I’m a project manager with an interest in nature, the environment, and community. I live in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, according to outside.in one of the nation’s top 10 “bloggiest” neighborhoods. So I’ve started a blog of my own.
I’m passionate about making condos more sustainable, so I’m using my organizational and project management skills to lead a Green Committee at my condo complex. We’re pursuing various green initiatives, such as installing solar panels and electric car-plug-ins.
My interest in community led me to join a community-building effort associated with rebuilding the public housing in Potrero Hill. In keeping with Potrero being such a “bloggy” neighborhood, I created this website and blogto keep our neighbors informed about our activities and neighborhood events, and to encourage them to get involved. In 2011, I helped conceive of and organize a highly successful community event, the Unite Potrero Community Walk.
I was the top individual fundraiser 2 years in a row for the SF Bay Area GRID Alternatives Solarthon, where I helped install solar PV systems for low-income families — and in 2011, I set a new record for individual fundraising and was featured in the GRID Newsletter. I convinced my employer, Adobe Systems, to become a corporate sponsor for GRID, and as part of this, I organized an Adobe volunteer day.
Weekdays, I’m a Program Manager in the Community Help and Learning department at Adobe Systems, where I manage software documentation projects. The innovative, ever-changing high-tech environment always keeps things interesting.
Before high tech I worked in publishing, both as a freelancer and at various book publishers. At Harper San Francisco, I managed the production of titles in psychology, religion, self-help, and the environment—such as The Bottom Line of Green Is Black and Seeds of Change.
My editing skills allowed me to transition from publishing to high tech, and now that I’m a Program Manager, I realize that I’ve been using both project management and communications skills all along. For more thoughts on these areas, see my blog entries.
– Rosana Francescato
The biofuel station down the street is having a party to celebrate new ownership on 22 June. We’re going to be on vacation so won’t be able to make it, but being a “green” neighbor, you should check them out. The new owners run Incredible Adventures, a Tour Co. with an all biodiesel fleet of vans and small buses. Very cool.
Hi Steve,
I never made it to the party, as I had other plans that day. The station seems to be closed half the time I go by there–what’s the story with that?
Rosana
Hi Rosana, I just discovered your blog through your article on PM Hut. Reading it, it’s good to see that one can be PM AND Green (I’m a PM based in Brussels). I would like to start a similar move, but with solar energy.
I’ve been once to Frisco and Sausalito; lucky you to leave in such a nice area.
P.S. do you have spanish roots (like me) ?
Greetings from Brussels
)
Hi Alain,
Thanks for reading my blog! As you can see, I’m really into solar energy too. I’ll keep updating my blog with news about how that’s going for my condo.
As for my background, my father is Italian and my mother is from Argentina, where I was born–we moved to the United States when I was just turning 3.
This is indeed a nice area! I’ve been to Brussels, but so very long ago, as a child, that I don’t remember much about it.
Best of luck going green!
Rosana
Rosana:
I responded to your comment on Solar Nation’s article ‘Solar for Free’, as follows:
Rodana:
The problem with condos and, for that matter, any rented dwelling, is that you don’t own the roof you want to put the panels on! So your HOA is probably anticipating problems from other condo-owners who wonder why part of THEIR condo fee is going to finance YOUR clean electricity; (alternatively, what happens when you sell and the buyer doesn’t want the panels…..?)
I don’t think PACE would impact your particular issue.
An enlightened HOA could probably find ways around the issue, but on the other hand, how often do you see the words ‘enlightened’ and ‘HOA’ juxtaposed in a sentence? You may need to gather some support from the homeowners around you (and find an installer who will offer a discount for a guaranteed minimum number of installations).
Re lease or PPAs, check out this article in SOLAR TODAY magazine:
http://www.solartoday-digital.org/solartoday/20100809#pg44
(lots of good stuff in that mag, by the way).
Again, however, you still have the ‘roof ownership’ issue – it would, for example, be a lease arrangement with the HOA, not you (unless, as I say, you can get the HOA’s legal dept. to be creative!)
Thanks so much for all the info, Chris! I think our best option will be a lease for a system for the common electricity, rather than for individual units. That would save us a lot of money, since the cost would be fixed for 25 years compared to the rising costs of PG&E. And there are no upfront costs. It’s less complicated than other options and easier for everyone to support.
Rosana,
Greetings from the East Coast.
I found your blog while doing net research on solar options and other “greening” efforts for condominium communities.
I live in a 6 building, 192 unit condo complex in New Jersey. Like your complex, ours is relatively new – five years – and we are starting a “green” movement, beginning with solar panels for our common areas, which currently run the HOA around $10,000 per month.
It is great to see other like-minded souls, but disheartening to find so little concrete information for folks in our situation. It seems most “green” condos are new construction, or affordable housing initiatives tapping into stimulus funds. Not much out there in regards to “Best Practices” for existing communities, especially those not in need of major renovation.
In addition to our efforts to go solar, which is still in the early stages, we are also looking to water conservation and irrigation. We are in the process of putting together a Green Committee but haven’t done so yet, and I will be launching a community blog by the end of the year which will include a section for “greening” the community. The HOA board members were actually the ones who started the push for solar. We have a good group there.
I look forward to looking through your earlier posts and reading the article referenced about by Chris Stimpson.
Regards,
Jo Ann
Hi Jo Ann,
Thanks so much for writing! It is disheartening to see how little has been done in this area and how few resources there are–but that means we’ll have to be the trailblazers and get the info out there for others. I’m so glad to hear about your condo, and that your board is pushing for this. Please keep me posted on developments, and I will do the same. If we all share information, we can help one another and help others learn more about this, too. Best of luck!
Rosana