Telling the Story

Climate Solutions manages the "Solutions Stories" project. "The Solutions Stories project captures and communicates clean energy economy success stories happening now in the Northwest, including progress on clean energy and energy efficiency."

Currently, stories are being collected from Oregon, Washington Idaho and Montana and converted into video shorts accessible on the Climate Solutions website.

Benefits highlighted include increase in employment, monetary savings, greater value to customers and business owners, risk reduction, increased competitive advantage and savings in manufacturing.

For Example the story titled "Kilowatt Crackdown" details a friendly competition between commercial property owners to reduce their buildings electrical use. Energy use is the largest operating expense for a commercial building, so this kind of "benchmarking" competition reduces operating costs for tenants and property owners while increasing rental value.

"The Kilowatt Crackdown is a fun and friendly competition that captures the "competitive nature" of the commercial real estate industry by challenging building owners and managers to make measurable and lasting changes in the way they use energy in commercial spaces."

The winner of the Highest Performing Small Building (40,000-100,000 square feet) in the 2009 competition was Bentall Kennedy, owners of Newport Corporate Center in Bellevue, Washington.

"The real estate company prevailed because they initiated changes in motion sensors lighting, eliminated the lighting control system and modified programming in its energy management system. This combination of improvements all contributed to winning the award, lowered energy costs in the building and more comfortable workspaces for tenants."

"RePowering Our Workforce" is a story Climate Solutions reported that is still unfolding in Bremerton Kitsap County today.

"Contractors, such as Mark Timmerman and Matthew Stefnik who are featured in the video, feel RePower's economic impact in Bremerton and throughout the county." In the photo Mark Timmerman is working on an energy efficiency upgrade in a private home.

"In an economic downturn, a community-based effort is helping create local jobs for contractors and improving energy-efficiency of local homes. Watch the story of how in just one year, RePower has created 28 contractor jobs in Kitsap County—43 percent of the goal."

To be inspired and inspire: The stories shown in text and video can inspire people to action in their own business or commercial property. If you have a clean energy economy story to share send a brief description and your contact information to Climate Solutions.

Telling the story of energy conservation promotes the companies and property owners who are making a difference for their communities. It is also important to integrating conservation into daily urban life.