Meeting started late at 11:00 due to traffic delays for speaker.
Attending:
Nils Davis
Tom Kabat
Gail Slocum
Gail Sredanza
Kate Forrest
Avi Lenchner
Christine Hertzog
Mitch Slomiak
Solar Coatings Presentation
Michael Beal, CEO and founder of The Ultimate Coatings Co. presented a detailed and information discussion about the technology and benefits of coatings to repel the sun’s heat on building roofs and walls. These coatings are different from paint in terms of thickness and surface bonding. Coatings are thicker than paint, and bond rather than simply adhere to a surface. As an example, if paint is one sheet of paper, a coating is two sheets of paper.
The same bad rays that give us sunburns also deliver a “thermal shock” to materials, so the ability to reduce or eliminate ultraviolet rays not only has beneficial impacts of reduction of interior building heat and heat island effects, but also protects and preserves the materials themselves.
Many technologies are not new – but have been in use here and extensively in Australia since the 1940s. The coatings offered by this company are approved by PG&E for cool roof projects, and since his coatings are available in several tints, they answer the aesthetic concerns that would arise in some communities or homeowners associations.
The attendees enjoyed the hands-on demonstrations of the coating technology – being able to see and feel the temperature difference between standard paint surfaces and asphalt shingles and the coatings.
We also learned that Florida Power and Light is ahead of the nation in terms of actions taken to encourage their ratepayers (residential and commercial and industrial) to lighten roofs. Sonoma County’s Energy Independence Program was also cited as a good example for governments to follow in setting up financing solutions that remained with the structure.
More information can be found at www.utlimatecoatings.net
DriveLess Challenge Update
M. Slomiak provided this update for the absent co-chairs: Joe Walmsley agreed to be co-chair with Adina Levin. They are considering extending the DLC into a two week program and adding more peer-based comparisons into the Challenge.
Menlo Park Climate Action Plan Update
M. Slomiak reported that the city has a contract with a consulting group, and the anticipated deliverables include a plan that sets recommendations for goals, guidelines, and regulations to help palnning and decision-making. There seems to be more awareness about carbon footprints in the latest plans that have come to the city for approval.
Yahoo Group Forum Update
C. Hertzog reported on the Yahoo group survey. 10 respondents provided feedback regarding the proposed rules to govern communication behavior in the MPGRCC email forum. Feedback can be classed into 3 categories: email etiquette, email policy, and communication processes. There was overwhelming agreement that some of the recent emails – in tone and in length – were causing people to simply hit the delete button and lose interest in the MPGRCC. Therefore, after discussion, the proposed rules were agreed to, with the following amendments:
1. Present information in a way that inspires rather than pressures
2. Respect people’s time (and dial-up connections) and keep messages to the point
3. Be kind and respect people’s choices and questions
Email policy suggestions included:
Communication policy suggestions included:
Announcements
The NRDC leader, Frances Beinecke, wrote a book called Clean Energy Common Sense that is recommended reading from G. Slocum. Find a copy and pass it on when you have completed it.
The California Energy Commission is offering grants to convert hybrids into plug-in electric vehicles. Go to their website for details.
Meeting adjourned at 12:45PM
Attending:
Nils Davis
Tom Kabat
Gail Slocum
Gail Sredanza
Kate Forrest
Avi Lenchner
Christine Hertzog
Mitch Slomiak
Solar Coatings Presentation
Michael Beal, CEO and founder of The Ultimate Coatings Co. presented a detailed and information discussion about the technology and benefits of coatings to repel the sun’s heat on building roofs and walls. These coatings are different from paint in terms of thickness and surface bonding. Coatings are thicker than paint, and bond rather than simply adhere to a surface. As an example, if paint is one sheet of paper, a coating is two sheets of paper.
The same bad rays that give us sunburns also deliver a “thermal shock” to materials, so the ability to reduce or eliminate ultraviolet rays not only has beneficial impacts of reduction of interior building heat and heat island effects, but also protects and preserves the materials themselves.
Many technologies are not new – but have been in use here and extensively in Australia since the 1940s. The coatings offered by this company are approved by PG&E for cool roof projects, and since his coatings are available in several tints, they answer the aesthetic concerns that would arise in some communities or homeowners associations.
The attendees enjoyed the hands-on demonstrations of the coating technology – being able to see and feel the temperature difference between standard paint surfaces and asphalt shingles and the coatings.
We also learned that Florida Power and Light is ahead of the nation in terms of actions taken to encourage their ratepayers (residential and commercial and industrial) to lighten roofs. Sonoma County’s Energy Independence Program was also cited as a good example for governments to follow in setting up financing solutions that remained with the structure.
More information can be found at www.utlimatecoatings.net
DriveLess Challenge Update
M. Slomiak provided this update for the absent co-chairs: Joe Walmsley agreed to be co-chair with Adina Levin. They are considering extending the DLC into a two week program and adding more peer-based comparisons into the Challenge.
Menlo Park Climate Action Plan Update
M. Slomiak reported that the city has a contract with a consulting group, and the anticipated deliverables include a plan that sets recommendations for goals, guidelines, and regulations to help palnning and decision-making. There seems to be more awareness about carbon footprints in the latest plans that have come to the city for approval.
Yahoo Group Forum Update
C. Hertzog reported on the Yahoo group survey. 10 respondents provided feedback regarding the proposed rules to govern communication behavior in the MPGRCC email forum. Feedback can be classed into 3 categories: email etiquette, email policy, and communication processes. There was overwhelming agreement that some of the recent emails – in tone and in length – were causing people to simply hit the delete button and lose interest in the MPGRCC. Therefore, after discussion, the proposed rules were agreed to, with the following amendments:
1. Present information in a way that inspires rather than pressures
2. Respect people’s time (and dial-up connections) and keep messages to the point
3. Be kind and respect people’s choices and questions
Email etiquette suggestions included:
- Keep it brief
- Ensure email subject lines are updated and reflect the email message
- Q&A between two members is best conducted on their personal email, not group email
Email policy suggestions included:
- Activity planning emails should be directed to specific teams, not general group
- Post urls that contain more information rather than writing lengthy explanations
- Allow opinion as long as it is delivered respectfully
- Use this channel for announcements and requests for resources and recommendations
Communication policy suggestions included:
- Set up a blog and events calendar on the website for those who want more information about a particular topic.
- Split the yahoo group into a talk group and an announce group. People can then opt to subscribe to the talk group.
Announcements
The NRDC leader, Frances Beinecke, wrote a book called Clean Energy Common Sense that is recommended reading from G. Slocum. Find a copy and pass it on when you have completed it.
The California Energy Commission is offering grants to convert hybrids into plug-in electric vehicles. Go to their website for details.
Meeting adjourned at 12:45PM
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