🏡 Solar skins
A huge innovation campus is being planned for the San Jose valley, the cherry on top? It will be net-zero.
Happy Monday!
So many cool things to report on this week - you won’t want to skip a headline. If you do, we’re coming for you.
Today’s newsletter will take ~ 3.5 minutes
In the News
Ithaca makes progress on its net-zero transition
Last year, the town of Ithaca, NY voted to go net-zero by 2030. Earlier this year, we reported their partnership with the low emission retrofit company, Bloc Power, but the question remained, how will the city fund all it takes to go completely net-zero? Though economies of scale and lower electricity costs generate a considerable savings for transitioning the city to its net-zero goal, the entirety of the transition is projected to cost upwards of $600m. Now, with Bloc Power’s zero interest financing and Boston-based PE firm Alturus committing a $50 and an additional $50m conditional on initial goals, the city is beginning to see the larger need for public-private partnerships to successful make the net-zero transition.
Deals & Developments
Cushman & Wakefield seeks financing for green innovation campus
The global brokerage and development firm has teamed up with Vancouver-based developer, Westbank, and an all-star lineup of architects including Bjarke Ingels Group, Studio Gang, and Kengo Kuma to create plans for a six-building net-zero innovation hub in San Jose. The Westbank Campus will retrofit one existing building and see the construction of two new flex office buildings for a total of 2.5m SF of net-zero office space for it’s first phase.
Adaptive reuse at its finest… opening in Australia
Danish architecture firm 3XN was able to turn a 50 story office tower built in 1976 into a brand new, low carbon 1.01m SF office building using 2/3 of the previous structure. With a new facade and infrastructure, the tower is functionally new and saved over 6.1m tons of carbon from being emitted via demolition of the former structure and construction of a new structure.
Technology
The new kid on the retrofit block: solar skins
The first building to use Skala solar facade across the entirety of its exterior has been approved to move forward, developed by German solar firm, Avancis, will be capable of generating 50x the amount of power it would have been able to if it only had a solar roof. The project is expected to eliminate 70 tons of CO2 annually.
Legislation
New York State announces 22 solar and energy storage projects
New York State Energy Authority says the mandate will generate upwards of $2.7b in private investment. This announcement also accelerates the state’s timeline to achieving 66% renewable energy, now estimating that 70%+ of the states energy will be renewable by the end of the decade.
Quick Takes
The Crackdown on Greenwashing (finally)
How Will Cities Comeback with the Hybrid Workplace?
Fact for Thought
This year is supposed to be one of the most punishing hurricane seasons on record. Just three days into the season, Miami already had its first hard rain which led to widespread flooding from downtown Miami up to Palm Beach.
If you’re living in south Florida, stay safe this season.
Hope you enjoyed! Drop a like or comment to let us know how we’re doing!