USGBC wants to do all we can to support them, especially in this critically important initiative. "We have Green School Advocacy Committees in 80 local USGBC chapters throughout the country, and we are putting them at the mayors' disposal to advance opportunities, programs and initiatives that champion green school causes and help them publicly celebrate their successes."

Together with Mayor Diaz and Mayor Nickels, Mayor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco, Cal; Mayor Will Wynn, Austin, Texas; Mayor Sheila Dixon, Baltimore, Md., Mayor Frank Cownie, Des Moines, Iowa; and Mayor George Heartwell, Grand Rapids, Mich.; have put forth a call to mayors around the country to join this important effort to support green schools for all children.

"This new Alliance dovetails perfectly with Baltimore's new Sustainability agenda," said Mayor Sheila Dixon. "It also will provide more ways to support our ongoing efforts to promote the health and well-being of our students as we improve the energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint of our school facilities."

Mayors across the country are leading efforts to deliver the benefits of green schools to their communities. For example, EcoMedia is working with mayors in Miami and San Francisco to leverage innovative public‐private partnerships that create new opportunities for green school projects.

Other Alliance initiatives will work to:

• Develop and create public‐private partnerships with a local business to allow schools to plant a green roof, install a solar garden or start a recycling program.
• Help school districts green their existing facilities through the Clinton Climate Initiative's K‐12 Retrofit Program.
• Encourage state legislatures to create policies and incentives for green school improvements.
• Engage in a national dialogue about green schools, green jobs and green infrastructure.

The energy efficiency provisions include:

• An extension of the commercial buildings tax deduction to the end of 2013.
• An extension of the tax credit for efficient furnaces, boilers, air conditioners, and water heaters; and insulation and window upgrades to existing homes (covering improvements installed in 2009, but not 2008).
• A one-year extension of the new energy-efficient home tax credit, to the end of 2009.
• Three years of manufacturer tax credits for sales of high-efficiency refrigerators, clothes washers, dishwashers, and dehumidifiers (2008-2010).
• A new tax credit for plug-in hybrid vehicles purchased starting in 2008 and extending until shortly after the number of qualifying vehicles reaches 250,000.
• A new 10% investment tax credit for combined heat and power systems (through 2016)
• An extension of fuel cell and microturbine credits to the end of 2016.
• Accelerated depreciation for smart meters and smart grid systems.
• Extension of an existing bonding program for green buildings and sustainable design, and establishment of a new energy conservation bond program that would help local and state governments to fund energy conservation efforts.

The bill pays for these provisions by restricting several oil and gas industry tax breaks, and tightening some provisions on the sale of stocks.

For more information: The Tax Incentives Assistance Project (TIAP), sponsored by a coalition of public interest nonprofit groups, government agencies, and other organizations in the energy efficiency field, is designed to give consumers and businesses information they need to make use of the federal income tax incentives for energy efficient products and technologies passed by Congress as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and subsequently amended several times.

http://www.energytaxincentives.org/

For a small investment, the following efficiency measures will deliver quick energy bill savings:

• Clean or replace furnace filters monthly or as specified by manufacturer.
• Get a tune-up for your heating system: every year for oil and every 2 or 3 years for other fuels.
• Seal seams and gaps in exposed ductwork, and then insulate the ducts.
• Seal doors with draft-reducing weatherstripping and door sweeps to cut down on spaces where cold air can enter the house.
• Insulate hot water pipes leading from your water heater and install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators.
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.
• Install temporary shrink-wrap storm window kits if you don't have permanent storm windows.   
• Check your attic insulation and consider improving the "R-value" to R-38.

If the time has come to replace your heating system, consider investing in energy-efficient, right-sized heating equipment with the help of a good contractor.

If your existing heating system is more than 20 years old, you can yield savings up to 20-30%.

And if yours is one of the many homes that suffer from high energy bills and extreme comfort issues, a thorough home performance diagnosis can help identify the problems and recommend solutions to cut your energy use and make your home perform at its best.

You can find all these tips and more in the condensed online version of the ACEE Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, 9th edition, found on our Web site at www.aceee.org/consumerguide.

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has useful tips to help ease the burden of winter energy bills.

"When trimming your household budget, cutting home energy costs is a great place to start," says Jennifer Thorne Amann, Director of ACEEE's Buildings Program.

"Minor investments of time and money can pay off in reduced energy bills and improved comfort year after year." Efforts to cut energy use are particularly timely now.

The last few years have seen a steady increase in winter heating costs across the U.S. and this trend is likely to continue. The Energy Information Administration has projected a 15% increase in space heating costs compared to last year, due to both higher energy costs and the expectation of a colder winter.

See ACEEE.org for more suggestions on energy efficiency

As always, the simplest way to reduce energy costs is to just use less. "Smart steps to cut your home energy consumption require no investment and provide immediate returns without sacrificing comfort," states Jacob Talbot of ACEEE's research staff. ACEEE recommends starting with the following for quick savings:

• Set back your thermostat overnight and when you're away from home; better yet, install a programmable thermostat to do it for you. Consumers can save about 2% on heating bills for every degree thermostats are turned down.
• Lower the water heater's thermostat to the lowest level that meets your hot water needs, typically 120°F (midway between the "low" and "medium" setting on many units). Each 10° reduction will save 3-5% on water heating costs.
• Turn off lights and home office and entertainment equipment when not in use. Turning off lights, even for a few minutes, can save significant amounts of energy.
• Open curtains and blinds during the day to let the sun warm rooms naturally, then close them at night to keep the heat in. Heavy drapes can help keep warm air in and reduce drafts around windows. If you have storm windows, be sure they are in place for the winter.
• Don't heat rooms that aren't in use. Where feasible, close off vents in unused rooms and keep the doors closed. 

Renewable energy is a high priority for President Elect Obama.  His jobs program emphasizes rebuilding the infrastructure, including roads and bridges, schools and weatherizing homes.  This slideshow synthesizes the energy priorities established by Obama during his campaign and in the days of the transition. Renewable energies, including energy efficiency figure prominently in his energy plan.

Clean Edge has just released the Utility Solar Assessment (USA) Study, making the case that solar power has the potential to reach cost parity with retail-electricity rates in most regions of the U.S. in less than a decade — but only if electric utilities step up to the plate.

The free report (Download — PDF), published in partnership with Co-op America, provides a robust roadmap for electric utilities to accelerate the growth of solar energy.

Incorporating the latest technology, market, and policy breakthroughs, and interviews with key industry players and experts, it shows how a coordinated effort among regulators, the solar industry, and utilities can enable solar to reach 10 percent of U.S. electricity generation by 2025.

Real education is about HOW we learn as much as it is WHAT we learn.  And we can now add WHERE we learn to that equation.

The Donald BREN  School of Environmental Science & Management at the U. of California, Santa Barbara is making where students learn and explore a very green environment.

Greening Bren Hall                                                                                         

Bren Hall, which earned recognition as the "greenest" laboratory building in the United States shortly after it was completed, is a physical manifestation of the School's mission and provides a world-class arena for scientific and academic initiative, leadership, invention, and research.  By combining cutting-edge technology with environmentally sound principles, products, and services, Bren Hall has set a new standard for sustainable design. 

Opened in April 2002, Bren Hall is the only laboratory building in the United States to have received the U.S. Green Building Council's Platinum LEEDTM accreditation - the highest level possible - since the USGBC established its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program.  Bren Hall sets the highest standard for sustainable buildings of the future, and is being used as a model for other facilities and operations, particularly throughout the campuses and institutions in the state of California. In July 2003, the UC Regents adopted a Green Building Policy for all ten of its campuses, and in November of that year UCSB committed to constructing all new buildings to the level of LEEDTM silver. This represents an extraordinary benchmark and demonstrates a serious commitment to sustainability. UCSB's new Marine Science Institute (also designed by Bren Hall's architects, Zimmer Gunsul Fransca) has obtained a silver LEEDTM rating. 

The total cost of the building was $26 million. Building in a sustainable manner with sustainable materials added only 2% to the overall costs, which will easily be recovered through energy savings over time. Bren Hall is proof that cost is not a significant deterrent to green construction.

For descriptions and images of individual building spaces in Bren Hall, please visit our Rooms & Halls, Teaching Labs, and Research Labs web pages.

Awards & Honors

Flex Your Power Energy Efficiency Award (February 2004)

International Interior Design Association Environmental Award (May 2003)

Parade of Green Buildings featured site (April 2003)

Goleta Valley Beautiful Award (November 2002)

LEEDTM Platinum Award, USGBC(April 2002) Commendation from former California Governor Gray Davis (2002)

Commendation from the County of Santa Barbara (2002)

Case Study for the California Energy Commission

Case Study for the California State and Consumer Services Agency

LEED Rating

The USGBC's LEEDTM program is a credit system. The pilot program in effect when Bren Hall was being built (version 1.0) specified a total of 44 available credits, 6 bonus credits, and 10 prerequisites, arranged in the following five categories describing major areas of sustainable design: sustainable site planning, improving energy efficiency, conserving materials and resources, enhancing indoor air quality, and safeguarding water. Click here to view or print the Acrobat pdf document that itemizes Bren Hall's sustainable features in these areas.

Bren Hall achieved a score of 37 points to receive a Platinum rating, the highest available. It surpasses the new Title 24 requirements for energy efficiency standards by more than 31%.

Click here to view the document that itemizes each LEEDTM category and credit, and how it was achieved.

 

New York's Renewable Energy Task Force recently announced 16 recommendations as part of a roadmap to significantly increase renewable energy generation in New York. These recommendations include more solar energy production, funding the state's program to get 25 percent of New York's electricity from renewable energy by 2013, and new business incentives targeted to attract renewable energy producers and expand the state's "green collar" workforce.

The Renewable Energy Task Force was charged with identifying barriers to increased production of renewable energy, recommending policies and financial incentives to overcome those barriers, and identifying future market areas where additional research and development investment is necessary.

Recommendations Highlights

Significant recommendations of the task force's first report include:

• Developing eight times more solar photovoltaic energy generation in New York--more than 100 megawatts by 2011;
• Increasing the renewable energy supply in New York State to meet 25 percent of electricity demand by 2013, and fully funding the Renewable Portfolio Standard to make it happen;
• Developing new business incentives to attract renewable energy technology companies to New York in order to build industry clusters in solar, wind, biomass and other technical areas;
• Changing the law to allow and encourage New York companies to produce their own renewable energy "on site" and deliver excess power back to the energy grid known as "net metering;"
• Developing and supporting a "green collar" workforce of skilled labor to support renewable energy technology companies by coordinating training programs, expanding and enhancing those programs as necessary, and making training opportunities available to residents of disadvantaged communities, minority- and women-owned companies, and other small businesses.

Renewables Create Jobs

The task force set forth key data throughout the report demonstrating that investment in renewable energy creates jobs and increases tax revenues. Some examples include:

• Up to 43,000 new jobs in New York could be created by the renewable energy production needed to meet the requirement that 25 percent of New York's electricity come from renewable sources.
• Renewable energy and energy efficiency industries could create up to 40 million jobs and generate up to $4.5 trillion in revenue in the United States by 2030-a four-fold increase over current revenues.
• Over the next 20 years, $1 billion in economic benefits are expected to result from the roughly $500 million that New York has so far committed in renewable energy funding through the Renewable Portfolio Standard-a 100 percent return on investment, not counting economic spillover, multiplier effects, and environmental quality-of-life gains from renewable energy production.

Taking immediate action on the task force's recommendations, Paul Tonko, President and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), indicated that NYSERDA would immediately invest $4 million in green collar workforce initiatives, on top of the $2 million in this year's Executive Budget and would also establish a Wind Energy Research and Testing Center to develop new technologies and provide workforce training.

DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis said: "Clean energy is crucial on so many fronts: energy conservation, pollution reduction, combating climate change, and developing green businesses and jobs, just for starters. The task force's recommendations will continue our leadership on those issues. And, importantly, they will establish a roadmap to stimulate renewable energy development in a way that is real and tangible."

About the Renewable Energy Task Force

Composed of 20 members, the Renewable Energy Task Force represents a diverse array of stakeholders in the renewable energy field, including the renewable energy and alternative fuel industries, environmental and agricultural communities, academia, public utilities, local and state government entities, and experts in energy policy, green building construction and economic development.

In September 2007, the task force held a public meeting in New York City to release its preliminary findings. The findings were based on recommendations developed by numerous task force subcommittees and vetted using the following criteria: what would generate the most renewable energy; what would have the most environmental benefit; and what would least impact ratepayers, taxpayers and consumers financially.

The details of the task force's first report were reached by a consensus of all of its members. Its final report is due in December 2008.