SOLANA BEACH ---- Seeking environmentally minded companies throughout San Diego County, the Solana Beach Chamber of Commerce has established a new business organization ---- a "green" chamber.

The Green Chamber of San Diego County will help local companies pursue opportunities in the environmental sector, said Peter Zahn, its chief executive.

It is open for business and will hold its first big event on Jan. 14. Visit www.greenchambersd.com or call 858-755-4775 for more information.

The group has a reciprocal membership deal with the Solana Beach chamber, Zahn said, so any member of the Solana Beach Chamber is paid up to be a member of the green chamber.

However, the green chamber imposes an additional requirement that businesses take actions in their own operations to benefit the environment, Zahn said.

The green chamber offers a menu of options companies can choose from, including donating or recycling unneeded equipment; replacing burned out incandescent lights with energy-efficient ones, and conserving water.

Businesses can also learn from the green chamber how to take advantage of federal stimulus funds devoted to environmental purposes.

"Out of that $787 billion in stimulus money, we've calculated that about $92 billion goes to green product and service development and energy savings," Zahn said. "That translates into direct and indirect demand for environmentally friendly products and services."

Moreover, Zahn said, many businesses can financially benefit from participating in these initiatives. It can be a simple as installing electricity-generating solar panels, which various subsidies help pay for.

"You don't have to be a, quote-unquote, 'green business,' to take advantage of these things," Zahn said.

Call staff writer Bradley J. Fikes at 760-739-6641. Read his blogs at bizblogs.nctimes.com.