SB50: Negative Impact for Climate Change Goals

via email – (download doc file SB50 January 2020)

SB-50 Negative impact for Climate Change goals and Mayor Garcetti’s “Green New Deal” for the City of Los Angeles.  

SB-50 will not reduce vehicle emissions with extreme increase of ride-hailing (uber&lyft) and delivery vehicles.

Perfectly good existing structures and neighborhoods demolished, dumped into landfill with lots scraped of all mature trees. This could take 50-80 years for environment recovery.

No trees, no birds, no bees, no open space for ground water capture. Cement Jungle.

Single family homes converted to duplex-4plex will promote severe overcrowding. Overcrowding brings health issues (mental & physical) and increased need for city services.

Does SB-50 amendments address and comply with current state environment regulations?

Continue reading “SB50: Negative Impact for Climate Change Goals”

Report: carbon emissions lowest in 20 years!

Report: carbon emissions lowest in 20 years!

By Katy Grimes: CalWatchDog – excerpt

Some good news on the carbon front: Katy Grimes: Apparently the big news that the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere in the United States has fallen to the lowest level in 20 years, hasn’t yet reached the desk of Mary Nichols, the director of the California Air Resources Board. Nichols is frantically moving ahead with cap-and-trade auctions at breakneck speed, despite that this will create needless, excessive costs for the state’s employers, and seriously prevent businesses from grow. The uncertainty the CARB is causing among employers in the state has dramatically impacted the state’s economy…

(more)

Related:
Report: carbon emissions lowest in 20 years!
CO2 Emissions in US Drop to 20-year low
Carbon Dioxide Levels Drop Dramatically in U.S.

Luminalt Solar Installation Proposal and Design

Luminalt is working to design a solar electric system that can be installed, in consideration of monthly payments that would have a neutral cash flow impact.

Click image to enlarge

ONE WAY WE CAN SAVE ENERGY AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT

Design: Luminalt is in the process of designing a 98 kilowatt solar system, comprised of approximately 300 SunPower 308 and 327 watt panels, that will provide around 30% of the power we used in 2011. We prefer to place the panels on the theater roof as it gets the best sun, is closet to the power room, and is not being used for anything else. Use that roof depends on the roof structure, which we are in the process of studying. If we can’t use that roof, for some or all of the panels, we have to design for a different roof and that would entail a different approach. That is why there are no firm figures yet.

Objective: Design a solar electric system that can be installed, in consideration of monthly payments that would have a neutral cash flow impact. In other words the monthly cost of the system to Project Artaud would be equal to or less than cost of the electricity that Project Artaud would be paying to PG&E absent the solar system. We would be looking at a 10-year operating lease agreement with Tech Credit, the funder for the project. At the end of the 10 years, we own the system. I was told to spend no money. Luminalt is working under that premise.

Luminalt Q & A

1. How many parties must be involved in signing contracts and who are those parties?

There are 3 contracts that we must sign:

1 – Tech Credit is the most important contract. We must have a signed contract with Tech Credit by August 31, 2010 in order to take advantage of the safe harbored funds that will be used to purchase the solar panels from SunPower. Tech credit is the financing partner for SunPower and uses the federal section 1603 Treasury Grant to offer a 10-year operating lease. I believe the interest rate is 7%.

2 – PG&E Interconnection Agreement. Luminalt will send an application for their review as soon as the design is finalized. This should set the rates at which we are credited for the energy we produce and answer our questions about future rates and fees.

3 – Luminalt contract with the installer will be signed off prior to the installation of the system. They are a turnkey operation, which means they handle the paperwork for all the applications.

In addition to putting together the financing package, Luminalt will apply for GoSolarSF incentive funds to lower our costs. There are 2 million dollars that will be disbursed over 4 quarters to qualified applicants. How much each gets will be determined by GoSolarSF, and will depend on how many applicants there are.

Dates to apply for the GoSolarSF funds:

  • First quarter opening is July 2, 2012
  • Second quarter opening is September 2, 2012
  • Third quarter opening is December 2, 2012
  • Fourth quarter opening is April 2, 2013

2. What is Artaud’s exposure? Must we put up any collateral?

No. This is an unsecured loan and operator’s lease.

3. Are there any additional expenses such as insurance?

We need to finalize the design before we can get that information.

4. What percentage of power can we produce?

We are supposed to get a 30% drop in our draw from PG&E. The system design is based on our electric use during 2011.

5. What is the total value of added capitol improvements?

We need to finalize the plans in order to get the total.

6. Will we have to pay for any city licenses, inspections or fees?

This appears to be a part of the package deal.

7. Is there a balloon payment or closing costs?

This is supposed to be rolled into the ten-year payments that are covered by the 30% savings.

8. What is the cost to PAC, over ten years?

We will know once the design is finalized.

9. What is the benefit to PAC over those 10 years? 

Energy savings. Knowledge that we are doing a lot for the planet. The real financial savings for PAC will come at the end of 10 years, when PAC should reduce payments for electricity to PG+E by at least 30%. We could further reduce our payments be adding more panels if and when politics allow. Theoretically we could produce most of our power in the future if we want to cover our roofs with panels.