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Solar Canopies Installed at L'ORÉAL USA'S Berkeley Heights Administrative Offices

04.26.2012 - 07:21PM

L'Oréal USA announced today that the company’s New Jersey headquarters at 50 Connell Drive in Connell Corporate Park, Berkeley Heights will begin the installation of solar canopies with roof top solar panels. The project will not only provide a significant renewable source of energy for the company’s administrative offices but will also provide parking protection for employee motorists and their vehicles.

The new solar canopies will provide an estimated 60% of the site’s total electrical needs or about 1,673,890 kWhs per year. In addition, for employees using alternative fuel vehicles, charging stations will be included in the new installation, and an energy monitoring kiosk located in lobby will be designed to graphically display energy generated by solar output and consumption of the building. This is L’Oréal USA fourth solar installation at facilities in the US and third in the state of New Jersey. The company also uses solar technology in its manufacturing and distribution plants in India, Spain, Mexico and China. Twenty percent of the company’s electricity used globally last year was from renewable sources.

The Berkeley Heights facility is home to over 550 L’Oréal USA employees and occupies 156,000 square feet covering four floors. The facility was developed as a high performance “green” building incorporating energy-efficient and sustainable design criteria, attaining GOLD LEED certification for both the core and interior build. The N.J. headquarters serves as a global model for all L’Oréal sites.

The new solar canopy installation is expected to be completed by the fall and will further advance the company’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gases and will produce enough energy to fuel the equivalent of 1,221 homes for one year.

In 2009, L’Oréal announced three significant long-term environmental 2005-2015 targets for its factories and warehouses, which will be measured on a like-for-like basis. They include:

50% absolute reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
50% reduction in water use per unit of finished product
50% reduction in waste generated per unit of finished product

About L’Oréal USA

L'Oréal USA, headquartered in New York City, with 2011 sales of over $5.1 billion and 9,800 employees, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of L'Oréal SA, the world’s leading beauty company. In addition to corporate headquarters in New York, L'Oréal USA has Research and Innovation, Manufacturing and Distribution facilities across seven states, including New Jersey, Kentucky, Arkansas, Illinois, Ohio, and Texas. Since 2001, L’Oréal has been measuring its impact on global warming and joined the Global Compact in 2003, reinforcing its commitment to climate change. The company has been recognized by Corporate Knights for being among the 100 most sustainable corporations in the world and by Climate Counts for its leadership in addressing climate change.

L'Oréal's impressive portfolio of brands includes Lancôme, Giorgio Armani Beauty, Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, Viktor & Rolf, Diesel, Cacharel, L'Oréal Paris, Garnier, Vichy, La Roche-Posay, L'Oréal Professionnel, Kérastase and Shu Uemura Art of Hair, Maybelline New York, Soft-Sheen.Carson, Kiehl’s Since 1851, Ralph Lauren Fragrances, Essie Cosmetics, Redken 5th Avenue NYC, Matrix, Mizani, Pureology, SkinCeuticals and Dermablend. For more information visit www.lorealusa.com.

IKEA Powers-Up Solar Energy System's Panels At Paramus, NJ Store

04.10.2012 - 11:28AM

IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today officially plugged-in the solar energy system installed at its store in Paramus, New Jersey. The 132,000-square-foot PV array consists of a 1,063-kW system, built with 4,620 panels. IKEA Paramus’ program will produce approximately 1,359,100 kWh of clean electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing 1,033 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂), eliminating the emissions of 184 cars or powering 117 homes yearly (calculating clean energy equivalents at www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html).

This investment by IKEA reinforces the company’s long-term commitment to sustainability and confidence in photovoltaic (PV) technology. IKEA owns and operates each of its solar PV energy systems atop its buildings – as opposed to a solar lease or PPA (power purchase agreement) – and this Paramus installation represents the 17^th completed solar energy project for IKEA in the United States, with 20 more locations underway, making the eventual U.S. solar presence of IKEA nearly 85% and a total generation of 30.8 MW.

For the development, design and installation of the Paramus store’s customized solar power system, IKEA contracted with REC Solar, one of the largest U.S. solar electric installers with more than 8,000 systems built nationwide.

“The installation of solar panels at IKEA Paramus is another way we can build upon our ongoing commitment to sustainability,” said Lars Otteson, store manager. “At IKEA, we believe in being a good business while doing good business and investing in renewable energy accomplishes both of those goals. We appreciate the support from Paramus officials, PSE&G, and REC Solar, our partners in this project.”

IKEA, drawing from its Swedish heritage and respect of nature, believes it can be a good business while doing good business and aims for its operations to minimize impacts on the environment. Globally, IKEA evaluates all locations regularly for energy conservation opportunities, integrates innovative materials into product design, works with Global Forest Watch to maintain sustainable resources, and flat-packs goods for efficient distribution. Specific U.S. sustainable efforts include: recycling waste material (paper, wood, plastic, etc.); incorporating environmental measures into the construction of buildings in terms of energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems, recycled construction materials, skylights in warehouse areas, and water conserving restrooms; and operationally, eliminating plastic bags from the check-out process, phasing out the sale of incandescent light bulbs and facilitating recycling of customers’ compact fluorescent bulbs. IKEA also has installed electric vehicle charging stations at nine stores in the Western U.S.

Located on 39 acres at the confluence of the Garden State Parkway and routes 4 and 17, the 375,000-square-foot IKEA store opened in July 2003 and employs approximately 300 coworkers. In addition to 10,000 exclusively designed items, this Paramus store presents 48 different room-settings, three model home interiors, a supervised children’s play area, and a 450-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries and salmon plates, as well as American dishes. Other family-friendly features include a ‘Children’s IKEA’ area in the Showroom, baby care rooms, preferred parking and play areas throughout the store.

IKEA strives to be ‘The Life Improvement Store,’ and since its 1943 founding in Sweden, has offered home furnishings of good design and function, at low prices so the majority of people can afford them. There are currently more than 330 IKEA stores in 40 countries, including 38 in the U.S. IKEA incorporates sustainable efforts into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information, go to IKEA-USA.com.

Cascades Tissue Group Launches First-of-its-Kind, Unbleached, 100 Percent Recycled Bathroom Tissue

01.25.2012 - 10:54AM

North America’s fourth largest producer of towel and tissue paper, Cascades Tissue Group, today announced the launch of Cascades® Moka™ 100 percent recycled unbleached bathroom tissue, a first-of-its-kind product available to the Away-from-Home market in late August. Beige in appearance, Cascades Moka offers commercial purchasers the highest hygienic qualities and softness while significantly reducing the environmental impact associated with manufacturing a highly common, yet also single-use product. In addition to eliminating chemical whitening, Cascades’ value-added tissue product is made of a pulp mix composed of 100 percent recycled fiber, 80 percent of which is post-consumer material and 20 percent are recovered corrugated boxes. The product is also offset with 100 percent Green-e^®certified renewable wind electricity; saving 2,500 pounds of CO₂ emissions for each ton produced.

A detailed life cycle analysis (LCA) of the new pulp mix used in Cascades Moka, which was undertaken by the company, revealed a reduction in overall environmental impact by at least 25 percent when compared to the pulp mix used in the traditional Cascades 100 percent recycled fiber bathroom tissue. The latter had been regarded as the sustainable tissue exemplar in recent years but includes a chlorine-free whitening process for aesthetics.

Currently, 3.4 million¹ tons of bath tissue is used annually in the U.S., of which 53 percent is made from virgin fiber sources². Cascades estimates that if a complete swap was made to their environmentally preferable 100 percent recycled bath tissue, it would save annually 30.6 million trees and 68 million GJ of energy, which is equal to the annual consumption of 619,811 households³. The new pulp mix in the Cascades Moka innovation goes even further than the standard white recycled pulp because of its lower ecological footprint.

“Beige is the new green, at least as it relates to towel and tissue,” said Cascades Tissue Group CEO Suzanne Blanchet, who personally conceived and championed Moka bath tissue’s development. “The last several years have brought about countless habit changes meant to preserve the environment. The quality of this bath tissue hasn’t been sacrificed one bit, so adjusting to a new color seems like a small step to take for even greater sustainability.”

“There’s lots of talk about how the green movement has remained resilient in this tough economy, yet it’s easier to overlook how much of a trendsetter it’s also been in recalibrating views and tastes,” said Blanchet. “The change may seem radical to some, but at the end of the day, beige fits just as well in most commercial restroom décors and it certainly works much better for the health of our planet.”

Cascades started offering its Moka concept with the introduction of its Moka napkin line in the late ‘90’s. Commercial sales for the product have steadily increased year by year, as corporate purchasers and their employees and customers become more aware of its environmental benefits. In 2004, the Moka napkin line represented ten percent of its total away-from-home sales in North America whereas it now comprises over 23 percent of case sales.

The company believes that the commercial market will continue to serve as the first frontier for sustainable innovations, as people evolve their tastes and habits out in public before modifying behaviors at home.

Innovation Simplifies Production, Safeguards from Fiber Market Volatility
While the recycled bath tissue is still cleaned and de-inked, the elimination of the whitening process ultimately reduces manufacturing impact associated to the elimination of natural gas and whitening chemicals. Virgin pulp prices have more than doubled over the past three years, invoking price increases in recycled fiber as well. By expanding to varied and more fibers such as corrugated, Cascades believes it can hedge its products’ exposure to commodity price fluctuations and white fiber shortages outside its control, keeping tissue prices affordable in its served markets.

About Cascades Tissue Group
Cascades Tissue Group is a division of manufacturing and packaging leader Cascades, Inc. (CAS Toronto Exchange), a pioneer in recycled paper manufacturing. The division has 17 mills spread throughout North America, including 10 in the United States. Its towel and tissue products are generally considered single-use goods – a fact motivating Cascades to remain an industry model of forward-thinking manufacturing, sustainability and carbon avoidance. For more information about Cascades Tissue Group, visit www.afh.cascades.com or www.sustain.cascades.com

¹ US Tissue Production, Converted Product Shipments and Consumption (RISI June 2011).

² Metafore, The Fiber Cycle technical Document, Metafore Summary Report, March 2006.

³ Cascades Environmental Calculator and Environmental Paper Network, Paper Calculator (2011).

IKEA Powers-Up Solar Energy System at Cincinnati-Area Store

01.24.2012 - 10:30AM

IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today officially plugged-in the solar energy system installed at its Cincinnati-area store in West Chester, Ohio. The 128,000-square-foot PV array consists of a 1,026-kW system, built with 4,186 panels. IKEA West Chester’s program will produce approximately 1,334,300 kWh of clean electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing 1,014 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂), eliminating the emissions of 180 cars or powering 115 homes yearly (calculating clean energy equivalents at www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html).

This investment by IKEA reinforces the company’s long-term commitment to sustainability and confidence in photovoltaic (PV) technology. IKEA owns and operates each of its solar PV energy systems atop its buildings – as opposed to a solar lease or PPA (power purchase agreement) – and this West Chester installation represents the 14^th completed solar energy project for IKEA in the United States, with 23 more locations underway, making the eventual U.S. solar presence of IKEA nearly 85% and a total generation of 30.8 MW.

For the development, design and installation of the West Chester store’s customized solar power system, IKEA contracted with REC Solar, one of the largest U.S. solar electric installers with more than 8,000 systems built nationwide.

Our mission is to create a better everyday life for the many people, and at IKEA West Chester, we just added to this effort,” said Heather Spatz, IKEA West Chester store manager. “A solar energy system will help reduce our store’s carbon footprint and represents another investment toward our future in this community. We appreciate the support of West Chester Township, Butler County, Duke Energy, and REC Solar, our partners in this project.”

IKEA, drawing from its Swedish heritage and respect of nature, believes it can be a good business while doing good business and aims for its operations to minimize impacts on the environment. Globally, IKEA evaluates all locations regularly for energy conservation opportunities, integrates innovative materials into product design, works with Global Forest Watch to maintain sustainable resources, and flat-packs goods for efficient distribution. Specific U.S. sustainable efforts include: recycling waste material (paper, wood, plastic, etc.); incorporating environmental measures into the construction of buildings in terms of energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems, recycled construction materials, skylights in warehouse areas, and water conserving restrooms; and operationally, phasing out the sale of incandescent light bulbs and facilitating recycling of customers’ compact fluorescent bulbs. IKEA also is installing electric vehicle charging stations at nine stores in the Western U.S.

Located on 30 acres along I-75 near the Union Centre exit, the 344,000-s.f. IKEA store opened in March 2008. In addition to 10,000 exclusively designed items, IKEA West Chester presents 50 different room-settings, three model home interiors, a supervised children’s play area, and a 400-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries and Gravad Lax plates, as well as American dishes. Other family-friendly features include a ‘Children’s IKEA’ area in the showroom, baby-care rooms, preferred parking and play areas throughout the store.

Organic Valley Completes Headquarters Expansion, Adds 84 Jobs To Rural Southwest Wisconsin

01.20.2012 - 11:27AM

Organic Valley, the nation’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and a leading organic brand, has completed the $6.7 million addition to its headquarters in La Farge, Wis. This development is a symbol of the co-op’s steady growth and success, as well as its commitment to the vitality of rural communities.

“Expanding our headquarters is a reflection of our growth,” said George Siemon, one of the founding farmers and C-E-I-E-I-O of Organic Valley. “As we serve more farmer-owners and meet increasing consumer demands for organic, naturally we need more employees. We’re proud to bring new jobs right here to Southwest Wisconsin.”

A Commitment to Sustainability, Inside and Out

Organic Valley’s new 33,000 square foot space features a comprehensive research and development (R&D) facility complete with a sensory lab, processing lab capable of simulating product conditions, wet chemistry and microbiology lab, packaging laboratory and library, technical library and innovation room.

State-of-the-art green design elements include a solar window installation by Pythagoras Solar, an Organic Valley partner and provider of building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products that enable increased energy efficiency, renewable power generation and appealing aesthetics. The 20 solar windows in Organic Valley’s new space will provide the co-op significant energy efficiency gains and optimized daylighting and shading for a more comfortable work environment.

A true demonstration of the co-op’s commitment to green building, Organic Valley is currently working with Madison Environmental of Madison, Wis., and E3 Coalition of Viroqua, Wis., to pursue LEED Existing Building Operations and Maintenance (EBOM) certification for its entire headquarters facility, new and existing. Taking a more holistic view than traditional LEED certification, LEED EBOM measures performance of the building itself as well as behavior of the building’s occupants.

Additional headquarters expansion features include low VOC finishes, water efficient bathroom fixtures and urinals, and an overall energy efficient design that makes the building 45 percent more efficient than the average similar commercial building.

Growth Beyond the Walls

Despite a down economy, Organic Valley continues to thrive. The co-op recently announced double-digit sales growth in 2011, with revenue reaching $715 million compared to $620 million in 2010. As sales increase and demand for organic grows, so does Organic Valley’s membership base, including 212 new farmers joining the cooperative in 2011. More than 500 of Organic Valley’s 1,687 farmer-owners are located in Wisconsin. Organic Valley’s investment in sustainability also includes initiatives like the Cashton Greens Wind Farm, Wisconsin’s first community wind project.

Organic Valley: Independent and Farmer-Owned

Organic Valley is America’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and one of the nation’s leading organic brands. Organized in 1988, it represents 1,687 farmers in 35 states and three Canadian provinces, and achieved $715 million in 2011 sales. Focused on its founding mission of saving family farms through organic farming, Organic Valley produces a variety of organic foods, including organic milk, soy, cheese, butter, spreads, creams, eggs, produce and juice, which are sold in supermarkets, natural foods stores and food cooperatives nationwide. With its regional model, milk is produced, bottled and distributed right in the region where it is farmed to ensure fewer miles from farm to table and to support our local economies. The same farmers who produce for Organic Valley also produce a full range of delicious organic meat under the Organic Prairie label. For further information, call 1-888-444-MILK or visit www.organicvalley.coop, www.organicprairie.coop and the cooperative’s farmer website, www.farmers.coop. Organic Valley is also on Twitter @OrganicValley and Facebook www.facebook.com/OrganicValley.

IKEA Solar Presence In U.S. Approaches 85% With Plans To Install Solar Panels On Five Locations In Midwestern U.S.

01.12.2012 - 06:00AM

IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today announced plans to install solar energy panels on five more of its United States locations – all of them in the Midwestern U.S. Pending governmental permits, installation can begin this Winter, with completion expected in Summer 2012. Implementation of these projects will extend the IKEA solar presence to nearly 85% of its U.S. locations. Collectively, the five stores will total 4.8 megawatts (MW) of solar generating capacity, approximately 20,400 panels, and an annual output of 5.62 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity – the equivalent to reducing 4,273 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) – equal to eliminating the emissions of 760 cars or providing electricity for 484 homes yearly (calculating clean energy equivalents at http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html).

This investment by IKEA reinforces the company’s long-term commitment to sustainability and confidence in photovoltaic (PV) technology. IKEA will own and operate each of its solar PV energy systems atop its buildings – as opposed to a solar lease or PPA (power purchase agreement) – now including its two Chicago-area stores (Bolingbrook and Schaumburg), as well as stores in Bloomington, MN, Canton, MI and Pittsburgh, PA, listed below with approximate system statistics and corresponding clean energy equivalents:

Bloomington, MN – opened in 2004; store size: 336,000 SF on 15 acres

Solar Program: 142,000 SF at 1,136 kW; 4,834 panels generating 1,300,700 kWh/yr

Equivalent to reducing 989 tons of CO₂, 176 cars’ emissions or powering 112 homes

Bolingbrook, IL – opened in 2005; store size: 310,000 SF on 23 acres

Solar Program: 140,300 SF at 1,122 kW; 4,774 panels generating 1,298,200 kWh/yr

Equivalent to reducing 987 tons of CO₂, 176 cars’ emissions or powering 112 homes

Canton, MI – opened in 2006; store size: 311,000 SF on 33 acres

Solar Program: 122,200 SF at 977 kW; 4,157 panels generating 1,138,200 kWh/yr

Equivalent to reducing 865 tons of CO₂, 154 cars’ emissions or powering 98 homes

Pittsburgh, PA – opened in 1989; store size: 221,000 SF on 14.2 acres

Solar Program: 86,800 SF at 694 kW; 2,953 panels generating 852,200 kWh/yr

Equivalent to reducing 648 tons of CO₂, 115 cars’ emissions or powering 73 homes

[Since 2000, this store has hosted a 31kW PPA array that will be removed to facilitate installation of today’s announced new system to be owned and operated by IKEA.]

Schaumburg, IL – opened in 1998; size: 450,000 SF on 30.4 acres

Solar Program: 108,400 SF at 867 kW; 3,689 panels generating 1,032,600 kWh/yr

Equivalent to reducing 785 tons of CO₂, 140 cars’ emissions or powering 89 homes

IKEA already has 12 U.S. solar energy systems operational with 20 more underway. Installing solar panels atop these five locations will increase the company’s U.S. solar presence to nearly 85% and will result in a total generating capacity of 31.6 MW in the U.S. “We are pleased that solar energy systems already have proven successful at IKEA locations and are thrilled we now can complete the solar coverage of all our Midwestern stores,” said Mike Ward, IKEA U.S. president. “With only 44 locations nationwide, we try to contribute whenever and wherever possible to creating a better everyday life for the many. So – from a sustainability perspective – we are open to ideas for incorporating key environmental technologies and look forward to considering other opportunities as they arise too.”

IKEA, drawing from its Swedish heritage and respect of nature, believes it can be a good business while doing good business and reflects a business and operating model designed to minimize impacts on the environment. Globally, IKEA evaluates locations for energy conservation opportunities, integrates innovative materials into product design, works with Global Forest Watch to maintain sustainable resources, and flat-packs goods for efficient distribution. Specific U.S. sustainable efforts include: recycling waste material (paper, wood, plastic, etc.); incorporating environmental measures into the construction of buildings, such as energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems, recycled construction materials, skylights in warehouse areas, and water conserving restrooms; and operationally, eliminating plastic bags from the check-out process, phasing out the sale of incandescent light bulbs and facilitating recycling of customers’ compact fluorescent bulbs. Also, IKEA is installing solar panels atop many of its U.S. locations and EV charging stations at nine western stores.

For the Pittsburgh store, IKEA contracted with REC Solar, an industry-leading solar power provider specializing in grid-tied residential, commercial and government installations, with more than 7,000 systems built nationwide. REC Solar already has installed systems at other IKEA locations, and currently is implementing solar PV programs at additional IKEA locations. For the four other locations, IKEA contracted with SoCore Energy, one of the largest commercial solar developers in the Midwest and developer of more than 65 commercial scale PV installations across the U.S. SoCore provides some of the largest retailers, municipalities, and commercial property owners with unique solar solutions.

PGI Suzhou Plant Expansion Awarded LEED(R) Green Building Certification

01.11.2012 - 11:13AM

/PRNewswire/ - Polymer Group, Inc. (PGI) today announced its Suzhou, China plant has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The certification validates that the plant is among the world's greenest, most energy efficient and high-performing buildings. PGI earned the silver-level status for an expansion and installation of a new state-of-the-art, custom-designed, spunmelt line completed in 2010.

LEED certification of the Suzhou plant expansion was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community, including such features as water-efficient landscaping and low-emitting construction materials.

PGI also implemented a green education program and took steps to optimize energy performance, maximize open space, and protect or restore the habitat.

The project supports PGI's broader corporate sustainability goals and the company is working to achieve the designation at other plants it is expanding globally, including its Waynesboro, Va. plant.

"At PGI, we are committed to protecting the environment and reducing energy consumption through green building construction, and we are proud to have received this recognition," said Chief Operating Officer Mike Hale.

"Achieving LEED certification demonstrates PGI's leadership in energy and environmental design and is an important part of our sustainability strategy," said John Heironimus, senior vice president, chief marketing and sustainability officer. "Our employees, customers, suppliers and community can feel good knowing green buildings like this will have less of an environmental impact for today and future generations."

Said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council: "PGI's LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership. The Suzhou project efficiently uses our natural resources and makes an immediate, positive impact on our planet, which will tremendously benefit future generations to come."

LEED was established for market leaders to design and construct buildings that protect and save precious resources while also making good economic sense. It verifies environmental performance, occupant health and financial return.

The Suzhou expansion project will be listed in the Green Building Certification Institute's searchable database of registered and/or certified projects in China.

About LEED®
The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ is a feature-oriented rating system that awards buildings points for satisfying specified green building criteria. The six major environmental categories of review include: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation and Design.

About PGI
Polymer Group, Inc. is a global, technology-driven developer, producer and marketer of engineered materials, and one of the world's leading producers of nonwovens. With the broadest range of process technologies in the nonwovens industry, PGI is a global supplier to leading consumer and industrial product manufacturers. The company operates 14 manufacturing and converting facilities in nine countries throughout the world.

UPS Corporate Office First in Industry to Earn Both LEED Gold Status and Energy Star Certification

01.10.2012 - 01:04PM

UPS (NYSE:UPS) has become the first major package delivery and logistics company to earn Gold Status certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) along with an Energy Star certification for its corporate headquarters complex.

The Corporate Office is just the first UPS building to be assessed for certification. “Our plan is to assess all new facilities and some existing facilities to see if they qualify for LEED and Energy Star evaluations,” said Scott Wicker, UPS chief sustainability officer. “At UPS, we manage our assets as effectively as possible and continue to find ways to improve in all aspects of our business.”

The corporate offices of UPS (NYSE:UPS) won the LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Energy Star certification was awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for meeting strict energy performance standards.

In May 2011, UPS submitted the corporate office to the USGBC for review to determine its status as an environmentally friendly building. Currently, there are fewer than 9,000 LEED-certified building projects in the world.

UPS engineers evaluated five main elements necessary for LEED certification:

Sustainable Site – (Natural habitat preservation, storm water retention, heat reduction, lighting efficiencies, etc.)
Water Efficiency – (Water efficient landscaping, efficient plumbing and fixtures, water conservation performance, etc.)
Energy & Atmosphere – (Automated systems, lighting efficiencies, energy consumption.)
Materials & Resources – (Responsible purchasing, e-waste recycling, solid waste mgmt.)
Indoor Environment Quality – (Green cleaning materials, integrated pest control, etc.)

The Energy Star award certifies the UPS headquarters uses less energy, is less expensive to operate and generates fewer greenhouse gas emissions than most similar buildings in the United States. To qualify for the Energy Star rating, a building or manufacturing plant must earn a score of 75 or higher on the EPA’s 1-100 energy performance scale, indicating that the facility performs better than at least 75 percent of similar buildings nationwide.

“These certifications are a noteworthy achievement because they show that independent third parties have determined UPS’s main headquarters is a high-performance structure,” Wicker added. “In 1994, when this building was completed, it was built to rigorous environmental standards that were ahead of their time. LEED and Energy Star show we continue to be as energy-efficient behind our desks as we are behind the wheels of our famous brown trucks.”

An interactive graphic of the UPS corporate office can be found at www.blog.ups.com.

UPS’s corporate headquarters reduces environmental impact in a number of ways:

Only six of the 35 acres of the building footprint are built upon. The remainder is untouched Piedmont Forest, considered a wildlife preserve by the state of Georgia. The forest begins a mere 15 feet from the building on all sides.
UPS used an arborist during construction to minimize tree impact.
Albedo concrete roofs reflect the sun’s rays, reducing absorbed heat.
Since 2005, improvements in plumbing fixtures reduced water consumption 39 percent.
Lighting is fully automated throughout the building to conserve power during off hours.
UPS facility engineers documented the building’s energy efficiency, showing how fine-tuning the building’s systems saves UPS more than $100,000 per year in energy costs.

UPS pursues a wide range of socially responsible and sustainable business practices designed to reduce its impact on the environment and improve communities around the world. Learn more about UPS's responsible business practices at www.ups.com/responsibility.

IKEA Powers-Up Solar Energy System's Panels At Baltimore Store

12.08.2011 - 06:00AM

IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today officially plugged-in the solar energy system installed at its store in Baltimore, Maryland. The 77,300-square-foot PV array consists of a 618.2-kW system, built with 2,576 panels. IKEA Baltimore’s program will produce approximately 823,500 kWh of clean electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing 626 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂), eliminating the emissions of 111 cars or powering 71 homes yearly (calculating clean energy equivalents at www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html).

This investment by IKEA reinforces the company’s long-term commitment to sustainability and confidence in photovoltaic (PV) technology. IKEA owns and operates each of its solar PV energy systems atop its buildings – as opposed to a solar lease or PPA (power purchase agreement) – and this Baltimore installation represents the 13^th completed solar energy project for IKEA in the United States, with twenty more locations underway, making the U.S. solar presence of IKEA 75% of its locations, with 26.8 MW of generation capacity.

For the development, design and installation of the Baltimore store’s customized solar power system, IKEA contracted with REC Solar, one of the largest U.S. solar electric installers with more than 7,500 systems built nationwide.

“We are thrilled at how this solar energy system furthers our sustainability commitment at IKEA Baltimore,” said Dannielle Ellington, IKEA Baltimore store manager. “IKEA has a never-ending job where most things still remain to be done. We constantly ask ourselves how we can improve what we do today for a better tomorrow. We appreciate the support of local officials, BGE and REC, our partners in this project.”

IKEA, drawing from its Swedish heritage and respect of nature, believes it can be a good business while doing good business and aims for its operations to minimize impacts on the environment. Globally, IKEA evaluates all locations regularly for energy conservation opportunities, integrates innovative materials into product design, works with Global Forest Watch to maintain sustainable resources, and flat-packs goods for efficient distribution. Specific U.S. sustainable efforts include: recycling waste material (paper, wood, plastic, etc.); incorporating environmental measures into the construction of buildings in terms of energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems, recycled construction materials, skylights in warehouse areas, and water conserving restrooms; and operationally, eliminating plastic bags from the check-out process, phasing out the sale of incandescent light bulbs and facilitating recycling of customers’ compact fluorescent bulbs. Also, IKEA is installing electric vehicle charging stations at nine stores in the Western U.S.

Located on 12.3 acres on Honeygo Boulevard, west of I-95, the 205,000-s.f. IKEA Baltimore opened in September 1988. In addition to nearly 10,000 exclusively designed items, IKEA Baltimore presents 25 different room-settings, a supervised children’s play area, and a 150-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries and Gravad Lax plates, as well as American dishes. Other family-friendly features include a ‘Children’s IKEA’ area in the Showroom, baby care rooms, preferred parking and play areas throughout the store.

IKEA aims to be ‘The Life Improvement Store,’ and since its 1943 founding in Sweden, has offered home furnishings of good design and function, at low prices so the majority of people can afford them. There are currently more than 330 IKEA stores in 40 countries, including 38 in the U.S. IKEA incorporates sustainable efforts into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information, go to IKEA-USA.com.

IKEA to Grow Company's U.S. Solar Presence to 75% with Plans to Install Solar Panels on All Ten Locations In Southern U.S.

12.06.2011 - 07:00AM

IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today announced plans to install solar energy panels on ten additional United States locations – its entire presence in the Southern U.S. Pending governmental permits, installation can begin this winter, with completion expected in Summer 2012. Collectively, the nine stores and one distribution center will total 10.7 Megawatts (MW) of solar generating capacity, nearly 45,360 panels, and a projected annual electricity output of 15,248,334 kilowatt hours (kWh).

This investment by IKEA reinforces the company’s long-term commitment to sustainability and confidence in photovoltaic (PV) technology. IKEA will own and operate each of its solar PV energy systems atop its buildings – as opposed to a solar lease or PPA (power purchase agreement) – now including its three Texas stores (Frisco, Houston and Round Rock), three Florida stores (Orlando, Sunrise and Tampa), three other stores (Atlanta and Charlotte, and in Woodbridge, VA), and the IKEA Distribution Center in Savannah, GA as listed below with approximate system statistics and corresponding clean energy equivalents (based on calculations from www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html).

Atlanta, GA – opened in 2005; store size: 366,000 SF on 15 acres

Solar Program: 129,800 SF at 1,038 kW; 4,326 panels generating 1,421,300 kWh/year

Equivalent to reducing 1,080 tons of CO₂, 192 cars’ emissions or powering 122 homes

Charlotte, NC – opened in 2009; store size: 356,000 SF on 25 acres

Solar Program: 126,500 SF at 1,011 kW; 4,214 panels generating 1,330,000 kWh/year

Equivalent to reducing 1,011 tons of CO₂, 180 cars’ emissions or powering 114 homes

Frisco, TX – opened in 2005; store size: 310,000 SF on 28 acres

Solar Program: 114,000 SF at 912 kW; 3,879 panels generating 1,336,300 kWh/year

Equivalent to reducing 1,016 tons of CO₂, 181 cars’ emissions or powering 115 homes

Houston, TX – opened: 1992; new store built: 2004; size: 300,000 SF on 15.6 acres

Solar Program: 116,400 SF at 931 kW; 3,962 panels generating 1,317,500 kWh/year

Equivalent to reducing 1,001 tons of CO₂, 178 cars’ emissions or powering 113 homes

Orlando, FL – opened in 2007; size: 309,000 SF on 22 acres

Solar Program: 120,900 SF at 967 kW; 4,115 panels generating 1,421,500 kWh/year

Equivalent to reducing 1,080 tons of CO₂, 192 cars’ emissions or powering 122 homes

Round Rock, TX – opened in 2006; store size: expanding to 306,000 SF on 22 acres

Solar Program: 203,700 SF at 1,629 kW; 6,932 panels generating 2,398,000 kWh/year

Equivalent to reducing 1,822 tons of CO₂, 324 cars’ emissions or powering 206 homes

Sunrise, FL – opened in 2007; size: 293,000 SF on 20 acres

Solar Program: 132,100 SF at 1,056 kW; 4,494 panels generating 1,554,600 kWh/year

Equivalent to reducing 1,181 tons of CO₂, 210 cars’ emissions or powering 134 homes

Tampa, FL – opened in 2009; store size: 353,000 SF on 29 acres

Solar Program: 148,700 SF at 1,189 kW; 5,061 panels generating 1,792,300 kWh/year

Equivalent to reducing 1,362 tons of CO₂, 242 cars’ emissions or powering 154 homes

Woodbridge, VA – opened in 2001; 325,000 SF on 11.5 acres

Solar Program: 63,900 SF at 511 kW; 2,128 panels generating 644,500 kWh/year

Equivalent to reducing 490 tons of CO₂, 87 cars’ emissions or powering 55 homes

Savannah, GA Distribution Center – opened in 2007; size: 750,000 SF on 115 acres

Solar Program: 187,500 SF at 1,500 kW; 6,250 panels generating 2,029,500 kWh/year

Equivalent to reducing 1,542 tons of CO₂, 274 cars’ emissions or powering 175 homes

IKEA already has 12 U.S. solar energy systems operational with 11 more underway. Adding solar to ten more locations increases the company’s solar presence to 75% of its U.S. locations and a total solar generating capacity of approximately 26.8 MW. “IKEA believes we can be a good business while doing good business,” said Mike Ward, IKEA U.S. president. “This investment extends our solar presence to the Southern U.S., further reducing our carbon footprint and the intensity of the electrical grid.”

IKEA, drawing from its Swedish heritage and respect of nature, reflects a business and operating model designed to minimize impacts on the environment. Globally, IKEA evaluates locations for energy conservation opportunities, integrates innovative materials into product design, works with Global Forest Watch to maintain sustainable resources, and flat-packs goods for efficient distribution. Specific U.S. sustainable efforts include: recycling waste material (paper, wood, plastic, etc.); incorporating environmental measures into the construction of buildings, such as energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems, recycled construction materials, skylights in warehouse areas, and water conserving restrooms; and operationally, eliminating plastic bags from the check-out process, phasing out the sale of incandescent light bulbs and facilitating recycling of customers’ compact fluorescent bulbs. Also, IKEA is installing electric vehicle charging stations at nine stores in the Western U.S.

For the six Florida and Texas stores, IKEA contracted with REC Solar, one of the largest U.S. solar electric providers, with more than 7,000 systems built nationwide. For the four other locations, IKEA contracted with Gehrlicher Solar America Corp., part of Gehrlicher AG, one of the world's ten largest independent PV project developers and system integrators. Both contracted companies already are implementing other solar PV programs for IKEA too.

Presidents Obama and Clinton Tour Transwestern Managed Property; Launch the Better Buildings Challenge

12.02.2011 - 01:40PM

/PRNewswire/ - President Barack Obama held a press conference at 815 Connecticut in Washington, D.C., a Transwestern managed property, to announce nearly $4 billion in combined federal and private sector energy upgrades to buildings over the next two years. These commitments, which are part of the Better Buildings Challenge, are targeted at reducing energy use and promoting energy independence. This announcement builds on 14 private sector commitments announced at the Clinton Global Initiative America in June to make energy upgrades across 300 million square feet, and to invest $500 million in private sector financing in energy efficiency projects.

Prior to the press conference, President Obama and Former President Bill Clinton were greeted at the property by Transwestern president and chief executive officer Larry P. Heard. "The Better Buildings Challenge is a national energy efficiency leadership initiative to make commercial buildings 20 percent more energy efficient by 2020. Transwestern is proud to be part of this very important program," said Heard. "For us, there's a real 'business case for green': Optimized operations yield heightened financial performance, which enables our clients to maximize their returns. We are pleased to be recognized by the government and administration for our leadership in energy efficiency and sustainability."

For this official launch of the Better Buildings Challenge, the Presidents were led on a tour of 815 Connecticut, NW where they were shown first-hand the energy upgrades made at the project and discussed how such upgrades positively impacted operating costs. The property is a 240,000 square foot office building in downtown Washington D.C., Transwestern, along with development partner, DRI, Inc., is currently working on a significant renovation and modernization project to replace the exterior facade, primary mechanical, ventilation and control systems in order to reduce utility expenses and improve indoor environmental quality. To date, the energy efficiency measures that have been completed are saving almost $200,000 per year, or over $0.99 per square foot.

The Better Buildings Challenge is part of the Better Buildings Initiative launched in February by President Obama, and spearheaded by former President Clinton and the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness to support job creation by catalyzing private sector investment in commercial and industrial building energy upgrades to make America's buildings 20 percent more efficient over the next decade, reducing energy costs for American businesses by nearly $40 billion.

Transwestern is advancing its commitment to promoting sustainability and improving building performance by committing 442 office buildings, totaling 78 million square feet of its managed portfolio to the Better Buildings Challenge. Transwestern is executing its goal to reduce energy consumption across this portfolio by more than 20 percent by 2020 by working with building owners to identify and implement innovative, deep energy retrofits to lower operating costs and improve the bottom line through environmentally responsible operating practices.

About Transwestern
Transwestern is a national, privately-held operating company specializing in commercial real estate services, investment and development. The firm's fully integrated approach delivers value to owners, investors and users of commercial real estate through innovation, penetrating market intelligence and legendary service delivered by teams of local experts. Transwestern has product specialties in office, industrial, retail, multifamily and healthcare and is an industry leader in sustainability solutions and in market research through its affiliate, Delta Associates.

Please visit www.transwestern.net or follow us on Twitter at @Transwestern.

Frito-Lay Unveils "Near Net Zero" Manufacturing Facility

10.05.2011 - 09:29AM

/PRNewswire/ - PepsiCo's Frito-Lay North America division today celebrated the success of its most ambitious environmental sustainability project to-date by announcing that its Casa Grande, Arizona, facility has reached "near net zero." The "near net zero" vision was to transform an existing facility so that it would be as far "off the grid" as possible and run primarily on renewable energy sources and recycled water, while producing nearly zero landfill waste.

"As a company that relies on key natural resources like water and fuel, Frito-Lay has developed strategies to ensure our business remains sustainable, even if there are constraints on those resources," explains Al Carey, past CEO and president, Frito-Lay North America. "Frito-Lay and its parent, PepsiCo, are committed to finding innovative solutions that are right for the business and right for the environment. The 'near net zero' project is an industry-leading example of how the two successfully intersect."

Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption and 13% of water consumption, making environmental sustainability initiatives for new and existing buildings a significant opportunity. In fact, greater building efficiency can help meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy.

Frito-Lay invested in and implemented a combination of technologies to enable the Casa Grande plant to significantly reduce the use of key natural resources and reduce the site's overall environmental footprint. Using innovative technologies, the Casa Grande facility is generating 2/3 of all energy used from renewable sources and is working toward significant reductions:

50% reduction of greenhouse gases
75% of water is recycled
80% reduction of natural gas usage

"Frito-Lay set out to create an environmental learning lab in our Casa Grande plant that would try to make the plant 'near net zero,'" said Al Halvorsen, senior director of environmental sustainability, Frito-Lay North America. "Our approach to significantly reduce the use of natural resources and the environmental impact of a manufacturing site has been cutting edge and today marks a major milestone for Frito-Lay and PepsiCo."

Water Reduction: The Casa Grande facility installed a water recovery and reuse system that combines Membrane Bio Reactor (MBR) and Low-Pressure Reverse Osmosis (LPRO) technologies to recycle from 50% to 75% of water. The recycled process water meets Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) primary and secondary drinking water standards.

Electricity Reduction: Five separate and distinct solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, installed throughout the property, produce nearly 10 million kilowatt-hours (KWHs) of electrical power. Two solar fields of single axis tracking PV systems with more than 18,000 solar panels were installed on 36 acres of the facility's agriculture property. The three additional PV fields installed by the plant include a dual axis tracking system, a single axis covered parking lot and 10 sterling engine dual axis tracking systems.

Natural Gas Reduction: The newly installed 60,000 pounds per hour (lb/hr) biomass boiler, which uses wood and agricultural waste as its combustion energy source, will produce all the steam needed for the manufacturing plant and will reduce natural gas usage by over 80%.

Zero Landfill: As of 2010, the Casa Grande facility sends less than 1% of its overall waste to landfill through extensive recycling and using food waste for cattle feed.

LEED: During the course of implementation, the Casa Grande facility became the first existing food manufacturing site to achieve LEED® Existing Building (EB) Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2009.

Moving forward, Frito-Lay will leverage key learnings from the Casa Grande plant and apply them to other facilities where appropriate. Every Frito-Lay plant is identifying projects and approaches to get closer to "near net zero" and to significantly reduce its environmental footprint.

For more than a decade, Frito-Lay North America has been committed to reducing the use of key major resources and the company's overall environmental footprint. The company has nearly reached or exceeded its aggressive conservation goals, based on 1999 levels, to reduce water use by 50%; natural gas by 30%; and electricity by 25%. In addition, the company created an environmental strategy for its fleet to reduce fuel use by 50% by 2020.

Frito-Lay Casa Grande has been part of the Pinal County community for more than 25 years. The nearly 188,000-square foot building sits on 202 acres of land. Frito-Lay Casa Grande's more than 350 associates make some of America's favorite snack chips, including Lay's and Ruffles potato chips, Fritos corn chips, Tostitos and Doritos tortilla chips, and Cheetos cheese-flavored snacks.

About Frito-Lay

Frito-Lay North America is the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate Web site, www.fritolay.com, the Snack Chat blog, www.snacks.com and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fritolay.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales each. Our main businesses -- Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay, and Pepsi Cola -- also make hundreds of other enjoyable foods and beverages that are respected household names throughout the world. With net revenues of approximately $60 billion, PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment, including by conserving energy and water usage, and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support, and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

Nestle Waters North America Headquarters Earns U.S. Green Building Council's Gold Standard for Sustainable Building

09.15.2011 - 08:23AM

/PRNewswire/ - Nestle Waters North America, the third largest beverage company in the U.S., today announced its headquarters in Stamford, Conn. has received the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED) Gold certification, verified by the Green Building Certification Institute. This marks the company's 10th LEED-certified building. To date, Nestle Waters has the most LEED-certified facilities of any U.S. food and beverage manufacturer, with more than 3.7 million square feet designed and built to meet LEED standards.

In 2003, the company became the first food and beverage manufacturer in the U.S. to receive LEED certification for its Stanwood, Mich. plant—one of the first-ever industrial facilities to earn the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) sustainability standard. In its 2008 Corporate Citizenship Report, Nestle Waters pledged to have all newly constructed buildings meet LEED certification.

"Nestle is to be commended for earning LEED Gold for its own headquarters—the 10th LEED-certified project in the company," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, USGBC. "Given the prominence of the Nestle brand, the Stamford headquarters will be a showcase for high-performance, energy-efficient, healthy buildings, and an inspiration for others. Congratulations!"

More than 500 people employed at Nestle Waters' Stamford headquarters moved to this facility in October 2010. Two Stamford-based firms led the renovation of the building located at 900 Long Ridge Road. CPG Architects did the re-design and Pavarini led the construction effort. The building incorporates many "green" features, as well as attributes that encourage greater employee collaboration, including:

A white roof to reduce use of heating and air conditioning
Low energy/high efficiency lighting system and low-flow water fixtures in bathrooms
Convenient recycling in logical locations, such as kitchens and coffee bars
The first Cradle-to-Cradle-certified office chairs
An employee shuttle from the Stamford train station to encourage use of public transportation
Preferred parking spaces for low-emission vehicles
Cubicles built with low partitions and ample seating areas for co-workers to discuss ideas
High recycled content on furniture, fabrics, countertops, carpet and ceiling tiles

"We feel good coming to work every day, being part of and showing visitors the innovative, green features of our office building," said Kim Jeffery, president and CEO of Nestle Waters North America. "We had a goal to achieve LEED when we took on a complete renovation for our new headquarters. As with our bottling plants, we created a facility that supports the environment, the employees who work here, and the surrounding community, and earning LEED Gold heightens that commitment."

Beyond LEED-certified buildings, the company also works to reduce its environmental footprint by advocating for improved bottle recycling and preserving more than 14,000 acres of land near its spring water sites. To learn more about the company's sustainability initiatives in the areas of packaging, production, transportation, water use and recycling, click here.

Since 2003, Nestle Waters' additional LEED-certified facilities have helped the company reduce energy use by 1.5 million kWh, carbon emissions by 2.1 million pounds, and water use by nine million gallons:

Dallas, Texas (Silver, 2009)
Kingfield, Maine (Gold, 2009)
Breinigsville, Pa. (Gold, 2009)
Hollis, Maine (Silver rating, 2009)
Madison County, Fla. (Silver rating, 2006)
Red Boiling Springs, Tenn. (Silver rating, 2005)
Cabazon, Calif. (Silver rating, 2004) – first food manufacturing facility to earn a silver rating
Hawkins, Texas (Silver rating, 2004)
Stanwood, Mich. (LEED Certified 2003) – first food and beverage manufacturing facility to earn LEED certification

For more information on Nestle Waters, visit www.nestle-watersna.com.

About Nestle Waters North America

With 35-years of experience with healthful hydration in the bottled water segment, Nestle Waters produces six regional spring water brands in the U.S., three international brands, and Nestle Pure Life, its nationally distributed purified bottled water. Sales for Nestlé Waters North America topped $4 billion in 2010. The company's dedication to quality, employee development, seeking to bring shared value to communities, and its commitments to environmental stewardship, especially in the areas of water use, energy and packaging, has led Nestle Waters to the number one bottled water position in the U.S.

Pixel Sweeps Awards Season

09.06.2011 - 12:05PM

Grocon's Pixel, currently the most sustainable building in the country as rated by the Green Building Council of Australia, has collected ten awards in the past 12 months in Victorian, Australian and international competitions.

Starting with the Banksia Award for Built Environment/Harmonious Landscapes in late 2010, Grocon went on to win the Forest Stewardship Council Award for Developer of the Year, with Pixel using only FSC products and becoming the first project outside Europe to be 100% certified by the FSC.

In 2011, Pixel has won the Best Sustainable Building Award at the Master Builders Association (Victoria) Awards, the Australian Business Awards Best Eco-Product category for Pixelcrete and a Merit Award at the Green Building Awards for the Asia Pacific.

At the Premier's Sustainability Awards in Victoria, it received two prizes – the Built Environment Award and the Products or Services Award for Pixelcrete, as well as winning a Melbourne Award from the Melbourne City Council for Grocon’s Contribution to Sustainability.

Pixel has won the Award for Sustainable Architecture at the Victorian Architecture Awards and also the Australian Property Industry's President's Award.

Grocon CEO Daniel Grollo said the whole company was proud of what had been achieved with Pixel. “I think we’ve set a new benchmark in terms of sustainability and we’ve had plenty of high profile visitors to Pixel, including US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard,” he said.

“We’ve also participated in Melbourne Open House for the past two years, taking thousands of members of the public through the building.

“The systems we’ve used at Pixel to make it carbon neutral are now being adopted by various companies all over the country. We need to lead the way in sustainability to be ready for the changes coming through with the introduction of a carbon tax.”

Pixel has also been a finalist in the BRW Australian Private Business Awards, the United Nations Association of Australia awards.

As a result of its Victorian success, Pixel is now in the running for the National Master Builder's and Institute of Architects awards and is a candidate in the Engineering Excellence awards, the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Airconditioning and Heating (AIRAH) awards and the Building Products News Sustainability Awards.

CVS/pharmacy's New York Distribution Center Awarded LEED(R) Gold Certification

08.25.2011 - 09:12AM

/PRNewswire/ - CVS/pharmacy and Gray Construction announced today that the recently opened CVS/pharmacy distribution center in Chemung County, New York has been awarded LEED^® Gold certification. Gray is the design-build firm responsible for the design and construction of CVS/pharmacy's new facility.

LEED, a trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the nation's preeminent green building certification program. Projects seeking LEED certification are evaluated for their implementation of practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. Standing for "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design," LEED promotes sustainable building and development practices through a suite of rating systems that recognize projects that implement strategies for better environmental and health performance. Gold is the second-highest level of LEED certification given by the USGBC.

CVS/pharmacy's Chemung building is the company's first LEED-certified distribution center. The 751,000 sq. ft. facility's LEED certification is also notable for being the largest industrial building in the state of New York to achieve the Gold level. In addition, it is one of the 10 largest industrial buildings in the U.S. to receive LEED Gold certification.

Examples of sustainable design elements incorporated into CVS/pharmacy's new distribution center include:

Energy-efficient, white PVC insulated roof
Interior & exterior lighting with daylight sensors and timers
High-efficiency, low-flow plumbing fixtures
Rainwater harvest system for irrigation
Fluorescent fixtures and skylights
Construction process using local materials, recycled materials and waste recycling

"CVS Caremark is committed to contributing to a healthy environment in all areas of our business and we are very proud that our new distribution center in Chemung was awarded LEED Gold certification," said Ron Link, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and Logistics at CVS/pharmacy. "This achievement reflects the years of dedication and hard work of our colleagues from around the company and our partners at Gray Construction."

Gray, which has customers throughout the United States, has been designing and building to LEED guidelines for several years. Currently, about 40 to 50 percent of Gray's projects have met some level of LEED certification.

"CVS Caremark embraces a long-term commitment to sustainable design and construction, which is reflected by the LEED Gold certification of their new facility," said Stephen Gray, President and CEO Gray Construction. "We applaud their vision and are proud to have been a part of their team."

The Chemung distribution center, which opened in June 2011, will support the inventory and fulfillment needs of approximately 350 CVS/pharmacy stores in the northeast. Representing an investment of approximately $90 million, the facility will employ about 300 people by the end of this year and a total of 600 people when it reaches full capacity.

About CVS/pharmacy

CVS/pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS), is America's leading retail pharmacy with more than 7,200 CVS/pharmacy and Longs Drug stores. CVS/pharmacy is committed to improving the lives of those we serve by making innovative and high-quality health and pharmacy services safe, affordable and easy to access, both in its stores and online at CVS.com. General information about CVS/pharmacy and CVS Caremark is available at http://info.cvscaremark.com.

About Gray Construction

Gray has completed over 62 million square feet of distribution space across the U.S. and is ranked 7th for distribution construction in the U.S. Gray is a nationally ranked engineering and construction firm headquartered in Lexington, KY with offices in Alabama, California, Kentucky and Tokyo, Japan. Gray provides customers with programming, planning, site selection, engineering, design, construction and equipment installation services. Beyond distribution, Gray works for customers in the automotive, food and beverage, chemicals, energy, and manufacturing markets. For more information, please visit www.gray.com.

United Nations Federal Credit Union Headquarters Earns LEED Silver Certification

08.23.2011 - 12:14PM

/PRNewswire/ - In keeping with its efforts to protect the environment and operate as a good citizen of the world, United Nations Federal Credit Union (UNFCU) today announced that its headquarters received the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program (LEED®) Silver certification for its energy-saving, eco-friendly programs.

Owned by UNFCU and managed by Cushman & Wakefield, the 16-story, 274,000-square foot, Class A office building, known as Court Square Place, was completed in 2006. Having earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Energy Star® in 2010, the Long Island City-based financial cooperative, performed several systematic upgrades and continued its ongoing rigorous monitoring program to effectively address five main areas: Sustainable Site, Energy/Atmosphere, Water Efficiency, Materials and Resources and Indoor Environmental Quality. Coming in under budget, UNFCU realized a total 58 points in the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance rating system; out of a possible 59 points in its "Silver" category.

"Attaining the distinguished LEED certification fits our service mission and is a testament to our hard-working team," said Charles Bellotti, assistant vice president, Facilities and Real Estate Management at UNFCU.

UNFCU specifically achieved a 40,377 watt energy reduction by removing 1,077 non-essential lights, changing 186 of these to more efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting for a total reduction of 42,981 watts during the first six months of 2011.

"This is a well-designed and air-tight building which holds the heating and cooling, enabling the building engineers to operate efficiently by starting the building up later and shutting it down earlier thereby saving energy," said Thomas Holland, property manager, Cushman & Wakefield.

Moreover, the institution took steps to control interior and exterior lights via motion sensors and elevators are in "sleep" mode during low demand periods; installed water conserving fixtures to save water by restricting flow; reduced emissions in accordance with a ASHRAE Level II Energy Audit; introduced a total waste management system that saved 85% of its items from reaching landfills, purchased energy credits.

"Because it is difficult to attain, LEED certification really sets the property apart," said Katy Koehler, LEED Consultant, LEED AP, Envision Realty Services. "We hope that Court Square Place encourages other building owners to take action."

UNFCU also implemented a sustainable purchasing policy to include paper products and office supplies and uses only green cleaning solutions that are Energy Star® certified products.

"We constantly review data on gas, electricity and water and are finding that despite changes in extended tenant operating hours, and swings in weather patterns, we have been able to achieve reduced operating costs," said Walter Symanski, Chief Engineer, Cushman & Wakefield.

Over the past year, the UNFCU Green Team became a Green Movement with 30 staff members regularly contributing ideas, organizing eco-fairs, recycling activities and participating in a local farming cooperative.

What is more, according to a recent tenant survey conducted by UNFCU, at least 90% of building occupants use public transportation. More than 250 UNFCU back office and executive staff occupy seven floors. Tenants, including the United Nations, lease the remaining space. The building is currently 93% occupied.

UNFCU's Court Square Place is the second existing building in Long Island City to receive LEED Silver certification. In 2009, MetLife's Long Island City facility was the company's first property to receive this award. As of 1 June 2011, a total of 34 existing buildings in all of New York City were deemed LEED EB certified.

About United Nations Federal Credit Union
Since 1947, UNFCU has been dedicated to serving the financial needs of the United Nations community worldwide. With a comprehensive array of products and services branches in New York and representative offices in Geneva, Switzerland; Vienna, Austria; Nairobi, Kenya; and Rome, Italy, UNFCU lives and breathes its mission, "Serving the People Who Serve the World®." To follow all of UNFCU's corporate social responsibility activity, please visit us at unfcu.org/facebook.

About U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
The U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising 79 local affiliates, nearly 16,000 member organizations, and more than 168,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. GDP from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Life Cycle Assessment of Rigid Insulation Reveals Large Savings in Green House Gas Emissions

08.11.2011 - 08:00AM

This spring, The Dow Chemical Company’s (NYSE: Dow) Building Solutions Group completed a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) study of its full product portfolio of insulated sheathing products. This paper, “Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction from Rigid Thermal Insulation Use in Buildings,” published in April 2011 in the peer reviewed Journal of Industrial Ecology, reports extensive data regarding the significant amount of Green House Gas Emissions (GHGs) saved from the use of insulation in buildings in North America, Europe and Asia.

The report marks a significant milestone towards demonstrating Dow’s approach to sustainable business. In accordance with Dow’s 2015 Sustainability Goals, LCAs are conducted to understand the expected environmental benefits and tradeoffs associated with a technology, and to guide product development and implementation. Examining products from a life cycle perspective helps to ensure that anticipated sustainability benefits of Dow’s products can be achieved, and helps promote increased sustainability awareness among customers and manufacturers alike.

“Bringing more sustainable products and technologies to the building and construction environment requires a life cycle view,” said Neil Hawkins, Dow’s vice president of Sustainability and Environment Health & Safety. “LCA expertise is a powerful asset that can deliver business value and accelerate progress toward more sustainable practices and products all along the value chain.”

Recently building insulation products from Dow Building Solutions received recertification by the Cradle to Cradle® Certification program, a well known, multi-attribute eco-label that assesses a product’s safety and environmental impact. “This certification, coupled with the additional LCAs, helps re-enforce customer confidence in specifying Dow’s high performance building insulations, which includes such trusted solutions as STYROFOAM™ and THERMAX™ brand insulations, that help reduce monthly utility costs while significantly cutting associated green house gas emissions,” said Scott Young, Dow Building Solutions Portfolio Director for Energy Efficiency Solutions. “Dow Building Solutions has a proud history working with industry leaders, including our valued customers, to demonstrate the key role high performance, long lasting insulations play in designing sustainable, energy efficient homes and buildings.”

Thermal insulation plays a key role in the building sector to reduce energy consumption and related green house gas emissions. According to a McKinsey & Company study, improving building insulation is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce green house gas emissions and lower energy costs. This LCA study validates that Dow’s insulated sheathing products when properly installed, are estimated to provide energy-saving benefits that last for over 50 years. The study also examines each stage of the product’s life cycle (raw material extraction, production, delivery, use, and disposal) to determine the total amount of CO₂ emissions that occur in order to use the insulation. Overall, these results show that over the life cycle of Dow’s insulation products the GHG emissions saved are on average 48 times greater than the GHGs emitted to produce, use and dispose of the product itself.

You can review the complete paper, “Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction from Rigid Thermal Insulation Use in Buildings” here.

About The Dow Chemical Company

Dow (NYSE: Dow) combines the power of science and technology with the “Human Element” to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world’s most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow’s diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses deliver a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2010, Dow had annual sales of $53.7 billion and employed approximately 50,000 people worldwide. The Company’s more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 35 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

About Dow Building Solutions

Dow Building Solutions has a 60+ year legacy of providing energy saving solutions to the global commercial and residential construction industry, which began with the launch of its flagship STYROFOAM™ Brand Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) Foam Insulation, one of the most recognized brands of insulation in the world. A market-facing business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, Dow Building Solutions offers exceptional building science expertise to help builders, designers, architects and home/building owners reduce energy costs and protect against wind, rain and moisture, while contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. More information about Dow Building Solutions can be found at www.dowbuildingsolutions.com

About MBDC (McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC

MBDC is a consulting and certification firm that helps clients become environmental leaders and create a positive footprint on the planet by implementing the Cradle to Cradle framework. The Framework is based on internationally recognized architect/designer William McDonough and chemist Dr. Michael Braungart's book Cradle to Cradle - Remaking the Way We Make Things, published in 2002 by NorthPoint Press. MBDC has two primary service offerings: Cradle to Cradle® Certification is a rigorous and comprehensive certification program that evaluates products and materials for human health, environmental health and recyclability. Cradle to Cradle® Consulting helps clients integrate the larger Cradle to Cradle® design framework to optimize product life cycles, organizational operations and decision-making. MBDC works with global clients within various sectors and industries. Cradle to Cradle® is a trademark of MBDC. Cradle to Cradle Certified (CM) is a certification mark of MBDC.

Nalco Program Helps Veterans Administration Facility Improve Indoor Air Quality, Reduce Carbon Emissions

07.19.2011 - 10:43AM

Nalco (NYSE: NLC), providing essential expertise for water, energy and air, has helped the Veterans Administration's Fayetteville VA Medical Center (FVAMC) in North Carolina reduce energy use, cut utility costs and avoid the release of more than 1,920 tons of greenhouse gas annually.

Hospital officials wanted to increase the building's energy efficiency and improve indoor air quality for patients and staff at the 70-year old facility. Individual rooms and offices are heated and cooled by fan coils, individual wall-mounted heating and cooling units that were installed 35 years ago.

The FVAMC environmental team approached Nalco for a solution. Nalco engineers applied patented COIL-FLO® technology to deep clean and disinfect the coils, installed high efficiency, antimicrobial filters and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected the internal surfaces of each unit.

Air temperatures are now more consistent and the filters reduced particulates in patient care areas by as much as 90 percent, helping eliminate odors and creating a safer, more pleasant environment for both patients and staff members.

Shelley Reeder, the medical center's Green Environmental Management Systems coordinator, said the difference after the project's completion was noticeable.

"We had a lot of positive feedback from people who said they could tell the difference," Reeder said. "We got emails from people saying the air smelled cleaner and their eyes weren't itchy anymore. They were ecstatic that we were doing something with the fan coil units."

Improved efficiency reduced the hospital's utility costs by $154,000 per year and the total cost of the project was repaid in energy savings within seven months. Greenhouse gas savings were equal to removing more than 340 cars a year from the road.

The project won a 2011 VA Sustainability Achievement Award which is given to VA employees and facilities who have demonstrated outstanding environmental stewardship and whose efforts have resulted in significant contributions to the environment. One requirement for the award was that the project could be duplicated at other VA facilities. The Salisbury, N.C., VAMC is adopting a fan coil cleaning project of its own.

About Nalco

Nalco is the world's largest sustainability services company focused on industrial water, energy and air applications; delivering significant environmental, social and economic performance benefits to our customers. We help our customers reduce energy, water and other natural resource consumption, enhance air quality, minimize environmental releases and improve productivity and end products while boosting the bottom line. Together our comprehensive solutions contribute to the sustainable development of customer operations. Nalco is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indexes. More than 12,000 Nalco employees operate in 150 countries supported by a comprehensive network of manufacturing facilities, sales offices and research centers to serve a broad range of end markets. In 2010, Nalco achieved sales of $4.25 billion. For more information visit www.nalco.com.

KeyBank's Tiedeman Campus Earns EPA ENERGY STAR Certification

07.11.2011 - 12:32PM

/PRNewswire/ - KeyBank's Tiedeman Campus in Cleveland has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR certification, which signifies that the buildings perform in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meet strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA.

"KeyBank is very pleased at this recognition of our energy efficiency efforts," said Peter Hemme, EVP, Director Real Estate Solutions. "These efforts are part of our broader commitment to sustainability and green practices, a commitment that demonstrates the many ways we help our communities thrive. Energy efficiency aligns with our strategy of making socially responsible investments in the future of our planet."

Commercial buildings with ENERGY STAR certification use an average of 35 percent less energy than other buildings and release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. With this program, KeyBank has prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to the electricity use from 363 households for a year or 1016 tons worth of recycled waste that did not go to landfills.

KeyBank's Real Estate Solutions developed its energy savings program through strategic partnerships with Green Concepts International LLC, and Johnson Controls.

About KeyCorp
Cleveland-based KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $90 billion. Key companies provide investment management, retail and commercial banking, consumer finance, and investment banking products and services to individuals and companies throughout the United States and, for certain businesses, internationally. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For up-to-date company information, media contacts and facts and figures about Key lines of business, visit http://Key.com/newsroom to view our Media Newsroom.

Mack-Cali's Downtown Manhattan Property Achieves LEED Silver Certification

07.11.2011 - 11:45AM

/PRNewswire/ - Mack-Cali Realty Corporation (NYSE: CLI) today announced that 125 Broad Street in Downtown Manhattan has been awarded LEED-EB:OM Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). To date, 125 Broad Street is the only Downtown Manhattan office building that has achieved LEED Silver certification.

The LEED-EB:OM ("Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design – Existing Buildings: Operation & Maintenance") certification recognizes maximized operational efficiency with minimized environmental impact. It addresses cleaning and maintenance issues – including chemical use – recycling programs, exterior maintenance programs, and system upgrades. It is the only LEED rating system under which projects can demonstrate actual energy efficiency and sustainable operations performance metrics.

Highlights of 125 Broad Street's sustainability achievements include:

ENERGY STAR designation, which places the building in the top 15% of similar buildings in terms of energy efficiency
Implementation of an enhanced metering program, which helps to maintain optimum design efficiencies in the total expected annual energy consumption for the building
Recycling efforts resulting in an over 50 percent diversion rate of recyclables from landfill of ongoing consumable waste and a 100 percent diversion rate of the durables entering the waste stream
Implementation of an extensive green cleaning program
Plumbing fixture upgrades
Use of high efficiency air filters, resulting in enhanced indoor air quality

CodeGreen provided consulting services on the project.

Mitchell E. Hersh, Mack-Cali president and chief executive officer, commented, "We are very proud to have achieved this important designation at 125 Broad Street, which enhances the institutional quality of this class A building. Today, businesses and government agencies are more environmentally conscious and are looking specifically for office properties that are energy efficient and more sustainable, with a goal of reducing their overall carbon footprint."

Mack-Cali Realty Corporation is a fully integrated, self-administered, self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) providing management, leasing, development, construction and other tenant-related services for its class A real estate portfolio. Mack-Cali owns or has interests in 278 properties, primarily office and office/flex buildings located in the Northeast, totaling approximately 32.4 million square feet. The properties enable the Company to provide a full complement of real estate opportunities to its diverse base of over 2,000 tenants.

Additional information on Mack-Cali Realty Corporation is available on the Company's website at www.mack-cali.com.

Statements made in this press release may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "plan," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," or comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties, many of which the Company cannot predict with accuracy and some of which the Company might not even anticipate, and involve factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and are advised to consider the factors listed above together with the additional factors under the heading "Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Reports on Form 10-K, as may be supplemented or amended by the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are incorporated herein by reference. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements that become untrue because of subsequent events, new information or otherwise.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

A photo is available for download at www.mack-cali.com/media-page.

125 Broad Street is just one of two Downtown Manhattan commercial properties to have received the LEED certification. To verify, you can go to: www.usgbc.org/LEED/Project/CertifiedProjectList.aspx.

Thomas M. Cooley Law School Pursues Green Building Certification from the Society of Environmentally Responsible Facilities

06.28.2011 - 10:14AM

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ - The Thomas M. Cooley Law School (Cooley Law School), the largest law school in the country by enrollment, is pursuing green building certification from the Society of Environmentally Responsible Facilities (SERF). The certification will encompass seven buildings located throughout Cooley Law School's campuses in Ann Arbor, Auburn Hills, Grand Rapids and Lansing, Mich.

Cooley Law School was founded in 1972 and has graduated more than 15,000 individuals. The campuses feature a number of innovative, green features. These include: a 20,000-square-foot vegetated roof, an energy-efficient computer-controlled building automation system, water conserving toilets, landscape irrigation and adaptive building reuse.

"Today's students have an elevated environmental consciousness, and they want to learn, work and reside in green buildings," said Joe Maguire, president and co-founder of SERF, a coalition of property owners, business executives and green industry experts focused on making environmental certification affordable and accessible. "Cooley Law School is a leader in legal education and is now leading the way in setting sustainable standards of educational facilities, which benefit the students, faculty, alumni and surrounding community."

Cooley Law School recently initiated the SERF-certification process for the seven buildings, which include new, existing and historic structures. The Law Center in Grand Rapids, Mich., which houses the law library, faculty and administrative offices, classrooms, courtrooms and student offices, is the first building to complete the SERF certification. Cooley anticipates that the remaining building certifications will be completed in July 2011.

"We're committed to building green campuses at Cooley and sought a green building certification that would recognize our important sustainability efforts, while also making sound financial sense," said Don LeDuc, president of Cooley Law School. "Due to its efficiency, flexibility and reasonable costs, SERF enables us to attain a credible certification that will offer meaningful, long-term benefits for years to come."

Though the process is more streamlined, the requirements and criteria for SERF-certification are as stringent as those covered by other certification programs. The buildings are evaluated on 20 core categories of environmental sustainability. They include HVAC, structure, lighting, landscaping, water usage, recycling, green cleaning and indoor air quality. As part of the certification process, the seven buildings are being independently certified by Energy Financial Analytics, a subsidiary of P.M. Environmental, a full-service environmental company with offices throughout the Midwest and Southeast.

About SERF
Headquartered in East Lansing, Mich., the Society of Environmentally Responsible Facilities (SERF) is a coalition of property owners, business managers and green industry experts certifying green buildings and promoting Practical Environmental Stewardship™. Founded in 2010, SERF provides the only viable independent environmental alternative to the USGBC's LEED certification. In less than a year, SERF has certified 32 buildings in Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas and has fourteen certifications currently in process. For more information about SERF, please visit www.SERFgreen.org or connect with SERF on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Cooley Law School is the largest law school in the nation. Founded in 1972, the private, non-profit law school operates J.D. programs across Michigan in Lansing, Auburn Hills, Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor. Today, Cooley Law School has more than 15,000 graduates across the nation and worldwide and also offers joint degree and master of laws programs. Cooley offers enrollment three times a year; in January, May and September. Additional information about Cooley can be found at www.cooley.edu.

Piedmont Natural Gas' Tennessee Operations Center Receives "GOLD" Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Status

06.15.2011 - 01:47PM

/PRNewswire/ - Piedmont Natural Gas (NYSE: PNY) today announced that its Tennessee Operations Center facility in Nashville, Tennessee has received the coveted "Gold" rating from the United States Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED rating system. The facility, completed in April, 2010, has won numerous other awards including the Urban Land Institute's Excellence in Development Award 2011, the 2011 Middle Tennessee Office Development of the Year Award from the Nashville chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, and a McGraw-Hill Best of 2010 - Award of Excellence for Architectural Design. The Tennessee Operations Center joins Piedmont's Tarboro (NC) Operations Center as the Company's second operations facility to earn a prestigious LEED rating from the USGBC and is Piedmont's first Operations Center to receive a "Gold" rating. The Tarboro Operations Center received a "Silver" rating.

Thomas E. Skains, Piedmont's chairman, president, and chief executive officer, commented on the LEED recognition, "We are certainly proud of the fact that this facility has been awarded a 'Gold' LEED rating from the USGBC. Coming just after the release of our inaugural Sustainability Report last week, the LEED recognition is tangible proof of our long-standing commitment to operate our business based on a specific set of values and sustainable practices and to be good stewards of our communities, the environment, and our shareholders' investment."

The USGBC is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that promotes the design and construction of buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. To obtain the group's GOLD rating, Piedmont's new operations facility was rated on six major areas including sustainable sites, water use, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality and materials and resources. Some of the facility's design features include LED lighting systems that use less energy and last up to five times longer than fluorescent or incandescent lighting; the use of solar powered lighting for the parking lot; protection from solar heat gain through the use of exterior building shades controlled by the sun's orientation; construction of the building using materials that contained recycled content of over 20 percent; and, a partial "green roof" that helps control solar heat gain through the roof. The building site is also home to a five-acre wetland that was preserved during the construction process and upon which the Company has created mulched walking trails and pedestrian bridges.

Designed by C design Inc., the building was developed and constructed by Baron + Dowdle Construction. The civil engineer on the project was Barge Cauthen & Associates.

About Piedmont Natural Gas

Piedmont Natural Gas is an energy services company primarily engaged in the distribution of natural gas to more than one million residential, commercial and industrial utility customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, including 53,000 customers served by municipalities who are wholesale customers. Our subsidiaries are invested in joint venture, energy-related businesses, including unregulated retail natural gas marketing, interstate natural gas storage and intrastate natural gas transportation. More information about Piedmont Natural Gas is available on the internet at http://www.piedmontng.com.

Morgan Stanley and National Equity Fund Respond to U.S. Storm, Flood and Tornado Devastation with $100 Million "Rebuilding Local Economies Fund"

06.15.2011 - 12:02PM

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) and National Equity Fund, Inc. (NEF) today jointly announced the establishment of a new disaster-area development program that seeks to accelerate affordable housing construction and create jobs in U.S. regions devastated by recent storms, floods and tornadoes.

Morgan Stanley is establishing a $100 million "Rebuilding Local Economies Fund" that will target FEMA disaster counties in 13 states, including Missouri, North Carolina and Alabama, by investing in projects using Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) to finance new construction or rehabilitation. NEF, a leading national syndicator of Low Income Housing Tax Credits, will manage the fund, which has the potential to replace up to 1,000 units of affordable housing and create approximately 4,000 new jobs. NEF is pairing the Morgan Stanley fund with $4 million in predevelopment lending to help project sponsors move their developments forward at an even faster pace. Projects must begin construction by March 2012 to qualify.

"Our goal is to support economic recovery in devastated regions by expediting the rebuilding of housing and creating jobs in those areas most in need," said Audrey Choi, Managing Director and Head of Global Sustainable Finance at Morgan Stanley. "The communities that have been hit by the recent storms, floods and tornadoes can't afford to wait for the typical lengthy development process. They need homes now. They need jobs now. By helping projects get off the ground more quickly, we are laying the foundation for economic recovery in these areas."

Thirteen states were designated FEMA flood and windstorm disaster areas between April and June of this year. NEF operates in all of those states with a portfolio of housing investments that approaches $1.2 billion. NEF's parent, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), is likewise active in these states with broad-based urban and rural community development efforts. Morgan Stanley has previously invested in NEF and LISC efforts around the country, with a particular interest in environmentally sound "green" design and construction. The Rebuilding Local Economies Fund will focus on expediting construction of green affordable housing.

The Morgan Stanley-NEF program aims to slash significant time from the typical development process in places in dire need of replacement housing and jobs, said Joe Hagan, President and CEO of NEF.

"We think it is pretty amazing that the senior staff at Morgan Stanley sat down and asked, 'How can we make a real difference in these places?'" Hagan said. "Contributing to charitable relief efforts is one thing – and it's a very important thing. But this $100 million fund means that hundreds of economically challenged residents will be able to find new homes, and communities can recoup some of the jobs lost to the storms. I’m not sure you can put a price tag on what that will mean to the folks who live there."

Market dynamics have left many areas of the South and Midwest – especially rural communities – with few LIHTC sources for development, particularly expedited development efforts, Hagan explained. "The Low Income Housing Tax Credit is the nation's most successful affordable housing production program. But it doesn't work equally everywhere."

"Morgan Stanley has long made it a priority to support investments in areas not well served by the rest of the market," he noted. "They are continuing that with this program. These communities have a significant need for housing investment capital, and the tax credit is a terrific tool to help fuel recovery if we can put it to work quickly."

The Morgan Stanley Rebuilding Local Economies Fund will target counties designated as FEMA disaster areas between April and June of 2011 in the following 13 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Tennessee.

For more information about project investments, contact: Robert Johnston at 972-342-6621 or rjohnston@nefinc.org.

About Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals from more than 1,300 offices in 42 countries. Morgan Stanley seeks to give back to the communities in which its employees live and work through its Global Sustainable Finance group and its Community Affairs office. The Firm and its employees have provided nearly $2.5 million in disaster-relief funds in 2011. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

About National Equity Fund
National Equity Fund, Inc. (NEF) is a nonprofit Chicago-based affiliate of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and the nation's largest syndicator of Low Income Housing Tax Credits. Since 1987, NEF has invested $8.8 billion in more than 2,000 LIHTC projects that have built and preserved nearly 122,000 homes affordable to low-income families and individuals. For more information, visit www.nefinc.org or www.lisc.org.

Danfoss, a Global Manufacturer, Advocates for Building Energy Efficiency as New, Bipartisan Bill Is Introduced

05.24.2011 - 12:14PM

(Marketwire) - Supporting the recent introduction of new, bipartisan energy efficiency legislation, Robert Wilkins, vice president public affairs at Danfoss North America (www.danfoss.us), a leading manufacturer of high-efficiency electronic and mechanical components and controls for air-conditioning, heating, refrigeration and motion systems, is advocating that the HVACR industry take a more assertive role in the movement toward high-performance buildings.

According to Wilkins, most building professionals recognize the benefits of the movement: long-term costs savings, reduced energy consumption, healthier and more comfortable work environments, smaller carbon footprints and decreased greenhouse gas emissions.

A recently published Danfoss report - Industry Research & Report: High-Performance Buildings - supports Wilkins' assertions. In this qualitative research, Danfoss interviewed building owners, architects, engineers, contractors and manufacturers in an effort to identify the key benefits and challenges of designing, constructing and operating high-performance buildings. The results of those interviews are included in the report, which is available for download on the company's website.

As the report reveals, first-cost issues often impede progress toward high-performance buildings.

"Tight capital, strained earnings, high vacancy rates, deflated values and depressed prices, public and private debt and future entitlement commitments, which together contributed to the weakest economy and building marketplace that we have known for some time, mean the first-cost focus will likely persist for the foreseeable future," noted Wilkins. "This is what makes the legislation introduced by Senators Shaheen and Portman so important."

As first-cost issues continue to plague building professionals and energy costs steadily increase, Wilkins sees both challenges and opportunities for the HVACR industry to provide higher efficiency at reduced cost, especially with the support of provisions in the proposed legislation.

"New buildings present an opportunity to achieve significant energy savings over the long term, particularly if building owners use a systems approach to energy efficiency," said Wilkins. A systems approach considers how building components and systems can be integrated to work together to achieve maximum energy results and, ultimately, net-zero energy building design.

But existing buildings - where old, inefficient equipment can be replaced with today's efficient technologies - represent the greatest opportunity to conserve energy in the near term. More than 25,000 old, inefficient chillers with ozone-depleting CFC refrigerants still operate in the United States, with half the efficiency of modern chillers. In addition, many residential air-conditioning systems with SEER equivalents of 7, 8 or 9 continue to operate, even though new systems averaging 14 SEER and premium systems between 16 and 20 SEER are available commercially.

"We need to create financial incentives that help building owners overcome the challenging physical and economic obstacles to system upgrades," said Wilkins. "This includes financing mechanisms and the removal of disincentives, including the 39-year tax depreciation on mechanical equipment with estimated life spans of 15 to 20 years."

At the same time, Wilkins suggests the industry advocate for:

Modernized building codes that level the playing field for state codes and encourage manufacturers to effectively and efficiently meet consistent and higher standards - provisions included in the proposed legislation
An effective building energy rating system for moderate and lower-end buildings - similar to the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) system for higher-end buildings - to help building owners realize the value of their investment in energy efficiency and incentivize them to research and install energy-saving solutions

Wilkins commends Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) for introducing the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2011 (S.1000) on May 12.

The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2011 uses a variety of low-cost tools to reduce barriers for private sector energy users and drive adoption of off-the-shelf efficiency technologies that will save businesses and consumers money, make America more energy independent and reduce emissions. Designed to speed the transition to a more energy efficient economy, the bill would:

Expand the existing Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Guarantee program to include energy retrofits
Establish a loan program that enables customers of rural electric co-operatives to make efficiency upgrades to their homes or businesses
Strengthen national model building codes to make new homes and commercial buildings more energy efficient
Provide standards on outdoor lighting, residential HVAC and lighting and other appliance products
Work with states to establish a revolving loan program to help finance efficiency upgrades
Require the federal government, the single largest energy user in the country, to adopt energy saving techniques for computers
Require agencies to share best practices for advanced metering technology to remotely monitor and better manage energy usage in government buildings

The demand for energy is expected to grow as much as 45 percent by 2030. "Market-driven innovations in our industry will continue to move us toward a more energy-efficient future," Wilkins concluded. "But regulatory support, beginning with passage of the Shaheen-Portman bill, is needed if we truly wish to see greater strides toward high-performance buildings and a more energy-independent and financially secure future."

"We also encourage the industry to recognize the importance of moving energy efficiency legislation like the Shaheen-Portman bill forward by engaging with their own senators' offices to ensure the ultimate bill will be the most practical solution to meet our national objectives for HVACR systems."

To read more of Wilkins' call for support of high-performance buildings, please visit http://www.danfoss.com/North_America/EnVisioneering/EnVisioneering/Building+Energy+Efficiency+into+our+Future.htm.

Integral Group Earns 9th and 10th LEED Platinum Certifications

05.23.2011 - 06:00AM

Integral Group (formerly Rumsey Engineers) today announced that the Moraga Barn, in Moraga California and ClimateWorks Headquarters Phase 2, in San Francisco California were both awarded LEED Platinum certifications by the USGBC. These are the firm's 9th and 10th LEED Platinum certified buildings for the Oakland office. Integral specializes in the design of simple, elegant, cost-effective HVAC systems for critical and green building environments. Though a relatively small firm, Integral Group is a heavy-hitter in the world of LEED - the few firms that have more LEED Platinums than Integral are no less than 10 times its size. Integral was the first firm in the US to achieve 7 LEED Platinum projects. The firm is expecting to complete 17 more LEED Platinum projects that are currently in design.

Built in 1914, the Moraga Barn is the oldest building in Moraga and houses the headquarters for Canyon Construction. The design achieved LEED Platinum by going above and beyond the normal green building practices to demonstrate the most effective, efficient and refined construction principles available today. Canyon Construction and Integral Group created one of the most innovative green buildings in the country using an ultra energy and water efficient design, salvaged and sustainably harvested materials, and 100% on-site renewable electricity production. The mechanical system features an in-slab radiant heating and cooling system with chilled water produced by a ground-source coupled chiller and hot water by a 95% efficient condensing gas boiler. Natural ventilation, including operable windows and rooftop cupola, provides a high degree of user control and allows natural night cooling. Three 5000 gallon cement tanks are buried in the courtyard and collect the rain water that will irrigate the property.

ClimateWorks is an international philanthropic network dedicated to achieving low-carbon prosperity headquartered in the Russ Building - a California State Historic Landmark building in the heart of the San Francisco Financial District. The ClimateWorks Foundation headquarters office makes use of many inherently sustainable features of the original 1929 building. The building's concrete thermal mass acts like a flywheel maintaining a relatively constant temperature, responding slowly to temperature changes, and greatly reducing daytime peak cooling needs. Natural ventilation is provided through operable windows, existing radiators were retrofitted and refurbished, and the building's thin floorplate provides abundant natural daylight. Energy efficient systems include a dedicated outside air system which provides excellent indoor air quality; compressor-free cooling during most of the year; daylighting and low energy lighting; a CO2 control/demand based ventilation control; low pressure drop duct design; and low pressure drop air handler design and selection.

These successful historic renovations demonstrate the attainability of sustainability in existing buildings. Integral Group strives to make sustainable and energy efficient design accessible, readily attainable and cost effective for all building types. Integral Group has been a consistent leader in the development of new and innovative mechanical systems that significantly reduce building energy use. Integral Group differs from other firms in their commitment to green buildings - all of their projects are focused on sustainable design. The firm's mission is to fundamentally change building practices to be dramatically more sustainable and resource efficient.

For more information see:
www.integralgroup.com
www.canyonconstruction.com
www.climateworks.org

MiaGreen 2011 Expo & Conference

08.17.2010 - 09:49AM

MiaGreen Expo & Conference, launched in 2009, has expanded and developed into the leading GREEN trade, professional and educational convention for Southeast US and Latin America and Caribbean markets. It is now recognized as the Green Convention of the Americas.

At the MiaGreen Expo & Conference you CONNECT with major domestic and hemispheric markets in a prime location, Miami, Business Hub of the Americas. It works also a winter escape in South Florida for participants coming from north and Europe. The upcoming expanded 3rd edition takes place on March 3 & 4, 2011 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Event categories include:

Building, Construction & Remodeling

Energy & CleanTech

Recycling & Waste Management

Green Products, Certifications & Education

Financial Solutions & Incentives

Trade Consulting & Services

At the MiaGreen 2011 you find:

Exhibit Hall with thousands of green products & services

Featured Opening Sessions

Major Educational & Accredited Programs on

Designing & Building Greener Americas

How to Be Green and Be Profitable

Green Policies, Certifications & Incentives

It's All About Energy

Impacting the Environment

Special courses by major educational partners

Special educational track for exhibiting sponsors introducing "Innovative Green Products & Technologies"

Cocktail Reception and more…

You may download the complete Exhibitor/Sponsor package at event's website at any time. Opportunities are available on a first come basis.

On-line attendee registration for the conferences and/or exhibit hall (at unbeatable early bird rates for a limited time) starts in September 2010.

For complete info visit www.MiaGreen.com or call (305) 412-0000.

ECOWEEK 2010 Young Architects Forum in the Middle East

06.18.2010 - 08:43AM

ECOWEEK 2010: GREEN ARCHITECTURE :: COMMUNITY :: SUSTAINABILITY International Conference and Interdisciplinary Workshops for Young Architects, Designers and Planners will give young professionals and graduate students the opportunity to learn from and cooperate with expert professionals through discussing, planning, and even constructing "green" projects for communities in Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Negev Desert, and the Biennale of Bat Yam.

Participants will work side by side with known and established architects, designers, and engineers from Israel, Palestine, Greece, Italy, Europe, and the US. The participating young architects and students of Architecture are expected to join the program from Israel, Palestine, Greece, Italy, Europe and the US. They will work in small groups of no more than 10-15 people and will learn together the principles and tools to integrate sustainability principles, "green" Architecture and ecological solutions in their Architecture and design decisions. They will also have the opportunity of working with real clients for real projects some of which will be built.

ECOWEEK 2010 includes lectures and keynote lectures by international and regional speakers, thematic lectures and interdisciplinary workshops, optional site visits to ecological houses, and hands-on workshops. Participating architects and experts are Prof. Robert Axelrod (University of Michigan), Michael Sorkin (Sorkin Studio, New York), Bjarke Ingels (BIG, Denmark), Nataly Gattegno and Jason Johnson (Future Cities Lab), Thomas Rau (Holland), Thomas Doxiadis (doxiadis+, Greece) and others.

ECOWEEK 2010 is also planning an additional component to take place in Greece in the fall 2010. More details will be announced shortly.

2nd China Green Building Summit 2010

03.24.2010 - 09:27AM

Hosted by Duxes Business Consulting and endorsed by powerful organizations around the world, 2nd China Green Building Summit 2010 will take place on June 3rd to 4th, 2010 in Beijing, China.

As a congress, the 1st China Green Building event successfully gathered over 80 senior management and board level executives from 50 businesses. This 2nd summit is to explore the Chinese green building industry and interpret the newly released policies and regulations. The summit will provide a communication platform for all the delegates to exchange ideas, to find solutions to current challenges, and to engage in networking opportunities. Various industry players and distinguished speakers from China central government will be gathered to source development trend of green building in China and share with the attendees their precious experience in daily practices.

According to statistics, 60% of a city's carbon emission is due to the buildings and the maintenance of building functions, only 30% is from the transportation. In China, every year almost 2 billion square meters will be used for construction of new buildings which is equal to half of the total amount of the world. Copenhagen climate change conference on December 18, 2009 has marked the development of ecological economy characterized by low carbon energy. Green building as an important part of the ecological economy is becoming more and more popular. It's said that the value created by green building and green upgrades will achieve more than 55 billion dollars by 2012. It is under this macro economic background that this event is launched.

Event highlights:

Deep Interpretation on Green Building Rating System and Subsidies

Systematical Disclosure on Certificating of Environmental Labeling Products and Government Purchasing

Overview of Market Identification and Development Trend of Green Building in China

Best Practice of Green Building Architecture and Real-life Case Study

First-hand Information of Latest Technologies and Green Materials

Outlook of the Development of Eco-city in China

Close Contact with Competent Authorities of the green building industry in China

Effective Platform for Business Exploration and Partner Identification in China

For more information, please visit www.chinagreenbuilding.com.

Green Buildings Open House

08.03.2009 - 03:59PM

GREEN BUILDINGS OPEN HOUSE, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2009
10:00 am - 4:00 pm

See how your neighbors are reducing their energy bills and carbon footprint through the power of the sun, wind, and smart building design. On Saturday, October 3, the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association is welcoming the public to visit local sustainable homes and buildings throughout Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware to see clean renewable energy at work.

The Green Buildings Open House is presented in conjunction with the American Solar Energy Society’s National Solar Tour. Homeowners and facility managers will be showing visitors the latest in renewable energy technologies, sustainable building materials, and energy efficient appliances. Take a local tour to learn how you, too, can save by going green. To find the Green Buildings Open House sites nearest you, visit www.nesea.org.

NESEA's Green Buildings Open House

10.04.2008 - 12:00AM

See how your neighbors are reducing their carbon footprint and cutting their energy bills through the power of the sun, wind, and smart building design. On Saturday, October 4, the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association is welcoming the public to visit local sustainable homes and buildings throughout Massachusetts and the Northeast to see clean renewable energy at work.

The Green Buildings Open House operates in conjunction with the American Solar Energy Society's National Solar Tour. Homeowners and facility managers will be showing visitors the latest in renewable energy technologies, sustainable building materials, and energy efficient appliances. Take a local tour to learn how you, too, can save by going green. To find the Green Buildings Open House sites nearest you, visit www.nesea.org/buildings/openhouse

Guest Speaker: Alex Wilson

02.21.2008 - 11:00PM

Alex Wilson is the Executive Editor of Environmental Building News. For more than 25 years Alex has written about energy-efficient and environmentally responsible design and construction. Prior to starting his own company in 1985 (now BuildingGreen, Inc.), he was executive director of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association for five years; before that he taught workshops on the construction of solar greenhouses in New Mexico in the late '70s. Alex is author of Your Green Home (New Society Publishers, 2006) and coauthor of the Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings (ACEEE, 8th edition, 2003) and the Rocky Mountain Institute's comprehensive textbook Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate (John Wiley & Sons, 1998). He has also written hundreds of articles for other publications, including Fine Homebuilding, Architectural Record, Landscape Architecture, the Journal of Light Construction, and Popular Science. Along with writing about design and construction, Alex has written four guidebooks on quiet-water paddling published by the Appalachian Mountain Club--covering all of New England and New York State. Alex served on the board of directors of the U.S. Green Building Council for five years and he is currently a trustee of The Nature Conservancy - Vermont Chapter.