Southern California Green Real Estate Blog

GOOD NEWS FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SELLERS – AB 1103 HAS BEEN DELAYED

GOOD NEWS FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SELLERS – AB 1103 HAS BEEN DELAYED

By Jodi Summers

Back in October 2007, when Assembly Bill 1103 was signed, the objective of reducing commercial energy consumption by, January 1, 2010, seemed a long ways away.

AB 1103, which was signed into law in October, 2007, requires the tracking of the energy use of all nonresidential buildings and the disclosure of such energy use as part of the sale, lease, or financing of an entire nonresidential building.  The stated purpose of the disclosure requirement is to “motivate building operators to take actions to improve their buildings’ energy profiles” and “to allow building owners and operators to compare their buildings’ performance to that of similar buildings and to manage their buildings’ energy costs.”

In October, 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 531 (”AB 531″) into law, temporarily delaying for an indefinite period of time the January 1, 2010 commencement date under AB 1103.

The state advises that owners and operators of nonresidential buildings should not delay preparations for the eventual disclosure requirement as compliance will require a year of records.

In order to comply with AB 1103, the state suggests that all owners and operators of nonresidential buildings should:

* Register for an account with Portfolio Manager

* Create a profile within Portfolio Manager for each nonresidential building owned

* Coordinate with each electrical or gas utility to automate the uploading of data to Portfolio Manager to the extent possible

* Track the implementation of AB 531 to determine the revised Disclosure Commencement Date to be set by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (”ERCDC”)

* Ensure the Disclosure Data (defined below) is disclosed as part of any sale, lease, or financing affecting an entire nonresidential building concluded on or after the revised Disclosure Commencement Date

The intent of the law is “commercial valuation of energy usage” during a financial transaction, just as square footage is valued, says Martha Brook, senior mechanical engineer with the California Energy Commission (CEC).

A preexisting executive order, S-20-04, already mandated benchmarking the energy efficiency of state buildings.

http://www.martindale.com/environmental-law/article_Allen-Matkins-Leck-Gamble-Mallory_818224.htm

http://www.facilitiesnet.com/energyefficiency/article/California-AB-1103-Requires-Ener%20gy-Benchmarking-Data-Released-During-Sales–11020

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/asm/ab_1101-1150/ab_1103_bill_20071012_chaptered.pdf

More than $1Trillion Invested In Green Development

More than $1Trillion Invested In Green Development

By Jodi Summers

Did you know that Toyota, Boeing and Samsung have each invested more than $4 billion in green technology? They’re part of a growing trend. Experts say that more than $1.248 trillion has been invested in green projects since 2007. Tallies are now available from the Global Climate Prosperity Scoreboard, which tracks private investment in companies growing the green economy globally.

This newly calculated number shows $1,248,740,645,993.00 in total investment in solar, wind, geothermal, ocean/hydro, energy efficiency and storage, and agriculture since 2007. The details indicate how investors and entrepreneurs are leading governments in promoting sustainable growth.

The scoreboard, posted by Ethical Markets Media and The Climate Prosperity Alliance

indicates which investments have been publicly announced and committed by major companies for 2010 and beyond. For example, the Egyptian company Desertec, is behind a 400 billion Euro plan to power Europe with sunlight from North Africa and the Middle East. If their project goes as planned, Desertec could supply 15 percent of Europe’s power needs by 2050.

“Private capital investment is now leading globally in promoting technological innovation and resource efficiency that will accelerate environmentally and socially sustainable industrial growth and economic development throughout the world,” noted Dr. Marc A. Weiss, Chairman and CEO of Global Urban Development and Chair of the Climate Prosperity Alliance.

The Climate Prosperity Alliance uses the Climate Solutions 2 computer model of Australia’s Climate Risk Party, concludes that if $1 trillion is invested every year for the next 10 years can assure the global transition to sustainable prosperity and job growth.

Check out the Global Climate Prosperity Scoreboard @ http://www.ethicalmarkets.com/wp-content/uploads/Global-Climate-Prosperity-Scoreboard.pdf

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http://greeneconomypost.com/over-1-trillion-invested-in-green-since-2007-6922.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheGreenEconomyPost+%28The+Green+Economy+Post%29#ixzz0ZcXw0j5h

http://greeneconomypost.com/over-1-trillion-invested-in-green-since-2007-6922.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheGreenEconomyPost+%28The+Green+Economy+Post%

http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE5B10JG20091202?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true

http://www.ethicalmarkets.com/wp-content/uploads/Global-Climate-Prosperity-Scoreboard.pdf

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_naalMdATcl8/SkfBq4wjMkI/AAAAAAAAAIs/3orGtK1ww14/s400/booker-28060_1_1432371c.jpg

http://ec.europa.eu/cyprus/images/drought.jpg

http://www.sodahead.com/living/this-is-what-a-trillion-dollars/question-288213/?link=ibaf

http://lbslibrary.typepad.com/.a/6a00e008d6ce2788340120a5293a61970b-800wi

http://www.theodoresworld.net/pics/0309/climateplanImage4.jpg

REGISTER YOUR CELL PHONE ON THE DO NOT CALL LIST

REGISTER YOUR CELL PHONE ON THE DO NOT CALL LIST

By Jodi Summers

Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month….meaning cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive annoying sales calls on your cell phone…and YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS.

To prevent this, call the National DO NOT CALL list number from you cell phone. That number is - 888-382-1222.

Registering will block your number for five (5) years.

FYI - You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

URGENT! CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSMAN TO AVOID COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TAX HIKES

Action to Oppose More Than Doubling of Taxes on Real Estate Carried Interests

Edited by Jodi Summers

In early December, Congressman Charles Rangel Ways, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives, introduced the “Tax Extenders Act of 2009″ (H.R. 4213). Wrapped in this legislation package is a proposal that would more than double the taxes on carried interest received by general partners in real estate partnerships. Under this legislation, carried interest would no longer be taxed as capital gains at 15 percent, but as ordinary income at rates as high as almost 35 percent…making everyone’s investment real estate holdings a lot less sexy.

Kick us while we’re down. Those investing in commercial real estate are already feeling economic distress because of the decline of property values and the lack of loans available. The proposed legislation would more than double the taxes imposed on many real estate entrepreneurs.

If H.R. 4123 enacted into law, this proposal could be the largest modification to the taxation of real estate since the Tax Reform Act of 1986.

This bill was past stealthfully, proposed on December 7^th, it bypassed the customary legislative process, bypassing the House Ways and Means Committee, and going directly to the House floor for a vote on December 9, reducing meaningful opportunities to amend the bill.

Safeguard your real estate assets; communicate with your Congressional Representatives and Senators! Let them know that this tax increase on carried interest will further damage the commercial real estate industry and undermine efforts in their own communities to spur job growth and economic recovery.

http://www.capwiz.com/naiop/issues/alert/?alertid=14439831&type=CO has letters ready to go to your congressmen.

Save your assets and contact them.

**

http://www.capwiz.com/naiop/issues/alert/?alertid=14439831&type=CO

http://www.ysop.org/images/Capitol.jpg

GREEN WALLS KEEP PROPERTIES COOLER

GREEN WALLS KEEP PROPERTIES COOLER

By Jodi Summers

We discussed green roofs, now let’s cover green walls. Covered in vegetation, green walls can be 25% cooler than regular building walls in summer, remove air pollutants, and they look great.

Historically speaking, green walls aren’t exactly a new idea: The Romans planted grape vines along building walls, resulting in faster growing and sweeter grapes for wine. The structures are also prevalent in Europe, where modern-day green roofs first took off.

What the ancient Romans devised is now be adapted for 21^st century applications. Steven Peck, president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, a Toronto industry association, observes that interest in green walls is growing, estimating that green roof installations have increased at about 30 percent a year over five years.

Locally, the Rainbow Apartments off San Julian Street in the heart of skid row has a 34-foot-long vegetable wall filled with strawberries, tomatoes, basil and other herbs and vegetables. Residents of this step up housing facility are surprised at how the garden has united them.

“It brings us together as a group, kind of like therapy, to see something growing and flourishing,” Jannie Burrows said.

The wall was installed with the assistance Urban Farming, as part of the nonprofit’s Food Chain project. Urban Farming also erected “edible” walls at the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank, the Miguel Contreras Learning Center and the Weingart Centidenter.

The Food Chain project, said Urban Farming founder Taja Sevelle, enables residents in some of the city’s poorest areas to grow food in underused spaces at a time when food prices are soaring. The walls, she said, “get people to think outside the box. You can plant food in so many different places.”

In the corporate world, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. recently installed a 2,400 square feet green wall on one side of its headquarters in Pittsburgh. It’s the size of two tennis courts and features more than 15,000 ferns, sedums, brass buttons and other plants that create a swirling pattern of varying hues of green above the company’s logo. They are divided among hundreds of 2-by-2-foot aluminum panels that were anchored onto the building’s frame after part of the granite facade was removed.

“We think it’s the right thing to do for our community, for our customers and our shareholders,” said Gary Saulson, head of corporate real estate for PNC. “We wanted to add greenery to an area that didn’t have any. … We really view the green wall as public art.”

Green Living Technologies LLC, of Rochester, N.Y., designed the wall at PNC. The company has also installed walls in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle.

PNC bills its green wall as the largest in North America. On average green walls cost about $100 to $125 a square foot.

The Pittsburgh wall requires only 15 minutes a week of watering during peak growing season — less in winter — provided through the building’s plumbing system.

For non-edible green walls, according to Joanne Westphal, a landscape architecture professor at Michigan State University and part of the school’s Green Roof Research Program, the biggest benefit to green walls is their ability to help cool buildings through shading. They also help capture rainwater and release it more slowly into the atmosphere and stormwater systems. Additionally, green walls can offset the carbon output of one person a day.

http://www.agreenroof.com

http://www.greenroofs.org

http://www.socalgreenrealestateblog.com/?p=514

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/slideshow/ALeqM5hKS7UwnC8nR6j4kYQLu6m1X7nBbQD9B9DRK00?index=0

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hKS7UwnC8nR6j4kYQLu6m1X7nBbQD9B9DRK00

http://www.insideurbangreen.org/green-wall/

http://www.edgelosangeles.com/index.php?ch=style&sc=home&sc2=&sc3=&id=97540

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/aug/14/local/me-garden14

http://arkitipintel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/amelia_b_lima-green_wall.jpg