2. Collaborating for Transformative Change
in Silicon Valley
These are unprecedented times. We continue to face urgent environmental and economic challenges.Continued investment in
“Business as usual is clean technology, green energy, and alternative transportation remain necessary. Even more so we believe is the need for more
over. Disruption and radical innovation and transformation at a systemic, region-wide level.
transformation at the
At Sustainable Silicon Valley (SSV) our goal is to bring further attention to our collective responsibility to action, and to help
regional level offers facilitate a concrete path on how our region will and must deliver and use energy, water and materials in the future.
huge opportunities.”
SSV and its partners (leaders and decision-makers from Silicon Valley businesses; elected and public sector leaders, academia
and environmental advocates) understand that incremental improvement in efficiency alone will not achieve the sea change we
marianna grossman,
SSV Executive Director need. Invention of new businesses that create value, meaning and sustainable performance; transformation of supply chains and
industries and redesigning our products and services are key steps in the transition to a sustainable future.
Simply put, social and environmental drivers of sustainability must rank alongside economic and governance challenges, for
organizational longevity and for the preservation of future generations. Financial gains from sustainability initiatives and reducing
environmental impacts through reducing energy consumption and waste are the on-ramps to sustainability, but we must go
further and faster.
Most recent data available (2009) again shows that current efforts to reduce carbon footprints and limit water consumption are
insufficient. Since 1990, electricity use has increased by 16 percent, and overall CO2 emissions are still rising.
The story of Silicon Valley as the birthplace for disruptive technologies is legendary. At SSV we believe that directing and
harnessing this spirit for radical innovation is one of the key ways Silicon Valley and the wider region will achieve transformational
change.
This year has been pivotal for SSV in working with our collaborating partners to create and launch the EcoCloud™ Innovation
Platform, and assisting Santa Clara University in the successful completion of Phase One of their Smart Microgrid Project.
The Governmental Sustainability group created the Public Environmentally Preferrable Purchasing System to support the
implementation of green purchasing policies by aggregating demand and sharing best practices.
In designing EcoCloud, we asked “What if water and energy were managed like the Internet?” The result is a vision and a network
that will lead the region in realizing a future where smart, dynamic management of supply and demand of water and energy will
drive innovation.
By providing a dynamic innovation and information exchange platform, advance technologies will fuel and fund disruptive new
business models for utilities. It will also enable radical empowerment of water and energy customers to stimulate investment in
novel solutions, for which there is a growing global demand.
The annual SSV WEST Summit Transformational change in the way our region delivers and uses energy, water and materials is on the horizon. The opportunity
(Water, Energy, Smart Technoloy) is huge. The payoff, a resilient Silicon Valley creating new and powerful global markets for technology, that promote ways to live in
December 6, 00. alignment with the life support systems of our planet.
3. Our Partners Board of Directors
Sustainable Silicon Valley (SSV) continued apace in 2010 and now has more Bonnie nixon
than 120 partners including new large partners Electronic Arts, Genentech, Sustainable Silicon Valley Board Chair
Intuit, SAP, IBM, Microsoft, Brocade, EPRIs and San Jose State University. CEO, BonnEco
What characterizes those companies and organizations that partner with SSV, Jose iglesias
collaborating in communities of practice and participating in working groups Sustainable Silicon Valley Board
Vice Chair
and pilot projects? VP, Education and Enablement Services
Symantec Corporation
• They are building new business models and a new type of corporation where
economic, social, environmental and governance concerns are inseparable. Carl hekkert
Sustainable Silicon Valley Treasurer
• They are looking to lead in their industry or sector and see the opportunities Controller, Strategic Investments
presented by climate change and a future sustainable world. SVB Financial Group
Bonnie Nixon frank Teng
• They are on all rungs of the Corporate Sustainability Ladder1 from compliant Sustainable Silicon Valley Board
Chair of the Board,
through Eco-efficient to sustaining corporations that are successfully marrying Secretary
Sustainable Silicon Valley
ecological viability and pursuing an excellent return on investment. Program Manager, Energy
Sustainability
• They are enthusiastic about learning and exchanging ideas with a diverse Jones Lang LaSalle at Yahoo!
group of sustainability experts and explorers – from Silicon Valley businesses;
elected and public sector leaders, academia and environmental advocates. andrew “Drew” Clark
Sustainable Silicon Valley Board Member
Director of Strategy, IBM Venture Capital
In the coming year we will be implementing a new strategic plan with a Group, IBM
focus on further developing the EcoCloud Innovation Platform enriching our
sustainability and continuing to expand our partner base. As always, our end David Kaneda
goal is a sustainable and vibrant Silicon Valley for all its inhabitants. Sustainable Silicon Valley Board Member
Principal, Integrated Design Associates
Now more than ever, we count on you, your commitment, and your financial (IDeAs)
support. mike mielke
Sustainable Silicon Valley Board Member
Senior Director, Environmental Programs
Bonnie Nixon Marianna Grossman Marianna Grossman Policy
Executive Director, Silicon Valley Leadership Group
Sustainable Silicon Valley
Chris schwarz,
Sustainable Silicon Valley Board Member
Associate, Canyon Snow, LLC.
ephi Banaynal de la Cruz
Sustainable Silicon Valley Board Member
Director Sustainability, SAP
Organizational Change for Corporate Sustainability, Dexter Dunphy, Andrew Griffiths
and Suzanne Benn, 00
4. Sustainable Silicon Valley Overview
Sustainable Silicon Valley is a dynamic collaboration of 120+ businesses, governments, academic and non-governmental organiza-
tions (Partners), and scores of volunteers addressing environmental sustainability in Silicon Valley.
SSV envisions a healthy environment, a vibrant economy and a socially equitable community. SSV Partners are
realizing this vision by actively addressing the underlying systemic factors necssary to build a sustainable Silicon Valley going for-
An increased focus on ward - targeting priority environmental issues in the Valley, such as: climate change, energy, and water resiliency.
water use, and the water/
History
energy/climate change Sustainable Silicon Valley (SSV) grew out of a special project, started in 2001 by the California Environmental Protection Agency,
nexus began in 2009 and with a total of eight founding partners, including California EPA, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and the Silicon Valley Environ-
mental Partnership. SSV incorporated as a 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation in 2004.
intensified in 2010 as SSV
and collaborating partners Envisioned as a means to achieve better environmental outcomes, SSV was designed to move beyond the traditional command-
and-control model of environmental regulation to one of collaboration and partnership, using a regional
worked to develop and
environmental management system (EMS). By focusing on the desired outcome, rather than compliance-driven
launch the new ecoCloud™ standards, participants can choose the methods to reach that outcome that make the most sense financially and
Innovation Platform with a technologically for each of them. We operate at the intersection of policy and action.
focus on increasing indus- An EMS uses a “plan-do-check-act” loop to address environmental issues of concern. The organization, or region, first generates
trial use of recycled water. a plan with clearly defined goals. It then implements the plan, checks progress to the goals and then acts to improve the plan,
integrating learning into the system.
Our approach remains to reduce emissions without impeding economic progress, and to accommodate the unpredictable nature
of climate variability in ways that actively lead to a more robust and resilient region, environmentally, economically and socially.
Priority Issues
In 2002 SSV and its partners identified six of the highest priority issues facing the Region.
•Use of energy from non-renewable sources measured by CO2 emissions
•Use of fresh water
•Urban sprawl
•Habitat loss and fragmentation
•Use of non-renewable raw materials
•Discharges of toxic chemicals into the air
Jeff Koseff, Perry L. McCarty Co-Di-
rector, Woods Institute for the Environ-
ment- at the SSV December, 00 annual
WEST Summit at Stanford University.
5. “/7 Wall St. looked at an October
The Climate Change Challenge 00 report on water risk by environ-
mental research and sustainability group
Daily we read about one global climate change-related impact after another. Glaciers are melting, rivers are drying out, the oceans Ceres. We also considered a comprehen-
are acidifying, sea levels are rising, and the Arctic permafrost is thawing, releasing vast stores of Green House Gases (methane) sive July 00 report from the Natural
Resources Defense Council, which
into the atmosphere, and bringing us to the edge of runaway climate change.
mapped areas at high risk of water
shortage conflict. 24/7 Wall St. also did
The need to act now as a region to mitigate the impacts of climate change and to implement adaptive strategies is imperative. In its own analysis of water supply and
2010 SSV directed significant resources and attention to the looming water crisis facing the entire San Francisco Bay Area region. consumption in America’s largest cities,
Extended cycles of drought, shorter periods of rainfall, the threat of seawater incursion and a diminishing Sierra snowpack have and focused on the thirty largest metro-
jeopardized the reliability of our region’s water supplies. politan areas. One goal was to identify
potential conflicts in regions that might
have disputed rights over large supplies
Without a secure and adequate water supply, the region’s prosperity is profoundly threatened.
of water and the battles that could arise
from these disputes. And, /7 Wall St.
The following extract is from an article “The Ten Biggest American Cities That Are Running Out Of Water” published examined geographic areas that have
on 24/7 Wall St, October 29, 2010, by Charles B. Stockdale, Michael B. Sauter, Douglas A. McIntyre. already been plagued by drought and
The San Francisco Bay Area was listed at #5 on their list. Reproduced with permission. water shortages off and on.”
“The Natural Resources Defense
Council (NRDC) report takes the fol-
lowing into account when assessing the
likelihood of water shortages: “The risk
to water sustainability is based on the
following criteria: () projected water
demand as a share of available precipita-
tion; () groundwater use as a share of
projected available precipitation; ()
susceptibility to drought; () projected
increase in freshwater withdrawals; and
() projected increase in summer water
deficit.”
“The ten cities on this list are the ones
with the most acute exposure to prob-
lems that could cause large imbalances
of water supply and demand. There are a
number of metropolitan areas that could
face similar problems but their risks are
not quite as high. The water problem for
U.S. cities is, although it may not be evi-
dent, one of the largest issues that faces
urban areas over the next ten years.”
Water shortage - 24/7 Wall St.
http://247wallst.com/
?s=water+shortage#ixzz14ckieaTn
Reproduced with permission.
6. Today at the end of 2010,
Sustainability Goals
the region is nowhere
near the SSV Sustainable Silicon Valley’s initial environmental goal was to reduce regional carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to 20 percent below
the 1990 level by the year 2010. In 2004, Sustainable Silicon Valley launched its regional CO2 Emissions Reduction Initiative to as-
environmental goal of sist Valley organizations in voluntarily meeting this goal.
reducing regional CO2
By aggregating data and serving as a regional registry of Silicon Valley’s GHG emissions , SSV has been able to assess regional
emissions to 1990 levels. progress and communicate overall results to business, elected and community leaders, and be part of a process of setting targets
and priorities for engagement.
SSV has also been in a position to identify commonalities among partners’ emissions, which has aided both in promoting appro-
priate low-carbon solutions to our communities of practice, and most recently serving as impetus for more radical region -wide
action.
In early 2010 we debuted a new and improved reporting tool supported by Hara Environmental and Energy software. The soft-
ware provides a solution that accounts for the full range of sustainability indicators, including energy, water and waste, as well as
providing decision-support tools for management.
In addition to reporting its partners’ aggregated performance, SSV also gathers and reports data for actual energy use (electricity,
natural gas, and gasoline) in its region which includes Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda and Santa Cruz Counties.
Partner Survey Drivers of sustainability initiatives among SSV partners
A survey of SSV partners, conduct-
ed in September and October 00 All other
by graduate students from the Uni- Professional Recognition
versity of San Francisco, sought to
understand the major factors driving Employee Morale
adoption of sustainability programs Competitive Market Advantage
and the conditions most conducive
to growing sustainability within Employee Requests
organizations. Just under two-thirds Executive Sponsorship
of SSV partners participated in the
survey. Regulation Compliance Requirements
Customer Demand
Refer to page 9 for charts show-
ing which Sustainability programs Corporate Social Responsibility
SSV partner organizations currently
Operational Efficiency
support, and Organizational Results
from SSV Partner Sustainability 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Programs Percentage
6
7. 2009 Silicon Valley CO2 Emissions Reductions Update ssV Legal Counsel
Brad rock
Carbon dioxide emissions in Silicon Valley shrunk by about 6.7% in 2009 over 2008. This can be primarily
General Counsel
attributed to reduced economic activity due to the downturn, as well as an increase in some sustainability efforts in Silicon DLA Piper
Valley.
Even though nearly half of the region’s CO2 emissions are attributable to gasoline consumption, its consumption has margin- ssV Board
ally reduced over the past 19 years. Electricity consumption has increased by 16% and natural gas consumption has reduced
by 11.3% over the same period.
emeritus/emerita
The increase in electricity usage since 1990 could be attributed to several factors, which are likely to include more air condi- margaret Bruce
SSV Board Chair, Emerita
tioning, more data centers, warmer weather and increased plug load from electronic devices such as computers, digital video
Vice President, Ecology Action Group
recorders, televisions, game consoles, etc. Warmer weather also may increase electricity sector demand for water and the
water sector’s demand for electricity. Jim Crowley
SSV Board Chair, Emeritus
Engineering Unit Manager - Utility
Support Programs
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Bruce Paton
SSV Board Chair, Emeritus
Chair, MBA Program
Monterey Institute of International
Studies
Peter melhus
Assistant Professor, San Francisco
State University
Julia miller
Former Mayor, City of Sunnyvale
Former Board Member Bay Area
Air Quality Management District
(BAAQMD)
scott green
City of San Jose
Jennifer shepherd
Principal, Canyon Snow
Jennifer smith grubb
Jennifer Smith Grubb Consulting
7
8. ssV advisory Council
Jack Broadbent
Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control
Officer
Bay Area Air Quality Management
District
margaret Bruce
SSV Board Chair, Emerita
Vice President, Ecology Action Group
Jeff Byron
Commissioner
California Energy Commission
ralph Cavanagh
Senior Attorney
Natural Resources Defense Council
Carl guardino
CEO
Silicon Valley Leadership Group
Winston hickox
Partner
California Strategies LLC
2009
Jerry hill
Assemblymember
9th District, State of California
Paul holland
General Partner, Head of Cleantech
Practice
Foundation Capital
art Jensen
General Manager
Bay Area Water Supply and
Conservation Agency
Bruce Klafter
Senior Director, Environmental Health
and Safety
Applied Materials, Inc.
9. Organizational results from SSV partner sustainability programs ssV advisory Council
continued
Reduced operating/facilities costs
Reduced trash to landfill Liz Kniss
Supervisor, Board Chair,
reduced GHG emissions County of Santa Clara
Public reputation for your organization Linda J. LeZotte
Overall water conservation Santa Clara Valley Water District,
Commissioner
Enhanced reputation or name recognition Law Office of Linda J. LeZotte, Attorney
Perceived as valuable/useful by others Julia miller
Reduced use of potable water Former Mayor, City of Sunnyvale
Former Board Member Bay Area Air Qual-
Employee well-being and satisfaction ity Management District (BAAQMD)
Increased employee engagement nancy noe
All other responses Senior Manager, Govt. Affairs
Alza Pharmaceuticals, Johnson Johnson
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Company
Percentage
robert Parkhurst
Climate Protection and Analysis Manager,
Climate Smart
Sustainability programs SSV partner organizations currently support Pacific Gas Electric Company
Other Wendy Pulling
Product takebacks and recycling Environmental Affairs Director
Pacific Gas Electric Company
Green supply chain
Design for Sustainability (enabling customers to be green) Keith smith
Pollution prevention - reducing hazardous materials Sustainability Manager, retired
California Environmental Protection
Alternative commuting Agency
Green building
Greenhouse gas measurement Dr. robert stephens
United Nations Environmental Program
Facilities and operations
Secretariat
Green purchasing (environmentally preferred purchasing Multi-State Working Group
Water use reduction
Waste reduction/recycling Dr. James sweeney
Director, Precourt Institute for Energy Ef-
Energy use reduction ficiency Professor, Management Science
0 20 40 60 80 100 and Engineering
Percentage stan Williams
VP Project Development
Poseidon Resources
9
10. SSV Programs and Communities of Practice
SSV concentrates its efforts in three main programmatic areas:
Communities of Practice:
We provide educational forums and events for building awareness and knowledge on a range of
topics.
Sustainability Leaders Forum (formerly called Green Teams) for sharing best practices. The Forum typically
involves expert or peer presentations followed by candid discussion around best practices. A new curriculum will be
developed in 2011 to build professional skills and strengthen the network of Sustainability Leaders, while retaining the
peer to peer learning that made SSV’s approach distinctive.
EcoCouncil Salons for executive sharing of sustainability strategies. This series of evening conversations helps cata-
lyze change at the highest levels within organizations and the region. Often taking place a “green” executive home in the
“Completion of Valley, these intimate networking events involve challenging topics and an opportunity to openly dialogue on successes
Phase One and challenges with other leaders. The goal is to push the boundaries of thinking and action to drive systemic change.
validates the systems
In 2010 Dan Miller, former President of search engine company Ask Jeeves presented on “A Really Inconvenient Truth”,
approach, technology, moderated by SSV Board Chair, Bonnie Nixon. Alan Atkisson presented his international work on sustainability in 2009.
and control software to
quickly move to the next Climate Coaching to help cities write and implement their climate action plans. The program enables peers to share
step - a campus wide their challenges, solutions and lessons learned, and to develop a common approach to common problems. Consultants
provide strategic planning and change management guidance, suggest relevant resources, and document the process so it
smart microgrid, which can benefit others.
is key to our goals of
reliable energy and a Energy and Water Tracking Registry:
carbon neutral SSV manages a voluntary program for partners to track and reduce their CO2 emissions and water usage. Partners com-
mit to tracking their energy and water use. They upload it once a year, in spring, using Hara Environmental and Energy
campus.” Software. By acting as a regional registry, SSV is able to highlight SSV partners’ collective efforts. This data enables the
regional environmental management system (EMS). Given the increased focus on government reporting and corporate
Joe Sugg, and municipal response, SSV is planning to shift from the role of tracking in order to focus on higher strategic value
Assistant VP
projects. The EcoCloud will include a range of tools that will support organizations and companies in tracking and im-
University Operations,
Santa Clara University proving performance and accountability.
0
11. Pilot Projects
“EcoCloud is a first-of-
Sustainable Silicon Valley serves as a convener to bring companies, governmental agencies and others together to develop a-kind reference model
and implement solutions for advanced energy, water, and resources management. We help develop programs and document
what is learned so that it can be shared with others in our region and beyond. The goal is to create replicable, scalable solu- for open platform innova-
tions that can be widely emulated and adopted. tion. SSV provides a ven-
EcoCloud™ Innovation Platform
dor-neutral forum where
Since late 2009 SSV and partners including IBM, SAP, South Bay Water Recycling, Stanford University, San Jose State Universi- Silicon Valley companies
ty, Wholly H2o, and others, have collaborated to envision, design and build a unique online network aimed at water resiliency and thought leaders can
in Silicon Valley.
network and leverage their
EcoCloud aims to increase use of recycled water in Silicon Valley and to help neighboring companies make better use of combined skills, to drive
scarce resources (energy, water and materials), with the eventual goal of an intelligent network for resource management innovation and success for
and exchange.
the region, as the Valley has
This project will help meet economic development goals, saving money and creating markets for companies contiguous done so many times.”
to recycled water pipelines and other resources. Integrated design will help ensure that waste energy and water can be
captured and reused, saving money, protecting against risk and reducing green house gas emissions. Eventually EcoCloud Drew Clark
will serve as an interactive platform for several critical environmental resource management areas. Read more about the
IBM Venture Capital Group,
EcoCloud Innovation Platform - pages 12-13
IBM
Smart Microgrid for Santa Clara University
SSV supported Santa Clara University in successful completion of Phase One of its smart microgrid
project. The increased networks and visibility that SSV contributed to SCU’s microgrid efforts enabled them to propel the
initiative into their short and long term strategic and capital investment programs. In the first phase of the project, SCU “In today’s economic cli-
installed sub-meters into 14 buildings and integrated the smart microgrid’s onsite alternative energy sources, such as solar, mate, public agencies are
fuel cells, and mico-turbines. The next phase will connect the entire campus to the campus microgrid. The university is work-
ing towards a goal of energy reliability and becoming carbon neutral by 2015. Santa Clara University Smart Microgrid Case
having to do more with less
Study - pages 20-21. resources. The Public EPP
System is a website for pub-
Public Environmentally Preferred Purchasing System (PEPPS) for government agencies. With the help
of Honors students at San Jose State University, SSV government agency and city partners created and launched a new on- lic agencies to collaborate
line purchasing tool for government agency purchasing managers. PEPPS enables government agencies and cities to aggregate on joint purchases, share re-
their purchasing power to get the best prices on environmentally preferred products, from street lights to vehicles. sources, provide examples,
Many public agencies have environmentally preferable procurement (EPP) policies and contracts in place. Sometimes these and piggyback on existing
policies and contracts are shared, but often times they are left on the shelf. If an agency has questions or needs help, how contracts.”
do they find out about these existing resources? The Public EPP System is a website for public agencies to collaborate on
joint purchases, share resources, provide examples, and piggyback on existing contracts. Lani Lee ho
Santa Clara Valley
The web-based tool is currently being hosted by the hosted by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). Learn
more at: www.SV-PEPPS.org
Transportation Authority (VTA)
12. The EcoCloud™ Innovation Platform
Successful transformation of regional water practices and infrastructure will require unprecedented regional cooperation and
ingenuity. In 2010 SSV and collaborating partners worked to realize a vision and a network that will lead the region in realizing a
future where smart, dynamic management of supply and demand of water and energy will drive innovation. The EcoCloud Innovation
Platform is the result and is geared towards creating a cradle to cradle economy using existing facilities and equipment.
EcoCloud™ is a “virtual industrial ecosystem” where Silicon Valley industry, government and educational institutions work together
to implement and share sustainable business practices. Reducing use of fresh water and using more recycled water as we adapt to
climate change and position Silicon Valley for greater resiliency is crucial. Currently the region imports 50 % to 90% of our water.
What is Industrial Ecology?
Industrial ecology is a radical approach to coordinating industrial activity to eliminate negative impacts and create a net positive
effect on the environment. By taking a holistic look at resource and energy flows and locating industries together in optimal
configurations, industrial ecology allows businesses to emulate sustainable natural systems by recovering energy, reusing water,
and turning waste material into a resource. Industrial ecology changes the linear nature of industrial processes so they evolve into
http://ecocloud.ning.com/
“virtuous cycles” of conservation and reuse, reducing waste and eliminating pollution.
A Virtual Industrial Ecosystem for Silicon Valley
Inspired by the model of industrial ecology, the EcoCloud™ is designed to be a virtual industrial ecosystem, that draws on the latest
social networking tools and provides a forum for companies to share sustainable business practices.
Although most industries in the EcoCloud™ are not located next to each other, they share a common interest in reducing energy
usage, conserving resource and eliminating waste—while at the same time cutting costs to improve their bottom line. Just as “cloud
“Our thirst for
computing” uses the distributed power of the internet for more efficient data processing, the EcoCloud™ harnesses the power
of web-based social networking tools so local business leaders and facility managers can work with industry experts, technology
water could result in water innovators, university researchers and government agencies to make their enterprises more sustainable and more profitable.
shortages in the next 50
The EcoCloud™ will ultimately address all the major intersections of industry and environment, including energy, air, water, land
years. If drought use and material resources. Currently, EcoCloud™ members are paying particular attention to the urban water cycle, focusing on
conditions coincide with the industrial use of recycled water as a way to minimize demand on drinking water supplies, lower total energy costs and reduce
another economic growth greenhouse gas emissions.
cycle in this area, we will
potentially face water
shortages of enormous
proportions.”
Designing for water self-sufficiency and
sim ong, reducing water imports to Silicon Valley
South Bay Water
Recycling
13. Urban Water Cycle Module
The Urban Water Cycle Module leverages advanced information technology to develop sustainable urban water cycle systems.
Participants have access to tools and processes that:
• Quantify and map current and future water use within watersheds
• Develop economic models that realistically incorporate externalities.
• Assess regional water security and guide decision-making with scenario planning tools
• Develop a case for the use of innovative technologies and policies like decentralized
wastewater treatment and resource recovery
• Identify common sets of metrics and indicators that can be applied by key decision makers and
policy makers
• Educate and provide technical assistance to stakeholders engaged in multi-disciplinary
decision-making.
Recycled Water Module
Using recycled water for cooling and other industrial applications lets Bay
Area companies demonstrate environmental stewardship by obtaining a
drought-proof water supply with consistent quality at a lower cost. Since “Water is declining, and water
only a small fraction of recycled water from Bay Area treatment plants is conservation and re-use will
currently used, local businesses have a significant opportunity to expand
their water reuse.
have to be the driving forces for
future planning.
The Recycled Water Module promotes the use of recycled water for
cooling and other industrial applications by giving facility managers access to One way the EcoCloud commu-
industry experts, providing information on case studies and best practices, nity is making a difference in the
sharing tools to evaluate the economic benefits of water reuse and even way we use water is by bringing
negotiating with local government agencies to streamline the connection
process. key players to the table to talk
either virtually or in person.
This effort is supported by a number of Silicon Valley recycled water
producers including the Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant, the City of Mountain View, Stanford University, and South EcoCloud gives people a con
Bay Water Recycling (a regional water reuse program of the San Jose/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant) whose Cooling text and possibly an avenue to
Tower Initiative provides local businesses with technical and economic assistance to convert cooling towers from drinking water
let all these groups talk, raise
to recycled water.
questions, and maybe have more
consistency in their data efforts
Published articles on EcoCloud in the future.”
“Becoming more water resilient in Silicon Valley - water recycling”, Michal lencher, october 10, 2010 mary Kean
“EcoCloud project seen as match.com for water reuse”, Amercian Water Intelligence, november 2010 - page 5. Program Manager
EcoCloud
14. More than 00 Silicon Valley
business leaders, academics, and
governmental agencies including
leading utilities companies attended
the launch of EcoCloud (ecocloud.
ning.com) at the annual WEST
Summit. EcoCloud is a new collab-
oration and social networking site
that aims to revolutionize how the
entire Bay Area region approaches
industrial sustainability.
Jim Davis, Executive Director, SAP
presents on Enterprise Solutions,
at the SSV annual WEST Summit
held on December 6, 00 at Stan-
ford University.
15. SSV Partners Saving Fresh Water and Increasing
Usage of Recycled Water
SSV partner Lifescan uses recycled water for its cooling
towers. Johnson Johnson’s Lifescan was the first industrial facil-
ity in Milpitas to establish a recycling water system for its cooling
towers, and is saving over 6 million gallons of potable water per
year for the company and the community.
The project which came on stream in mid 2009 reduced the The Bigger
facility’s potable water use by 36% and reduced the energy used to
pump water by 9,500 KWH per year. Entitled the “B4 Grey Water
Picture
Project,” Johnson Johnson aimed to “evaluate water conserva- This project is part of
tion best practices” and to “reduce recycled water discharge into Johnson Johnson’s larger
the San Francisco Bay.” corporate “Healthy Planet”
Birds’-eye view of the Lifescan facilities showing the below ground initiative, in which the com-
purple pipe route in green, and the above ground pipe in red.
Cost and Payback: Lifescan has now been on reclaimed pany plans to reduce potable
water from the fellow SSV partners, City of Milpitas and water use by % by the end
South Bay Water Recycling (SBWR), for 18 months. As Lifescan already used reclaimed water for irrigation, there was an exist- of 00.
ing connection to the main pipeline on the facility. Out of the $190,000 budgeted for this capital project, the final total came in
at $153,080, almost $40,000 under budget.
Lifescan’s facility is the first
within the company to use
Lifescan’s cooling tower is one of the first non-chemically treated recycled water projects, using the EvapCo’s Pulse-Pure
recycled water, and Shawn-
water system. As Lifescan’s previous budget included $75,000 per year in chemical treatment expenses, the initial investment
Santos hopes that other
of $124,000 in Pulse Pure has already paid itself back in its second year, serving not only as a green non-chemical solution, but
Johnson Johnson branches
also as a cost-effective one. The cooling tower, when using potable water, allows for 3.5 cycles of concentration.
will follow.
Lifescan has been running its system at 1.5 cycles of concentration, with plans to increase to 2.5 cycles by the end of 2010. As
this is the first time using the Pulse-Pure water system with recycled water, Lifescan is approaching the increase with caution “I’d like to see more
and running a Coupon Study with a third-party consultant to see the capabilities of the system. The study files reports at 3, 6, people do it to save
9, and 12 months from the date of recycled water installation. Through 2010 there have been no problems with the system.
the natural resources
that we’re short of.”
shawn santos
Lifescan
16. Air Products Turns Purple
“We were so close On May 2010 SSV partner South Bay Water Recycling (a Department of the City of San Jose)
began pumping recycled water into Air Products Santa Clara Air Separation Unit.
to the pipeline
that it just made Air Products provides gases, materials and technology solutions that drive energy efficiency, increase throughput, enhance end
product quality, and improve the environmental performance of their manufacturing operations and
sense.” products. The company’s switch to recycled water is expected to free up 62 million gallons of drinking water for Silicon Valley resi-
dents per year while also helping reduce strain on the Bay Delta ecosystem.
Air Products became interested in linking with SSV parther City of Santa Clara to recycle
water based on information gained at quarterly meetings that the city hosts to share innovations and opportunities
for industries in the area.
Air Products’ Santa Clara Site Supervisor Erick Hawkins and Luke Charpentier noticed the Air Separation Unit’s
proximity to the well-established SBWR pipeline. Hawkins comments, “We were so close to the pipeline that it just
made sense.”
The Santa Clara Air Separation Unit separates air into pure liquid and gaseous argon, oxygen, and nitrogen dis-
tributed through a gas pipeline and by a ground fleet. The site uses water to cool the components involved in the
Air Products’ Erick Hawkins next process. After the water acquires heat from the equipment, it travels back to the water tower where it is cooled
to new purple water pipe at the by evaporation. The cool water is them pumped back into the system to remove heat. Water is lost through evaporation, requir-
company’s Santa Clara Air
ing water to be added to maintain the level in the tower. Second only to energy use, water is one of the most critical parts of this
Separation Unit. Since May 00
South Bay Water recycling has process, pumping up to 65 million gallons of water per year.
been supplying recycled water
from its nearby purple pipeline. After applying for the Recycled Water Service, Air Products went through the formalized process of confirming water suitability,
The City of Santa Clara con-
cost-benefit analysis, environmental analysis, and permitting.
ducted a project in parallel with
the Air Products work, in which a
new pipeline was extended 00 SBWR provided reports on its recycled water quality in comparison to potable water., and also supplied water samples for inde-
feet to Air Products fence line. pendent analysis. Air Products, through its partnership with GE Water Technology, found that the chemical makeup of the recycled
water, while slightly higher in Ammonia than the potable water, only required small changes to maintain the quality and neutral-
City of Santa Clara and ize the pH of the water. Only small changes were needed to maintain the quality and neutralize the pH of the water. While this
South Bay Water change attached an extra cost to water maintenance, Hawkins concluded that overall, the decision was both “much cheaper and
Recycling (SBWR) help Air better for the environment.”
Products save $100,000 per
year.
6
17. Intuit’s Freecycle@Work - Empower’s Organizations
Worldwide to Reduce their Impact on Landfills
Freecycle@Work is a free online application for anyone to use when establishing Freecycle programs at their company and educating
coworkers about reuse. Freecycle@Work is supported by Intuit and built using Intuit QuickBase.
Freecycle@Work empowers coworkers to reduce their organization’s impact on landfill waste through trading items with folks they
know and trust and building a positive green community focused around reuse. There are currently over 1200 organizations (and
growing) across the globe using Freecycle@Work including:
• Universities like the University of Vermont and Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada
• Government Organizations like NASA, Pima County (AZ) and The United Nations
• Private Organizations such as Jewish Hospital St. Mary’s Hospital in Kentucky
Users can post and view items within their organization. Unless otherwise dictated by the organization, these items can be personal
items from home or low-value organizational assets such as desks, chairs, filing cabinets, or whatever your organization wants to reuse,
says Aaron Reber, Associate Direct Marketing Manager for Intuit’s Freecycle@Work.
As Freecycle@Work gains momentum across the webisphere, Intuit has learned a bit about what it takes for a Freecycle@Work
application to take hold and be successful in an organization. First and foremost, says Aaron Reber, it takes a passionate group of
advocates to drive adoption across the organization. Intuit business analyst Tom Cushna is Intuit’s internal advocate for Freecycle@
Work.
A growing number of Green teams are using Freecycle@Work as a green team initiative. For information on becoming a part of SSV’s
Sustainability Leaders Forum and how to become a Green Team leader in your organization - see page 10 or visit the SSV website for “ Help reduce waste by
more information. There are currently hundreds of users at Intuit and the application is thriving, in some cases primed by prizes for most more than a landfill a
posts or taken items, drawings, and gift certificates. These low-impact rewards says Reber, are a way to say “Thank you for doing your day. Join the Freecycle
part to reduce our landfill waste.” Network and be part of
the largest reuse pro-
Intuit recently created additional content on their website, including a video on the power of Freecycle@Work within an organization.
This video highlights a Freecycle@work-inspired swap meet at Intuit and shows what a successful application can do for a company’s gram focused on reduc-
green attitude. The Intuit Blog, written for green teams, has also been a significant part of Intuit’s success within organizations, offering ing landfills and helping
success stories and tips for green teams as they rollout the Freecycle@Work application. people give and get stuff
for free.”
“At Intuit, we are excited about the possibilities the Freecycle@Work application opens up for a multitude of organizations to move
http://quickbase.intuit.com/
towards reducing their impact on landfills around the world,” said Aaron Reber.
freecycle/blog/
7
18. Clean Energy Strategy Part of Santa Clara
University’s Business Continuity Plan -
Phase One of Smart Microgrid Project Complete
In 2006, Santa Clara University (SCU) conducted an energy strategy study as part of the university’s business continuity plan and
its aim to become climate neutral by the end of 2015.
“We looked at the next 20 years and what we needed to accomplish to ensure we had energy reliability,” said Joe Sugg, Assistant
Vice President, University Operations at SCU.
The university needed guaranteed energy reliability, some influence over the cost of energy, a move to green energy, and (to
develop) the capability to operate with the grid down for extended periods of time.
“We knew we would need distributed generation capability on campus and a way to control our demand on campus and when
our distributed energy was used. We also needed to be able to maintain continuity with the grid when it was up so we could take
advantage of it.”
“We know the
A smart microgrid became the necessary infrastructure to make it possible. A smart box will instantaneously sense any drop
in supply, such as when cloud cover affects solar generation, and react accordingly by automatically reducing demand to match
cost of solar available generation.
electricity for In 2010 - the first phase of the project, SCU installed sub-meters into 14 buildings and integrated the smart microgrid’s onsite
the next 20 alternative energy sources, including solar. Phase 2 will connect the entire campus to the campus microgrid, and is expected to be
completed ahead of schedule in December 2011.
years, and we
like the price.”
SCU is currently producing 1 megawatt (MW) from solar, pursuing 1.0 MW of fuel cell capacity, 1.2 MW from diesel as standby
energy, and testing the viability of generating biogas using garden waste. The university is also testing a new wind generator sited
on the same roof as the university’s bank of solar panels and is in a product queue for a Bloom fuel cell that will generate an
Joe Sugg, additional 1 MW.
Assistant Vice President,
University Operations at According to Joe Sugg, the wind generator operates efficiently at low wind speeds; starting production at 2 mph. Energy from the
Santa Clara University. generator currently is fed into a battery that is used to charge the university’s electric vehicles, and is not part of the microgrid.
19. SCU’s current system allows
it to control HAVC systems
and temperatures. A Trane
environmental control system
in conjunction with an Energy
While SCU expects to see savings of around 20% from on-campus energy generation and from reduced consumption, the real
Management System from
benefits are energy and cost reliability, simplified building management, and reduced CO2.
Serious Energy, processes server
“We know the cost of solar electricity for the next 20 years, and we like the price,” said Joe Sugg. information to automatically
monitor and adjust the optimum
Distributed energy is not only the answer to SCU’s energy needs, he believes, but for the region overall. “I imagine our microgrid server room temperature. As a
as one among hundreds. Our 3 MW generation capacity in combination with other smart microgrids becomes a powerful force in
result SCU’s server room now
the Valley. “Silicon Valley Power” will be able to produce significant energy and carbon load savings.”
operates at degrees compared
In 20-30 years from now, says Sugg, long haul transmission of power from Nevada to California will be prohibitive. with 6 degrees previously.
“It will not be an option.“
The smart microgrid, when
complete, will encompass the
entire campus and enable the
University to instantly turn off
lights and equipment in any
building, and ration electricity
during prolonged power outages
all from one computer.
SCU is collaborating with
Sustainable Silicon Valley and
SSV partners - Cisco and Serious
Energy.
(Left) Chris Watt, Director, Utilities
Department, University Operations
Division at SCU.
9
20. Sustainable Silicon Valley Partners
Corporations: LifeScan, Inc. SAP Symantec Hara Software 3Degrees 511
Rideshare Adobe Systems Incorporated Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Agilent Technologies, Inc. Applied Materials, Inc. Aurora Design Architec-
ture Aussie Rain Tanks BD Biosciences Big Fix, Inc. Brocade Byington
Steel Treating, Inc. Calpine Corporation Cargill Salt CH2M Hill Cisco
Systems Inc CLiM8 Connect the Dots CPI Inc Data Marketing, Inc.
Dharma Merchant Services Driscoll’s Earth Bound Homes Eat My Dust
eBay Inc. Eco Green Group EcoShift Consulting EcoStrategy Group
Electronic Arts Ennovationz EPRI ETM Electromatic, Inc. Fenwick
West Franklin Templeton Genentech General Dynamics AIS Gilead
Palo Alto Glumac Great Mall Green Business Specialists Green Con-
sultants Grove and Associates Hewlett Packard Company IBM ImageX
Printing Integrated Archive Systems Integrated Design Associates, Inc.
Intel Corporation Intuit Josephine’s Personnel Services, Inc. Korala Con-
sulting Kuehne Construction Lawren Communications LJ Engineering
Manufacturing Lockheed Martin Space Systems Microsoft Corporation
Minerva Consulting Network Appliance, Inc. Northrop Grumman Marine
Systems Pacific Gas and Electric Company Palo Alto Research Center
Quadrus Office Complex Recurve Reel Grobman Associates
Debra van Duynhoven
Assistant to the City Manager - Sustainabiilty RideSpring RMC Water and Environment Roche Palo Alto Satellite
City of Palo Alto.
December 009 SSV Annual Summit Telework Centers, Inc. Schering-Plough Biopharma Seagate Technol-
0
21. ogy Serious Materials Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter Silicon Valley “The sharing of informa-
Leadership Group Silicon Valley Microelectronics Smart Grid Library tion and the connections I
have made at the different
SolFocus Specialty Solid Waste Recycling Steinberg Architects Sun Sustainable Silicon Valley
Microsystems SunPower Corporation SunWater Solar Visible Strate- events have been very useful
to the County of Santa Clara
gies WaterSprout Watt Stopper/Legrand Wave One/Palo Alto Webcor
and have enabled us to think
Builders Weiss Associates Yahoo, Inc. 511.org more creatively and to take
Government: City of San Jose Bay Area Air Quality Management District advantage of opportunities
we didn’t know about, such
City of Belmont City of Brisbane City of Burlingame City of Campbell as technical assistance to
City of Cupertino City of East Palo Alto City of Foster City City of Half shift our cooling towers to
recycled water.
Moon Bay City of Los Altos City of Milpitas City of Morgan Hill City of
Mountain View City of Pacifica City of Palo Alto City of Redwood City Meeting up with colleagues
from business and other
City of San Bruno City of San Mateo City of Santa Clara City of South San
agencies really helps to keep
Francisco City of Sunnyvale County of San Mateo County of Santa Clara the innovation spirit alive
Palo Alto Unified School District NASA Ames Research Center Santa and to plant seeds for future
cooperative projects regard-
Clara Valley Transportation Authority Santa Clara Valley Water District ing our facilities and opera-
Tarlton Properties, Inc. Town of Atherton Town of Colma Town of Los tions. I leave every meeting
with new ideas for moving
Altos Hills Town of Los Gatos Town of Portola Valley Town of Woodside forward!”
Toyota Sunnyvale
Jill Boone
Civic: Acterra Environmental Defense Fund Foothill-DeAnza Commu- Climate Change and Sustainability Manager
Facilities and Fleet Department
Santa Clara County, CA
nity College District Green Chamber of Commerce Our City Forest Rosi-
crucian Egyptian Museum San Francisco International Airport San Jose
State University Santa Clara University Sustainable San Mateo County Click this link to join SSV now -
http://www.sustainablesv.org/join
The Tech Museum of Innovation Wholly H2o
22. Volunteers and Associates
CO2 Reporting: Larry Lang, Brandy Faulkner, Dipti Kamdar, Brian Long
EcoCloud™ Innovation Platform: Andrew “Drew” Clark, IBM; Jeff Risberg, CTO/Architect; Jim Davis, SAP; Craig Criddle, Stanford
University; Katherine Kao Cushing, San Jose State University; Eric Rosenblum, South Bay Water Recycling (City of San Jose and City of
Santa Clara); Sim Ong and Martina Davis of SBWR; Jeannine Larabee, SCVWD; Sarah Young, SCVWD; Chirag Amin, volunteer; Marianna
Grossman, SSV; Mary Kean, Project Manager;Vasudha Ravi, researcher; Elizabeth Dougherty, Wholly H2O; Ben Mehta, Jessica Tomechak ,
Editor in Chief; Fran Teng, Jones Lang LaSalle at Yahoo!; Dipti Kamdar, SSV; Jeannine Larabee,ValleyWater.org; Elaina Marshalek, University
of Berkeley; John Rosenblum; Ling Stewart, Tina Lau, Michelle Beyer, Tara Atkins Brown,volunteers; Melanie A Schlitzkus, San Jose State
University; Stan Wrzesk, Carbon and Climate Action, Spoorthy Ananthaiah.
SSV volunteers Spoorthy Anan-
Graphic Design: Fran Lowe
thaiah, Senior Web Engineer and
Jeffrey Risberg, CTO/Architect for Human Resources: Michelle Reilly - Volunteer Coordinator
EcoCloud, work on a ROI water
Marketing: Celia Lawren, Fran Lowe, Ora Chaiken, Jennifer Marshall, Mei-Ling Shek, Laurence Kuhn, Lauren Swezey, Raj Padmanabhan,
calculator for EcoCloud. EcoCloud’s
tools will allow users to determine Christine Hertzog,Vithi Singh, Suparna Vashisht, Rose Gabriele
the return on investment (ROI)
Metrics: Brian Long
of projects such as switching to
recycled water by enabling users to Organizational Consulting and Development: Tara Atkins-Brown, Atkins Brown Consulting; Rose Gabriele,
fetch and use geographic informa-
Darian Rodriguez Heyman, Code Green Agency; Chantal Awad, LOOTOK.com; Ling Stewart
tion, enter usage and cost informa-
tion, and review vendors. Project Management: Mary Kean,Tammy Huynh, Mary Ann Gallagher, Elizabeth Guimarin, Justine Burt,
Faye Rachford, Brandy Faulkner
Public Relations: Bennett Charles, Trend Effect; Charles Gardiner, Ivy Morrison and Jennifer Marshall, CirclePoint, Fran Lowe, Lime
Street Studios pr.
Report Authors: Marianna Grossman, Dipti Kamdar, Fran Lowe,
Research and Grantwriting: Mary Ann Gallagher, Justine Burt, Brandy Faulkner, Suparna Vashisht,Vasudha Ravi
Smartgrid: Tammy Huynh, Christine Hertzog, Gary Hethcoat, Edward Ebert, Sumathi Krishnamachari, Michael Hsieh, Anne Huberman,
Anne Schlaff, Roy Tsuchida,Yuet Lee, Peter Denyer, Rose Gabriele
Website Design and Development: Craig Diskowski, Edge Design, Tim Whitman, CodeBrick
WEST Summit: Dipti Kamdar; Michele Reilly; Fran Lowe; Ora Chaiken; Brandy Faulkner; Maylee Gaw; Jeff Taylor; Ling Stewart; Rose
Gabriele; Steffen Rochel; Nicole Sandkulla, BAWSCA; Sarah Young, SCVWD, Tracey Moison, Elizabeth Dougherty WhollyH2O, Ted Huang,
Webcor Builders; Jamie Workman
Video: Justin Edward Warren, Cyperus; Heather Durham, The Durham Group; Joe Romero, Sneezebone; Chris Denise, Reel Eagle
Productions, LLC
23. 2011 Calendar: ssV staff
Sustainable Silicon Valley Events marianna grossman
Executive Director
Dipti Kamdar
EcoCloud: Program Manager
March 18, April 21, October 28 margaret govea
Bookkeeper
Govea Bookkeeping
Eco Council Salons: mary Kean, Pe
EcoCloud Program Manager
February 17, May 19, September 29
fran Lowe
Marketing and Development
Sustainable Leaders Forum: Jeff Taylor
February 11, March 11, June 2, September 8, Call for Art Business Development
Each year SSV collaborates with In- maylee gaw
November 4 novating Smart to seek contributions Business Development
from artists on a subject relevant to
sustainability. In 00, the focus was ora Chaiken
water. Some of the images have been Business Development
SSV Community Party: used in this annual report. Other submis-
sions were also displayed at the annual suparna Vashisht
August 25 Sustainable Leaders Program Manager
summit.
This years contributors included: Betty gerd Peter may
Lacy - Water Rights (shown above), Administration
SSV Board Meetings: Diane C. Lierman, Rebecca Fogg, and
Marianne Lettieri.
Monthly
Stories of Sustainability for Tomorrow’s
Innovators
www.innovatingsmart.org
Annual WEST Summit:
(Water, Energy, Smart Technology)
Friday, January 27, 2012
24. “Earth” and “Water” by Diane C. Lierman. Reproduced by permission.
Sustainable Silicon Valley (SSV) is leading the Silicon Valley Business Community to a more sustainable future.
By engaging and collaborating with local government agencies, business, and community organizations SSV
operates to help address the highest priority environmental issues in the Valley.
heaLThy enVironmenT ViBranT eConomy soCiaLLy eQUiTaBLe CommUniTy
Sustainable Silicon Valley, 900 Lafayette Street, Suite 100, Santa Clara, CA 95050
P.O. Box 576, Santa Clara, CA 95052-0576
Web: www.sustainablesv.org •Tel: (650) 318-3638 • Toll Free: 1 (800) 668-0718 • Email: info@sustainablesv.org
