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Originally, the thrust of this project was to find a partial solution to the developed world’s energy requirements. Upon closer examination the realization that many of these seemingly unrelated issues were tied into the energy problem and if a systemic approach were taken toward correcting these problems a number of societal ills could be mitigated at the same time. While this was some sort of epiphany for me, I now understand that many other people do understand this relationship.

Let’s look at the specifics.

The volatility of energy costs coupled with the relatively high price of energy effects the lower strata of our society at a disproportionate rate. So, at the risk of stating the obvious, if energy costs could be reduced and then stabilized, we would all be better for that effort. Then what would happen if, instead, we were able to eliminate the energy costs associated with owning a home? Even better, what if we could not just remove these energy costs but use a residential structure to produce a surplus of energy that could then be sold to the retail/commercial sector?

One immediate caveat that presented itself was the realization that human beings do not like sacrifice and will not readily accept a degradation in their lifestyles. Let’s face it, if this concept is going to be adopted without argument, one underlying principle had to be followed, to be successful these buildings cannot require a sacrifice in the lifestyle that people have become accustomed to.

It should be readily apparent that if this could be done we would be creating a dynamic where the cost of housing would drop and the return of affordable housing would be possible. And, as one would expect, this solution is not a one size fits all but actually works in urban locations more so than in rural areas. It’s a good thing that we live in a time when the majority of our population chooses to live in urban locations.

Focusing in on thermal solar technology (no pun intended) we came to the conclusion that the way we look at energy generation and delivery is completely outdated. In many case thermal energy is generated, converted to electricity, sometimes then transported over great distances where up to 80% of the energy generated is lost - and then when the electricity is delivered to the end user, we convert it back into heat and cooling. Rube Goldberg would be proud.

This then led to the question of why during the summer we inadvertently collect heat on our rooftops that needs to be insulated against and also requires electricity to cool our homes. Conversely, during the winter we insulate against the cold and use energy to heat our homes.

It turns out that part of the problem is that we construct our buildings based on a mindset created when energy was inexpensive. The fact is that it is cheaper to build two story structures with a smaller footprints even though this creates a reduced amount of space where solar radiation can be collected. The question then becomes, what happens when we change that dynamic so as to increase the square footage of roof collection area by creating awning like overhangs and covered porches? The answer is that an enormous amount of BTUs can be collected in just about any geographic location we examined - far more than the average American family consumes - and average American families tend to be rather gluttonous when it comes to energy consumption.

Great! We’ve got heat, so how does that help us?

As we dove into that problem we found out that two generations ago this issue was resolved. Such inventions as the Crosley Icy-Ball and the Einstein Refrigerator patented ways in which heat could be reliably converted to cold without electricity.

But what about electricity? Now, here was a problem that no ready answer was available. As hard as we looked there didn’t seem to be a way to generate electricity from moderate temperature ranges and the idea of trying to collect and store high enough temperatures to generate electricity on top of where people lived seemed to be inviting disaster.

The answer to this problem came in a moment of inspiration and is the secret that Net Plus Concepts brings to the discussion. We believe that we have found a way to inexpensively convert collected heat (stored in a thermal reservoir at 140 to 165 degrees F) into electricity reliably and safely. Even better, housing can be built that would allow for all of the heat, cooling, and electrical requirements of a family to be generated with a surplus left over to sell. This is the Net Plus Concept.

While all of that is great and holds a lot of promise, innovation in a vacuum is not going to get the job done. To address this issue Net Plus Concepts developed a business model that is completely sustainable. If we look at the money that is being spent combating urban blight while trying to encourage economic development in many of our decaying cities, the Net Plus Concept provided the best answer as to how to do this. We create buildings that eliminate the energy costs of residential homes while decreasing the cost of energy for business. Add to that the money now being made available by the Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) and these structures can be financed from existing funds with no outside investments. But the best argument for this plan is the empowerment that the host community receives when it becomes possible for the people who live there to now purchase their own home, providing a stake in their community, at costs that are significantly under what they are currently paying for rent!

Now let’s examine who loses in this proposition, because no solution is going to allow for everyone to walk away a winner. The owners of overly-inflated, inner city, real estate are going to see a decline in their holding’s value. As Net Plus Concepts’ buildings draw the captive audience of renters away from the pool slumlords are going to be left holding near worthless property. In fact, with the exception of historical buildings or structures of architectural significance, most buildings will be obsoleted once this plan is put into action. Another industry that is going to be profoundly affected is the power generation consortium. As an ever-increasing number of these structures come online, the need for coal fired plants will decrease as the electricity that they provide will no longer be required. The electrical transportation industry will remain intact, excluding the long distance component, as the grid will be necessary to transport electricity from those who generate a surplus to those who wish to buy it.

At this point I would like to invite any comment or criticism of this proposal to take place, either privately by contacting me or publicly in any venue that you may choose.

Goals for this conference: • Explore the goals of social investment as it exists today, from “venture philanthropy”-style grants through to investments made with the goal of commercial returns; • Discuss how these different types of social investment capital differ from traditional funding mechanisms for NGOs and social enterprises; • Hear practical advice from some investors about their criteria when looking for organizations to invest in; • Discuss with practitioners how to assess whether they should seek this type of capital, and what their next steps might be.

Facilitators: Jessica Shortall, consultant in social enterprise and social investment; Mary McVay, Director of the Value Initiative; Kim Alter, Virtue Ventures

Featuring: New SEEP Publication, “Understanding and Accessing Social Investment” and practitioner and investor expert discussants.

Hosted by the Enterprise Development Exchange http://edexchange.seepnetwork.org

For more information and to register visit the conference website: http://communities.seepnetwork.org/value-conference72009

According to the World Health Organization, every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria, despite the existence of effective and low-cost tools to fight the disease.

“Bill Gates’ unleashing a swarm of mosquitoes at the Technology, Entertainment, Design conference earlier this month is just the latest in a series of high-profile calls to invest in malaria control,” Katherina Rosqueta, the executive director for the Center, said. “But for individual philanthropists who want to help, two questions naturally arise: Given the big players like the Gates Foundation and Global Fund, can I really make a difference and, if so, how? Our guide provides practical answers to those questions.”

Small-scale clean energy projects, while supporting important social and environmental benefits, can struggle to attract sufficient funding to assure success. The financial backing and business development services provided by E+Co assists small businesses in Africa, Asia and Latin America to supply clean and affordable energy to those regions, efforts that simultaneously increase employment opportunities and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

E+Co also assists clean energy businesses with the aggregation, validation, verification and creation of high quality GHG offsets including those that will be sold to Goldman Sachs. The carbon financing related to the off-take of the GHG reductions provides the enterprises with additional capital that supports, sustains and helps grow the clean energy ventures.

“Our alliance with Goldman Sachs is a testament to the importance and potential of the global carbon markets,” said E+Co Carbon Finance Manager Erik Wurster. “This represents the growing demand for high quality carbon assets that promote sustainable development and poverty reduction in some of the world’s poorest nations.”

“We are excited to work with E+Co and support the advancement of clean energy and the important social and environmental benefits associated with these efforts,” said Gerrit Nicholas, head of the North American Environmental Commodities Sales Team at Goldman Sachs. “The development of cleaner, more secure energy sources is an international issue that we can help to address through purchasing E+Co’s offsets and participating in the global carbon market.”

E+Co’s projects are located in 28 developing countries and meet various carbon standards including the Gold Standard and the Clean Development Mechanism. While all projects focus on clean energy, they vary widely in type. “We have installed solar panels in Guatemala and are working in Africa to distribute efficient cook stoves. The stove projects not only reduce carbon emissions, but also mitigate hazardous air pollutants, provide employment opportunities, and reduce household fuel costs. This triple bottom line impact - people, planet and profit - is fundamental to what we hope to achieve,” said Wurster.

About Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is a bank holding company and a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm. Goldman Sachs provides a wide range of services worldwide to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high net worth individuals. Founded in 1869, the firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong and other major financial centers around the world.

About E+Co
E+Co is a non-profit investment company that provides business support services and capital to clean energy businesses in Africa, Asia and Latin America. With almost 15 years of experience and offices in Bolivia, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, the Netherlands, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand and the United States, E+Co’s innovative business model provides lasting solutions to climate change and poverty. For more information visit www.EandCo.net.

E+Co Media Contact
Tracy Smith +1-973-680-9100
Tracy.Smith@EandCo.net

Goldman Sachs Media Contact
Michael Duvally +1-212-902-2605
michael.duvally@gs.com

Nov. 11: Venture Fair Day, this is open to accreditted investors only.  There will be 20+ companies presenting representing our five focus categories: Food & Organics, Health & Wellness, Cleantech, Internationl & Community Development and Media.

Nov. 12: Education Day, this is open to all!  We will specifically addressing “The Crisis on Wall Street: How Social Investing Can Shape The Financial Future” 

The Education Day is open to the public and offers a rich platform focused on the emerging principles of sustainable business practices and the investment opportunities they provide. Attendees will gain practical insight into the relationship between fiduciary and social investment responsibility.

A robust speaker line-up includes sector-shaping personalities such as Doug Bauer, Senior Vice President of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, who will moderate the plenary session “The Crisis on Wall Street and the Future of Social Investing” along with speakers Ben Cohen, founder of Ben & Jerry’s, Mindy Lubber, President of Ceres, and John Abele, Founder & Chairman of Boston Scientific Corporation. Majora Carter, MacArthur “Genius” Fellow and founder of Sustainable South Bronx will be the keynote speaker.

Other session topics range from the role of independent media in strengthening and promoting the social and entrepreneurship sector in innovative ways to provide capital and exit opportunities for mission-based businesses. Attendees will benefit from the chance to network during breaks and breakout sessions, where audiences’ questions and interests facilitate the discussion.

Since its inception in 1992, Investors’ Circle Members have invested over $130 million into 200 companies or small venture funds. The companies in which Investors’ Circle invests historically generate a 5% to 14% return.

The investment in Adina shows a further refinement of Good Capital’s investment strategy.  To create maximum social impact, GoodCap supports sustainable companies that have the potential to create systemic change, reach national or global scale, and change the way people think and act.  GoodCap believes that Fair Trade is a powerful way to accomplish all this, as evidenced by its investment in Adina.  Both of its first two portfolio companies (Adina and Better World Books) help consumers in the developed world use their purchasing behavior to empower people in the developing world through fair prices, economic development, education, and literacy.

The initiative will be designated as a Clinton Global Initiative at its Annual Meeting this week in New York.