By joining your “neighbors” (other residents in your quadrant of Portland), local installers are able to offer incredible savings to add to the already aggressive incentive package through federal and state tax credits.

How it works (excerpt from the SE Uplift site):
- You and your neighbors all buy solar PV at once, allowing the contractor, Imagine Energy, to increase efficiency and buy the equipment at lower prices.  They pass those savings on to you for dramatically lower costs, especially after incentives.  The more people join in by the May 1st deadline, the lower the prices drop for all.

What to do:

1) Sign up by May 1st to let us know you’re interested in learning more.  Pricing for the project will be set on the 1st based on the number of people on the list.

2) Tell your friends:  Again, the more that join in, the better the deal gets.  Email tim@southeastuplift.org to get materials you can distribute to your friends and neighbors.

3) Attend a training session (free):  We’ll teach you all about the how solar PV works, how the pricing and incentives impact things, and what the process will be like.  You must attend one Basics of Going Solar with Solarize SE, and one topical session of your choice.  You can do both of these in one day, or split them up at your convenience (see schedule here).  Already know all about Solarize?  If you already know how the project works you can take our quiz instead of attending an information session.

4) Schedule a site assessment: Once you’ve been to the training and think Solarize is right for you, Imagine Energy solar experts will come evaluate your home and tell you what your options are.

5) Go Solar PV!  …Or Not….You’ll get a contract with a week of your site assessment. If solar PV wasn’t right for you, you can tap into community discounts on solar hot water or a Home Performance Energy Audit.

Governor Kulongoski and Mayor Adams announce grant application for retrofit program

Growing the Choir: Engaging Business Leaders in Sustainability

Round 2 of Beyond 2020 is titled, “Growing the Choir: Engaging Business Leaders in Sustainability.” This participant-driven event is sponsored by Peter Korchnak and Renee Spears. I’ve registered and look forward to seeing what kind of synergies and dynamic outcomes can come from this Open Space format. Since this format relies on attendees for its content and scope, I’ll have more to tell after the event. I encourage you to consider it. As principles, ideas, and challenges of “sustainability” get echoed and bolstered in many vibrant pockets of town, this event seeks to find ways to spread the awareness and actions into new territories, hence the title, “Growing the Choir.”

Here are the starter questions that frame the discussions for this (un)conference.

• Who could we be talking to besides ourselves? What is the best way to engage business leaders who hold different values (for example, profit over planet)? How do people shift from a focus on narrowly defined self-interest to valuing community and environmental goals?
• What are the obstacles for adopting sustainability in business and how do we overcome them? How can we make sustainability more comprehensible, appealing, and inclusive? What immediate and long-term actions can we agree to take to grow the choir?

Come to the next Beyond 2020 to offer and seek answers to these questions.

Submit ideas for sessions, and join in on January 21st to lead your session.

Architecture 2030: The Road Before Us

Assembled by the Earth Advantage Institute, the Green Day Forum aims to bring together 100 thought leaders to discuss strategies for meeting the Architecture 2030 goals of establishing a carbon-neutral building industry. Topics range from Energy Performance Score implementation and incentives to current policy initiatives to funding sources to Passive House design and building standards. This is the short list. It’s an amazing agenda for the day. Former Secretary of State, Bill Bradbury, will be presenting among a host of other innovative thinkers in the architecture, construction, and renewable energy sectors of Oregon. I’ll be anxious to see the action items and strategies that come from this kind of assembly covering this much ground. Register here to participate.

The Green Day Forum will be held at the Earth Advantage Institute in Tigard, Oregon from 7:30am to 6:30pm on December 4th, 2009. The Earth Advantage National Center is located at 16280 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road Portland, OR 97224.

Saturday, October 24th marked the 1st ever International Day of Climate Action. There were multiple ways to get involved. Run, walk, bike, march, rally, and paddle. It was a beautiful fall day in Portland, and I chose to attend The River of Action event on the Willamette River. In this case I actually toured around by bike looking for good vantage points to photograph the kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards as they created a large “350″ floatilla that made it’s way from the Hawthorne Bridge to the Burnside Bridge.

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I am curious to see how October 24th, International Day of Climate Action, evolves next year. It sits comfortably “opposite” Earth Day on the calendar, so hopefully event organizers and activists be able to capture the attention, energy, and commitment of an expanding audience.

So far the tone of the events have a compelling balance between absolute urgency, commraderie and fun, and expressive action that can grab the attention and imaginations of other unsuspecting bystanders. I had numerous conversations with folks on the waterfront as we witnessed the boats taking shape in the form of the mysterious number, 350. The majority of the people around me had no idea what was going on; most were enjoying the Saturday Market on an amazing day in October. When I explained the concept of the day and the variety of actions taking place, you could see the wheels turning. Furrowed brows and puzzled looks turned to light-hearted smiles, and comments like, “Looks like fun.”

That’s what I like to hear!

TheRiverPDX strives to help spread the word for interesting events, sustainability efforts, and actions in Portland.

Facilitated by 350.org, the International Day of Climate Action includes various events and actions in which you can participate. 350 Oregon has a number of great events listed on their site, including the “River of Action” event.  

Action announcement from the 350 Oregon site:                        

• To help you find a local action to volunteer with and/or participate in.  
• If you can’t find an action in your area, we can help you start one! There is no action too small. Every effort adds to the greater whole.
• Please contact 350 Oregon if you have an Oregon action planned so they can list it! This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

TheRiverPDX strives to help spread the word for interesting events, sustainability efforts, and actions in Portland.