Building Green Can Provide an Edge in a Tough Market, Report Finds
CAMBRIDGE,
England, Sept. 13, 2007 -- As the housing market cools down in both the
U.K. and the United States, building and renovating green homes and
facilities can make property more desirable, according to a new report
from CarbonFree.
The report, Zero And Low Emission Buildings,
looks at energy-saving building technologies ranging from new materials
to low-power appliances, and examines a green building market that, as
the number of housing starts continues to fall, is shifting towards the
retrofitting of low emission solutions into existing buildings.
Stemming from growing concerns among the public, governments and
businesesses, there has been a steep increase in demand recently for
knowledge about green building practices, and as more light is shed on
the heavy impact buildings have on the climate, CarbonFree expects the
green building to push forward and grow despite the cooling of the rest
of the housing market.
What is instrumental to make sure that green buildings can grow
apace, according to the report's authors, is for governments to help
support the growing green-building sector by encouraging the adoption
of green building practices for municipal and residential construction
projects in the coming years.
Among the topics explored in the report are:
report also profiles the Peabody Trust, DENA, Clarum Homes, Bill
Dunster Architects, Mazria, Seattle Green Building Program and Encraft.
================
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/007251.html
Open Architecture Network's Open Architecture Challenge
Worldchanger Cameron Sinclair's Open Architecture Network has just announced the Open Architecture Challenge:
Imagining a world without the Internet is nearly impossible. Despite the Internet’s global significance, less than 20 percent of the world’s 6 billion people currently have access to the educational, social and economic opportunities it can create. You can change that.
Enter the AMD Open Architecture Challenge and help enable affordable Internet access to 50 percent of the world by 2015.
The AMD Open Architecture Challenge is an open, international design competition. Its aim is to develop not one but many solutions for building sustainable, multi-purpose, low-cost technology facilities for those who need them most. Three community partners have been selected to participate in this year's Challenge. Each site poses a unique set of design constraints and opportunities. While the needs of each client are unique, the hurdles they face in embracing technology to offer access to education, healthcare and the global marketplace are shared by millions of people in communities all over the world.
You do not have to be trained architect to participate.
The deadline for entries is January 15, 2008. Read more.
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September 12, 2007
What type of green building material should i choose when building a NEW deck?
What type of green building material should i choose when building a NEW deck? This is a question posed by a reader of Natural Home Mag, and it is great one, so i thought i would feature it here, for all to benefit.
Wood, Plastic, or Composite?
Umbra Fisk who writes a column at eco site Grist, answers the question. The reader wants to know if when building his deck, he should choose wood, plastic, or composite? (a blend of wood and plastic) First Umbra advise to check with local shops like Home Depot and Lowe’s for FSC certified wood, which is certified sustainable wood. I’ll explain FSC at the end of the post. If the local shops don’t pan out, she then advises to look for reclaimed, salvaged, or locally milled wood. If that is not available in your area, then move on to composite and then finally plastic options. If going with plastic, choose recycled plastic versus new virgin plastic.
What is FSC Certified Wood?
The acronym FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council, and this organization created a FSC label program to enable consumers to consider cabinet grade lumber that does not come from a decimated forest or threatened tree specie. The program ensures environmental responsibility.
To Recap:
- search local shops for FSC wood
- look for reclaimed, salvaged, or locally milled wood
- then move on to composite and plastic options
- if going with plastic or composite, choose recycled
Source [Sept/Oct Natural Home Mag]
================
Energy Efficiency Group introduces Hybrid Power Systems
Energy Efficiency Group has introduced Cilectric Bio-diesel battery hybrid power system.
The Cilectric Bio-diesel battery hybrid power system is fully self contained and is designed to have minimum on-site setup (1 hour) and to be totally automatic in operation (with minimal maintenance).
Cilectric Bio-diesel battery hybrid power system can also be the serve as the base unit for a solar or wind project, running as the back up system.
The generator runs twice a day for 1.5 hours providing 24 hour coverage for a domestic 240v household.
The generator produces excess power (1Kw over and above the amount required to charge the batteries) and the extra power can be used as an off-peak system to operate items such as washing machines, during the generator run time.
Cilectric Bio-diesel battery hybrid power system also has a heat exchanger with a low volume circulating pump, which is capable of supplying 315 litres of hot water to the household every day.
13-Sep-2007
==================
Can Contractors Keep up with Renewable Energy Device Technologies?
Posted July 23rd, 2007
Greater demand for home renewable energy devices is putting increased strain on building contractors, it has been claimed.
In particular, roofing professionals are struggling to deal with the growing market for items such as photovoltaic solar panels, leading to concerns in the industry that many workers do not have the necessary skills to meet demand.
The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) has therefore developed a new training scheme in the installation of photovoltaic materials, while a European commission-funded project will publish a set of best practice recommendations for the industry, Contract Journal reports.
"As renewables gain in popularity, there will be more contractors required to do the work and in most cases these should be roofers," said NFRC technical and training officer Kevin Taylor.
"The idea is that contractors will go on this course and receive a grounding in photovoltaic installation," he added.
Plans to create the UK's first solar-powered railway station at Dorchester South in Dorset are progressing with the help of a £45,000 government grant for photovoltaic panels, it was announced recently.
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More than 97,000 houses nationwide were built 'green'
Green is becoming a popular color in home building.
A recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders has found
that more than 97,000 homes have been built and certified by voluntary,
builder-supported green building programs around the country since the
mid-1990s.
That's more than a 50 percent increase from the last survey of green
homes: In 2004, the National Association of Home Builders Research
Center counted 61,000 green homes in the United States.
expects the growth to continue. By 2010 green building will account for
as much as 10 percent of housing starts, she says.
NAHB has been encouraging green building efforts over the years by
providing builder education. Also, in 2004, it published Model Green
Home Building Guidelines to help local builder associations establish
their own climate-specific, market-appropriate environmentally friendly
programs.
NAHB recently announced it was collaborating with the International
Codes Council to develop a green building standard, which will bring
uniformity to sustainable building. The standard is slated to be
completed early next year.
Beth W. Orenstein
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Green Condo Building on Mission Bay Celebrates Topping Off
Published: July 26, 2007
By Kelly Sheehan, Online News Editor
San Francisco -- Arterra, a 269-unit, environmentally friendly condominium project in San Francisco, recently celebrated its topping off.
The project is comprised of three six-, nine- and 16-story buildings, all connected at the base. It is located at the corner of 5th and Berry streets in Mission Bay. Developed by San Francisco-based Intracorp, the project is scheduled for completion in early 2008. Arterra is being built to the specifications of the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating program.
Intracorp tells MHN that the construction you don’t see is just as important as the construction and finishes you do see. The project, which is being built with recycled and sustainable materials, includes concrete construction with steel foundation piles driven into bedrock.
Its green features include green roofs that provide insulation and reduce rainwater flow into the city’s storm water system; energy-efficient lighting; low-E windows; dual-flush toilets; high-efficiency water heaters; Energy Star appliances; formaldehyde-free European cabinets; low-E paint and carpets; and durable Trespa panels—a high-pressure laminate made from end-of-lifecycle recycled materials—on the exterior. Additionally, the project’s entry lobby is equipped with floors made of recycled glass and a wall of wood harvested from Forest Stewardship-Certified (FSC) sustainable forests. Elevator lobbies at each residential floor have floors made out of cork, which is a rapidly renewable resource. Bamboo, another rapidly renewable resource, is being used for all kitchen floors. The common-area carpet is produced in California using sustainable manufacturing techniques.
The smoke-free community also includes concierge services, state-of-the-art fitness center, community lounge with indoor/outdoor fireplace, entertainment system and kitchen, barbeque, lounge area, guest suite, and enclosed garage.
One-, two- and three-bedroom condos are priced from the mid $500,000s.
Green product specification by Brian Libby - 7.26.07
This article is a special online feature accompanying the 2007 Top 10 Green Building Products supplement to the August 2007 issue of Sustainable Industries. Download the supplement to see the 2007 winners on the Downloads page!
The last decade has seen tremendous progress in what green building aficionados call “market transformation”, the rise in availability, diversity and affordability of environmentally friendly products and services.
Third-party certification organizations, such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), often have online presence offering findings about their area of expertise -- sustainable wood harvesting practices in the case of FSC. Government sources are evolving as well. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers a database of approved biobased products, and the U.S. Department of Energy Web site offers case studies of products and materials used in sustainable buildings around the country through its High Performance Buildings Database.
Many manufacturers are also beginning to provide greater depth to their online presence with third-party testing results, examples and sourcing information. In the case of many products and materials, a simple Google search can net countless websites around the world offering buying and research information.
On the whole, however, architects and builders say, the resources available for procuring and regulating sustainable materials are a patchwork, lacking a centralized clearinghouse.
Sustainable Industries asked West Coast green builders about key resources everyone looking to find and choose green building products should know.
The GreenSpec Directory
www.buildinggreen.com
Available in book form or online, the GreenSpec Directory comes from
the publishers of Environmental Building News. “It’s by far the best
resource for green product information,” says Ralph DiNola with Green
Building Services, a Portland sustainable design-consulting firm.
Looking for wood framing fasteners in lieu of wall sheathing? The guide
suggests Simpson Strong-Tie Connectors of Dublin, Calif. How about an
off-peak thermal energy storage cooling system for that next project?
The guide says CALMAC of Englewood, N.J. is your go-to source. At the
same time, the Directory could better utilize the opportunity to create
a sense of community with its otherwise impressive website. “There is
still a lot of confusion in the market about green products and what
makes them green,” DiNola says.
The GreenSpec Directory can be a bible for do-it-yourselfers as well as cutting-edge designers and firm principals. “Since I don’t have an architectural background, it helps clarify materials selection in a way I wouldn’t think of,” says Alisa Kane of the City of Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development. “It arms regular people with the language of an architect. People who come to us want that level of detail, but it also helps in that language translation.”
Pharos Project
www.pharosproject.net
Created by the nonprofit Healthy Building Network, the Pharos Project
is an online materials evaluation system that uses open-source
technology such as that utilized by Wikipedia to create a constantly
evolving community. Here experts share materials information and
products undergo rigorous analysis in a completely transparent process,
with specific focus divided into three key areas: health,
sustainability and social justice. “The goal of Pharos is not to
supersede other efforts to establish performance standards based on
industry consensus,” the site explains, “but rather to put those
standards in context. Pharos will be designed to reflect the fact that,
most current ‘green’ standards are just mileposts, at best, on the road
to green and, at worst, they lead the user astray.”
“It’s really trying to establish this be-all, end-all source that is populated by the public,” says Eden Brukman, a sustainable materials specification expert for SERA Architects in Portland. “We all have information about products and why we like them or don’t. Here you can find out about manufacturers’ processes and the quality of the product, or what happens with recycling after its service life. You can upload your information to the Pharos wiki and answer questions about extraction of raw materials, transportation, embodied CO2, and all other kinds of criteria. “You can compare and contrast, just as we already do in our office with our Excel charts, only a lot better.”
“Pharos is the most promising thing I’ve seen come on the market in the last ten years or so,” agrees Narada Golden, who oversees specifications for another Portland architecture firm, BOORA. “I think it has the real potential for people to share with each other. It’s a matter of getting enough people using it that it gains momentum and becomes a big resource for everyone. And I think Portland can really lead that effort with a lot of good resources.”
Building Research Establishment Green Guide to Specification
www.breeam.org
The world's most widely used environmental assessment method for
buildings, English-based BREEAM (Building Research Establishment
Environmental Assessment Method) assesses buildings against set
criteria and provides, like LEED, its own scoring system. BREAM also
provides life-cycle analysis of materials in its publication BREEAM
Specification: The Green Guide as well as numerous assessment tools
covering different scales of construction activity. BREEAM also assists
in master planning for large sites such as new housing developments and
assesses the operational and the embodied environmental impacts of
individual buildings.
“Green Building Materials: A Guide To Product Selection and Specification, Second Edition”
by Ross Spiegel and Dru Meadows
www.wiley.com
Although online is where most people search for green building
information today, certain books are worth a spot on the shelf. Reading
Ross Spiegel and Dru Meadows’ "Green Building Materials: A Guide To
Product Selection and Specification" is like taking a class in green
building. Chapter 5’s inquisitive title, for example, is “How Does the
Product Specification Process Work?” The authors also detail the
product selection process, cover economic and liability issues, and
even philosophize about what really constitutes green building
materials. The book’s extensive appendices include glossary definitions
of terms like “soil stabilization”, “joint sealers” and “plastic toilet
compartments” as well as sample environmental impact forms.
Industry magazines
While
industry magazines may not seem the most high-minded source for product
information, green building specifiers say they’re a great place to
start. Industry magazines (both print and online) such as eco-structure, GreenSource, Architectural Record, Buildings magazine, and Environmental Design + Construction
provide news and analysis about products, innovations and trends.
Returning magazine’s “reader service card,” which allows readers to
request additional information from advertisers, or following up on an
advertisement or article can be good ways to expand a repertoire of
green products. While the pay-to-play resources such magazines provide
are “okay as a starting point, not everyone using those resources or
looking at those products clearly understands how that product would be
consider,” DiNola cautions.
----
Free Lighting
By FFW on 22 July 2007
Image Courtesy of Hamiltons Architects and World Architecture News.com
As part of the long awaited regeneration of London’s Elephant and Castle, acting as a catalyst for future development, Multiplex and Espalier’s pioneering 43 storeys 147m high residential building provides an exciting and dynamic addition to London’s skyline. Designed by Hamiltons Architects, three 9m wind turbines top of the building generate sufficient power to drive the energy efficient lighting to the building, an integral part of the sustainable credentials for the building as a whole. - WAN
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Arup to help thrash out code for zero-carbon offices
2007 Issue 29
Engineer to join with BRE to devise non-domestic equivalent of Code for Sustainable Homes
The government is planning to establish a sustainability code for non-domestic buildings.
At the prompting of the communities department, the UK Green Building Council (GBC) has brought together companies such as BRE and Arup to conduct research into the feasibility of, and the framework for, a non-domestic equivalent of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
Detailed proposals will be put to consultation with the industry later this year.
The proposals are expected to look at ways in which BREEAM ratings might evolve to cover large-scale developments, and to ensure commercial buildings are “zero-carbon-enabled” by putting infrastructure in place to achieve low energy and water use.
It will also look at how developers can work with councils.
Chris Twinn, Arup’s director of sustainable buildings, who is working with the GBC on the proposals, said: “The aim is to get a consensus from the industry. We have to start at the baseline and look at pragmatic ways of achieving zero carbon.”
The Code for Sustainable Homes was launched last year after extensive consultation with the industry. It sets out guidelines to help housebuilders produce zero-carbon buildings by 2016. It is understood that the communities department wants a similar target for non-domestic buildings.
Paul King, the chief executive of the GBC, said: “People are already starting to think about what is possible and when it can be done. The government is looking at 10-15 years, but the council thinks it can be done within 10.”
The consultation for the non-domestic code is expected to be presented to the industry by late October.
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Traditional buildings 'more eco-friendly'
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
Traditional buildings with solid walls are more eco-friendly because they need less cooling in summer and less heating in winter than modern glass and steel structures, according to a study.
 | |
The study found that traditional buildings with solid walls cost 15-20
per cent less to heat or cool than modern designs with lots of glazing.
It
was commissioned by Robert Adam Architects, a firm of traditional
architects, from a leading environmental engineering firm, Atelier 10,
which has worked for Foster and Partners, which builds large buildings
in glass and steel.
The architect who commissioned it says it has implications for the three million new homes promised by Gordon Brown.
Researchers
looked at two computer-modelled buildings of identical size, layout and
orientation, the heavyweight building with a glazed area of less than
40 per cent of the façade, the glazed building with glass facades to
the South and North.
They found differences when the building was an office or residential - with residential made of heavyweight materials the most energy efficient.
Gains from extra daylight in the office building were offset because the users tended to close the blinds on bright days and put the lights on.
Both buildings improved their energy efficiency with triple glazing but the gains from very high performance glass filled with argon did not entirely iron out the differences in energy efficiency between the glass walled building and traditional methods of construction.
Robert Adam, the architect who commissioned the study, said: "Actually the architectural establishment do know this but they don't want it said - that traditional buildings are more sustainable. Environmental engineers know this too but they tend to work for architects. This is the great secret that no one wants to reveal.
"Glass and steel is a default position for the architectural profession but it is fundamentally unsustainable."
Glass and steel office blocks currently being built all over London "should have solid walls likely the early New York skyscrapers," he said.
Mr Adam argues that Modernist buildings have long been associated with glass and steel and these materials have become a "default mode" for all modern office buildings which was difficult to shift, even though truly modern buildings were "sustainable" buildings.
He is planning to build a skyscraper in Basingstoke with solid walls but local architects are trying to stop it because they want glass and steel.
Mr Adam said that pre-fabricated, industrially constructed buildings - such as some of the proposed designs for the £50,000 houses called for by John Prescott when he was in charge of planning - were likely to have far shorter lives than traditional buildings that make up most of our towns and cities.
 | |
In fact, the volume housebuilders usually built houses with solid walls, as that was what they market expected. "If you find a house with glass walls it is generally a house an architect has built for himself."
Mr Adam added: "The Government should "forget about tricks and gimmicks and build traditional houses and do it well.
"We know they work and we know people like them. But it will go to the architectural profession and get lots of tricks and gimmicks."
The Government has said it wants to see more architects being involved in the design of domestic housing and more economies of scale by manufacturing components off site.
Two housebuilders commented favourably on the report.
Graeme Simpson of Millgate Homes said: "At last, evidence that the kind of buildings we as developers know are most popular are also sustainable.
"This will stop planners telling us to be different to be modern. Nowadays, being modern is being sustainable and being sustainable is using traditional construction."
Ed Ware of, Edward Ware Homes, said: "This is the agenda for a sustainable future: simple buildings with windows and solid walls."
However, James Pickard, of James Pickard Architects, said the conclusions were "selective and over-simplistic."
"Traditional building is slow and inefficient. Government statistics show that 24 per cent of all UK waste comes from the construction and demolition of buildings. That is a shockingly high level of waste. The European Commission has done a survey of top industrial national looking at the efficiency of our construction industries and Britain came bottom with 25 per cent, less than Norway and Belgium.
"We're paying more for our buildings and homes than we need to and the reason given was lack of skills in the workforce and low levels of off-site manufacturing. We are still building by hand like the Romans did 2,000 years ago.
"Sustainability is now massively important. We have to deliver homes and buildings in a different way."
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NewsTrack - Business
Published: July 12, 2007 at 2:01 PM
New homes opt for energy efficiency
WASHINGTON, July 12 (UPI) -- More than 12 percent of new single-family homes built in 15 U.S. states last year were energy efficient Energy Star homes, a report says.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said nearly 200,000 new homes nationwide earned the Energy Star in 2006, bringing the total number of qualified homes across the nation to almost 750,000.
Home energy use accounts for nearly 17 percent of the total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and 21 percent of energy consumption nationwide, the EPA said,
"Consumers don't have to limit their smart energy choices to energy efficient cars and appliances," said Bob Meyers, EPA's principal deputy assistant administrator for Air & Radiation.
The 15 states are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Vermont.
--
United Natural Foods Employs Solar Power in Rocklin, California Facility
of 1.19 Megawatt Solar Power System by American Capital Energy Expected
to Provide 1.5 Megawatt Hours Annually of Clean Energy Production
Press Release from
American Capital Energy
Dayville, CT
Extending its commitment to Environmentally Responsible Initiatives, United Natural Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq: UNFI - News; the "Company") today announced plans to install a 1.19 megawatt solar power system that will cover 175,000 square feet of rooftop at the Company's 487,000 square foot distribution facility in Rocklin, CA. To develop and install the new solar power system, the Company contracted with American Capital Energy, a Massachusetts-based firm specializing in solar power project integration.
"We are proud to partner
with United Natural Foods in driving their solar initiative and look
forward to working with them in building momentum behind the solid
business case for solar energy implementation," said Tom Hunton,
president of American Capital Energy. "Going solar currently provides
companies a real competitive advantage, which will only increase as the
cost for energy continues to escalate."
Construction
of the Rocklin solar power project began in July 2007, with the
power-generating panels expected to be in operation by the end of
summer of 2007. The Rocklin solar power system will utilize more than
7,000 Sharp 170 solar modules, two SatCon 500 kW inverters and the
Unirac S-5 mounting system for a non-penetrating and low-profile
installation.
When
completed, the solar power system is expected to provide an average of
approximately 1,500,000 kWh annually of clean energy production at this
facility, which is the equivalent of powering 140 average American
households for a year, and is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 19
metric tons annually. According to industry statistics, the solar power
system is believed to be the fourth largest solar array in California and the sixth largest in the United States.
Michael
Funk, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "This solar
power system is yet another example of United Natural Foods' commitment
to Environmentally Responsible Initiatives. Further, it is especially
gratifying to work towards protecting the environment while at the same
time improving our infrastructure to enhance efficiencies and lower
costs. It's truly a win-win situation where everyone benefits."
The
Rocklin facility is the headquarters for UNFI's Western Region; employs
approximately 550 people; serves customers in northern California, northernNevada, southern Oregon, and Hawaii;
and is the largest facility in Company's nationwide distribution
network. United Natural Foods has the largest warehouse capacity of any
distributor in the natural products industry and, with the recently
announced plans to open a facility in Sarasota, Florida, it will have more than 3.7 million square feet of space at 16 distribution centers nationwide.
Focus on a Greener Environment
"United
Natural Foods remains committed to a greener environment by investing
in technology that will allow us to operate more competitively while
utilizing clean, renewable energy," said Thomas A. Dziki, United
Natural Foods Vice President of Sustainable Development. "We continue
to explore ways to reduce the environmental impacts associated with
conventional electricity use in keeping with the natural charter of our
business."
"We
are proud to partner with United Natural Foods in driving their solar
initiative and look forward to working with them in building momentum
behind the solid business case for solar energy implementation," said
Tom Hunton, president of American Capital Energy. "Going solar
currently provides companies a real competitive advantage, which will
only increase as the cost for energy continues to escalate."
Project Consistent with United Natural Foods Commitment to Reduce Greenhouse Gases
United
Natural Foods has an ongoing commitment to Environmentally Responsible
Initiatives. As part of these efforts, in February 2007, the Company
announced its participation in the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partnership, a voluntary
collaboration between the EPA and companies with truck fleets designed
to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse
gases and air pollution. United Natural Foods' fuel saving strategies
reduced over 14,200 metric tons of CO2 emissions from its Eastern
Region fleet from 2005 to 2006. It accomplished this by directing its
drivers to reduce excessive engine idling and through the increased use
of low-friction lubricants.
Summary of the Solar Power Generation System
Installation site: Roof of the Rocklin, CA distribution
center
Annual clean energy production: 1.5 megawatt hours
Global warming prevention effects: Expected to reduce CO2 emissions by
19 metric tons annually About American Capital Energy, Inc.
American Capital Energy provides full-service solar energy project integration and installation for large commercial enterprises. The company is committed to furthering the utilization of solar energy by America's most forward thinking companies by offering customized turnkey solar systems designed for long term performance and verifiable return on investment. American Capital Energy is run by solar project professionals with decades of combined experience in project development and deep knowledge in the solar industry. Company president Tom Hunton will be addressing the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW) Assembly of Committees in Washington, DC on July 31st at 8:30 AM ET. For more information, please visitwww.americancapitalenergy.com.
About United Natural Foods
United Natural Foods, Inc. carries and distributes more than 40,000 products to more than 18,000 customers nationwide. The Company serves a wide variety of retail formats including conventional supermarket chains, natural product superstores, independent retail operators and the food service channel. United Natural Foods, Inc. was ranked by Forbes in 2005 as one of the "Best Managed Companies in America," ranked by Fortune in 2006 and 2007 as one of its "Most Admired Companies," and ranked by Business Ethics as one of its "100 Best Corporate Citizens for 2006." For more information on United Natural Foods please visit www.unfi.com.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding the Company's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to general business conditions, the impact of competition and our dependence on principal customers, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on June 7, 2007, and its other filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and, as such, speak only as of the date made. The Company is not undertaking to update any information in the foregoing reports until the effective date of its future reports required by applicable laws. Any projections of future results of operations should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such results will in fact occur. These projections are subject to change and could differ materially from final reported results. The Company may from time to time update these publicly announced projections, but it is not obligated to do so.
For Further Information
---
Open Energy Helps Bring Solar Power to Consumer House
SOLANA BEACH, Calif. (July 13, 2007) -- Sunlight is the most abundant source of energy reaching the earth, and the solar panel industry continues to grow as companies hunt for environmentally friendly energy solutions. The only setback is the initial cost of setting and building the solar panels, but in recent years solar power is becoming more widely used after several different companies have found ways to make it more cost efficient.
Companies have the capacity to build photovoltaic (PV) cells for roofing on several different types of buildings. This opportunity is not only available for commercial buildings suitable for solar power, but also to individual home owners. More and more individuals are beginning to realize the benefits of using solar energy by having panels installed to their homes.
Open Energy (OTCBB: OEGY) is a renewable energy company focused on the development and commercialization of a portfolio of technologies capable of delivering cost-competitive electricity, fresh water and related commodities on a global basis. SolarSave, part of Open Energy, manufactures roofing membranes, roofing tiles, custom architectural PV glass, and balance of the systems equipment.
The products developed and manufactured by SolarSave have the ability to bring solar power to consumers' houses. The company posted a press release this morning, noting the solar power boom in California. This year alone, Sacramento has more than 3,000 homes under construction, or is planned, to be built with preinstalled solar systems.
The state of California is taking the initiative of embracing solar power spending nearly more than$3 billion to push solar systems onto existing housing. Many companies are joining the California government in pushing the financial benefits of solar powers on to homes.
Solar Pro International announced a $4.2 million purchase of solar tiles for 378 new homes, which Open Energy will provide.
Open Energy is currently trading at 48 cents and has increased from 41 cents earlier this week. The company is one the forefront of solar technology and with consumers recognizing the cost and overall benefits of solar power, Open Energy seems to be in place to reap the benefits.
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Habitat Suites smells and looks clean because it's green "We're not pulling out machine guns to kill a Since then, the hotel And some modifications were James Hurndon, who runs the mailroom for "There's no pesticides," he says. "I think An avid runner, Mr. Hurndon Though few hotels in the U.S. have Natural paints and carpets that have low or no gas Even the wine in the hotel's restaurant is organic, she notes. "We're not Birkenstocks and granola. You can be green that way, but you don't have to be." Indeed, part of the reason some hotels are going green is that it's good business. The savings The 133-room Gaia Napa Michael Shapiro is a California freelance writer. ----Luxury hotels that are clean, green and healthy
11:30 AM CDT on Saturday, July 21, 2007
The greening of the Habitat Suites hotel in Austin started with a
simple decision in 1991: The hotel stopped using pesticides on the
property.
roach," says general manager Natalie Marquis. "It's enlightened
self-interest."
(www.habitatsuites.com) has become more environmentally friendly. Some
measures were easy, such as replacing standard light bulbs with compact
fluorescents and using soap dispensers instead of bars of soap. Other
adaptations were more expensive and challenging, such as installing
systems to collect solar energy and turn off air conditioners in rooms
when guests weren't present.
simply common sense, such as using nontoxic cleansers that are cheaper,
better for the environment and easier on the health of the
housekeepers. The hotel planted trees to shield the rooms from the sun
and landscaped with native plants that require less water.
Though there were some costs initially, in the long run the hotel is
saving money. The hotel saved for seven years to pay for what Ms.
Marquis says is the largest hotel solar installation in the U.S.
Sometimes the solar collectors generate so much energy that the hotel
is selling power to Austin Energy, she says.
Beyond being good for the planet, green hotels are attracting travelers
who want to reduce their exposure to chemicals and who support
conservation.
Texans Credit Union, first stayed at Habitat Suites two decades ago and
says he appreciates the lush landscaping and clean feeling of the
hotel.
pesticides make us sick. If we can do without some pesticides, we'll be
better off as human beings."
also enjoys the free supply of filtered water at the hotel so he
doesn't have to buy bottled water and toss the plastic.
And the hotel's "nice, clean, fresh smell" makes Mr. Hurndon feel at
home. "Some places have a certain aroma" from chemical air fresheners,
he says, but Habitat Suite's rooms "make you feel so good you just want
to dive into bed."
made such a deep commitment to the environment, the idea of
conservation is reaching more hotels nationwide. The Orchard Garden
Hotel, (www.theorchard gardenhotel.com) across from the Chinatown gate
in San Francisco, provides luxury with regard for the environment.
The hotel includes eco-features ranging from a cooling system that
employs San Francisco's naturally brisk air to a key-card device that
prevents guests from leaving on the TV and lights when they exit the
room.
emissions decorate the hotel, says general manager Stefan Mühle, and
fluorescent and LED bulbs provide lighting with minimal energy use.
Business traveler Joan Berman of Boston, who spends half the year on
the road, says "the fabrics and furnishings are beautiful, and there's
no smell of cleaning products." (Luna Textiles provided washable
fabrics that don't require the chemicals of dry cleaning, and the
furnishings are built from sustainable-forest wood.)
Chain hotels "all try to outdo one another with more luxurious beds,"
Ms. Berman says, but she'd rather have a room that's virtually devoid
of chemicals.
Sometimes people walk into the Orchard Garden and say, "What's so green
about it?" Mr. Mühle says. "But you can be luxe and green.
Consider the energy-saving key-card system. The system cost the Orchard
Garden $36,000 to install and is projected to reduce the hotel's
electricity expenses by $12,000 to $18,000 per year, Mr. Mühle says. So
it will pay for itself in two to three years.
from going green, says Ms. Marquis at Habitat Suites, has enabled the
hotel to keep its rates low ($89 to $139) for two-room suites with full
kitchen facilities. Another good practice, she says, is treating
employees well. Using eco-cleansers exposes housekeepers and
groundskeepers to fewer chemicals.
Valley Hotel & Spa, which just opened near Napa, Calif., employs
low-flow showers and toilets, solar panels, low-emission paints and
carpets, and energy-efficient windows and skylights.
"Part of our mission is imparting this message to travelers," says
general manager Carlos Amado. "Our philosophy is to change one traveler
at a time."
Massive German-Spanish Solar Power Project Set to Grow
A solar power project in Spain will get even bigger: The Spanish group ACS and German partner Solar Millennium announced that they have begun the second phase of a solar power project near the city of Granada.
The companies
will invest 260 million euros ($360 million) in Andasol 2, a
195-hectare (480-acre) solar facility that they are calling "the
largest solar power plant in the world."
Siemens and several
other German firms are providing much of the technology. ACS/Cobra of
Spain is handling most of the construction work. Solar Millennium and
the Portuguese energy group EDP plan to develop a third power plant in
the area.
The new phase will produce enough energy to supply 200,000 people with solar electricity when it starts in 2009.
Europe's solar powered future
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Massive solar projects are underway
Each of the plants
generates 650 megawatts of electricity, which reduces the carbon
dioxide emissions by 150,000 tons per year. By 2050, a full 15 percent
of Europe's energy will come from solar power plants in North Africa
and the Middle East, Solar Millennium said.
Solar energy plants
in Mediterranean countries "can generate substantially more
cost-efficient amounts of climate-friendly energy than solar power
plants in Germany," Christian Beltle, Solar Millennium's chairman, said
in a statement.
Spain switching to renewable energy
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Europe wants to use alternative energy to cut greenhouse gas emissions
The current Socialist
government campaigned to abandon the country's nuclear program, which
currently accounts for 23 percent of Spain's electricity production.
Spanish
environmentalists urged their government last month to switch
completely to renewable energy by 2050. Spain is a European leader in
using renewable energy. In Europe, it is second only to Germany in
using wind power.
In March, the European Union set a goal a
20-percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 compared with 1990
levels, but Germany's goal is to have cuts of up to 40 percent.
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