The team also visited a farm on the slopes of Mt. Kenya that uses biogas as its primary energy source. The farm is a dairy farm that is part of a milk co-op in the area. It has four cows and the waste is used as part of an innovative biogas system that powers the equipment that is essential to the success of their business as well as their home appliances such as their stove and lighting. After visiting this farm, it became apparent that there is a lot of opportunities to further develop the production, distribution, and use of biogas systems in this area and eventually throughout East Africa.

After their visit in Kenya the team traveled to Kigali, Rwanda where they hosted a local stakeholders consultation for the solar lantern project with PiSAT.  This portion of the trip was also productive, and the distribution of these lanterns is moving forward.

Several projects are underway in Kenya as well as in Rwanda. Things are progressing well and are continuing to develop. Stay tuned!

Kyle, Dan, and Dr. Dave arrived as planned late evening on March 1st and settled in to rest up for a long day of meetings with project developers in the area. Promising opportunities they discussed include (1) institutional biogas systems, (2) residential biogas systems, (3) efficient cookstove projects, (4) bioethanol cookstove fuel switch projects, and finally (5) solar lantern projects. All of these opportunities amount to roughly 250,000 mtCO2e.

Today marks the start of the Africa Carbon Forum.  The team is undoubtedly swamped, but an update is sure to come within the next few days (maybe some pictures too).  Stay tuned!

[And here's the older post below]

The press release hasn’t been written yet, so consider this an insider’s tip; several Viability staff members will be traveling to Kenya and also presenting at an international carbon forum in the very near future. 

That’s all for now.  Stay tuned to our twitter feed, @viabilityllc, and this blog for trip updates and pictures.

In addition to watching over one of the nation’s largest greenhouse operations, Tom Van Wingerden was part of Double Harvest, a family-founded Christian mission serving the people of Haiti.   Double Harvest’s humanitarian efforts have worked with Haitians to improve medical services, agriculture, and overall standards of living since 1981.   When Tom passed unexpectedly, we at Viability wanted to honor his memory through a contribution of resources to Double Harvest.

Little did we know that the need would be so great.

After the earthquake struck, Haiti saw an influx of badly needed aid from the international community.  Double Harvest’s established facilities allowed it to immediately feed thousands and provide medical care to the badly injured.

Abe Van Wingerden, son of Tom, told Greenhouse Grower Magazine of the enormous outpouring of aid following his father’s death and the earthquake.

According to the interview, more than $100,000 was raised for Double Harvest in the weeks following Tom’s funeral and an additional $100,000 since the earthquake struck, but the charity still short of its “goal [of raising] $1 million for more than just relief, but rather long-term rebuilding and expansion of the work that had already begun in Haiti before the devastation,” shared Abe.

Viability encourages other organizations to assist in the Haitian relief effort, whether it is through a contribution of resources, time, or service.  Times of great pain can also be opportunities for great compassion.

Donations to Double Harvest can be made through their website via PayPal.

He and several others shared the same reaction as Viability was treated to a personal tour of Holland, MI’s main power facility, the James De Young Generation Facility.

The Station Superintendent, Environmental Manager, and Operations Manager provided a background presentation, followed by a tour of the boiler room floor, and concluded with an explanation of electrical economics in the control room.

For all of the Viability guests, it proved to be an informative event.

“I didn’t realize the level of pollution controls, data keeping, and environmental precautions that a coal power plant is subject to, even for a smaller plant like Holland’s,” said Viability’s Joe Seymour.

Pictures below follow Viability members from the conference room through the facility’s main floor and into the control room.

Again, a special thanks to the Holland BPW for allowing the tour.

The Holland Sentinel covered the days’ events as well as the final team and individual awards.  Based on a glance from Viability’s fourth-floor view, the competition was an incredible community success, even if it did contribute to area hot cocoa and coffee shortages.

Several pictures from after the event are included below; the Sentinel captured the competition in detail in its online galleries.

DownTown Holland Ice Carving Competition

The greenest city in the nation just increased its sustainability stature.  At a press conference earlier this morning, the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce officially debuted its carbon calculator, which is part of its larger Partnership for a Sustainable Community program.

With the new interactive tool, chamber businesses will be able to calculate their own carbon footprints and position themselves for reducing their carbon emissions and energy use.  Company data including employee travel, natural gas usage, and waste are all included in the calculator’s fields.

The calculator will give businesses—and the region—a baseline with which to form future strategies.  As Viability’s Kyle Denning has similarly explained, “You can’t manage what you can’t first measure.” To begin the calculator’s implementation, Chamber President Jeanne Englehart announced a 30-Day Challenge that will work to register and educate area businesses on the carbon calculator’s usage.

The Partnership for a Sustainability Community and the calculator were developed in coordination with many organizations, including Viability, Cascade Engineering, Rockford Construction, NTH Consultants, The Rapid, The Building Performance Team, Flexco, Progressive A/E, Design+, The City of Grand Rapids, GZA, and Sustainable Mechanical Design Associates.

For more information on the event and the program, visit www.grandrapids.org/sustainability

1. The EPA ranks the top 20 Centers of Higher Education that are purchasing renewable energy.  Penn State may be ranked 11th in the AP football poll, but they’re 2nd on the EPA’s.
2. The EPA (again) ranks the nation’s top retailers that are purchasing renewable energy.  Are you shopping at Kohls?
3. Almost a year old but still from ’09, Fast Company forecasts the top ten green jobs for the next decade.
4. Time Magazine ranks the year’s top ten environmental issues; great angle if you like politics.
5. Here’s hoping Detroit’s top 10 green cars from January’s North American International Auto Show help revive the Michigan economy.
6. For the DIY home repairman (or woman) comes the top 10 green building products of 2009’s sustainable industries.
7. Smart Cities assembled 2009’s top 15 most sustainable cities that features a few surprises.  Who knew Los Angeles was making such progress?  It’s too bad that the population threshold was 250k, otherwise Grand Rapids, MI would have made the list.
8. Newsweek took the Fortune 500 route and ranked the nation’s top 500 green companies.  Hewlett Packard topped the lists, while Peabody Energy was last.
9. For the green investors comes the Sustainable Business 20 (SB20), a ranking of the world’s top green stocks.  West Michigan’s own Herman Miller made the list, as well as notables Google, Philips, Timberland, and Chipotle.
10. Green architecture is getting exciting, as seen by the American Institute of Architects’ top ten green projects for 2009.

One can only wonder what 2010 will look like.  Any suggestions for top green lists for 2010?

The complexity of the machinery and processes used to grow and nurture plants impressed Ryan from Viability.

“The greenhouse industry—working years in advance—has to anticipate floral trends, develop those specific plants, test them, and then ship them across the U.S. all while remaining competitive,” shared Ryan. “It’s incredible.”