December 2011

Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard

PROMOTION — Occupant awareness is key to maintaining an efficient building.  The Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard from QA Graphics is an interactive application used to illustrate building performance and educate about sustainable initiatives to help motivate everyone to conserve resources. The end-user can update content/images to ensure the solution stays current with the facility’s sustainable initiatives.  This dashboard contributes towards LEED®, Green Globes® and CHPS credit.

QA Graphics

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GAO Reviews Green Federal Initiatives

WASHINGTON — In an effort to determine the benefits of interagency cooperation, the U.S. Government Accountability Office conducted a review of current initiatives by federal agencies to foster green building in the nonfederal sector, and determine what is known about the results of the initiatives.

The agency identified 94 initiatives implemented by 11 agencies, with 18 initiatives by the Environmental Protection Agency and 17 by the Department of Energy.

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Green Manufacturing Network Formed

ROCKFORD, Ill. — The Fabricators and Manufacturers Association announced its new Green Manufacturer Network, a professional organization of individual members aimed at driving the transition to environmentally friendly manufacturing.

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Rugged Collection Container

The Poly-Trux 50P-16 from recycling product manufacturer Meese Orbitron Dunne Co. features a rugged collection container, ideal for recycling, remodeling and construction. The single piece is rotationally molded from 100 percent high-density polyethylene for impressive load bearing strength and puncture resistance needed to collect and transfer construction and demolition materials, according to the company.

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LED Downlight

Sea Gull Lighting unveiled its new Energy Star-qualified Traverse LED downlight as an alternative to traditional recessed lighting. The new product provides dimmability, color rendering and aesthetics, while reducing energy and operating costs by up to 80 percent, according to the company.

With an efficacy of 51 lumens per watt, the Traverse downlight offers high lumen output, providing 20 percent more light and delivers long operating life of over 50,000 hours, lasting 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

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Spacer Cable Systems

Hendrix Wire & Cable’s Spacer Cable Systems offer a green solution for overhead distribution. The systems can help reduce the amount of vegetation destroyed for distribution circuits with its compactness and its ability to withstand temporary contact with branches without causing outages, according to the company. A Spacer Cable circuit is confined to less than 1 foot, reducing vegetation removal and allowing multiple circuits to be placed on a single pole.

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Doug Hickey

Lunera Lighting, Inc. appointed Doug Hickey as executive chairman of the company’s board. Hickey has more than 20 years of operational experience holding senior-level positions in the telecom, Internet and technology sectors, serving most recently as partner at Hummer Winblad Venture Partners and CEO of Critical Path.

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IGCC Hearings Lead to Amended Thermal Requirements

BETHESDA, Md. — Final hearings last month for the 2012 International Green Code yielded a number of advances, including what some call a straightforward approach to minimum thermal requirements for roof and wall systems. The new code will also extend the minimum thermal requirements to all low-slope roof replacements involving above-deck insulation.

The council will publish the first edition of the code in the spring of 2012, and expects it to become the primary benchmark for green construction standards and practices.

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Davaco Acquisition of Ecoxera Leads to Expanded Operations

DALLAS — Davaco Inc. expanded its operations to include multi-site sustainability and resource reduction solutions that help retail and restaurant chains optimize their performance, thanks to its recent acquisition of retail sustainability consulting firm Ecoxera.

Justin Doak, founder of Austin, Texas-based Ecoxera, will continue to serve as the company’s president.

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Phase 1 Environmental Assessments Up 13 Percent

MILFORD, Conn. — Demand for phase 1 environmental site assessments on real estate projects involving 10 or more properties increased 13 percent in the third quarter of 2011, reaching the highest level in five quarters, according to Environmental Data Resources Inc. (EDR), a Milford, Conn.-based environmental data firm.

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