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Lime Energy has completed the first phase of an energy efficiency retrofit of a major airline’s maintenance hangar at San Francisco International Airport. The project involved replacing nearly 500 lighting fixtures in offices and work areas as part of a comprehensive lighting upgrade that will save operating costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This project utilized strategically located sensors and daylight harvesting that will automatically turn lights off when the space is not in use or when there is enough sunlight to provide adequate natural lighting. Sensors are particularly important in this application because of the variable nature of the maintenance work performed in the hangar.

The total project cost of this first phase will be completely paid back in 2.1 years from savings in the electricity bill and avoided maintenance costs which translates into a first year return on investment (ROI) of 48 percent.

“This project shows our broad capabilities in the design, engineering and installation of energy efficient lighting systems” stated Dom Walterspiel, senior Account Executive with Lime Energy. “We completed this project on time, within budget, and without disrupting the customer’s business. Beyond that, we executed a complicated project where we had to be aware of light levels, voltage, fixture efficiency, plus sensor positioning and layout.”

“When completed, this state-of-the-art, Class A office development will set the benchmark for architectural excellence and sustainable design within Abu Dhabi, and possibly the whole of the UAE,” said His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of both ADTA and TDIC. “We believe that urban developments should not come at the expense of care for the environment. Through the adoption of a modernistic, elegant and yet holistic approach towards design, we believe we will deliver a win-win outcome for both development and environmental needs.”

Scheduled for completion in 2009, the nine-storey, beachfront building, which will also house a number of serviced offices for third party tenants and have three levels of underground car parking, will be built around a central courtyard. The building has been designed to benefit from several eco-friendly energy conservation features. There is a Building Integrated Photovoltaic roof to harness solar energy to power some of the development’s operations, as well as ample green decks at the rooftop level of adjoining blocks to actively reduce heat transfer into the building.

“This is a best-of-breed development which is exemplified in the Abu Dhabi Plan 2030, an example of how best practice can be applied to guide future planning and architecture,” said Falah Al Ahbabi, general manager of  the Urban Planning Council, Abu Dhabi. “It is a benchmark for our future urban fabric which sensitively acknowledges the need for environment friendly buildings.”

The Alexander City Schools in Alexander City, Ala., are implementing more than $1 million in facility enhancements designed to improve operations, comfort and efficiency at the district’s five schools and its administration building. The Energy Solutions division of TAC, provider in energy services, building automation and security, will carry out the comprehensive energy retrofit through a performance contract with the district.

When the project is completed in 2008, TAC anticipates that Alexander City Schools will reduce their energy costs by 27 percent district-wide. This translates to utility savings of $116,000 annually, and TAC will guarantee almost $100,000 of that savings.

Located in central Alabama, 72 miles southeast of Birmingham, the Alexander City Schools serve 3,500 students. The performance contract with TAC addresses several problems with the school system’s physical plant. These include a failing central office mechanical system, the lack of central building controls, and numerous comfort issues, such as high humidity and outdated lighting.

Performance contracting is a turnkey method whereby the design, construction, commissioning and performance measurement are incorporated into one fixed price. Improved facility efficiency, comfort, financial management and environmental protection are among the long-term results TAC delivers as the single provider accountable for all aspects of the project.

TAC typically guarantees all or part of the amount of savings performance contracting projects will achieve and agrees to pay the difference if that amount is not realized. Typically, new, more efficient equipment and upgraded facility automation systems generate the utility savings, as well as maximize energy efficiency and improve occupant comfort. Performance contracting projects are funded in a variety of ways, including general obligation bond funds, maintenance reserve funds, and financing secured against guaranteed energy savings.

TAC’s program to improve efficiency in the Alexander City Schools involves a variety of energy conservation measures (ECMs). TAC will complete a lighting retrofit in classrooms and hallways at selected campuses and in all seven district gyms, which will also include occupancy sensors. Variable air volume (VAV) box retrofits and the installation of variable frequency drives (VFDs) will improve efficiency of the heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system. TAC will also install a new air cooled chiller for the central office and re-rout air ducts there as well. Finally, a direct digital control (DDC) system with enable/disable controls will allow the district to effectively manage all its mechanical systems.

Babson College plans to install a wind turbine on the school's campus as a demonstration project, becoming the first college in the greater Boston area to utilize wind power through an on-campus installation. Babson joins the growing number of US colleges and universities that have chosen to develop their commitment to sustainable business practices through the use of renewable energy technologies.

Babson will install a residential-scale turbine, the Skystream 3.7 (1.8 kW), manufactured by Southwest Windpower. It is expected to be operational before the close of the spring 2008 semester. Based on production estimates and Babson's wind resource, the turbine will produce enough energy to supply roughly 60 percent of the annual energy needs at the school's entrepreneurship gallery after planned lighting renovations are completed within the space.

The college's decision to complete the installation was the result of a proposal spearheaded by a team of three graduate students and introduced through the Babson Energy and Environmental Club (BEEC), a student-led organization at the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College.

As a student led initiative, the project was introduced to the school's administration as means of promoting sustainability programs at the college in a manner that emboldens student innovation. To facilitate awareness, several placards will be located near the turbine and around campus to describe the project itself, recognize innovative Babson graduates in the energy sector, and to communicate sustainability projects at Babson. Through collaboration between the college's facilities department and the BEEC, the installation site itself will also be utilized on an ongoing basis as a space to encourage visitors to support resource conservation and efficiency improvements as primary divers in limiting environmental impacts and operational costs.

The workshop will start with an overview of the various types of intellectual property, including patents, trademark, copyrights, trade secrets, non-competes and publishing. It will feature a detailed discussion of patents, including type of patents, what is patentable, patent laws and rules, the patenting process and patent strategy. Also covered will be the integration of the patenting process with the new product development process and discussion of critical patent strategy issues. It will conclude with a practical training session for writing technical disclosures for patenting purposes.

For more details about what attendees can expect to learn from this workshop visit http://www.magneticsmagazine.com/mag_conf08_workshops.htm#akc.

• Register before March 14, 2008 - $395 • Register after March 14, 2008 - $495

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HyPower Fuel Releases Green Energy Update

Litecontrol has earned the industry’s first Cradle to CradleCM (C2C) Silver Certification. The C2C Design process uses an approach to sustainability that addresses the human and environmental health impacts of products. All architectural lighting fixtures manufactured by Litecontrol have received the C2C Certification.

Brian Golden, vice president of Sales and Marketing at Litecontrol, stated, “C2C Certification provided a framework for Litecontrol to ensure we are ‘walking the talk’ of sustainability. For our customers, C2C Certification provides the opportunity for an additional LEED credit along with an assurance that they are associated with a manufacturer that shares their commitment to sustainable building.”

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Symposium 2008

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Symposium 2008 is a conference highlighting the latest technologies and applications of green and energy efficient products and services. The presentations will be particularly orientated toward industrial, manufacturing and facilities operations. The symposium will be held November 5-6 in Atlanta, Ga. This first annual event will feature presentations on corporate sustainability, renewable energy, energy efficiency, green building materials and financing, as well as the latest market trends, best practices, case studies and opportunities for "greentech" implementations.

The conference is designed for sustainability managers, operators of renewable and alternative energy systems and programs, managers of energy efficiency and green programs for product development.

Call for Presentations

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Symposium 2008 will host tracks dedicated to corporate sustainability, renewable energy, energy efficiency, green building materials and financing.Space is limited and speaking tracks are already filling up. Submit an abstract today to ensure a spot in your desired track. All accepted presentations will be featured in the Summer issue of GreenTech News magazine. Click here for details: http://www.greentechnewsmag.com/energy08_papers.php