Greening News
CLEAN BURN RECEIVES AWARD FROM U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Clean Burn, a leading manufacturer of used-oil furnaces and boilers, has received the “2009 Save Energy Now Energy Saver” award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Industrial Technologies Program. The Energy Saver award is presented to those companies that participate in a Save Energy Now energy assessment and successfully achieve more than 75,000 MMBtu total energy savings or more than 7.5% total energy savings. One of the unique aspects that made Clean Burn eligible for this award is that the company heats its 125,000-square-foot manufacturing facility with recycled used-oil through the company’s boilers and furnaces. The company does not use any electricity or natural gas for heat. Clean Burn is an ENERGY STAR® partner.
FACILITY ENGINEERING ASSOCIATES RELEASES SECOND “HOW TO” SUSTAINABILITY GUIDE
Facility Engineering Associates (FEA), in partnership with the IFMA Foundation, has released its second guide in the Sustainability “How To” Series. The new publication, EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, was written by FEA’s Maureen Roskoski, Laurie Gilmer and Greg Hughel. The guide was created to help facility professionals better understand how to maintain a successful energy management program. The guide highlights essential terms and explains monthly and annual energy consumption within buildings and how this consumption can change over time; the publication also provides step-by-step assistance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s online tool, the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. The guide may be obtained through FEA’s Web site at www.feapc.com.
SUNLIGHT PLANET HIRES NEW CEO
Rachael Simonoff Wexler, a leading legal advisor to businesses in alternative energy and clean technology, has become CEO of Sunlight Planet, LLC, a Venice, Calif.-based financial services firm specializing in commercial renewable energy projects. Sunlight Planet provides financial and legal structuring services, investor support and project fund administration for owners and investors of sustainable development and renewable energy projects throughout the U.S. Wexler joins Sunlight Planet from the Los Angeles office of Goodwin Procter.
MELAVER, INC. INTRODUCES “REHYDRATE US” INITIATIVE
Melaver, Inc.’s sustainability guru, Tommy Linstroth, has introduced the RehydrateUS initiative, calling for home and business owners to reduce their water consumption through three easy steps: replace existing toilets with ultra-high-efficiency toilets, and switch out standard faucet aerators and showerheads with water-efficient models. These steps, says Linstroth, can reduce household or business water consumption by 30% to 60%, and will result in saving 1 billion gallons of water per day. www.rehydrateus.org
NEW PROGRAM TO TEST EFFECTIVENESS OF GREEN CLEANERS
To promote cleaning products that are both green and effective, the International Executive Housekeepers Associate (IEHA) and the University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Toxic Use Reduction Institute (TURI) have launched a program to test and validate high-performance products. The fee-based program will test soil removal efficacy of hard-surface cleaning products — both those certified as “green” by third-party organizations such as Green Seal, EcoLogo and EcoForm, as well as products with green attributes. IEHA and TURI are now accepting applications from manufacturers who wish to have their products evaluated. To apply for testing, email Allen Rathey at arathey@jantrain.com.
FIRESTONE BUILDING PRODUCTS INTRODUCES NEW ENERGY SOLUTIONS DIVISION
Indianapolis-based Firestone Building Products Company, LLC has introduced a new business division: Firestone Energy Solutions. This new division will provide products, systems and services that assist in conversation and the production of energy for the commercial building envelope, such as rooftop photovoltaic (PV) programs and daylighting systems.
ASHKIN DETECTS TIPPING POINT WITH LEED FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS: OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Change Likely to Be Important for Professional Cleaning Industry
After attending and presenting at the recent U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild Conference held in Phoenix, November 11–13, 2009, green cleaning and sustainability advocate Stephen Ashkin notes a change in direction that could have major implications for the professional cleaning industry.
Ashkin is president of The Ashkin Group and Sustainability Tool, Inc., and is often referred to as “the father of green cleaning.” For nearly 20 years, he has been advocating the use of cleaning products and systems that have a reduced impact on users, building occupants, natural resources and the environment.
“I believe we are now at a tipping point regarding LEED* for Existing Buildings,” he says. “At the conference, a strong message was delivered on the importance of addressing the millions of existing buildings adopting the LEED EM:OM protocol.”
LEED EM:OM is a rating system based on a set of performance standards for the sustainable and ongoing operations of buildings not undergoing major renovations. According to Ashkin, the protocol is designed to address many of the daily operations of buildings with considerable emphasis on cleaning and maintenance.
Among its requirements are these:
• Purchasing and using Green and sustainable cleaning products for hard floors, carpets and other surfaces.
• Developing strategies for the safe handling of all cleaning products.
• Training cleaning professionals on the hazards, use, disposal and recycling of cleaning chemicals.
• Collecting building occupant feedback to evaluate and improve new cleaning technologies, procedures and processes.
“This is so important for the [cleaning] industry because green cleaning is no longer viewed as just a requirement for LEED certification; [instead] it plays a key, ongoing role in keeping facilities green and sustainable,” says Ashkin. “It rewards healthier, more thorough cleaning and encourages building owners and managers to invest in more effective, high-performing cleaning strategies.”
Ashkin has been involved with the U.S. Green Building Council since 1993 and is a former member of its national board of directors.
— Robert Kravitz is a frequent contributor to Retail Facility Business. |
June/July 2009
VESTAR DELIVERS FIRST LEED® CERTIFIED RETAIL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN ARIZONA
For the first time in Arizona, a retail development project has earned LEED® certification. Vestar Development Co.’s Oro Valley Marketplace has earned Silver LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) from the U.S. Green Building Council. This achievement is a result of Vestar’s GreenStar initiative, one of the largest and most aggressive environmental commitments from a major U.S. retail developer. GreenStar was the Southwest’s first large-scale commitment to sustainable shopping center building techniques, with the goal to achieve certification for the company’s new development projects and one that has garnered national attention.
WEST DEVELOPMENT GROUP RECOGNIZES SUSTAINABLE ROOFING PRACTICES
LaGrange, Ohio-based West Development Group (WDG), a leader in sustainable roofing products and practices, has implemented a program that recognizes building owners who recycle EPDM rubber roofing membrane. As part of the program, WDG is partnering with organizations to implement sustainable roofing practices by recycling EPDM roofs to keep them out of landfills. Participants — including owners of commercial buildings — can receive a “certificate of environmental responsibility” in recognition of their environmental efforts. Thus far, WDG has presented more than 50 organizations with the certificates.
10 WAYS TO BECOME A GREEN BUILDING
SERVICE CONTRACTOR
By Robert Kravitz
Many building service contractors (BSCs) are now going green, but just like their customers, many are baffled as to what “green” entails and what steps they should take.
One of the first issues to contend with is what to do with all the old and not-so-green cleaning tools, products and equipment.
Although it may come as a surprise, experts generally agree that the most environmentally responsible thing to do is use up all the conventional products with the exception of those that might have the greatest negative impact on health or the environment.
As to equipment, Michael Schaffer, president of Chicago-based Tornado Industries®, suggests replacing conventional vacuum cleaners after 3 years of service and floor care equipment within 5 years or sooner, if possible.
Otherwise, Schaffer suggests the following top 10 ways BSCs can go green:
1. Use only green-certified cleaning chemicals.
2. Choose vacuum cleaners bearing the Seal of Approval from the Carpet and Rug Institute.
3. Group cleaning routes by geographic area to save on fuel.
4. Have workers carpool to job sites.
5. Select floor machines with built-in vacuum systems to help protect indoor air quality.
6. Use cleaning chemical auto-dispensing systems.
7. Encourage clients to install high-performance matting systems.
8. Transfer to cylindrical-brush floor machines, which use less water and chemicals.
9. Extend floor refinishing cycles; some conventional floor care chemicals can be harmful to the environment.
10. Recycle, reuse, reduce — everything.
A final tip, Schaffer adds, is to select multitasking equipment — machines that can be used on hard-surface floors as well as on carpets. “One machine that does two jobs will save space, save time, save resources, and be more cost-effective as well.”
Robert Kravitz is a frequent contributor to Retail Facility Business magazine. |
FALL COLOR IN YOUR LANDSCAPING
By Peter F. Haran
Spring and summer receive most of our attention when it comes to planting in our gardens. Unfortunately, it’s easy to forget to plant for fall. Yet the fall season holds enormous promise for those landscaping enthusiasts willing to plan for it. Don’t allow your landscape design to miss out on the colors offered by autumn’s bounty!
Injecting fall colors into the landscape is about more than just planting maples and other trees that display vivid fall colors with their colorful leaves. As this list of the top 10 colorful shrubs, bushes and vines will show, there are many shrubs and vines that exhibit fine fall colors as well. Some bear colorful berries, others colorful autumn leaves, and some exhibit both. We have selected 10 of these shrubs and vines to compose a “Top 10” list for producing fall colors on the landscape. The shrubs and vines in this list can be grown in most parts of the U.S. (the average hardiness zone range being from zone 4 to zone 8).
Shrub, Bush & Vine Top 10 for Fall Colors
1. Burning Bush
2. Sumac
3. Fothergilla
4. Spirea
5. Blackhaw Viburnum
6. Bittersweet
7. Oak leaf Hydrangea
8. Virginia Creeper
9. Red Chokeberry
10. Viking Black Chokeberry
Selecting Trees for Fall Colors
When selecting trees for fall color, keep in mind that color is more strongly influenced by genes in the plant than by the environment. Trees selected in the fall when they are in full color can be expected to produce the same colors in future years. Red Maple cultivars that display outstanding colors include Red Sunset, October Glory and Autumn Flame. Additional trees to consider that turn red include Dogwood, Japanese red maple, Sweet gum, and Red or Scarlet oak. Trees that have bright golden fall color include Ginkgo, Birch, Honey Locust, some Ash varieties and Norway maple. If its orange fall color you desire, then Sugar Maple, a pre-dominant tree found in the New England landscape, exerts some of the brightest and boldest fall colors imaginable.
Make a note of plants displaying outstanding fall colors as you drive along city streets and the surrounding countryside. You may wish to incorporate some of them into your own landscape. Fall color often can be enjoyed for much longer than the plant’s flowers in the spring. For this reason, it may be more desirable when selecting trees and shrubs for landscape use to plan greater emphasis on their fall features.
October and November are generally considered the best months to plant trees and shrubs. Garden centers and nurseries usually stock a good selection of woody plants at this time of year. Select some accent plants for your landscape that will provide autumn colors as well. RFB
Pete Haran is vice president of Marlton, New Jersey-based Lipinski Snow Services, Inc. and Lipinski Outdoor Services, a division of Lipinski Landscape & Irrigation, Inc. |
June/July 2009
ASHKIN GROUP OFFERS SAFETY TIPS FOR MERCURY-FILLED LIGHTS
The Ashkin Group has offered precautionary suggestions on how to deal with a broken CFL, a standard incandescent light bulb that contains mercury. These suggestions include opening the nearest window and leave the room for 15 minutes, do not vacuum up the glass fragments but instead wear gloves and scoop up fragments with cardboard and discard in a sealed container, use sticky tape to pick up smaller pieces and powder, wipe the area clean with a damp cloth and take the cleanup materials and sealed container to a CFL recycling center. CFLs should be recycled at the end of their lifespan and many retailers such as The Home Depot and Ace Hardware provide recycling services.
BRADLEY TERREON AND TERREON RE RECEIVE GREENGUARD CERTIFICATIONS
Bradley’s Terreon solid surface and TerreonRE recycled solid surface have both received GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification and GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification from the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute. Bradley has achieved this by providing restroom products that are environmentally friendly for indoor applications and contributing to quality indoor air by meeting chemical and particle emission guidelines. TerreonRE offers high performance as well as a traditional solid surface that is comprised of 25% pre-consumer recycled content and a bio-based resin.
PARTNER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE LAUNCHES NEW FIRM
Partner Engineering and Science has entered into a joint venture to launch Los Angeles-based Partner Energy, which is an advisory firm designed to assist commercial building owners and users make smart decisions regarding energy efficiency and compliance with laws and regulations regarding energy and GHG emissions. Tony Liou, former executive with a real estate private equity firm, is head of Partner Energy. The new firm offers services such as identifying achievable and cost-effective energy and greenhouse gas reduction goals, conducting energy audits and performing detailed engineering of the energy efficiency measures.
DANFOSS HOSTS 10TH ENVISIONEERING SYMPOSIUM
Danfoss, a global manufacturer of variable frequency drives, controls, compressors and heating components, hosted its 10th EnVisioneering Symposium on June 13th at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego. Titled “Securing Our Water Supply,” the symposium brought together water industry experts to focus attention on the emerging issues of water scarcity and energy efficiency. The symposium was the first of four national symposia that Danfoss will host throughout the year as part of its 2009 EnVisioneering Series that first began in August 2006.
LEED FOR RETAIL OPEN FOR MEMBER BALLOT
LEED for Retail: Commercial Interiors and New Construction is now open for member ballot. USGBC members are encouraged to vote whether they work in retail or not. Along with the ballot, LEED has also launched Retail Best Practices, which is a set of project profiles designed to illustrate the strategies behind some of the latest certified retail projects.
WHAT THE UTILITY COMPANY DOESN’T WANT YOU TO KNOW
Whether it’s identifying malfunctioning meters and swapping them out or making sure the meter multiplier is accurate, tenants have the burden of identifying these issues and bringing them to the attention of the utility company.
Time is of the essence since many utility companies have a 3-year statute of limitations built right into their tariffs. If a tenants’ store location has an electric meter with a multiplier of 80, and that meter multiplier should have been 40, this tenant would have paid twice as much for electricity. Taking this a step further, if this location had been occupied for 14 years; in this example, the tenant would have paid twice as much for electricity over the past 14 years.
This difficulty is exacerbated by two additional factors:
1) The longer these issues go undetected by the tenant, the greater the utility company’s win-fall. In the example above, the tenant will have paid out the equivalent of an extra 11 years for electricity that can’t be recouped since there is a 3-year statute of limitations!
2) Finding these utility company errors takes a high level of expertise. While most tenants and their accounts payable department are able to identify the larger anomalies between bills, the more significant errors caused by meter malfunctions or meter multiplier issues require a fairly high level of expertise to detect and may even require engineering studies.
In order to limit this exposure, tenants should review each utility bill carefully and flag the ones with large variances. They should separate the variances between billing errors and non-billing errors. Finally, they should analyze the non-billing errors to determine what else could have caused the large variance. If indeed it was the result of a meter malfunction, or meter multiplier, the utility company will require that a revenue quality shadow meter be installed at the store location as proof that an overcharge exists.
Mitch Eichner is national accounts manager for REMCO Energy Solutions, an expense management firm that reduces utility expenses for multi-site locations, such as retail chain stores, car rental agencies, government agencies, restaurants, banking and the grocery industry. |
May 2009
JCPENNEY ADDS SOLAR POWER SYSTEMS TO FIVE NEW JERSEY STORES
J.C. Penney Company, Inc. has installed solar power systems from SunPower Corp. on five JCPenney stores in New Jersey, totaling approximately 2 megawatts. The initiative is part of a solar commitment by JCPenney to host 3.7 megawatts at the five New Jersey stores and four stores in California. In conjunction with the solar panel installations, JCPenney upgraded lighting components at each of the five stores to improve energy efficiency. JCPenney anticipates that the solar power systems will generate the equivalent of 25% of each store’s total energy demand.
The systems installed on the nine stores vary in size from 259 to 602 kilowatts. Each system is owned and operated by Integrys Energy Servcies, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Integrys Energy Corp., Inc., under a SunPower Access power purchase agreement. JC Penney is purchasing electricity from Integrys at rates competitively priced against standard utility rates.
In New Jersey, SunPower has installed solar power systems on JCPenney stores in Deptford, Cherry Hill, East Brunswick, Wayne and Woodbridge. In California, JCPenney stores in El Cajon, Palmdale, Redlands and Santa Clarita are hosting SunPower systems.
In addition to the solar power systems, JCPenney continues to expand its energy management programs. On March 31, 2009, the company received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR® Sustained Excellence Award — becoming the first retailer to receive this award for energy management.
JCPenney operates 1,101 department stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY BUILT INTO VERIZON WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS STORES
Thirty-two Verizon Wireless Communications Stores have earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR®, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection. To be eligible for the ENERGY STAR, a retail location must be at least 5,000 square feet, have 1 year of utility data available for EPA review, and earn an energy performance rating of 75 or higher.
To make stores more energy-efficient, Verizon Wireless installs temperature sensors and energy management systems to monitor HVAC use; controls temperature set-points as well as internal and external lighting schedules; and tracks usage history for maintenance and service requirements. The systems also help Verizon Wireless save on energy costs by activating the ventilating, heating and lighting systems automatically based on the stores’ operating hours. To further reduce energy usage, Verizon Wireless also installs LED exit signs and microcontrollers on vending machines. Stores also feature insulated water heaters to reduce heating costs and properly sealed building “envelopes” and entry doors to prevent the loss of heated or cooled air.
JONES LANG LASALLE MANAGED PROPERTIES EARN ENERGY STAR®
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized the top performing buildings in New England by awarding its prestigious ENERGY STAR, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection. Thirteen properties managed by Jones Lang LaSalle earned the honor. The buildings designated by the EPA rate in the top 25% for energy performance nationwide. Commercial buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR use an average of 40% less energy than typical buildings, and release 35% less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
WESCO INTERNATIONAL WINS ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARD
The Electronics Recycling Division (ERD) of Veolia ES Technical Solutions has named WESCO International, Inc. the winner of its Environmental Stewardship Award for 2008. Pittsburgh-based WESCO International, Inc. is a Fortune 500 company that provides electrical maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products, construction materials and advanced integrated supply procurement outsourcing services. ERD has partnered with WESCO by assisting them with launching recycling programs to customers for mercury-bearing fluorescent lamps, lighting ballasts, batteries and computer electronics throughout the United States. Veolia ES Technical Solutions, LLC is a subsidiary of Veolia Environmental Services North America Corp., headquartered in Chicago.
EPA TO RECOMMEND GREEN CLAIMS FOR DISINFECTANTS AND SANITIZERS
Officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plan to recommend the adoption of a policy that allows suppliers to make valid claims of “environmental preferability” in relation to the marketing of disinfectants and sanitizers. This stance represents a departure from the EPA’s well entrenched policy that prohibits “green” claims to be made in conjunction with the promotion of any EPA registered product.
DOE HONORS PHILIPS FOR ADVANCEMENT IN LED LIGHTING
Burlington, Mass.-based Philips Color Kinetics has been honored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), receiving an award for “Significant Achievement in Solid-State Lighting Research & Development.” The award recognizes Philips’ exceptional progress on an 18-month project intended to produce a highly efficient LED PAR lamp. The DOE is currently funding approximately 50 solid-state lighting projects. According to test results, the lamp being developed is already significantly more efficient than comparable LED PAR 38 lamps on the market, and four to five times more efficient than incandescent lamps. The ultimate performance target is approximately 70 lumens per watt. The project is being funded by a $1.7 million grant from the DOE.
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