Green Building

 

A blooming industry, green building is rising with greater public demand, legislative focus, and code and standard mandates. With programs like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) becoming more popular, contractors are finding new building processes and technologies to be more efficient and environmentally minded. The below articles dive into alternative energies, energy efficiency, the smart grid, and more and include editorial from our annual special issue on the subject.

New Year’s Day brought wind-energy developers a belated holiday gift when Congress included in its fiscal-cliff budget deal a one-year extension of the production tax credit (PTC) that helps wind farms operate profitably.

Transformative change often requires major societal shifts to reach and cross the proverbial tipping point.

In the ongoing push for a cleaner and more sustainable energy society, growing popular and political support for renewables are two strong indicators of success.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which is the coordinator of the U.S. voluntary standardization system, and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council Inc.

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More on Green Building

 
Solar Systems

There seems to be two conflicting certainties about the photovoltaic (PV) or solar module installation market: It is a rapidly expanding and lucrative opportunity, and curiously, not that many electrical contractors are aware of it or have chosen to explore its potential.

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LEED Awards Points for Other Programs and Systems

The US Green Building Council (USGBC) has announced that projects seeking certification under the LEED Green Building Rating System can now earn Innovation in Design points by using the Cradle to Cradle (C2C) program for certified building products, as well as products certified by other establishe

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Congressional Legislation to Spur Green Building

Roger Langer of Langer Electric Service Co., Miami, has been thinking green for years, and its about more than just money. Langer has been thinking about the environment ever since his company started working on green buildings in his area a few years ago.

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A Green Capitol Hoped to Set Good Example

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and Majority Leader Steny H Hoyer (D-Maryland) announced they would begin a project to “green” the United States’ Capitol building.

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Solar Thermal Plant Powers up in Nevada Desert

In April, the world’s third-largest solar thermal power plant began generating power for Las Vegas residents in the Nevada desert. Acciona Solar Power of Spain owns the Nevada Solar One plant, located in Boulder City.

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Cleveland Indians on Deck for Solar Power

Jacobs Field, home of the Cleveland Indians, currently is placing 50 photovoltaic panels on the upper concourse, which will generate “a modest amount of power,” according to Jim Folk, vice president of ballpark operations. The array will be 86 feet long and 15 feet high.

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Alternative Installations

As alternative energy shoulders its way into the electrical industry, it increasingly plays by the same rules as the standard electric grid, making installation more straightforward.

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