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Written by Rafael Reyes Friday, 03 September 2010 17:57

Smart Meters accurate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 3, 2010

MEDIA CONTACT:
Rafael Reyes, 408-409-5534

BAY AREA CLIMATE COLLABORATIVE STATEMENT ON CPUC INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF PG&E SMART METERS

SAN JOSE – The Bay Area Climate Collaborative applauds the work of the CPUC to independently evaluate the PG&E Smart Meters. The evaluation – conducted by The Structure Group and commissioned by CPUC – included nearly 900 meters in laboratory testing, field meter testing, and end-to-end system testing. The study found that all of the tested Smart Meters and systems were working accurately and that customer billing matched the expected results.

“Smart meters save money and lower green house gas emissions by giving consumers and businesses the power to make smarter decisions about energy use. We welcome the independent report today which found the meters to be accurate. We ask PG&E to embrace the other findings about ways to improve customer communication,” said Rafael Reyes, Director of the Bay Area Climate Collaborative.

The Structure Group evaluation demonstrates the reliability of the technology and supports its continued rollout.

“Smart Meters are the key to a Smart Grid, which is the foundation of greater use of renewable energy, greater conservation efforts and the transition to emerging technologies like electric cars,” Rafael added. “The Department of Energy has stated that that these Smart Grid technologies can save $36 billion annually by 2025. That’s just how important this technology is to a greener California.”

More information on The Structure Group report is available at: www.cpuc.ca.gov. More information on the Bay Area Climate Collaborative is available at www.baclimate.org.

Written by Rafael Reyes Thursday, 26 August 2010 19:13

Sustainable Cities - Sept 2nd

We are pleased to invite you to Sustainable Cities on September 2^nd. At Sustainable Cities you will be able to learn and share on how to improve budgets while advancing your sustainability goals.

Attendees will receive a 16 page, information-filled best-practices guide on financing, lighting, transportation and more - plus a glimpse of the new Sustainable Cities video. The program also includes exciting news from Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino. Media will be present.

Spots are limited so register at http://bacc-sustainablecities.eventbrite.com!

Please join us and bring your colleagues.

Learn and share ideas on cost-effective strategies for your community such as:

Advanced financing options to increase solar power, without up-front investment
Use of energy efficiency to reduce energy expenses
Green building and rooftop solar practices that reduce staff demands
Plug-in vehicle strategies that enable lower fuel and maintenance costs
Opportunities to advance green jobs

Sustainable Cities details:

Thursday, September 2nd

5:30 – 7:30 pm

Intero Real Estate Services

377 Santana Row #1180

San Jose

Click here for a map of the Intero Real Estate and parking at the Santana Row complex.

This program is made possible by the generous support from our sponsors Technology Credit Union, Solar City, Philips Lumileds and Xeralux.

Written by Rafael Reyes Monday, 23 August 2010 19:32

Findings Published - Bay Area Green Building Survey

Together with our partners, the BACC has completed a green building policy assessment for the 9-county Bay Area region, and has produced detailed maps illustrating Bay Area green building policies and a detailed matrix documenting the standards, levels and thresholds used by local governments throughout the region, including links to the policies where available.

Notable among the key findings:

Nearly all adopted standards use USGBC's LEED for municipal and commercial standards, and Build It Green's Green Point Rated for residential standards
Forty-four cities and counties have adopted required new commercial green building standards
Fifty-one cities and counties have adopted required new residential green building standards
Numerous cities and counties have adopted standards for residential and commercial remodels and improvements
Local approaches to standards typically require higher standards for larger buildings and more flexibility for smaller buildings

The BACC is indebted to its partners on the assessment - Build It Green, RecycleWorks, SF Environment, Sierra Club - Loma Prieta Chapter, StopWaste.Org, US Green Building Council N. CA.

The full-color maps, matrix and findings can be found here.

Written by Rafael Reyes Monday, 16 August 2010 00:19

Extreme weather events consistent with climate change

A spate of extreme weather events are have been impacting multiple parts of the world in a pattern consistent with scientific expectations of the consequences of climate change.

Prominent climate experts from the Met Office in the UK, the National Center for Atmospheric Research in the U.S., the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and other institutions say the recent spate of extreme weather is consistent with manmade climate change.

As of August 10, wildfires have killed 52 people in Russia and prompted nearly 750 more to seek medical care. The fires span over 1,740 km2 (672 square miles), nearly the same amount of rainforest burned in Brazil between June 2009 and 2010. Officials fear that soot from the fires could settle in the Arctic, hastening melting of glaciers and sea ice.
In Pakistan, the death toll from floods caused by unusually heavy monsoons reached 1,600 on August 11. Approximately 14 million people have been affected overall.
In China, 702 people have been killed as of August 10 by mudslides caused by record-setting rains. Over 1,000 more people are missing.
In western Africa, where millions of people are suffering food shortages induced by drought, seasonal flooding has killed almost 100 people and displaced at least 5,000 more as of August 10.
And finally, on August 5, a 97-square-mile (251 km2) chunk of ice — the largest since 1962 — calved from the Petermann Glacier on the northwestern coast of Greenland. Canadian officials fear that the massive “ice island” could pose a risk to ships and oil platforms.

While it “can still be problematic to blame a specific individual extreme weather event on climate change,” says Dr. Peter Stott, head of the Met Office, “the odds of such extreme events are rapidly shortening and could become considered the norm by the middle of this century.”

Read more about the connections between extreme events and climate change.

Written by Rafael Reyes Sunday, 15 August 2010 17:40

Climate change worsens smog

A new study from UC Davis highlights additional impacts from climate change - degraded air quality.

The new study provides evidence of what is becoming known as the “climate penalty,” in which rising temperatures increase ground-level ozone and airborne health-damaging particles, despite the reductions achieved by programs targeting smog-forming emissions from cars, trucks and industrial sources.

This illustration shows projected ozone changes in California's south coast region due to climate change in the year 2050. Areas in orange and red could see ozone concentrations elevated by nine to 18 parts per billion.

More information: The full report and an executive summary are available at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/apr/past/climate.htm

Blog Topics

Smart Meters accurate

Sustainable Cities - Sept 2nd

Findings Published - Bay Area Green Building Survey

Extreme weather events consistent with climate change

Climate change worsens smog

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