Category Archives: Heating & Cooling

120 Billion Square Feet of Energy Efficient Housing to be built in Next 8 Years

BOULDER, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As total residential energy consumption continues to rise, creating greater demands on power infrastructure and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, interest in energy efficient homes is growing deeper and more widespread. Globally, energy efficient residential design, construction, and retrofits can take on many guises – as an unrealized aspiration, a nearly cost-prohibitive endeavor, or a branding strategy. According to a new report from Pike Research, though, market dynamics will drive strong growth in the development of energy efficient homes through the remainder of this decade. Construction of new energy efficient homes, and retrofits of existing buildings, will increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 42% from 2012 to 2020, the cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts, producing 118.6 billion square feet of energy efficient residential space and driving an annual market value of $84 billion by 2020.

“Pike Research defines energy efficient homes as properties that are built to exceed the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code by at least 15% on a kilowatt-hour per square foot basis”

“Pike Research defines energy efficient homes as properties that are built to exceed the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code by at least 15% on a kilowatt-hour per square foot basis,” says research analyst Brittany Gibson.“Achieving such energy savings, in new construction or in existing building stock, is a design problem complicated by factors such as local climate, availability of materials, funding, and legislation. In order to achieve this level of energy savings, home builders and retrofitters must adopt a systems approach to home design and construction, integrating all aspects of home assembly and operation.” Continue reading

Shop with one of our partners – Macy's | Ssense | Kohl's | My Wardrobe | Bloomingdale’s | Ella Moss | QVC | Canon
Posted in Alternative Energy, BusinessWire, Energy, Energy Efficiency, Energy Management, Environment, Goods, Services & Product Design, Green Business, Green Facilities, Green IT, Green Living, Heating & Cooling, Information Systems, Sustainability News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lutron Offers Tips for Saving Energy at Home on Earth Day and Every Day

COOPERSBURG, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Did you know that lighting accounts for almost 15%* of the average homeowner’s monthly electric bill? And that if every home in the US installed two dimmers in place of two standard light switches, the potential annual savings could be $1.2 billion in electricity and close to 25 billion pounds of CO2? That’s the equivalent of taking more than one million cars off the road.

With a variety of products ranging from dimmers, to sensors, to automated shades and thermostats, Lutron Electronics makes it easy for homeowners to save energy throughout their homes, whether you want to update one room or an entire home.

This Earth Day, it’s time to keep that promise that you’ll live a more energy-efficient lifestyle. Here are some tips from Lutron on how to start saving energy in your home: Continue reading

Shop with one of our partners – Macy's | Ssense | Kohl's | My Wardrobe | Bloomingdale’s | Ella Moss | QVC | Canon
Posted in Alternative Energy, Business, BusinessWire, Electronics, Energy, Energy Efficiency, Energy Management, Goods, Services & Product Design, Green Business, Green Facilities, Green IT, Green Living, Heating & Cooling, Home Energy, Information Systems, Smart Grid, Sustainability News, Technology, Tips to Green Your Home | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New Pike Survey Shows Interest in Home Energy Management and Smart Appliances

One of the primary goals of the smart grid movement is to empower consumers with greater control over their use of energy in the home.  However, this objective has proven to be an elusive one for utilities and other key stakeholders in the industry, and the promise of the smart energy home remains largely unfulfilled.  Many customers have been less enthusiastic about smart meters than the utilities originally anticipated, and in fact smart meters have been the subject of significant consumer opposition in some service territories.  Meanwhile, utilities and their vendors have struggled to identify the appropriate user experiences and business models for home energy management and smart energy devices.  Most pilot programs in the United States have continued to operate at a small scale as stakeholders explore these issues, and a number of utilities are wrestling with the fundamental question of what their role will be in terms of providing energy services on the customer side of the meter.  Despite these industry challenges, consumers still display solid interest in the overall concept of home energy management and in using smart appliances, according to a new consumer survey published by Pike Research.

The survey found that 47% of consumers would be “extremely” or “very” interested in home energy management products and services that would allow them to monitor and control energy usage in their home, based on a general description of the concept provided in Pike Research’s questionnaire.  Similarly, 45% of survey respondents stated that they would be interested in connected smart appliances that would help them manage their electricity consumption more efficiently. Continue reading

Shop with one of our partners – Macy's | Ssense | Kohl's | My Wardrobe | Bloomingdale’s | Ella Moss | QVC | Canon
Posted in Alternative Energy, Appliances, Business, Energy, Energy Management, Green Business, Green Facilities, Green Living, Heating & Cooling, Smart Grid, Sustainability News, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Solar Power, Inc. Announces Record Fourth Quarter and Year 2011 Financial Results

ROSEVILLE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Solar Power, Inc. (“SPI”) (OTCBB:SOPW), a leading developer of photovoltaic (“PV”) solar energy facilities (“SEF”), announced results for a record fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2011.

“We’re pleased with our record fourth quarter and year 2011 financial results, which marked a year in which we completed SPI’s repositioning as a SEF developer”

Fourth Quarter 2011 Results:

Total net sales for the fourth quarter of 2011 were $59.0 million, up from $13.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2010 and up from $22.1 million for the third quarter of 2011.  Gross profit for the fourth quarter of 2011 was $8.7 million, compared with $2.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2010 and with $1.4 million for the third quarter of 2011.

Total operating expenses for fourth quarter 2011 were $3.0 million, or 5.0 percent of total net sales. This compared with total operating expenses of $2.3 million, or 17.6 percent of total net sales, for the fourth quarter of 2010 and with total operating expenses of $2.6 million, or 11.8 percent of total net sales, for the third quarter of 2011. Continue reading

Shop with one of our partners – Macy's | Ssense | Kohl's | My Wardrobe | Bloomingdale’s | Ella Moss | QVC | Canon
Posted in Alternative Energy, Business, BusinessWire, Energy, Energy Management, Green Business, Green Facilities, Green Living, Heating & Cooling, Home Energy, Solar, Sustainability News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NSTAR Signs on to White House “Green Button” Initiative

Will be first utility in the Northeast to offer new website tool to help customers reduce their usage

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–NSTAR Electric customers will soon be the first in the Northeast to have access to useful, detailed information about their electricity usage as part of the national “Green Button” initiative. Green Button—an industry-led effort that responds to a White House call to action to provide national uniformity for how such information is accessed, delivered and used—will be available to more than one million of NSTAR’s residential and business customers by the end of this month.

“Providing consumers with easy access to data on their energy consumption can help give them the tools they need to make informed decisions about their energy use. Developing applications and services to help consumers understand and control their energy use is a field ripe for American innovation.”

“It’s well-known in the industry that knowledge is power when it comes to helping customers make substantive changes in how they use energy,” said Tom May, NSTAR Chairman, President and CEO. “By adding the one-click ease of Green Button to our website, NSTAR is making it even simpler for our customers to access the information they need to take control of their energy use and reduce their carbon footprint.” Continue reading

Shop with one of our partners – Macy's | Ssense | Kohl's | My Wardrobe | Bloomingdale’s | Ella Moss | QVC | Canon
Posted in Alternative Energy, Business, BusinessWire, Energy, Energy Efficiency, Energy Management, Green Business, Green Facilities, Green IT, Green Living, Heating & Cooling, Home Energy, Information Systems, Smart Grid, Sustainability News, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A University of North Carolina Dorm’s Green Overhaul to Save University $81k

Excitement grows as UNC Asheville’s solar hot water installation approaches

ASHEVILLE, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The University of North Carolina – Asheville plans to cut annual hot water costs in Mills Residence Hall by 29% through the installation of a solar energy system from SolTherm. Compared to their previous energy source, the student dormitory is expected to save more than $81,000 over the life of the system.

“But the UNC – Asheville facility management team was determined in their sustainability efforts and as a UNCA Alumni, I am thrilled to see the project come to fruition.”

The dormitory, which uses an average of 6,000 gallons of hot water per day, was an ideal facility for a solar thermal water heating system. The system will consist of 64 collector panels which receive the sun’s energy and transfer it to heat the dormitory’s water supply. The water is stored in an insulated tank and is used throughout the day for laundry and showering, allowing hot water to be accessed even when the sun is not shining. Continue reading

Shop with one of our partners – Macy's | Ssense | Kohl's | My Wardrobe | Bloomingdale’s | Ella Moss | QVC | Canon
Posted in Alternative Energy, Business, BusinessWire, CSR, Energy, Energy Management, Green Business, Green Facilities, Heating & Cooling, Solar, Sustainability News, Sustainability Practices, Water Usage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Parisleaf Printing and Design Receives CurrentState™ Platinum Certification

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Tulsa, OK – March 19, 2012 – Parisleaf Printing and Design recently completed the CurrentState™ Sustainability Audit and received Platinum Certification – the highest certification level available.

The Client’s Challenge

Parisleaf is a Printing and Design company located in Gainesville, Florida.  Parisleaf provides a variety of services which include printing, branding packages, web and logo design.

Parisleaf’s largest challenge is that traditional print related goods and services can have a significant negative impact on the environment.  Negative impacts occur at all stages of the paper life cycle -  the harvesting of trees, the processing of wood fiber into pulp and  the disposal of paper products at the end of their useful life.

However, Parisleaf has overcome these challenges. They offer carbon negative printing and web solutions to its clients. Parisleaf is able to achieve this because of their innovative green practices and the steps they take to mitigate their effect on the environment.   Continue reading

Shop with one of our partners – Macy's | Ssense | Kohl's | My Wardrobe | Bloomingdale’s | Ella Moss | QVC | Canon
Posted in 3BL Media, Air Quality, Business, Business Transportation, Carbon Management, CSR, Emissions Trading, Energy Management, Environment, Furnishings, Goods, Services & Product Design, Green Business, Green Facilities, Green IT, Green Marketing, Green Supply Chain, Heating & Cooling, Information Systems, IT Asset Management, IT Policies, Procedures & Strategy, Janitorial, Kitchen, Food & Catering, Landscaping, Lighting, Office Management, Print Management, Recycling & Waste, Renovations & Construction, Storage Solutions, Sustainability News, Sustainability Practices, Tips to Green Your Business, Water Usage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Compare Ratings, Data and Reviews for Any Building in the U.S.: HonestBuildings.com™ Launches Free Service

 

 

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–HonestBuildings.com announced today the release of its beta platform, a free web service allowing users to find and compare information, ratings and reviews for any commercial or residential building in the U.S.

“We are bringing transparency and connectivity to the massive real estate industry, which has traditionally been fragmented, opaque and inefficient”
Simply by searching for an address or zip code, anyone can access reviews, Honesty Ratings™, energy data, projects and renovations, and view the people and organizations associated with that building, for free.

“We are bringing transparency and connectivity to the massive real estate industry, which has traditionally been fragmented, opaque and inefficient,” said Riggs Kubiak, CEO of Honest Buildings. “Our goal is to connect people, catalyze transactions, and accelerate the development of high performance buildings on a global scale.”

Anyone can use Honest Buildings to compare buildings based on size, location, type, ratings, associated organizations, and the types of projects that have been completed, helping them to make better-informed decisions about real estate. Continue reading

Shop with one of our partners – Macy's | Ssense | Kohl's | My Wardrobe | Bloomingdale’s | Ella Moss | QVC | Canon
Posted in Air Quality, Business, BusinessWire, Energy Management, Furnishings, Green Business, Green Facilities, Heating & Cooling, Janitorial, Kitchen, Food & Catering, Landscaping, Lighting, Office Management, Recycling & Waste, Renovations & Construction, Sustainability News, Sustainability Practices, Water Usage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment
Page 1 of 812345678