Published: Tuesday, February 05, 2008
General Electric Co. agreed to buy Whatman Plc, the U.K. maker of DNA-based products for drug research and police laboratories, for 363 million pounds ($717 million) to gain filters and equipment for its health-care business.
Investors in London-based Whatman will get 270 pence a share, Fairfield, Conn.-based GE said Monday in a statement. That's 12 percent more than Whatman's closing price on Feb. 1, the last trading day before Monday's announcement, and 31 per cent more than the closing price on Jan. 14, the day before Whatman announced it had been approached as a target.
Source: The Calgary Herald
02/06/08
Showing posts with label green technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green technology. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Greening the Caribbean
In Puerto Rico, engineers integrate commonly used technologies to produce a unique top-rated green building.
Standard Refrigeration Co. Inc.'s Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, facility was getting old. Real estate costs were skyrocketing. The shared office and manufacturing space just wasn't cutting it any more. The mechanical/electrical contracting firm, founded 60 years ago, had to move.
But firm officials didn't want just to build a new facility—they wanted a unique, sustainable building. The firm decided to acquire 5 acres of industrial set-aside land on the outskirts of San Juan. They acquired land in 1999, and completed the permit acquisition in 2004. Construction of the administrative building began in 2005, with occupancy beginning in 2006.
Finally, the crowning glory of the project came on Sept. 21, 2006, when the facility achieved a platinum rating under USGBC LEED NC Version 2.1 for new construction—the first building in Puerto Rico, and the first in the Caribbean, to attain this highest LEED certification level.
“The greatest challenge on the project was complying with requirements for LEED platinum status,” said Jorge Ledon Webster, PE, lead mechanical engineer on the project. “A lot of effort was put into providing a first-class interior environment requiring minimal energy costs. The LEED process requires a lot of documentation.”
The two-story building is a 9,600-sq.-ft footprint with 12,000 sq. ft of air conditioned area for offices, cafeteria and storage areas. In addition to being designed to LEED NC Version 2 requirements, the design process also adhered to ASHRAE 90.1-1999 for energy efficiency, ASHRAE 55-1995 for thermal comfort for human occupancy, and ASHRAE 62.1-2001 standard for ventilation. The main incentive for the new building was to achieve a substantial energy use reduction when compared with the firm's existing facility in Guaynabo.
Conserving energy
Energy conservation measures incorporated into the design including:
Lighting upgrade: With an illumination-level calculation program, and using minimum illumination level requirements of 50 lumens at all desktops, the total Watts per square foot were reduced by 0.78 W/sq. ft. In addition, all offices and open areas have T8 lamps with high-efficiency tubes and occupancy sensors. All walls have a reflectivity of 75% and ceilings have a reflectivity of 85%.
Insulation upgrade: In addition to the minimum requirements of ASHRAE 90.1-1999, the roof insulation was increased from R19 to R30 with a reflectivity of 92% and the walls from U = 0.58 and no R value requirement to a U = 0.089 and an R11.25.
Condensing unit efficiency upgrade: R410A units with dual speed compressors and 60,000 Btuh capacity with an 11.35 EER were installed (ASHRAE 90.1 minimum requirement is 9.7 EER).
Heat recovery: An energy recovery unit (enthalpy wheel) with an 85% efficiency and capable of handling 125% of the required outside air was included in the system. In addition, the hot water for the reheat coil in the air conditioning units is obtained from desuperheaters for each of four compressors. Solar panels are connected in series for additional reheat capacity.
High efficiency fans: The air conditioning unit has an adjustable-pitch vane axial fan with a static efficiency greater than 75%. ASHRAE 90.1 requires a maximum of 1.7 hp per 1,000 cfm for variable air volume (VAV) systems. The design used 0.675 hp per 1,000 cfm.
Fenestration: Double glass windows with clear glass inside and low-E glass outside with U = 0.26, exceeding ASHRAE 90.1 requirements. In addition, exterior metal shadings cover all glass areas for a substantial improvement on the solar heat gain coefficient requirements.
Exhaust and supply fans: The building exhaust and the outside air make-up use the fans of the energy recovery unit and are both served by variable frequency drives for higher energy efficiencies. Electrical efficiencies
“Our new building consumes so much less electricity than our previous building that the electrical savings alone will pay for the cost of the new building in 10 to 15 years at today's electricity rates,” said Juan S. Quintana, president of Standard Refrigeration. Strategies employed in this project yielded the results for electricity usage shown in Table 1.
Using the LEED-NC Version 2.1 criteria, where receptacles are not considered, the electricity savings is in excess of 70% when compared with ASHRAE 90.1-1999. The building management system of the new facility, along with a separate energy monitoring system, provided the electricity use data shown in Table 2. For the period from July 15, 2006, to July 15, 2007, the results of a comparison between design and actual use are shown in Table 3.
The hours of use and the square footage used in the model defined the difference in design vs. actual use of electricity for the receptacles. The complete building area should have been used in design for the receptacles rather than the air conditioned areas. The building receptacles serve refrigerators, water coolers, vending machines, uninterruptible power supplies, photocopiers, and other electrical units that consume electricity 24 hours per day.
For receptacles design: 12,000 sq. ft x 2,496 h x 0.66 W/sq. ft = 19,768 kWh
For receptacles actual: 19,200 sq. ft x 8,760 h x 0.29 W/sq. ft = 48,776 kWh.
The actual number of hours increased because they had to start up the unit two hours earlier every day, used the unit during the lunch hour, and used it for two additional hours every day in the afternoon, which lead to the difference between design and actual electricity use for the air conditioning system. The number of hours used in the design model is 2,496, but the actual number of hours is 4,400: 4,400/2,496 x 51,885 kWh = 91,464 kWh
Mechanical integration
The air conditioning system consists of an air-handling unit (AHU) with a VAV adjustable-pitch vane axial fan with variable volume boxes to maintain static pressure and variable volume diffusers in every location. The AHU has a DX cooling coil that is vertically split intertwined and has a double circuit, top and bottom. The AHU is a draw-through type, and each coil section closest to the fan has an individual 5 TR (tons of refrigeration) condensing unit connected to it that runs continuously while the fan is operating. Each of the other coil sections of the split coil is connected to a variable speed 5 TR condensing unit and responds to leaving air temperature (set at 53 F).
The variable speed condensing units are not allowed to cycle more than six times per hour. If the building temperature drops below 73 F, the VAV reheat water pump operates to raise the building return air temperature through the reheat coil. This combination of sequences allows the A/C system to maintain 72 F +/-1 F and 50% +/-5% relative humidity.
Outside air is forced into the AHU return plenum by a VAV energy recovery unit that is capable of 125% of the required air for ventilation. The AHU has (MERV 14) 85% efficient permanent filters and 40% throw away pre-filters. It also has UV-C lights in the return air plenum using the intensity recommendations from “Immune Building Systems Technology” (Wladyslaw Jan Kowalski, McGraw-Hill, 2002).
All ductwork in the building is galvanized sheet metal double-wall with solid interior liner and fiberglass insulation sandwiched between duct walls. Additionally, the inner duct liner is covered with a technology that liberates silver ions and prevents bacterial growth inside the ducts.
All VAV diffusers (thermafusers) were placed so as to achieve an air diffusion performance index of 90 or greater. Areas with more than one occupant have a thermostat that can bypass the VAV serving the area and convert the VAV to temperature-controlled for a period of 3 hours. A Web-based monitoring system samples seven different areas of the building for temperature, relative humidity, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, VOCs, and particulate. This continuous sampling process also reports to the energy management system.
In order to verify the particulate reported by the monitoring system, the engineers brought in a particle counter and the area sampled at random reported as ISO class 8 clean room. The ratio is maintained at a maximum of 1.0 cfm/sq. ft and a minimum of 0.7 cfm/sq. ft by the VAV system. The ratio of exhaust air to intake air is controlled using VAV units in both supply and exhaust fans to achieve positive building pressurization, adequate exhaust control, and minimum ventilation requirements at all times. Only if the carbon monoxide in the building exceeds 800 parts per million will the minimum ventilation rate be exceeded while always maintaining building pressurization.
Not only did the design team create a high-performance facility in terms of energy efficiency, but they also maximized efficiencies with respect to operation and maintenance. The AHU, energy recovery unit, condensing units, desuperheaters, reheat water tank, reheat pump and domestic solar hot water collectors all are located on a single pad outside the building for ease of maintenance. And the commissioning process verified each and every item of the HVAC and plumbing system.
Design uniqueness
“The positive environmental impacts that result from the design of our new building are significant and many,” Quintana said, “including condensing units that use R-410A refrigerant; electrical savings of 70% that substantially reduce carbon dioxide generation; and recycling of materials such as glass, paper, aluminum, cardboard, electrical lamps, printer cartridges, car batteries, oil, cellular phones, sheet metal, car tires, wood pallets, and grass.”
In addition, light pollution is eliminated by keeping the illumination within the site; all storm water is strained for removal of oil residue and some phosphorus; rain water is used for toilets and urinals; and the facility's own sewage treatment plant operates on evapotranspiration, which does not impact acquifer recharging. Storm water is retained in an underground rechargeable tank that slowly releases water during a 72 h timeframe so that water will not affect the level of the creek close to our site.
“We feel that our building is really unique,” Quintana said. “It is located in Puerto Rico without the benefits of using cold outside air for air conditioning at any time during the year. Yet still, we have achieved 750 sq. ft/ton.
“The greatest reward was that project goals were accomplished, and that the owner obtained substancial savings from energy and water measures that were implemented during the design process,” he said. “The coordination between the owner, which in this case was the contractor, and the rest of the design team was a great plus for implementing all the energy savings into the project.”
Because the owners of the facility are in the MEP business themselves, they began this project with a strong notion of what could be achieved, and challenged their design team with the task of far surpassing their existing building in energy use reduction. And the design team did a “platinum” job of meeting the challenge.
End use Design case (kWh) Budget case (kWh)
Electrical receptacles 19,740 19,740
Lighting 29,823 48,232
Space cooling 42,168 116,703
Fans/pumps 9,717 110,028
Date Receptacles First floor Second floor A/C
07/15/2006 40 x 106 W 6 x 106 W 6 x 106 W 44 x 106 W
07/15/2007 88 x 106 W 17 x 106 W 18 x 106 W 83.5 x 106 W
Use Design (kWh) Actual (kWh)
Lighting 29,823 23,000
Receptacles 19,740 48,000
A/C 51,885 83,500
Natural ventilation makes this library coolest building on campus
Architecture rules at this new Judson University building, which houses an expanded library and the division of art, design, and architecture. “Seeking a facility worthy of an evolving architecture program that is seeking accreditation, the university conducted an international design competition,” said Norm Bower, KJWW public relations coordinator. London-based architect Alan Short of Short and Assocs., a pioneer in low-energy, naturally ventilated, and passively cooled buildings, designed the facility.
The design team's challenge was to treat light and humidity issues in a library and art environment, where these factors could seriously damage the contents of the 88,000-sq.-ft building. Dominant energy-conscious features of the building are its photovoltaic, natural ventilation, and natural daylighting systems. Optimizing solar gains in the spring and fall is intended to allow the building to run naturally, with little or no mechanical intervention, for six or more months of the year. The building is expected to earn a USGBC LEED silver rating.
“The greatest challenge as an HVAC engineer on this project was taking the vision of placing a naturally ventilated building in the middle of the Midwest,” said Wade Ross, PE, lead mechanical engineer on the project. “Although the system works well in Northern Europe, we had to not only adapt it to the harsh Midwest climate, but also justify its viability.”
Ross also points to the vital need for teamwork. “Another struggle for the engineering firm was to design an exterior concrete precast structure with multiple openings. Extremely close coordination had to take place between engineering disciplines, architect, and the precast contractor,” he said.
Designing a naturally ventilated building that conformed to local code also challenged the team. For example, when it came to smoke evacuation strategies, “computational fluid dynamics analyses were commissioned to show that smoke could be effectively vented from the structure,” said architect of record Rick McCarthy, AIA, of Burnell Cassell Assocs., Elgin, Ill.
Natural ventilation is probably the most innovative aspect of the design. The building draws cool air at the lower level, circulates it throughout the building through various routes, and exhausts the air through roof terminals. Because of the extreme Midwest climate, a fully natural ventilation system was not possible. Consequently, mechanical engineers designed a hybrid system that minimizes the use of conventional heating and cooling, with operation in the natural mode for as much of the year as possible, but engaging the mechanical mode when the need arises.
There is a significant amount of engineering involved in the design of such a system, and the end product is a building that behaves as a single integrated system.
High school makes the lifecycle grade
Kinard Junior High School's design almost makes you want to go back to school just to check out the building. The facility incorporates thermal advanced insulating systems, daylighting, lighting controls, and geoexchange heat pump technology with exhaust air heat recovery ventilation systems. A building automation system monitors and controls engineered systems throughout the 117,000-sq.-ft building.
“Poudre School District (PSD) is very sensitive to total lifetime cost impacts of the design, construction, operation, and maintenance requirements, keeping in mind the total lifecycle costs rather than focusing primarily on the lowest first costs,” said Eric Young, PE, president of EMC Engineers Inc. and lead mechanical engineer on the project.
This was the fourth project that project architect, RB+B Architects, Fort Collins, Colo., designed under PSD sustainability guidelines. EMC was selected to provide three separate areas of service for this project: energy analysis, mechanical design, and commissioning. PSD selected EMC's energy team to help establish energy and sustainable goals for the facility, to create an energy model, and to update the model and advise the design team throughout the design process as relevant architectural and MEP systems features were determined. EMC also was selected for its experience in designing high-performance geoexchange systems. Finally, the firm was responsible for co-commissioning the building, working closely with Architectural Energy Corp., Boulder, Colo.
The district challenged the design team not only to explore ways to make this project even more energy efficient than previous schools, but also to make it exceptionally easy to build and maintain.
“The budget for the entire project was $17.45 million and the building was completed for a total cost of $17.5 million,” Young said. “The cost of the mechanical and plumbing portions of the project, including the geoexchange borefield, was $2.2 million, It came in on budget, equaling $18.86/sq. ft, a very competitive construction cost for this type of system.”
PSD documented the energy performance of this school for one complete year from July 2006 through June 2007, and tracked its performance against another conventional, similar-sized junior high school in the district. Electrical and gas savings can be summarized by the amount of energy used in one year per square foot for each school: Kinnard's 24.8 kBtu/sq. ft/yr compared to 55 kBtu/sq. ft/yr for the other school—an energy cost savings of approximately $30,000 in the first year of operation.
Stu Reeve, energy manager for PSD, echoes the excitement in the performance results. “Based on previous high-performance schools in PSD, we increased our expectations and performance goals for this project and EMC exceeded them all,” Reeve said.
Source: Consulting-Specifying Engineer
Standard Refrigeration Co. Inc.'s Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, facility was getting old. Real estate costs were skyrocketing. The shared office and manufacturing space just wasn't cutting it any more. The mechanical/electrical contracting firm, founded 60 years ago, had to move.
But firm officials didn't want just to build a new facility—they wanted a unique, sustainable building. The firm decided to acquire 5 acres of industrial set-aside land on the outskirts of San Juan. They acquired land in 1999, and completed the permit acquisition in 2004. Construction of the administrative building began in 2005, with occupancy beginning in 2006.
Finally, the crowning glory of the project came on Sept. 21, 2006, when the facility achieved a platinum rating under USGBC LEED NC Version 2.1 for new construction—the first building in Puerto Rico, and the first in the Caribbean, to attain this highest LEED certification level.
“The greatest challenge on the project was complying with requirements for LEED platinum status,” said Jorge Ledon Webster, PE, lead mechanical engineer on the project. “A lot of effort was put into providing a first-class interior environment requiring minimal energy costs. The LEED process requires a lot of documentation.”
The two-story building is a 9,600-sq.-ft footprint with 12,000 sq. ft of air conditioned area for offices, cafeteria and storage areas. In addition to being designed to LEED NC Version 2 requirements, the design process also adhered to ASHRAE 90.1-1999 for energy efficiency, ASHRAE 55-1995 for thermal comfort for human occupancy, and ASHRAE 62.1-2001 standard for ventilation. The main incentive for the new building was to achieve a substantial energy use reduction when compared with the firm's existing facility in Guaynabo.
Conserving energy
Energy conservation measures incorporated into the design including:
Lighting upgrade: With an illumination-level calculation program, and using minimum illumination level requirements of 50 lumens at all desktops, the total Watts per square foot were reduced by 0.78 W/sq. ft. In addition, all offices and open areas have T8 lamps with high-efficiency tubes and occupancy sensors. All walls have a reflectivity of 75% and ceilings have a reflectivity of 85%.
Insulation upgrade: In addition to the minimum requirements of ASHRAE 90.1-1999, the roof insulation was increased from R19 to R30 with a reflectivity of 92% and the walls from U = 0.58 and no R value requirement to a U = 0.089 and an R11.25.
Condensing unit efficiency upgrade: R410A units with dual speed compressors and 60,000 Btuh capacity with an 11.35 EER were installed (ASHRAE 90.1 minimum requirement is 9.7 EER).
Heat recovery: An energy recovery unit (enthalpy wheel) with an 85% efficiency and capable of handling 125% of the required outside air was included in the system. In addition, the hot water for the reheat coil in the air conditioning units is obtained from desuperheaters for each of four compressors. Solar panels are connected in series for additional reheat capacity.
High efficiency fans: The air conditioning unit has an adjustable-pitch vane axial fan with a static efficiency greater than 75%. ASHRAE 90.1 requires a maximum of 1.7 hp per 1,000 cfm for variable air volume (VAV) systems. The design used 0.675 hp per 1,000 cfm.
Fenestration: Double glass windows with clear glass inside and low-E glass outside with U = 0.26, exceeding ASHRAE 90.1 requirements. In addition, exterior metal shadings cover all glass areas for a substantial improvement on the solar heat gain coefficient requirements.
Exhaust and supply fans: The building exhaust and the outside air make-up use the fans of the energy recovery unit and are both served by variable frequency drives for higher energy efficiencies. Electrical efficiencies
“Our new building consumes so much less electricity than our previous building that the electrical savings alone will pay for the cost of the new building in 10 to 15 years at today's electricity rates,” said Juan S. Quintana, president of Standard Refrigeration. Strategies employed in this project yielded the results for electricity usage shown in Table 1.
Using the LEED-NC Version 2.1 criteria, where receptacles are not considered, the electricity savings is in excess of 70% when compared with ASHRAE 90.1-1999. The building management system of the new facility, along with a separate energy monitoring system, provided the electricity use data shown in Table 2. For the period from July 15, 2006, to July 15, 2007, the results of a comparison between design and actual use are shown in Table 3.
The hours of use and the square footage used in the model defined the difference in design vs. actual use of electricity for the receptacles. The complete building area should have been used in design for the receptacles rather than the air conditioned areas. The building receptacles serve refrigerators, water coolers, vending machines, uninterruptible power supplies, photocopiers, and other electrical units that consume electricity 24 hours per day.
For receptacles design: 12,000 sq. ft x 2,496 h x 0.66 W/sq. ft = 19,768 kWh
For receptacles actual: 19,200 sq. ft x 8,760 h x 0.29 W/sq. ft = 48,776 kWh.
The actual number of hours increased because they had to start up the unit two hours earlier every day, used the unit during the lunch hour, and used it for two additional hours every day in the afternoon, which lead to the difference between design and actual electricity use for the air conditioning system. The number of hours used in the design model is 2,496, but the actual number of hours is 4,400: 4,400/2,496 x 51,885 kWh = 91,464 kWh
Mechanical integration
The air conditioning system consists of an air-handling unit (AHU) with a VAV adjustable-pitch vane axial fan with variable volume boxes to maintain static pressure and variable volume diffusers in every location. The AHU has a DX cooling coil that is vertically split intertwined and has a double circuit, top and bottom. The AHU is a draw-through type, and each coil section closest to the fan has an individual 5 TR (tons of refrigeration) condensing unit connected to it that runs continuously while the fan is operating. Each of the other coil sections of the split coil is connected to a variable speed 5 TR condensing unit and responds to leaving air temperature (set at 53 F).
The variable speed condensing units are not allowed to cycle more than six times per hour. If the building temperature drops below 73 F, the VAV reheat water pump operates to raise the building return air temperature through the reheat coil. This combination of sequences allows the A/C system to maintain 72 F +/-1 F and 50% +/-5% relative humidity.
Outside air is forced into the AHU return plenum by a VAV energy recovery unit that is capable of 125% of the required air for ventilation. The AHU has (MERV 14) 85% efficient permanent filters and 40% throw away pre-filters. It also has UV-C lights in the return air plenum using the intensity recommendations from “Immune Building Systems Technology” (Wladyslaw Jan Kowalski, McGraw-Hill, 2002).
All ductwork in the building is galvanized sheet metal double-wall with solid interior liner and fiberglass insulation sandwiched between duct walls. Additionally, the inner duct liner is covered with a technology that liberates silver ions and prevents bacterial growth inside the ducts.
All VAV diffusers (thermafusers) were placed so as to achieve an air diffusion performance index of 90 or greater. Areas with more than one occupant have a thermostat that can bypass the VAV serving the area and convert the VAV to temperature-controlled for a period of 3 hours. A Web-based monitoring system samples seven different areas of the building for temperature, relative humidity, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, VOCs, and particulate. This continuous sampling process also reports to the energy management system.
In order to verify the particulate reported by the monitoring system, the engineers brought in a particle counter and the area sampled at random reported as ISO class 8 clean room. The ratio is maintained at a maximum of 1.0 cfm/sq. ft and a minimum of 0.7 cfm/sq. ft by the VAV system. The ratio of exhaust air to intake air is controlled using VAV units in both supply and exhaust fans to achieve positive building pressurization, adequate exhaust control, and minimum ventilation requirements at all times. Only if the carbon monoxide in the building exceeds 800 parts per million will the minimum ventilation rate be exceeded while always maintaining building pressurization.
Not only did the design team create a high-performance facility in terms of energy efficiency, but they also maximized efficiencies with respect to operation and maintenance. The AHU, energy recovery unit, condensing units, desuperheaters, reheat water tank, reheat pump and domestic solar hot water collectors all are located on a single pad outside the building for ease of maintenance. And the commissioning process verified each and every item of the HVAC and plumbing system.
Design uniqueness
“The positive environmental impacts that result from the design of our new building are significant and many,” Quintana said, “including condensing units that use R-410A refrigerant; electrical savings of 70% that substantially reduce carbon dioxide generation; and recycling of materials such as glass, paper, aluminum, cardboard, electrical lamps, printer cartridges, car batteries, oil, cellular phones, sheet metal, car tires, wood pallets, and grass.”
In addition, light pollution is eliminated by keeping the illumination within the site; all storm water is strained for removal of oil residue and some phosphorus; rain water is used for toilets and urinals; and the facility's own sewage treatment plant operates on evapotranspiration, which does not impact acquifer recharging. Storm water is retained in an underground rechargeable tank that slowly releases water during a 72 h timeframe so that water will not affect the level of the creek close to our site.
“We feel that our building is really unique,” Quintana said. “It is located in Puerto Rico without the benefits of using cold outside air for air conditioning at any time during the year. Yet still, we have achieved 750 sq. ft/ton.
“The greatest reward was that project goals were accomplished, and that the owner obtained substancial savings from energy and water measures that were implemented during the design process,” he said. “The coordination between the owner, which in this case was the contractor, and the rest of the design team was a great plus for implementing all the energy savings into the project.”
Because the owners of the facility are in the MEP business themselves, they began this project with a strong notion of what could be achieved, and challenged their design team with the task of far surpassing their existing building in energy use reduction. And the design team did a “platinum” job of meeting the challenge.
End use Design case (kWh) Budget case (kWh)
Electrical receptacles 19,740 19,740
Lighting 29,823 48,232
Space cooling 42,168 116,703
Fans/pumps 9,717 110,028
Date Receptacles First floor Second floor A/C
07/15/2006 40 x 106 W 6 x 106 W 6 x 106 W 44 x 106 W
07/15/2007 88 x 106 W 17 x 106 W 18 x 106 W 83.5 x 106 W
Use Design (kWh) Actual (kWh)
Lighting 29,823 23,000
Receptacles 19,740 48,000
A/C 51,885 83,500
Natural ventilation makes this library coolest building on campus
Architecture rules at this new Judson University building, which houses an expanded library and the division of art, design, and architecture. “Seeking a facility worthy of an evolving architecture program that is seeking accreditation, the university conducted an international design competition,” said Norm Bower, KJWW public relations coordinator. London-based architect Alan Short of Short and Assocs., a pioneer in low-energy, naturally ventilated, and passively cooled buildings, designed the facility.
The design team's challenge was to treat light and humidity issues in a library and art environment, where these factors could seriously damage the contents of the 88,000-sq.-ft building. Dominant energy-conscious features of the building are its photovoltaic, natural ventilation, and natural daylighting systems. Optimizing solar gains in the spring and fall is intended to allow the building to run naturally, with little or no mechanical intervention, for six or more months of the year. The building is expected to earn a USGBC LEED silver rating.
“The greatest challenge as an HVAC engineer on this project was taking the vision of placing a naturally ventilated building in the middle of the Midwest,” said Wade Ross, PE, lead mechanical engineer on the project. “Although the system works well in Northern Europe, we had to not only adapt it to the harsh Midwest climate, but also justify its viability.”
Ross also points to the vital need for teamwork. “Another struggle for the engineering firm was to design an exterior concrete precast structure with multiple openings. Extremely close coordination had to take place between engineering disciplines, architect, and the precast contractor,” he said.
Designing a naturally ventilated building that conformed to local code also challenged the team. For example, when it came to smoke evacuation strategies, “computational fluid dynamics analyses were commissioned to show that smoke could be effectively vented from the structure,” said architect of record Rick McCarthy, AIA, of Burnell Cassell Assocs., Elgin, Ill.
Natural ventilation is probably the most innovative aspect of the design. The building draws cool air at the lower level, circulates it throughout the building through various routes, and exhausts the air through roof terminals. Because of the extreme Midwest climate, a fully natural ventilation system was not possible. Consequently, mechanical engineers designed a hybrid system that minimizes the use of conventional heating and cooling, with operation in the natural mode for as much of the year as possible, but engaging the mechanical mode when the need arises.
There is a significant amount of engineering involved in the design of such a system, and the end product is a building that behaves as a single integrated system.
High school makes the lifecycle grade
Kinard Junior High School's design almost makes you want to go back to school just to check out the building. The facility incorporates thermal advanced insulating systems, daylighting, lighting controls, and geoexchange heat pump technology with exhaust air heat recovery ventilation systems. A building automation system monitors and controls engineered systems throughout the 117,000-sq.-ft building.
“Poudre School District (PSD) is very sensitive to total lifetime cost impacts of the design, construction, operation, and maintenance requirements, keeping in mind the total lifecycle costs rather than focusing primarily on the lowest first costs,” said Eric Young, PE, president of EMC Engineers Inc. and lead mechanical engineer on the project.
This was the fourth project that project architect, RB+B Architects, Fort Collins, Colo., designed under PSD sustainability guidelines. EMC was selected to provide three separate areas of service for this project: energy analysis, mechanical design, and commissioning. PSD selected EMC's energy team to help establish energy and sustainable goals for the facility, to create an energy model, and to update the model and advise the design team throughout the design process as relevant architectural and MEP systems features were determined. EMC also was selected for its experience in designing high-performance geoexchange systems. Finally, the firm was responsible for co-commissioning the building, working closely with Architectural Energy Corp., Boulder, Colo.
The district challenged the design team not only to explore ways to make this project even more energy efficient than previous schools, but also to make it exceptionally easy to build and maintain.
“The budget for the entire project was $17.45 million and the building was completed for a total cost of $17.5 million,” Young said. “The cost of the mechanical and plumbing portions of the project, including the geoexchange borefield, was $2.2 million, It came in on budget, equaling $18.86/sq. ft, a very competitive construction cost for this type of system.”
PSD documented the energy performance of this school for one complete year from July 2006 through June 2007, and tracked its performance against another conventional, similar-sized junior high school in the district. Electrical and gas savings can be summarized by the amount of energy used in one year per square foot for each school: Kinnard's 24.8 kBtu/sq. ft/yr compared to 55 kBtu/sq. ft/yr for the other school—an energy cost savings of approximately $30,000 in the first year of operation.
Stu Reeve, energy manager for PSD, echoes the excitement in the performance results. “Based on previous high-performance schools in PSD, we increased our expectations and performance goals for this project and EMC exceeded them all,” Reeve said.
Source: Consulting-Specifying Engineer
Micoturbines to reduce greenhouse gas in NYC
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that New York City has implemented the country’s first use of microturbine technology, using new microturbine standards.
Bloomberg announced a new rule Dec. 5 that outlines the use and installation of microturbine systems in residential and commercial buildings in New York. This new rule takes effect immediately.
The microturbine technology, and its manufacturer, Capstone Turbine Corp., Chatsworth, Calif., will help New York reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and allow building owners to generate a portion of their own electricity throughout the five boroughs. The rule also will help New York meet its pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions citywide by 30% before 2030.
The rule states that microturbine systems approved by nationally recognized testing laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratory can be installed at residential and commercial buildings in various locations, including within weatherproof enclosures at grade or on roofs and within mechanical rooms built with 2-hour fire-resistance rated walls.
Buildings in New York City generate 79% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. By supplying on-site power generation to buildings, microturbine systems provide an energy-efficient supplement to New York City’s power supply. Building owners now are enabled to take advantage of Capstone’s microturbine technology, which will help the city reach its PlaNYC goal of expanding clean distributed power generation citywide.
Source: Consulting-Specifying Engineer,
Bloomberg announced a new rule Dec. 5 that outlines the use and installation of microturbine systems in residential and commercial buildings in New York. This new rule takes effect immediately.
The microturbine technology, and its manufacturer, Capstone Turbine Corp., Chatsworth, Calif., will help New York reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and allow building owners to generate a portion of their own electricity throughout the five boroughs. The rule also will help New York meet its pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions citywide by 30% before 2030.
The rule states that microturbine systems approved by nationally recognized testing laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratory can be installed at residential and commercial buildings in various locations, including within weatherproof enclosures at grade or on roofs and within mechanical rooms built with 2-hour fire-resistance rated walls.
Buildings in New York City generate 79% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. By supplying on-site power generation to buildings, microturbine systems provide an energy-efficient supplement to New York City’s power supply. Building owners now are enabled to take advantage of Capstone’s microturbine technology, which will help the city reach its PlaNYC goal of expanding clean distributed power generation citywide.
Source: Consulting-Specifying Engineer,
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Water Saving Sprinklers Put To The Test
Jul. 3, 2007 (KGO) - For the first time in years, Bay Area residents are being asked to conserve water. The Sonoma County Water Agency has gone as far as to issue mandatory water rationing. 7 On Your Side's Michael Finney has some tips on watering your lawn without wasting water.
A lot of water sprinklers claim to not waste any water. The Good Housekeeping Institute decided to put those claims to the test.
The institute placed cups with pennies in the center of the lawn. Then they turned on the sprinklers to see how much water filled each cup. Coming out on top for densely planted plots was the 'Tripod Sprinkler' by 'Rainforest.'
Kathleen Huddy, Good Housekeeping Institute: "We really like this sprinkler. It had a terrific distribution at over 600 feet and it has the adjustable legs so that you can place it over landscaping and not harm any plants. We didn't like the eco sprinkler from rainforest because it did not evenly distribute the water throughout the area."
The 'Noodlehead' sprinkler gets much better reviews because it can be adjusted to avoid overshooting.
Kathleen Huddy, Good Housekeeping Institute: "We really liked the 'Noodlehead' because it has 12 bendable tubes you can change and as your garden grows, you can customize it to the area you want to water."
And if you're tired of getting kinks in your garden hose, Good Housekeeping gave a thumbs up to the 'No-Crank Hose Reel.' It automatically winds your hose through a clever water-powered mechanism.
The inspiration for the 'Noodlehead' sprinkler came from investor Randy Cooper. He watched his wife put benders in her hair, instead of curlers. He then made the concept work in the yard too.
Copyright 2007, ABC7/KGO-TV/DT.
A lot of water sprinklers claim to not waste any water. The Good Housekeeping Institute decided to put those claims to the test.
The institute placed cups with pennies in the center of the lawn. Then they turned on the sprinklers to see how much water filled each cup. Coming out on top for densely planted plots was the 'Tripod Sprinkler' by 'Rainforest.'
Kathleen Huddy, Good Housekeeping Institute: "We really like this sprinkler. It had a terrific distribution at over 600 feet and it has the adjustable legs so that you can place it over landscaping and not harm any plants. We didn't like the eco sprinkler from rainforest because it did not evenly distribute the water throughout the area."
The 'Noodlehead' sprinkler gets much better reviews because it can be adjusted to avoid overshooting.
Kathleen Huddy, Good Housekeeping Institute: "We really liked the 'Noodlehead' because it has 12 bendable tubes you can change and as your garden grows, you can customize it to the area you want to water."
And if you're tired of getting kinks in your garden hose, Good Housekeeping gave a thumbs up to the 'No-Crank Hose Reel.' It automatically winds your hose through a clever water-powered mechanism.
The inspiration for the 'Noodlehead' sprinkler came from investor Randy Cooper. He watched his wife put benders in her hair, instead of curlers. He then made the concept work in the yard too.
Copyright 2007, ABC7/KGO-TV/DT.
Rollout of DX-12 at 650 Stores
BioQuest Technologies Announces ‘Great Success’ with 16 Store Test at Tire Kingdom
Company to Rollout DX-12 Degreaser in All 650 Tire Kingdom Stores
JUPITER, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioQuest Technologies, Inc., (Pink Sheets:BQTG), a leading developer of innovative, environmentally safe antimicrobial products, today announced it has completed a 16 store test of its DX-12 degreaser product with Tire Kingdom, the largest independent tire and automotive services retailer in the U.S. The successful test has led Tire Kingdom to approve DX-12 for a nationwide rollout of all 650 Tire Kingdom stores coast to coast.
DX-12 driveway cleaner is a revolutionary new product which effectively cleans an extremely wide range of oils, greases, transmission fluids, and other troublesome contaminants from all driveway surfaces with minimal deleterious effects on the environments or the surfaces cleaned. DX-12 is water-based and contains no caustics, acids, petroleum solvents or phosphates.
“We have had great success with our test of DX-12 and the bay cleaning program at Tire Kingdom,” said Arne Rotne, President of BioQuest Technologies, Inc. “Our product is much safer for the Tire Kingdom staff since it is environmentally friendly and it has better cleaning properties providing a stronger, more intense deep cleaning of the store bays. The nationwide rollout of DX-12 by such a reputable retailer like Tire Kingdom is a testament to the proven effectiveness of our powerful water based cleaners and degreasers. We are aggressively pursuing other relationships similar to this one and anticipate we will be very successful in product placement.”
Chicago-based Schwarz Supply Source will offer the North American distribution for the Tire Kingdom program with the DX-12 product. Schwarz Supply Source has been a national leader for over 100 years in the distribution of packaging and other supply items for some of the biggest retailers in the U.S. Schwarz Supply Source serves over 30,000 unique locations nationwide.
About Tire Kingdom:
Headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida, Tire Kingdom began in 1972 and was eventually purchased in 2000 by Memphis-based TBC Corporation. TBC Corporation is one of the nation's largest marketers and distributors of tires for the automotive replacement market. TBC has continued to expand Tire Kingdom with additional locations in markets it currently serves as well as to extend its geographic coverage. In November 2005, Sumitomo Corporation of America (SCOA) acquired TBC Corporation as a wholly owned subsidiary. SCOA is an investor and business partner in more than 40 subsidiary and affiliate companies.
Tire Kingdom sells quality name brand tires such as Michelin, Goodyear, General, BFGoodrich, Sigma, Toyo, Pirelli, Uniroyal, Yokohama, and more. Tire Kingdom's retail centers provide full-service tire replacement including tire balancing, wheel alignment, extended service programs and warranties. The centers also offer under-car / under-hood maintenance services including brake repairs, suspension system replacement, drive line repair, air conditioning service, cooling service, transmission service, fuel system service and oil change service. Tire Kingdom is committed to total customer satisfaction. Every tire purchased is covered by a 30-day ride guarantee. That means, a Tire Kingdom customer can try his/her new tires for up to 30 days and if not satisfied, bring them back for a full credit towards a new set. More information can be found at: www.tirekingdom.com.
About BioQuest Technologies, Inc.:
BioQuest Technologies Inc. develops innovative antimicrobial products that are environmentally safe protecting homes and businesses from dangerous mold, bacteria and fungi. The company’s best-selling and revolutionary new product is its patented BioShield 75 product which is EPA registered. BioShield 75 eliminates and inhibits further growth of bacteria, fungi, algae, mold and mildew. In addition, BioShield 75 is water based, odorless and colorless, protects a wide range of surfaces and has been accepted by the USDA for use on food contact surfaces. BioQuest’s ProShield 5000 provides antimicrobial protection in textiles such as jerseys, socks, towels, and various surfaces. BioQuest Technologies offers a variety of products that provide durable and effective antimicrobial protection against damaging microbes. For more information about BioQuest Technologies go to: www.BioQuestech.com. BioQuest Technologies makes no health claims when discussion results for its antimicrobial products.
Safe Harbor Statement under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements are presented based on current information available to management and in consideration of assumptions concerning information available to management regarding future events. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause future events or results to differ materially from such statements. BioQuest Technology Inc. disclaims any intent or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements and presents information herein solely for the intent of delivering general information regarding the company.
Contacts
For BioQuest Technologies, Inc., Jupiter
Cervelle Group
David Donlin, 407-475-9966
Email: info@thecervellegroup.com
Company to Rollout DX-12 Degreaser in All 650 Tire Kingdom Stores
JUPITER, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioQuest Technologies, Inc., (Pink Sheets:BQTG), a leading developer of innovative, environmentally safe antimicrobial products, today announced it has completed a 16 store test of its DX-12 degreaser product with Tire Kingdom, the largest independent tire and automotive services retailer in the U.S. The successful test has led Tire Kingdom to approve DX-12 for a nationwide rollout of all 650 Tire Kingdom stores coast to coast.
DX-12 driveway cleaner is a revolutionary new product which effectively cleans an extremely wide range of oils, greases, transmission fluids, and other troublesome contaminants from all driveway surfaces with minimal deleterious effects on the environments or the surfaces cleaned. DX-12 is water-based and contains no caustics, acids, petroleum solvents or phosphates.
“We have had great success with our test of DX-12 and the bay cleaning program at Tire Kingdom,” said Arne Rotne, President of BioQuest Technologies, Inc. “Our product is much safer for the Tire Kingdom staff since it is environmentally friendly and it has better cleaning properties providing a stronger, more intense deep cleaning of the store bays. The nationwide rollout of DX-12 by such a reputable retailer like Tire Kingdom is a testament to the proven effectiveness of our powerful water based cleaners and degreasers. We are aggressively pursuing other relationships similar to this one and anticipate we will be very successful in product placement.”
Chicago-based Schwarz Supply Source will offer the North American distribution for the Tire Kingdom program with the DX-12 product. Schwarz Supply Source has been a national leader for over 100 years in the distribution of packaging and other supply items for some of the biggest retailers in the U.S. Schwarz Supply Source serves over 30,000 unique locations nationwide.
About Tire Kingdom:
Headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida, Tire Kingdom began in 1972 and was eventually purchased in 2000 by Memphis-based TBC Corporation. TBC Corporation is one of the nation's largest marketers and distributors of tires for the automotive replacement market. TBC has continued to expand Tire Kingdom with additional locations in markets it currently serves as well as to extend its geographic coverage. In November 2005, Sumitomo Corporation of America (SCOA) acquired TBC Corporation as a wholly owned subsidiary. SCOA is an investor and business partner in more than 40 subsidiary and affiliate companies.
Tire Kingdom sells quality name brand tires such as Michelin, Goodyear, General, BFGoodrich, Sigma, Toyo, Pirelli, Uniroyal, Yokohama, and more. Tire Kingdom's retail centers provide full-service tire replacement including tire balancing, wheel alignment, extended service programs and warranties. The centers also offer under-car / under-hood maintenance services including brake repairs, suspension system replacement, drive line repair, air conditioning service, cooling service, transmission service, fuel system service and oil change service. Tire Kingdom is committed to total customer satisfaction. Every tire purchased is covered by a 30-day ride guarantee. That means, a Tire Kingdom customer can try his/her new tires for up to 30 days and if not satisfied, bring them back for a full credit towards a new set. More information can be found at: www.tirekingdom.com.
About BioQuest Technologies, Inc.:
BioQuest Technologies Inc. develops innovative antimicrobial products that are environmentally safe protecting homes and businesses from dangerous mold, bacteria and fungi. The company’s best-selling and revolutionary new product is its patented BioShield 75 product which is EPA registered. BioShield 75 eliminates and inhibits further growth of bacteria, fungi, algae, mold and mildew. In addition, BioShield 75 is water based, odorless and colorless, protects a wide range of surfaces and has been accepted by the USDA for use on food contact surfaces. BioQuest’s ProShield 5000 provides antimicrobial protection in textiles such as jerseys, socks, towels, and various surfaces. BioQuest Technologies offers a variety of products that provide durable and effective antimicrobial protection against damaging microbes. For more information about BioQuest Technologies go to: www.BioQuestech.com. BioQuest Technologies makes no health claims when discussion results for its antimicrobial products.
Safe Harbor Statement under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements are presented based on current information available to management and in consideration of assumptions concerning information available to management regarding future events. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause future events or results to differ materially from such statements. BioQuest Technology Inc. disclaims any intent or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements and presents information herein solely for the intent of delivering general information regarding the company.
Contacts
For BioQuest Technologies, Inc., Jupiter
Cervelle Group
David Donlin, 407-475-9966
Email: info@thecervellegroup.com
Cargill’s BiOH Polyols Technology Wins Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award from U.S. EPA
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
By: Furniture World Magazine
Cargill’s BiOH brand polyols, the first commercially successful biobased polyols used in polyurethane foam cushioning for upholstered furniture and bedding, has won the 2007 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award. Cargill, winner in the Designing Greener Chemicals category, is one of five recipients to be honored tonight (Tues., June 26) in a ceremony at the National Academy of Sciences.
Sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Presidential Green Chemistry Award promotes innovative chemical technologies that reduce negative impacts on human health and the environment compared to the current state-of-the-art. An independent panel, selected by the American Chemical Society, judges the nominations.
“This brings well-deserved recognition to the incredible work done by our team in taking the concept from a blank sheet of paper to commercial sales in just 26 months,” said Ron Christenson, Cargill corporate vice president and chief technology officer. “The team continues to work in tandem with customers to expand the applications of and develop high-performing additions to the product line. It is one of the great success stories of industrial bioproduct development, and I accept the award with great pride on behalf of Cargill.”
This is the third time in two years that Cargill’s BiOH polyols have achieved significant third-party recognition. In 2006 it earned a Technology Innovation Award from the Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry. In March of this year, it won a Sustainability Award from the Society of Plastics Engineers.
In addition, this is the second time a Cargill business has landed a Presidential Green Chemistry Award. In 2002, Cargill’s corn-based polymers business, NatureWorks (then known as Cargill Dow), won in the Greener Reaction Conditions category.
Derived from natural vegetable oils such as soybean oil, BiOH polyols help our furnishing industry partners reduce their environmental footprint and market their responsible choice to downstream customers. Several manufacturers are currently using BiOH polyols inn their furnishing products.
A preliminary life cycle analysis indicates that replacement of petroleum-based polyols with BiOH polyols results in 36% less global warming emissions, a 61% reduction in non-renewable energy use, and a 23% reduction in the total energy demand. For every million pounds of BiOH polyol produced to replace petroleum- based polyols, about 2,200 barrels (nearly 700,000 pounds) of crude oil are saved.
About Cargill: Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 153,000 employees in 66 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed. For more information, visit www.cargill.com .
End
By: Furniture World Magazine
Cargill’s BiOH brand polyols, the first commercially successful biobased polyols used in polyurethane foam cushioning for upholstered furniture and bedding, has won the 2007 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award. Cargill, winner in the Designing Greener Chemicals category, is one of five recipients to be honored tonight (Tues., June 26) in a ceremony at the National Academy of Sciences.
Sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Presidential Green Chemistry Award promotes innovative chemical technologies that reduce negative impacts on human health and the environment compared to the current state-of-the-art. An independent panel, selected by the American Chemical Society, judges the nominations.
“This brings well-deserved recognition to the incredible work done by our team in taking the concept from a blank sheet of paper to commercial sales in just 26 months,” said Ron Christenson, Cargill corporate vice president and chief technology officer. “The team continues to work in tandem with customers to expand the applications of and develop high-performing additions to the product line. It is one of the great success stories of industrial bioproduct development, and I accept the award with great pride on behalf of Cargill.”
This is the third time in two years that Cargill’s BiOH polyols have achieved significant third-party recognition. In 2006 it earned a Technology Innovation Award from the Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry. In March of this year, it won a Sustainability Award from the Society of Plastics Engineers.
In addition, this is the second time a Cargill business has landed a Presidential Green Chemistry Award. In 2002, Cargill’s corn-based polymers business, NatureWorks (then known as Cargill Dow), won in the Greener Reaction Conditions category.
Derived from natural vegetable oils such as soybean oil, BiOH polyols help our furnishing industry partners reduce their environmental footprint and market their responsible choice to downstream customers. Several manufacturers are currently using BiOH polyols inn their furnishing products.
A preliminary life cycle analysis indicates that replacement of petroleum-based polyols with BiOH polyols results in 36% less global warming emissions, a 61% reduction in non-renewable energy use, and a 23% reduction in the total energy demand. For every million pounds of BiOH polyol produced to replace petroleum- based polyols, about 2,200 barrels (nearly 700,000 pounds) of crude oil are saved.
About Cargill: Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 153,000 employees in 66 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed. For more information, visit www.cargill.com .
End
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
The Ultimate Green Car Fuels on Air
An engine which uses air as fuel
Tata Motors and technology inventor, MDI of France, sign agreement
France, India (rushprnews) June 25, 2007- Tata Motors, in keeping with its role as the leading company in India for automotive R&D, has signed an agreement, in yet another exciting engineering and development effort, with MDI of France for application in India of MDI’s path-breaking technology for engines powered by air.
The MDI Group is headed by Mr. Guy Negre, who founded the company in the 1990s in pursuit of his dream to pioneer an engine using just compressed air as fuel – which may be the ultimate environment-friendly engine yet. Besides, the engine is efficient, cost-effective, scalable, and capable of other applications like power generation.
The agreement between Tata Motors and MDI envisages Tata’s supporting further development and refinement of the technology, and its application and licensing for India.
Commenting on the agreement, Mr. Guy Negre has said, “MDI has for many years been engaged in developing environment-friendly engines. MDI is happy to conclude this agreement with Tata Motors and work together with this important and experienced industrial group to develop a new and cost-saving technology for various applications for the Indian market that meets with severe regulations for environmental protection. We are continuing the development with our own business concept of licensing car manufacturers in other parts of the world where the production is located close to the markets. We have also developed this new technology for other applications where cost competitiveness combined with respect for environmental questions has our priority.”
About MDI
MDI is a small, family-controlled company located at Carros, near Nice (Southern France) where Mr. Guy Negre and Mr. Cyril Nègre, together with their technical team, have developed a new engine technology with the purpose of economising energy and respect severe ecological requirements – at competitive costs.
About Tata Motors
Tata Motors is India’s largest automobile company, with revenues of US$ 5.5 billion in 2005-06. With over 4 million Tata vehicles plying in India, it is the leader in commercial vehicles and the second largest in passenger vehicles. It is also the world’s fifth largest medium and heavy truck manufacturer and the second largest heavy bus manufacturer. Tata cars, buses and trucks are being marketed in several countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia and in Australia. Tata Motors and Fiat Auto have announced the formation of an industrial joint venture in India to manufacture passenger cars, engines and transmissions for the Indian and overseas markets. Tata Motors already distributes Fiat-branded cars in India. The company’s international footprint include Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Co. Ltd. in South Korea; Hispano Carrocera, a bus and coach manufacturer of Spain in which the company has a 21% stake; a joint venture with Marcopolo, the Brazil-based body-builder of buses and coaches; and a joint venture with Thonburi Automotive Assembly Plant Company of Thailand to manufacture and market pickup vehicles in Thailand. Tata Motors has research centres in India, the UK, and in its subsidiary and associate companies in South Korea and Spain.
———
For further information, please contact
MDI Group
Mr. Cyril Negre
cyril.negre@mdi.lu
www.mdi.lu
Tata Motors
Debasis Ray
Head (Corporate Communications)
Tata Motors Limited
Phone: 00 91 22 66657209; E-Mail: debasis.ray@tatamotors.com
www.tatamotors.com
-END-
RUSH PR NEWS press release newswire services www.rushprnews.com
anne howard writer and publicist www.annehowardpublicist.com
Tata Motors and technology inventor, MDI of France, sign agreement
France, India (rushprnews) June 25, 2007- Tata Motors, in keeping with its role as the leading company in India for automotive R&D, has signed an agreement, in yet another exciting engineering and development effort, with MDI of France for application in India of MDI’s path-breaking technology for engines powered by air.
The MDI Group is headed by Mr. Guy Negre, who founded the company in the 1990s in pursuit of his dream to pioneer an engine using just compressed air as fuel – which may be the ultimate environment-friendly engine yet. Besides, the engine is efficient, cost-effective, scalable, and capable of other applications like power generation.
The agreement between Tata Motors and MDI envisages Tata’s supporting further development and refinement of the technology, and its application and licensing for India.
Commenting on the agreement, Mr. Guy Negre has said, “MDI has for many years been engaged in developing environment-friendly engines. MDI is happy to conclude this agreement with Tata Motors and work together with this important and experienced industrial group to develop a new and cost-saving technology for various applications for the Indian market that meets with severe regulations for environmental protection. We are continuing the development with our own business concept of licensing car manufacturers in other parts of the world where the production is located close to the markets. We have also developed this new technology for other applications where cost competitiveness combined with respect for environmental questions has our priority.”
About MDI
MDI is a small, family-controlled company located at Carros, near Nice (Southern France) where Mr. Guy Negre and Mr. Cyril Nègre, together with their technical team, have developed a new engine technology with the purpose of economising energy and respect severe ecological requirements – at competitive costs.
About Tata Motors
Tata Motors is India’s largest automobile company, with revenues of US$ 5.5 billion in 2005-06. With over 4 million Tata vehicles plying in India, it is the leader in commercial vehicles and the second largest in passenger vehicles. It is also the world’s fifth largest medium and heavy truck manufacturer and the second largest heavy bus manufacturer. Tata cars, buses and trucks are being marketed in several countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia and in Australia. Tata Motors and Fiat Auto have announced the formation of an industrial joint venture in India to manufacture passenger cars, engines and transmissions for the Indian and overseas markets. Tata Motors already distributes Fiat-branded cars in India. The company’s international footprint include Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Co. Ltd. in South Korea; Hispano Carrocera, a bus and coach manufacturer of Spain in which the company has a 21% stake; a joint venture with Marcopolo, the Brazil-based body-builder of buses and coaches; and a joint venture with Thonburi Automotive Assembly Plant Company of Thailand to manufacture and market pickup vehicles in Thailand. Tata Motors has research centres in India, the UK, and in its subsidiary and associate companies in South Korea and Spain.
———
For further information, please contact
MDI Group
Mr. Cyril Negre
cyril.negre@mdi.lu
www.mdi.lu
Tata Motors
Debasis Ray
Head (Corporate Communications)
Tata Motors Limited
Phone: 00 91 22 66657209; E-Mail: debasis.ray@tatamotors.com
www.tatamotors.com
-END-
RUSH PR NEWS press release newswire services www.rushprnews.com
anne howard writer and publicist www.annehowardpublicist.com
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Itronics Inc. CEO Updates the Wall Street Reporter Investor Community On His Company's Profitable Green Technology, Growth Prospects, and Exposure to
NEWS RELEASE
NEW YORK, June 22, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Wall Street Reporter Magazine has just published an exclusive interview with Dr. John Whitney, President and Chief Executive Officer of Itronics Inc. (OTCBB:ITRO), describing how he's generating multiple revenue streams from the company's unique silver halide recycling technology.
"Itronics is a photochemical recycling company; we've created technology that takes the liquids used to develop print and x-rays and converts those into a line of high quality fertilizers," he tells Wall Street Reporter senior analyst Todd Santorelli. "The liquids are hazardous because of the silver content and so our technology removes all of the silver, which we refine and sell."
The 9-minute interview is now available at http://wallstreetreporter.com in streaming audio, MP3, and text format -- all free of charge.
Highlights include detailed discussions of the following topics:
-- How the company's premium fertilizers (2-3 times more effective
than existing formulations) play into the Itronics strategy. "Our
driver for the next few years will be the fertilizers
themselves," Dr. Whitney tells WSR. "The reduction in the amount
of fertilizer that's needed is a big bonus for the environment.
It's huge."
-- The continued importance of photochemical handling and treatment
solutions given growth in photographic print markets. Even though
filmless technologies have replaced analog cameras, Dr. Whitney
says, prints still require halide processing. "We're seeing
growth of about 5-7% in that area."
-- The long collective tenure of the Itronics management team, many
members of which have worked together for over a decade to first
develop and then commercialize the technology.
-- Guidance on the company's ability to continue to operate
profitably and build its revenue streams. "Last year, we reported
our first gross profit since we started the fertilizer division,"
Dr. Whitney says. "That's the first time we've made a gross
profit in the first quarter of any year, and that's continuing.
As our sales increase -- we're expecting to double sales this
year -- our profitability will increase."
"As far as we know, we're the only company in the world that has this technology," he explains. "It's a green story. The generators of the photographic liquids benefit from our technology. The farmers that use the fertilizer also benefit from our technology."
About Wall Street Reporter
Wall Street Reporter (Est. 1843) helps smart investors connect with exciting companies, through our website, magazines and conferences. We're probably best known for our exclusive interviews with industry-leading CEOs and the world's top investment experts.
Wall Street Reporter produces in-depth, unbiased, unfiltered interviews that deliver a first-hand, straight-from-the-source perspective. This enables our audience to make intelligent and informed investment decisions.
About Itronics Inc.
Itronics, through its subsidiary, Itronics Metallurgical, Inc., is the only company in the world with a "Beneficial Use Photochemical, Silver, and Water Recycling" facility that extracts more than 99 percent of the silver and virtually all the other toxic heavy metals from used photoliquids and converts the resulting liquids into environmentally beneficial, chelated, multinutrient liquid fertilizer products sold under the GOLD'n GRO trademark, and 5 troy ounce, 0.999 pure, Silver Nevada Miner numismatic bars. The environmentally friendly liquid fertilizers can be used for lawns and houseplants, and are available, along with GOLD'n GRO liquid fertilizer injectors, at the Company's "e-store" catalog at www.goldngro.com. The popular Silver Nevada Miner bars are available at the Company's "e-store" catalog at www.itromet.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release relating to plans, strategies, economic performance and trends, projections of results of specific activities or investments, and other statements that are not descriptions of historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking information is inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors, which include, but are not limited to, risk factors inherent in doing business. Forward-looking statements may be identified by terms such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "expects," "plans," "intends," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "forecasts," "potential," or "continue," or similar terms or the negative of these terms. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. The company has no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
CONTACT: Wall Street Reporter Magazine
Jack Marks, CEO & Publisher
212-363-2600 ext 260
www.wallstreetreporter.com
Itronics Inc.
Dr. John Whitney, CEO & President
775-689-7696
www.itronics.com
NEW YORK, June 22, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Wall Street Reporter Magazine has just published an exclusive interview with Dr. John Whitney, President and Chief Executive Officer of Itronics Inc. (OTCBB:ITRO), describing how he's generating multiple revenue streams from the company's unique silver halide recycling technology.
"Itronics is a photochemical recycling company; we've created technology that takes the liquids used to develop print and x-rays and converts those into a line of high quality fertilizers," he tells Wall Street Reporter senior analyst Todd Santorelli. "The liquids are hazardous because of the silver content and so our technology removes all of the silver, which we refine and sell."
The 9-minute interview is now available at http://wallstreetreporter.com in streaming audio, MP3, and text format -- all free of charge.
Highlights include detailed discussions of the following topics:
-- How the company's premium fertilizers (2-3 times more effective
than existing formulations) play into the Itronics strategy. "Our
driver for the next few years will be the fertilizers
themselves," Dr. Whitney tells WSR. "The reduction in the amount
of fertilizer that's needed is a big bonus for the environment.
It's huge."
-- The continued importance of photochemical handling and treatment
solutions given growth in photographic print markets. Even though
filmless technologies have replaced analog cameras, Dr. Whitney
says, prints still require halide processing. "We're seeing
growth of about 5-7% in that area."
-- The long collective tenure of the Itronics management team, many
members of which have worked together for over a decade to first
develop and then commercialize the technology.
-- Guidance on the company's ability to continue to operate
profitably and build its revenue streams. "Last year, we reported
our first gross profit since we started the fertilizer division,"
Dr. Whitney says. "That's the first time we've made a gross
profit in the first quarter of any year, and that's continuing.
As our sales increase -- we're expecting to double sales this
year -- our profitability will increase."
"As far as we know, we're the only company in the world that has this technology," he explains. "It's a green story. The generators of the photographic liquids benefit from our technology. The farmers that use the fertilizer also benefit from our technology."
About Wall Street Reporter
Wall Street Reporter (Est. 1843) helps smart investors connect with exciting companies, through our website, magazines and conferences. We're probably best known for our exclusive interviews with industry-leading CEOs and the world's top investment experts.
Wall Street Reporter produces in-depth, unbiased, unfiltered interviews that deliver a first-hand, straight-from-the-source perspective. This enables our audience to make intelligent and informed investment decisions.
About Itronics Inc.
Itronics, through its subsidiary, Itronics Metallurgical, Inc., is the only company in the world with a "Beneficial Use Photochemical, Silver, and Water Recycling" facility that extracts more than 99 percent of the silver and virtually all the other toxic heavy metals from used photoliquids and converts the resulting liquids into environmentally beneficial, chelated, multinutrient liquid fertilizer products sold under the GOLD'n GRO trademark, and 5 troy ounce, 0.999 pure, Silver Nevada Miner numismatic bars. The environmentally friendly liquid fertilizers can be used for lawns and houseplants, and are available, along with GOLD'n GRO liquid fertilizer injectors, at the Company's "e-store" catalog at www.goldngro.com. The popular Silver Nevada Miner bars are available at the Company's "e-store" catalog at www.itromet.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release relating to plans, strategies, economic performance and trends, projections of results of specific activities or investments, and other statements that are not descriptions of historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking information is inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors, which include, but are not limited to, risk factors inherent in doing business. Forward-looking statements may be identified by terms such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "expects," "plans," "intends," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "forecasts," "potential," or "continue," or similar terms or the negative of these terms. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. The company has no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
CONTACT: Wall Street Reporter Magazine
Jack Marks, CEO & Publisher
212-363-2600 ext 260
www.wallstreetreporter.com
Itronics Inc.
Dr. John Whitney, CEO & President
775-689-7696
www.itronics.com
Go green and get rich
Saving the planet is good for everyone
There's a maxim used around the offices of General Electric to describe the corporation's loving embrace of eco-friendliness: "green is green."
In other words, being kind to the environment isn't just for the alpaca-poncho-and-sandal crowd - business can rake in huge piles of money at it.
The GE brass are convinced that unless we clean up our act, the world is headed in the opposite direction and the global economy will go straight down the high-flow toilet. And if GE can reach new levels of profitability helping out, all the better.
"It feels good," admitted Jeff Fulgham, chief marketing manager for GE Water and Process Technologies, who was in town last week for a conference.
Everybody wins, he explained. When GE sells a customer green technology, the customer saves money through efficiency, the environment stays a little greener, and GE gets a little richer.
In fact, the corporation's green technology - from fuel-efficient jet engines to wind-generated power - was worth $10 billion in sales in 2005. But the biggest area of opportunity for the corporation, Fulgham said, is connected to a commodity that most Canadians take for granted: water.
Canada is home to 0.5% of the world's population, but 9% of the world's fresh water supply, so it's easy to assume that we have nothing to worry about.
But there's a growing crisis around the globe, and it's slowly making its way here. In the southern U.S., about a third of the nation is in the grip of a protracted drought that has forced cities to take brutal conservation measures like forbidding children to play with hoses at home on hot days.
For the past decade, the drought has been creeping northward. Presently, two billion people around the globe - one third of humanity - are affected by water scarcity, and that figure is expected to climb dramatically.
And with oilsands companies sucking up ever-increasing quantities of water in northern Alberta to keep their plants humming to feed the world's ravenous appetite for fuel, it won't be long until we reach what Fulgham calls the "tipping point" where there simply isn't enough water available to keep up with demand and we're faced with a full-blown ecological catastrophe.
No water, critical to the oilsands extraction process, means our economy, and ultimately the entire Canadian economy, will grind to a halt.
The solution, Fulgham says, is to reuse the contaminated wastewater wallowing in the oilsands projects' massive tailings ponds, rather than continue draining the Athabasca and Peace basins.
ECONOMICAL
The technology is available and it's getting cheaper. It won't be long, he says, before it's more economical to treat old wastewater than to draw fresh water and pollute it.
And the oilsands are a drop in the environmental bucket for companies like GE.
China alone plans $125 billion worth of water treatment projects in the next decade.
Massive developments in parched parts of the world, such as Dubai, are going to have to make every drop of water count.
And even in water-rich places like Canada, water is going to become increasingly expensive. As it stands now, Canadians pay about one tenth of the rates that consumers in places like Germany do to get water out of their taps.
Corporations, governments and even individual homeowners will be forced to be as efficient and green as possible.
And GE, which sold $2.3 billion worth of water conserving technology last year, will be there to help.
Who knew there was so much profit to be made by doing the right thing?
There's a maxim used around the offices of General Electric to describe the corporation's loving embrace of eco-friendliness: "green is green."
In other words, being kind to the environment isn't just for the alpaca-poncho-and-sandal crowd - business can rake in huge piles of money at it.
The GE brass are convinced that unless we clean up our act, the world is headed in the opposite direction and the global economy will go straight down the high-flow toilet. And if GE can reach new levels of profitability helping out, all the better.
"It feels good," admitted Jeff Fulgham, chief marketing manager for GE Water and Process Technologies, who was in town last week for a conference.
Everybody wins, he explained. When GE sells a customer green technology, the customer saves money through efficiency, the environment stays a little greener, and GE gets a little richer.
In fact, the corporation's green technology - from fuel-efficient jet engines to wind-generated power - was worth $10 billion in sales in 2005. But the biggest area of opportunity for the corporation, Fulgham said, is connected to a commodity that most Canadians take for granted: water.
Canada is home to 0.5% of the world's population, but 9% of the world's fresh water supply, so it's easy to assume that we have nothing to worry about.
But there's a growing crisis around the globe, and it's slowly making its way here. In the southern U.S., about a third of the nation is in the grip of a protracted drought that has forced cities to take brutal conservation measures like forbidding children to play with hoses at home on hot days.
For the past decade, the drought has been creeping northward. Presently, two billion people around the globe - one third of humanity - are affected by water scarcity, and that figure is expected to climb dramatically.
And with oilsands companies sucking up ever-increasing quantities of water in northern Alberta to keep their plants humming to feed the world's ravenous appetite for fuel, it won't be long until we reach what Fulgham calls the "tipping point" where there simply isn't enough water available to keep up with demand and we're faced with a full-blown ecological catastrophe.
No water, critical to the oilsands extraction process, means our economy, and ultimately the entire Canadian economy, will grind to a halt.
The solution, Fulgham says, is to reuse the contaminated wastewater wallowing in the oilsands projects' massive tailings ponds, rather than continue draining the Athabasca and Peace basins.
ECONOMICAL
The technology is available and it's getting cheaper. It won't be long, he says, before it's more economical to treat old wastewater than to draw fresh water and pollute it.
And the oilsands are a drop in the environmental bucket for companies like GE.
China alone plans $125 billion worth of water treatment projects in the next decade.
Massive developments in parched parts of the world, such as Dubai, are going to have to make every drop of water count.
And even in water-rich places like Canada, water is going to become increasingly expensive. As it stands now, Canadians pay about one tenth of the rates that consumers in places like Germany do to get water out of their taps.
Corporations, governments and even individual homeowners will be forced to be as efficient and green as possible.
And GE, which sold $2.3 billion worth of water conserving technology last year, will be there to help.
Who knew there was so much profit to be made by doing the right thing?
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