Episode 75 – Gary Eberhart Discusses Solar Energy for Schools
September 25, 2012
In Episode 75 of The Wendel Forum (originally aired on September 1, 2012, on 960 KNEW AM radio), show moderator Bill Acevedo, chair of Wendel Rosen’s sustainable business practice group, welcomes Gary Eberhart, who serves on the board of the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, which serves 32,000 children and adult students at 56 campuses, making it one of the largest school districts in California.
Amid decreasing budgets and increasing energy costs, the Mt. Diablo School District secured a $350 million bond from the community to add solar energy to 51 of the district’s schools. Eberhart and his fellow board members determined that purchasing a solar energy system through a bond program would be more cost-effective than buying power from a solar provider under a long-term purchase agreement. Specifically, Eberhart, who has served on the school board for 17 years, determined they could invest the estimated $220 million savings back into the schools over the system’s 30-year life expectancy. The bond measure was approved by 60 percent of the community.
Mt. Diablo’s 12.2-megawatt system is the largest program in the world for a school district and will meet 92 percent of the district’s energy needs. After a competitive selection process for the contractor, the installation took one year and all but a handful of the 51 systems are now up and running. The solar panels were installed primarily in parking lots and on playground structures, which Eberhart says look better and are easier to maintain than roof panels. The solar energy systems are also providing a unique educational tool for students, who can monitor energy and cost savings through real-time data.
Could your school district use solar energy?
Post Links:
Listen to the interview with Eberhart: Episode 75 of The Wendel Forum (27:43 mins; mp3)
Mount Diablo Unified School District Website: http://www.mdusd.org/Pages/default.aspx
Information about the Bond Program: http://mdusdmeasurec.org
Strategic Facilities Planning, Eberhart’s Company Website: http://www.strategicfacilitiesplanning.com
960 KNEW AM Radio Website: http://www.960KNEW.com
Bill Acevedo’s Online Profile: http://www.wendel.com/wacevedo
Episode 74 – New Belgium Brewing Co. Promotes Meaningful Employment
September 13, 2012
In Episode 74 of The Wendel Forum (originally aired on August 25, 2012, on 960 KNEW AM radio), show moderator Bill Acevedo, chair of Wendel Rosen’s sustainable business practice group, welcomes Jenn Vervier, director of sustainability at New Belgium Brewing Company.
New Belgium Brewing Company prides itself on providing meaningful employment for its owners and workers. It promotes a “high-involvement culture,” in which individuals “bring their whole selves to work” and everyone’s voice is heard. Specifically, the company engages in participative decision-making, soliciting feedback from top to bottom. All co-workers are included in strategic planning and business operations, and financial reports are shared monthly with all workers.
But – they don’t forget that business can be fun! New Belgium Brewing Company is employee-owned, with workers brought into the ownership after a year. On that anniversary, they also receive a bike. Once employees have worked there for five years, they receive a weeklong, all-expenses-paid trip to Belgium to learn about Belgian beer culture. Those are certainly nice perks!
Make no mistake about it, though, sustainability is a guiding business principle of the company. In addition to donating to environmental causes, New Belgium Brewing Company is also one of the first breweries to publish a life- cycle carbon footprint of its processes for consumers. Plus, New Belgium is constantly looking for ways to hone the efficiency and limit the impacts of its operations. For example, the company instituted a new method of dry hopping that saves millions of gallons of water a year, and it also has changed its bottle lubricants to similarly conserve water. For a beer company, conserving water has a tremendous influence on the bottom line and the environment.
In addition, New Belgium has a 200kW solar PV array, 800kW of cogeneration, which produces electricity from the methane captured from its on-site process water treatment, and 200kW of thermal storage—making cold water or ice at night, off peak, to use in the brewing process and in office HVAC during the hottest part of the day.
Are you more likely to drink New Belgium Brewing Company beer after learning about its core values?
Post Links:
Listen to the interview with Vervier: Episode 74 of The Wendel Forum (27:50 mins; mp3)
New Belgium Brewing Company Website: http://www.newbelgium.com/
960 KNEW AM Radio Website: http://www.960KNEW.com
Bill Acevedo’s Online Profile: http://www.wendel.com/wacevedo
Episode 72 – Arlene Blum Discusses Flame Retardants
August 22, 2012
In Episode 72 of The Wendel Forum (originally aired on August 11, 2012, on 960 KNEW AM radio), show moderator Dick Lyons, co-founder of Wendel Rosen’s sustainable business practice group, welcomes Arlene Blum, environmental health activist, mountaineer and author of Annapurna and Breaking Trail.
Environmental health activist Arlene Blum
Blum works tirelessly to ban flame retardants from electronics, furniture and baby products. Flame retardants, which only provide a two- to three-second delay if ignited, are similar to PCBs and DDTs, toxic chemicals that were banned decades ago. They pose serious, long-term health concerns because they alter hormone levels, damaging reproductive organs, impairing thyroids and changing DNA. These chemicals continuously migrate out of products. In the case of couches, for example, they emit toxic dust even when no one is sitting on the couch.
California State Senator Mark Leno introduced several bills that would have both eliminated flame retardant chemicals and increased fire safety. Though they were sponsored by health organizations, firefighters and even the furniture industry, the manufacturing lobby successfully defeated those bills. Meanwhile, only food, drugs and pesticides are regulated by EPA. No other chemicals – not even asbestos – are regulated, even if they’re highly toxic and enter our bodies other than by mouth.
Blum is also the founder of the Green Science Policy Institute, which provides unbiased scientific data to government, industry and non-governmental organizations to facilitate informed decision-making about chemicals in consumer products. Through the organization, Blum taught a class at UC Berkeley about chemistry and policy.
How concerned are you about toxic chemicals used in furniture?
Post Links:
Listen to the interview with Arlene Blum: Episode 72 of The Wendel Forum (27:50 mins; mp3)
Arlene Blum’s website: http://www.arleneblum.com/
Green Science Policy Institute website: http://greensciencepolicy.org/
960 KNEW AM Radio website: http://www.960KNEW.com
Dick Lyons’s online profile: http://www.wendel.com/rylons
Episode 67 – Lars Jacobsen Talks about Bamboo Bikes
June 27, 2012
In Episode 67 of The Wendel Forum (originally aired on June 23, 2012, on 960 KNEW AM radio), show moderator Bill Acevedo, chair of Wendel Rosen’s sustainable business practice group, welcomes Lars Jacobsen, co-founder of Stalk Bicycles, which produces handmade bamboo bicycles.
Lars Jacobsen of Stalk Bicycles shows off bamboo framing in The Wendel Forum studio.
The fastest growing plant on earth, bamboo is considered by many in the U.S. as a pesky weed, but it is also a surprisingly versatile sustainable material. It has a finished exterior and the grain allows it to bend, but it is still remarkably strong. In some countries, for instance, it’s used as a substitute for rebar!
As for its use in bicycles, bamboo boasts a “supreme vibration dampening quality,” making it comfortable to ride. Stalk Bicycle’s bamboo bikes ride beautifully, explains Jacobsen, who spent two years empirically testing the bikes, riding down stairs and along the pock-marked roads of Oakland to assess product quality. The base model, which takes more than 40 hours to custom construct and weighs about the same as an aluminum bike, costs $2,500 and comes with a three-year warranty on the frame.
To increase its commitment to sustainability, Stalk uses other natural fibers, such as hemp, for its products and sources as many materials locally as possible. In fact, another Wendel Forum guest, Entropy Resins (Episode 47, Shaping a Superior Surfboard), is a supplier of the resin that Stalk uses on the joints of its bike frames.
According to Jacobsen, market acceptance in bamboo bikes is increasing. “When people ride them, the bikes sell themselves.” In addition to direct customer feedback, Stalk has earned support from Northern California’s local artisan movement as well as the cycling community.
Would you consider purchasing a bamboo bike?
Post Links:
Listen to the interview with Jacobsen: Episode 67 of The Wendel Forum(27:31 mins; mp3)
Stalk Bicycles: http://www.stalkbicycles.com/
Entropy Resins: http://www.entropyresins.com/
960 KNEW AM Radio website: http://www.960KNEW.com
Bill Acevedo’s online profile: http://www.wendel.com/wacevedo
In Episode 66 of The Wendel Forum (originally aired on June 9, 2012, on 960 KNEW AM radio), show moderator Bill Acevedo, chair of Wendel Rosen’s Sustainable Business Practice Group, welcomes “Farmer Al” Courchesne of Frog Hollow Farm to discuss the farm’s community supported agriculture program (“CSA”).
Located in Brentwood, an hour east of San Francisco, Frog Hollow Farm produces organic stone summer fruit – cherries, nectarines, plums, peaches and pluots – on 143 acres in California’s Central Valley. In the fall, Farmer Al grows pears, apples and persimmons. The Farm is organically certified, using non-chemical, non-invasive materials to control pests.
In addition to selling fruit to wholesale retailers, Frog Hollow Farm has since 2003 offered a CSA box for individuals and families. Frog Hollow Farm CSA members subscribe to a weekly or bi-weekly program in which Frog Hollow Farm delivers boxes of fresh fruit to an established neighborhood delivery site (typically a subscriber’s front porch or a school).
2012 has marked a heightened awareness and demand for local food, according to Farmer Al. Consumers usually learn about CSAs largely through word of mouth. The interest, explains Farmer Al, is that consumers are seeking fresher, better tasting, more nutritious food, and they want to know how their food was grown.
The benefits of subscribing to a CSA are many:
- Joining a CSA can expose families to new fruits and new ways of cooking.
- As CSA membership grows, farmers can plant fruit varieties they couldn’t otherwise if they were solely shipping to distant retail locations.
- Forming a direct relationship between growers and residents increases demand and supply of fresh, seasonal, local food; keeps food dollars local; and supports small farms.
Have you tried a CSA?
Post Links:
Listen to the interview with Farmer Al: Episode 66 of The Wendel Forum(27:52 mins; mp3)
Frog Hollow Farm website: http://www.froghollow.com/
To learn more about CSAs, Farmer Al recommends visiting Local Harvest’s website: http://www.localharvest.org
960 KNEW AM Radio website: http://www.960KNEW.com
Bill Acevedo’s online profile: http://www.wendel.com/wacevedo
In Episode 65 of The Wendel Forum (originally aired on June 2, 2012, on 960 KNEW AM radio), show moderator Bill Acevedo, chair of Wendel Rosen’s sustainable business practice group, welcomes John Kalb, founder of EV Charging Pros, a consulting firm focused on electric vehicle service equipment systems. The company advises clients – CFOs, directors of sustainability, CEOs, facilities managers and electricians – regarding vendors, installation and other issues related to EV charging systems.
John Kalb, founder of EV Charging Pros
The Obama Administration wants one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015. Kalb believes one way to achieve the goal is for large fleets – Zipcar, Avis and similar companies that purchase hundreds of cars at one time – to switch to electric vehicles.
At the personal consumer level, though, the industry is still in the early adopters phase, primarily because most people have not yet had an electric driving experience. Kalb wants consumers to know that “the fun factor is high.” Bill adds that it’s like driving “a super-charged golf cart.” Plus, without oil, water or tailpipe emissions, EVs require little maintenance making the cost of ownership low.
Kalb notes that pre-purchase decisions usually center on range anxiety, post-purchase concerns usually focus on charging because consumers don’t see options other than their own houses. But Kalb is working to increase public and workplace charging opportunities.
Still, whether the Obama Administration’s goal is met depends not only on the consumer adoption rate but also infrastructure development. Bill and Kalb discuss recent legislation related to EV charging. California’s SB 209, for example, mandates that homeowners associations in multi-family environments can’t prevent individual homeowners from installing a charging station. Network chargers allow the capital cost to be borne solely by the EV owner.
Similarly, AB 631 makes it easier for shopping center owners, business owners and employers to own and operate charging stations. While the cost of charging stations is $6,500 to $10,000, the Public Utility Commission won’t regulate these alternative fuel stations. Usually, EV owners are happy to pay for that amenity and would more frequently patronize businesses with charging stations.
AB 2502, which is under consideration, would permit EV manufacturers to offer consumer financing of the cost (about $2,200) of residential chargers. Needless to say, the California legislature is putting policy in place to foster necessary infrastructure development.
Wendel Forum listeners, we’d like to hear from you: If more charging options were available, would you purchase an EV?
Post Links:
Listen to the interview with John Kalb: Episode 65 of The Wendel Forum (27:45 mins; mp3)
EV Charging Pros website: http://www.evchargingpros.com/
Legislation:
960 KNEW AM Radio website: http://www.960KNEW.com
Bill Acevedo’s online profile: http://www.wendel.com/wacevedo
In Episode 64 of The Wendel Forum (originally aired on May 26, 2012, on 960 KNEW AM radio), show moderator Dick Lyons, co-founder of Wendel Rosen’s sustainable business practice group, welcomes Steve Roth, CEO of Roth Consulting, which helps companies devise and execute a “winning strategy,” whether related to capital, expansion, product development or management.
Steve Roth, CEO of Roth Consulting
Roth brings his experience as a senior executive and investor in companies in a wide range of industries to green businesses and double-bottom-line companies, those companies for which a social goal — like benefiting the community or the environment — co-exist alongside profit goals. For those companies, the biggest issue is balance, Roth explains. Companies can’t forget that profitability is what allows a company to be generous and, therefore, profitability must remain the core operational focus. Companies shouldn’t become so enamored with a social mission that they lose the ability to fund it.
The average double-bottom-line company devotes about 5 percent of sales to a social mission. The more profits earned, the more impact the company can have. Ben & Jerry’s was one of the first and most successful double-bottom-line companies. “On a public relations basis, charitable endeavors are a big part of their raison d’être.”
Companies can also donate employee time – within limits. In the 1970’s, Xerox was one of first companies to devote its human resources to help the community, and some employees were even promoted on that basis. But Xerox diverted too much attention from its core business and now no longer exists. “It’s an educational tale.”
Another business challenge for these companies is making the charitable work relevant to customers. Many businesses in the coffee industry, for example, donate money back to the cooperatives that grow their beans. It may be more expensive to source products from those areas. As a result, customers may need to pay higher prices or the company may have to accept lower profits. “Corporate communication is critical to justifying the premium” customers may have to pay, especially in a competitive marketplace where consumers have many choices. The customer must be educated about the social benefit of buying that product.
Roth and Dick also discuss socially responsible investing.
What social causes would inspire you to purchase products from double-bottom-line companies, even if the prices were higher?
Post Links:
Listen to the interview with Steve Roth: Episode 64 of The Wendel Forum(27:45 mins; mp3)
Roth Consulting: http://www.consultroth.com
960 KNEW AM Radio website: http://www.960KNEW.com
Dick Lyons’s online profile: http://www.wendel.com/rlyons
In Episode 63 of The Wendel Forum (originally aired on May 19, 2012, on 960 KNEW AM radio), show moderator Bill Acevedo, chair of Wendel Rosen’s sustainable business practice group, welcomes João De Macedo. A big wave surfer and author of How To Be a Surfer, De Macedo is also an ambassador for Rip Curl Planet, a foundation that supports causes mirroring the ideals of Rip Curl, a major surf products manufacturer with “a sharpened awareness” of environmental issues.
João De Macedo discusses Rip Curl Planet in The Wendel Forum studio
Bill and De Macedo discuss Rip Curl Planet’s environmental projects, including a labeling initiative, which will be applied to the 2012 Boardshort Collection. Through the initiative, which is organized by the French Ministry for the Environment, consumers will be informed of every stage in the boardshort’s life cycle, including raw material extraction (energy and resources used), product design (carbon emissions, electricity and water consumed), distribution (mode of transportation, packaging), use (number of washes), and end-of-life product elimination options.
Rip Curl has a history of partnering with grass roots organizations. For example, the company teamed with the World Wildlife Fund to establish eco mooring anchors that don’t damage coral reefs. The company has also helped establish world surfing reserves through Save the Waves, which applies the national park concept to preserve iconic surf spots in conjunction with local communities and policymakers.
Because the market is not always in sync with sustainability, companies must be committed to integrating sustainability into their business profiles; the marketplace’s competitive nature will then overflow into those environmental initiatives, according to De Macedo, who recently earned his master’s in sports management at the Universityof San Francisco. Already, other surf manufacturers are contributing to environmental movements.
For De Macedo, activism can be as simple as picking up a piece of garbage from a beach. Big wave surfers, who practice their craft in the environment, can lead by example. “Go and visit the ocean. It’s the best way to be inspired to help it.”
What are simple things that you have done to help the environment?
Post Links:
Listen to the interview with João De Macedo: Episode 63 of The Wendel Forum(27:12 mins; mp3)
Rip Curl website: http://www.ripcurl.com/
Rip Curl Planet website: http://www.ripcurlplanet.com/
Rip Curl Planet’s Environmental Labeling Initiative: http://www.ripcurlplanet.com/aid=56.phtml
Save the Waves: http://www.savethewaves.org/
João De Macedo’s Book: http://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Surfer-Joao-Macedo/dp/1841262013
960 KNEW AM Radio website: http://www.960KNEW.com
Bill Acevedo’s online profile: http://www.wendel.com/wacevedo
In Episode 62 of The Wendel Forum (originally aired on May 12, 2012, on 960 KNEW AM radio), show moderator Bill Acevedo, chair of Wendel Rosen’s sustainable business practice group, welcomes Jeff Jungsten, vice president of Caletti Jungsten Construction, a Marin County-based certified green custom home builder and remodeler celebrating its 25th year.
Jeff Jungsten of Caletti Jungsten in The Wendel Forum studio
Since 2007, Caletti Jungsten has focused on sustainability. Green living is a “cultural cornerstone” at Caletti Jungsten, not simply an overlay, Jungsten explains. The company’s leadership challenges employees to be more efficient and make simple changes like banning plastic bottles from their lives. Today, 70 percent of the company’s work is sustainable and 90 percent of the management is green certified. Jungsten says that the company’s goal is to have entirely sustainable projects within 10 years. Caletti Jungsten also works with its subcontractors to become more sustainable.
Caletti Jungsten is working on several exciting projects, including a LEED Gold residence in Marin and a South of Market home that is serving as a detailed study of indoor air quality products. According to Jungsten, customers are seeking healthy homes, which means focusing on air handling and ventilation; sustainable landscapes that use less water; living roofs and walls; grey water and grey water flushing; controlling waste and composting; and low/no VOC finishes. Seeking to be responsible stewards of forests, customers also want to be informed about where products come from. The result is healthier buildings with higher values.
Legislation can also drive the market. Caletti Jungsten exceeds California’s Title 24 Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential Buildings in every project it takes on. Still, green products, materials and systems cost 5 to 10 percent more. As customers increasingly request them, however, Jungsten believes costs will reduce. “We don’t have a choice in addressing efficiency issues because we’ll run out of resources,” Jungsten explains.
Are you willing to pay more to live or work in a more sustainable building?
Post Links:
Listen to the interview with Jeff Jungsten: Episode 62 of The Wendel Forum (27:09 mins; mp3)
Caletti Jungsten Construction website: http://www.calettijungsten.com/
California’s Title 24 Energy Efficiency Standards: http://www.energy.ca.gov/title24/
960 KNEW AM Radio website: http://www.960KNEW.com
Bill Acevedo’s online profile: http://www.wendel.com/wacevedo
In Episode 61 of The Wendel Forum (originally aired on May 5, 2012, on 960 KNEW AM radio), show moderator Dick Lyons, co-founder of Wendel Rosen’s sustainable business practice group, welcomes Rachel Barge, a partner at Greenstart, which is a San Francisco start-up accelerator. Greenstart helps new companies that use software to solve clean tech problems.
Rachel Barge of Greenstart
Twice a year, Greenstart, which launched last year, sifts through hundreds of applications and offers a handful of clean-tech start ups seed-stage venture capital as well as training in the company’s 12-week boot camp. Specifically, Greenstart invests $15,000 in exchange for a 15% equity stake, it makes a $100,000 convertible loan and it provides concentrated training. The three-month academy “crams two years of development into three months,” according to Barge. Entrepreneurs learn to validate their technology (proving customers exist for the product), develop a 12-month execution plan (including building the team and honing the financial model), and communicate (to investors, team members, channel partners and customers). Entrepreneurs are paired with mentors, including executives from cutting-edge companies like Tesla and Pandora. The program’s culmination is “Demo Day,” during which the start ups pitch hundreds of potential investors.
Software, Barge explains, is key to what she calls “clean tech 2.0.” For example, the collaborative consumption trend, which replaces ownership with use and access, requires new software platforms. That’s why Greenstart selected for its program Scoot Networks, which provides shared electric scooters that customers can unlock with an iPhone.
Barge explains Greenstart’s unique application for companies that want to apply to the Greenstart program. The entrepreneurs must state the dirty energy problem they’re solving and explain their technology in just 250 written characters and a two-minute video. The accelerator is particularly interested in working with fast-to-market products. The company’s first class included SmarterShade, a self-tinting windows company; Sylvatex, which cheaply mixes biofuels with diesel; Wa.tt, a consumer web app company that “gamifies” energy use on Facebook; and Tenrehte, a wireless system for managing energy flowing through electrical plugs.
Post Links:
Listen to the interview with Rachel Barge: Episode 61 of The Wendel Forum (27:36 mins; mp3)
Greenstart website: http://www.greenstart.com
SmarterShade website: http://smartershade.com/
Tenrehte website: http://tenrehte.com/
Sylvatex website: http://sylvatex.com/
960 KNEW AM Radio website: http://www.960KNEW.com
Dick Lyons’s online profile: http://www.wendel.com/rlyons
Dick Lyons
TheWendelForum
Bill Acevedo
