
San Diego Habitat for Humanity® (SDHFH) has made significant modifications in the design and construction of its homes to make them increasingly self-sustaining, reducing maintenance costs for the partner families as well as the need for repairs and upgrades. Smart design incorporates eco-friendly and recycled materials, energy efficient appliances and lighting, and drought tolerant plants and trees. James Hardie® Building Materials has stepped...
It’s brand new. It can be seen from miles around. It’s an architectural landmark that embodies key influences and inspirations from ancient Islamic art and traditions, melded with the artistry and geometries associated with speed, movement and spectacle. Its visual impact is all made possible by leading-edge LED technology. It’s the Yas Hotel, a 500-room, 85, 000-square-meter complex recently completed by Aldar Properties PJSC, Abu Dhabi’s...

Abengoa Solar announces the signing of a power purchase agreement with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) to supply the electricity generated by the new solar plant “Mojave Solar.” The project will generate 250 megawatts (MW) of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) and is to be located in an unincorporated area of San Bernardino County, between Barstow and Kramer Junction, approximately nine miles northwest of Hinkley, and 100 miles northeast...

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...

Inspired by extensive research about what consumers want when they purchase a home – and responding to pent-up demand for new housing – the Irvine Company is set to debut a collection of homes that the company will begin selling early next year. Known as “The 2010 New Home Collection,” the series of 25 floor plans from six different builders will be located throughout eight neighborhoods in the villages of Woodbury and Woodbury East, two of...

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...

Southwall Technologies Inc., the worldwide innovator of energy-saving films and glass products, announced today that it will supply the high performance insulating glass for InnovisionTM Windows, a new line of residential and commercial-grade fiberglass windows introduced last week by Owens Corning, Inc., the world’s leading manufacturer of fiberglass insulation and building materials. Southwall Insulating Glass, a joint venture company formed by...

Water front views, Energy-Star appliances, cultured marble vanities and ceramic tile floors are just a few of the amenities that allow the Housing Authority of Pompano Beach and Pinnacle Housing Group to redefine the notion of affordable housing. On September 17th, Golden Square and Golden Villas, located at 1415 N.W. 18th Drive, introduced the new face of quality affordable rental communities. A Grand Opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated...

Custom-Bilt Metals is launching their category-leading Vail Titan Select Steel & Vail Majestic Copper shingles into the national market place strictly through one-step distribution. Vail shingles are now being supplied to a growing number of independent wholesale building materials distributors and roofing supply houses nationwide, with more partnerships being added on a regular basis throughout the year. This new sales model for Custom-Bilt...

The implementation of efficient, attractive LED street lighting in Portugal has gathered pace over the summer as EnergiaViva has completed installations of the new UrbanLED street light in ten towns and cities. Installation work in a further 20 Portuguese municipalities is expected to have been completed this fall. The UrbanLED luminaires were introduced in April 2009, when they were installed on a street in the Portuguese town of Pombal. The solution,...