Green Hotel in Napa Caters to Eco-Conscious Travelers Seeking Luxury

4 mins

NAPA, Calif. — Located on four acres in American Canyon, the Gaia Valley Hotel is an eco-operational hotel that features several concepts endorsed by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program.

The hotel offers such amenities as fine dining, more than 4,000 square feet of meeting and conference facilities, a fitness and business center, pool and a full-service spa. But what really sets this property apart is that it is environmentally sustainable and it attempts to set a trend for eco-conscious travelers.

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U. Va. Seeks Certification for Five Buildings

2 mins

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — School officials are making a commitment to have all new construction on campus qualify for LEED certification, and they currently have five projects that may do just that.

Although striving for LEED certification often leads to an increase in design fees, facilities upgrades and construction costs, school officials realized it can create a prompt payback on investment, so they made LEED a top priority in campus design.

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County Hopes to Strike Gold with its First Green Building

9 mins

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — The new $16.6 million county education center in Gwinnett County does more than just rest on its 233-acre site; it lives on it.

Designed by Atlanta-based Lord, Aeck & Sargent, the 59,000-square-foot Gwinnett Environmental Heritage Center is the county’s first green building, and features several sustainable elements, including a water recycling program and a living, green roof that allow the center to “give back” to the environment.

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Elementary School to Exceed State Energy Requirements

2 mins

LINCOLN, Calif. — Construction is under way for the 55,647-square-foot Lincoln Crossing Elementary School, and the building is set to exceed state energy requirements by 22 percent.

Expected to cost approximately $20 million to build, the school will house 660 students and 29 teaching areas. Features of the energy-saving design include high-performance HVAC and lighting systems, an energy-efficient building shell, sustainable building materials, day lighting, deep overhangs and high-tech glazing.

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Fuel Cell, Solar Panels Save Energy at Santa Rita

3 mins

DUBLIN, CALIF. — A new fuel cell power plant, coupled with an extensive solar panel system, is capable of providing up to 80 percent of electricity needed at the Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County.

The power plant, which was dedicated in August and started producing energy last May, is the first megawatt-class fuel cell cogeneration plant in California and the second plant of its kind in the United States. It is located on-site behind the jail’s kitchen and also provides for the facility’s hot-water needs.

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