Development News

With the opening of its online Clean Energy Outlet, the Clean Energy Coalition (CEC) now has a new line of energy-efficient products available to complement the services and programming it offers to communities all over Michigan.

"We're working with well over 40 communities across the state right now and we see a real need for business owners and for residential customers, whether they're renters or homeowners, to break down the barriers to access to these products and be able to get them into their businesses and their living spaces quicker and easier," says Joshua Brugeman, division manager at the Clean Energy Coalition.

On offer are CFL and LED lightbulbs, shower heads, water aerators, and a variety of other efficiency products. The CEC carries a more specialized selection than what's available at big-box retailers. And you don't have to push the cart for miles with the blind faith that that 6-watt LED you need is in aisle 14.

"The real advantage is that everything's in one location, whereas when you go to Lowe's and Home Depot it's scattered throughout the store and they're often hard to find if you're trying to complete your comprehensive energy project at home," says Brugeman.

Home energy monitors utilizing real time web-based tracking of energy use are a more tailored type of item that the outlet carries, he adds. "By being able to see that information in real time people tend to make behavioral changes right away because they have that instant feedback loop."

Brugeman says CEC is in the process of adding a brick-and-mortar component to its online store to help further its focus on building a Michigan-based clientele.

Source: Joshua Brugeman, division manager, Clean Energy Coalition
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Buses, bikes, and plain old-fashioned feet are upending the solo-passenger car as the only route to work in Ann Arbor, as shown by a recent survey of about 250 employers and 275 employees released by getDowntown. The study was funded by the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) and the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority.

The most significant finding, says Nancy Shore, executive director of getDowntown, was "Seventy percent, the overwhelming majority of employers ... said it was very or somewhat important to have a variety of transportation options, not just parking, to attract high-quality workers and customers."

Additionally, about a quarter of businesses with 20 or more employees indicated that the availability of the go!pass, a downtown employer-funded unlimited-use transit pass for employees, was a factor in their choice of a downtown office location. go!pass usage in 2011 was 28% higher than in 2009, with 11% of respondents commuting regularly by bus and another 29% occasionally using buses, according to getDowntown.

Cycling also saw a significant bump from 2009, with 6% of those surveyed reporting regular bike commutes, up from 2% in 2009. While seemingly small, that's pretty large compared to most communities nationwide, Shore says. "And if you go off the 2000 census numbers that say there's about 10,000 employees downtown, 6% of 10,000 employees is a lot of bike commuters."

The winter bike commuting workshops held earlier in the season were also a success, according to Shore, with well-attended workshops and that portion of getDowntown's website attracting over 1,000 hits in a few months.

getDowntown will use the survey findings to help the AATA tailor its transit master plan and will also continue to advocate for more bike lanes, Shore says.

The survey also reinforced "the value of downtown living," Shore notes. Of employees within a half-mile to two-mile radius from work, 52% are walking, 18% are biking, and only 22% are driving. At two to four miles, 32% are driving and 33% are busing it.

Within four to 10 miles, though, 74% are still driving solo. getDowntown will be focusing on this group in particular, she says. "That's potentially a distance where using the bus actually might be not so hard."

Source: Nancy Shore, executive director of getDowntown
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

As an alternative to potentially high-interest bank loans, Ann Arbor's Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program – through which the city finances qualifying energy efficiency and alternative energy installations at commercial properties via bond issues – is now underway. Ann Arbor is the first community in Michigan to have a PACE program in effect.

Projects in the range of $10,000 to $350,000 per property owner are allowable and include such items as energy analysis; insulation and weather sealing; lighting and lighting controls; heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment and controls, door and window replacements; solar photovoltaic panels; wind turbines; ground source heat pumps; and combined heat and power systems. Owners then repay the loans through special property tax assessments over several years.

No formal applications have been received yet, but the city is working with three owners whose applications are imminent and also plans on working with several other interested parties this month, says Wendy Barrott, CEC staff member and Ann Arbor's community energy coordinator.

"The Clean Energy Coalition, under contract with the city of Ann Arbor, is out there talking to property owners, business owners, people who already have their energy audits in hand – anyone who would benefit from this program," Barrott says. "We're making a one-on-one outreach to them."

Property owners must have an energy audit done, at their own cost, as part of the application process. A previous audit will waive that requirement in certain cases. Owners may choose to have the audit expense rolled into the assessment.

Four million dollars will be made available over the next six months, and the city has committed to bond up to $10 million over the next year, says Barrott. Should demand over the next six months exceed the $4 million available, "...I'm sure the city will probably re-examine the need and adjust the program to meet the demand."

Also in the pipeline is a possible residential PACE program. That legislation is currently working its way through the Federal Housing Administration, a requirement before adoption at the state level. "I know that there is a commitment on behalf of the city to form a coalition and seek to get residential [PACE], then add it to Michigan's enabling legislation," Barrott explains. "That's coming. It's not resolved yet at the federal level, but we are watching that closely so we can work on it at the state level when it's appropriate."

Source: Wendy Barrott, CEC staff member and community energy coordinator for the city of Ann Arbor
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

The University of Michigan is balancing growth in its campus population and facilities with an overarching goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as per its recently released Annual Sustainability Report.

Total greenhouse gas emissions for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011 climbed by 7.5% as compared to the 2010 fiscal year, an increase significantly attributed to the ramping up of the new C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital and the opening of the North Campus Research Complex last January, according to Terry Alexander, executive director of the U-M Office of Campus Sustainability.

By the end of fiscal 2012, U-M is looking at having over 1,000 people working at the North Campus Research Complex, Alexander says.

"Our goals just look at total numbers, but if you look at it on a per square-foot basis and per person basis, our energy use has actually reduced by about 21% since 2004," says Alexander. "That's a good trend, but we continue to grow and we're adding more people, we're adding more building space, so that number is going to continually change as we move forward."

The year's highlights include completion of the Campus Sustainability Integrated Assessment, a plan of long-term goals in the realms of climate action, waste reduction, healthy environments, and community awareness. Action items include, for example, reducing greenhouse emissions created both onsite and through purchased electricity by 25% and cutting waste tonnage sent for disposal 40% by 2025.

Other successes were achieved by the university's Planet Blue operations teams, which implement energy-saving measures in buildings and train occupants on proper usage of those systems. The teams scoured 71 buildings, resulting in an 8% less energy usage and $3.8 million in cost savings over the year.

The university also reports cleaner-running buses and increased ridership. 6.9 million bus rides were taken in fiscal 2011, up from 6.5 million over 2010. Two new diesel electric hybrid buses are on the road, with another two on the verge of being deployed. Three more are on order, to bring the total to seven such hybrid buses in circulation by the end of 2012, Alexander says.

And now the athletic campus and other venues are under the green microscope for 2012. University officials are working with a group of student athletes interested in incorporating more sustainable features into campus athletic events. The new law school building and women's and children's hospitals are under review for LEED certification. And officials are also in the final stages of negotiating with DTE Energy for solar panel arrays for the engineering campus and the North Campus Research Complex, says Alexander.

Already underway is the Planet Blue Ambassador program, in which students and staff members attend class together and then raise community awareness of energy conservation issues. "We hope by a certain time we'll have a couple of ambassadors in every building on campus so it can be our outreach effort on campus," Alexander notes.

Sources: Terry Alexander, executive director, U-M Office of Campus Sustainability; U-M Annual Sustainability Report, 2011
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

More high wattage (the renewable kind) is topping roofs (and now, poles) in Ypsilanti this winter.

When temperatures turn warmer, probably by next month, the Ypsilanti Food Co-op will be adding solar panels to generate another four kilowatts of power. This is on top of the co-op's existing 2.3-kilowatt roof system, says Dave Strenski, founder and volunteer coordinator of Solar Ypsi, a network of solar installations around Ypsilanti. The original panel installation is now five years old.

"We've been in the solar business for a while now," Strenski says.

And in a first, Solar Ypsi has partnered with Wireless Ypsi, a free broadband internet collective also based in the city, to perch a solar-powered wireless internet radio atop an old telephone pole on Frog Island. The new set-up is already getting six to eight users daily, says Strenski, and the parties are planning on a couple more installations at yet-to-be-determined spots.

The co-op was able to secure the panels at a cost of 84 cents per watt from now-defunct solar manufacturer Evergreen. With other equipment and labor (including volunteer labor), the system will end up costing $2.58 per watt installed. Since prices are coming down due to an influx of less expensive panels from China, Strenski estimates systems can be had for three to four dollars per watt, installed – about half the cost in years past.

At current power costs, Strenski figures on a payback period of about 10 years, which in actuality will be less, due to continually rising power rates. An average solar installation lasts 30 years, he says, giving the system a very high return on investment.

Those interested in solar would do well to check the list of renewable energy contractors on the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association's website, Strenski advises.

"If you want to do solar, now's a good time," he says.

Source: Dave Strenski, founder and volunteer coordinator of Solar Ypsi
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

At the southern reaches of Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor, a brewery-turned-tech-firm transformation will be emerging this spring when e-commerce and digital marketing software provider HookLogic takes over the former Leopold Brothers Brewery building at 523 S. Main St.

The New York-headquartered firm will be consolidating from two other downtown Ann Arbor offices totaling 5,000 square feet. A $9.5 million venture capital infusion from Massachusetts-based Bain Capital Ventures last September is facilitating the firm's move into the 11,000-square-foot building.

Besides the downtown location, other interior features the company found attractive were brick walls and dozens of windows and skylights. After some remodeling, the property should be ready for an April move-in, says Gary Evans, general manager of HookLogic. Renovations include adding shared offices, glassed-in conference rooms, and a break room, though the floor plan will primarily be open.

"We tend to not use a lot of cubes and we don't even use a lot of offices," Evans says. "We like to create open working areas where you can share a lot of information and ideas pretty easily and you can get a lot of energy going in the space, so this is really well suited for that as well."

The firm, which had about 30 employees as of September, is currently hiring and plans to add another 35 positions over the course of the year, according to Evans. He figures the new space can hold up to 100 people.

"Our headquarters is in Manhattan but a lot of our growth is scheduled to be in Ann Arbor, and there's lots of reasons for that. Not least because of access to outstanding talent here," Evans points out, adding, "But we've also got a much bigger space here as well, which really makes it logical for us to build out teams here whenever we can. I think the majority of our growth moving forward is going to be in this office."

Source: Gary Evans, general manager, HookLogic
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

The floor plans and designs for the new Blake Transit Center for the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority are nearly finalized as the AATA folds in public feedback on how the center should look and function.

The new transit center will replace the current one on Fourth Street in downtown Ann Arbor. It will be larger and built with improved signage, customer service technology and other amenities.

The opening comes as the AATA, or The Ride, looks to expanding service beyond Ann Arbor, connecting it beyond Ypsilanti to Detroit and in other destinations, adding more stops and adjusting routes to fit its Reimagine Washtenaw proposal.

In addition, The Ride has added 10 hybrid vehicles to its fleet, bringing its fleet to 51 percent hybrid. It's also taken out of service old buses that were purchased in 1996 and replaced them with hybrid electric-diesel models.

Public feedback was received last week on the new transit center at two meetings where plans were on display and surveys were taken.

“We’re looking for input from the community to make the new transit center a dynamic transportation hub and a welcoming destination in the downtown area,” TheRide’s manager of maintenance and BTC Project Manager Terry Black says in a statement.

Source: Mary Stasiak, manager of community relations, AATA, The Ride
Writer: Kim North Shine

The restaurant scene in downtown Ypsilanti is heating up times four with the upcoming openings of four new eateries, one of them a reopening of a beloved institution that feels to some as old as Ypsi itself.

Wolverine Grill on Michigan Avenue, a diner-style restaurant with kitsch galore and a reputation of being like one of the family to locals, will be reborn under the same name and operated by a new chef and manager.

"It's going to keep parts of the menu and the things people loved. But it's going to be rebooted. It's going to be great," says Teresa Gillotti, city planner for Ypsilanti.

Some freshening-up improvements are being made to the restaurant with the possibility of completing a more extensive renovation down the road, Gillotti says.

Across the street from Wolverine is a major overhaul of the former T.C.'s Speakeasy, which is making way for Red Rock, a barbecue restaurant that is being reconfigured to put an impressively crafted bar in the center. Parts of the building are being repurposed and the overall history is being preserved and enhanced, Gillotti says.

Wolverine is expected to re-open for business in early February and Red Rock should open in February or March.

Going through a soft opening in prep for an official launch in coming days is Wurst Bar on Cross Street in downtown. It replaces Theo's Bar & Grille, a popular Eastern Michigan University bar. Wurst Bar will offer a menu of gourmet brats and burgers for meat eaters and vegetarians and also specialty beer and freshly prepared foods. It may team up to smoke a sausage for the new Red Rock.

The fourth of the new bunch of restaurants and the last to open, as the owner is just now beginning official planning on the foreclosed property, will be an Italian restaurant on Washington Street.

The Italian owner will complete a major renovation of the two-story building. The first floor will house the restaurant and the second floor will be a continuation of the restaurant or separate retail.

"It's funny how all this is happening at once," Gillotti says. "It's exciting that we're going to have such a mix of restaurants, new styles of restaurants to add to downtown."

Source: Teresa Gillotti, city planner, Ypsilanti
Writer: Kim North Shine

By this summer in Green Oak Township, 99 percent of bulbs that light public buildings will be money-saving, time-saving LED models.

The lighting, which Green Oak Township accountant Linda Vance says can last an average of 25 years and cut energy costs 70 percent, will go inside and outside the three fire stations, police station and the municipal offices.

The project, which will receive bid proposals at the township board meeting Feb. 1, was kickstarted by a $79,349 Advanced Lighting Technology Demonstration Grant that helps cover the cost of lighting technologies such as LED, induction and plasma. The grant comes from the Michigan Energy Office through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

According to the state, many of the projects result in work or production or other services from Michigan companies.

For Green Oak Township, Vance says, it's a savings of tax dollars and a way to save township employees' time on light-bulb changing so that other work can be done.

"We want have to change light bulbs for a long time," she says.

The lighting must be installed by June 30.

Source: Linda Vance, accountant, Green Oak Township
Writer: Kim North Shine

A former University of California researcher and professor lured to the University of Michigan by the prospect of creating his dream project is behind the "Flume Room", a series of 150 mini Huron Rivers located at the School of Natural Resources and Environment.

The Flume Room, a step up from a project run by Bradley Cardinale at U-C, is designed to determine what the most serious stressors are on rivers and streams.

Cardinale, an assistant professor at the School of Natural Resources and Environment and principal investigator of the flume project, relocated to U-M in January 2011 with the promise that the indoor controlled water quality studies could be done in a larger, more controlled, more meaningful environment.

"I'm very happy U-M gave us the money to do this," he says. "At the University of California, it was nothing like this…There were some shortcomings, some cut corners in terms of having a facility that was controlled."

"The benefits for the University of Michigan is it wants to become experts on water sustainability. Water is going to be one of the single biggest bottlenecks facing humanity in the next century…We're sitting right here on the Great Lakes. Michigan wants to be a leader in preserving water and maintaining the quality of of water. Aside from that, the research brings in top dollars," he says.

Immediately after the flume room was constructed, he says, the National Science Foundation awarded the project a $2 million grant.

Each of the artificial streams in the "one-of-kind-facility is completely enclosed and re-circulating, which makes it possible to examine how each form of environmental stress impacts the production of oxygen, the removal of pollutants from water, and the decomposition and recycling of wastes in a closed system. The flumes run around the clock every day and water temperature is maintained at 65 degrees Fahrenheit to simulate fall temperatures in the Huron.

What sets the research apart from other studies, he says, is the capability to subject 150 bodies of water to various variables - erosion, chemical pollution, invasive species, etc. all at once and in a controlled environment 150 times. It's what's called high replication.

"The problem is so far we study the heck out of this,but we're comparing apples to oranges," says Cardinale, who is also an assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology in the U-M College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

Within about four months, he says, he expects to be able to rank the top concerns for the Huron River. The next step, he says, is to "get into nature into the real steams and see if we get the same answers."

In one to two years, if there is agreement between the lab and the field, he says the top 4-5 stressors on the Great Lakes watershed in Michigan could be identified.

Source: Bradley Cardinale, principal investigator, the Flume Room at University of Michigan
Writer: Kim North Shine

Construction on three multi-level apartment buildings that will range from three stories to 12 and house hundreds of residents, mostly students, has begun in downtown Ann Arbor.

The most controversial of the trio of projects that aim to bring density to downtown is CityPlace on Fifth Avenue near Packard on the southern border of the Central Business District. Foundation work is going on now and the two buildings each of three stories should be ready for occupancy by December, says Ralph Whelton, chief development official for the city of Ann Arbor. Parking will also be built. Residents living near the project objected to the the developer's plans to raze homes but also opposed early plans to preserve them as part of a bigger project known as Heritage Row. The homes were mostly rentals for college students.

The other two apartment buildings, the 12-15 story Varsity Apartments on Washington and Division, and the City Center Apartments on First and Washington west of Main, should be ready for move-in by September, Welton says.

The Varsity Apartments will likely be 12 stories but could go as high as 15, Welton explains, and have a first floor of commercial space.

The Ann Arbor City Center apartments will be eight stories on top of four stories of parking, two above ground, two below. Some parking will be for the public. Ann Arbor's Downtown Development Authority will own the parking structure.

"It's very unusual," to have three large apartment buildings coming in within such a short span.

But it appears the need and the market is there.

"It'll be good for business," he says. "The residents may be students, but they still need to eat, buy things."

Source: Ralph Welton, chief development official, city of Ann Arbor
Writer: Kim North Shine

New hybrid buses that run on a combo of biodiesel fuel and electricity are getting the University of Michigan's students and employees around this week, and more of the eco-style vehicles will go into operation in coming days.

The 40-foot buses are adding to the U-M's fleet of alternatively-powered vehicles and stand out as they've been plastered with new maize and blue graphics that advertise the buses part of U-M's Planet Blue initiative. The buses are also recognizable because of the power packs they carry on their rooftops.

"The addition of hybrid buses to our fleet is another step in our commitment to sustainability," says Keith Johnson, associate director of transportation operations. "By the end of 2012, one in six buses on campus will be a hybrid."

One hybrid diesel-electric bus went in to service last week. Three others are in are at the campus sign shop having their special graphics added. One of those will be ready to roll this week, and the the other two should be ready sometime this month, says Steve Dolen, executive director of parking and transportation services for U-M. Another three will be in service by the end of fall, he says, and a total of seven buses will be on the streets around campus by the end of the fall.

A grant from Clean Energy Coalition and the Department of Energy paid for the first of the buses.

More alternative energy buses are sure to be bought, Dolen say, as the university has a long-term plan to continue moving away from buses as well as all university vehicles that rely solely on gasoline.

"The technology is always changing," Dolen says. "We are watching those changes so that we make the best financial decision and the best environmental decision."

Source: Steve Dolen, executive director of parking and transportation services, University of Michigan
Writer: Kim North Shine

Come springtime, Menlo Innovations, a custom software developer known for its democratic culture and open-design office, will be moving into a 16,900-square-foot space at The Offices at Liberty Square at 500 E. Liberty St. in downtown Ann Arbor.

The new space, all on one floor, nearly triples the square footage of its current Kerrytown office. To give that some scale, Menlo's work space will more than double the size of a regulation baseball infield.

"Especially for the type of work we do and the way we do it, people often come in look at Menlo and they wonder, if we look really full, they wonder where they will fit their project in our company, in our space. And so we have to kind of build out the space ahead of the curve," says Rich Sheridan, president and founder of Menlo Innovations.

The firm's Kerrytown office was a tripling of its previous space, and now a tripling is taking place again. Menlo currently has 40 people on staff, a mix of full-time employees and independent contractors. Sheridan sees a doubling of that headcount in the next two years.

"It's always a little hard to predict, but we're certain we had our best year ever in 2011, so all indications are pointing up."

The build-out of the space is being finalized, with the move likely taking place in April. The office will be a big open room, with the high ceiling as a focal point, Sheridan says.

"We always want everybody to be within what we call "eyeshot and earshot" of one another. We want to be able to see each other all the way across the room," he explains. "We often jokingly refer to our internal company communication system as 'high-speed voice technology.'"

Quieter glassed-in conference rooms are available as needed, but conversing is a key part of the culture. "We don't like to use email when we communicate with each other internally in the company. We like communication that includes eyebrows."

The enhanced space means bigger options, such as a moms' room, to fit the company policy of allowing new mothers to bring their babies to work. Additionally, Menlo will be establishing a permanent area to host training workshops that are open to the public. In its current office, the training area is set up as needed and then taken down. And looking ahead, a new business accelerator under the Menlo umbrella is part of Sheridan's vision.

Menlo will also be sharing the floor, or more precisely, a door and a glass wall, with TechArb, the University of Michigan accelerator for student start-ups. The presence of TechArb as a neighbor was a definite factor in Menlo's choice of a new home. Sheridan adds, "I'm teaching an entrepreneurship practicum right now at [U-M] and some of my students are actually in that space right now, so I think this is a nice mixing of town and gown, if you will."

Source: Rich Sheridan, president and founder of Menlo Innovations
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

With the push to protect farmland and other natural areas from development, as evidenced by the growth of Ann Arbor's Greenbelt and Washtenaw County's Natural Areas Preservation program, the question is, how to pinpoint the best properties for saving? The Huron River Watershed Council's (HRWC) Bioreserve project was expressly designed to assist local conservancies and governments tasked with combing through untold thousands of acres to find the proverbial diamond in the rough.

"The purpose of the Bioreserve project is to assess and protect the remaining natural areas in the watershed," says Kris Olsson, watershed ecologist for the HRWC. The HRWC is putting two recent grants, $60,000 from the Carls Foundation and $5,000 from the Consumers Energy Foundation, to that end.

The effort, which began in 2000, used computer modeling based on aerial photos to create a bioreserve map that depicts and ranks natural areas in the Huron River watershed and ranks them on quality factors such as vegetation type and geology. The HRWC also developed a rapid field assessment methodology to be conducted at ground level.   

"We wanted to get a closer look, and so we've been doing field assessments on selected properties from that map for the last three years," Olsson explains. "And so we have a great deal of data now on over 600 different ecosystems throughout the [seven-county] watershed." The HRWC shares this data with entities including Washtenaw County, Ann Arbor's Greenbelt, the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority, and the Southeast Michigan, Legacy,  Livingston, North Oakland Headwaters, and Six Rivers Regional land conservancies.

Use of the bioreserve assessment data has enabled a couple of land conservation deals in Washtenaw County, according to Olsson. Thus far, the Clark property, a hilly natural area in Sharon Township, has been preserved. And the Legacy Land Conservancy is working on another deal for which specifics aren't available as the deal is pending, Olsson says, but a closing is anticipated by year-end.

Source: Kris Olsson, watershed ecologist, Huron River Watershed Council
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

The Amma Center of Michigan, a non-sectarian organization that follows the teachings of Indian spiritual leader Amma, is looking skyward for its energy sources.

The center recently installed three solar photovoltaic systems at its Ann Arbor property. The roof- and ground-mounted systems, 27.6 kilowatts in total, are composed of 112 U.S.-manufactured solar panels, says Prasad Gullapalli, president of Srinergy, a Novi, Mich.-based solar provider.

With the application of DTE Energy incentives, the installations have a financial payback of under five years, according to Gullapalli. The reduction in energy expended over the next 25 years is likened to planting more than 53 acres of forest, powering close to 30,000 homes for 24 hours, and avoiding the release of 621 metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

He expects solar power will get a boost in Ann Arbor due to the city's adoption of a PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) program, which finances energy efficiency and clean energy enhancements for commercial properties via a special property tax assessment.

"The payback is going to be really good because of the PACE initiative," Gullapalli says.

Source: Prasad Gullapalli, president of Srinergy
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar