Rooftop solar energy program wins critical approval from L.A. city council

The Los Angeles City Council cleared the way for the launch of a rooftop solar-energy program, approving a measure to allow the Department of Water and Power (DWP) to move forward with the groundbreaking CLEAN LA Solar program.

The CLEAN LA Solar program will allow local property owners to sell solar power generated from rooftops and parking lots back to the DWP, using a mechanism called a feed-in tariff, or FiT. Los Angeles will be the largest city in the nation to adopt such a program, which will supply renewable energy at a reasonable cost while spurring private investment, creating high-quality jobs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and helping the state and city meet renewable power requirements.

The Los Angeles Business Council (LABC) has been the leading advocate for the CLEAN LA Solar program since 2009. Research conducted by the LABC and the LABC Institute has demonstrated that enacting the full CLEAN LA Solar program, which includes a 150-megawatt FiT, will create 4,500 jobs, generate $500 million in economic activity and offset 2.25 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2016. Recognizing this tremendous potential, a broad coalition of businesses, environmental groups, labor organizations and other groups have joined the LABC to support the plan.

Currently, most of L.A.’s renewable power is generated outside the L.A. basin and transmitted inefficiently to customers. By contrast, the CLEAN LA program will incentivize clean-energy production within city limits by taking advantage of L.A.’s vast, underused rooftop space. The result will be more efficient power delivery and meaningful local jobs in such areas such as solar sales, installation and maintenance. BD+C

Founded in 2009 with an initial endowment of $1.9 million, HMC’s nonprofit Designing Futures Foundation (DFF) has donated about $230,000 in its three years of existence, including $105,000 in scholarships to California students. The grants help promising high schoolers with an interest in architecture, design, engineering, education, or healthcare pay for expenses like test preparation services, computers, and college entrance exam fees and tuition. The scholarships can be extended for up to five years of college.

| Oct 4, 2012

Gilbane publishes Fall 2012 construction industry economic report

Report outlines fluctuation in construction spending; predicts continued movement toward recovery.

| Oct 3, 2012

Fifth public comment period now open for update to USGBC's LEED Green Building Program

LEED v4 drafts and the public comment tool are now available on the newly re-launched, re-envisioned USGBC.org website.

| Oct 2, 2012

Mirvish and Gehry unveil conceptual design to transform Toronto’s entertainment district

Reimagining of King Street Entertainment District supports Toronto’s cultural corridor.

The three-building, 205,000-sf campus was designed to consume 20% less energy th

| Oct 2, 2012

Dow Business Services Center building named 2012 “America’s Best Buildings of the Year” winner

Building constructed with air sealing and insulation products from Dow Building Solutions.

Bernards broke ground on this facility earlier this year and completion is sched

| Oct 2, 2012

Bernards working on project at L.A. White Memorial Medical Center

The new facility is a $15-million, 41,000-sf concrete structure which includes three stories of medical office space atop a three-level parking garage.