Posts Tagged ‘energy saver’

Things here in NYC are crazy with corporations and entrepreneurs trying to figure out how to catch the green wave.

And if you’re in doubt whether there is some serious potential in business in this area, just spend 3 minutes at any magazine store and look at the front covers of some of the major publications. That should placate your doubts!

Why is the “green” industry is so darn hot and very unlikely to be just a fad:

* Red China is now turning green and will lead the way in a very short time
* European countries are returning to coal known as “the dirtiest fuel on earth”
* The planet’s population is expected to increase 50%… to 9 billion! within 40 years
* The number of cars and trucks is expected to double by 2040 to two billion
* The number of commercial jetliners is expected to double to 36,000 by 2030

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Lately I have been teaching a uniquely green focused FastTrac Tech Venture program run by ITAC – New York City’s Industrial and Technology Assistance Corporation.

Our class is full of small start-up and early-stage businesses with state-of-the-art green technology business concepts. Super cool ideas ranging from solar panel manufacturers to internet-based companies that measure energy usage of your home and commercial buildings.

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Last month I saw a fascinating movie premier, “The Age of Stupid”.

Never mind that it was the first time a movie premier was broadcast live via satellite (from here in New York) around the world on over 550 screens in 45 countries. Or that they had in attendance the likes of Kofi Annan (former Secretary General of the United Nations), Heather Graham and Jillian Anderson as well as music from Moby and Radiohead.. Or that The Huffington Post called the movie launch “One of the most important films of the year (perhaps decade)”, as both a new way independent films will be released and also a way to give additional exposure to the environmental message. Read the rest of this entry »

Green is a hot topic. The September 28 issue of Newsweek published a list of the 500 greenest companies in America with Hewlett-Packet listed as number one. Last April, former President Bill Clinton, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) Chief Scientist Amory Lovins, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Empire State Building owner Tony Malkin, declared a very bold plan to reduce the energy use of the Empire State Building by 38 percent, and save $4.4 million annually in the process.

When it comes to conversations regarding green buildings, there are a couple of concerns that are in the foreground for most business owners: do green buildings really increase employee productivity and what is the cost of building (or retrofitting) within green guidelines?

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Many people assume that when you are building green you need to have solar panels, which are very expensive, even after state and federal rebates. While it’s true that renewable energy technology is very innovative and green, I think it’s the wrong angle to attack the problem from. We should be focusing on making buildings more efficient so that they use less energy rather then figuring out an alternative way to meet their current energy needs. Read the rest of this entry »