A new report released by Greenpeace International provides a detailed scenario for the global energy future that describes how governments can create 12 million jobs by 2030 (8.5 million in the renewable energy sector alone), and achieve nearly 100% renewable energy globally by 2050. The report provides a policy framework for governments to phase out fossil fuels, reduce carbon emissions, and increase energy security and affordability.

Green energy projects are often funded with equity provided by investors and debt provided by lenders.  In today's economy, equity and debt financing are hard to find. Developers often use financing alternatives including tax credits, incentives, subsidies, grants, depreciation, loan guarantees, etc.  Most green energy projects have certain attributes in common:
• Most depend on federal and state tax incentives and subsidies for financial viability
• Most derive cash revenues from energy sales and sales of renewable energy credits
• Most lenders require substantial equity to qualify for debt financing
• Most equity and debt financing is difficult to obtain from traditional sources
• Most loan guarantees, grants, and subsidies come from federal, state and local programs

Federal tax credits include production tax credits and renewable energy tax credits.  Equity from investors may be found by selling tax credits at a discount.  Also, in lieu of tax credits, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act may provide cash grants generally equal to 30% of the project basis.

Green energy projects can benefit from five- or seven-year accelerated depreciation, sales tax exemptions, property tax exemptions, corporate income tax deductions and credits, pre-development funds, grants, and subsidies including USDA Value-Added Producer Grants for farm-based renewable energy projects and feasibility study funds from the Rural Energy for America Program.  Additional loan programs include:
• USDA - Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program.
• USDA - Rural Energy for America Program.
• DOE – loan guarantee programs.

Northland Pines High School in Eagle River, Wisc., the first public high school to received a LEED-Gold rating, was the target of the first third-party appeal of a LEED certification. The appeal was based on the school's alleged failure to comply with the energy, commissioning and indoor air quality prerequisites. The original complaint is available here.  The USGBC upheld the LEED-Gold rating.  The complainants issued a rebuttal to which the USGBC issued the following:  "USGBC stands by its conclusion that the Northland Pines High School project and project team complied with all the requirements necessary to achieve LEED-Gold certification. In response to a complaint, USGBC followed its certification challenge policy, which requires a thorough and technically rigorous review of the project. Given the vociferous and confrontational nature of the complaint, we further asked for two additional and separate technical reports detailing the expert professional opinions of highly regarded independent consultants. Their findings agreed with ours."

Green Building Pro offers a "single source for resources, education, communication and collaboration," to green building professionals. The Website offers interactive discussion forums and blogs, a range of original articles and newsletters and a library of resources about sustainable design and engineering.

Johnson Controls launched its new micro website, Make Your Buildings Work. The site will help building owners and real estate professionals estimate the energy cost savings, improved productivity and reduced carbon emissions that can be achieved through building improvements. The site offers complimentary tools, tips, case studies and other information to help make buildings greener.

Green building consultant, author and keynote speaker, Jerry Yudelson published a new white paper revealing that sustainable management, design and operations are rapidly growing practices at American universities, leading to 3,000 LEED-registered projects. The study, "Green Building Trends in Higher Education," covers the top 10 campuses for LEED projects. Click here for the free white paper.
Related:
Yudelson report names the University of Florida as a national leader in green building

"Green Building Materials: A Global Strategic Business Report" announced by Global Industry Analysts Inc., provides a strategic review of market trends, overview of different green building materials, product launches, corporate initiatives, and profiles various players.

Businesses can now apply for the Energy Star label for their standalone data centers.  To earn the label, data centers must be in the top 25% of their peers in energy efficiency according to EPA’s energy performance scale. The EPA uses the power usage effectiveness metric to measure for energy efficiency, which will determine whether a data center qualifies for the Energy Star label.

Related:
Data centers can now earn Energy Star label

High Tech High, a charter school in San Diego, earned LEED Gold. The high school's eight buildings with 59 modular units, totaling 32,807 sq. ft., are connected by a steel canopy that adds an additional 12,645 sq. ft. of covered areas. The school features dual-pane windows, acrylic skylights, and light motion sensors.

Learning Gate Community School is the first public school in Florida to earn LEED Platinum. The school has global sustainability issues, organic agriculture and nutrition, water conservation, green design and construction, and renewable energy.

The Duke Energy Center is the tallest office building to achieve the highest level of LEED. The 48-story, 1.34 million-sq. ft. core and shell project requires tenants to pursue LEED for Commercial Interiors.

Shipping containers are used for any number of green buildings (homes, hotels, prisons and even data centers). Rimutaka prison in New Zealand has turned shipping containers into prison cells to solve overcrowding. Shipping containers are cheap and abundant.

Registered with the Canada Green Building Council, the Stratford Toyota facility is the first automotive dealership in the country to achieve LEED Gold. Green features include 28% of recycled construction materials; 97% construction waste diverted from landfill; 37% reduced energy consumption with natural lighting; in-floor heating; highly insulated wall panels to retain heat; and a 8,000-liter storm water recapture system.

The Sacramento office of Hines, the international real estate firm, and New York-based Sterling American Property Inc., joint owners of 300 Capitol Mall in Sacramento, announced today that the property has received Gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® rating system for Existing Buildings.  It is the first office building on Capitol Mall to achieve LEED certification. 

The Washington office of Hines, the international real estate firm, announced today that Columbia Square in Washington, D.C., has received Silver certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® rating system for Existing Buildings.