Urban power like rooftop solar dominates Brown's energy confab

It may not be quite the renewable energy powerhouse that Germany and China are, but California will be well on its way once it speeds up installations of smaller, urban projects, Gov. Jerry Brown said Monday.

At a UCLA conference called to help figure how to achieve Brown’s goal of 12 gigawatts of localized clean power production, he and executives from SolarCity, Google and NRG talked about the state’s energy future.

“At the same time we try to balance our budgets, we have to keep investing,” he said. “We have to keep California up among the innovative places of the world.”

Which isn’t to say that Brown doesn’t also cheerlead for large, utility-scale projects. He referenced a massive 1-gigawatt solar installation in Blythe, where he had attended a groundbreaking ceremony a month earlier.

But after signing a mandate this spring requiring California to draw 33% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020, Brown is on the lookout for cheaper and easier ways to generate clean power.

Enter distributed generation, which involves rooftop solar panels, small wind turbines, fuel cells and other technologies placed around homes and businesses.

Brown is among a large group of politicians and environmentalists -- including his predecessor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Los Angeles Business Council -- to push for urban energy production as a complement to the larger and occasionally problematic mountain and desert installations.

“We’re in a very real sector here,” Brown said. For more on the conference, check out the Times’ Money & Co. blog.

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Photo: Homeowner Michelle Gerdes on top of her Long Beach roof. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

California leads 'clean economy,' study finds

Nationwide, 2.7 million people work in the "clean economy," according to a new study. It employs nearly 320,000 people in California. In the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the sector accounts for about 90,000 workers.

Based on the definition offered in the report from the Brookings Institution, which refers to the clean economy as goods and services with an environmental benefit, there are more green jobs than there are positions with the fossil fuel industry.

The study attempts to tackle a quandary faced by many other researchers: What counts as a green job anyway?

Is it just wind turbine makers, solar panel installers and conservation specialists? Or, as Brookings researchers suggest, does the category also include workers in public mass transit, waste management and organic farming?

Find out how the study deals with the ambiguity -– and learn how much green employees make -– in Wednesday's article. 

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Photo: Los Angeles Conservation Corps employees begin the process of installing solar panels in Obregon Park in 2010. Credit: Anne Cusack /Los Angeles Times

A hybrid popemobile? Vatican says maybe

How well do red shoes go with a green car?

The Vatican may soon find out, according to spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi, who told the Associated Press that a hybrid, energy-saving Mercedes-Benz vehicle could replace the current popemobile.

Perhaps by the end of this year or early next year, German-born Pope Benedict XVI could be driven around in a fuel-efficient auto when he travels abroad, Lombardi said.

A Mercedes spokesman told the AP that he couldn’t confirm plans to develop such a car.  But could such a step help dub Benedict the "green pope"?

The Telegraph thinks so, pointing to the pontiff’s many discussions of conservation, consumerism and climate change. The Vatican’s main auditorium, Nervi Hall, now has solar panels. The city-state is pushing to get 20% of the electricity it uses from renewable sources.

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Photo: Pope Benedict XVI in his popemobile in Croatia this month. Credit: Pier Paolo Cito / Associated Press

Hypersonic passenger jet to run on clean fuel is unveiled at Paris Air Show

Super-fast speed — think Tokyo to L.A. in 2 1/2 hours — isn’t the only cool feature of the Zero Emission Hyper Sonic Transport proposed by EADS. At the Paris Air Show this week, the aircraft manufacturer and Airbus parent revealed its proposed passenger aircraft, which would be run on, among other sources, liquid hydrogen and biofuel.

The aircraft, which EADS said could be standard by 2050, would cruise at Mach 4 speeds nearly 20 miles high — inside the Earth’s atmosphere. Demonstration technologies could be ready by the end of this decade.

Companies at the Paris show were buzzing about clean-fuel options. Airbus and Parker Aerospace said they would look into fuel-cell technology that converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and creates water as exhaust. The pair said that flight tests could happen by mid-decade.

The Air Transport Assn. of America, the industry trade group, said a slew of member airlines signed letters of intent to partner with Solena Group. The company produces its GreenSky California fuel from biomass at a Santa Clara County facility.

By 2015, Solena plans to have 16 million gallons of jet fuel ready each year, made from urban and agricultural waste that would otherwise end up in landfills.

Carriers including American Airlines, United Continental Holdings, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and US Airways said they were interested in using the fuel at airports including Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose.

ASTM International, which creates standards for a number of industries, is expected in July to formally approve renewable biofuel blends with tradtional jet fuel for commercial flights.

Also, South San Francisco company Solazyme Inc. said the U.S. Navy successfully demonstrated its algae-based fuel Solajet by combining it with petroleum fuel to fly a MH-60S Seahawk helicopter.

Last month, the Air Force Thunderbirds performed using a mix that included biofuel made from the camelina flower.

 

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Photo: the Zero Emission Hypersonic Transport --  a commercial aircraft able to transport 50 to 100 people. Credit: EADS / AFP/Getty Images. Video: A U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter became the first Navy aircraft to fly on a 50-50 blend of algae- and petroleum-based fuels. Credit: Naval Air Systems Command

Solar rip-off? Many L.A. area cities overcharge for permits, Sierra Club says

More than half of the municipalities in Los Angeles County are overcharging for commercial solar installation permit fees, according to a new report from the Sierra Club.

Of 89 jurisdictions, 62% are charging more than necessary to make up for the cost of inspections and reviews for businesses, nonprofit organizations and government clients, the Angeles and Loma Prieta chapters of the environmental group said.

Nearly half -- 42 of 89 municipalities –- are doing the same for residential permits, the study found. Such high fees can discourage potential users from trying renewable energy, the Sierra Club said.

So far this year, 15 cities have lowered  their commercial fees more than $100, while 38 have dropped permit prices for residential projects since 2009, according to the Sierra Club.

The residential permit process for a 3 kilowatt solar installation runs an average of $512, the group said. Los Angeles’s rate is $248 -- down from $308 in 2009.

But Lawndale charges $1,471 -- up from $1,214 two years ago, according to the Sierra Club. Irwindale asks for $1,156, while San Marino, Bell and Paramount each require more than $1,080 in fees.

The average fees for commercial permits fall at $10,542, the Sierra Club said. Los Angeles comes in at $8,120. By comparison, Rolling Hills Estates charges $46,616 and Inglewood charges $37,692. In all, 13 municipalities rake in more than $20,000 for each round of permits.

Cities often base their fees on the valuation of the project. The environmental group suggests using specific review times and billable hourly rates instead.

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Photo: Solar panels in Los Feliz. Credit: Francine Orr/ Los Angeles Times

WindMade label for wind-powered companies debuts in U.S.

Add another certification system to the growing pile of green laurels, eco-friendly standards and sustainability seals that wannabe environmentalist companies can strive for.

This fall, businesses can apply for certification from the new WindMade standard, designed for companies that get at least a quarter of their electricity from wind power. The program will join similar ratings and labeling systems such as the LEED code for green buildings and the recently revealed plant symbol for bio-plastics products. 

WindMade, created in the same vein as the famed trio of arrows in the universal recycling symbol, debuted in the U.S. at a ceremony in New York on Wednesday. It was first introduced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January.

WindMade was developed by experts from the American Wind Energy Assn. trade group, the World Wildlife Fund, major turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems and toy manufacturer The LEGO Group. The certification system has also been reviewed by retailers such as Wal-Mart.

Starting Wednesday, the standard will undergo two months of public consultation before the final version -– to be managed by a nonprofit organization created by the founders -- is presented in September. Specific details about labeling and the certification process are to come later.

"Market-driven solutions like WindMade will increase voluntary purchasing of renewable energy, and complement the national and state standards that create the market," said Elizabeth Salerno, chief economist for the American Wind Energy Assn.

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TV DVR units said to waste $2 billion in electricity each year

DVR set-top boxes, even when not recording "The Vampire Diaries," suck out the same amount of energy annually as is produced by nine coal-burning power plants, according to a new report.

About 160 million digital video recorders and cable and other pay-TV boxes in the U.S. eat up 27 terawatt-hours of electricity a year and cost consumers about $3 billion, according to researchers from the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Inactive boxes that aren’t recording or playing back shows account for about $2 billion of that cost, the study found. Hitting the off button only dims the box’s clock or display, leaving it to continue consuming nearly the same amount of power.

With some form of pay-TV box in 80% of U.S. homes, the technology eats up as much electricity each year as all the homes in Maryland, researchers said. Newer HD-DVR boxes use 275 kilowatt-hours annually, compared with the 17 kilowatt-hours required by a compact fluorescent light bulb. Each box uses more energy than an average new flat-screen television.

In Europe, variations on the technology have emerged that can shift into low power mode when not in use. But until the boxes show up in the U.S., researchers suggest consumers look into alternatives rated Energy Star 4.0 or higher.

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PHOTO: Bob Poniatowski, TiVo product marketer, demonstrates new uses of TiVo connected with a new DVR recorder at TiVo's offices in Alviso, Calif. Credit: Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Greening graduation: Recycled diplomas and plastic-bottle-based gowns

It’s graduation season, which for many schools means that it’s also prime time to show off their dedication to sustainability.

In New York, The New School decorated with local and seasonal flowers, while Pace University printed its programs on recycled paper with soy ink.

Johns Hopkins University in Maryland gave out water in biodegradable bottles. Boston University used compostable or recyclable tableware.

Unity College in Maine sent out online invitations, printed its diplomas on recycled paper and handed out just one recycled paper or alternative-fiber program to each family and graduate. The school also used fluorescent lighting in its gym powered by electricity from renewable sources and served guests local organic foods.

But what all the institutions -- and a growing number of schools around the country -- have in common is their fashion sense.

Graduation gowns at the New School were made from a fabric combining recycled polyester and plastic. Pace allowed students to rent their garb to reduce waste. Boston, Johns Hopkins and Unity all used regalia made entirely from recycled plastic bottles.

Caltech did the same thing at its commencement ceremony Friday, using caps and gowns from a Virginia company called Oak Hall.

So is this campus greenwashing or an educational green revolution? Read more in the Times’ Business section.

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Photo: Graduates at Caltech wait in line for commencement to begin in their caps and gowns made from recycled bottles. Credit: Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times

Book review: 'Force of Nature: The Unlikely Story of Wal-Mart's Green Revolution'

When Wal-Mart first started pitching me a few months ago about a slew of eco-friendly upgrades to their Lancaster store outside Los Angeles, I was skeptical. Clean electricity, natural and LED lighting, and non-toxic upkeep are par for the course in liberal, urban Santa Monica. But at a superstore in a suburban desert town?

But lo and behold, I took a field trip and there were the "Super Sandwich Bales" that Wal-Mart uses for recycling, the Bloom fuel cells out back, and a multitude of green products on the shelves. The world's largest retailer is beginning to install wind turbines on its parking lots, solar panels on its roofs and -– it seems -– more sustainability in its business plan.

Other companies are doing the same, but Wal-Mart may be the greening game-changer, says Edward Humes in his new book, "Force of Nature: The Unlikely Story of Wal-Mart’s Green Revolution." The Pulitzer Prize-winning author charts how the retail giant went from being a target for environmentalists' scorn and lawsuits to greening its supply chain.

It's a meticulously researched and engrossing narrative, one that starts with river guide and sustainability consultant Jib Ellison. With equal parts fervor and lucky timing, Ellison managed to convince then-Wal-Mart Chief Executive Lee Scott that the company could be a environmental leader  while saving a buck or two (actually, more like millions).

The transformation wasn't easy, nor was it overnight. Ellison was up against Bentonville's historically insular, dubious and defensive company culture, Humes writes. Sustainability wasn't fully embraced until management began to see it as a  bottom-line booster and a cure for the company's reputation as being unfair to employees, unhealthy to communities and unsafe for the environment.

But after Scott told the entire Wal-Mart team in 2005 that the company was to forge ahead with greening, Humes makes a convincing case that the effort is not only bearing fruit but also persuading others to follow suit. From quick fixes such as shrinking packaging to more intensive projects such as transitioning to organic products and creating a green product index, as well as forays into fuel-efficient trucking and renewable energy, Wal-Mart is betting big on sustainability.

The question now, Humes writes, is whether rolling the dice will help the company win over another generation. We'll see. But for those interested in the relationship between business and environment -– once wary, now warming -– Humes' book is a compelling case study.

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Google backs California wind farm with $55 million

The Alta Wind Energy Center in Kern County, one of the largest wind farms in the world, just landed a hot new financier: Google.

The Internet search giant is partnering with Citibank to each spend $55 million to buy part of the installation. When complete, Alta will generate 1.5 gigawatts, enough to power 450,000 homes through Southern California Edison.

Located in the Mojave Desert foothills, a growing hotbed for wind power, the first five segments of the Alta project are already online and generating 720 megawatts of energy. Developers expect another 300 megawatts in the can by the end of the year.

In a move that is popular in the solar industry, Google and Citibank will lease the fourth portion, known as Alta IV, back to developer Terra-Gen to operate.

Google has now funneled more than $400 million into clean energy projects including solar and electric vehicle ventures.

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Photo: Paul Sakuma / Associated Press