photo credit: gadl

Grants are given in various levels of government. There is the federal, state and then those being offered by non profit organizations.

The application process in any of these is the same. The difference will be in the requirements so the person has to get a brochure or do the necessary research online to pre-qualify.

The amount that a person can get from a US federal grant is not fixed. This means that Mr. X can get more than Mr. Y depending on the merits of the proposal. When this is awarded to the recipient, every penny spent must be recorded because the government would like to see where the money went.

People should remember that the money used to fund the project came from the taxpayers. It is only right to follow the terms of the agreement rather than paying hefty fines or penalties and in some cases be sent to prison.

If there is some money left, this should be returned so someone else who is applying for the grant is able to use it.

People can apply for a US federal grant in person or online. In any case, the person does not have to pay anything because it is free.

After the forms and the proposal has been submitted, the only thing for the individual to do now is wait. The news of the application may come in the next few weeks or months so all the applicant has to do is get the check and then use it in whatever project.

One way of checking on its status is by keeping the CDFA or the funding opportunity number that is assigned to each person applying for a grant.

The competition for a US federal grant is intense. Sometimes, the budget for a small business grant that amounts to $150 billion, is not enough for everyone in the entire the country.

This is the reason that people are also advised to apply for another grant through the other federal agencies. After all, there are no limits here so someone may be fortunate enough to get three or more.

Again, the only thing the government asks for is for the recipient to use every penny wisely.

The key to getting a federal grant is in the documentation. The proposal must have a purpose, a timetable, the objective, the probable out come and most importantly the amount that will be needed for the project.

The difference of getting a federal grant from those being offered by colleges and universities is that the person does not have to argue the case in front of a committee. The papers will speak for itself and hopefully, people will see its importance and decide grant the request.

Hundreds of federal grant applications come in through each of the 57 agencies every year. Each document is about 10 pages long so it takes time to read and review each one before giving the green light.

If the request was not approved the first time, as the saying goes, ” try and try again.” There are many reasons why it was rejected the first time so it wouldn’t hurt to review everything again so that next time, it can work.

There is money out there and this can come in the form of a grant from the federal government.

To access the internet’s most comprehensive grant directory, please visit http://www.us-government-grant.info

photo credit: h.koppdelaney

Environmental & Economic Benefits

The “green gold rush” is on. Global investment in renewable energy surged some 60 percent, to $148 billion last year. Investment in clean energy from wind, solar and biofuels rose three times faster in 2007 than predicted by the UN Environmental Program, with wind power attracting $50.2 billion, a third of all clean energy investments. Investment in solar energy soared by 254 percent to $28.6 billion last year. This “green gold rush” is propelled by the soaring fossil-fuel prices, and concerns over carbon dioxide emissions that fuel global warming.

The world is at an undeniable crossroad. Projections show three to four times more electrical power could be required over the next 50 years to support continued growth in population and economic output. Clean, renewable sources are the answer. “Unlike other major energy transitions, such as wood-to-coal and coal-to-oil, moving from oil to alternatives will be forced and rapid,” writes Charles Cresson Wood, President of Post-Petroleum Transportation, a consulting firm.

The Cost of Conventional Energy

In the last six years, uranium prices have moved from $7 a pound to $80 a pound. Coal has moved from $22 a ton delivered at the plant to $55 a ton, and natural gas has gone from $2 per million BTUs to $12 per million BTUs. Oil went from $20 a barrel to $145 a barrel.

As these dirty energy resources become more costly, so follows the delivered price of electricity jumping by 70 percent in the last six years in New Jersey and many other states. All analysts expect continued increases in electricity costs.

Americans Want Solar

94% of Americans say it’s important for the U.S. to develop and use solar energy. 72% favor extension of Federal tax credits for renewable technologies, and 77% of Americans want the government to make solar power development a national priority, according to the independent polling firm, Kelton Research, June 10, 2008. “These results are an undeniable signal to our elected leaders that Americans want job-creating solar power, now,” said Rhone Resch, President of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

“Solar development means job growth for Americans, by Americans, in an industry that will benefit America,” said Dr. Gerald Fine, President & CEO of SCHOTT North America. “Rather than rely on foreign sources for fuel, the U.S. can aspire to become the world’s leader in clean energy.”

General Electric, with a goal of investing $6 billion in renewable energy by 2010, already surpassed the $4 billion mark this July. GE says that within two years, renewable energy will make up almost a quarter of its total investments in energy, up from 10% in 2006. Investment banks Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs all plan to take advantage of global interest in renewable investments. Meanwhile, NYMEX, the New York-based stock exchange, recently formed a consortium of financial institutions to launch a Green Exchange to trade Renewable Energy Credits.

The Market Speaks: Renewable Energy Finance Forum Wall Street
Over 600 senior executives attended the 5th annual Renewable Energy Finance Forum (REFF) held this June in New York City. “Each year, we have increasingly seen financial leaders on Wall Street recognize renewable energy companies as an important growth sector for the US economy,” said Michael Eckhart, President of the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) who hosted the forum along with Euromoney Energy Events. “This new reality has helped launch renewable energy investing into mainstream financial arenas and continues to drive the momentum of the industry,” said Eckhart.

Top analysts forecasted the industry’s potential in the US, for solar power, wind power and bio-fuels. Speakers also drew attention to wavering political issues threatening the viability of renewable developments as Congress currently debates the extension of critical investment catalysts like the Investment Tax Credit and the Production Tax Credit.

“Wall Street has shown us that the full forces of American innovation are ready to be deployed to meet our energy challenges. If government leaders can provide a stable long-term climate for investment, the renewable energy sector will see unprecedented growth, providing extensive economic opportunities and environmental benefits,” said John Geesman, Co-Chair of the ACORE Board of Directors and former Calif. Secretary of Energy.

GE Financial Services and ACORE released a report at the REFF weighing the long-term economic impact of wind development with the up-front cost of the production tax credit. The report found that the net present value of 2007 US wind development is worth $250 million more than the price tag for the tax credits, which was about $9 billion last year. According to the report, the tax credit pays for itself because of tax revenue received from wind projects, worker wages and other taxes. Once the PTC and ITC issues are behind the industry, the next big battle on Capitol Hill will be over a carbon-weighted policy like cap and trade, according to presenters.

“We simply need more energy. We’re not waiting around for governments to craft the perfect policies,” said Vivienne Cox, Executive Vice President of BP’s alternative energy business. “This is an important market, and we’re going to build a business around it.”
The US is currently the world’s fourth-largest solar power market after Germany, Japan and Spain. Japan is aiming for 30 percent of all its homes to have solar panels installed by 2030, bringing the number of installations to 14 million, according to Kyodo News. Japanese solar panel manufacturers, which include Sharp, account for half of the world output of solar power equipment.

Grid Parity

Grid Parity is the point at which Photovoltaic (PV) electricity costs the same or less than power derived from the electrical grid. PV Grid Parity is expected beginning 2012 in places where sunshine is plentiful, and 2018 in areas of the world with medium sun exposure, according to a study in June from iSupply Corp., an electronics industry analysis company.

Worldwide investments in the production of PV cells will rise to the same level as those for semiconductor manufacturing by 2010, due to booming demand for solar energy. Each PV factory will require an investment of $500 million or more, employ as many as 1,000 workers per site and generate annual revenue of $1 billion per year or more.

By 2010, as many as 400 production lines in the world that can produce at least 1 Megawatt (MW) of PV cells per year, will be in place, representing a four-fold increase in production lines from 2007. Factories capable of 1 Gigawatt (GW) of annual PV production will also be established in the future, to ensure continued strong delivery of PV cells to the market. PV cell production will become cheaper over time, with cell makers Q-Cells, AG, and REC Group expecting a reduction in PV system costs of 40 percent by 2010.

Tom Werner, chief executive of SunPower Corp., the largest North American solar panel manufacturer, sees Grid Parity for solar power in the US and elsewhere happening in about five years, or possibly as soon as 2010. “That’s actually more aggressive than what we would say previously, and that’s because the cost of electricity is going up faster than we had ever modeled,” Werner said at the Reuters Global Energy Summit this past June.

Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd., one of the largest of a growing number of Chinese solar companies, sees the same five-year timeline, thanks to increasing supplies of silicon that will help drive down costs.

The end of polysilicon shortages could cause PV costs to drop in half. “It takes about two or three years to add capacity,” says Travis Bradford, an industry analyst for the Prometheus Institute. The shortage has been severe enough to drive up silicon prices to more than 10 times normal levels, to $450 a kilogram, adds Ted Sullivan, an analyst at Lux Research.

The Business Case For Solar Now

Right now, in New Jersey, the average kilowatt of electricity is being sold to residents at the rate of 18 cents kwhr. If you purchase a 5 kw solar PV system for $40,000 that could generate about 8,000 kilowatts a year, and could easily last for 30 years (panels often carry a 25 year manufacturer’s warranty), your system would generate about 192,000 kilowatt hours over the 30 years, after subtracting 20% for rated age. Now, if you take the 192,000 kilowatt hours and divide it by $40,000, then each kilowatt costs you about 15 cents. Would you rather pay for your own clean, renewable energy system, that carries a 25 year warranty, or purchase dirty electricity coming from coal, nuclear or oil sources, at the rate of 18 cents?

I asked energy analyst, Charles Cresson Wood, if he thinks the price of solar electricity is at Grid Parity now with conventional electricity, when analyzed over 25 years, the typical warranty period of today’s solar panels. He replied, “When one realistically considers the trajectory of the costs for fossil fuels, then solar, wind and other renewables are less expensive over a time frame such as that which you mention.” The analysis is based on research done for his book Kicking The Gasoline & Petro-Diesel Habit.

Solar Is A Better Choice

Energy consultant Jim Harding estimates the operating cost per kilowatt-hour for a new nuclear plant will be in the region of 30 cents for its first dozen years, only dropping to 18 cents after construction costs are paid down. With distributed solar at the low end of this bracket and dropping, and with concentrated solar and wind power estimated at 14 cents per kilowatt-hour, energy companies are backing away from their proposals for new nuclear facilities. Of the seventeen currently in the planning stage, Moody’s Investor Service only expects one or two to be on line by 2015.

Cap-And-Trade System

A cap-and-trade provision would make it costlier to emit carbon into the atmosphere and discourage the burning of fossil fuels. The economics of solar and other cleaner energy sources would be even more competitive.

According to Amory Lovins, physicist and author, reducing carbon emissions would be cheaper and safer if nuclear was rejected in favor of alternatives that are sustainable. Investing in the nuclear option would suck up capital that would be spent more cost-effectively on renewable energy, efficiency and conservation. In contrast to the vast money pit required by nukes, every dollar invested in energy efficiency programs returns three dollars in electricity savings to utility customers.

While debates on disposal of radioactive waste, vulnerability to terrorist attacks, and large-scale use of fresh water required to run nuclear plants continue, it’s tough to argue with the numbers. If the debate is between a clean, renewable source such as solar, which can reach utility scale in some parts of the country, and a more expensive form of power that Wall Street investors won’t even touch, then the nuclear defenders may be running out of arguments. The bottom line is that nuclear costs two to 10 times more than its clean competitors.

Incentives For Renewables

There is not yet a national program in place, except for a 30% Investment Tax Credit (ITC) limited to a maximum of $2,000 for homeowners, with no limit for business. This applies to both solar PV and domestic solar hot water systems. The ITC will expire at the end of 2008, unless Congress passes an extension, which it is slated to do, by many political analysts.

Currently 25 states offer various incentives for homes and businesses. In New York, a rebate of approximately 50% is available for a solar PV system. New Jersey’s incentive program is going through a transition after offering an average of 60% rebates for the past seven years.

The plan is to move into a performance-based incentive, called the Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs), which pays the solar PV system owner annually based on the number of kilowatts produced by the system. A residential rebate of $3.00 per watt for solar PV systems, starting in 2009 till 2012 with incremental decreases is planned. That rebate would be close to 40% of the system cost.

For detailed information on specific state rebates, visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency.

Power Purchase Agreements & Leases

The use of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and similar leasing instruments to finance residential and commercial solar power installations is taking off. The commercial solar PPA market has already been active in California and New Jersey.

The Atlantic City Convention Center has awarded Pepco Energy Services, a 20-year PPA to install one of the largest single roof-mounted solar arrays in the US. Under the 20-year contract, Pepco will build, own, operate and maintain the 2.36-Megawatt solar array for the Convention Center. Construction is planned for completion by December 31, 2008. Jeanne Fox, President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities states, “This is an example of the kind of initiatives we hope to see as we transition to the sale or trade of SRECs to pay for solar projects.”

Last year, half of all the commercial solar installs in the US were PPAs, and this year that number is running between 60 and 80 percent, according to Jon Guice, researcher at AltaTerra, in Palo Alto, CA, a green energy consultancy group.

Sun Run, one of the first PPA-based residential distributed power companies in California, offers a standard agreement providing electricity at 13.5 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for 18 years, according to Nat Kreamer, Sun Run’s CEO. “If you do a 30-year look-back, residential electricity rates in California have risen an average of 6.7 percent per year,” he says. They offer various up-front payment options, so that an increased payment would result in delivered electricity decreases.

“We found the sweet spot for customers is up to $10,000 for prepayment, and that they want flexible options for reassigning the contract when they move, and not a big buy-out at the end,” Kreamer says. “At the end of the term, customers can renew their contracts for a year at a time, or buy out the system at a fraction of the installed cost.”

Another form of financing for residential solar systems that requires less or no up-front payments, is leasing. David Arfin, vice president of customer financing at Solar City of Foster City, CA states that, “The big difference is with a lease: there is no money down, and in most cases homeowners are saving money from day one.” Solar City leases typically run for 15 years, after which time homeowners can purchase the system for 20 to 30 percent of the cost of the installed system. Leases can be extended for five-year increments.

“With a PPA, the residential host agrees to pay for certain kWh produced on his or her roof, and they have a variable payment depending on what is produced and used. With our lease, there is a fixed payment every month, but they still get the benefits of whatever excess power is generated,” said Arfin. “It’s sort of like the difference between leasing a car by the mile or by the week,” he adds.

A Home Equity Line of Credit is the most profitable choice for credit-worthy NJ homeowners to finance a solar system. Their monthly loan payment will be comparable to the savings on their current electric bill. After factoring in rising electric rates and the SRECs, the homeowner can get extra income from their solar purchase.

The fact is, unless you own your own electric generating system, or have a set price agreement with a PPA or PPL, you are leasing your power from a utility company with no control over its future cost.

Clean Power Finance has tools and loan products to make the purchase of home solar power systems more affordable. Clean Power Finance tools assist with completing the rebates, and match multiple funding options. Everything is done online.

The Borrower’s Guide to Financing Solar Energy Systems: A Federal Overview provides information to assist both lenders and consumers in financing solar electric and thermal systems, with descriptions of special mortgage programs for energy-efficient homes. The free brochure is online at www.nrel.gov/docs/fy99osti/26242.pdf

For Super Big Renewable & Efficient Ideas The Dept of Energy will make up to $10 billion dollars in loan guarantee authority, available for projects employing energy efficiency, renewable energy and advanced transmission and distribution technologies that constitute New or Significantly Improved Technologies. It’s limited to 80% of total Project Costs, and requires a non-refundable minimum application fee of $18,750 to be considered.

Breaking news: Vice President Al Gore has begun a campaign that is so ambitious, it could be game-changing. He is challenging our nation to produce 100% of our electricity from renewable energy within 10 years. Al Gore noted, “To those who say 10 years is not enough time, I respectfully ask them to consider what the world’s scientists are telling us about the risks we face if we don’t act in 10 years.”

To learn how you can get involved in the Solar solution, and energy efficiency, a course is being offered at Brookdale Community College, in Lincroft, NJ on Tuesday nights from 7-9pm Sept. 23 through Oct. 7, 2008 and again in January 2009.For scheduling, call: 732-842-1900.
For more information go to http://www.bized.com

Cathy Sims, editor and publisher of the biz.ed Guide since 1986

photo credit: MSFP

Sometimes it takes one event or trigger to change your life or the direction you are going. I have been very much in my element the last 12 months trying to develop more and more content and services for consulting and coaching clients. I have had clients on a regular basis, even though I always feel I should have more, based on all the time I spend finding them.

As any good coach and entrepreneur should, I keep up on the developments in the industry and believe in the concept of “paying it forward”. The developments in our economy didn’t really help my relatively new company.

Like a small, little seedling, it has been pelted by the storms of uncertainty, increasing prices, tightening of disposable income, and the possibility of a recession.

Digesting lots of training materials and marketing advice showed that a focused, niche approach is important to find the right clients. I thought focusing on top-performance for individuals and companies would be a narrow enough niche.

Have you ever lived through a period of time where you felt you are working hard, helping people, providing good content, being available for others needs, and generally follow what you believe the experts recommend – only to find out that you don’t generate nearly enough income?

A friend of mine send me a message stating: “While working with my hands this weekend, instead of using my head, as I normally do all day, I realized that I didn’t create a business but a job for myself that pays less than what I would make in a corporate environment and bears much more responsibility. I want to change that.”

I thought about this statement and came to the conclusion that she was right. Being in business and working long hours with no vacations is supposed to be a price to be paid for a limited time to get the business going, but not a decades-long state of affairs.

I realized that I had created a job but not the success I wanted to achieve for the company, it’s team members and myself. What I found I was missing was more focus for my passion of coaching.

I asked a few friends earlier in the year how I would know that I have discovered a new, deeper level of focus within my passion. All they said was: “You will know when you experience it”.

For me that moment came the day after I participated in a webinar about everybody’s Green Potential. I felt that I wanted to combine what I had done so far with issues of the environment. That’s how the term “Eco-Conscious Coaching” was born and I am excited to develop all kinds of services and products around it in the near future.

At the start of something new, I think it is helpful to have some definitions to achieve clarity for readers, interested participants, clients, and companies contemplating to adopt what we will have to offer.

The short form “Eco” stands for the word Ecology. Ecology (from Greek: ¿¯º¿Â, oikos, “household”; and »Ì³¿Â, logos, “knowledge”) is the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of life and the interactions between organisms and their natural environment.

In the context I am using “Eco”, it goes back to a more business and work oriented view developed by the German biologist Ernst Haekel. He came up with the term “Oekologie” and defined it as the relationship between an organism and the environment. For me, this organism is the human being.

The term environment is applicable both as the immediate space something occupies as well as the environment in the sense of nature as a whole.

Consciousness is a little harder to define and allows for more variety. I apply it in this way: Consciousness = self-awareness, and the ability to perceive a relationship between oneself and one’s environment”.

Put together I would define: “Eco-consciousness is the awareness of the relationship one has with environment (nature) as it relates to the impact of our actions and decisions.”

When looking at eco-conscious coaching and consulting, I want to bring this awareness of our actions into the field of life- and work- improvement. As an example, let’s take the attribute “Motivation“. When helping others become top performers this attribute plays an important role, both for the leader as well as the follower.

When the eco-conscious aspect is added, we can not only talk about the things it takes to motivate oneself or others to do certain things or be aware of certain circumstances, but now we can add the ecological aspect. I can motivate someone to be better organized, thereby achieving higher efficiency.

If, at the same time, I provide guidance for the use of environmentally friendly processes, procedures, policies, materials, and explanations to the why, I can achieve higher efficiency with a lesser impact on the ecology/nature/environment.

In addition, this consciousness in the form of increased awareness can be highlighted to the employees, the clients, and everybody in the market place.

Studies have shown that people want to be, live, and act in harmony with nature and their environment, if they have the choice.

In general, when people have the choice to pick between something natural, organic, environmentally friendly, and a similar item without these attributes, they overwhelmingly go for the environmentally superior product or service.

Studies have shown (I actually supported a very recent study directly) that more than 70% of people in the US want to work for eco-friendly businesses and like to act eco-friendly if the choice is of similar quality, price, or effort. The Unites States is just awakening to the Green revolution. There can be no doubt about the huge demand for information, solutions, services, everything involving eco-conscious approaches.

I believe individuals and businesses want to be more environmentally friendly but often don’t know how.

We will develop services and products to help fulfill this desire and offer new solutions to high performance at work and in private life. Most importantly, eco-conscious behaviors, adopted from coaching sessions , workshops, webinars, or home study courses will provide a more fulfilling and joyful life.

The combination of success and joy is what we all try to find, and a heightened level of eco-consciousness will lead us there. It will be mind-boggling and eye-opening to demonstrate that eco-consciousness means more fun, more success, mire joy, more comforts, and not less, as many officials have lead as to believe for way too long.

I am excited about the prospects and hope to receive a lot of feedback, suggestions and participation as we develop a range of services and products to help everybody lead a more eco-conscious life.

Axel Meierhoefer is an eco-conscious performance coach, author, and the founder of Axel Meierhoefer Consulting (AMC LLC). His motto is” Helping others help themselves achieve success”. If you’d like to get on his E-mail list for more articles, or like more insights, goto http://www.meierhoefer.net/blog or email AM@Meierhoefer.net

photo credit: technicolorcavalry

Solar Is Our Future: Crafting Your Own Green Collar, Solar Business

Starting a home based solar energy business has many rewards and challenges. Starting a business is a big responsibility that includes commitment, professionalism, training, and self-discipline. It involves careful consideration, such as what type of competition you’ll encounter and the demand for the solar rental service you can expect. Start searching for your next dream job.

Due to this commitment, the Department of Energy will be more than willing to give out grants for something like a home-based, solar energy business. Steven Chu, the new Secretary of Energy has pledged to make the Department of Energy’s services more available to the common person. This means that anymore who want to run a business from home promoting the use of solar energy should be able to work their way through the bureaucracy well.

The change in attitude related to renewable, solar energy just offers way more options to a person, who may have lost their job during this economic downturn, to get a let up and start their own, work from home business.

Most of the grants and funding work is done through the Office of Science Grants and Contracts Division. The Office of Science Contracts would make an assessment on whether or not the work from home solar energy business would be viable enough to be worthy of a government subsidy. The DOE has launched what they call the Solar America Initiative. Many new renewable energy initiatives will establish many new forms of energy all from off grid places by twenty-fifteen.

There are other options and ways to start your own solar energy business besides getting the whole business operation up and running by yourself. You can look for other established or emerging companies that have inexpensive ways to become affiliated with them. To be a sales associate in most organizations doesn’t take a lot of work. You may need to pass a test to show you are qualified and know a little about solar energy but that is usually it.

You do not need to be a college graduate or a seasoned sales executive. More often than not, a person with passion and drive can really make a difference. There are opportunities in the renewable energy industry for those who believe in solar power and wish to promote alternate ways to help the U.S. produce electricity.

If you are required to pay a fee to become involved in a business opportunity, it may mean something is fishy. Good business opportunities, especially targeting the home-based entrepreneur, show not fees or additional costs to join. You should be on the lookout if they do. A reputable company will not ask new associates to pay for a “welcome kit” or sample products. The primary objective is about creating a team, a collective of passionate people all doing good by referring U.S. homeowners to exciting aspects of renting a solar energy system for their home.

Obviously the idea of a home based solar energy business that promotes the renting of a solar system versus having to buy one is a super way to offer renewable energy and one great idea that will get us all closer to moving off the grid for good.

A green collar, solar job was talked about so much during the 2008 presidential election. A green collar job would revive the solar manufacturing base in this country and provide opportunity to people who otherwise might not be able to make a good living or who may have recently lost a job. A small business is the lifeblood of the economy for many communities so when a green collar job is a part of a small business, it is a winning combination.

The exciting aspect of solar energy is the potential for growth. The renewable energy industry is still in its infancy. With less than 2.three percent of the U.S. home solar energy market is tapped currently. Renewable energy has a long way to go and much growth to tap into. What’s more, solar power makes up three fifths of a percent of the total renewable share, and yet, solar power has the greatest potential of all renewable types for rapid, exponential growth.

There are also several websites that promote the idea of home based renewable energy. Many of these websites have connections to private equity and venture capital firms who would consider investing in a solar energy company, but the truth is that there is such a calling for something innovative like a home based solar company that large upfront investments are not necessary in many ways.

Home based solar energy companies would fit nicely in the scheme of the President’s Advanced Energy Initiative. Dr. Chu, who was referenced earlier, stresses the need for a strong partnership with the private sector related to the growth of solar.

As a professor at Stanford, Chu has written on the benefits of renewable energy for home usage and how it will help ease our way off fossil fuels. Chu has called for a revolution in alternative fuels and he says there is no better time than now to confront challenges like global warming. This is why 2009-2010 would be a great time to start up a home based solar energy business.

At Solargies, our mission is to spread the use of renewable energies as simply as possible. We provide U.S. homeowners the option to rent a solar electric system. We also offer entrepreneurs a no cost method to build their own solar energy business. Lost your job recently? Why not create a whole, renewable one. Learn more about Daniel at http://www.EcoCrews.com

photo credit: huees

t’s More Than The Environment!

INCREASED REVENUE

• Client base

Clients and prospective customers prefer to do business with companies with common values. Client retention will increase while the base of new clients will expand. Public and private sector purchasing practices will increasingly consider a company’s environmental policies in the selection process.

• Reputation and public image

Employees, executives, business partners, clients, shareholders, family and friends want to align with an environmentally responsible business

• Industry trends & competition

Being aware of industry trends is smart business. The marketplace rewards best practices, separating leaders from laggards. Competitors are aware of marketplace trends and will implement sustainability measures if they haven’t already done so.

REDUCED OPERATING COST

• Energy costs

Reduced energy use and cost results from green business operation. Lowering peak energy demand results in outsized energy cost reductions.

• Water costs

Ensuring adequate freshwater supplies will become increasingly difficult over the coming decades. Water conservation strategies can reduce water use by 50% or more.

• Cleaning and maintenance costs

Carefully selected, green building materials and products require less maintenance or reduce the need for cleaning. Smart landscaping with native plants typically requires significantly less maintenance than conventional turf and shrubbery.

• Waste reduction

Offices and entire buildings can be designed to reduce waste generation and incorporate facilities for recycling waste. Coffee break and lunch areas can use reusable dishes and utensils.

• Employee recruiting

Recruiting quality employees is a challenge. Workspace quality including such features as daylighting, views to the outdoors and indoor air quality can have a significant impact. Prospective employees are attracted to employers who are concerned about employee health and are committed to sustainable business practices.

• Employee turnover

Not only does a healthy, comfortable office environment and a commitment to sustainability attract quality workers but green employers experience lower employee turnover. How long does it take and how much does it cost to replace a productive employee?

PRODUCTIVITY

• Health

Since Americans spend approximately 85% of their time indoors, indoor environmental quality is extremely important. Green buildings and green offices are healthier workplaces which help keep workers healthy. Reduced absenteeism contributes to productivity.

• Recovery from illness

Indoor environmental quality, outdoor views and connections to nature have been shown to promote healing while reducing the spread of illness through airborne viruses and bacteria.

• Comfort

A well-insulated building reduces energy consumption but also increases comfort. Eliminating drafts, minimizing temperature variations, and controlling noise also improve occupant comfort. Increased comfort also contributes to productivity.

• Learning

Studies show a distinct, positive correlation between learning rates and daylighting, comfort, noise control and outdoor views.

THE COMMUNITY

• Municipal services

Green businesses use less water and produce less wastewater. In many U.S. communities, increased capacity is simply not available. When it is available, reducing sewage volume reduces the use of energy and chemicals in sewage treatment plants.

• Automobile use and traffic congestion

Green business operations consider how the office is integrated into the community and public transportation. Reducing dependence on automobiles has high priority. Locating near public transportation and providing facilities and incentives to encourage commuting by walking, biking and public transportation help reduce automobile use and traffic congestion. And reduced traffic congestion improves quality of life, increases productivity and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

• A sense of community

Employee mobility and 20th century suburban development trends contribute to a loss of community. Green community development help reverse these trends, creating neighborhoods in which residents interact with their neighbors. Safety and security within these neighborhoods improves while automobile dependency decreases.

THE ENVIRONMENT

• Global warming

Everything we do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has global benefits. Green businesses consume less energy and generate less carbon dioxide, require less transportation energy for occupants and visitors and avoid release of other greenhouse gases. Green businesses tread lightly on the environment.

• Ozone depletion

Green buildings minimize release of ozone-depleting substances by using environment friendly materials.

• Distance, Transportation and Energy

Shipping materials and products great distances uses more energy with corresponding environmental impacts. Green business operations strive to use local materials.

• Local and regional air quality

Reducing energy use in offices and buildings and in transporting occupants and visitors to and from these offices help improve local and regional air quality.

• Environmental Awareness

Green business operations make a clear and obvious statement about environmental stewardship. They set an example to employees and visitors, each of whom may become a strong advocate, affecting community attitudes and practices, in business and at home. Children raised in a green home will view the world with a green perspective.

SOCIETY AND COMMUNITY

• Support of local, sustainable business

Use of local supplies and materials and local agriculture invests in local companies which support the local community and encourages further investment.

Stan Gassman, BSC Sustainability Services Copyright 2008

Stan Gassman is a co-founder and principal of BSC Sustainability Services, http://www.bscsustainabilityservices.com a consulting company devoted to helping clients increase marketplace value by incorporating sustainability within their culture and operations.

Contact Stan via email, sgassman@bscsustainabilityservices.com