Yesterday's election is notable for many reasons, but one in particular for us in California was the defeat of Proposition 23. If you don't know what Prop 23 was all about, it is important to have some idea. This ballot initiative was sponsored by out-of-state oil companies seeking to suspend the state's landmark climate law enacted in 2006, AB 32, and would only bring it back if unemployment levels reached 5.5 percent, effectively killing it. Assembly Bill 32 called for the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, and provided a framework for how to reach that goal. Of course, this meant that the energy Californians receive must transition to cleaner sources, to the dismay of the oil companies.

Results came in from the election, and show that voters rejected Prop 23 wholeheartedly. According to figures, over 93% of precincts reported, and over 61% voted against the measure. This is great news for those of us living in this state, as the clean tech industries we support can continue to provide us with technology and building materials that will take us toward better energy sources. We can't wait to see what this will mean in the years ahead of us for the building industry. One thing we do know however is that it will strengthen the building codes and standards such as CalGREEN and LEED being used today.

Despite holdups from the federal government, our  local county officials here in Santa Barbara, CA., are implementing a plan to allow private property owners  to get affordable loans for green building upgrades. 

This instrumental program also known as emPowerSBC, will all allow the county to loan money to property owners for sustainable upgrades including solar projects and residents will repay the loans via their property tax bill. 

If you’re a commercial building tenant looking for new office space, you’re probably comparing a few potential spaces on the basis of rent, location, the condition of the space, and maybe even the carpet color. One consideration you’re probably not looking at is the energy bills the space typically commands, either because you don’t care or because they’re simply not available.

Enter commercial benchmarking laws. These laws, which are starting to appear at the city, state, and national level worldwide, can transform the role that energy efficiency plays in driving tenant and owner decisions. The idea is that, when tenants have access to an energy profile for office space they’re considering, they may compare the energy costs of different spaces. Efficient spaces end up more desirable and less efficient spaces face higher vacancy rates. In turn, building owners looking to minimize vacancy rates, invest in energy efficiency upgrades to keep their buildings competitive in the market.