GreenStuff News

Great series of articles posted on Tree Hugger

1. Understanding Labels Part 1: Are They Green or Greenwash? Yes.
2. Understanding Labels Part 2: Separating Green Building from Greenwash
3. Understanding Labels Part 3: Cradle To Cradle, or A Cautionary Tale

Tags: Cleaning Products, Costs, Government, Green Building, Green Cleaning, Green Globes, LEED, Sustainability, Third Party Criteria //

ISSA and its partner Ecoform will work with The EcoLogo^TM Program, one of North America’s largest environmental standard and certification marks, to offer its clients the option to integrate their certified cleaning products into ISSA’s new environmental purchasing tool, which will be launched in 2011.

Read full article here

Tags: Cleaning Products, Floor Care, Green Building, Green Cleaning, Healthy High Performance Cleaning, Products, Regulation //

Very good article with Jeff Rehm, Grainger’s sustainability manager discussing Graingers role in Greening their own house as well as helping customers.

To find items supplied via Grainger on the SiteStuff platform just look for items clearly labeled with the Grainger

Tags: Sustainability //

Many of our readers have likely crossed paths with Jerry along the way so you may have seen this already, but for those of you new to Jerry’s company I ask that you take some time to see what things he has accomplished as one of the industries Green Pioneers.   Jerry has recently published what he thinks are going to be the hot topics for Green Building in 2011 and you can see them all here with his full comments.

1. The worldwide green building movement will continue to accelerate
2. Green building will rebound in 2011
3. Green building in the U.S. will continue to benefit from the Obama presidency
4. The focus of the green building industry will continue to switch from new buildings to greening existing buildings
5. Blue will become the New Green
6. Zero-net-energy designs for new buildings become increasingly commonplace
7. Performance Disclosure will be the fastest emerging trend
8. Certified Green Schools will grow rapidly as part the LEED System
9. Local and state governments will step up their mandates for green buildings
10. Solar power use in buildings will continue to grow

At SiteStuff we can help our clients as they focus on Existing buildings (4) and throughout our history we have been helping our clients save water through efficiency measures.

Tags: Sustainability //

The World Wildlife Fund has created a new PDF Format that doesnt allow any printing.  That is taking the paperless office to the next step.

Find the Software here

Tags: Sustainability //

I noticed the article originally here, but I wanted to post the source information as well.

Key Highlights-

Next to incandescent bulbs, CFLs take the lead in consumer adoption with 72 percent of American households using at least one bulb

Trailing behind the popular CFL, 39 percent of respondents use halogen bulbs in their home

LED adoption grew to nearly one household in ten (9 percent), with 81 percent of Americans reporting they have heard of LED bulbs.

The majority of consumers prioritize brightness (91 percent), bulb longevity (88 percent) and energy efficiency (85 percent) when choosing a light bulb

We are starting to see more LED purchases lately and in the right scenario they are absolutely the right choice.

Tags: Energy Star Program, LEDs, Lighting, Lighting Technology, Sustainability //

Osram Sylvania invited me to attend an event sponsored by US News and World Report with Ed Begly speaking.

Ed and the host sat casually in front of about 200 guests and had very frank conversations about what conservation is to Ed. Ed started by not going into his Life with Ed show but thanking his Father for teaching him the skills of conserving. Ed Sr told his son that if your going to peruse acting times might be tough and to watch what you buy. This philosophy has guided his life choices as much as the concept of being green. He bought his first electric car to save money not the environment, he took that savings and built on to his conservation strategy.

Of course the evening wouldn’t be complete without discussion around the now canceled show. Yes some of those vignettes were staged, and the big news was his wife talked him into a new house that they will spend the next year deconstructing and building a new LEED platinum home in it’s place.

Tags: Sustainability //

This is going to be a great series about Eco Labels, Certifications and Greenwashing.  I will continue to post links to each version as it becomes available.

Tags: Sustainability //

A German company has figured out how to keep selling simple A19 Incandescent lamps- to market and sell them as “Heat Globes” instead of light sources.

Original article in German, Slashdot article with comments.

Obviously this was not the intent of the EU regulations or even our own regulations here is the US.

Tags: DOE, Energy Star Program, LEDs, Lighting, Lighting Technology, Regulation, Utilities //

The first ever OSRAM SYLVANIA Commercial Lighting Survey,  revealed the priorities and experiences of over 350 facilities decision-makers and lighting designers across the education, healthcare, hospitality, office and retail sectors.  “Our inaugural Commercial Lighting Survey reveals a technological transformation happening in the commercial sector,” said Rick Leaman, president and CEO of OSRAM SYLVANIA. “Businesses clearly recognize the energy and performance benefits of LED and solid state lighting. They are becoming early adopters of this technology to improve their commercial spaces and reap the financial benefits of energy efficiency.”

The survey sheds light on the current and emerging needs of building professionals and defines how highly efficient LEDs are shaping the future of commercial spaces. Among its key findings, an overwhelming 84 percent of respondents revealed that energy efficiency, operating costs and maintenance are top considerations when making lighting decisions.

Additional findings of the 2010 OSRAM SYLVANIA Commercial Lighting Survey include:

Most industry professionals are now more focused on energy-efficient lighting than before.

• Majority (81%) of respondents are looking to energy-efficient lighting solutions.

Lighting has become a top priority for businesses.

• 71% of facilities and lighting professionals have evaluated their commercial lighting in just the past year.
• 53% have evaluated lighting in the 6 months alone.
• 84% of building and lighting professionals cite energy consumption at an important factor when making lighting decisions.
• The same percentage, cite operating costs and maintenance as an important factor.

Businesses are turning to LEDs and solid state lighting to save money and energy.

• 73% of building and lighting professionals are currently using LEDs or planning to use LED lighting in their commercial spaces
• 76% of lighting professionals surveyed believe it is more important to have lighting that saves money over its lifetime, even if it costs more to purchase and install.

Osram Sylvania Press Release

Full results of survey

Tags: Greenhouse Gas Reduction, Lighting, Lighting Technology, Utilities //