Sustainable Development Focus
Construction Dive - Dec 14 The U.S. Department of Energy launched on December 6 the Better Buildings Zero Energy Schools Accelerator, a program to develop cost-effective, zero energy design for the educational sector. As the number of K-12 schools continues to increase, the DOE estimates a savings potential between 65% and 80% of energy consumption for Zero Energy schools, depending on regional climate conditions. Zero Energy school features, including extensive use of passive daylighting and optimized ventilation and heating systems, have been determined in studies to help improve the learning environment while energy dashboards and technologies offer teacher tools to engage students in learning more about energy consumption.
Proud Green Building - Dec 13 The U.S. apartment market is hotter, more competitive and more popular than ever. With increasing interest in sustainable living, the newest and trendiest urban apartment buildings are also green. An analysis by U.S. apartment search website RENTCafé shows that there are now 13 times more LEED-certified apartments being built per year than eight years ago, when LEED-certification began being widely-used by the multifamily sector, reports the Urban Developer. To show how much the U.S. apartment market has evolved in terms of sustainable building, on average 18 percent of the large apartment buildings (of 50-plus units) that hit the market last year in the U.S. were LEED-certified or proposed for certification.
Greentech Media - Dec 13 By the summer of 2018, Consolidated Edison’s Brownsville substation serving customers Brooklyn and Queens will be overburdened, to the tune of approximately 69 megawatts. But rather than invest $1.2 billion in conventional grid upgrades, Con Ed is investing $200 million in non-wires alternatives to meet its needs, including a new microgrid project going up in a low-income housing complex. Turnkey energy storage developer Demand Energy is in the midst of completing the microgrid at the 625-unit Marcus Garvey Apartments in Brooklyn. The benefits of the microgrid will be felt beyond the property's perimeter, by easing strain on the grid and saving the utility money at the same time.
Quartz - Dec 19 Ten years of effort finally paid off for Las Vegas this week when officials announced the city government will now be powered entirely by renewable energy. After a large solar array, Boulder Solar 1, came online on Dec. 12, the city was able to buy enough carbon-free electricity to power its 140 buildings, streetlights, and other facilities. The power flows from a mix of solar panels and hydroelectric turbines including the Hoover Dam. The renewables, plus energy efficiency savings, are estimated to save the city roughly $5 million per year, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Las Vegas is one of many cities pushing ahead with aggressive efforts to leave fossil fuels behind.
San Jose Mercury News - Dec 8 LinkedIn has unveiled what the company says is its first “net zero energy” building at its Sunnyvale campus. The 40,000-square-foot building generates renewable energy onsite to power all of its energy needs including light, heat, cooling, and appliances. The building was renovated from an old concrete building originally erected in the 1970s, according to LinkedIn officials. The company says everything in the building is powered by the 245-KW solar panels on the roof. Before the building can officially receive Net Zero Energy building certification, LinkedIn and Integral Group will need to collect 12 months of data to verify that it is indeed producing all of the energy it is using.
