Solaleya Design first introduced its Domespace house to the U.S. market in 2007. The design, utilizing a motor to rotate the entire structure relative to the sun to increase or decrease solar collection, was intended to dramatically reduce energy consumption versus traditional housing.
As the first LEED Gold certified animal shelter in the nation, the new Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) Animal Community Center in Milpitas, CA proves that even our four-legged friends can enjoy the benefits of sustainability.
Chicago has long been known as the Windy City. But Chicago is earning a new nickname - “Green Roof City.” Much of the credit goes to the Public Building Commission (PBC), which oversees public buildings across the city.
At one time or another most people, businesses and government entities need roofing services. Where do they turn for help? You might say the phone directory, but savvy roofers have discovered that it’s easier to capture those customers with a toll-free phone name that avoids the directory entirely.
With more metal being integrated into today’s exterior designs, and recession-resistant re-roofing demand and other necessary replacements, metal fabrication efficiency is a contractor’s secret weapon for profitability.
As homeowners, commercial entities and other organizations look to “go green” to reduce their energy consumption, costs and overall carbon footprint, solar power has emerged as an attractive form of alterative energy.
Retrofitting flat roofs with sloped metal roofs is a concept that is tailor-made for these declining economic times. Interestingly, of the 40 billion square feet of roofing annually installed in the United States, only a fraction of that amount entails retrofitting roofs with sloped metal systems.
Rooftop gardens or living roofs offer several environmental advantages. Their increased use in urban areas has been due their ability to decrease water runoff from the roof area. The primary intent of the living roof application is to filter the stormwater and minimize the stormwater runoff from reaching the underground infrastructure.
When embarking on a sustainable plan that has the potential to transform a campus, why not start with a highly visible bang? Providence College in Providence, R.I., recently seized such an opportunity by installing thin-film building integrated photovoltaics on the roof of the Slavin Center, the college’s student center.