Category Archives: Green Living

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

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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

Kraft Foods Sizes Up the Environmental Impacts of Its Products Through Lifecycle Assessment

NORTHFIELD, Ill., May 7, 2012 / 3BL Media / PRNewswire/ – Most people have heard the saying that you can’t improve what you can’t measure.  But measurement can be complex and time-consuming, especially when it comes to figuring out how to reduce environmental impacts.  Which is why Kraft Foods is using lifecycle assessment (LCA) to help it make the right changes and get the best results.  LCA measures the footprint of what goes into making a product, from farm to fork and beyond.

“Lifecycle assessment is an important part of our sustainability journey,” said Roger Zellner, Sustainability Director for Research, Development & Quality.  “It gives us a competitive advantage, as we now have more insight into how to reduce our products’ footprints, find efficiencies and validate and explain those benefits to customers and consumers.  Together, we’re focusing and working smarter and communicating better, which is good for the environment, people and our business.”

This LCA work builds on the multi-year footprinting project Kraft Foods recently used to map its impact on climate change, land and water use.  Today, employees around the world are using lifecycle thinking to help uncover ways to eliminate waste in manufacturing.  This can reduce the amount of raw materials, such as agricultural commodities, used at the beginning of the supply chain.  LCA also can help measure how product and packaging innovations improve on previous designs, and provide a common system to measure and explain those benefits. Continue reading

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Posted in 3BL Media, Business, Goods, Services & Product Design, Green Business, Green Marketing, Kitchen, Sustainability News, Sustainability Practices | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fair Trade USA Produce Imports Post Huge Increase

Article from The Packer on import growth of Fair Trade produce

Fair Trade USA logged a 40% increase in fresh produce imports in 2011 compared to 2010, partially driven by the reintroduction of cucumbers and bell peppers and a 170% increase in citrus imports.

Officials expect tremendous growth for 2012 also because several commodities from northern Mexico are being added.

In its recently released 2011 Almanac, the Oakland, Calif.-based Fair Trade-certifying organization reported year-to-year increases for 2009 and 2010 were only 2%.

“Notably, 2011 marked the first time that Fair Trade-Certified bell peppers, cucumbers and bananas from Mexico were imported into the United States,” the almanac states.

Hannah Freeman, director of produce and floral development for Fair Trade USA, said additional new commodities certified for import from Mexico this spring include grapes, watermelons, honeydew, cantaloupes, roma tomatoes and peaches.

“There’s a lot of excitement in Mexico right now,” Freeman said. “We expect to see several new growers certified this year offering new products like asparagus, strawberries, eggplant and tomatoes.” Continue reading

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Posted in 3BL Media, Green Living, Kitchen, Sustainability News, Sustainable Farming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Daintree Networks and Cree Reduce Lighting Energy Demand by 91% for Sacramento Facility

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Daintree Networks, Inc., the leading provider of intelligent wireless lighting controls for commercial buildings, today announced a successful installation for the Sacramento facility of United Stationers Inc., a leading North American wholesale distributor of business products. With the help of Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), United Stationers installed an integrated intelligent lighting system consisting of Cree’s energy-saving LED fixtures and Daintree’s ControlScope wireless lighting controls solution in the location’s office and break room area. The result is over 91% expected savings.

“We’re thrilled with the results of this advanced lighting project. Not only are our associates pleased with their improved lighting and personal control, but we’re already saving substantial energy,” said Ted Pinnow, Maintenance Manager for United Stationers’ Sacramento facility. “The project came together quickly with painless installation, and I’ve been impressed by the seamless integration of Cree and Daintree Networks products.” Continue reading

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Posted in Alternative Energy, Appliances, Business, BusinessWire, Electronics, Energy, Energy Efficiency, Green Business, Green Facilities, Green Living, Home Energy, Lighting, Sustainability News, Sustainability Practices | 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

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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

sPower™ Installs Solar Electric Systems for the University of Utah

SALT LAKE CITY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sustainable Power Group (“sPower”) has announced the installation and commissioning of solar power generation systems on the rooftops of the Natural History Museum of Utah and the HPER East Building at the University of Utah. The Natural History Museum’s system is a 330-kilowatt system and the HPER East system is a 263 kW system. The combined systems consist of 2,470 Sharp photovoltaic panels covering 40,000 square feet of rooftop space. The Sharp modules are American-made, manufactured in Memphis, Tennessee. sPower partnered with Okland Construction of Salt Lake City, Utah to build the systems, and McCalmont Engineering of Campbell, California to design and engineer the systems.

sPower will own and operate the systems for 20 years and will sell the power to the University of Utah under the terms of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). This third-party ownership arrangement was made possible due to a $125,000 Blue Sky Grant from Rocky Mountain Power, as well as a $1,000,000 grant awarded to the University through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“We are excited about this system for numerous reasons including the long-term direct financial benefits from solar energy, the duty that we feel to be good stewards of our planet, and the educational opportunities that this will offer our students. This project is consistent with our Energy and Environmental Stewardship Initiative: 2010 Climate Action Plan, wherein we set a goal to be carbon neutral by 2050,” said Dr. David Pershing, President of the University of Utah. Continue reading

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Posted in Alternative Energy, Business, BusinessWire, Carbon Management, CSR, Energy, Energy Management, Goods, Services & Product Design, Green Business, Green Living, Home Energy, Solar, Sustainability News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Carpooling User Profile from Carpooling.com (Infographic)

A fantastic infographic from carpooling.com that breaks down the demographic profile of who is carpooling. Continue reading

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Posted in Business Transportation, Environment, Green Business, Green Living, Health, Sustainability News, Sustainability Practices | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Colorado Solar Leader Zam Energy to be Recognized by the White House

DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Imagine transforming every parking lot in the United States into a clean energy plant. Recognized by the White House as a Champion of Change for Innovations for Renewable Energy, Erin Geegan, CEO of Zam Energy, aims to revolutionize parking facilities by installing solar energy carports to create energy and charge electric vehicles.

“The goal of our work is to empower the American people by making it a reality to efficiently fuel their own vehicles with home grown energy”

Geegan, a resident of Boulder, Colo., will be honored on April 19 as part of President Obama’s “Winning the Future” initiative that recognizes American leaders for advancing new ideas that support a sustainable future.

To watch the event live, visit www.whitehouse.gov/live at 12:30pm ET on April 19th.

“The goal of our work is to empower the American people by making it a reality to efficiently fuel their own vehicles with home grown energy,” Geegan said. “It’s an opportunity to support the American economy while bringing hope to future generations and the state of the planet.” Continue reading

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