PDF: 2962 pages, 5.2 MB - Bay Area Council Economic Institute

Global Reach
• audits and installation of automated energy management systems in hotels to monitor
and regulate lighting and air conditioning room by room during the day; and
• IT systems and software to administer the three major California electric utilities’ rebate
programs for replacement of outdated air conditioners and motors.
In 2006, Intergy launched the Water Saver pilot program for the San Francisco Public Utility
Commission (SFPUC), a performance-based incentive program targeted to high-volume nonresidential
users. Under this program, St. Mary’s Hospital saved 628,000 gallons of water annually
by installing thermostatic control valves to reduce the need for replacement water in its eight
sterilizer units.
In June 2008 Willdan Group, Inc., a Southern California provider of outsourced engineering
and other services to states and municipalities, acquired Intergy and rebranded
it as Willdan Energy Solutions.
Connecting the Green Dots
Jagdish Amin, a University of Mumbai graduate, founded the San Francisco software
development firm 37 Degrees in 1999. With offices in Switzerland and India, the company
serves the media, software, and beverage sectors, and counts among its clients
Hewlett-Packard and Diageo.
In 2009, Amin and Harvard-educated biologist Dr. David Wheat launched HaraBara
(Hindi for “full of greenery”), an online portal that they hope will build a community of
technology manufacturers, B2B service providers, investors, and other talent resources
that will help businesses worldwide develop and implement green strategies. The goal is to reach
a critical mass of 1,000 member companies and organizations to provide expertise and share best
practices on all aspects of green business across the U.S., China, India, and possibly Brazil.
HaraBara is funded primarily by angel investors and in-kind support from partners; the plan is to
generate member business subscription revenues. HaraBara members so far include HSBC,
Williams-Sonoma, and Kotak-Mahindra. The HaraBara Lexsite online library provides access to
the database of Indian environmental laws and regulations.
The US-India dialogue on energy use and sustainability extends from business into the
civic sector. The San Francisco-based Sierra Club is working with the Self-Employed
Women’s Association (SEWA) and the Climate Project India to establish a Green
Livelihoods Centre in Mumbai, to promote collaboration between Indian organizations working on
sustainability. One of the first projects will be to support the development of a green jobs strategy
that links a grass roots focus on jobs with India’s growing need for technologies and policies to
address climate change.
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