Jim Crowley, Chairman of the Potomac Region Solar Energy Association (PRSEA), and Carlo La Porta, President of Capital Sun, gave a great overview of residential solar options including the incentives available and the local permitting requirements. Their presentations files follow.

solar_workshop_homeowners.pdf
File Size:	2651 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---

solar_workshop_incentives.pdf
File Size:	2653 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---

Ed Burske, past-President of DC Urban Gardeners, gave a fabulous workshop on the ins-and-outs of composting in the city on March 25, 2009. Ed shared with us so many styles of composting, and the seemingly limitless sizes and shapes of composting containers! Worms, no worms, oxygen, no oxygen... you name it.

With so many options, it is difficult to provide a full overview of each process. Instead, here are some helpful links to get you started:

MonkeySee has some great video clips on composting

You won't find leaf shredders at the local Home Depot -- you'll probably have to find one on the web. Here's an example.

Other sites to explore include:
American Horticultural Society Compost Guide
Backyard Composting--New Mexico
California Backyard Composting
Compost Bin Blog
Compost Fundamentals
Compost Guide
Compost Guy
Composting Guide
Composting in Schools
Composting Leaves - Washington Post
Composting Tips -- Taunton Press
Edible Landscaping - Composting
EPA Guide to Composting
Florida's Comprehensive Composting Site
Garden Klog
Garden Web Composting Forum
Green Culture--Composters
Lasagna Composting--Cornell
Leaf Composting--New Jersey
Make Your Own Compost Tumbler
Master Composters--Ithica, NY
Mastercomposter.com
Nature Mill Composter
Seattle Tilth
Slow Cook Composting Videos
Soil Health--Cornell U.
Soil, Mulch, Compost Forum--Garden Web
The Pfieiffer Center--Biodynamics
The Power of Leaves
The Rubbish Diet
Things to Compost
U.S. Composting Council
Urban Composter
Urban Composting Guide--NYC
Urban Farmer--Vancouver

Hermione Phillips with WWF suggests the following resources for those participating in an office green team:

RESOURCES

http://www.idealbite.com/  (Fun tips)

http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=20  (LOTS of information)

http://greensource.construction.com/Default.asp (Helpful newsletter)

http://www.americasgreenpages.com/ (Eh.. Haven’t used this much but haven’t really had a need to)

http://www.environmentalleader.com/  (Interesting information about what others are doing)

http://www.ecogeek.org/  (Fun new technology…)

http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/careers/WWFBinaryitem3988.pdf  (more information about our building)  

PURCHASING

http://shop.wwf.org.uk/PurchasingCriteria.aspx  (Excellent check list)

http://www.fsc.org/  (all about FSC)

http://www.biodegradablestore.com/index.html  (I’ve heard good things, I haven’t used for WWF purchases)

http://www.greenlinepaper.com/  (We buy some of our color copier paper through this vendor)    

ELECTRICITY RECS – USGBC has some guidelines on purchasing RECs.

http://www.green-e.org/    

http://www.pepcoenergy.com/EnergyServices/default.aspx Talk with PES (Pepco Energy Services). We purchase our RECs directly from Pepco with a negotiated rate. The cost of the RECs are built into our per kWh rate so it all comes on one bill monthly. Many other providers tend to do the offsets in year increments. This can be expensive (or shall I say a hard hit to your financials if you are paying one lump sum each year.  Our RECS are 100% green-e certified. Contact information is attached for Dan Chacon  
http://www.renewablechoice.com/ Renewable Choice – Good pricing and VERY helpful to work with. We didn’t end up going with their proposal, and I must admit I don’t have too much information about this company.  Contact information is attached for Lauren.   http://www.3degreesinc.com/ 3 Degrees  - We have purchased RECs from them in the past. Steve is really great to work with. Contact information is attached for Steve.  

Think you know how to recycle? Think again. Chances are a lot of stuff you put in that blue bin goes to the dump. 

On December 2, CarbonfreeDC members heard from Russell Klein with the D.C. Office of Recycling on how to consume less, recycle effectively... and much more.

DC Recycling Resources

Visit the DC government's recycling website to download brochures and factsheets that are updated routinely (commercial and residential):

www.recycle.dpw.dc.gov

Other Recycling Resources

For residents of other areas of our region, they can find out about their local program at:
www.gorecycle.org
 
To reuse items (better than recycling, which requires collection, processing, marketing, energy):
www.craigslist.org
www.freecycle.org
www.throwplace.org
 
To get environmental education in your child's classroom:
www.dcnaturally.org    local DC Envir. Educ Coalition
www.plt.org                Education system training teachers to use the environment as a context for learning 3Rs, etc.
 
And for a great general recycling website, check out:
www.earth911.org

energy_efficiency_workshop_ppt.pdf
File Size:	1038 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---

On October 30, Douglas E. Yon and Anca Novacovici presented energy efficiency techniques for existing homes and workplaces, from insulation and air sealing tips, to windows and appliances choices, to simple lifestyle changes that will save you money and reduce your environmental impact. Both residential and commercial aspects were covered.

Douglas E. Yon serves on the speaker's bureau of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is a Project Manager for Facility Engineering Associates, P.C. in Fairfax, VA. Facility Engineering Associates (FEA) specializes in resolving the challenges of operating existing buildings. They improve the energy efficiency of facilities by energy and sustainability audits, effective management and more.

Mr. Yon is a Project Manager bringing over 25 years experience with facilities, construction, and energy management projects. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and is a Registered Professional Mechanical Engineer in Massachusetts. As a facilities assessment consultant and project manager, Mr. Yon’s responsibilities include analyzing and resolving building mechanical and electrical system problems, performing infrastructure, facility, and energy management assessments, performing and managing facility Capital Planning and Management Solutions (CPMS) projects, and combining innovative business and technology practices for better return on capital investment for building property portfolios.

Anca Novacovici is the founder and president of Eco-Coach, Inc., a consulting company that provides services for businesses and individuals to become more environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and healthy. Clients include Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller businesses and individuals. Anca is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited professional and is on the Board of the Green Building Instiute. She recently finished co-authoring a book to help businesses get started on the path to sustainability, entitled ‘Sustainability 101: A Toolkit for your Business’.

Prior to Eco-Coach, Inc, Anca was a management consultant, first with Davies Consulting Inc., and then with her own company, Axis Business Consulting Inc. She has over ten years’ experience with strategic planning, change management, business process redesign, benchmarking, training and communications. She has worked with companies in the energy, health care, utility, and telecommunications sectors, and with international lending institutions. Her passion for, and involvement with, environmental issues outside of work led her to start Eco-Coach, which combines her management consulting expertise with her interest in green, healthy businesses and buildings.

Anca obtained her Masters of Business Administration in International Management from Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management, and her Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.

Last Saturday, Robert guided us through the improvements the Boston House (1711 Mass. Ave NW) has made to the older building's windows, roof, water heating system and more. Significant savings were accomplished with off-the-shelf products that fit into the normal operation of a building.

Participants at a lively discussion about how to implement a number of the enhancements at their own condo buildings and explored additional ways energy could be conserved, such as making individual condo owners responsible for how much electricity and/or gas they consume.

Elements of the Boston House energy efficiency program
 
1. New windows with double panes have reduced air infiltration and heat loss through radiation.  

2. A new roof has an increased R level of insulation.  

3. New roof ventilation fans have reduced loss of heat or cool air.  

4. Core pipes of the heating and cooling system were upgraded with more efficient versions.  

5. Required condo owners to replace old convectors with new ones for better heating and air conditioning.  

6. Hallway lights have been changed to lower-wattage bulbs.  

7. New water heaters are not only more efficient in their own right, but automatically adjust to time-of-day use.  

8. Completed an extensive plumbing inspection and repair program to balance the hot water load, saving energy and providing more comfort.  

9. Presently shopping for a new air-conditioning chiller which will save electricity significantly (perhaps more than 25% over the old chiller).  

10. Establishing a meter-reading and utility bill monitor reading program for more intense analysis.  

11. Board frequently researches, discusses and debates alternative energy technology, such as solar hot water heating and green roofs.

Local Solar 101 Resource Guide
File Size:	61 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---

Local Solar 101 PowerPoint Presentation
File Size:	2435 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---

On October 1, CarbonfreeDC hosted the workshop Local Solar 101: Harnessing the Sun in the DC Metro Area.

The Local Solar 101 work shop covered the benefits of solar power and how you can successfully implement it in the DC Metro area. Neville Williams (Standard Solar) and Lesley Hunter (ACORE) presented. Above you can download the PPT and resource guide that was handed out.

Speaker Biographies

Neville Williams, Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Standard Solar
(http://www.nevillewilliams.com)

In 1997 Williams founded the Solar Electric Light Company (SELCO) and was the CEO and chairman until 2003. SELCO has now installed over 100,000 solar home lighting systems in developing countries, bringing household electricity to half a million people. Williams recounted this experience in "Chasing the Sun: Solar Adventures Around The World," a book which chronicles his 14-year effort to finance and implement solar power solutions.

In 2004, Williams came back to the USA and started Standard Solar, based in Gaithersburg, MD, which sells and installs grid-tied residential and commercial solar electric systems in the DC Metro area. The company has installed over 100 solar power systems in the DC area and recently installed a 204kW solar array atop US Deptartment of Energy headquarters near the National Mall. Williams is the chairman emeritus of Standard Solar.

Lesley Hunter, American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) (http://www.acore.org; hunter@acore.org)

Lesley Hunter recieved her Bachelor's degree in International Studies from the University of California, San Diego and recently analyzed the feasibility of utility-scale photovoltaic arrays on rooftops in the United States for the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE).