See on Scoop.it – Green & Sustainable News

How far has the sustainable development movement come?

“Andy Gowder: There has been a remarkable change in public consciousness and expectations over the last two to five years with regard to sustainability.”

“Margaret Cafarelli: We are doing a better job of educating people about sustainability, and it’s becoming more a part of people’s vernacular. “

“Judi Schweitzer: In California, the state’s Green Building Standards Code [CALGreen], which came out in 2010, is a significant step forward. There is also the California Public Utilities Commission’s Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan, which has the goal that all new residential construction in California will be zero net energy by 2020 and all new commercial construction will be zero net energy by 2030.”

See on urbanland.uli.org

See on Scoop.it – Twitter & Social Media

You post pictures of your cat, your holiday photos and updates about your daily life on Facebook. Do you really want your boss to see them?

“The survey showed a distinct generational gap in how young workers and older workers felt about befriending their bosses on the social-media site.”

See on www.theglobeandmail.com

See on Scoop.it – Twitter & Social Media

People who use social-media websites such as Facebook and LinkedIn may have their information harvested by companies that collect, analyze or sell consumer data, a group of U.S. lawmakers said today.

“Posting to Facebook should not also mean putting personal information into the hands of data reapers seeking to profit from details of consumers’ personal lives,” Markey said in an e-mail. “Users of social media want to share with friends, not enable the sale of their personal information to data miners.”

See on www.bloomberg.com

See on Scoop.it – Green Building Design – Architecture & Engineering

Digging geothermal wells can be expensive and difficult, and the systems have been slow to catch on in New York City, but the benefits may eventually outweigh the costs.

“Advocates for geothermal energy say that the path of destruction cut by Hurricane Sandy, which unearthed fuel tanks, ravaged cooling towers and battered air-conditioners, has already persuaded some building owners to switch to geothermal systems that use underground pipes to harness the earth’s energy for heating and cooling buildings. “

“Installing a geothermal system can significantly reduce a building’s carbon footprint, and over the last decade, the number of geothermal heat pump systems in the city has grown steadily. More geothermal systems are installed in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania than anywhere else in the United States. “

See on www.nytimes.com

See on Scoop.it – Green Building Operations – Systems & Controls, Maintenance & Commissioning

Energy Management System controls direct gas-fired heaters. – Cambridge Engineering, Inc.

“The Cambridge Wi-Fi Energy Management System saves energy and is an ideal temperature control system for warehouse energy retrofits and industrial LEED/green building projects. Intelligent night setback recovery, flexible 7-day programming, 365-day scheduling, summer ventilation mode and remote computer monitoring on a web-based EMS portal saves energy and operating costs.”

See on news.thomasnet.com

See on Scoop.it – Green Building Operations – Systems & Controls, Maintenance & Commissioning

Image Buildings consume significant amounts of energy. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) in the Department of Energy (DOE) reported that buildings accounted for 72 percent of total U.S.

“Building owners and managers understand the financial, environmental, and infrastructure impacts of energy and water consumption in their structures….”

“Energy Performance Contracts open up new project possibilities for public sector organizations across the country, leveraging private sector financing to make building improvements that are paid over time out of energy savings, and extending guaranteed payback periods to 10-15 years. …”

See on theenergycollective.com

See on Scoop.it – Green Energy Technologies & Development

Super Highway Lighting Project Won by Carmanah Technologies Carmanah EG500 solar lights win over…

“As a result of the decision to employ solar, the superhighway project benefited from cost savings as a result of a cable-free installation and low maintenance schedule. In concert with zero energy usage, the project also supports Mexico’s commitment to sustainable solutions for use in major infrastructure development projects.”

See on www.dailyfinance.com

See on Scoop.it – Green Building Operations – Systems & Controls, Maintenance & Commissioning

The Newton County School System is saving money on energy costs.

“NCSS officials recently reported that the system saved $34,767 in fiscal year 2011 and $88,840 in 2012 in energy costs. …”

“Reducing HVAC hours by two hours daily has saved more than 12,000 annual energy hours…”

“Recently, the maintenance staff inspected 12 buildings, finding prohibited items like fans, heaters, personal refrigerators, microwave ovens, coffee makers and lamps in classrooms, as well as lights being left on after the work day.”

See on www.newtoncitizen.com

See on Scoop.it – Green Energy Technologies & Development

The Newton County School System is saving money on energy costs.

“NCSS officials recently reported that the system saved $34,767 in fiscal year 2011 and $88,840 in 2012 in energy costs. …”

“Reducing HVAC hours by two hours daily has saved more than 12,000 annual energy hours…”

“Recently, the maintenance staff inspected 12 buildings, finding prohibited items like fans, heaters, personal refrigerators, microwave ovens, coffee makers and lamps in classrooms, as well as lights being left on after the work day.”

See on www.newtoncitizen.com

See on Scoop.it – Green Energy Technologies & Development

The US Department of Energy recently announced the FY 2012 Small Business Innovation Research and Sm…

See on www.fuelcelltoday.com