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GreenTech Week in Review
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July 20, 2013

GreenTech Week in Review

By Cheryl Kaften
TMCnet Contributor

"Energy usage could approach all-time records," New York's largest energy provider Consolidated Edison (Con Ed) warned on its website this week, urging customers to make conservation efforts as an intense heat wave continued on the East Coast.


AcuWeather reported that “RealFeel” temperatures had soared up to 105°F and 110°F in some areas of New York City. The utility’s peak load record of 13,189 megawatts (MW) had previously been set on July 22, 2011, at 4 p.m.—and was widely expected to be broken before the weekend, as the enduring, fourth heat wave of this summer made air conditioning a 24/7, life-saving necessity.  Amazingly enough, power outages were scattered—a triumph for Con Ed and its overworked infrastructure.  

In other (and weirder) news, If you live in the United States and are starting to feel very hot under the collar, is it the result of global warming—or is it guilt? Now that the Central Intelligence Agency is helping to fund a climate change study, conspiracy theories are sure to abound. Indeed, according to a project description posted on the website of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the U.S. intelligence community  has joined with the academy – as well as with the National Oceanic (News - Alert) and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) – to fund a $630,000 study into “Geoengineering Climate: Technical Evaluation and Discussion of Impacts.”  Over a 21-month period, the researchers plan to look at historical examples of the ways in which people can influence weather patterns (e.g., cloud seeding and other physical attempts at climate modification); current techniques (including solar radiation management and carbon dioxide removal); the potential hazards of fiddling with the atmosphere (such as any intended or unintended impact on ocean acidification) —and any possible national security implications of geoengineering attempts.

Another way to beat the heat—especially in our inner cities—is to get “Up on the Roof,” as lyricist Carole King advised in her chart-topping hit. But, scratch the asphalt. Now property managers nationwide in the United States are joining the green roof movement. Vegetation on a roof saves stormwater, shields the building top from rising temperatures, and literally makes the air “fresh and sweet,” as King would croon. In the Midwest, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District has instituted a Regional Green Roof program that provides incentive funding of up to $5 per square foot to increase rooftop vegetation. The district's objective is to hold rainwater where it falls. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee frequently experiences sewer overflows and floods during severe downpours. In addition, the district hopes to improve the overall water quality, and to derive a number of environmental, economic, and social benefits from the program.  One of the companies that is convinced of the program’s benefits is J.W. Winco, Inc., a leading supplier of standard industrial machine components with facilities at South Calhoun Road in New Berlin, just 15 miles outside Milwaukee. Benefits to the company will include recycling of rainwater and savings on cooling costs.  “Our existing conventional roof system was installed in 1993 and needed to be replaced, so we researched the possibility of installing a fully vegetated green roof system,” said Mark M. Winkler, CFO – Office of the President at J.W. Winco. “The addition of the green roof is part of the company’s effort to be a leader in environmental stewardship by reducing our carbon footprint and managing rain water efficiently, while at the same time cutting energy costs."

And finally, SolarCity (News - Alert) continues to make it easier to offset soaring electric bills with distributed energy. The company recently inaugurated its new operations center in Stockton, California. The 18,000-square-foot center has created 70 full-time jobs for locals, who are assigned to handle sales, consultations, and installation services. “Stockton is a focal hub for us to efficiently service the San Joaquin region and to meet the growing demand for solar energy. We are pleased to contribute to the local economy, help more homeowners and businesses make the switch to clean energy, and potentially save thousands of dollars on utility bills,” said Dennis Cox (News - Alert)  SolarCity’s regional vice president of Northern California.





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