2011 may seem like a long way off but it will be here soon enough, and along with it will come an influx of new Electric Vehicles (EV) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV). There are currently 700 Tesla EV’s on the road today and Nissan is scheduled to release almost 5,000 pure electric Leafs in late 2010. We are also scheduled to see the Chevy Volt and the Plug-in Prius. These two vehicles while not pure EVs, do have the ability to charge their batteries from the grid (PHEV). While all EV and PHEV models available today come with charging systems for the owner’s garages, people may be asking will I be able to charge my car while I am away from home.  The answer is yes …soon. 

‘The EV Project’ is a program that is currently in the process of executing a Department of Energy initiative to install large scale charging infrastructure across the U.S. While this project is currently centered on supporting the Nissan Leaf’s deployment in its target markets of AZ, CA, OR, WA, and TN, the overall plan is to have EV and PHEV charging infrastructure (for all vehicle types) in all 50 states by 2013. This program along with commercial endeavors like Better Place and other smaller initiatives are working towards building a suitable infrastructure for the new EV market.

EV’s are now to the point of maturity that they are no longer prototype test vehicles or micro market captured fleets available by lease only. There will soon be several models available from multiple manufacturers at various price points providing real variety and competition for the marketplace. Alongside EV development and growth will be the adoption of ‘Smart Grid’ infrastructure technologies that will interact with EV infrastructure to optimize its integration with the Utility power providers. Smarter electrical utility devices will provide for more certainty to grid operators in EV load profiles and will give the opportunity for clear electricity price options to end users charging their vehicles.

All of these pieces point to a market space for Electric Vehicles, and their infrastructure, that is poised to grow (and evolve) significantly into the next decade, providing a stable landscape for the electricity based transportation mode to flourish in.

Are you currently considering purchasing an EV or PHEV? How does the availability of charging infrastructure influence your decision?

There are those out there who for whatever reasons believe that sustainable measures are not good for the world and pose a threat to our way of life. Because of this, there is information that is spun as “truth” to convince us that we should maintain the status quo. Have you ever heard someone say that they don’t want wind turbines in their town because they “kill birds” and that they are “loud” and destroy views? The reality is that for every 10,000 birds killed by human activity, only one – that’s 1 – is killed by a wind turbine. By comparison, house cats kill 1,000 and buildings kill 5,500 (birds colliding into windows).

The noise theory doesn’t hold water either: from 250 meters (about 820 feet), the noise level of a wind turbine is approximately 45 decibels, which is lower than the background noise in the average home (50db) and the average office (60db). Finally, the views concern has been proven invalid: while there is a period of adjustment – just as when power lines went up in the past and more recently, cellular phone towers – wind turbines eventually become part of the background and in some cases even become a sightseeing opportunity. In Bowling Green, Ohio where I live, our turbines are frequently featured in the local and even national media and people come from around the region to see them. I hardly notice them anymore, but when I do, it is a reminder that my town is making efforts toward energy independence from coal and foreign oil and creating a place that will sustain our children for generations to come.

My friends live in this house. From what they tell me, they notice the occasional smells from a nearby landfill on which the turbines sit but rarely ever notice the turbines. When visiting them, I've never once heard the turbines. I have however stood directly under them and can hear a sound similar to a jet at a great distance.

Other misconceptions include comments such as “green buildings cost more”. This is also information that has been twisted or “spun”. The reality is that while the upfront costs of green buildings may sometimes be slightly higher due to more efficient heating and cooling systems and other features, the lifecycle costs of operating these buildings is significantly lower ultimately saving the owner/operator of the building a great deal of money in lower energy and water bills over the life of the building. Regardless of your beliefs regarding global climate change, it is difficult to make a convincing argument that saving money is a bad thing. The fringe benefits are that these measures lower our dependence on coal, nuclear power, and foreign oil while at the same time reducing the impact of buildings on natural ecosystems and enhancing the quality of the environment in which we must all live, work, and play. Additionally, as the market adjusts to more efficient designs of buildings and heating and cooling systems, the costs for these new “innovations” are coming down. This is also true for solar and wind power technologies which will soon be competitive with rates for energy production from oil and coal.

What kinds of negative things about sustainability have you heard, but find questionable?

The development of green building continues to grow throughout the world.   It is estimated that over 60 billion dollars worth of construction will take place in 2010 with direct reference to green building. As product manufactures, architects, engineers, building owners, and lawyers begin to work with and understand the green movement, the development of risk is heightened as the guidelines and building certifications derived by groups such as LEED  are tested, manipulated, and have challenged interpretation.

Below are a couple of hot topics, from an A/E perspective, that we’ve run across involving the do’s and don’ts of LEED:

1.  Promises-promises.  This topic has really been hit hard lately, and rightfully so.  LEED certification is completely at the mercy of the LEED councils review.  So for an engineer or architect to promise a client a specific certification, is a very risky situation.  There are no guarantees that any building, existing or new, will meet a specific certification level.  For a building to be a successful LEED project, the architect, engineer, contractor, owner, and others all have to do their part, if one group fails, the LEED certification can be jeopardized.

2.   Greenwash.  Greenwash is the practice of companies spinning their product lines as being environmentally friendly as a means to appeal to consumers, persuading them to buy their product rather than another.  As we know, many LEED points are scored based on the products used in the construction or renovation of a product.  Many manufactures will develop a product and use fancy language to give the illusion that there product is green and in some cases can even obtain LEED points.   In other cases, and I have seen this in Lunch & Learns, a manufacture rep will say if you use there product, you will get a LEED point.  This does not happen too much anymore, the Reps will now simply say that there product will contribute towards specific LEED points.  If an architect or engineer were to specify a perceived product in which they were relying on for a LEED point and later found out that the product is not eligible for the point, it could in a worst case scenario be responsible for a building certification to not be met.

These are just a couple of the endless circumstances that can create risks involving LEED projects.  Are there any experiences that you’ve encountered that might be a good lesson learned?

Have you ever tried to fill out a LEED template and have no idea what type of information you should be including? What’s important? What’s not? Is it better to include extra information? Or only the bare minimum?

Or have you been reviewing a project for materials and can’t quite tell if it’s “green” or green-washed?

The USGBC website is a great resource to start. But ..  I love this website by Harvard University Office of Sustainability  http://green.harvard.edu/theresource/ - it has a ton of great information on various projects they have completed, case studies, copies of completed templates, products, etc. – check it out!

I recently worked on a project that involves food service – and I needed to find baselines for various pieces of equipment. This website by FSTC (Food Service Technology Center) has an excel document you can download with baselines, there are life cycle cost calculators and various design guides:    http://www.fishnick.com/saveenergy/toolbox/

DTE has a “Energy Toolbox” for business owner’s – the toolbox has tips on how to save energy, analyze your energy, etc – http://www.dteenergy.com/businessCustomers/productsPrograms/toolbox.html. They also offer some great tips for homeowner’s: info on energy star appliances, insulation, light bulbs and a “home energy tour”. http://www.dteenergy.com/residentialCustomers/saveEnergy/

Are you a business owner looking for water efficient fixtures? The EPA has created a partnership program with WaterSense. The website allows you to search for water efficient faucets, toilets, showerheads, etc. http://www.epa.gov/watersense/product_search.html

What free tools or sites have you found that make your life as a business leader, employee, homeowner, LEED AP or sustainability connoisseur easier? What’s in your toolbox?