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Green Homes

Energy Efficiency for New Homes – To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard homes.
Energy Efficiency through Home Improvement – Making your home more energy efficient with ENERGY STAR can help to reduce high energy bills, improve comfort and help to protect the environment. Improving energy efficiency is also an important first step for homeowners interested in green remodeling. ENERGY STAR can guide you in making your home more efficient — whether you do-it-yourself or hire a qualified professional.
Air Quality at Home – In the last several years, a growing body of scientific evidence has indicated that the air within homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities. Other research indicates that people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. Thus, for many people, the risks to health may be greater due to exposure to air pollution indoors than outdoors. In addition, people who may be exposed to indoor air pollutants for the longest periods of time are often those most susceptible to the effects of indoor air pollution. Such groups include the young, the elderly, and the chronically ill, especially those suffering from respiratory or cardiovascular disease.
Saving Water at Home – Americans use large quantities of water inside and outside of their homes. A family of four uses 400 gallons of water every day. This amount can increase depending on location; for example, the arid West has some of the highest per capita residential water use because of landscape irrigation. WaterSense helps conserve water for future generations by providing information on products and programs that save water without sacrificing performance. In fact, the average home, retrofitted with WaterSense labeled toilets and bathroom faucets or faucet accessories, can save more than 11,000 gallons per year. If one out of every 10 homes in the United States upgraded to WaterSense labeled fixtures, we could save more than 120 billion gallons and more than $800 million annually.
Waste Reduction at Home – Across the country, many communities, businesses, and individuals have found creative ways to reduce and better manage Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) - more commonly known as trash or garbage - through a coordinated mix of practices that includes source reduction, recycling (including composting), and disposal. The most environmentally sound management of MSW is achieved when these approaches are implemented according to EPA's preferred order: source reduction first, recycling and composting second, and disposal in landfills or waste combustors last.
Green Schools

More than 53 million children and about 6 million adults spend a significant portion of their days in public and private school buildings. These school buildings may contain environmental conditions that inhibit learning and pose increased risks to the health of children and staff. EPA's Healthy School Environments Web site serves as a gateway to online resources to help facility managers, school administrators, architects, design engineers, school nurses, parents, teachers, and staff address environmental health issues in schools.
Green Commercial Buildings

Make energy performance a priority in your next building’s design. Use Target Finder to set your energy performance target.
Green Laboratories

Laboratories for the 21st Century is a voluntary partnership program dedicated to improving the environmental performance of U.S. laboratories. EPA and the US Department of Energy are helping new and retrofitted laboratories cut their energy costs and improve environmental performance by offering training and education, as well as a tool kit.
Green Healthcare Facilities

Laboratories for the 21st Century is a voluntary partnership program dedicated to improving the environmental performance of U.S. laboratories. EPA and the US Department of Energy are helping new and retrofitted laboratories cut their energy costs and improve environmental performance by offering training and education, as well as a tool kit.
GREEN BUILDING HIGHLIGHTS

Current Projects / Expected Investment

Investment in the green building sector is booming

The green building sector has been awash with VC cash in recent months: Despite there only being a few dozen startups in the nascent field, investors have started paying close attention — helping several raise new rounds of funding. Newark, California-based CalStar Cement has received $3.4 million from several investors, including Foundation Capital, while Serious Materials landed a hefty $50 million second funding round, led by New Enterprise Associates, Rustic Canyon Partners and Foundation Capital. The Sunnyvale-based startup had earlier capped a $5 million first round. Los Gatos-based Calera, which is developing a cement capable of sequestering carbon dioxide, is backed by Khosla Ventures. New Jersey-based Hycrete, which produces an admixture (or liquid solution) that is used to waterproof concrete, completed its second round in 2006. Just one more, CEO David Rosenberg says, could take it to profitability; in late February, he said he was seeking $10 - 20 million. Its investors include RockPort Capital Partners and NGEN Partners. Hycrete’s admixture was one of the first to receive a cradle-to-cradle certification through McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, a green product and design firm. The designation “cradle-to-cradle,” coined by architect William McDonough and Michael Braungart, refers to a product that can be completely recycled or re-used. It was also selected as a Technology Pioneer at this year’s World Economic Forum.

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RSS Posted by Krasugir & Co at 9:27 AM