News

Planned $360 Million Hospital Reaches for LEED Gold

2 mins

PORTLAND, Ore. — Plans are in the works for a new $360 million Kaiser Permanent hospital complex that will meet some of the worlds strictest environmental standards. Health care system officials predict the Kaiser Westside Medical Center in Tanasbourne — between Beaverton and Hillsboro — will qualify for LEED Gold status, making it one of just 36 health care facilities in the world to reach that designation.

While LEED-certified buildings are becoming common, achieving LEED certification in the medical building world has thus far been uncommon.

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NextEra to Replace Thousands of Wind Turbines

2 mins

OAKLAND, Calif. — NextEra Energy Resources has agreed replace thousands of wind turbines in California’s Altamont Pass as part of a settlement with state lawmakers and environmental groups, according to the California attorney general’s office. The replacement aims to reduce the number of golden eagles, red-tailed hawks and other birds killed by the turbine blades.

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Long Island Begins Solar Carport Installation

2 mins

SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. — Enxco Development Corp. has begun construction on the Suffolk Solar Carport Project to build carports with solar modules on top at seven parking sites throughout Suffolk County. Mercury Solar Systems, a Long Island-based solar contractor, will install the modules.

The carports will generate up to 17 megawatts of electricity through 60,000 solar modules, which will be sold to the Long Island Power Authority through a 20-year power purchase agreement with Enxco.

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HVAC Company Earns LEED Gold

3 mins

MINNEAPOLIS — Daikin and McQuay announced yesterday that it has earned LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its Applied Development Center located at the company’s headquarters in Plymouth, Minn.  

The 49,000-square-foot research center is the world’s most advanced facility for HVAC research and development, according to McQuay. The Daikin McQuay Applied Development Center was designed and built by Mortenson Construction, Hammel, Green and Abrahamson Architects and Engineers, Hunt Electric and Eaton Mechanical.

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Audi Bringing Solar to German Manufacturing Plants

2 mins

INGOLSTADT, Germany — German automaker Audi that it is expanding its rooftop solar electricity installation at its main plant in Ingolstadt, Germany and plans to charge its e-tron cars with electricity generated at the plant.

By the end of the month the company says it will also have installed additional photovoltaic solar panels on the roof of its new Audi A3 body construction facility located in the country.

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Banks, Investors Chip In for Public Solar Projects

9 mins

BERKELEY, Calif. — Borrego Solar Systems, a designer and installer of grid-tied commercial and public sector solar power systems, announced hat it closed its second fund with US Bank and East West Bank to finance six solar energy projects worth $36 million. Two of the fund’s main projects are a 1.2-megawatt system at Madera Community Hospital north of Fresno, California and a 1.8-megawatt system at the San Diego County Water Authority.

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Calif. Taco Bell Goes Solar

3 mins
ALBANY, Calif. — The Taco Bell restaurant franchise in Albany became the first commercial facility in California to receive a PG&E rebate check earlier this week for installing a solar hot water system. The rebate came under the new CSI-Thermal program for commercial and multifamily applications.

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Boston Building Earns LEED Gold

1 mins

BOSTON — Boston commercial property owner Equity Office Properties announced that its building at 222 Berkeley was awarded LEED Gold certification for Existing Buildings by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The building, located in Boston’s Back Bay, contains 535,000 square feet of retail and office space. Tenants include Houghton Mifflin, Summit Partners, Liberty Mutual and Bank of New York Mellon.

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