BP Invites Teachers to Apply for Energy Education Grants

BP has announced the launch of the 2009 A+ for Energy Program. The program will recognize teachers who have demonstrated innovation and excellence in teaching energy and/or energy conservation in the classroom. Pre-K and K-12 teachers in eligible U.S. locations and K-12 teachers in Alberta, Canada, who are currently teaching in a public, private, accredited, or licensed school are encouraged to apply.

In 2009, BP will award up to $4 million in grants and scholarships to fund innovative classroom, afterschool, extracurricular, or summer projects focused on energy and/or energy conservation. Grants of $5,000 and $10,000 will be awarded directly to teachers.

U.S. pre-K and K-12 teachers in the following locations are eligible to apply:

Alabama — Decatur City, Hartselle City, and Morgan County school systems;

California — Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties;

Colorado — La Plata county;

Indiana — Lake and Porter counties;

New Mexico — entire state;

Ohio — Lucas and Wood counties;

South Carolina — Berkeley and Charleston County and Moultrie School districts;

Texas — Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, and Montgomery counties.

K-12 teachers in Alberta, Canada, are also eligible.

KRESGE FOUNDATION GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVE

Environmental conservation – sustainable building practices, environmental stewardship and sound land-use planning – is a core value of The Kresge Foundation. Our Green Building Initiative advances environmental conservation by awarding planning grants for sustainable design.

We advocate the highest form of sustainability – the renovation and historic preservation of existing structures – as well as new green construction. We award planning grants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 to organizations located in the United States and Canada to support the integrated design process for the following projects:

Renovation

Historic preservation

New construction designed to achieve LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – certification at the Platinum level from the U.S. Green Building Council

New construction designed to meet the Cascadia Region Green Building Council’s Living Building Challenge (also endorsed by the U.S. Green Building Council)

New construction designed to be net-zero energy efficient (the facility produces as much energy as it consumes each year)

Just what is a green building?

Technically, a green building is one that is designed, constructed and operates using a minimum of non-renewable resources. Practically, it is a high-performance facility, with all systems operating as efficiently as possible.

The integrated design process, now a best practice in the design field, is essential to achieving maximum building efficiency. Our planning grants cover the additional costs associated with implementing the integrated design process. We recommend you apply for your green building planning grant as soon as you have your design team in place.

Planning grants cover the following costs:

Professional services to facilitate the design planning meetings or charrettes during the pre-design period. These meetings, which involve stakeholders and all members of the design team, are highly collaborative and structured to focus on specific outcomes.

Energy analysis and modeling

Water use analysis and modeling

Ecological site planning

Commissioning expenses associated with the planning process

Initial documentation and LEED registration with the U.S. Green Building Council

Eligibility

All organizations applying for grants must have annual financial statements that have been prepared and certified by a certified public accountant (the auditor) in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) or Government Accounting Standards (GAS). The foundation does not accept compilations or reviews.

Who may apply?

501(c)(3) organizations that are not classified as private foundations

Government entities

Community colleges, colleges and universities that are fully accredited associate, baccalaureate and/or graduate degree-granting institutions

Elementary and secondary schools that serve predominately students with physical and/or developmental disabilities

Hospitals that are accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

Religious organizations that are operated by or within religious institutions and serve secular needs, have space formally dedicated to their programs, and have financial and governing autonomy from the parent religious organization

Canadian organizations that would qualify as charitable organizations under United States law and have an independent audit prepared in accordance with their recognized local standards

Who may not apply?

Organizations without independently audited financial statements as outlined above

Elementary and secondary schools that do not serve predominately students with physical and/or developmental disabilities

Religious organizations except in the circumstances noted above

Organizations with no paid staff

NOTE: We only accept one application per organization. If your organization has applied for a planning grant in the past, it is not eligible to submit a second request.

What types of projects are eligible?

Renovation (may include some new construction; primary square footage must be devoted to renovation)

Historic preservation

New construction designed to achieve certification from LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – at the Platinum level from the U.S. Green Building Council

New construction designed to meet the Cascadia Region Green Building Council’s Living Building Challenge (also endorsed by the U.S. Green Building Council)

New construction designed to be net-zero energy efficient (a facility that produces as much energy as it consumes each year)

What is required before submitting a planning grant request?

A formal commitment by the organization to renovate or construct a facility
Site control of the property

An architect and mechanical engineering professional has been hired

KRESGE FOUNDATION ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM

Environmental conservation is one of The Kresge Foundation’s nine overarching values. We believe the effects of climate change on the natural world is among the paramount concerns of our time, one that presents formidable challenges and risks as well as opportunities for innovation. Our Environment Program works in partnership with like-minded organizations to protect the planet and promote its long-term sustainability for future generations.

We are a national foundation that has been advocating environmental conservation for many years, especially through our Green Building Initiative. In June 2008, we decided to elevate this interest and expand it into a major, comprehensive program to cultivate solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, accelerate renewable energy technologies, and support efforts to help society adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Our programmatic approach
Grantmaking strategies within the Environment Program will take shape over the next year. Our work at this time is focused in three broad areas of relevance to climate change:

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment
Accelerating the adoption of renewable energy technologies, with a preliminary interest in the Midwestern United States
Developing strategies for helping society adapt to the anticipated, negative impacts of climate change
Because the program is in the development stage, we are currently accepting only foundation-initiated proposals for projects other than facilities capital and green planning grants. This practice will be in place until the program’s long-term, strategic direction is determined.

How we work
In 2007, the Kresge Foundation began an expansion of its grantmaking to better address society’s pressing issues. We believe we have a moral obligation to use our assets for the highest possible good and have elevated nine values – our values criteria – to guide us in our efforts.

Our work is national in scope and devoted to six fields of interest, including the environment. “Over the long term, the new Environment Program aspires to have tangible effects on the policies and practices associated with climate change and environmental sustainability,” says Lois R. DeBacker, program director and Environment Program team leader. “We are particularly interested in strategies that cut across sectors and disciplines.

The Environment Team seeks to work in collaboration with others. We will employ the full array of tools available to support policy work, applied research, communications and advocacy, and general support for organizations whose work directly corresponds with Kresge’s values and the priorities of this program.

With rare exceptions, only projects that address climate change will be competitive for funding, including awards made within our facilities capital Challenge Grant Program as is described below.

Our process for funding projects
Environment Team members initiate project proposals from organizations that we know are advancing Kresge’s values while doing innovative and exemplary work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment, accelerate the adoption of renewable energy technologies, and develop strategies for adaptation to climate change. Unsolicited proposals are not accepted at this time.

We are interested, however, in learning about new projects that contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation so that our program planning can be informed by the new and novel ideas of those working in the field.

Nonprofit organizations working at the state or national level on climate change projects may contact the Environment Team at EnvironmentTeam@kresge.org with an e-mail of 500 words or less that describes how the project idea will advance Kresge’s values and help us further the goals of the Environment Program. Your e-mail will be reviewed, and we will respond to let you know whether your proposed idea has potential for grant funding.

Requests for green planning grants
The Green Building Initiative is now a facet of the Environment Program. Through the initiative, we award planning grants to nonprofit organizations to underwrite the integrated design process necessary for historic preservation, green renovation, or new construction that aims to achieve the highest levels of environmental sustainability. The application process and eligibility information can be found on the Green Building Initiative page linked above.

Requests for facilities capital
Successful requests for facilities capital are awarded as challenge grants. We consider the relevance of the proposed project to the mitigation of or adaptation to climate change as well as its ability to advance Kresge’s values criteria. Values of particular importance for facilities projects in the environmental field include environmental conservation, creating opportunity, innovation, collaboration and diversity.

Organizations interested in applying for facilities capital should visit the Challenge Grant Program page and apply following its application process. It may be helpful to read more about our values criteria before beginning the process.

Eligibility
Who may apply?

501(c)(3) organizations that are not classified as private foundations and have financial statements prepared and certified by a certified public accountant in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles or Government Accounting Standards. (In rare instances, exceptions are made and this requirement is temporarily waived.)

Government entities that have financial statements prepared and certified by a certified public accountant in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles or Government Accounting Standards. (In rare instances, exceptions are made and this requirement is temporarily waived.)

Who may not apply?

Individuals and elementary and secondary schools are ineligible and may not apply.

Commercial Real Estate Benchmarking Toolkit

By using the Benchmarking Toolkit, you are taking the right step towards achieving your environmental and financial goals. If you need assistance at any time, contact our experienced Energy Project Managers who will be able to walk you through the benchmarking process, provide information on the Focus CRE initiative, and help start you down a path towards a strategic action plan for “going green.”

New York Energy $mart Offices Project

Enhancing the efficiency of office equipment is an easy way to reduce energy costs, in many cases without purchasing or replacing equipment. By using ENERGY STAR® office equipment, enabling ENERGY STAR power management features, and encouraging users to turn off equipment when not in use for long periods, an office of 1,000 PCs can save well over $40,000 annually. By following six easy steps, you can develop and implement your own energy savings program and lower your electricity bills.

Six Steps to Implementing Power Management

For those who want to implement a Power Management Program, follow these six key steps:

Step 1: Build Support for Your Program

Step 2: Develop a Preliminary Estimate of Potential Savings

Step 3: Gather Detailed Data on Office Equipment

Step 4: Calculate Savings Using Equipment Data

Step 5: Implement Measures

Step 6: Sustain Momentum

THE 3M COMPANY

Our commitment to sustainability extends beyond our doors to support environmental initiatives by others in 3M communities. Our vision of sustainability is meeting the needs of customers, employees and communities today, while respecting the ability of future generations to meet their needs. To learn more about this commitment, visit 3M’s Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability report.

We support programs that make meaningful contributions to the sustainability of the Earth’s ecosystems. At the same time, 3M employees and retirees volunteer to restore natural sites, preserve habitats and clean up open water areas in their communities.

Why We Give for the Environment

To preserve biodiversity.
To positively impact climate change.
To provide access to natural areas.
To offer opportunities for local volunteer involvement.

A Surefire Way to Get Funding for Green IT Projects

From Networkworld.com

Energy conservation is one of the most overlooked ways a company can boost its bottom line without adding staff, space or operating hours. But you’ll need to do a great job of selling for your “green” projects to survive the budget review process. Too often, conservation projects are viewed as nice and optional things to do, rather than as serious savings opportunities. That will change in a heartbeat once you articulate the financial benefits.

One reason the value of conservation projects tends to be minimized is because of the way they are presented to management. Typically, such projects are sold on simple payback, in which the capital cost is divided by the (undiscounted) annual energy savings, resulting in a payback period of years. One problem with this approach is that many managers insist on a payback of less than three years to green-light capital projects not directly related to production. This criterion greatly limits the range of conservation opportunities available. With this method, for instance, an air conditioning system upgrade that costs $20,000 and will save $5,000 per year will have a simple payback of four years. That’s not a financial measurement that’s going to wow them in the boardroom.

A more sophisticated analysis might look at comparative life-cycle costs to develop a net present value (NPV). The NPV shows the positive (or negative) cost of a long-term project in today’s dollars, and is a good way to compare two projects. In this case, the NPV of the green project then would be compared to maintaining the status quo.

The good news about the NPV approach is that it does a better job of showing the value of long-lasting conservation upgrades. The downside is that it requires quite a bit more economic savvy to develop. Surprisingly, I also have found it requires more economic savvy to grasp and often isn’t well understood by management. (In fact, I once analyzed two multimillion-dollar capital projects and discovered one had a NPV of $750,000 more than the other, only to be told by management that “only” a $750,000 difference made the two projects “basically equal”!)

To get around the shortcomings of simple payback and comparative NPV presentations, I have developed a third way of positioning conservation projects that has met with considerable success. For lack of a better name, we can call it the “argument of avoided production,” because it evaluates conservation projects relative to revenue. Here’s how it works:

Let’s assume I could reduce my annual utility costs by $100,000 after spending $300,000 on energy-efficient capital upgrades (lighting upgrades, a green data center, and so forth) This project delivers a three-year simple payback (three years is typical for conservation projects). Do I do the work?

Well, many companies would dismiss a three-year payback out of hand (or would look very hard at competing capital requests first). But consider the project and savings in a different light. A typical commercial enterprise might recognize a profit margin of 10%. Saving $100,000 in energy costs means that my profitability can be maintained with $1,000,000 less in annual revenue. Or, more desirably, my revenue can be maintained and my margin increased.

For the example above, the reasoning for our capital request now becomes rather simple: We don’t have to do this $300,000 project, but we need to sell $1,000,000 worth of widgets every year to offset the “missed” savings we would get if we did the $300,000 project. In this light, a three-year payback doesn’t look so bad.

Also observe that when utility rates increase -- as they inevitably do -- this method really shines. It is easy to see how expected cost increases would need to be translated into production or revenue increases just to stay financially even. Using the example above, if my operating costs rise by $100,000 strictly because of rate increases, I must generate another $1,000,000 in revenue to break even. Can you increase revenue at will? That makes the conservation alternative strategically very attractive.

Finally, notice that for facilities running at 100% capacity, conservation may be the only practical way to offset utility rate increases. Once you cannot physically produce more, either you conserve, you take the hit on the bottom line or you are forced to invest substantial capital to let you produce more. Particularly here, conservation can be a big winner.