Category Archives: Renovations & Construction

Brock International is first Synthetic Turf Company with Cradle to Cradle Certification

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on October 14, 2011 by CGR Staff Writer

Company Receives Prized Environmental Certification for their Commitment to Sustainability

Boulder, CO – Brock International, the leader in performance base systems for synthetic turf, today became the first company in the industry to have a Cradle to Cradle Certified CMproduct.  Recognized as the most comprehensive, rigorous environmental certification process, the designation is administered by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, which evaluates products and materials for their impact on human health and environmental health and design for future life cycles.

“Our mission is to engineer the best, safest and most sustainable playing fields in the world for all levels of athletes,” said Dan Sawyer, Chief Executive Officer of Brock. “For us, sustainability is not just a concept but a commitment. It is an honor to receive this recognition for our positive environmental impact.” Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Carbon Management, CSR, Environment, Goods, Services & Product Design, Green Business, Green Facilities, Green Living, Green Marketing, Green Supply Chain, Lawn & Garden, Recycling & Waste, Renovations & Construction, Sustainability News, Sustainability Practices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

European Green Building Space to Almost Quadruple by 2016

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on October 6, 2011 by CGR Staff Writer

European Union member countries are in the process of adopting “20-20-20” targets that call for 20% reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the increase of renewables to 20% of total energy use, and 20% cuts in overall energy consumption.  Representing one of the world’s most ambitious climate change-related initiatives, these goals have strong implications for the increased adoption of energy efficiency measures in commercial buildings across the continent.  The building sector accounts for nearly 40% of total energy consumption in the region.  According to a recent report by Pike Research, these policy goals will help increase the amount of certified green building space in Europe by nearly four-fold, to 687 million square meters, by 2016.

While EU-level policy initiatives will provide important market shapers, the primary drivers for the spread of energy-efficient buildings will be reducing energy costs. Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Carbon Management, CSR, Energy Management, Green Business, Green Facilities, Office Management, Renovations & Construction, Sustainability News, Sustainability Practices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

FasCast Inc now on the Fast Track to Going Green

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on September 27, 2011 by CGR Staff Writer

FasCast Inc is a ductile and gray iron foundry based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They have chosen to begin their Sustainability journey by conducting a CurrentState Sustainability diagnostic. 

THE CLIENT’S CHALLENGE

FasCast Inc operates a ductile and gray iron foundry.  They are like many other companies – they have the desire to become more sustainable, but they are not sure where to begin.  FasCast Inc is one of the most modern and automated foundries in the entire midwest.  FasCast Inc serves a wide variety of markets which include the water, irrigation, oil field, and compressor industries.

Prior to conducting the CurrentState diagnostic, FasCast Inc had not started any green initiatives or conducted any in-depth sustainability analysis. The most important green drivers for FasCast Inc are achieving cost reductions and creating competitive advantages. The foundry industry is highly competitive and employs many energy and material intensive processes.  While they may not be able to significantly change many of these core processes, CurrentState did identify several other areas where sustainability performance could be dramatically improved.  Continue reading →

Posted in Air Quality, Business, Carbon Management, CSR, Energy Management, Furnishings, Green Business, Green Facilities, Green IT, 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, Sustainability News, Sustainability Practices, Water Usage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

EcoDistricts take center stage at GreenBuild International

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on September 26, 2011 by CGR Staff Writer

Green building, sustainability consultant and author, Jerry Yudelson will lead a leading edge workshop on EcoDistricts and Campus Planning at GreenBuild International in Toronto

Yudelson Associates founder and president, Jerry Yudelson will lead a forward-looking workshop on EcoDistricts and Sustainable Campus Planning at the Greenbuild International Conference and Exposition in Toronto on October 5th. Yudelson will be joined by colleagues Brodie Bain, principal of Mithun architects and planners in Seattle, and Rob Bennett and Tom Puttman of the Portland Sustainability Institute, in Portland, Oregon.

The educational workshop session, “Sustainable Campus and Eco-District Planning: What’s Next?” will feature four of the leading exponents of sustainability planning at the district scale. Sustainable campus planning has become a model for sustainable district-level planning of many types. By capitalizing on a limited number of building owners, passionate grassroots constituents, committed municipal leaders, and mission-based operations, colleges and universities have made great strides that serve as an example for other organizations. Continue reading →

Posted in Air Quality, Carbon Management, Climate Change, Energy Management, Furnishings, Green Business, Green Facilities, Heating & Cooling, Janitorial, Kitchen, Food & Catering, Landscaping, Lighting, Recycling & Waste, Renovations & Construction, Sustainability News, Sustainability Practices, Water Usage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Shaw Industries using Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to become more Sustainable

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on September 19, 2011 by CGR Staff Writer

Shaw Industries Group, Inc. has released its third annual corporate sustainability report, the company announced. The report can be accessed online at www.shawgreenedge.com .

Focused on Shaw’s commitment to Sustainability through Innovation(TM), the report highlights the Berkshire Hathaway company’s environmental and social responsibility leadership. Beginning with the question, What if Sustainable Business Meant Smarter Business?, the report covers Shaw’s significant investment in sustainability initiatives during the 2010 calendar year, substantiating the organization’s progress with metrics and data for more than 40 performance indicators.

“Stakeholders are looking to private enterprise to take the lead in addressing the most critical questions facing today’s businesses – including questions about environmental and social risks,” said Shaw CEO Vance Bell. “While no company has all the answers, those that openly ask questions and seek solutions have the potential to affect the greatest change – environmentally, socially and economically.” Continue reading →

Posted in CSR, Furnishings, Goods, Services & Product Design, Green Business, Green Facilities, Green Marketing, Recycling & Waste, Renovations & Construction, Sustainability News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

U.S. pours 27 million on streamlining projects for solar (EcoSeed)

by tgilbrea69
Posted on June 20, 2011 by tgilbrea69

The United States Department of Energy is releasing over $27 million in new funding for programs that will create strategies in reducing non-hardware costs of solar installations, announced Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

These non-hardware or “soft costs” cover expenses were acquired from applying for siting and installation permits, and costs related to grid connection, mounting hardware and electronics, which are all affected by inadequate technology or differing local administrative processes.

Soft costs can take up as much as 40 percent of the total cost of a solar energy project.

Homeowners and developers are often discouraged to invest in solar energy because of complicated and expensive administrative processes of various towns, cities, and counties across the United States. They also find it hard to secure financing for their projects. Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Carbon Management, Climate Change, CSR, Energy Efficiency, Energy Management, Environment, Green Business, Green Facilities, Renovations & Construction, Solar, Sustainability News, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Google invests $280 million into SolarCity

by tgilbrea69
Posted on June 20, 2011 by tgilbrea69

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M5k6dc9W40]

This is a post from the official Google Blog.  For more, also visit Google Green Blog.

Imagine sitting on your patio watching the sun’s rays pass overhead, knowing that they power your home with clean energy—at a cost that’s less that what you would have paid using just the grid. That’s what my colleague, engineer Michael Flaster, has been doing at his home in Menlo Park, Calif. since March of this year. He did it with the help of a company called SolarCity, which enables homeowners and businesses to begin using solar energy to power their homes and buildings.

Today, we’re announcing that we’ve investing $280 million to create a fund that will help SolarCity finance more solar installations across the country. This is our largest clean energy project investment to date and brings our total invested in the clean energy sector to more than $680 million. We’ve also launched a partnership to offer SolarCity services to Googlers at a discount. Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Carbon Management, Climate Change, CSR, Energy Efficiency, Energy Management, Environment, Green Business, Green Facilities, Renovations & Construction, Solar, Sustainability News, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

U.S. solar PV grows 66 percent in Q1 on cheaper parts (EcoSeed)

by tgilbrea69
Posted on June 20, 2011 by tgilbrea69

The number of solar photovoltaic systems built in the United States increased by 66 percent in the first quarter as component prices fell and companies rushed to get hold of government incentives set to expire by yearend, according to the country’s Solar Energy Industries Association.

Developers set up 251.5 megawatts’ worth of PV systems in the period, compared with 152 MW a year earlier according to a report released by the Washington-based trade group and GTM Research.

The number of commercial and government solar PV projects grew by as much as 119 percent to 148 MW, accounting for 59 percent of installations. This compares with their 44 percent share in the same quarter last year through 67.3 MW worth of projects. Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy, Carbon Management, Climate Change, Energy Efficiency, Energy Management, Environment, Green Business, Green Facilities, Renovations & Construction, Smart Grid, Solar, Sustainability News, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
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