Page 8 - Green Builder Magazine Nov-Dec 2017 Issue
P. 8
Green Building NEWS
The Latest on Sustainability and Renewable Energy
STUDY: Working Green
Means Making More Green
In most states, environmentally friendly jobs often pay more than regular ones.
NYONE LOOKING FOR a green because of a growing desire by the public
job should start in Texas. The to do what they can to help to help the
Lone Star state is where five environment,” Smith says. “They tend to
of the nation’s best regions for pay well, if you have the right education.
A environmentally friendly work Across our top 11 companions, the average
are located, according to a study by financial worker in the green economy sector gets
technology company SmartAsset. paid around 57 percent more than the
Dallas is the overall No. 1 locale for average worker.”
sustainable occupations, while Houston, Fort Wages can be high—up to $100,000
Worth, San Antonio and Austin are fourth, annually in San Francisco and San Jose—
fifth, eighth and 16th, respectively. Denver, but the high cost of living in those locations
Newark, N.J., and Oakland round out the top offsets the better earnings. In contrast, Las
5 at numbers 2, 3 and 4, the story notes. Vegas, with an average green jobs salary of
The survey, which covers the top 80 cities $77,319, is in the top one-fourth of cities overall
in the nation, measures each area by number (No. 13). But its low housing cost makes it
of green jobs available, average salary, green the best city overall for profitable green
salary vs. everyday salary, and housing costs, employment, according to the survey. GB
according to SmartAsset Vice President of
Financial Education A.J. Smith. SmartAsset’s “Best Places for Green Jobs” report CREDIT: SMARTASSET
“Green jobs are becoming more popular can be found at https://smartasset.com.
Research: Translucent Solar Panels Can Also Grow Plants
Although greatly reduced in power output, translucent PV shows promise for indoor growers.
A
GREENHOUSE BUILT WITH special, translucent solar panels can
grow as many tomatoes and cucumbers as one with standard
glazings, according to researchers at the University of California,
Santa Cruz (UCSC). Studies have already shown that translucent
solar panels in the kitchen can handle daylight and do “double duty” with solar
glass. But this new research takes the idea to its natural next step: as a way CREDIT: NICK GONZALES/UC SANTA CRUZ
to extend the growing season for certain crops, especially in colder climates.
Although this research was fairly narrow in scope, looking primarily at the
impact of the power-generating panels on plant growth, the implications are
far broader, according to Wavelength-Selective Solar Photovoltaic Systems:
Surprise growth. Plants germinated in a smart greenhouse under
Powering Greenhouses for Plant Growth at the Food-Energy-Water Nexus. translucent solar panels fared as well or better than those
There’s a catch, however. These translucent panels do not have nearly cultivated in conventional greenhouses.
the power output of conventional PV products, which tend to clock in power generation could negatively affect growth of some plants, according to
at about 22 percent efficiency. The output of these prototype panels UCSC Professor of Environmental Studies and study lead author Michael Loik.
hovers around 5 percent. The study appears in a recent issue of the American Geophysical Union’s
In addition to the relatively low power output, the use of red dye to increase journal Earth’s Future. GB
6 GREEN BUILDER November/December 2017 www.greenbuildermedia.com
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