Duane Palmeeter of Greenfield Manufacturing

Greenfield Manufacturing Inc, producer of boat coatings which help reduce water friction, in partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, (NYSERDA) has created a product which allows boats to travel faster while at the same time improving their fuel economy.

The NYSERDA gave $340,000 to Greenfield over the past three years in the context of two different incentive projects. As a result of the investment Greenfield developed HullSpeed, which is a high-tech coating that is applied to the outer surface of boats in a similar way to paint. Companies which have tried this product have reported up to 8.5% reduction in fuel costs, in addition to increasing the speed with which the boat can travel.

“Greenfield Manufacturing Inc. is excited to bring HullSpeed Performance Marine Coatings to the marketplace, thanks in part to NYSERDA,” said Duane Palmateer, president of Greenfield. “HullSpeed coatings solve a critical performance issue in the boat coatings marketplace, and the environmental and energy-saving potential of this technology in the commercial marine industry is staggering.”
 

Control Freaks Will Discuss More Efficient Ways to Use Lights

Green Light New York and IESNYC, ( Illuminating Engineering Society New York City), together with Urban Green Council invited the public to hear what a panel of expert “control freaks” have to say about new ways to control the way we light our environment in order to save energy, money, and improve user comfort and worker productivity.
The panel of industry and academic experts will discuss the many aspects of lighting control systems:
•    How can we tap into the huge potential for energy savings and peak-use reduction using lighting controls while remaining aware of the challenges and pitfalls?
•    How will today’s and future technologies utilize wireless, smart grids and the internet in building efficient and usable control systems?
•    Is there a danger from emerging control technologies that they might backfire, causing users to refuse to use them when they do not perform properly?
These questions and more will be answered by Control Freaks.  Participants are required to register ahead of the panel discussion.
Sponsored by Green Light New York in conjunction with Illuminating Engineering Society, New York City Chapter

WHEN: April 12, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
WHERE: Digital Sandbox Network Event Center, 55 Broad Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10004
TO REGISTER: Go to the Control Freaks Web Site
ADMISSION COST: Yes and Registration is required
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Email Info@greenlightny.org or visit www.greenlightny.org

In conjunction with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, UA just finished retrofitting buildings containing upwards of 2,700 apartments, making them between 15 and 20% more energy efficient.

The president and CEO of NYSERDA, Francis J. Murray Jr. said,

“UA is working hard to set a high standard in achieving energy efficiency in multifamily housing in New York City. In most of the buildings, UA went beyond the required level of investment to meet NYSERDA objectives for installation, and we applaud their efforts as they continue to work with NYSERDA and other agencies to achieve even greater energy savings.”

UA explained that there is a “triple-bottom line” which motivated them to join with the Multifamily Performance Program (MPP) of the NYSERDA. Not only does UA save money on utilities, but that savings can be passed on to tenants making their dwellings more affordable. In addition, taking care not to harm the environment more than absolutely necessary through lowering the carbon footprint is an important part of responsible corporate behavior.

Some of the steps taken to increase energy efficiency in UA’s buildings were:

•    Window replacement
•    Boiler replacement
•    Advanced meters and submetering
•    Low-flow water fixtures and aerators in kitchens and bathrooms
•    Motion and occupancy sensors for certain common area and service lighting
•    High efficiency lighting in hallways and apartments
•    Replacement of many refrigerators and other appliances with more efficient models
•    Insulation, duct sealing, and weather stripping

“Sustainability, energy efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of all of our properties are part of our core values. In addition to conserving energy, Urban American is committed to improving our communities by working with local entrepreneurs, creating jobs and transforming older housing stock into sustainable communities.”

said Joshua Eisenberg, a principal of Urban American and its director of sustainability.

The top performing contractors who received awards from Con Edison were:

•    Robison Plumbing, Westchester County
•    Bob Mims Heating and Air Conditioning, Staten Island
•    Dundee Plumbing and Heating Inc., Queens
•    AFJ Plumbing & Heating, Bronx
•    6208 Home Appliances Inc., Brooklyn

Con Edison’s residential energy efficiency program welcomes all New York State licensed contractors. Con Edison customers are eligible to receive as much as $1,000 in rebates for installing highly efficient heating, ventilation and cooling systems in their homes. The goal of the program is to help customers save money while at the same time they are helping protect the environment.

For more information about this program go to Con Edison Green Team or call them at 1-877-870-6118.

With such a map it becomes easier to see which buildings are good choices for efficiency improvements and on-site energy production candidates.

“We want to start the conversation for the average New Yorker about energy efficiency and conservation by placing their energy consumption in the context of other New Yorkers. Just knowing about your own consumption can change your entire perspective,”

said PhD mechanical engineering student Bianca Howard who was the study’s lead author.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority completed a study which encourages New York lawmakers to invest in solar energy. The study showed that although energy consumers will most likely experience increases in their utilities bill, the potential benefits outweigh the potential rate hikes.

The NYSERDA report was released on Tuesday showing that New York’s fossil-fuel usage would decrease by 4 percent and its carbon dioxide footprint would drop by 3 percent if the state increases the amount of solar it produces up to 5,000 megawatts by 2025.

The study further concluded that the improved environmental impact would come at increased cost. The expected cost hike could be anywhere from as low as 0.1 percent to as much as 5 percent, according to the report. In dollars the increase comes to between $300 million to $9 billion by 2025.

The wide range in increased cost is a result of the uncertainty of future federal tax credits for solar power usage, as well as the look of the solar marketplace in the future. The study analyzed several different possibilities for the future to come to its conclusions.

“Nevertheless, even with this range of cost uncertainty, given the many potential benefits that (solar energy) has to offer and the long-term potential for lower-cost (solar) technology, New York state should support continued investment in the steady and measured growth and deployment of (solar energy) as part of a sound and balanced renewable energy policy,” the report reads.

Geothermal Energy Reservoir

Because New York State lacks the traditional sources of geothermal energy such as  geysers, volcanoes and hot springs, New York extracts this type of renewable energy from the earth through different means.

Since the earth absorbs about 50% of the energy that arrives here, the earth can be a great source for renewable energy. The use of geothermal pumps allows us to take advantage of the energy absorbing properties of the earth to heat indoor air during the winter, and extract heat from inside spaces during the summer.

There are three main types of geothermal systems:

• Closed loop systems are those where fluid (usually a chemical compound) is  circulated in a closed pipe from underground to a building or complex of buildings where it releases (in the winter) or collects (in the summer) heat, and then it heads back underground.
• Open loop systems take surface of groundwater and pump it directly from the earth. This is also used for exchanging heat, and then it is just released back onto the ground or underground.
• Standing Column: In this system of geothermal heating groundwater is pumped up in a central pipe, used to exchange heat one time, and then discarded into the upper casing of the well from which it came.

For more information about geothermal energy in New York go to the website of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.

These programs offer services as well as incentives to help customers make changes and investments in their energy efficiency to reduce their energy bill each month.  The growth of these types of programs throughout the country has steadily grown throughout the years.

The report takes a close look at the structure, beginnings, funding and the impact of these natural gas savings programs in forty-one states where they exist.

Fracking

The time for the public to submit their comments on the controversial method of extracting natural gas from underground, known as fracking, is coming to an end, ushering in the process of deciding whether or not to permit the practice in upstate New York.

Twenty Thousand Comments

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 is the date when all reasons, pro and con, to develop fracking in New York will no longer be accepted, and the process of sorting through over 20,000 comments which have been received since September will be commenced by the Department of Environmental Conservation of New York. Local communities, environmental groups and the energy industry all submitted their opinions of this highly controversial process.

Elsewhere in the United States fracking has made available supplies of natural gas which could last decades, but has also been blamed for polluting underground water sources.

“If high-volume hydraulic fracturing moves forward in New York, it will move forward with the strictest standards in the nation to ensure New York’s drinking water and other natural resources are thoroughly protected,” said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens in a statement.

Environmentalists Not Reassured

Reassurances such as Marten’s have not calmed the nerves of many in New York concerned with safety and the environment. Public hearings which were held throughout the state in November were filled with loud, frenzied disagreements. Especially in the small towns where the drilling will most likely take place, people voiced deep concern.

New York State sits above the Marcellus shale formation, known to be richly supplied with natural gas. But instead of just going in and retrieving the gas, New York instead placed a moratorium on the process which extracts the gas, known as fracking, until in could assess the impact of the process on the environment. Fracking involves pumping millions of gallons of water laced with chemicals deep underground to extract the gas.

EPA Finds Fracking Problematic

A study conducted recently by the Environmental Protection Agency showed that the dangerous chemicals used in fracking most likely leeched out into a Wyoming aquifer. This accusation however has been vehemently denied by Encana Corp, which drills in the area. In other locations gas has escaped from poorly built wells, resulting in the contamination of drinking water.

Environmental groups are concerned that fracking could pollute water not only for residents in rural upstate New York, where the drilling will be, but for people as far away as New York City.

Energy companies are threatening to leave New York if the ban on fracking is not lifted. They insist that the process can be done safely. In addition they say that fracking will bring jobs and money into New York’s troubled economy.

“The opportunity to develop one of the world’s largest resources of clean burning natural gas is too great to be lost, or left off-limits to responsible development,” said Michael Doyle, executive director of the American Petroleum Institute.

Green Apple Map of New York

The Green Map System is a global non-profit organization with a local project known as the Green Apple Map. In 1992 the original Green Apple Map was created by Modern World Design. Three years later, in 1995, the Global Green Map System was launched, and then in the year 2000 the entire project became a non-profit organization.

Wendy E. Brawer is the founding director:

“The first Green Apple Map had fewer than 150 green sites, and by 2000, our 4th citywide edition had about 1,000. It showed us how far NYC had come and helped everyone understand the challenges ahead in greening our community. We were growing beyond the city, too, and had over 100 locally-led active Green Mapmaking teams and 36 Green Maps published worldwide by the turn of the century! The Green Map is clearly an effective response to today’s sustainability challenges!”

Green Apple Maps are available in print and on-line and beautifully chart the diverse environment of New York City. The map brings New Yorkers closer to nature and the culture of green living, pointing out places to go, eat, work and play which emphasizes the importance of the environment and its preservation.