SunRun Invests $150 Million In Home Solar Systems

Posted on April 26, 2012 by quest

A subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp today announced the creation of a new renewable energy tax equity fund with Sunrun to support the purchase and installation of more than $150 million in residential solar systems across the United States. Sunrun is a market leader in home solar and this is the company’s sixth renewable energy tax equity commitment from U.S. Bancorp.“U.S. Bancorp has been our trusted partner for years and is instrumental to Sunrun’s continued success as one of the largest providers of clean, affordable solar energy for American families,” said Sunrun co-Founder and CEO Edward Fenster.Through its substantial tax equity commitments, U.S. Bancorp has helped Sunrun bring affordable solar to thousands of homes across the country.

Sunrun came into the market in 2007 as a way for homeowners to go solar without high upfront costs. Sunrun owns, insures, monitors and maintains the solar panels on a homeowner’s roof, while families pay a low rate for clean energy and fix their electric costs for 20 years. Typical Sunrun customers pay a lower rate for solar energy than what they pay for electricity from their utility companies. Sunrun installs over $1.5 million in solar every day and has more than 20,000 customers in ten states.

A recent report from Sunrun and PV Solar Report, an authority on solar market data, shows solar power service is becoming the preferred way for homeowners to go solar. For example, solar power service grew 174 percent in California in the first two months of 2012 compared to the first two months of 2011. It has generated over $100 million in growth for the California economy so far in 2012. One in every three California homeowners who installs solar does so with Sunrun.

Think Like A Man Thinking Green

Solar And Electric Cars Key To Cleaning California Air

Posted on April 25, 2012 by quest

The American Lung Association released the State of the Air 2012 today, an annual report on air quality which lists both the cleanest and most polluted areas in the country. This year’s report shows that although California still has some of the worst air in the nation, continuous progress in reducing ozone and particulate pollution has resulted in the state’s air quality at its cleanest since the Lung Association’s annual report began 13 years ago. The findings reinforce the effectiveness of California’s progressive clean air laws and investments and the importance of the Clean Air Act. California must continue to demonstrate leadership by stepping up efforts to achieve clean and healthy air for all residents,” said Lung Association CEO Jane Warner. “This can be done by supporting implementation of state clean car, clean fuel and diesel regulations, redesigning our communities to reduce vehicle trips, and bringing more renewable energy to the state such as solar and wind power. We also urge all Californians to show strong support for the Clean Air Act and to make an effort to reduce air pollution in their communities by driving less, using cleaner transportation options like hybrid and electric vehicles, recycling, avoiding wood burning, and using energy efficient appliances.”

“This report shows that air pollution remains a serious health threat to too many Californians,” said Warner of the American Lung Association in California. “State of the Air 2012 shows that we’re making real and steady progress in the fight for clean air, but unhealthy levels of air pollution still exist, putting the health of millions Californians at risk. Much still needs to be done, and now is not the time to stop progress.”

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that cutting air pollution through the Clean Air Act will prevent at least 230,000 deaths and save $2 trillion annually by 2020. The Lung Association is fighting Congressional attacks that would undermine the Clean Air Act and strip California of its authority to adopt stronger regulations.”Ozone and particle pollution contribute to thousands of hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and deaths every year,” said Kari Nadeau, MD, PHD, associated professor of immunology and allergy at Stanford Medical School and an American Lung Association researcher.” Read the article

See More On A Train

Posted on April 24, 2012 by quest

Award-winning actress, environmentalist, writer and philanthropist Rosario Dawson will serve as spokesperson for the 5th Annual National Train Day and share her love of train travel and how it allows her to be involved in the community in a more personal way with rail fans. Train passengers experience travel unlike any others; they get to see the vastness of the American landscape more intimately when traveling by rail, from cities big and small, to country vistas and everything in between. In honor of the fifth anniversary of National Train Day, Amtrak is inviting train fans to share what they see and experience on their train journeys and enter the See More On A Train online contest.

A celebration of train travel and the ways that trains touch the lives of people across America, National Train Day will take place at train stations in New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles, as well as numerous other communities throughout the nation, on Saturday, May 12, 2012. From now through May 29, 2012, train fans can upload their original photos, videos and stories chronicling how they have been inspired by their train travel to National Train Day for the chance to win great prizes. A Grand Prize winner in each of the three categories will have their choice of one of four provided Amtrak Vacations Tour Packages for two travelers.

See More On A Train

In addition, train fans can visit facebook.com/NationalTrainDay to participate in the National Train Day sweepstakes for the chance to win an Amtrak Vacations Package to Glacier National Park and a full Samsonite luggage set.

Water Farms Help Consumers Find Fresh Local Food

Posted on April 23, 2012 by quest

In honor of the 41st Earth Day the Recirculating Farms Coalition released a new interactive map that shows consumers where to buy fresh produce and seafood, and decorative plants and fish from innovative farms. The organization is a collaborative group of farmers, fishermen, educators, scientists and others who promote unique growing methods – recirculating farming.”Recirculating farms are amazing – they use inventive ways to be space, energy, and water efficient,” says Executive Director Marianne Cufone. “Because they can be so eco-friendly, Earth Day is the perfect time to get the word out that these farms are operating all over the U.S. Our new map helps people find and learn about them.”

Recirculating farms are what they sound like; they use naturally cleaned, recycled water, without soil, to raise plants and fish. There are many styles of recirculating farms, but generally they all fall into three categories: hydroponic (plants), aquaculture (fish), or aquaponic (plants and fish).Though recirculating technology is not new – it is similar to that used for ages in hanging gardens, fish ponds, and modernly in aquariums – it is ever improving. Today, these farms can grow more, in less space, using rainwater and renewable energy sources like solar power. Still, they are not well known in the U.S.

One focus for the Coalition is to raise awareness about these farms. Creating a map that shows commercial recirculating farms is a way to reach out to people who want to visit and purchase from the farms and are interested in supporting local, sustainable businesses.The new map uses color-coding to identify the type of farm and provides location and contact information. It is a work-in-progress, the Coalition expects to add more farms and additional details to each entry, including what is grown and where products can be purchased if they are sold off-site.”We are always learning about new recirculating farms, and farmers are contacting and joining the Coalition. This map will expand and be an important resource for consumers who want sustainably grown, fresh local food. We are excited to debut this in time for Earth Day, to help.

Eco Friendly Travelers Growing Greener

Think Like A Man Thinking Green

Posted on April 22, 2012 by quest

As an industry leader in environmental innovation, Sony Pictures has long experimented with energy-efficient light sources and technologies for use in its productions. But for the Screen Gems feature Think Like a Man, Sony Pictures took its efforts a step further and reached an industry first by using 100 percent energy-efficient (LED) lighting sources on the production.

“Sony Pictures is committed to making great content with a smaller and smaller energy footprint, and Think Like A Man is a great example of Screen Gems’ continuing tradition of actively reducing the impact and waste of a major feature film production,” says Gary Martin, President, Production Administration, Sony Pictures Entertainment. Conventional lighting for a motion picture requires a significant amount of energy to run and generates a lot of heat on set. This, in turn, must be cooled using air conditioning, requiring additional control equipment. Compared to a conventional incandescent bulb, however, LED lighting can generate over four times the amount of light with the same amount of energy and is also able to maneuver into tighter spaces and be transported more efficiently.

Think Like A Man

“Although not perfect, energy-efficient lighting is making great strides. We were excited to incorporate this industry-first in lighting into our production, and look forward to continuing to work with manufacturers to test and improve the technology,” says Mason McConnell, Executive Director, Set Lighting, Sony Pictures Entertainment. In addition to many other efforts, Think Like a Man further greened the filming by shooting the production in locations near the Sony Pictures studio lot, cutting both transportation requirements as well as the need to construct sets. It also used many environmentally-friendly products and processes in the daily administration of the production. The movie is based on Steve Harvey’s book “Like A Lady Think Like Man.”

United Takes Off With Earth Day Eco-Skies Program

Posted on April 22, 2012 by quest

United Continental announced its enhanced carbon offset program in celebration of Earth Day, providing customers the opportunity to calculate and offset the carbon footprint associated with their air travel and cargo shipments. While United and Continental each had a similar initiative, this new program focuses on offset projects that go beyond climate change and provide social and economic benefits in communities United serves.

“We provide an incredibly efficient service to hundreds of thousands of customers every day and continue to focus on investments in the latest fuel-efficient aircraft, advancement of biofuels and operational improvements,” said Jimmy Samartzis, managing director of global environmental affairs and sustainability for United Airlines. “Our Eco-Skies commitment to the environment drives action today, and our redeveloped carbon offset program now enables customers to contribute to emission-reducing projects in communities we serve.”

After booking a trip with United, customers have the opportunity to visit United’s carbon offset program website to make a contribution to offset greenhouse gas emissions associated with the travel. While calculations are based on a comprehensive carbon footprint of the flight operations, the calculator only assigns the emissions associated with individual passenger travel. Through its partnership with Sustainable Travel International (STI), a non-profit organization, United offers customers a choice of three carbon reduction projects in communities it serves: forest conservation near San Francisco, wind power in Texas, biodiversity preservation in Belize. United’s Eco-Skies program, is designed to make a positive impact on the environment – in the air, on the ground, at its facilities, with business partners and across communities.