\”Green roof incentives part of newly introduced \’clean energy stimulus\’ bill – Under section 506 of the bill, residential and commercial property owners will receive a 30% tax credit for qualified green roof expenditures. The tax credit applies to both new and retrofit projects.\”
-Source

\”I visited a greenhouse that sells plants for green roofs and also toured a green roof at Sanford School,\” Pineo says. \”I got pretty excited about the environmental benefits of green roofs. They capture and manage stormwater, reduce air pollution, insulate buildings so that they are cooler in summer and warmer in winter, and attract pollinators.\”
-Source

\”Economic Benefits – cost savings opportunities for the building owner include:

* Protection of roof membrane resulting in a longer material lifespan (it is estimated that green roofs will last up to twice as long as conventional roofs), resulting in decreased maintenance and savings in replacement costs;
* Savings on energy heating and cooling costs, depending on the size of the building, climate and type of green roof. Using a Micro Axess Simulation model, Environment Canada found that a typical one storey building with a grass roof and 10 cm (3.9 inches) of growing medium would result in a 25% reduction in summer cooling needs. Field experiments by Karen Liu in Ottawa Canada, found that a 6 inch extensive green roof reduced heat gains by 95% and heat losses by 26% compared to a reference roof.

Sound Insulation

* Soil, plants and the trapped layer of air can be used to insulate for sound. Sound waves that are produced by machinery, traffic or airplanes can be absorbed, reflected or deflected. The substrate tends to block lower sound frequencies and the plants block higher frequencies.
* A green roof with a 12 cm (4.7 inches) substrate layer can reduce sound by 40 decibels; a 20 cm (7.9 inches) substrate layer can reduce sound by 46-50 decibels.\”
-Source: greenroofs.org

So the casting of the net (trend) is very small right now, but the footprint may end up being very large. Think hotels, commercial buildings, schools (Especially), and private homes. The benefits are large. I think one of the most important items here is attracting pollinators. Without them we can\’t grow our foods and recently articles like this explain the problem.

So my trade off this? SMG – Scotts Miracle Grow.

In my opinion…stay away for now, or if you\’re an investor, it might be a place to buy something you believe in. I\’m a trader though and I\’ll wait till things turn in my favor.

NEXS
RTK
ITT
FELE
ELON

More on the article can be read here

\”Energy from wind and landfill gas sources now completely powers Dell Inc.\’s 2.1 million square foot headquarters in Austin, Texas, the computer maker said Wednesday.\” – Wow.

Spain\’s Telvent GIT S.A. (Nasdaq: TLVT) and California-based Power Integrations (Nasdaq: POWI) will join The Cleantech Index and replace International Rectifier (NYSE: IRF – News), Power-One (Nasdaq: PWER ) and EnerNOC, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENOC ).

The changes will also be reflected in the exchange-traded funds (ETFs) based upon CTIUS: the PowerShares Cleantech Portfolio ETF (Amex: PZD ) and the KSM Cleantech ETF (Bloomberg ticker: KSMCLNT) in Israel.

\”We selected Telvent and Power Integrations for their strong growth potential, technology, impact, sector representation and leadership,\” said managing partner and index advisor, Rafael Coven of Cleantech Indices. \”Both companies excel at applying innovative cleantech solutions to a broad array of applications that millions of people use everyday: from appliances, lighting and telecom networks to public transport and highways systems.\”

Telvent, a global information technology company, provides real-time services and products to customers in energy and energy transmission and for intelligent transportation systems for roadways and public transport networks. Telvent also provides IT solutions for water and wastewater management, and continuous monitoring of emissions, air & water quality and weather conditions.

Power Integrations Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of proprietary high-voltage analog integrated circuits (ICs) used in power conversion. Utilizing its Eco-Smart® technology, the company\’s ICs have enabled compact, lightweight power supplies that are more energy-efficient and reliable for a broad range of consumer and industrial products.

Read more @ CNN

Carbon – Futures, Options, and Swaps

* European Union Emissions Trading Scheme carbon allowances (EUAs)
* Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs) under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
* Carbon emission allowances under the U.S. Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
* Voluntary Carbon Units (VCUs) and Verified Emissions Reductions (VERs) associated with various leading carbon credit standards

U.S. Emissions – Futures, Options, and Swaps

* SO2 emissions allowances under the US Acid Rain Program and Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR)
* NOx emissions allowances under the annual and seasonal Federal NOx Budget Programs and CAIR

Renewable Energy – Futures, Options, and Swaps

* Voluntary Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) accredited under the Green-eâ„¢ standard
* RECs used for compliance under various state renewable portfolio standards (RPS)

More info available here