FORMER LOS ANGELES INDUSTRIAL BROWNFIELD BEING TURNED INTO L.A. CLEANTECH CORRIDOR

by Jodi Summers

First Los Angeles was known for its weather. Then we became known for our traffic. Our next claim to fame will be Los Angeles’ emergence as a model for sustainable industrial development in North America.

“We will make clean tech as synonymous with LA as motion pictures,” noted Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said. “We will make LA the capital of green technology … and transform the city into a laboratory for green development.”

Los Angeles’ great green project, the CleanTech Corridor is a 20-acre Center site at Santa Fe Avenue and 15th Street is located within the greater Los Angeles Downtown area. The site is a prime industrial-zoned parcel uniquely positioned to provide jobs for those living in nearby loft and residential developments or for those commuting via local and regional public transit.

CITY SAYS

City boasts that the Los Angeles CleanTech Corridor offers an aggregation of clean technology and green-focused companies near the Los Angeles River. The firms sought for the Center include both established firms and emerging companies engaged in the assembly, manufacture or development of products in clean energy generation, sustainable building materials and furnishings, clean water technology, reduced emissions vehicle technology, manufactured products using recycled or organic materials and similar CleanTech initiatives.

Incentives for moving your green business to Los Angeles, according to the city include, “Support and advantages not otherwise available at other development sites. Tenants will have access to a wide variety of city, state and federal financial incentives. The site is located within the Central Industrial Redevelopment Project Area, the Eastside State Enterprise Zone and the Los Angeles Federal Empowerment Zone. Incentives include City Department of Water and Power energy programs and rebates, significant employment and investment tax credits, permit expediting assistance, workforce recruitment and training and other programs. In addition, occupants may qualify for favorable ground-lease terms, New Market Tax credits, infrastructure grants and low interest CRA/LA loans.”

Advantages for locating in Los Angeles

• A growing pool of high-tech, skilled workers engaged in technology jobs within Los Angeles County – numbering nearly 226,000 – the fourth largest source of jobs in the County

• The largest manufacturing employment base in the country with 470,000 jobs

• The largest number of Ph.Ds granted in any region of the country

• World-class research facilities at UCLA, USC and the California Institute of Technology, with a combined 42 Nobel Laureates and opportunities for collaboration in technology development

• Four of the nation’s top ten engineering firms

City-offered incentives include

• The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s $5 billion projected investment in achieving 20 percent of customers’ power from renewable sources by 2010 and 35% by 2030

• The Port of Los Angeles’ $15 million Technology Advancement Program as part of the 2006 Clean Air Action Plan targeted at investing in clean technology related to improving air quality and meeting clean energy goals

• $46 million set aside by The Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System (LACERS) funds in 2005 for CleanTech investments over a ten-year period

If you’re interested, let us know. It will be great to have you here.

For more information visit www.CleantechLA.org.

http://www.ioe.ucla.edu/news/article.asp?parentid=3347

http://www.today.ucla.edu/portal/ut/la-to-become-the-capital-of-green-88893.aspx

http://cleantechlosangeles.org/

CLEANTECH L.A. AIMS TO LEAD THE GREEN DEVELOPMENT EVOLUTION

By Jodi Summers

As we move toward a more efficient world, collaborative alliances are the next wave of evolution. In the last administration, we saw the auto companies begin to share ideas. In leaner, greener times the Department of Energy created the Commercial Building Energy Alliance. Locally, our universities are pooling their knowledge through CleanTech Los Angeles, with goal of making L.A. THE city spearheading the green evolution.

“Los Angeles is leading the world with its commitment to reducing its environmental footprint and this collaboration will undoubtedly stimulate innovation in our region and provide opportunities to create and attract clean tech companies who wish to capitalize on the region’s enormous public demand for their innovative solutions,” said Bill Allen, CEO of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.

CleanTech Los Angeles, it is an alliance featuring prominent leaders from the City’s premier academic institutions, business community and local government. The big picture is to establish Los Angeles as a global capital of clean technology by leveraging the City’s strongest assets.

Publicly, the CleanTech L.A. Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, California Institute of Technology President Jean-Lou Chameau, University of California Los Angeles Chancellor Gene Block, University of Southern California President Steven Sample, Los Angeles County Economic Development President Bill Allen, Los Angeles Business Council President Mary Leslie, and Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce President Gary Toebben.

“Broader recognition of Los Angeles as a global regional center of science and engineering research and clean technology development bodes well for its economic competitiveness in a rapidly changing world,” added Dr. Jean-Lou Chameau, President of the California Institute of Technology.

CleanTech LA will focus on four key areas: Testing, R&D, and Commercialization; Advocacy for Funds; Education and Outreach; and Economic Development Strategy. The partnership is currently working together on initiatives such as www.cleantechla.org, the California Climate Change Institute, the CleanTech Manufacturing Center, and theClean Technology Research Center. Planned future programs include the CleanTech Corridor, advocacy for federal and state funding, and greater collaborations and partnerships.

PARTNERS:

* City of Los Angeles

* University of California, Los Angeles

* University of Southern California

* California Institute of Technology

* Los Angeles Business Council

* Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation

* Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce

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“Clean technology is one of the bright spots in our future economy,” said Gary Toebben, President & CEO, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. “The L.A. Area Chamber is pleased to work with the City of Los Angeles and other partners to help make Southern California the hub of the emerging clean tech sector and the jobs and economic growth associated with it.”

For more information visit www.CleantechLA.org.

http://www.ioe.ucla.edu/news/article.asp?parentid=3347

http://www.today.ucla.edu/portal/ut/la-to-become-the-capital-of-green-88893.aspx

http://cleantechlosangeles.org/

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FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE BUILDINGS NET ZERO BY 2025

FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE BUILDINGS NET ZERO BY 2025

By Jodi Summers

The DOE has taken a number of steps to encourage energy efficiency in the design of new buildings. EnergyPlus is an energy modeling tool, which is augmented by OpenStudio, a plug-in for the Google SketchUp 3-D drawing program that allows SketchUp to work seamlessly with the EnergyPlus program.

Both are available on the EnergyPlus page of DOE’s Building Technologies Program Web site.

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/energyplus/

That site also features a selection of benchmark models for 16 types of building in 16 locations to help designers understand the energy use of similar new buildings- http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/commercial_initiative/new_construction.html

EnergyPlus models heating, cooling, lighting, ventilating, and other energy flows as well as water in buildings. EnergyPlus includes many innovative simulation capabilities such as time steps of less than an hour, modular systems and plant integrated with heat balance-based zone simulation, multizone air flow, thermal comfort, water use, natural ventilation, and photovoltaic systems.

CHINA’S GREEN PROPERTY MARKETS ARE ABOUT TO EXPLODE!

CHINA’S GREEN PROPERTY MARKETS ARE ABOUT TO EXPLODE!

By Jodi Summers

China’s secondary and tertiary markets are beginning to play a greater and greater role in the country’s real estate market, and analysts are speculating that China’s property market could quadruple in size by 2020.

The information comes courtesy of a report from at Jones Lang LaSalle titled China40: The Rising Urban Stars report.

“China’s Tier II and Tier III cities are dynamic centers of economic development and continued growth,” says Michael Klibaner, head of research Shanghai. “Massive infrastructure investment makes these markets increasingly accessible at a time when interest in China has shifted from being export oriented towards a focus on the domestic market.”

Analyzed in the report were the 40 top Tier II and Tier III cities which will be a strong future investment value. Each city was further analyzed for it real estate strengths. For office, Tianjon, Chongqing and Nanjong made the list; in retail Changsha, Wuhan and Wenzhou; and in Logistics Chengdu, Qingdao and Zhengzhou.

The country also has new cities under construction. Dongtan’s master plan outlines the world’s first green city, every block engineered in response to China’s environmental crisis. It’s like the source code for an urban operating system. “We’re not focused on the form,” project architect Alejandro Gutierrez explains. “We’re focused on the performance of the form.” He and his team imagine a city powered by local, renewable energy, with superefficient buildings clustered in dense, walkable neighborhoods; a recycling scheme that repurposes 90 percent of all waste; a network of high tech organic farms; and a ban on any vehicle that emits CO2.

William McDonough had drafted a master plan for building the city of Huangbaiyu as a “cradle-to-cradle” model city. Phase 1 construction, with forty new homes built using advanced construction is close to completion.

“The future evolution of China’s cities and their real estate markets will be driven by a rich combination of factors that are strongly influenced by government policy,” the report states. These policies focus on urbanization, with plans in place to see the city population explode to 850 million people by 2020. “The government’s ideal end vision of the urbanization process is a country wide network of environmentally sensitive cities each with their own unique competitive advantages and strong trading connections.”

Energy-saving fluorescent lamps will continue to be rule rather than the exception in China, and more efficient LED lighting will be widely used for parking lot and street lighting, among other applications. Growth areas are being designed with mass transit in mind.

“We are confident that more business park hotspots will emerge as experienced developers and investors penetrate further into China’s Tier II and Tier III cities,” says Tammy Tank, head of business parks in China.

Info courtesy of

http://www.globest.com/news/1366_1366/asia/177432-1.html

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http://www.virtourist.com/asia/china/chengdu/imatges/01.jpg

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.05/feat_popup.html

http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/003475.html

LIVE GREEN –> IDEAS TO GREEN YOUR PROPERTIES

Edited by Jodi Summers

1. Double-Paned Windows

According to the Department of Energy, the typical U.S. family spends $1,300 a year on home energy bills. Double-paned windows are up to 40 percent more energy-efficient than standard windows, and allow you to save from 10 to 25 percent off your heating or cooling bill, on top of saving five tons of carbon dioxide emissions per household per year.

2. Caulking and Storm Panels

Double-paned windows are expensive, and it could take decades for their savings to counterbalance their cost. To improve insulation without switching windows, seal up any leaks or gaps around doors and windows with caulking and weather stripping, then add a storm panel to your single-pane window to increase energy efficiency for far less money than double-paned windows.

3. Plant Trees

On top of soaking up carbon dioxide, trees that surround your house can provide hading in the summertime, keeping your property cooler and requiring less energy-intensive air conditioning.

4. Swap Your A/C for a Ceiling Fan

Ceiling fans are remarkably effective in cooling and use far less energy than air conditioning. If you still need a little A/C, consider running it on low, and using ceiling fans to effectively circulate the cool air.

5. Get Your Ducts in a Row

Faulty duct work can cause serious, life-threatening carbon monoxide problems in the home. Check your ducts for air leaks. Look for sections that should be joined but have separated, and then look for obvious holes. If you use tape to seal your ducts, experts suggest using mastic, butyl tape, foil tape, or other heat-approved tapes (look for tape with the Underwriters Laboratories logo). A well-sealed vapor barrier on the outside of the insulation on cooling ducts prevents moisture buildup.

6. Be Reasonable with the Thermostat

No reason to be uncomfortable in your home to save energy or reduce emissions, but try to keep it as warm as you can stand it in the summer, and turn it down to 68 or below in the winter.

7. Change Your Bulbs

Electricity is the largest source of U.S. carbon emissions, using about 38 percent. A switch to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can reduce emissions and energy use drastically. Keep in mind, CFLs still contain mercury; LEDs are considered the best bet.

8. Turn Off and Unplug

Research conducted by the DOE shows that in the average American home, 75 percent of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. Unplugging seldom used appliances could shave up to $10 off your monthly electricity bill.

9. Reach for the Energy Stars

There’s an ENERGY STAR version of almost every appliance these days from a computer to a refridgerator. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), by choosing their ENERGY STAR-qualified products, consumers can cut energy use by 30 percent, a savings of about $450 each year.

10. Switch to Solar or Wind Power Without Buying Your Own System

According to the DOE, at least 50 percent of customers have the option to purchase renewable electricity directly from their power supplier. Such power is sometimes referred to as “green power” or “clean power,” and costs an average of $1.25/month extra.

11. Shower Efficiently

With our new tiered water rates, it’s wise to be conscious about how much time, and water, you’re spending in the shower. A one- or two-minute reduction in shower time can save up to 700 gallons of water per month.

12. Use the Cold Water

If your shower takes awhile to heat up, catch the cold water in a bucket and use it to water your garden or lawn.

13. Go Native

Using native plants in landscaping can reduce residential water use by 20 to 50 percent.

14. Green Paints, Materials, and Accessories

According to the California Air Resources Board, indoor air quality in the state is worse than outdoor air quality, thanks to the toxins in paint, wood finishes, carpet, adhesives, and solvents. Air quality in new and recently renovated homes can be up to 10 times more polluted than outdoor air quality. To cut down on indoor toxins, opt for Green Seal certified paints and solvent-free adhesives.

15. Displace Water

Put a plastic bottle or a plastic bag weighted with pebbles and filled with water in your toilet tank. Displacing water in this manner saves five to 10 gallons of water a day. That’s up to 300 gallons a month, even more for large families.

16. Seal Your House

Visit the DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy site for a printable home energy audit, check your home for cracks, and have adequate installation installed.

28. Keep Your Garden Green

It might surprise you to learn that homeowners actually use 10 times more pesticides and fertilizers per acre than farmers, on average; 67 million pounds of the stuff are applied on lawns each year. Opt for native plants, safer pesticides, and compost for fertilizer instead.

www.realtor.com

www.dinnergarden.org/victoryGardens.html

LOS ANGELES IS A BETTER PLACE THAN PARIS TO BUY GREEN INVESTMENT REAL ESTATE

LOS ANGELES IS A BETTER PLACE THAN PARIS TO BUY GREEN INVESTMENT REAL ESTATE

by Jodi Summers

Sacre bleu! Los Angeles is a better real estate…according to Forbes.com.  In a recent top 10 article called World’s Best Places For Real Estate Buys, Ten cities investors will target in 2009 our beloved Los Angeles was #7 – after  San Francisco and before Paris.

Washington D.C. topped the list this year, thanks to the proposed $1 trillion swell of government spending. As Forbes notes, “At present, D.C. has the lowest unemployment rate in the country–4.1%, compared to the 7.2% national average. With President Obama’s stimulus package recommending $1 trillion in new spending, it’s unlikely government jobs–and those they support–will be leaving the District anytime soon.”

Not many investors were looking at L.A. in 2008, as we were hammered by the subprime crisis and a massive volume of foreclosures. As we all know, our perceived property poverty curtailed spending and our whole local economy limped along. We were 19^th on the 2008 Forbes World’s Best Places For Real Estate Buys, so this 12-point rise is a huge boost for real estate morale.

As far as green development goes, the Los Angeles Green Building ordinance –is being heralded as “the most far reaching plan of any big city in America to promote green building practices in the private sector.”  The ordinance intends reduce the City’s carbon emissions by more than 80,000 tons by 2012, the equivalent of taking 15,000 cars off the road – a bolder objective than any other major city in the country. (Now if they’d only find a way get 15,000 cars off the road.) 

“It’s all about perception,” notes a local investor. “If people perceive Los Angeles is a good value, then it becomes a good value, and prices grow strong.”

Good news for local property owners - sales surged 102%in the residential sector, according to Radar Logic, a derivatives firm, and Forbes notes that this wave “has that market hinting at a bottom.”

The 2009 Top 10 Best Places For Real Estate Buys

1. Washington, D.C.

2. London, U.K.

3. New York, N.Y.

4. Tokyo, Japan

5. Shanghai, China

6. San Francisco, Calif.

7. Los Angeles, Calif.

8. Paris, France

9. Houston, Texas

10. Singapore

Please note Forbes’ rankings come from the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate, a research association that tracks where member investors are finding the best opportunities around the world.

Get the whole story @ http.//www.forbes.com/2009/01/21/investment-obama-realestate-forbeslife-cx_mw_0121realestate.html?partner=alerts

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