The Assembly adopted the bill on a 53-1 vote and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said the governor intends to sign it. The bill will increase the use of solar technology and offset high electricity costs, and increase the pace of return on investment for installing solar on residential roof tops. The bill doubles the cap that California solar industry was coming close to reaching.

However, the bill does not allow the renewable energy homeowners sell to count toward the state’s renewable-energy mandates which is currently 33 percent of power purchased by utilities from renewable sources such as solar, wind and geothermal, by 2030. If utilities want to claim credit for the renewable electricity they buy from their customers, they would be required to pay homeowners and business owners a surcharge for that energy.

Related posts:

1. Solar Subsidies in San Diego

Green living begins at home, and New Green Home Solutions tells you how. Most of the energy-derived pollution we produce comes as a direct result of our homes – how we heat them, how we cool them, how we keep them well-lit and full of things that make our lives so comfortable. The good news is that we have tremendous power to create change. Renewable energy design, better insulation and more efficient appliances could reduce energy demands by 60 to 80 percent. By embracing conserva (more…)

No related posts.

We have come along way in developing societies that have electricity and thepower necessary to fuel vehicles and for industry to be successful. All of theseefforts though rely upon the use of energy source that comes from fossil fuels.They are found in the ground and have to be processed in order for us to havethat fuel and that electricity. They are known as coal, natural gas, and fuel. Werely on them way too much for our own good and that is why change is soimportant.

(more…)

No related posts.

Wondering what a green job will pay? (image courtesy of aflcio2008 on Flickr)

Thinking about getting a job in the renewable energy field, but not sure what a green job will pay?  There is a wide variation, depending on your skills, training and… yes…. even your gender.  The first annual Carbon Salary Survey was recently published and provides information on salaries and opportunities alike for the green job sector.

Among some of the findings from surveying almost 1,200 people in a variety of sectors around the globe may be surprising:

• Men earn, on average, 23% more than women
• 75% of the people employed in green jobs are men
• Three-quarters of those in green jobs are satisfied
• 68% feel more secure in their positions than they did one year ago
• 80% of the respondents work on teams of ten people or less
• 23% of the respondents have at least a bachelor’s degree in a climate-change related subject

But you are probably most interested in the salaries – after all, you want to know what a green job will pay!

The average pay among the 1,200 people surveyed is $75,900 a year.  However, in North America, you can expect an average salary of $99,995 – higher than people are earning on average in green jobs in Australia ($92,812), the UK ($77,291), other European countries ($78,059) and Africa ($56,609).

Three percent of the people surveyed are really bringing home the green bacon, making over $200,000 a year!

You can view the entire 25-page Carbon Salary Survey report at its website.

Keep in mind that 1,200 people is a relatively small survey sample and that green job opportunities are growing in numbers around the world.  There are positions available in every renewable energy sector (wind, solar, geothermal, recycling, retro-fitting buildings, etc.) in just about every nation on the globe.  As the number of green jobs increase, there could be a flattening of salaries, unless the demand remains high and number of qualified persons relatively low.

In order to negotiate the best possible salary, polish your resume and obtain any additional training or degrees that may be pertinent to the field.  It helps to join and be active in relevant trade organizations.  Consider any offered benefits, from stock options to vacation or flex days, as part of the total compensation package.

Patience and persistence may pay off in your green job search.  Most employment gains are expected in 2010 and beyond.

Do you have direct information on the salary of green jobs?  Personal experience in your hometown?  Please let us know in the comment section below.

Related posts:

1. Green Job Statistics

Global Wind Day (photo courtesy of woodleywonderworks via Flickr Creative Commons)

The first annual Global Wind Day is Monday, June 15.  Thirty countries, worldwide, including the United States will be participating in the event to bring awareness of the potential of the renewable resource and promote its possibilities for a realistic solution to global climate change challenges.  Of course, green job opportunities in the wind industry will also be highlighted.

Global Wind Day is the brainchild of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), and is supported in the United States by the American Wind Energy Association.  Urging adoption of the national renewable electricity standard currently under Congressional consideration, the CEO of the AWEA , Denise Bode, stated:

“In the United States, Global Wind Day comes at a time when the nation is surging forward in wind and renewable energy development, but risks loosing this momentum and leaving tens of thousands of jobs on the cutting room floor if we do not adopt a strong renewable energy policy.  America trails China and Europe in passing renewable energy policy commitments.  It’s time for a national renewable electricity standard (RES) here in the U.S. to seize this historic opportunity to create jobs, build up our renewable energy industry, and fight climate change.”

Support wind power on Global Wind Day

photo credit: Calc-tufa

Wind-focused events will take place all over the world on Global Wind Day.  There is an interactive map at the official website that illustrates where you can go.  Even if your hometown is not holding a sponsored event, you can still make a difference by contacting your Congressional representatives and urging them to support a strong national renewable portfolio standard (RPS).

We even put together a primer to show you how to ask your elected representatives to support renewable energy.

Need some ideas of what to say?  The Global Wind Day site summarizes it perfectly:

At a time of energy and climate crisis, it is vital to explain to the decision makers why the world crucially needs an energy shift. Policy makers are seeking solutions and the wind industry offers the best way to produce CO2-free electricity quickly and efficiently.

Wind can be found everywhere, and energy from wind is helping ease the widespread dependence on fossil fuels. In addition, wind energy creates jobs and contributes to economic growth by offering highly technical know-how and the possibility of exporting wind energy and its technology

Once again, this is a prime example of how grassroots efforts can make a difference.  Each of us has the power to do something to mitigate climate change.  Whether you write a letter, attend a Global Wind Day event, or sign an online petition, you can make your voice heard.

What will you be doing on Monday?

No related posts.

Founded in January 2009 Build Baby Build has already established itself as one of the leading blogs in the distributed renewable energy sphere. “The content from Stephanie our editor and all of the contributing bloggers is just top notch.” Says Ken Smith, Publisher and Blogger and CEO of Smith Energy which publishes the blog. “In only a few months we’ve established a steadily growing and dedicated following because of the quality of our content.”

The blog’s editors and contributing bloggers also post on SFGate, the Wall Street Journal, Huffingtonpost.com, Fast Company, Peachy Green, and many other regional green blogs. In just the first six months of operation the blog has attracted over 1,350,000 followers, contacts, group participation and membership and friends on LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, FriendFeed, StumbleUpon, and BuzzUp, as well as over 1,700 active Twitter followers @buildbabybuild.  Build Baby Build is also a leading supporter and promoter of The Pickens Plan.

The blog is sponsoring and hosting a new activity called Greenspotting which encourages people everywhere to use thier cell phones or digital cameras to document renewable energy, conservation, and/or environmental programs in ther community by taking photos and posting them online with comments.  Black & Decker is sponsoring a Greenspotting Contest with a product give away for the top greenspotters in the country.  The blog also catalogs distributed generation sites across the country using crowd sourced map inputs. And this week Build Baby Build is hosting a series of events around the country dedicated to promoting local, community projects. “We’re not about a top down, centralized approach to renewable energy.” Says Stephanie Hicks, the blogs founding Editor and a wefollow.com top 100 for the key word ‘green.”.   “We’re here to support each community as they decide what form of renewable energy, conservation, or related effort works in their town.”   To join or sponsor a Build Baby Build event please go to www.buildbabybuild.com/bbbweek.

Says Ken Smith:  “On behalf of our editors, contributing bloggers, writers, and event organizers I am thrilled at the success build baby build has achieved in such a short time, and as a USF Alumnus I am particularly glad that readers in my second home of San Francisco find our content so compelling.”

Related posts:

1. Tap into Build Baby Build’s Readership
2. Success for San Francisco Solar Energy Incentive Program
3. Energy Locavores in San Francisco

“So we have a choice to make. We can remain one of the world’s leading importers of foreign oil, or we can make the investments that would allow us to become the world’s leading exporter of renewable energy. We can let climate change continue to go unchecked, or we can help stop it. We can let the jobs of tomorrow be created abroad, or we can create those jobs right here in America and lay the foundation for lasting prosperity.”

Yet some of Obama’s campaign promises are back to haunt him.

Last summer, in the face of record high fuel costs, Obama conceded to cries of “Drill Baby Drill,” stating that he would support some off-shore oil exploration in the U.S., as well as focus on renewable energy resources like oil, wind and biofuels.   Now that gas is affordable again, most of the DBD chorus has quieted.  But Obama is caught in the crossfire between Big Oil – reminding him of pledges during the election year – and environmentalists who are calling for a reinstatement of the off-shore drilling ban that was lifted in September.

I see no reason to rush into a reaction on the issue of off-shore oil drilling.  After all, despite the fact that alarmed congresspeople lifted the ban in a reaction to economic pressures last summer, home-based drilling is not going to improve our lot in the world.  And if it helped anything at all, it would be by a small amount at a great potential cost.

First, it will take years, if not a decade, for any oil to reach consumers.  This was fundamentally overlooked last year in the effort to try to lower gas prices for Americans.  Concerned about oil prices?  The U.S. has little influence over that, save for taxation (for example, Obama’s budget would increase taxes on oil companies and raise the cost of fossil fuels to help pay for alternative energy R&D).

Second, off-shore oil drilling will not grant us energy independence.  Any oil pulled from shores of the U.S. would be but a fraction of what we import from the Gulf States.

Third, we may have already experienced peak oil.  That is, world-wide reserves are declining.  Even if we tap into the oil sitting below our own land, it is but a temporary fix for long-term energy demands.

Build, Baby Build is our reaction to Drill Baby Drill.  Why put vast natural resources at risk and blight beautiful wilderness areas with oil rigs when the “fix” is not one at all?  We can tap into existing renewable resources right now and see an immediate lowering of our energy costs and reduction in dependence on foreign oil.

Its time to stop the DBD nonsense and build a new future.  Right here, right now.

No related posts.

Solar power has been around for a long time, but historically it has been seen as too expensive to be practical. Those days are over, though. By 2020, the cost of solar power will have fallen to less than 20 percent of the price in 1980.

The lower price of solar power comes from both lower upfront costs and lower operating costs. Capital costs fell rapidly for two types of photovoltaic systems between 1980 and today. For another type of system — Crystal Silicon systems — capital costs are projected to keep falling for the next decade.

At the same time that capital costs have declined, PV systems have become more efficient, leading to more money saved on operating costs.

Is your community looking to develop a community-scale distributed generation project to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels? These days, a solar-powered project is definitely a viable option.

[Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy]

Related posts:

1. SunEdison’s Solar Distributed Generation Project

Clean coal is just like regular coal, but they’ve harnessed “the awesome power of the word ‘clean’.”

Here are a few facts about “clean” coal from the Reality Campaign:

• There are no homes in America powered by “clean” coal.
• The coal industry is spending millions advertising “clean” coal, but not a single “clean” coal power plant exists in the U.S. today.
• There are roughly 600 coal plants producing electricity in the U.S. Not one of them captures and stores its global warming pollution.There is not a single large-scale demonstration “clean” coal plant in the U.S. today.
• Virtually all the new coal plants that have been proposed will, just like their predecessors, release 100 percent of the CO2 they produce into the atmosphere, where it will linger—and contribute to global warming.
• An investment in wind power produces almost three times as many jobs as the same investment in coal power. And an investment in solar power produces almost four times as many jobs, and energy efficiency, almost thirty times as many jobs as coal power.

Do we really want to continue the trend of soaring coal use?

There’s only one way out, and it’s not “clean” coal — we need to build renewable energy production, and we need to build it now.

Related posts:

1. 5 Reasons Not to Invest in “Clean Coal”
2. The Myth of Clean Coal

Back in January, I wrote about the skyrocketing price of oil. The price has come back down because of the recession, but in the long term, its trajectory will not change. Once the global recession is over, we can expect sky-high prices once again.

On the other hand, prices for wind energy have dropped sharply over the past two decades. The most recent data from the U.S. Department of Energy (PDF) show that wind energy’s cost per kilowatt has fallen to less than half of what it was in the early 1980s:

Recently, wind prices have started to creep upwards after two decades of steady decline. However, the increase in prices has been slower than it has for other energy sources. As a matter of fact, for the past three years, wind power has been an incredible bargain. The chart below shows that the average price for wind power falls below even the low end of the Nationwide Wholesale Power Price Range. That means that wind energy can be purchased  on the open market at below-average prices.

The prices do vary by region. However, in every single region, the average price for wind power is competitive with the average wholesale price for energy. In most regions, wind energy is cheaper than the average wholesale price. In Texas, the heart of oil country, wind energy is just over half the average wholesale price of energy.

Are people telling you it’s too expensive to build wind power in your own community? It’s not expensive at all — in fact, over the long run, wind energy could save your community millions of dollars, while also helping to reduce carbon emissions.

All graphs courtesy of the Department of Energy’s Annual Report on U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost, and Performance Trends (PDF 3.9 MB)

No related posts.