Is your home as green as it looks? Photo from greenroof.co.uk

The last time you bought a car, especially in the current economy, you probably paid close attention to the fuel efficiency by looking at the mile-per-gallon ratings and comparing similar vehicles. Now home buyers in certain states (U.S.) may soon be able to do the same with homes, and it looks like the trend will go national.

Earth Advantage Institute, a leading nonprofit green building resource that has certified more than 11,000 homes, has played a key role in the conceptualization, promotion, and adoption of the Energy Performance Score (EPS), currently the only residential energy labeling system that enables buyers to directly compare home energy consumption. The tool provides homeowners with both an energy consumption score and an associated carbon emission score. The number is based on in-home measurements and diagnostics data, as well as your utility’s energy source, which are entered into online software for calculation.

A technician from Earth Advantage Institute completes a duct test as part of the Energy Performance Score audit for a new home

“We use EPS information as a marketing tool to help sell our homes,” said Aaron Fairchild, president of G2B Ventures, a Seattle-based real estate investment firm. “The EPS is an amazingly innovative tool that will help us transform the Seattle real estate market.”

Now the federal government has turned its eyes toward energy labeling. The Department of Energy has targeted the month of October as the deadline for developing a voluntary national rating standard that may serve as a tool for banks and other institutions to provide preferred finance products for energy efficient, healthy homes.

“We pointed to energy labeling as one of the top 10 green building trends for 2010,” said Sean Penrith, executive director, Earth Advantage Institute. “The federal government has taken up the flag, and has asked for additional data on the EPS program to inform its efforts in creating a voluntary standard this year.”

Last month the Energy Performance Score won first place in the energy category at Change.org’s “Ideas for Change in America” and has now moved on to the final round of internet voting. If the idea is voted into the top ten, the Oregon-conceived EPS will be presented to key White House administration officials. You can vote for the EPS at www.change.org/ideas by scrolling down to the energy category and clicking on “A Miles-Per-Gallon Rating for Your Home.”

About Earth Advantage Institute and EPS
Earth Advantage Institute works with the building and design industry to help implement sustainable building practices. Its nonprofit mission is to create an immediate, practical and cost-effective path to sustainability and carbon reduction in the built environment. The organization achieves its objectives through a range of innovative certification, education and technical services programs. More information is available at www.earthadvantage.org, and more EPS information can be found at www.earthadvantage.org/eps.php.

The Genzyme Center, a 12-story, 350,000-square-foot high-rise office building, which serves as headquarters for the Genzyme Corporation in Cambridge, Mass., features a striking all-glass exterior and a soaring, sky Pllit internal atrium. The complex, 12-story atrium was one aspect that provided fire and life safety design challenges in order to comply with the highest level of LEED, platinum. Because the complexity of atrium design did not lend itself to prescriptive standards, RJA incorporated sound life safety principles into every aspect of the atrium design, providing state-of-the-art plans to meet codes while complying with the LEED guidelines.

“The Genzyme Center was able to meet all the fire, life safety and building code provisions, as well as achieve a LEED Platinum rating while keeping the integrity of the atrium’s unique design in the center of the building,” said LeBlanc. “The project team and the client balanced aesthetics, cost, constructability, and reliability to create an environmentally responsible corporate headquarters.”

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Rolf Jensen & Associates provides a comprehensive range of engineering and consulting services for clients on projects around the world. Through its 30 offices, the company is the leading consulting engineering firm for fire and life safety issues, from designing a fire alarm system for a high-rise building or conducting a fire model for smoke control in a new convention center to providing on-site management of the life safety construction process or conducting a custom training seminar on performance-based design.

PLEASANTON, Calif. – Safeway Inc., one of the largest retail users of renewable energy, today unveiled its newest solar-powered grocery stores in Northern California to kick off a week of Earth Day activities and programs focused on the company’s commitment to the environment and helping consumers pursue greener, more sustainable lives. At the same time, the company released two reports chronicling extensive sustainability efforts and community partnerships.

State and local officials joined Safeway representatives on a tour of the Placerville store’s rooftop solar panel installation. It is one of 23 stores in California targeted for renewable solar energy. The Safeway store in Fairfield is also unveiling its new solar power system, which harnesses energy from the sun and decreases the store’s reliance on traditional greenhouse gas (GHG)-emitting fossil fuel energy.

“With the addition of solar energy to our GHG reduction tool kit, Safeway is taking a leadership role in the retail sector in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and focusing on operating a greener, more ecologically focused company,” said Joe Pettus, Senior Vice President of Fuel and Energy. “Throughout our vast operations, we are taking a closer look at how we impact the environment, identifying areas for improvement and acting on them.”

Solar equipment at the Placerville and Fairfield stores provides about 20 percent of the stores’ average annual power usage and up to 48 percent of peak power usage. By using solar energy at the two stores and the company’s flagship solar store in Dublin, Calif., Safeway is removing 1.6 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the air, the equivalent of taking 144 vehicles off the road annually. The entire 23-store solar program will remove 12.6 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the air, the equivalent of taking 1,045 cars off the road annually.

Safeway is also helping consumers live greener lives by highlighting and discounting earth-friendly products in a free “Because We Care About the Environment” booklet being distributed in stores. Each featured product is manufactured, packaged or grown with a focus on sustainability. The booklet features “10 Simple and Easy Eco Tips,” to becoming a more conscious consumer. The tips include:

* Installing compact fluorescent light bulbs
* Turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth
* Using econ-friendly cleaning products
* Turning the thermostat down during the winter

Also in stores, each customer who spends $50 receives a reusable Safeway or O Organics shopping bag to encourage reuse and decrease the number of plastic and paper bags in landfills.

Focus on Green

Along with the solar store conversion and in-store consumer campaign, Safeway this week releases two reports showing the company’s commitment to its communities and the environment. The annual “Investing in our Environment” Environmental Status Report chronicles all sustainability efforts, including a broad recycling program in which the company recycled more than one million pounds of materials in 2007, equivalent to saving 8.5 million trees. The “Corporate Social Responsibility Report” details Safeway’s extensive business ethics, philanthropy, food safety, diversity and corporate governance policies. Both documents are available online at www.Safeway.com. Click “Investor Relations” and “Corporate Social Responsibility.”

Earth Day activities are just part of Safeway’s overall environmental focus and company goal to operate a cleaner, more sustainable business. Safeway’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Initiative makes it one of the largest retail users of renewable energy, utilizing solar, wind power and biodiesel fuel throughout its operations. In January Safeway became one of the first major retailers in the United States to convert its entire fleet of more than 1,000 trucks to cleaner-burning biodiesel fuel. The decision by Safeway will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 75 million pounds annually, the equivalent of taking nearly 7,500 passenger vehicles off the road each year.

Safeway is also one of the largest retail purchasers of wind energy, using 57 million kilowatt hours of wind energy, enough to power all 303 Safeway retail fuel stations, all stores in San Francisco, California and Boulder, Colorado, as well as all of the company headquarters and all corporate offices in Northern California.

Committed to leading by example, Safeway was the first major retailer to join the Chicago Climate Exchange, the world’s first and North America’s only legally binding GHG allowance trading system, and the California Climate Action Registry, which commits the company to reduce its carbon footprint by 6 percent from year 2000 levels. The California Climate Action Registry is the state’s only official registry for greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects and will have an active role in California’s implementation of AB-32, the States’ Global Warming Solutions Act.

In daily operations, Safeway has implemented unique energy-saving strategies throughout its manufacturing, distribution and grocery stores by installing new energy-efficient technologies, introducing new maintenance procedures and implementing new sustainable design and construction practices. New lighting, refrigeration, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and building control systems are evaluated with sustainability in mind. These efforts, coupled with an employee education program, have resulted in lower energy usage and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Additional information about the company’s environmental programs can be found at www.Safeway.com. Click on “About Us” and “Going Green.”

“With government regulations likely to restrict the use of less efficient lighting, LED development will continue to thrive due to compliance with ecological regulations that ban mercury and lead from the waste disposal stream,” notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Kasthuri Jagadeesan. “One of the major drivers for solid-state lighting research and development are the immense investments by government and corporate worlds such as the U.S.’s Next-Generation Lighting Initiative (NGLI), Europe’s Organic LEDs for ICT and Lighting Applications (OLLA), Japan’s ‘Light for the 21st Century’ project, and so on.”

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.technicalinsights.frost.com), Advancements in Solid State Lighting, finds that for LEDs to become the mainstream option for street lighting and general illumination purposes, more development in performance enhancement is needed. Such advancements include warm white light generation, packaging improvements for improved heat and light extraction, along with the availability of more efficient green solid-state sources. These are in turn dependent on quantum leaps in internal and external quantum efficiencies, especially for warm light and better color rendering.

Technology competition among LED manufacturers fuels the growth of high-brightness LEDs segment, particularly white LED technologies for a range of applications – from backlighting for liquid-crystal display (LCD) panels in personal computers (PCs) to headlights in automobiles, as well as lighting products for outdoors, offices and homes. Cross-licensing agreements between the major LED manufacturers of Japan, United States and Europe focus toward the creation of brighter white and colored LEDs with higher efficacy. This shift is not just to avoid patent-related disputes, but to further the cause of the technology.

To enhance this technology, manufacturers should increase the efficiency of white light generation, and achieve cost breakthroughs and extended lifetimes for high brightness LEDs. In addition, manufacturers should deliver proper thermal management in solid-state lighting devices.

Since the solid-state lighting industry is application-driven, product development exhibits variability with current volumes not significant enough to decrease costs. Costs are likely to reduce as rapid innovations in organic LED (OLED) and LED technology shift focus toward factors such as new materials and production techniques.

“The trend among lighting fixture manufacturers is to study applications for which LEDs might be suitable and then work backwards to develop fixtures that can be effectively and economically maintained,” cites Jagadeesan. “However, manufacturers will first have to improve the lumen output for LED-based white lighting to successfully introduce LEDs into the general illumination market.”

In the future, LEDs would offer innovative solutions for interior and exterior lighting design. Outdoor lighting may be the first general illumination application to gain a foothold due to user concerns involving energy savings, re-lamping and other maintenance expenses.

Extensive research on phosphor forms the backbone of inorganic white light sources and is vital for the future growth and protection of intellectual property; therefore, its development will be in tandem with solid-state white lighting in the general lighting market.

Advancements in Solid State Lighting, a part of the Technical Insights Growth Partnership Services program, provides a technology overview and outlook for the market dynamics in the solid-state lighting industry between 2007 and 2015. The study covers LEDs and OLEDs. This research service includes detailed technology analysis and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.

If you are interested in an analysis, which provides manufacturers, end users, and other industry participants with an overview, summary, challenges and latest coverage of Advancements in Solid State Lighting, send an e-mail to Johanna Haynes, Corporate Communications, at jhaynes_pr@frost.com with the following information: your full name, company name, title, telephone number, e-mail address, city, state, and country. We will send you the information via e-mail upon receipt of the above information.

Technical Insights is an international technology analysis business that produces a variety of technical news alerts, newsletters and research services.

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Consulting Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company’s Growth Partnership Services, Growth Consulting and Career Best Practices empower clients to create a growth focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan’s Growth Partnerships, visit http://www.frost.com.

MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Polaris Industries Inc. today announced that its Research & Development site in Wyoming, MN has officially achieved the coveted Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for new construction. The LEED certification demonstrates Polaris’ commitment to environmentally sound business practices.

Polaris’ Wyoming site earned LEED certification by meeting the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) strict criteria designed to promote sustainability. Numerous features that make the site more environmentally friendly were incorporated into the design to achieve LEED certification. Some of these include: large windows and rooftop monitors to harness natural light for use indoors, water efficient landscaping throughout the site, a commitment to using local building materials manufactured within 500 miles of the site, low flow plumbing fixtures, an Energy Star rated roofing system, and a stormwater handling system that meets the EPA’s best management practices.

“Our Wyoming facility represents the coupling of environmentally sound and financially sound business planning,” said Bob Kollross, who oversaw the construction for Polaris. “The goal of an environmentally sound facility with LEED certification was a major initiative for Polaris. The LEED certification is an honor we are extremely proud of. This was a true team effort between Polaris and our project partners, Pope Associates Inc. and the RYAN Companies US, Inc.”

From the onset of the project, Polaris management committed to achieving LEED certification. The sustainable design features are mutually beneficial to both the environment and the company. As a result of following the LEED guidelines, the Wyoming site saves $53,728 annually in energy costs, uses 188,400 fewer gallons of water per year and conserved 343 tons of materials which would have otherwise ended up in landfills.

About Polaris

With annual 2006 sales of $1.7 billion, Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), including the Polaris RANGER™, snowmobiles and Victory motorcycles for recreational and utility use.

Polaris is a recognized leader in the snowmobile industry; and one of the largest manufacturers of ATVs in the world. Victory motorcycles, established in 1998 and representing the first all-new American-made motorcycle from a major company in nearly 60 years, are rapidly making impressive in-roads into the motorcycle cruiser and touring marketplace. Polaris also enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Pure Polaris apparel, accessories and parts, available at Polaris dealerships.

Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PII,” and the Company is included in the S&P Small-Cap 600 stock price index.

Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories are available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime from the Polaris homepage at www.polarisindustries.com.

Before the green roof installation can begin, a licensed structural engineer or architect should be hired to determine what, if any, upgrades need to be made to the existing roof. Due to the weight of green roofs, some buildings cannot initially support them. Consultants will determine the weight capacity of the building, type of roof membrane, current condition of the roof, height above ground, roof slope and orientation, water supply, and accessibility for installation and maintenance. Additionally, the consultants will determine what irrigation and drainage systems are needed.

Overall, the initial cost of installing a green roof usually includes consultant fees; irrigation and drainage systems; garden materials; plants; and maintenance, transportation and city permits. The average cost varies because of the different green roof options. The weight load of the building and the plantings desired will determine which type of green roof is necessary. The options include either an extensive or intensive green roof. The main differences between these two types of green roofs are the growing media depth and organic contents—which in turn affects the cost and planting options.

With a growing media depth of three to six inches, extensive green roofs are less costly and are only ideal for growing drought-tolerant plants such as sedums and grasses. Little maintenance is required on an extensive green roof. An intensive green roof contains a media depth of a foot or more; thus, an intensive green roof can support plants, ground covers, ornamental grasses, shrubs and trees. Like any garden, maintenance such as watering and weeding is required. For both types of green roofs, plant selection must be adjusted to local environments and conditions.

A common misconception of green roofs is the thought that you can use any type of soil for the growing media. Soil alone does not provide the proper characteristics for a green roof to survive. The growing media must be designed and manufactured to provide the nutrients, water-holding capacity and drainage characteristics to promote a sustainable green roof environment. An example of a type of specifically designed growing media for green roofs is rooflite. Although the growing media is often the biggest expense of installing a green roof, it is the most important aspect because the green roof will not survive without it.

While the initial cost of installing a green roof might be high, the cost savings realized in the long run are tremendous. The roofing membrane will have a longer life span because a green roof protects the roof from ultraviolet rays, severe temperature changes, and physical and wind damage. A green roof saves energy costs because of the added insulation, meaning less heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. Additionally, while more maintenance may be necessary on a green roof, fewer repairs are required overall because of the protection green roofs provide. Lastly, depending on the city, often there are reductions in city fees.