Trane Inc., St. Paul, MN, recently presented its Trane Energy Efficiency Leader Award to six customers. The customers, located in six countries, were recognized for doing dynamic work to link the physical environment of their buildings and assets to their business outcomes. The award is presented to customers across all sectors, including healthcare, education, retail, grocery, government, industrial, and commercial real estate.
   Award recipients leverage improvements in building design, renovation, construction, and operations to achieve real business outcomes, such as lowering energy and operating costs, reducing tenant turnover, creating better learning environments, and achieving improved patient outcomes.
   Award recipients were:

• Ivory Properties Group and GH Consultants Sdn. Bhd., Penang, Malaysia, for development of the Penang Times Square shopping mall. The mall was initially designed to include a conventional air conditioning system. Ivory Properties Group, with support and advice from GH Consultants Sdn. Bhd., instead opted for a more energy efficient Trane chilled-water system. The system is expected to achieve 0.63 kW/ton system efficiency on an annual basis and will be 30% more efficient than conventional chiller plants found in typical commercial buildings in Malaysia.
• Macalester College, a private college in St. Paul, MN, with 163 full-time faculty and nearly 2,000 students, was recognized for a campus-wide dedication to efficiency and sustainability. This effort led to significant energy saving upgrades on campus. Upgrades included a chilled-water system plant, an Eco House (on-campus green living experience), and the construction of LEED Platinum-certified Markim Hall. Markim Hall, which opened in July 2009, is a $7.5 million, 17,000-sq.-ft. facility housing the college’s Institute for Global Citizenship. The building is the first higher education facility in Minnesota, and one of the first nationwide, to receive the highest level of LEED certification. Energy simulation models predict that Markim Hall will use nearly 80% less energy than a standard building in an equivalent climate.
• Monterrey Tec is a private, independent educational institution with more than 8,500 teachers serving more than 90,000 students at the high school, undergraduate, and post-graduate levels at its 31 campuses in Mexico. Based in Monterrey, Mexico, the school is recognized for recent infrastructure improvements that significantly reduce annual energy consumption. As a result of the upgrades, the university has created a more comfortable teaching and learning environment while also reducing energy consumption by 13% to 15% year.
• The P.P. Porty Lotnicze Terminal at Warsaw Chopin Airport, Warsaw, Poland, serves nearly half of the passenger air traffic in Poland. The P.P. Porty Lotnicze Terminal features high-performance infrastructure systems that make the state-of-the-art terminal operationally and energy efficient, while at the same time providing visitors and workers with a comfortable environment. It is estimated that during the first 10 years of operation the infrastructure systems will save enough energy to power a city of 11,000 people for one year.
• Tishman Speyer received an award for development of the Castelo Branco Office Park in São Paulo, Brazil. Because of the investments in efficiency, the 1.1 million-sq.-ft. site provides the same quality and technology of premium areas of the state capital, but at less cost. The office park encompasses a 27-acre site that includes six towers, a horizontal corporate space for parking and services, and state-of-the-art buildings using the latest technologies in climate-control solutions.
• Transitions Optical, Galway, Ireland, the optical industry’s top photo-chromic lens manufacturer, recently completed upgrades to its plant that are generating €144,000 in annual energy savings and reduced the energy required to produce each lens by 50%. Automation has saved Transitions Optical €432,000 over the past three years, saving enough electricity to run the plant for three additional days every month.

   This group of recipients makes a total of 25 Trane customers who have received the Trane Energy Efficiency Leader Award in the past year.—Gary L. Parr

At the AIA Nat’l Convention, held June 10 to 12 in Miami, Schott North America Inc., Elmsford, NY, introduced RestrictView, a glass product designed for buildings in which privacy is a priority. The security glass is designed to prevent viewing through two pieces of glass but permit viewing through one piece. In other words, a viewer can see an object or person in a room when looking through one pane of RestrictView, but cannot see through the RestrictView glass on the other side of the room.
   For example, in a hospital, patients can see nurses or attendants in the corridor through windows in their rooms, and the nurses can see the patients. Patients, however, cannot see across the corridor into the room of another patient. In a courtyard application, people can see into the courtyard, but cannot see through to viewers on the other side. Adjoining treatment rooms or conference rooms are only viewable from corridors.
   RestrictView glass is a laminate and can be manufactured in a variety of formats, including approved attack-specification formats for psychiatric hospitals and prisons. A 3/16-in.-thick laminate consists of:

• 4 mm Schott Amiran anti-reflective glass
• 0.76 mm polyurethane with an RV interlayer
• 4 mm of Amiran anti-reflective glass

   The glass weighs 4.68 lb./ft² and is available with maximum dimensions of 44 x 44 in. The glass is designed for hospital, hotel, commercial, or security applications.
   At the show, Schott also announced that its fire-rated Pyran glass-ceramic glass recently received “Cradle-to-Cradle” certification. According to the company, “‘Cradle to Cradle’ certifies that Pyran is produced in an environmentally preferable way and qualifies it as the only environmentally friendly, fire-rated glass-ceramic on the market. It will be the only fire-rated glass option to help architects and designers qualify for LEED certification.”—Gary L. Parr

GE Lighting, Cleveland and Lithonia Lighting, Atlanta, have combined efforts to help schools improve their classroom lighting quality and cut energy costs by as much as 50%. The information-delivery vehicle for this new effort is a website at www.BetterLightingBetterSchools.com.
   According to the press release: “Better quality, more controllable and efficient lighting is an investment that ought to be on the radar screens of school districts across the U.S. this year. Superintendents, business managers, and school boards can take a meaningful step toward extraordinary, lasting lighting energy savings—and improved, more flexible learning environments—by visiting www.BetterLightingBetterSchools.com.”

   The site provides a spectrum of information about how schools can improve lighting energy efficiency. It features a lighting audit request form tied to the introduction of energy-efficient Class Pack Lighting Systems from GE Lighting and Lithonia Lighting. By installing Class Pack Lighting Systems, schools can reduce annual lighting-related energy costs as much as 50%.
   ”We want to help school districts across the country understand the significant opportunity that today’s energy-efficient lighting systems can provide,” said Jason Raak, a marketing manager with GE’s lighting business. “Recent new product advancements make current high-performance lighting far superior to systems installed just five years ago, and payback periods are shorter than ever.”
   Qualified school representatives can use www.BetterLightingBetterSchools.com to request a school or district-wide energy audit (restrictions apply). Visitors to the site will see a host of supporting statistics and details on how school executives can reduce the cost to renovate facilities by using NEMA premium ballasts and CEE qualified HPT8 lamps which, in many regions, can defray initial costs through utility rebate eligibility.
   The Class Pack Lighting Systems combine high-light-output, full-spectrum fluorescent lighting with a ballast system that delivers customized lighting levels on a two-lamp platform. With fewer, longer-life components, it minimizes maintenance and lamp replacement costs. It’s designed for fast, easy installation after school is out for the day or during summer renovations.
   ”We think BetterLightingBetterSchools.com provides school districts with many of the resources needed to make smart financial decisions about lighting and energy savings,” said Monik Mehra, director of marketing, Lithonia Lighting. “It’s a vital tool at a time when school districts have to do more with less, while striving to improve the quality of their students’ learning experience.”—Gary L. Parr

Metal-Era Inc., Waukesha, WI, a leading manufacturer of commercial roof-edge and roof-ventilation solutions, is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
   Metal-Era was founded in 1980 as a small manufacturing plant in Waukesha, WI, with only five employees. The company now employs 60 people who serve a large nationwide network of distributors and sales representatives. According to  Metal-Era, they currently are the largest U.S. manufacturer of pre-manufactured roof edges and commercial roof-ventilation solutions.
   Anchor-Tite Fascia was the company’s first product and remains its flagship offering. In 2006 Metal-Era introduced a line of commercial roof-ventilation solutions. Hi-Perf Vented Fascia and Hi-Perf Ridge Vent provided a standardized method for ensuring that the roof system had the correct amount of net free area.
   ”I am tremendously proud of all that we’ve been able to accomplish in the past 30 years,” said Tony Mallinger, chief operations officer. “We wouldn’t have been able to do it without the help of everyone in the industry: architects, contractors, roof consultants, membrane manufacturers, truly, the list is too long to name. All of them have contributed greatly to our success and what services we are in turn able to provide back to the industry. Our employees must not be forgotten. They are our strength. Their commitment to the customer, and continually finding better, more efficient ways to serve them, is a tremendous asset. We’ve been fortunate enough to attract some of the best talent available and I’m very excited about what the next 30 years will bring.”
   Congratulations to the folks at Metal-Era.—Gary L. Parr

Sto Corp., Atlanta, manufacturer of cladding, coating, and restoration systems, recently reached agreement with specialty construction materials manufacturer Ardex Engineered Cements, Aliquippa, PA, to expand concrete restoration and repair systems in the U.S.
   Ardex develops and manufactures specialty construction materials for substrate preparation, floor leveling, concrete repair, and  natural-stone, ceramic tile, and other surface material repair. They also provide training and support services.
   The agreement allows both companies to expand their building- and concrete-restoration market by offering combined product sourcing while potentially expanding warranty terms, giving customers a one-stop shop for building-retrofit projects.
“Ardex is a strong and independent, family-owned business which pursues its interests globally and acts in line with the market and the needs and wants of its customers,” said Larry Kushner, Sto’s vice president of sales.—Gary L. Parr

INVISTA, Kennesaw, GA,  announced, today, a new carpet fiber innovation. Antron Lumena solution-dyed nylon, with TruBlend fiber technology, is said to be the first carpet fiber to combine recycled and renewable content in a single fiber offering. This fiber combines as much as 25% pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled content with as much as 5% bio-based content derived from castor beans, a high-yield and renewable resource.
   ”Antron Lumena solution-dyed nylon with TruBlend fiber technology delivers a balance of recycled and renewable ingredients for today while anticipating innovative blends for tomorrow,” said Diane O’Sullivan, global marketing director of INVISTA’s commercial flooring segment.  ”The TruBlend fiber technology product line allows us to introduce new blends over time as technology changes and new innovations and resources are available.  This is another step toward introducing products that strive to change the conversation from one focused just on single-product ingredients to one that includes a balance of resources and understanding the cycle of our products.”
   InterfaceFLOR, LaGrange, GA, will showcase new products that feature TruBlend fiber technology at the NeoCon show, June 14 to 16, Chicago. Due to its unique composition, the fiber is the only commercial solution-dyed nylon carpet fiber that can contribute to both the Rapidly Renewable and the Recycle Content Credits for LEED projects. It can contribute to LEED MR Credits 4.1 and 4.2, MR Credit 6, and may contribute to an Innovation in Design Credit.
   TruBlend fiber technology is currently available in seven colors of Antron Lumena solution-dyed nylon: Granite, Fawn, Mushroom, Antique Olive, Gingerbread, Glacier, and Graphite.  All Antron Lumena nylon colors are held to the same high end-use performance standards and are tested in heat-set form for stain resistance, bleed resistance, color fastness to light and atmospheric contaminants, household bleach resistance, and resistance to crocking.—Gary L. Parr

As the current school year comes to an end, educational institutions across the country are ramping up those summer  repair, remodel, and upgrade programs. One of the critical areas for all educators is building/campus security and, no doubt, security systems are at the top of the list for most institutions. But, for virtually all schools, budget difficulties are working against the very pressing need to install effective security systems.
   To help with this, On-Net Surveillance Systems Inc. (OnSSI), Pearl River, NY, is offering an OnSSI Education Stimulus Package, now through the end of September 2010.  The promotion offers a significant discount on all Ocularis ES and DS Base and camera licenses. Discounts also apply for additional cameras licenses to existing Ocularis system.
   In addition, educational facilities with a current OnSSI Software Upgrade Plan (SUP) can register their facilities under this program and receive the applicable discount for their SUP renewals.
   ”We are proud to work with our school systems to provide a safer learning environment,” said Gadi Piran, OnSSI’s president and chief technology officer. “This special offer will help schools reconcile their needs with the realities of their budgets and allow them to meet their security objectives.”
   Details for the program can be found on the OnSSI Education Solutions page. The education stimulus discount is available to all K-12 schools, colleges, and universities with a minimum $1,000 product order.
   OnSSI’s Video Management System (VMS) provides vendor independent camera management, recording and archiving, control-room video-wall management, virtual matrix functionality, and automated video alerts through integration with video-content analytics and access-control and physical-security systems.—Gary L. Parr

Redwood Systems launched its network-based technology for LED lighting and building-performance systems in March. The new technology  is based on the idea that LED lighting presents opportunity to create a unified network-based digital platform for smart buildings, helping building owners and designers reduce energy costs while providing control and automation in commercial lighting never before possible.
   At Lightfair last week, Commercial Building Products asked executive Jeremy Stieglitz to demonstrate the product. By combining three typically discrete systems (power, communications, sensors) into one low-voltage networked system, Redwood says its platform “will make smart buildings vastly simpler, easier, and lower cost to own and operate.”
   Redwood Systems’ CEO is Dave Leonard,  formerly general manager of Cisco’s Ethernet Switching Business Unit. Mark Covaro, Redwood’s CTO, is the former principal power design engineer for Cisco’s widely deployed power-over-Ethernet platform.
   “Redwood’s vision is to use LED lighting’s low voltage to power not just lighting, but create a digital network to manage and efficiently optimize lighting, heating, venting, air conditioning, plug loads, window shading, and just about everything else that uses power in a building,” said Leonard. “Using a network-based platform approach, we will deliver smart lighting systems that revolutionize how lights, and buildings, are powered, controlled, and optimized.” —Jim Carper

What did I see at Lightfair that was new? Though there’s one day left, the most intriguing product so far is the SOL OLED (organic LED) chandelier being shown by WAC Lighting, Garden City, NY.
   The chandelier features ORBEOS OLED Lighting from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, Sunnyvale, CA. The circular satellite OLED panels rotate up, for indirect lighting, or tilt down to comfortably illuminate the surface below, or faces around a table. A central downlight also provides supplemental lighting on a tabletop.
   Exceptionally thin (2.1 millimeters), the OLED panels distribute quality light with solid color rendering (CRI 75) and a warm color temperature (2800K). ORBEOS panels are fully dimmable and deliver a uniform area of glare-free light. The SOL chandelier is crafted of aluminum and finished in black nickel. It is 18.5 inches in diameter and 2.2 inches tall.
   ”SOL, our new decorative chandelier, is our first complete OLED fixture introduction,” said Shelley Wang, president of WAC Lighting. ”We believe that the inconceivably thin, curved planes of the complete design, and the incorporated glare-free adjustable organic LED panels, will capture considerable attention.”
   Soft light from the ORBEOS panels is incorporated into the design and requires no additional light control from lenses or reflectors that traditionally result in a 10% to 40% loss in efficiency. ORBEOS light panels achieve energy efficiency without the use of heavy metals or other rare-earth materials commonly used in other energy-efficient sources. The OLEDs are made of layers of carbon-based materials that self-illuminate in various colors when energized, without having an impact on the environment.—Gary L. Parr