As Portland is in love with its green roof program, so too is New Orleans in love with Solar energy. And why not? We have lots of sun in the South, a very impressive tax rebate program (for now), and the city has been named as one of 25 American Solar Cities.

We’ve talked about solar energy and Louisiana’s incentives for its use on the Louisiana Green Law Blog here.

Here, we’re just going to identify some of the movers & shakers in the New Orleans solar market. This post is not an advertisement, although many of these links are to companies selling and installing solar equipment. But those who are identified all provide good resources for solar energy and keep up with news and legislation affecting the solar market.

Louisiana Solar Energy Society
The Louisiana Solar Energy Society has a great news section that will keep you up to date on legislation and nationwide news related to solar energy.

The Solar Installers
There are three companies I’ll highlight, because I think they’re doing the best job of marketing themselves online. This is not a comment to the services themselves…but simply just recognition that their websites and published information is useful to folks looking to learn more about solar energy and the Louisiana incentives for using solar equipment. South Coast Solar, Gulf Coast Solar, and Joule Energy.

John Moore & the Department of Environmental Affairs
New Orleans’ Department of Environmental Affairs was getting on its feet in the Nagin administration, but under Mitch Landrieu the department is really picking up some steam. One area where good work is being done is in the solar energy market. With financial assistance from the Solar American Cities program, New Orleans is looking to become a Sustainable Energy Financing District (commercial only for now) to help solar equipment penetrate the market.

Know any more movers & shakers? Give us your comments.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has recently indicated that it expects solar power to generate between 20-25% of electricity production for the entire world by 2050. What does this mean? This is a potentially HUGE market.

Folks in Louisiana like to mock their state as being backwards and corrupt. Without commenting on that, I can tell you that Louisiana is very forward-thinking when it comes to solar power and solar panel installations. In fact, the state is leading the nation in tax credit offerings and other legal benefits to installing solar power generation equipment at your home or business.

This is not a secret to readers of the Louisiana Green Building Law Blog, as it’s been posted about frequently in the past.

It’s also no secret to companies in Louisiana already taking advantage of the tax credit structure, like South Coast Solar, who posted this recent post: Louisiana Has Top Tax Credit for Solar Panels.

Solar energy is a great opportunity for businesses and consumers. Learn more about the tax credits offered by the above-provided links.

There seems to be an unusual level of “green” activity in the New Orleans area this weekend, and with a particular focus on green building.

These events build on the Green Building momentum in Louisiana, in addition to recent national news that there’s a possible silver lining to Hurricane Katrina in that the New Orleans construction industry is largely avoiding the global recession.

Here are some highlights from this weekend’s events:

1) Gambit Weekly magazine had a “Green Building Guide” insert in this week’s edition, co-sponsored by Global Green USA and South Coast Solar providing the city with a green building products and services directory [PDF Version of Global Green's Vendor List].

2) Louisiana Bucket Brigade is presenting Louisiana’s first ever Earth Day Festival, featuring musical performances on the city’s first Solar Powered Soundstage (April 5, 2009).

3) New Orleans City Park is having their annual Spring Garden Show (April 4-5, 2009). For the first time, however, the garden show will present the city’s first “Green Fair.” According to the Live Green Orleans blog, the fair at City Park’s Botanical Gardens will be the largest Green Fair in Louisiana’s history.

Does New Orleans Need to Worry about “Greenwashing?”
While the green building and green attention is good for New Orleans and Louisiana, the rising profile of “green” living in the city may be cause for concern that the green label will be abused by businesses and marketers.

What is Greenwashing? The term’s wikipedia entry defines it as follows:

Greenwash (a portmanteau of green and whitewash) is a term used to describe the practice of companies disingenuously spinning their products and policies as environmentally friendly, such as by presenting cost cuts as reductions in use of resources.[1] It is a deceptive use of green PR or green marketing.

The problem itself is not new, and the FTC even has a Guide “For The Use of Environmental Marketing Claims.” In 2007 and 2008, there were reports that the FTC was stepping up its enforcement efforts against untruthful environmental advertising in the wake of increased green claims.

The specific FTC regulations of environmental marketing claims will be discussed in a separate blog post, but for the time being, we’ll just bring up the topic as it relates to the tsunamic of “green” marketing by construction industry firms in the New Orleans area.

While green building is certainly a hot area for the construction industry, there are dangers to making green claims for the sake of good PR and increased business.

In Gambit Magazine’s Green Building insert, Global Green USA’s Matt Petersen wrote the following about its “Green Building Guide:”

On behalf of the entire staff and Board of Directors at Global Green USA, I am pleased to present the first ever Green Building Guide. The Guide is designed to help you find the green products and serves that will make it easier for you to save money on rising energy bills, improve the indoor air quality and health of your home and do your part to held rebuild a more resilient, greener New Orleans.

That’s a tall order for the 400 vendors listed in the Green Building Guide.

While the Guide is likely a good thing for Louisiana consumers and builders, its important for everyone involved to remember that environmental claims must be substantiated. More on exactly how later…