Featured Articles

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

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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Fuel Cell, Solar Panels Save Energy at Santa Rita

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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OSU Facility is First Gold Certified Academic Engineering Building

CORVALLIS, Ore. — The Kelley Engineering Center at Oregon State University is the first academic engineering building in the United States to receive LEED gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The $45 million, four-story center opened in fall 2005. The building is designed to have a minimized environmental footprint.

The 153,000-square-foot structure is home to the university’s school of electrical engineering and design, and it provides a research laboratory, classrooms and office space for more than 450 people.

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Lessons Learned

It could be that the essential component in successful sustainable building is simple thoughtfulness. That certainly has been the hallmark in the relationship between the Los Altos School District and San Francisco-based Gelfand Partners Architects – a relationship that has given the district a greened, modernized infrastructure and Gelfand a slew of honors and awards.

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