Philadelphia Renewable

Saving Energy In And Around The Philadelphia Area

admin — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

We are all well aware of the complexities surrounding our world today regarding the energy crisis. We all have been guilty of not being ‘conservative’ with our usage of resources on the planet now we are coming to a serious shortfall of the materials available to provide us with the power we will need in the near future.

We are beginning to make great strides in that direction. The surrounding local municipalities along with Philadelphia are taking measures to make certain that energy savings are a part of every project that is planned for the future.

We are also taking steps to ascertain that in all of our current public works that we have the most energy efficient usage that are possible and updating as many as we can as fast as we can. Governmental energy planning and a large majority of citizens are committed to both planning for the future and attempting to correct as much as is possible of what has already been constructed to energy efficient usage. Companies such as energy savings are also aligned in helping residential customers in conserving energy. We are certain that the future of America is a bright one and our citizens will have a worry free future full of more than enough energy.

Sustainable Business Network

www.philadelphiarenewable.com — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The members of Philadelphia’s Sustainable Business Network (SBN) are “committed to growing a socially just, environmentally sound, and economically prosperous” city and region of Philadelphia.For those business owners wanting to “green their business,” the SBN offers educational programming through business collaborations and initiatives that are hosted by the Green Economy Task Force (a coalition of concerned citizens, businesses, government officials, organized labor, non-profits and communities of faith) that are working to build “an inclusive green economy in the Philadelphia regions.”A mission of the SBN is to educate and grow a broad base of local, independent business and educating policymakers and the public via:

Skills-building programs and mentoring for existing and future entrepreneurs; educational events open to the public focused on topics related to sustainable business practices; an on-line member directory to enhance business-to-business and business-to-consumer relationships; and networking opportunities for doing business locally.
Seminars to educate business owners and concerned consumers about sustainable business and consumption practices, as well as a monthly Circle of Entrepreneurs to support and mentor emerging businesses.
An annual business conference called the Social Venture Institute and operates the Buy Local Philly marketing campaign to educate consumers about the economic benefits of supporting local, independent businesses.
The Green Economy Task Force, a coalition of over 600 people and 230 partner organizations, thatis working todevelop a comprehensive green collar job strategy for the Philadelphia region to benefit low-income communities and local businesses.
Conducting sector-specific research through the Emerging Industries Project to identify the best targets for linkages between job trainers and local employers.

If interested in learning more about the SBN you can contact them at 215.922.7400 or visit their website.

Green Habitats

www.philadelphiarenewable.com — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Habitat Philadelphia is proud to boast they not only build and restore homes that are affordable, but that are sustainable, as well. In 2009 the organization completed seven homes on Stiles Street in West Philadelphia that were certified by Leed (Leadership and Energy in Environmental Design) to help demonstrate the organization’s commitment to building in adherence to national standards.Habitat for Humanity goes on to point out that they build green for three reasons:

Environmental Stewardship by making certain that water and energy conservation are fundamental to the design and construction of homes. They utilize existing housing stock and infill lots which extend the lifecycle of Philadelphia homes, retain cultural resources, reduces waste, and minimizes the amount of energy that would be required for demolition and ground-upconstruction.
Economic Impact by building homes that become more affordable because of reduced utility and maintenancecosts. Green building projects stimulate the marketplace, encouraging manufacturers to supply environmentally conscious, locally manufactured products. Sustainable building design and construction fuels the continued growth of green jobs in theregion.
Social Implications by building homes that dramatically improve indoor air quality for families, and healthier living conditions that help reduce medical expenses, allowing partner families to save more.

The organization goes on to state that their green housing initiatives “helps set a precedent, demonstrating that green doesn’t have to mean more expensive. The presence of a green Habitat home can jumpstart positive community activity and environmental consciousness on a street, block, orneighborhood.”If you’d like to get involved to help a neighborhood contact Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia located at 1829 North 19^th Street or call 215.765.6000.

Philadelphia Encouraging Solar Power Use as Part of Solar America Cities

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:04:06 +0000

The United States is spending a great deal of money trying to combat problems caused by the use of fossil fuels. Environmental degradation is forcing everyone, worldwide, to consider other sources of energy. One of the more popular alternatives that is starting to be used extensively throughout this country is solar energy. By using photovoltaic panels or solar thermal collectors, the heat and energy from the sun’s rays can be transformed into electricity. Solar power can also be used for heating and cooling of a building. Solar America Cities is a partnership through the U.S. Department of Energy and is comprised of 25 major cities in the U.S. who are striving to expand their use of renewable resources, particularly through the use of solar technology.As part of this partnership, Philadelphia is focusing on making solar power an affordable investment. The city has its own individual partnership called The Solar City Partnership, which has set a goal of generating 2.3 megawatts of solar electricity by 2011 and hopes to be producing 57.8 megawatts by 2021. Another outcome of this partnership is Maple Point, a solar neighborhood in Philadelphia. This townhome community has 38 energy star homes. Additionally, in 2008 plans were laid to create a solar development project in Navy Yard. On top of the environmental benefits and long-term cost savings of such a project, this endeavor will create hundreds of jobs. In 2008, the Department of Energy named Philadelphia one of 12 Solar America Cities. These cities were chosen based on the steps they are taking to promote solar energy and serve as a model for the nation. All of these cities have done their part to promote solar technology on a local level.Solar energy is becoming a more promising and feasible alternative to traditional fossil fuels all the time. If you live in Philadelphia there are many ways for you to get involved with this effort and reap the benefits of solar technology on a personal and communal level.

Philadelphia Biofuels

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:27:28 +0000

When it comes to finding new sources of energy, the days of waiting until “things get bad enough” are over. The fact that much of oil used in the US comes from politically unstable areas, combined with rising oil costs, environmental concerns, and the recent BP oil spill, is creating an increasing demand for new sources of energy. Philadelphia is a city doing its part to solve the energy crisis. Biofuel is gaining attention as an alternative fuel possibility because it takes waste products and creates them into a cleaner burning fuel. Biodiesel is made by using either soybean oil, poultry waste or used fryer oil in a chemical process that alters the molecules in the oil. After the original product has been altered, it can either be combined with diesel fuel or used completely in replace of diesel. Any diesel engine can use this product, though some engines require slight modification. By creating a fuel type from a renewable resource and making it into a fuel burning cleaner than oil, it achieves environmental efficiency.One Philadelphia company, now called BlackGold Biofuels, has taken on a whole new role in this industry. Instead of using recycled vegetable oil which can actually be used in other industries such as for animal feed, BlackGold began using trap grease, which is the foul, undesirable substance that goes down the drain and can be found in sewers. The use of trap grease was and still is relatively new to the industry and the company had to come up with their own method of cleaning and using this grease. BlackGold’s work in this field has earned them much recognition as well as federal grant money.BlackGold is just one of many biodiesel companies in the Philadelphia area doing their part to create a more sustainable America.

Local University Produces Extensive Research on Alternative Energy

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:22:50 +0000

The Philadelphia area has several research universities in its backyard. This is very essential to being a city on the cutting edge of the latest developments in energy efficiency. The University of Pennsylvania has an Energy Research Group that is conducting extensive research on various methods of storing hydrogen for energy use. Lately, we’ve been hearing a lot about electric cars and hybrid vehicles as they are finally available in marketable quantities. One other type of car that is receiving a lot of attention in the research industry is a hydrogen car.Using hydrogen presents greater challenges and requires more advances than many of the hybrid cars on the market already. However, when perfected, they will be a zero-emissions product with the only emission being water vapor. Hydrogen does not naturally occur on Earth and therefore must be separated from its other properties in compounds such as water or methane. When a car is fueled at a hydrogen station, the hydrogen is then burned in either a combustion engine or a fuel cell and can then power the vehicle. One of the large criticisms of the electric car is that even though the actual car burns cleaner, when you plug it into an outlet to be charged with electricity you are connecting to an electricity grid. Many of America’s power plants are still fired by coal making this process less environmentally friendly than it may actually seem. Even though they are not widely seen in the automobile market, there are already some hydrogen cars for sale. There are some hydrogen fueling stations in the US, most of which are in California, but there are not near enough to support significant amounts of these vehicles if and when this industry takes off.Hydrogen cars are definitely on the rise and it’s likely that before long they will be the new hot item in the green car market. The technology seems to be available; it is now a matter of building the infrastructure to support these systems.

Find a Job in the Growing, Renewable Energy Market

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:18:51 +0000

As fuel supplies dwindle and oil prices rise, the energy efficiency market continues to grow. The federal government is giving more grants to companies seeking alternate sources of fuel, which means there is a growing demand for workers in this field. Some of the more traditional jobs in this industry include such things as recycling pickup and sorting and manufacturing bicycles. On the more alternative side are things such as herb gardening, energy efficient appliance installation and creation of compost toilets.Green Jobs Philly is a website used by energy efficient companies and people seeking a career in this industry to match up with one another. They are setting a goal of creating 100,000 green collar jobs in various industries. The values that Green Jobs claims to uphold are a commitment to social improvement, more autonomy in small communities, and reliance on restoration of old products and use of locally grown and made goods. This is a great site to read about the latest green news in Philadelphia as well as learn how you can get connected and donate to this movement in your area.Another useful tool for finding work in the green industry is Get Renewable Energy Jobs. This website is used by many of the local companies to post listings for openings. You can browse through long lists of jobs available and read the more detailed descriptions and desired qualifications of the ones that interest you most. This website even has a feature for you to apply online. You have to be a member to apply but doing so is free, and extremely beneficial to finding a job that will let you put your skills and ideas toward making this planet a more sustainable place.

Do Your Part and Make Your Home or Business an Environmentally Efficient Place

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:08:07 +0000

Whether you’re a homeowner looking for new ways to increase the energy efficiency of your house or a business owner with plans to retrofit a building with energy saving devices or build a whole new building designed for efficiency, there is someone to help. Philadelphia has a number of companies offering these services and they will take you through the whole process to help you achieve the most efficient and cost effective environment.Green Tech Energy Services offers a range of technologies to help commercial, educational, government, or health care facilities achieve a more cost-effective system. Green Tech installs solar power systems to provide hot water, heat and electricity for a building. Initial installation of a solar panel system can be costly but it pays for itself very quickly. Energy costs from a solar system are next to nothing because you are making use of a free and unlimited resource: no more fluctuating energy prices to stress over. Green Tech can also install automation systems that monitor and regulate heating and air temperatures to reduce unnecessary energy use and prolong equipment life. They also offer HVAC replacement with new more efficient systems. Most of the equipment offered by Green Tech ensures pay back within 2-5 years.Another Philadelphia company, Pace Controls, provides energy efficiency products to commercial, industrial, and residential buildings. The focus of their products is heating, cooling, and refrigeration equipment, and they offer a five-year warranty on their products. Pace Controls also boasts a payback time of 1-3 years. According to the Pace Controls website, their heat pump produces energy savings of 26 and refrigeration units have a 13.6 energy savings.When you decide to make your appliances more environmentally friendly, be sure to find the company and installer that are right for you. Ameresco, Enerwise, and PWI Energy are a few other similar companies in the area.

A Simple Solution

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:00:53 +0000

As pollution and environmental problems continue to increase, Philadelphia residents need to take action before the city turns to smog. Every day, you and your coworkers get into your separate cars and drive to work. Why not ride together? By taking turns driving each week, you can cut back on fossil fuel burning, save gas money, and reduce traffic in one simple step. Carpooling has been a reasonable suggestion to help protect the environment for a long time, but few take it seriously. States have tried offering benefits such as HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes that provide carpoolers with their own lane on the highway, but it seems more problems than benefits have resulted.Another easy way to help save the planet is good old fashioned recycling. Sure, recycle bins are placed at many public venues, but why not bring the habit home? Most neighborhoods have recycling services that run weekly to pick up recycle bins. You’ll save room in your trash cans and give back to the environment at the same time. At this point, there’s really no excuse but laziness. In addition to recycling your products, start buying products that have been made from recycled items. Most of these ‘green’ items don’t sacrifice the original quality and often are even better than their non-recycled counterparts. You can also start buying environmentally friendly products such as Clorox’s new Green Works line or Tide‘s multiple green products that save you energy and water.Whatever your lifestyle may be, it IS possible to make minor changes that can affect the well being of our world, even if it means riding to work with that annoying neighbor or taking out an extra bin once a week.