We CAN Be Green

Green News: EPA Announces New Support for Sustainable Communities

CONTACT:

Dave Ryan (News Media Only)

ryan.dave@epa.gov

202-564-7827

202-564-4355

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 5, 2010

 

 

EPA Announces New Support for Sustainable Communities

 

New office, pilot programs to help communities minimize their environmental impact and increase economic opportunity

 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced three steps to support communities’ efforts to provide their citizens’ with economic opportunity while reducing impacts on the environment.  The actions will encourage state and local government to make their communities more sustainable by strategically aligning their environmental, transportation and housing investments.

 

The steps EPA announced today are:

 

·         The creation of a new Office of Sustainable Communities to encourage communities to take an integrated approach in making environmental, housing and transportation decisions.

·         A new pilot grant program designed to help three states – New York, Maryland and California – use their clean water funding programs to support efforts to make communities more sustainable.

·         A pilot program to clean up and redevelop contaminated sites, known as brownfield sites, in coordination with communities’ efforts to develop public transportation and affordable housing. 

 

Today’s announcements build on the work EPA is doing with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities. The partnership is focused on ensuring that housing and transportation goals are met while simultaneously protecting the environment, promoting equitable development, and helping to address the challenges of climate change.

 

The brownfields pilot program announced today represents a key step in that partnership. Together, EPA, HUD, and DOT have selected five pilot sites across the country where there is a convergence of public transit and the need for affordable housing. Cleaning and reusing this land and providing new housing choices will create jobs and new economic opportunities. The five sites selected for the Sustainable Communities Partnership Pilots are the Fairmount Line in Boston; the Smart Growth Redevelopment District in Indianapolis; the La Alma/South Lincoln Park neighborhood in Denver; the Riverfront Crossings District in Iowa City, Iowa; and the Westside Affordable Housing Transit-Oriented Development in National City, Calif.

 

The Office of Sustainable Communities that EPA announced today will help create neighborhoods that offer good jobs, educational opportunities, safe and affordable homes and transportation options while minimizing their impact on the environment. The Pilot Technical Assistance Program for Sustainable Communities will further that goal by encouraging states to use their Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan program to better support communities that adopt sustainable strategies, like transit-oriented, mixed-use development.

 

More information on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities:

http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/partnership

 

More information on EPA’s Smart Growth program: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth

 

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View all news releases related to partnerships and stewardship 

Green News: New EPA Web Site Provides Tools to Cut Energy Costs and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Homes

CONTACT:
Dave Ryan
Ryan.dave@epa.gov
202-564-7827
202-564-4355

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 16, 2009

New EPA Web Site Provides Tools to Cut Energy Costs and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Homes

WASHINGTON – Home owners, buyers and renters have a new resource for going green indoors and outdoors. EPA’s new Green Homes Web site will help people make their homes greener with tips on reducing energy consumption, carbon footprints, waste generation and water usage, as well as improving indoor air quality. 

The latest federal survey of American housing (2007) reported 128 million housing units across the U.S.,   accounting for nearly 54 percent of national energy use and nearly 31 percent of all U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, the most common greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. 

Many green building practices and technologies have yet to make a dent in the existing residential market, in part because it is hard for people to find clear, consolidated, readily accessible, and credible information. The Green Homes Web site addresses that need by providing guidance on approaches to greening each room of the home as well as the surrounding yard.  Information also is available on building new homes and finding an energy efficient mortgage, which takes into account the savings derived from energy efficient homes to enable the applicant to qualify for better terms. Renters will find information to help them identify a green property before moving in and tips for working with their landlord to add green features to an existing property. Users can also find references, such as a list of common green home terms, and links to dozens of EPA Web sites with more specific information on a wide variety of green home topics.

For more information: http://www.epa.gov/greenhomes

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Green News: EPA Funding Stimulates Clean Energy

CONTACT:
Dave Ryan
ryan.dave@epa.gov
202-564-7827
202-564-4355

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2009


More Than $3 Million in EPA Funding Stimulates Clean Energy Production and Greenhouse Gas Reductions

EPA international clean energy partnership program grants funding to 11 countries

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is supporting the international Methane to Markets Partnership (M2M) by funding 21 new projects that will help 11 countries capture and use methane emissions from landfill, coal, agriculture, oil and natural gas operations. Methane, the primary component of natural gas, traps over 20 times more heat than carbon dioxide, making it a significant contributor to climate change.

The Methane to Markets Partnership is a public-private partnership that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by promoting the cost-effective, near-term recovery and use of methane, while providing clean energy to markets around the world.  The M2M Partnership has grown to include 31 partner governments and more than 900 private sector entities, financial institutions, non-governmental agencies and other organizations.

Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Colombia, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, and Russia are receiving grants ranging from $20,000 to $700,000. These projects, totaling nearly $3.3 million, will stimulate clean energy production while achieving greenhouse gas emissions reductions. They will support a wide variety of activities, including development of databases on potential project sites, feasibility studies, and technology transfer.  In Bulgaria, for example, EPA will fund (1) a resource assessment of several landfills; (2) the development of business plans for each one; and (3) implementation of a pilot methane capture and use project at the most promising landfill.

Since the launch of the partnership in 2004, EPA has provided almost $13 million for nearly 70 grants to build capacity and promote international capture and use of methane.  This work will be highlighted in 2010 when EPA, the Government of India and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry host the 2^nd Methane to Markets Partnership Expo on March 2-5, 2010 in Delhi, India. The expo will bring together approximately 1,000 partners and methane experts from around the world to showcase project opportunities and technologies related to the capture and use of methane. 

List of 2009 grant awardees and their projects:
http://www.epa.gov/methanetomarkets/grants.htm


More Information about the Methane to Markets Partnership:
http://www.epa.gov/methanetomarkets
 

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Green News: EPA Names Top 20 Green Powered Schools

CONTACT:

Dave Ryan

Ryan.dave@epa.gov

202-564-7827

202-564-4355

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 26, 2009

 

 

EPA Names Top 20 Green Powered Schools

 

WASHINGTON -- For the first time, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership announced the 20 primary and secondary schools nationwide using the most power from renewable energy sources. The top Green Power Partner schools are buying nearly 113 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, equivalent to carbon dioxide emissions (CO2)  that would be produced from the electricity use of 11,000 American homes for one year.

 

“Our green powered schools are giving kids a brighter future in more ways than one. They’re leading the way in protecting our health and environment, and moving the country into the clean energy economy of the 21st century,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.  “This is a great lesson on how we reduce harmful pollution in our skies and get America running on clean energy.”

 

The five schools using the greenest power are:

 

1.       Austin Independent School District (Austin, Texas)

2.       Round Rock Independent School District (Round Rock, Texas)

3.       Rochester City School District (Rochester, N.Y.)

4.       Bullis School (Potomac, Md.)

5.       The Dalton School (New York, N.Y.)

 

Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas, and low-impact hydropower. Green power electricity generates less pollution than conventional power and produces no net increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

 

EPA’s Green Power Partnership works with more than 1,100 organizations to voluntarily purchase green power to reduce the environmental impacts of conventional electricity use. Overall, EPA Green Power Partners are buying more than 17 billion kWh of green power annually, equivalent to the CO2 emissions from electricity use of nearly 1.7 million American homes annually.

More information on the entire top 20 list of k-12 schools: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists/top20k-12schools.htm

 

Information on EPA’s Green Power Partnership: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower

 

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Going Green: Alternative Energy: Residential Solar Power Systems

3 Types of Residential Solar Power Systems

There are many manufacturers of residential solar power kits for people who want to lower their energy bills. You can peruse the websites for these brands to see who has the best prices. But, before you do that know what type of residential solar system you are going to use.

Every manufacturer advertises low prices and superior quality. You can choose from BP, Kyocera, General Electric, Mitsubishi Electric and others. But, each offers one of three main residential solar systems for your use.

Grid Inter-tied Electricity System

Let’s start with the simplest system which is grid inter-tied. The grid is the power grid that your home receives its electricity from. Each city has constructed a power grid so that the power company can supply electricity to your home.

With the grid inter-tied system, any solar electricity that you create from your residential solar system is funneled directly into your home electrical network. Electricity created in the solar panel array is then passed through a DC disconnect panel. This device interrupts the electricity flow from the array.

Next, an inverter changes the DC current of solar electricity into AC current for your home outlets. The inverter is connected into your breaker box. When you use solar electricity, you may even see your meter run backwards as you defray the cost of your electricity bills.

Grid Inter-tied Electricity System with Battery Backup

The difference between this system and the first is that you can store excess electricity for a rainy day, literally. When the sun is shining bright and strong like during the summer months, you can use a grid inter-tied electricity system that is equipped with a battery.

Solar electricity still flows from the PV array to the rest of your system, but is sent to a battery dump. A charge control panel regulates the flow of electricity. Electricity then flows to the inverter and the rest of the system just like the grid inter-tied system. Only the excess is kept in the battery.

Off-Grid Solar Electrical System

This system works well for people who are not attached to a grid. They live too far away from cities and towns to be included. The solar electrical system is their only source of electricity.

This system flows much like the grid inter-tied system with battery backup. A battery stores energy for days when the sun isn’t strong. From the breaker panel, the energy goes directly into your outlets and not to a meter since you are not on a grid. You’ll also see a backup generator with these systems.

Each residential solar system differs in cost. The price goes up with more components. Choose a system that meets your needs to save as much money as you can on electricity for you home.

Going Green: Alternative Energy: Cost Of Solar Energy

Going Green: How Much Does Solar Power Cost?

The Cost of Solar Power

Solar power can save you money. What was once a fad has taken off in a big way as government scientists look for ways to break our dependence on fossil fuels. Now that you understand solar power, can you afford it?

Solar energy will pay for itself once you have set up the system but the problem is the initial cost to the consumer to get the system going. For a business, these costs can be handled because there is usually more capital available. For a homeowner, it is not as simple especially in the current housing market where home equity isn't available to draw from.

The first step is to determine how much solar energy you will need to power your home. This depends on your current and historical energy consumption. With solar power, many families learn how to live on less to gain the most cost savings not to mention the potential to "sell" back the excess power to their local utility.

Some want to eliminate their energy bill altogether. That requires more solar panels than someone who wants to subsidize their energy bill with a residential solar power system. Professional solar kits can run you anywhere from $20,000 to over $70,000. This includes the equipment, the cost of having the site inspected and hiring someone to prepare the land for the panels if mounted in the yard or having someone mount them on your home’s roof. You will also need the services of an electrician to wire the components into your home electrical system - even if you are on a grid intertied system (uses a battery to store solar electricity until needed). The cost can be higher than stated above for larger homes or estates.

The federal and state governments are offering incentives to those who are committed to saving energy and reducing their dependence on fossil fuels. Government tax incentives and grants can be used to defray a portion of the overall cost. A knowledgeable solar installer should be able to provide you with the most current incentives.

For those who are ambitious and like DIY projects, you can create your own residential solar power system. Choose a DIY kit that gives you all the information and blueprints for the system. They may even suggest where you can find the component parts for a lower cost such as on eBay or at your local hardware store.

The key to success with a DIY system is planning, planning and more planning. If you are not committed to the task it can get overwhelming pretty quickly. But, it does keep you from paying such a high price upfront for the benefits of residential solar power.

Only you can decide if you can afford the cost of a residential solar power system. Think about reducing your energy consumption and other fuel costs to save money towards your new system.

Here's to Going Green!

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Going Green: Alternative Energy: Residential Solar Energy

Going Green: How Does Solar Power Work?

Solar power is energy from the sun. You feel it every day when you walk outside during the day. The sun provides heat and light for the earth. But, what is going on when people decide to use solar power for their homes?

Solar Energy Basics

It all starts with the sun’s rays which bombard the earth with solar radiation (UVA and UVB). Much of those rays are then reflected back into space but there is enough of that energy that is absorbed by the earth to fuel homes all across the planet.

You’ve probably seen solar panels on rooftops and in yards as they have gotten a bit more streamlined since they first came out. Until recently, only the well off could afford residential solar power but the systems are more affordable and commonly used now.

Each solar panel is composed of photovoltaic cells. These cells are usually made of silicon or other semi-conductive material. The cells are arranged uniformly with a positive and a negative end to create the solar panel device. When the light hits the panels (usually placed on the south side of the roof or the lawn), it is absorbed into the solar cells.

The light energy (photons) hits the solar cells and electrons are knocked loose. These loose electrons move through the array and create the electricity you need to power your home. At this point, the electricity that is produced is DC, or direct current. Your home uses AC or alternating current so the energy has to be converted.

This is where the rest of the system takes over. The electricity that is produced by the solar PV (photovoltaic) array, is then passed to a DC disconnect device. This device interrupts the flow of electricity from the array. From there, you can use one of two methods for funneling the electricity into your home. If you use a residential solar power system that is directly connected to your electrical system, the electricity will then pass through an inverter to change the DC to AC. If you are using a system that uses a battery to store solar electricity for later use, solar electricity is sent to a battery bank where it is stored until needed. When you are ready to use the electricity, it then passes through an inverter for use by AC outlets in your home.

Have anything else to add? Do you use solar power? What have your experiences been?

Here's to Going Green!

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