
The Appeal Group recently commissioned an independent study on the thermal performance of their blinds in a conservatory. This report has shown that Appeal’s blinds play a significant role in the reduction of the internal temperature in the summer, whilst helping to retain heat in the winter. Blinds offer valuable insulation in the cold winter months. The research collected from the independent Faber Maunsell Report shows that the addition of...

NanaWall Systems, the industry leader in opening glass walls, announces its newest product for architects and builders: NanaWall® SL70 with Triple Glazing, providing exceptional thermal performance for the harshest weather conditions. The NanaWall triple glazed SL70 system provides flexible solutions to architectural openings from three to thirty six feet wide using one to twelve panels. The SL70 system was chosen for the glass pavilion at the Bavarian...

Housing developer Actus Lend Lease, SolarCity®, Tucson Electric Power (TEP), and financing parties National Bank of Arizona and U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation (USBCDC) are working to create one of the nation’s largest distributed, community-wide solar power systems at Soaring Heights Communities at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Upon completion, the community is expected to be the largest solar-powered community in the continental...

Careful glazing selection for specific applications (considering things like climate, orientation, and building type) is critical for optimal energy performance and occupant comfort. Guardian’s ClimaGuard 75/68 is a good choice for the solar-exposed sides of buildings in cold climates where both high solar gain and low heat loss are desired. A U-value of 0.28 (or in triple-pane applications as low as 0.15) keeps heat in, but still allows 75 percent...

Award winning architecture by Jones Studio. ASU/APS Environmental Showcase Home. Originally designed as a cutting edge showcase featuring innovative and environmentally interesting materials, systems and concepts for APS, culminating as a highly successful marketing tool to gain community support for the Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant Expansion. A great showcase of ideas, it was later donated to the ASU Foundation who ran it open for tours and as...

The Rainwater H2OG is a modular rainwater storage tank designed for use in tight spaces such as under decks, against houses, or even within walls. Two versions are available: a potable water tank made from virgin food-grade polyethylene, and a non-food-grade tank made with 15 percent recycled content. Each module holds 50 gallons of water that can be used for gardening, irrigation, toilets, laundry, or (with the food-grade tank and after proper filtration)...

Even before the economic stimulus package goes before Congressional vote, the BetaLED™ manufacturing plant is ramped up to manufacture LEDway™, environmentally-friendly LED (light-emitting diode) streetlights, to meet increasing demand from cities across the country. “Governments, municipalities and utilities are planning energy savings and sustainability into their proposals for economic stimulus monies,” says Alan Ruud, president of Beta...
Dahlin Group Architecture Planning announces top honors for innovative senior housing design in The Green House® Design Charrette, sponsored by the Ideas Institute of Kirtland, Ohio. The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) hosted the awards as part of its annual conference, held in mid October in Philadelphia. The Green House model aims to de-institutionalize long-term care by eliminating the need for large nursing facilities,...
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. has certified five new green buildings under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards this year as part of an effort to further reduce the environmental impact of Honda’s operations and products in the U.S. One of these facilities – Honda’s Data Center in Longmont, Colo. – is the first LEED Version 2.2 Silver certified data center in the country. Data...

The cost of heating and cooling is reaching new levels, causing builders to look for new alternatives to increase the energy efficiency of residences and commercial buildings. A traditional route is installing multi-pane glass windows. However, besides being heavy, breakable and challenging to install, glass is falling behind in the drive for higher insulation values. To address these drawbacks, SABIC Innovative Plastics has developed a new 9-wall...