2007 Climate All Star Nominees
www.climateallstars.org
For nomination detail, please follow the links below. |
CITIES AND COUNTIES: Berkeley, Burlingame, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Contra Costa, Marin, Oakland/ Oil Independence Oakland, Rohnert Park (Peter Bruck, Building Official), San Jose, San Mateo, Sebastopol (Dave Brennan, City Manager), Sonoma - County and Cities, Sunnyvale
AGENCIES: AC Transit (Jaimie Levin) , Bay Area Air Quality Management District , San Francisco , Bay Conservation & Development Commission , StopWaste.Org
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Berkeley
In November 2006, Berkeley voters issued a call to action on greenhouse gas emissions by overwhelming endorsing ballot Measure G. The mandate that Measure G provided was simple, but bold - reduce our entire community’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050. The measure, which was authored by Mayor Tom Bates, directs the City to develop a Climate Action Plan to reach that target, as well as interim targets, by year-end 2007.
Steps the City is taking to implement Measure G include:
- Hiring a full-time “Climate Action Coordinator” to lead the development and implementation of the Climate Action Plan and initiated a major public outreach effort to help people begin to reduce their emissions and to participate in the planning effort.
- Working with community partners to provide free and reduced price energy efficiency improvements to all residences and businesses.
- Conducting a community-wide emissions inventory and found that Berkeley had reduced carbon emissions by 8.9% since 2000.
- Forming a cross-departmental project team to assist with the identification and analysis of potential and existing emissions reduction strategies.
- Initiating a major new program to help property owners put solar water and solar electric systems on their buildings.
According to community-wide emissions inventories conducted for the years 2000 and 2005, Berkeley’s emissions have fallen by a remarkable 8.9 percent during that period. This decrease is one of the largest any city has documented in the United States. Berkeley saw reductions in emissions across all sectors when compared to the year 2000 emissions inventory. Commercial and residential emissions both fell by over 13 percent. Transportation emissions decreased by a modest 2.7 percent. Overall the reductions add up to 61,000 fewer tons of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere compared to 2000, or the emissions equivalent of taking over 12,000 Ford Taurus sedans off the road.
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Burlingame
Jim Nantell, the Burlingame City Manager, set an aggressive goal for the reduction of GHG by pursuing the development of a second generation cogeneration power production system at the City of Burlingame Wastewater Treatment Facility. The system generates electricity on site utilizing methane gas that is produced via anaerobic digestion. The engine that produces the power is cooled by water that is then used to heat the digester that is producing the methane gas. The cogen system will provide 20% of the plant's daily electricity use that equates to $8,000 - $10,000 per month in electricity savings. This project was eligible and received a PG & E rebate in the amount of $160,000 upon completion of emission and switch gear testing. This second generation system is unique in that the installer, California Power Partners, placed a biogas scrubber unit in front of the cogen engine to reduce harmful byproducts in the methane gas prior to combustion. This biogas scrubber unit is why the stack emissionsare well withinthe requirements of the BAAQMD for compliance.
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Palo Alto
As a global center of the innovation economy, Palo Alto is striving to “build a green economy through innovation.” It starts with our city operations. Palo Alto Green is the number one utility green pricing program in the country based on customer participation rate according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. This voluntary Renewable Energy Program is offered by City of Palo Alto Utilities to local businesses and residents. Palo Alto is the second city in California to complete a municipal greenhouse gas emissions inventory for the California Climate Action Registry. We have a Sustainability Policy going back to 2001 and we just completed our re-certification as a “green business” public agency. We own our utilities and already, 20% of our municipal energy portfolio come from renewables and we intend to achieve 33% by 2015. We are the first city in California to have been designated an EPA “Green Power Community”.
Since municipal operations create only an estimated 3% of our overall community emissions, we are especially proud of our partnerships. Our Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce has an amazing Palo Alto Business Goes Green program, encouraging green business certification and business innovation in the environmental and energy fields. Our PTA Council has a successful Safe Routes to School Program which has increased the percentage of elementary age school children walking or biking to school from 31% in 1994 to 43% in 2006. Finally, Palo Alto-based Acterra has launched a grassroots program, Green@Home, which trains volunteers to go out to homes to conduct an audit and switch out equipment on the spot.
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San Francisco
Achievements:
* Renewable energy programs that promote power production from solar, wind, biomass, ocean wave, and bay tidal current sources will eliminate an estimated 550,000 tons of CO2
* A city fleet with more than 700 clean-air vehicles; one of the largest municipal alternative fuel vehicle fleets in the nation
* A mass transit fleet with 57 percent zero-emission vehicles; a goal of a completely zero-emission fleet by 2020
* Installation of LED, Light Emitting Diodes, traffic signals across the city to reduce electricity use by an estimated 7.7 million kilowatt/hours that will save the city $1.2 million per year
* An expanded recycling program combined with methane capture at city-operated landfills to reduce emissions by about 300,000 tons of CO2
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Contra Costa (Moraga/Lynda Deschambault, Vice-Mayor)
Moraga is addressing climate change:
--Signed US mayors agreement
--Joined ICLEI
--Working on GHG Inventory
--Passed a C&D ordinance
--Passed an Integrated Management Plan
--Passed green building guidance for new subdivisions,
--Hosting a green building workshop for decision makers
--And more!
Going beyond the boundaries of the small town of Moraga, Lynda initiated the CCC Climate Leaders Program, working city by city to encourage all 19 Contra Costa County cities to sign the US Mayors Climate Protection, join ICLEI and make a commitment to increase energy efficiency and focus on sustainability.
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Marin
Marin County has approved a plan entitled “Fossil Free by ’33?” which details seven different strategies: energy efficiency and conservation, solar energy, wind energy, ocean energy, emerging vehicle technologies (plug-in hybrids, hydrogen and biofuels), waste to energy, and utility-scale adjustments like Community Choice Aggregation, that could wean Marin off of fossil fuels by 2033. The seven strategies outlined in the “Fossil Free by 2033?” report have been directly linked to implementation programs in Marin County’s general plan which will help Marin make progress towards the goal in the near term.
The County is now in the final stage of adopting its cutting-edge general plan which is based on principles of sustainability and incorporates numerous policies and programs to reduce GHG emissions. This general plan has already raised the bar by including GHG impacts in its Environmental Impact Report.
While the County has just completed a re-inventory of GHG emissions to track progress towards reaching our GHG reduction target, many programs are already underway including a green building program, solar incentive program, green business program and multiple climate initiatives. Internally, the county fleet has switched to a mix of hybrid vehicles and bio-diesel powered vehicles. By the end of the year, the County will have approximately 480 kW of solar installed on County maintained buildings. The County has also assisted local cities and school districts by applying for zero interest bond financing for an additional 4.7 MW of solar on local public buildings.
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Oakland/ Oil Independence Oakland
The Oil Independent Oakland (OIO) By 2020 Task Force, composed of local, regional, and national experts, will develop a robust oil independence plan, consolidating measures from around the world that can be used locally to reduce oil consumption citywide. The action plan will recommend bold initiatives to not only reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, but to also establish Oakland as a national leader in the green economy and green jobs creation, while seeking to secure Oakland’s energy needs.
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Rohnert Park (Peter Bruck, Building Official)
Peter Bruck has been a strong proponent of addressing climate change. He played the key staff role in the development of the GHG emissions action plan to be adopted in September. Without his persistence much of the required information would have never surfaced. The most aggressive Rohnert Park plan will reduce emissions by more than 50%. Furthermore, Peter wrote the Rohnert Park green building standards which have been recently adopted. In both endeavors, Peter has continuously encouraged other jurisdictions to pursue these initiatives, and he frequently lectures on the green building standard. Peter recently completed his master's degree in environmental studies from SSU.
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San Jose
With over 950,000 residents, San José is the tenth largest city in the nation. The San José area is home to more than 6,000 technology companies employing more than 250,000 people.
San José has strong policies on climate change and sustainability, including:
• Aggressive GHG emission reduction goals: 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2012, 35 percent by 2020, 50 percent by 2030, and 80 percent by 2045.
• Plans to begin certifying municipal facilities through the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system for Existing Buildings.
Specific actions to reduce emissions in 2006 included replacing incandescent traffic signals with LED signals (leading to annual cost savings of $1.67 million) and switching to a biodiesel (B5) fuel mixture for City operated diesel vehicles. It has committed voluntarily to take part in SSV’s Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions Reduction Initiative.
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San Mateo
In 2005, the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution on climate action, in which the County of San Mateo adopted an emissions reduction target of 10% below 1990 levels by 2010. The Board is recommending joining the Cool Counties Initiative, and the County recently participated in the ICLEI workshop to establish a baseline emissions inventory as a first step towards establishing a climate action plan.
The County has adopted a policy of first considering hybrid vehicles when replacing corporate fleet vehicles. The County also sponsors the Commute Alternative Program, which provides subsidies for employees to use public transit and carpool, and offers preferred parking for carpoolers and a vanpooling program.
Since July 2006, the County has implemented or approved energy efficiency projects that will save approximately 1,730,000 kWh and 107,000 therms annually and reduce emissions by 1066 tons (CO2 equivalent). The County uses Utility Manager Pro software to download utility data and track progress towards GHG reduction goals. All new County facility construction projects over 5000 square feet must be LEED certified.
The County offers programs in waste reduction, resource conservation, and composting, and provides solid waste education to schools.
The County is reaching out to businesses by participating in the pilot phase of ABAG's Green Business Program.
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Sebastopol (Dave Brennan, City Manager)
Dave has played a key role in the progress Sebastopol has made toward reducing its GHG emissions by 42%. This includes coordinating the implementation of 5 solar projects, three in the last 3 months; actively pursuing the Clean Renewable Energy Bonds funding for an additional 150kW; implementing a broad range of energy efficiency projects from new high efficiency HVAC units for multiple buildings, to a comprehensive water pumping system upgrade for efficiency. Furthermore, he has played a key role in the Solar Sebastopol project which has the goal of 1 million watts installed in Sebastopol. Finally, Dave has facilitated the efforts to reduce the GHG of our fleet, both by the purchase of several hybrids for our staff, and by pursuing alternative fueling options such as natural gas, biodiesel and ethanol. As City Manager, Dave is the principal guardian of City fiscal responsibility. Dave has accomplished all this while honoring this primary responsibility to protect our financial well being.
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Sonoma - County and Cities
Sonoma County and its Cities have achieved groundbreaking, unanimous efforts to set targets and take actions to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2015. When enacted in 2005, this was one of the boldest targets of any U.S. community, creating a model for how a county can effectively work in lockstep with every one of its cities. Sonoma County and all those involved in this effort set the stage for others to follow and have gained increasing attention for doing so.
The work continues today as we watch every Sonoma County jurisdiction complete their greenhouse gas inventories, and one by one, take actions to reduce their emissions. Highlights include LEEDTM-certified government buildings being constructed in the County (Cotati Police Station, Windsor Fire Station, among others) and solar arrays being installed on municipal facilities (including the County's wastewater treatment system in Sonoma).
Among other efforts, PG&E is partnering with the County through the Sonoma County Energy Watch Partnership to realize significant energy savings by leveraging Sonoma's ambitious commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the county.
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Sunnyvale
Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Sunnyvale is a culturally diverse community of more than 135,000 residents.
Multiple strategies to meet goals
Sunnyvale has reduced energy and fuel usage in its facilities by:
• Installing a 1.6 MW power generation facility fueled by landfill and digester gases at its sewage treatment plant.
• Installing energy-efficient light fixtures at many City facilities and replacing incandescent exit signs with LEDs.
• Installing solar PV panels at the Sunnyvale Senior Center.
• Installing energy management systems at some facilities and enrolling the Library in PG&E’s Demand Response Program.
• Installing timers on all building exterior lighting and motion sensors in many buildings.
It has committed voluntarily to take part in SSV’s Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions Reduction Initiative.
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AC Transit (Jaimie Levin)
With unsurpassed energy and enthusiasm, Jaimie Levin has nearly single-handedly turned AC Transit into one of the most environmentally conscious transit agencies in the country. Under his leadership, AC Transit has:
--Developed the most comprehensive hydrogen fuel cell demonstration program in the nation, with a fleet of zero-emission buses and cars.
--Become the lead agency in a regional effort along with MUNI, Golden Gate Transit, VTA, and SamTrans, to procure up to nine additional zero-emission fuel cell buses and up to ten gasoline hybrid electric buses
--Become the first transit agency to join the California Climate Action Registry
--Installed 2,728 photovoltaic panels on seven rooftops of its facilities, generating 775,000 kilowatt hours of emission-free electricity per year
--Developed a program to quantitatively test biodiesel and GTL
--Reduced its NOx emissions by 30%, hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions by 90%, and particulate emissions by 95%
--Been named a "National Clean Bus Leader" for advanced environmental technology initiatives by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute
(EESI) of Washington, D.C.
Truly, the award should go to the entire AC Transit agency, but if any one person is an All Star among All Stars, it’s Jaimie Levin.
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Bay Area Air Quality Management District
In 2005, the Bay Area Air District initiated a Climate Protection Program. On June 1, 2005 the Air District Board of Directors adopted a resolution establishing a Climate Protection Program and acknowledging the link between climate protection and programs to reduce air pollution in the Bay Area. The Board of Directors also formed a standing Committee on Climate Protection to provide direction on District climate protection activities.
A central element of the District’s climate protection program is the integration of climate protection activities into existing District programs. In addition, the District's climate protection program emphasizes collaboration with ongoing climate protection efforts at the local and State level, public education and outreach and technical assistance to cities and counties.
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San Francisco Bay Conservation & Development Commission
The goals of BCDC’s Climate Change Planning Project are to:
- Identify and report on the impacts of climate change on San Francisco Bay;
- Identify strategies for adapting to climate change;
- Develop a regional task force to inform and coordinate local governments, stakeholders, and land use planning bodies in the Bay area regarding the potential Bay-related impacts of and approaches for adapting to global climate change;
- identify the findings and policies in the San Francisco Bay Plan pertaining to climate change, such as the findings and policies on sea level rise, and update other relevant Bay Plan policies to incorporate new information about the impacts of climate change.
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StopWaste.Org
StopWaste.Org is a public agency representing the 14 cities and the County on solid waste and recycling issues. The Agency’s primary goal is to help the County and cities achieve a 75% waste diversion goal. To achieve that, we offer technical assistance and grants in the areas of green building, Bay-Friendly landscaping, environmental purchasing, business recycling, school recycling, construction and demolition debris recycling, food scrap recycling and all areas related to recycling and waste reduction.
In the past year, we have coordinated the Alameda County Climate Protection Project. The project consisted of our Agency managing and funding a contract with ICLEI on behalf of all 14 cities and the County for the following activities:
- Baseline GHG inventories,
- Model climate action plan template,
- 3 workshops covering topics such as adopting a reduction target; developing and implementing a plan; and conducting an inventory.
We were successful in recruiting the participation of all 14 cities and the County. As part of this effort, in conjunction with ICLEI, we developed a model climate action plan that cities are using as a basis for their detailed plans. The plan can be found on our website. Five of the cities and the County have adopted a reduction target. Ten of the 15 inventories have been completed. All cities have joined ICLEI.
Our project is being called the Alameda County model and is being emulated by other counties as they try to do a similar coordinated approach toward completing baseline inventories. We have the largest number of cities conducting inventories of all the Counties in the Bay Area. In the 9 county Bay area, of the 33 jurisdictions conducting inventories (I have added Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore and Fremont), Alameda County represents almost half of that total (15)
We also funded ICLEI to quantify the GHG emission reduction benefits of various green building practices and recycling practices. This information helps cities determine which emission reduction practices to adopt. That information is contained in our model climate action plan. ICLEI also conducted research for us which is leading to changes in the local government inventory process that will better reflect the impact of waste on greenhouse gases. Additionally, we are engaged in the development of a green building climate change calculator that will calculate the GHG benefits of specific green building practices.
We are continuing to play a coordinating role for Alameda County cities by hosting meetings and staying engaged with the bay area community on climate change activities and encouraging others to conduct inventories and adopt climate action plans.
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AAA Greenlight Initiative
AAA of Northern California launched its Greenlight™ Initiative in 2005 to provide consumers with a central, trusted source for information about alternative fuels and vehicle technology. As gas prices and other costs associated with driving continue to rise, alternative fuels and vehicles are gaining wider appeal as more affordable and environmentally sound options, but weighing these choices can become confusing. Through its strong partnerships with UC Davis Institute for Transportation Studies, CalStart, and other industry experts, the Greenlight Initiative program helps motorists make sense of all the new options available and encourages the development of alternative fuels and vehicles.
In 2006, the AAA Greenlight Initiative sponsored events included the switchover of AAA’s corporate fleet to hybrids; a free class to help hybrid drivers maximize their fuel efficiency; a study examining the environmental impact of hybrids; and an alternative vehicle road rally from Santa Clara to Sacramento. In 2007, the hybrid driver training program is expanding, and AAA is sponsoring a grant program for organizations promoting alternative fuels.
For more than 100 years, AAA has been a trusted travel expert and motorist advocate. With the Greenlight Initiative, we’re leading the way into the next chapter in the history of the automobile.
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Adobe Systems
- Adobe Systems Incorporated’s three headquarters buildings in downtown San Jose total 989,358 square feet. Over the past five years, Adobe has undertaken a program to enhance their operating efficiency and reduce their environmental impact.
Adobe has spent approximately $1.4 million on energy and related conservation measures, specifically reducing:
- Electricity use 37%,
- Natural gas use 41%,
- Domestic water 22%,
- Landscape irrigation 76%.
Adobe has also reduced:
- CO2 emissions 17%,
- Adobe diverts up to 93% of its solid waste,
- 20% of Adobe employees use public transit, compared to a county-wide average of just 4%,
- And Adobe also purchases renewable energy credits offsetting an additional 30% of its total energy, effectively increasing CO2 reductions to 23%.
Adobe has earned EPA’s Energy Star label for all three buildings, all are certified LEED-EB Green Buildings (Platinum level), and they have been awarded the Association of Energy Engineers Environmental Project of the Year, Flex Your Power’s Best Overall for Energy Management, the Building Owners and Managers Association’s International Earth Award, and CoreNet Global’s International Sustainability Award.
Currently, Adobe is in the process of determining its global carbon footprint with an ultimate goal of reducing it to net-zero.
A second nomination for Adobe included the following:
Adobe Systems Incorporated is one of the world’s largest software companies, providing business, creative, and mobile software solutions that revolutionize how the world engages with ideas and information. Since the beginning of 2001, Adobe has undertaken 64 conservation projects at its San José headquarters, reducing its electricity use by 35 percent and its natural gas use by 41 percent. Adobe has invested approximately $1.4 million in conservation initiatives, receiving $389,000 in rebates. Adobe is saving $1.2 million annually, providing a 121 percent return on investment.
Adobe has reduced its CO2 emissions at its two San José towers by 39 percent since 1999. It has committed voluntarily to take part in SSV’s Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions Reduction Initiative. |
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
Agilent Technologies, Inc. provides core electronic and bio-analytical measurement tools to advance the electronics, communications, life science research, environmental, and petrochemical industries.
In 2006, Agilent consolidated its Bay Area operations in its newly renovated Santa Clara facility. Renovation of that facility, which included HVAC and lighting upgrades, exceeded state and federal energy efficiency standards by nearly 20 percent, resulting in rebates of more than $100,000 from Silicon Valley Power. The Santa Clara facility also relies significantly on renewable energy with six percent of its electricity coming from wind power through Santa Clara Green Power. It has committed voluntarily to take part in SSV’s Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions Reduction Initiative.
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Codding Enterprise - Sonoma Mountain Village
Codding Enterprises has elevated the meaning of “green business” to a new level and raised the bar of sustainability for developers across the nation.
Not only does the company champion green building practices, it has adopted the ambitious goals of closing resource loops, healing the environment, and creating healthy communities. An EPA Climate Leader, Codding has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by an astonishing 50% per square foot by 2010. What’s more, the firm intends to become fully carbon neutral by 2030.
The company’s redevelopment project in Rohnert Park, Sonoma Mountain Village, showcases the latest “new urbanist” principles of environmentally responsible design. The 200-acre mixed-use community of some 2,000 homes and businesses features the following innovations:
- Re-using vacant space.
- Re-cycling on-site materials.
- Passive-solar design.
- Capturing rainwater.
- Incorporating a design that is both ‘walkable’ and accessible to mass transit.
- A 1.3 megawatt solar array.
- Possible power from biomass.
Sonoma Mountain Village is on the path to meeting the stringent standards set by “One Planet Living” – an international network of sustainable communities.
Codding Enterprise’s remarkable contributions demonstrate visionary planning, a profound sense of responsibility to the community and to the planet, and commitment to expanding the boundaries of sustainable development.
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ETM Electromatic Inc.
ETM Electromatic, Inc. is a world leader in high voltage linear and switch-mode power supply technology, offering a range of commercial products as well as engineering and program management capabilities.
Incentivizing the work place to reduce emissions
To reduce its employee’s personal CO2 emissions, ETM has two ongoing incentive programs.
• Drive for Change—Employees receive a $5,000 bonus if they purchase a new vehicle that gets 45 miles per gallon (mpg) or a $1,500 bonus for one that gets 35 mpg.
• Plant 1,000 Bulbs—Employees receive a new energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulb (CFL) for each incandescent bulb they turn in. To date, over 700 old incandescent bulbs have been retired.
It has committed voluntarily to take part in SSV’s Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions Reduction Initiative.
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Google
Carbon neutrality means doing everything we possibly can to reduce our impact on the world’s climate system. At Google, we hope to raise awareness of this issue through our products, and then go beyond our own operations by investing in greener technologies from which everyone can benefit. As a start, we’ve calculated our own carbon footprint by taking into account the emissions from purchased electricity, employee commuting, business travel, construction, and the manufacturing of our servers. We will also leverage our products to increase awareness and inspire action that addresses climate change. Next, we will hope to accelerate improvements in technology beyond the scope of our own business. Finally, we will campaign for public policies designed to cut emissions to the levels required to keep our climate system stable.
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Integrated Design Associates, Inc.
Integrated Design Associates, Inc. (IDeAs) is a leader in providing cutting edge sustainable electrical engineering and lighting design services green buildings.
IDeAs is nearing completion of its new headquarters in San José that will be a net zero utility-supplied energy use and zero carbon emission building, believed to be the first such commercial building in the country. Building mounted PVs will generate 100 percent of its net energy requirements. Energy will also be saved by:
• Using high efficiency lighting with daylight harvesting lighting controls.
• Installing R-19 wall and R-30 roof insulation as well as a cool roof.
• Installing high efficiency spectrally selective glass windows and skylights, placing windows to minimize east/west sunlight exposure, and using exterior sunshades for south facing glazing.
• Installing an HVAC system that utilizes radiant floors, ground source heat pump based heating and cooling, a dedicated outside air handler, and natural ventilation.
It has committed voluntarily to take part in SSV’s Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions Reduction Initiative.
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Juniper Networks
A business that places a priority on being a good corporate citizen
- Over the past two years, we have invested in the infrastructure and systems to be able to inventory and measure our carbon footprint on a global basis – it is still a work in progress, since different areas of the world present different challenges, but our goal is to be able to credibly account for our emissions and continue to work to significantly reduce our carbon footprint.
- Juniper’s goal is to be a zero waste company through recycling or reuse. Most recently, Juniper has joined forces with other local companies to try to get the county to adopt composting to reduce “wet waste” that currently goes to landfill.
- The company encourages alternative transport – situating offices, whenever possible, next to light rail options and rewarding rideshare and biking to work - 25% of Juniper’s employees use alternative modes of transport as part of their commute to work.
- Since Data Centers* account for a large percentage of our energy consumption, we have put a lot of emphasis on improving their efficiency – we are currently in the process of virtualizing the servers in our data centers and improving the power and air conditioning efficiency to reduce overall energy consumption – by the end of the year, the goal is to reduce our servers by 30%, resulting in a significant energy reduction.
- Partner with PG&E to reduce load on the energy grid during “events” through its demand response program.
*The EPA just released a study that Data Centers accounted for 1.5% of total U.S. electricity consumption in 2006; In northern and central California, data centers used 400 to 500 megawatts, enough energy to power at least 300,000 homes, according to an estimate last year by PG&E.
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LifeScan, Inc.
LifeScan, Inc. is a world leader in blood glucose monitoring and is committed to improving the quality of life for people with diabetes. At its Milpitas facility, LifeScan completed a reactivation exhaust heat recovery system, energy efficiency improvements in a blood lab, replacement of cooling towers, and the introduction of an oxidizer OX-3 waste heat recovery system. Combined, these projects generated over $165,000 in PG&E rebates and will lead to annual savings of nearly $150,000, over 97,000 therms of natural gas, and over 540,000 kWh of electricity.
Since 2001, LifeScan has reduced the CO2 emissions associated with its Milpitas facility by more than 54 percent. It has committed voluntarily to take part in SSV’s Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions Reduction Initiative.
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Roche Palo Alto
Roche is active in the discovery, development, manufacture, and marketing of health care solutions, with products and services addressing the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. Roche Palo Alto has a comprehensive Green Operations sustainability program. Over the past six years, Roche Palo Alto has achieved a nearly 40 percent reduction in electricity and natural gas consumption and reduced its CO2 emissions by 50 percent. It purchases over 1.9 million kWh of wind generated power annually and has over 30 electric vehicles in its fleet. Roche Palo Alto has also achieved a 90 percent recycle rate for its construction waste and is certified by Santa Clara County as a Green Business. It has committed voluntarily to take part in SSV’s Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions Reduction Initiative.
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Schering Plough Biopharma
Schering-Plough Biopharma is a drug discovery enterprise focusing on immunology, inflammation, and oncology research, and the design of novel biologics approaches to treat human diseases.
In 2006, Schering-Plough Biopharma was awarded the Schering-Plough “Environmental Achievement Award for Energy Excellence” for its energy saving efforts. Biopharma was also recognized for its significant contributions to achieving worldwide environmental compliance and for its position of environmental leadership within the industry.
In 2006, Biopharma’s CO2 emissions were 22 percent below baseline levels. Thus far, only low-cost/no-cost emission reduction strategies have been used. Plans are currently in place to replace older, inefficient motors with modern ones. It has committed voluntarily to take part in SSV’s Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions Reduction Initiative.
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Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Chico-based Sierra Nevada Brewery, producers of the popular premium beer, has a long-standing environmental commitment, including an award–winning recycling program and water usage that is almost half that of typical breweries. The company is building on this impressive track record with a new, ambitious goal to achieve a “zero carbon footprint.”
To help meet this goal, Sierra Nevada signed on as one of the first corporate customers of PG&E’s new ClimateSmart program, a first-of-its-kind option that allows customers to make their energy use "climate neutral." The brewery is also realizing its commitment through the use of heat recovery systems and the installation of energy-efficient lights, motors, and refrigeration systems, taking advantage of PG&E’s financial incentives. Recently, the company also began producing energy using cutting-edge fuel cell technology, which lowers emissions compared conventional power generation and lets the company reuse waste heat from the fuel cell in the brewing process. The fuel cells also run on the waste methane generated at the wastewater treatment plant (capturing a greenhouse gas and reusing it as a fuel source). Sierra Nevada also was the first brewing company to join the California Climate Action Registry, a distinguished group of organizations demonstrating leadership by voluntarily tracking, reporting, and certifying their greenhouse gas emissions.
The brewery is doing even more by installing a system to recover and recycle the carbon dioxide that is produced by the natural fermentation process – reducing their footprint further. This month, the brewery is also completing the installation of a 503 kW photovoltaic (PV) array that will cover roughly 3 acres of parking spaces. Sierra Nevada will also begin construction on another 1 MW of PV on its warehouse rooftops by the end of the year.
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Specialty Solid Waste & Recycling
Specialty Solid Waste & Recycling (SSWR), Sunnyvale’s primary provider for waste management, offering solid waste collection, recycling, and other disposal opportunities. In recent years, SSWR has replaced many of its older diesel powered vehicles with cleaner burning CNG vehicles. As its trucks are the primary source of its CO2 emissions, this has led to reductions of nearly 13 percent from its 2000 base year. Its remaining diesel trucks are slated to be replaced in the coming years. Other CO2 reduction efforts include replacing an outdated pressure washer with a more energy- and water-efficient model and installing light sensors in various offices. It has committed voluntarily to take part in SSV’s Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions Reduction Initiative.
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Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems recognizes the importance of "greening" its business, or minimizing the environmental impact of its own operations as the first step in being eco responsible. To make sure that both economic and ecologic issues were addressed, Sun CIO Bob Worrall joined forces with Sun’s CFO to ensure positive results as part of Sun’s commitment to reduce its 2002 greenhouse gas emission levels by 20 percent by the year 2012.
In a significant step to achieve this goal, Sun Microsystems recently unveiled three new datacenters in Santa Clara, California; Blackwater, U.K.; and Bangalore, India, that were built using breakthrough designs and next-generation energy efficient systems. These efforts are estimated to save the planet nearly 4,100 tons of CO2 per year and trim 1% from Sun’s total carbon footprint. These efforts have already savedSun 60%, or $1.1 million a year, in energy costs and Sun expects to save another 30% over the next year.
In recognition of Sun’s news and overall achievements in energy efficiency, Senator Barbara Boxer of California presented Sun Microsystems with her first corporate Conservation Champion award for the company’s commitment to operating in an environmentally-conscious way and developing green IT products.
Open Work integrates leading-edge technologies, forward thinking work practices, and new workplace ideas to create an innovative, wholly “Sun” work environment where the network is the computer, and employees can work “anywhere, anytime, using any device.” Sun employees have the option to work from home, from one of the many flexible offices or drop-in centers located around the world, or on one of the major campuses. There are 157 locations worldwide with 56% of Sun’s global employees involved in the program fully and almost all employees participating in some form. For example, employees are able to work from home in the morning to avoid prime commute hours, or leave work to have an early dinner at home with their family, and finishing the work day after dinner.
The program increases employee satisfaction and productivity, decreases real estate costs, and benefits the environment. Sun's Open Work program has been credited as having a positive impact on the environment by eliminating more than 29,000 tons of CO2 emissions by taking employees off the road and also resulted in Sun being designated as one of the "Best Workplaces for Commuters" by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation.
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Yahoo!
Operations
- Employee Engagement: During the week of April 15, 2007, employees at Yahoo!’s Sunnyvale headquarters reduced their non-renewable resource consumption by 20% over a week in honor of Earth Day. As a reward, the two Yahoo! founders sumo-wrestled each other. Check out the video here: http://yodel.yahoo.com/2007/05/04/green-sumo-the-movie/
- Award-winning Commute Alternatives Program: To encourage eco-friendly commuting by employees, Yahoo! offers a number of alternatives including shuttles that run on bio-diesel, transit subsidies, carpool matching, preferred parking for carpool and vanpools, 25% vanpool subsidies, and a monthly rewards program for employees who come to work without driving alone. Yahoo! has been named one of the "Best Workplaces for Commuters" by the EPA since 2002.
Customer-facing:
- Yahoo! Green: On May 14, 2007, Yahoo! launched Yahoo! Green (http://green.yahoo.com), a one-stop resource for the growing number of environmentally-concerned consumers. The eco-site is designed to inform and empower consumers with the latest news, tips, and ways to take action. On the site, users can take a personalized pledge to act on these tips, quantify how much they've reduced their personal carbon emissions, and track their impact in real-time on an interactive US map which demonstrates the collective impact of Yahoo!’s users.
- 18Seconds.org: On February22, 2007, Yahoo! partneredwith Lawrence Bender (producer of "An Inconvenient Truth"), Wal-Mart, the Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency to launch 18seconds.org, a site designed to encourage consumers to make the switch to energy saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). An interactive U.S. map tracks CFL sales and correlating environmental benefits with virtual real-time data in partnership with AC Nielsen.
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Bluewater Network
Bluewater Network conceived, drafted, and worked with other advocates to pass AB1493, the California Clean Car Law, which has been adopted by 11 other states. This was the world’s first law to reduce global warming pollution from passenger vehicles. It requires automakers to reduce greenhouse gas pollution from cars sold into California by nearly 30 percent by 2016.
Bluewater Network also helps to educate policy makers about the benefits of efficient technologies and renewable fuels, and helped bring to light the fact that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation overestimate the average fuel economy of passenger vehicles, misleading Congress and consumers.
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Cities for Climate Protection (ICLEI)
Cities for Climate ProtectionTM (CCP) assists cities to adopt policies and implement quantifiable measures to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and enhance urban livability and sustainability. More than 800 local governments participate in the CCP, integrating climate change mitigation into their decision-making processes. It is the premier climate protection program followed by more than 40 local governments in the Bay Area alone.
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Cool the Earth /Cancel a Car
Cool the Earth is a school-based volunteer partnership that teaches kids to preserve the earth now and for future generations. Our initial program is Cancel-a-CarÔ, an educational and carbon-reduction program. The program educates children about global warming and solutions to the problem. The children take this knowledge home and inspire their family to take simple energy-saving actions to help fight global warming.
Through their children, families learn how conserving home energy reduces carbon emissions, just like taking a car off the road. Energy conservation practiced in isolation often doesn’t feel significant. But with CAC, program elements such as the “Cancel-a-CarÔ Coupons” and the “Cancel-a-CarÔ Banner” ensure that each action becomes part of a movement. Students and families can see that their collective actions are making a difference, resulting in a change of behavior with regards to energy usage.
Cancel-a-CarÔ started in two schools last year. In less than five months, the families at these schools took action to reduce carbon emissions by 790,000 lb/year, the equivalent of taking 65 cars of the road for a year. This year, Cool the Earth formed a collaboration with two other nonprofits and CAC is being implemented in 25 schools, reaching over 12,000 families. This collaboration is called Curb Your Carbon and the partners are Cool the Earth, Marin Conservation Corps, Strategic Energy Initiatives and Marin Community Foundation. Our goal is to inspire actions that will reduce carbon emissions by 10,000,000 lb/year at these 25 schools.
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RESULTS Year 1 |
GOALS Year 2 |
Schools Enrolled |
2 |
25 |
Carbon Emission Reduction (lb/yr) |
790,000 |
10,000,000 |
Cars Canceled |
65 |
830 |
Actions Taken |
715 |
7,500 |
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EarthTeam
In 2000 several middle and high schools came together to plan events for Earth Day. After the success of thoseevents, several teachers and students did not want to lose the momentum gained from the collaboration of like-minded peers. The result was EarthTeam, a networkfor the next generation ofenvironmental leaders.
In October 2006, EarthTeam launched a new campaign calledCool Schools. This group was formed becauseteens were feeling overwhelmed by dire depictions of how global climate change would affect their future and wanted an opportunity to work with like-minded peers. Cool Schools' goal is to equip middle and high school students in the Bay Area and beyond with the knowledge and tools to take action against global warming in their schools and communities.
The campaign was an incredible success with students representing 15 different schoolsfrom all over the Bay Area working to implement solutionsto global warming. Their actions included: educating their peers about global warming, calculating the carbon footprint of their school, installing compact fluorescent bulbs at their school, lunchtime global warming awareness meetings, andencouraging all their fellow studentsto pledge to reduce their carbon footprint.
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Ella Baker Center
The goal of the Center’s “Reclaim the Future” program is to ensure that the emerging green economy lifts people out of poverty. Reclaim the Future creates opportunities in the green economy for poor people and people of color through policy advocacy, public outreach, and an employment pipeline - the Green Jobs Corps. The Center has successfully advocated for groundbreaking federal legislation that would provide $125 million per year for green-collar jobs training. On the local level, Oakland’s City Council on June 19, 2007, unanimously voted to fund the Green Jobs Corps at $250,000!
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Flex Your Power
Flex Your Power is California's statewide energy efficiency marketing and outreach campaign. Initiated in 2001, Flex Your Power is a partnership of California's utilities, residents, businesses, institutions, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations working to save energy. In Silicon Valley, Flex Your Power has joined with Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Sustainable Silicon Valley, and PG&E, to reduce energy use and carbon dioxide emissions. Partners in "Flex Your Power Silicon Valley" facilitate energy efficiency improvements and demand reduction commitments to ensure reliable power, protect the environment and deliver costs savings to Valley businesses.
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Greenbelt Alliance
Greenbelt Alliance has led the region in the establishment of Urban Growth Boundaries (UGBs), an officially adopted and mapped line that separates an urban area from its surrounding greenbelt of open lands. UGBs are an important land use, climate protection measure because they direct growth into city centers thereby discouraging sprawl and increasing auto-dependency. At least nineteen Bay Area communities have UGBs.
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Plug in Bay Area
Plug-In Bay Area is a chapter of Plug-In Partners, a national grassroots initiative that is demonstrating to automakers including Ford, Toyota, General Motors, DaimlerChrysler and others, that a growing market is asking for the production of flexible-fuel plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). PHEVs are hybrids with larger batteries that can be plugged in to use clean, cheap domestic electricity as fuel while retaining the extended range of conventional hybrids.
Plug-In Bay Area (PIBA) brings the Bay Area and America closer to energy independence by partnering with municipalities, government agencies, utilities, businesses and nonprofit organizations to promote gasoline-optional plug-in transportation. PIBA educates the public and decision-makers about the benefits of plug-in hybrids, a technology that offers an exciting and timely response to dependence on foreign oil, high gasoline costs, poor air quality, and climate change.PIBA is a coalition of Bluewater Network, The California Cars Initiative, Pacific Gas & Electric, Plug In America, Rainforest Action Network and The Vote Solar Initiative.
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SF Climate Challenge/ One Atmosphere
SF Climate Challenge is an energy reduction contest that is the brainchild of Paul Scott a San Francisco resident and active member of the Telegraph Hill Dwellers association who decided he wanted to do something to address climate change. In his "spare time" Paul started the nonprofit "One Atmosphere" earlier this year and teamed up with the Sierra Club and SF Department of the Environment to pull together this Citywide contest which aims to reduce emissions from residential energy use in a fun and engaging way. One Atmosphere's work is entirely volunteer based, so far they have managed to raised funds for an impressive list of prizes as well as gain commitments from the Mayor and the SF Board of Supervisors to participate in the contest which will start officially on October 25th. Participants are encouraged to make basic changes in their energy use through utilization of efficient lighting and appliances and simply energy conservation, but also to get creative and hold events with their neighbors like the "no energy" dinner party that Scott hosted as a kick off event featuring candlelight, raw food, locally brewed beer and acoustic music.
One Atmosphere is hoping to make this contest an annual event and is a great example of how motivated citizens can participate in reaching communitywide greenhouse gas reduction goals.
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Silicon Valley Leadership Group
SLVP’s Clean & Green Energy Action Plan is a regional response to global change. At the end of 2006, the 210 member employers in the Silicon Valley Leadership Group challenged themselves and the broader community to take action on the menu of engagement options in the Action Plan. SVLG’s members embrace the following list of projects and initiatives:
- Cool Commutes - A competition to reduce greenhouse gasses
- Green Building - Municipal practices and standards for green building
- Cycle-to-Work - CEO/Celebrity Challenge: Cycle-to-Work Day
- Plug-In Electric Vehicles - Building a market for PHEVs
- Solar Industry - SolarTECH industry center for excellence
- Efficient Data Centers - Join our energy efficient data center demonstration project
- BART to San Jose - Advocate for an interconnected Bay Area transit system
- California High Speed Rail - Advocate for a train system running from North to South
- Supply Chain Efficiency - See U.S. EPA’s SmartWay Transport Partnership
- Sustainable Silicon Valley - Create your own climate reduction goals
- Energy Watch Partnership - $6.4 Million for Energy Efficiency Rebates
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Sustainable Silicon Valley
Sustainable Silicon Valley (SSV) is a collaboration of businesses, governments, and non-governmental organizations that are identifying and addressing environmental and resource pressures in the Valley. As its first initiative, SSV is engaging prominent Valley organizations to work towards a goal of reducing regional carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions 20% below 1990 levels by 2010. The SSV approach to reaching this goal is to facilitate strategies to reduce CO2 emissions through increased energy and fuel efficiency and through the use of renewable sources of energy.
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California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance
Since its launch in 2002, the statewide program has energized wineries, wine grape growers and regional associations as a collaborative effort that brings all together with a common purpose. The program seeks to find new ways to conserve resources, maintain and improve the beauty and vitality of rural communities, and place California wine at the forefront in quality and environmental sensitivity. The program represents a great legacy to pass on to future generations of winegrowers, and is a model for other agricultural commodities.
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Vote Solar Initiative
Vote Solar Initiative’s mission is to stop global warming and increasing energy independence by bringing solar energy into the mainstream. It works on the key policies necessary to bring solar to scale; works with state governments to build sustainable solar markets, removing regulatory barriers and laying the necessary groundwork for a solar future; and works with cities to build large-scale and cost effective solar projects, building the economies of scale necessary to bring down costs. In San Francisco, where Vote Solar got started, on November 6, 2001, voters overwhelmingly approved a landmark $100 million bond initiative that paid for solar panels, energy efficiency and wind turbines for public facilities. The measure paid for itself entirely from energy savings at no cost to taxpayers.
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California Academy of Sciences
Nestled into the fog and forest of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, the California Academy of Sciences aims to be the world's largest eco-friendly public building when it reopens in 2008 including a platinum LEED green-building certification. Architect Renzo Piano used a textbook's worth of enviro-engineering tricks for the seven-year effort, an almost total teardown and rebuild. At $484 million, it's one of the most expensive museum projects in a century.
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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The Climate Change and Carbon Management program (CC&CM) is a growing interdisciplinary research effort. The program conducts research to increase the scientific foundation for climate change prediction, impact assessment, and mitigation. We have active projects on climate and hydrology, climate change, terrestrial and marine biogeochemistry, and carbon management in geologic, oceanic, and terrestrial systems. One of CC&CM’s strengths is its active partnerships with universities, industry, and other research laboratories. The most important of these is our strong partnership with UC Berkeley, which includes collaboration with faculty, sharing research facilities, teaching, advising and mentoring UC students, and interaction with the Berkeley Atmospheric Sciences Center.
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Santa Clara University
The University’s Solar Decathlon Team is a student group committed to educating about greenhouse gas reduction in home-building by designing, engineering, constructing and operating a completely solar-powered, sustainable home for international competition in Washington, DC. Santa Clara University is the only team west of the Rockies to compete against 19 other universities from around the world. Our house features the first structural bamboo I-joists in the United States and a revolutionary solar air-conditioning system that dramatically reduces the home's electricity usage. In October, we will take the house to the National Mall on Washington, DC and show the world that green technology and sustainable homes can be beautiful, easy to use, economical, and offer a viable alternative to traditional, unsustainable home construction.
The University’s Sustainability Decathlon outreach program is a Santa Clara University student-led community outreach program in which university students mentored local bay area high school student groups in a competition to best "green" their campuses. Over three months, high school groups competed in ten categories of greenhouse gas reduction and sustainability education/awareness-raising that included Conservation, Energy Understanding, Campus Involvement and Education, Transportation and Technology and Innovation. With the help and knowledge of university students, high school students made a variety of physical changes to their campuses, including installing bike racks and waterless urinals, and revitalizing abandoned recycling programs. Through a variety of education initiatives of their own design, high school students spread the "ripple effect" of environmental education by hosting environmental awareness days, and doing community outreach of their own to local middle and elementary school students.
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St. Mary's College
Achievements:
1) Saint Mary's College will reduce its energy consumption by 71 kW under its new energy conservation program. The energy savings will pay for the project in about 8 years. In a press release announcing approval of $75 million in tax-exempt bond financing for the conservation projects, State Treasurer Bill Lockyer said "Saint Mary's has made an impressive commitment to the environment".
2) The student group "Project Green" has received a grant from the Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority, in the amount of $8,650 to use for a recycling program that will encompass every dorm on campus.
http://sustainsmc.stmarys-ca.edu/ProjectGreenreports.htm
3) The College's new 5-year strategic plan http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/about-smc/administration/president/messages/docs/strategic-plan-07-12.pdf sets "Incorporating sustainable practices and environmental awareness" as a goal, and launches planning tasks to achieve it.
4) The 2007 Summer Reading Program for incoming students focuses on global climate change: http://wsg.stmarys-ca.edu/blogs/index.php/summerreading/index/
Academic and co-curricular events, highlighted by a symposium on climate change in January as part of Focus the Nation <http://www.focusthenation.org/>, will provide a thematic focus the academic year.
5) A student intern is conducting the Town of Moraga's greenhouse gas audit as part of ICLEI's "Cities for Climate Protection" campaign.
Other local cities are asking the College for students to help with their own audits.
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