University of New Hampshire - Energy Leadership

The University of New Hampshire ranked in the top 5 percent in a recent DOE study for energy efficiency among a group of 180 colleges and universities.   Comparing their energy expenditures to the average they save approx. $7 million per year in energy costs (and it gets cold in New Hampshire in the winter)

" ...  in 2000. In our peer group, UNH was in the top five percent for energy efficiency. ... one of the most energy efficient colleges that offers 4 year programs through post-Doctoral research."

" ... on-going energy efficiency program for the past 25 years. ... energy awareness programs to encourage energy conserving activities ..."



Via:  University of New Hampshire  LINK

Pepsico in Ireland takes sustainability seriously.  Caring for the environment and their impact are important considerations.  To that end ... " ... An Environmental Sustainability project ... delivered 12% reduction in water use ...  5% reduction in energy use ... recycle 95% of all waste. ..."

Via:  Pepsico  LINK




Via: xxx.yyy LINK

Intel - Gets First Gold LEED Cert for Site in Israel

Intel's first GOLD LEED certified site is scheduled to open in June 2010 in Haifa, Israel.  The site is called is a design center called IDC-9 and is " ... first facility in Israel ... with a (LEED) certification. ... Intel’s first  ... has a Gold certification pending for its Octollio campus in Chandler, Ariz."

" ...natural lighting, ... available to about 75 percent of the “populated” areas of the building ... individually controlled lighting for a higher degree of energy efficiency"
   

Via:  ZDNet  LINK

HPs Green Data Center in Wynyard UK

H-P's newest data center in Wynyard England is cooled ENTIRELY by wind blowing off the nearby North Sea. The North Sea is cold and so are its winds. It is H-P's greenest data center yet ...

The " ... new 360,00 sq. ft. Wynyard center is 40 percent more energy-efficient than conventional data centers ..."

" ... Traditional data centers use thousands of megawatt hours per year ... if they were classed as a separate industry, they would be the sixth-largest user of electricity ... "

Other energy saving / carbon saving features of the Wynyard data center are: " ... harvesting rainwater ... to maintain proper humidity levels in the air that’s brought in from outside ... light-colored server racks because they reflect light, allowing for 40 percent less lighting to be installed compared to using black cabinets."

"HP had previously announced that it plans to reduce the combined energy consumption of operations and products by 25 percent below 2005 levels by 2010."

Via: SmartPlanet LINK

Considerations for a Green Building - Video

Check out this VIDEO from Forbes on Green Buildings.

Things to consider are ... a better building envelope, better mechanical systems, geoexchange systems, etc.  Options might include alternative energy sources like solar panels and wind mills / turbines. 



Via: Forbes LINK

Efficiency Stickers for Buildings

Here is an interesting idea ... what if buildings came with carbon stickers .. much like cars that have mpg and emissions stickers.  Such a mechanism would allow for consumers to shop for the more environmentally friendly building.

" ... every car has a sticker that tells you its fuel consumption ...sticker is also an effective policy mechanism for controlling the overall fuel consumption of all cars, and hence their carbon emissions ... "

"Why don't we do the same for buildings? Buildings account for around 40% of total carbon emissions in North America, while SUVs account for just 3%. Imagine the impact if we could put an efficiency sticker on buildings and halve their emissions over 10 years. Cutting building emissions in half would save 1.14 billion tons of carbon in the U.S. in one year alone."

"We know very little about the energy efficiency of our buildings, and there is no overall benchmark for building performance. ... we don't have a policy lever to reduce building carbon emissions the way we can with cars."

Follow the link below to read the full story ... a very intersting and worthwhile copncept.

What do you think ?





Via: Forbes.com LINK