Hoboken

We raised a grand for Carpe Diem and both regulars and non-regulars alike went out to support the event! The promotional strategy used social media and traditional media.  Social networking sites likes Justmeans, facebook, twitter, and this blog were used heavily. In addition, guerrilla marketing definitely made a difference for the downtown Hoboken area. Next time, getting people in a room to talk about why it is important and how to further get the word out is a surefire way to get more support. The fun part is being creative with how to find those people who are interested in joining.

The biggest plus about the event was that NJ’s state news agency, News12NJ did a spot before the event, we were also mentioned on Time.com (yeah!), and Fox News also did a piece on the event. The two day event brought a lot of attention to Carpe Diem. The residual media coverage was not something that I expected but is popping here and there. For example, a NYC station wanted to cover it as well as a college station in NY. There is defininetely interest in NYC media, that is for sure.

As for the New York City carrotmob, there is certainly enough people in NYC for a real statistical chance of having an organizer in there somewhere.

Attention! Tomorrow and Sunday those who want to get a crash course in Building Performance Institute (BPI) training can sign up for the weekend of May 9th and 10th! The BPI weekend will prepare you to take the BPI test. By passing that, you will earn a certification that holds value for an employer who wants weatherization and energy efficiency projects. This is a perfect example of a “green collar job” – a job that helps the environment and society. The first job you will get is most likely a Building Analyst.
For more info go here http://www.bpi.org/content/contractors/faq.html

The trainer course will take place in New York City, is FREE, and is through the Win Win Campaign, a super awesome project supported by the Manhattan Borough President’s office. For a video on that check this out:

The First Energy Group did a report on Carpe Diem.  I really want to thank them, especially, Mechele, Rueben, Rickey, and last but not least, Jay. The report is really thorough and here are the main points.

Special Emphasis, Concerns, or Limitations

- Disruption – A key concern is designing and installing any equipment or systems in this facility with no disruption during operating hours.
- Reliability & Durability – Long term solutions with solid life cycle costing are required.
- Operation Cost – A major driver of this report is to reduce operating costs and take advantage of the savings and incentives to subsidize replacement of aging or inefficient equipment and improvement to the environment.
- Rebates –  Utility rebates will be applied for and will be directly sent to the client.

Recommended Energy Conservation Measures:

1. Improve performance of kitchen-hood exhaust and outside air intake fan.
2. Installation of Dual Enthalpy Economizer on the primary roof-top heating and cooling system.
3. Installation of supplementary 2-ton, ductless split, air conditioning system for the first floor.
4. Replacement of the 2 bathroom exhaust fans with units providing exhaust, light, and heat.
5. Installation of programmable time clock to turn the amplifiers on and off on a schedule.
6. Installation of a Honeywell series 8000 programmable thermostat to control the roof-top heating and cooling system.
7. Retrofit the exit signs with LED kits.

Carrotmob leverages consumer power to make the most socially responsible business practices also the most profitable choices. A big mob of consumers buys products to reward a business that makes the strongest commitment to improve the world. It’s the opposite of a boycott. Carrotmobs have happened all over the country, and have been featured in such news sources as the Economist and the New York times. On May 2nd and 3rd, a Carrotmob is coming to Hoboken. Carpe Diem, an Irish bar and restaurant, has committed to investing 70% of all sales to energy efficiency upgrades. The more people show up, the smaller Carpe Diem’s carbon footprint becomes. Eat, drink, and be merry – and make the world a better place while you are at it!

You can show support in three ways. 1) RSVP on Facebook 2) Tell your friends (spread the message through word of mouth or invitations on Facebook) 3) Join the Mob on May 2nd and May 3rd!

Where: Carpe Diem bar/restaurant located at 1405 Grand Street, Hoboken, NJ http://www.carpediemhoboken.com/

When: Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3; 11am – 4pm

RSVP: On Facebook: http://tiny.cc/TXp4c | Blog: hoboken.carrotmob.org | Twitter: NJCarrotmob

Thoughts?  What are the strengths?  Where could it be improved?

News 12 is filming a Carrotmob spot tomorrow at Carpe Diem. I along with the owner will be interviewed. Make sure to watch!!!

The New York Times ran a great piece about why energy conservation is important. And why dontcha visit the company that the writer works for – The National Trust for Historic Preservation:

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NEVER before has America had so many compelling reasons to preserve the homes in its older residential neighborhoods. We need to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. We want to create jobs, and revitalize the neighborhoods where millions of Americans live. All of this could be accomplished by making older homes more energy-efficient.

Let’s begin with energy consumption and emissions. Forty-three percent of America’s carbon emissions come from heating, cooling, lighting and operating our buildings. Older homes are particularly wasteful: Homes built in 1939 or before use around 50 percent more energy per square foot than those constructed in 2000. But with significant improvements and retrofits, these structures could perform on a par with newer homes.

So how does a homeowner go green? The first step is an energy audit by a local utility. These audits can be obtained in many communities at little or no cost. They help identify the sources of heat loss, allowing homeowners to make informed decisions about how to reduce energy use in the most cost-effective way.

Experience has shown that virtually any older or historic house can become more energy-efficient without losing its character. Restoring the original features of older houses — like porches, awnings and shutters — can maximize shade and insulation. Older wooden windows perform very well when properly weatherized — this includes caulking, insulation and weather stripping — and assisted by the addition of a good storm window. Weatherizing leaky windows in most cases is much cheaper than installing replacements.

The good news is that the administration is taking steps to help homes save energy with a program that will invest almost $8 billion in state and local weatherization and energy-efficiency efforts. The Weatherization Assistance Program, aimed at low-income families, will allow an average investment of up to $6,500 per home in energy efficiency upgrades.

Carpe Diem had a first round assessment provided free by First Energy Group, an energy consulting company based in Old Bridge.  Here are some pictures of their kitchen ventilation equipment and air conditioner system.

Hey y’all. I am Andy. I’ll be your blogger as I take you on the ride that’s known as CARROTMOB HOBOKEN!

Some of you already know what is going on with this Carrotmob thingy. Yeah yeah, you may say – I know exactly what your thinking so why are you saying it now? Well the simple reason is that you know about Carrotmob and I salute you!, but others need to know what the deal is. CM is an event where a business sets aside a percentage of sales for “green” upgrades in return for a large amount of shoppers to their store. The green upgrades for Hoboken Carrotmob are looking like HVAC improvements, and that will be more clear once First Energy Group, an energy efficiency business here in New Jersey, performs a thorough assessment. The Carrotmob will be at Carpe Diem, located in uptown Boken, at May 2, and 3rd. Check out their website and shoot them a message saying how awesome they are! Especially since you never called after taking them out to a nice seafood dinner at Sizzler. Tsk tsk. www.carpediemhoboken.com

So to make it super clear, check out the flash video to the right.

It comes down to helping businesses get over the upfront cost of upgrading their equipment for energy efficiency upgrades. Also, it helps them know that a lot of the coordination with be done by a group that actually cares about curbing energy consumption from fossil fuel burning power plants!

When a business raises sales and reinvests to cut energy costs over time, that is a good situation. When a community gets their faces out of a computer monitor, goes out and holds a community event with the purpose of greening a business, that is also good. Indeed, if that ain’t good, I don’t know what is.

If you are a business owner and want to become more green, you are in luck! Small sustainability companies offers their services ranging from making your purchasing/supply chain more local to using clean wind power for your business to eliminating plastic bag pollution. If you are running a company and have tried to become more green, you know that it is hard work. It’s confusing. Sustainability consultants are there to help.