Where there is light there is life. Natural light is fundamental to the quality of our lives and living environment. More than any other element, light, with its many moods and variations, can make a house a home.
Light enters our homes primarily through windows and doors. But light from above, through venting skylights, continues to gain favor when architects, designers, builders, remodelers, and homeowners consider effective and efficient sources of natural light and passive ventilation.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/velux/36470/
Meritage Homes has unveiled the first ‘net-zero’ production home built in the United States in the Verrado community of Buckeye, Ariz. A net-zero home produces as much energy as it consumes, thanks to its array of extreme energy-efficient features.
To introduce its net-zero homes and their affordability to the average home buyer, Meritage Homes also will launch a national “Net Zero Revolution Home Sweepstakes” on Earth Day, April 22, in which one individual will have the opportunity to win a Meritage Homes net-zero home in its Lyon’s Gate community located in Gilbert, Ariz. The sweepstakes ends on May 30 and a winner will be announced in early June.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/meritagehomes/49784/
When Habitat for Humanity St. Louis (HFHSL) identified vacant property just north of downtown, the construction team wanted to build homes that were not only energy efficient but safe for its new tenants.
And with Model Building Codes now requiring new single- and two-family dwellings to be outfitted with sprinkler systems, Habitat chose to go with copper systems for all of its new homes, including the six that were completed this spring.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/copperdevelopmentassociation/50133/
Six of 13 small cars recently evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety earn the TOP SAFETY PICK award, and none earn a poor rating in any of 4 tests. This is a turnaround from a few years ago when small cars struggled to earn top safety ratings. The new tests include hybrids and gasoline-only models that are among the most fuel-efficient vehicles available in the U.S. market.
The ratings are based on performance in front, side, rollover, and rear impact evaluations. Cars that earn the top rating of good in each test and have available electronic stability control (ESC) qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK. Winners are the 2012 Ford Focus and Honda Civic, along with the 2011 Hyundai Elantra, Lexus CT 200h hybrid, Nissan Juke, and Toyota Prius hybrid. The Civic, CT 200h, Elantra, Focus, and Prius have at least one version with a government fuel economy rating of at least 40 miles per gallon on the highway. The Dodge Caliber, Honda CR-Z and Insight hybrids, Nissan Sentra and Versa, Scion xD, and Suzuki SX4 also were rated but didn’t earn TOP SAFETY PICK.
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Ad Council today launched a national consumer education campaign to help consumers save money on utility bills. Created pro bono by Texas-based advertising agency GSD&M, the public service advertisements (PSAs) aim to help consumers save money on their energy bills by doing things such as sealing leaks in their homes and using energy efficient products.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/50779-ad-council-energy-efficiency
Blu Homes (www.bluhomes.com), a leading designer and manufacturer of beautiful, green, precision-built homes, based in Boston and San Francisco, announced today the unfolding of two eco-friendly faculty homes at Portsmouth Abbey School, one of the nation’s leading Catholic boarding schools. The two-story Blu “Evolution” homes are Energy Star-rated and LEED certifiable, and will be located on the School’s 500-acre campus on the picturesque shores of Narragansett Bay in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. The spacious and highly energy-efficient Blu Evolutions are two of a growing number of Blu homes embraced by Rhode Islanders. A Blu Element was erected in Charlestown last year while a Blu Breezehouse and another Element are currently being prepared for homeowners in Little Compton.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/40401-blu-homes-unfolds-green-faculty-homes-rhode-island-portsmouth-abbey-school
Hybrids have a safety edge over their conventional twins when it comes to shielding their occupants from injuries in crashes, new research by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, shows. On average, the odds of being injured in a crash are 25 percent lower for people in hybrids than people traveling in nonhybrid models.
The new finding is more good news for green-minded drivers who don’t want to trade safety for fuel economy. Not so long ago, car buyers had to choose between the two because fuel-efficient cars tended to be smaller and lighter. Now, consumers have more options than ever when it comes to picking an environmentally friendly — and crashworthy — vehicle.
For more information, go to: www.iihs.org
Energy efficiency is at the heart of Europe’s growth and transition to a resource efficient economy. The European Union aims to save 20% of its primary energy consumption by 2020 (compared to what has been forecast). Everyone’s contribution is crucial in meeting this goal. By better insulating buildings we can reduce energy consumption by 28% by 2020. By choosing modern energy-efficient refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers etc. we can use significantly less energy than with older appliances. By buying lighter vehicles or using low fuel consumption tyres we can double the fuel efficiency of an average car.
This video clip provides an overview of the European Union’s energy efficiency objectives and shows how each of us can make the difference, be it in our professional or private life. This video clip was disseminated in France, Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria and United Kingdom.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/53791-european-commission
By upgrading to a higher, more energy-efficient motor, facility managers can improve their equipment reliability, increase productivity and reduce downtime and repair costs.
The Copper Development Association (CDA) recommends that individuals involved in the specification, design, selection and installation of electrical motor systems adopt a motor management program, which examines a facility’s needs whether to replace an old worn-out motor or specify a new unit.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/60888-copper-development-association-cda-motor-management-best-practices-part-1
GE Transportation continues to harness the power of the Industrial Internet for its rail customers, while it strengthens their local economies with partnership and investment for localized manufacturing capabilities of locomotives and other rail technologies.
PowerHaul locomotives are among the most technologically advanced, fuel-efficient and low-emissions, diesel-electric locomotives in GE's fleet. Launched at InnoTrans in 2010, it has become a global platform for GE and is currently serving the United Kingdom, Korea, Australia, Europe and Turkey. Designed for high-haulage capability with lighter axle-load applications, the PowerHaul locomotive is engineered to generate more horsepower and tractive effort while lowering fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
To see the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7318451-ge-transportation-locomotives-data-driven-signaling-rail-operation-optimization-technology-on-display-at-innotrans-2014/
As America takes steps to improve our energy security, home-grown fuel sources are more important that ever. One of the fuel sources of the future is algae, small aquatic organisms that convert sunlight into energy and store it in the form of oil. Scientists and engineers at the Energy Department and its national laboratories are researching the best strains of algae and developing the most efficient farming practices. This edition of Energy 101 shows how oil is extracted from algae and refined into sustainable biofuels.
For more information on biofuels visit http://www.eere.energy.gov.
