Adopting energy-saving tips and converting to “green” philosophies in a workplace sounds fairly easy in many cases. You get recycling bins for employees, you encourage workers to keep the thermostat lower, you keep computers and lights off during non-working hours. But what if that workplace is a significant operation with hundreds of employees and several buildings – like a school district?

School districts, college campuses and large church parishes are good examples of organizations seeking help from Energy Star companies with expertise that goes far beyond just handing out recycling bins.

Companies such as Energy Education Inc. are proving to be key components of school district initiatives to cut energy costs. They are proving that significant money can be slashed from already-strapped school district budgets by undertaking a major effort to reduce consumption of electricity, gas, fuel oil and water.

Batavia School Dist. 101 in Batavia, Ill., recently reported that it has saved more than $100,000 in energy costs already in 2010, and could be close to $300,000 in savings by year-end. The district is in the first year of a four-year deal with Energy Education Inc. to institute a program and new habits that drastically change the district’s energy consumption.

Energy Education Inc. predicts that over a 10-year period, a school district like Batavia’s with one high school, a middle school and four elementary schools could enjoy a net savings of $3.9 million. This is a range that would be common for most districts or colleges that would take such an organized approach to reducing energy costs, the company claims.

Energy Education Inc. examines all facets of energy use, from making sure equipment is turned off to examining a building’s occupancy at any given time, and adjusting cooling or heating accordingly. But it’s more precise in its measurements, calculating moisture and humidity levels.

In addition to modifying human behavior and encouraging energy-saving habits, a program instituting this kind of change examines the HVAC systems, electrical systems, and the motors and drives on all equipment; conducts energy audits; searches buildings for energy leaks; considers all turf management and irrigation setups; studies the standards for boilers and steam systems; and implements many other LEED and Energy Star (government-backed symbol for reliable energy savings information) standards and practices.

Companies with expertise such as Energy Education Inc. tell clients that a self-implement energy savings program can result in cost savings between zero and 7 percent. But with the help of experts and a thorough examination of all facets of an energy program, those savings could shoot up to 30 percent or higher.

Because the employees of educational institutions should be concentrating on educating students, it is a difficult task for school districts to implement their own energy-savings programs. School districts would be wise to consider a company with expertise in energy conservation that will assess the district’s situation and put together a plan. When a company like Energy Education Inc. can claim to save billions of dollars in energy costs when several school districts across the nation buy into green habits, there are few better examples of conservation taking hold in the United States.

It seems that initiatives in the public eye to reduce air pollution are more common when the culprit is outdoor air.

After all, outdoor air pollution has a familiar face. We know it when we see it, with most major cities across the globe being prime examples of what neglect and non-regulation can do to the air we breath over a long period of time.

But the Environmental Protection Agency has been trying to educate the public on the dangers of indoor air pollution, which can often be measured at two to five times greater than outdoor air.

With growing concerns about indoor air pollution and its effect on people suffering from allergies or asthma, the manufacturers of vacuum cleaners in the past few years have zeroed in on the fact that their machines can make a significant difference.

Throughout the history of vacuum cleaner manufacturing, there has been one common drawback – that most of them did not have a sealed filtration system. In short, dust particles and pollutants from carpet materials or cleaners, etc., were being kicked back into the air. More specifically, they were going right into the lungs of the person doing the vacuuming.

The move to high-efficiency particulate air filtration systems is the latest trend, helping to keep the irritants out of the air. A more thorough seal on the filter system also equates to less power usage. In addition to that efficiency, many vacuum cleaners are now being supplied with an LED headlight for work in dark corners or under furniture.

While these trends are good news, it is up to the consumer to force the issue with vacuum cleaner manufacturers in a key area of conservation – using less electricity. Consumer advocates with a keen eye for conservation have long considered it a myth that the vacuum cleaner that cleans the best is the one with most power, with about a 12 amp motor.

They point to some of the most powerful deep cleaning vacuums as having only 7 amp motor, citing the use of larger vacuum fans as opposed to larger motors. Most high-end vacuum cleaners operate with smaller motors than those considered disposable vacuum cleaners, or the type you have to replace every two to three years.

So a keen consumer should be seeking a vacuum cleaner that cleans better because it is built to do so, not because it has a larger motor that ultimately uses more electricity.

Think twice about a battery-operated vacuum cleaner. At first glance, it would appear it is a good way to conserve energy. The problem is that the batteries have a tendency to die fairly quickly, and owners return the cleaners – and the manufacturer has to put in a new battery to resell it. By any measure of energy usage, this does not seem like a good scenario.

The bottom line is that it is possible to make vacuuming the house another in a long line of green habits – cutting down on indoor air pollution and using less electricity to do so.

With the United States moving to implement stronger environmental and fuel economy standards, clean diesel fuel is poised to take on an even greater role in the U.S. transportation market, according to a new Hart Energy Consulting report released by the Diesel Technology Forum, a nonprofit organization that promotes the use of diesel engines, fuel and technology.

Representing 20 percent of refined petroleum product demand, diesel use has been increasing at an annual rate of 2.8 percent for the past five years, Hart reports. U.S. diesel demand is expected to increase 1.7 to 2.0 percent per year over the next decade, driven largely by the heavy-duty transportation sector and by pending fuel economy and climate policy initiatives that will increase diesel use among automobiles.

The diesel industry is in the midst of implementing advanced engine and emissions control technology that will lower emissions from on- and off-road vehicles and equipment by more than 98 percent compared to 2000-era technology. With superior fuel economy up to 35 percent better than gasoline vehicles, diesel provides a strong option for meeting efficiency requirements while maintaining performance and power, according to the report.

Another indicator of increased current and future diesel sales, the percentage of gas stations offering diesel fuel increased from 35.4 percent in 1997 to 52.1 percent in 2007. The Hart report predicts sales of clean diesel automobiles in the United States will increase from just 2 percent in 2009 to 8.5 percent in 2020.

“The significant growth in diesel car sales forecast for the United States has already occurred in other regions of the world,” notes Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum. “The Hart report highlights that in the European market, diesel car sales have increased from 32.1 percent in 2000 to an astounding 53.3 percent in 2007. The new emission and higher mileage standards mandated by the federal government will increase the importance of diesel autos for American drivers.”

Because of diesel fuel’s inherent attributes—its energy density, low-sulfur content, widespread availability and compatibility with biofuels—it is easy to recognize diesel’s emergence as a leading fuel of the future, Schaeffer adds. “Diesel offers energy and environmental improvement without the need for development of an infrastructure to support the advanced technology [as required by electric vehicles]. Diesel’s unique capability to utilize a range of renewable fuels and blends enhances its desirability under emerging renewable fuel requirements.”

For more information, visit www.dieselforum.org.

Turn on the TV news, flip open a newspaper, or go online, and there’s a good chance you will be hearing or reading about a weather disaster in some part of the world that resulted in homes being partially ruined or entirely destroyed.

These types of disasters, whether from floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes or fires, are getting more attention as part of the growing market for sustainable and green building materials.

The reason? Cleanups, restorations and rebuilding are taking place with far more attention to using “green” products.

As if weather disasters aren’t enough, rebuilding companies also have plenty of major restoration projects related to mold teardowns. And some cleanup projects reveal mold problems once restoration starts.

DKI Services Corp., with headquarters in Wood Dale, IL, is considered the largest disaster restoration contracting organization in North America. It is also the only certified green services restoration organization in the United States, offering services such as emergency response, water damage mitigation, fire and contents cleaning, mold remediation and complete reconstruction.

Basically, a company like DKI works to restore a home to its pre-loss condition, and its franchise members are trained to provide remediation services that satisfy insurance requirements while also using the products and chemicals commonly regarded as efficient “green” products in the marketplace.

This is especially important when the structure being restored was a “green” home to begin with. Specialists well-versed in green building materials and safer, more effective, chemical cleaners are able to assess a building and quickly determine what green products could be used in the remediation process.

An assessment of this nature now calls for an understanding of the different green rating systems in the United States and also knowing how to interpret insurance coverage and how it relates to the materials being used in restoration.

Mold removal has become a prominent issue in the past two decades, and it remains one of the most hazardous cleanup jobs that can be undertaken. Companies trained in this specialty have long been versed in how to do it while also keeping the environment safe.

Typically, a mold removal process will include an area cordoned off with plastic and workers with respirators and protective clothing using air scrubbers to trap as many airborne particles as possible, but done in such a way as to not allow any air-borne mold spores to escape to the outdoors. Removal is done in plastic bags and sealed before being taken off the property.

No one likes to see a home destroyed by an act of nature, but the positive news is that a “green” rebuilding can take place, and other serious problems in the home can be uncovered and addressed.

In an interesting note, DKI’s service center in Houston, Texas was recently chosen to be part of the popular ABC-TV series “Extreme Makeover” in which it helped a family rebuild after the 2008 hurricane.

The DKI company, called 281-Flooded, assisted by providing drying and cleaning services, including dehumidification and round-the-clock monitoring and labor, to expedite the drying of the drywall, primer, and paint in the interior and exterior of the home. The project was completed the week of July 25, 2010 in Houston, TX.

“I want to create engineers who can do hands-on engineering work, not another computer geek sitting at a terminal all day,” said Promod Vohra, the dean of the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL.

Vohra is proud to say that he certainly achieved that goal with a group of NIU students who made up the Society of Automotive Engineers Supermileage team in a competition to create a vehicle that would prove to be highly efficient with its gas mileage.

How efficient? How does 1,265 miles per gallon sound?

That’s what the NIU team’s vehicle tested out at on the competition track in Marshall, Mich., on June 10-11, 2010, and it was good enough to rank No. 1 amongst competing teams from the United States.

It was the first time that NIU had fielded a team from its College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, and it left with something to shoot for – because it placed third in the global competition, which drew 30 teams from across North America and as far away as India and the United Arab Emirates.

Defending champion Universite’ Laval from Quebec, Canada, placed first in the global competition by creating an aerodynamic vehicle that posted a mileage of 2,340 per gallon on its last run on the track.

“We were going up against teams that had been around for awhile, so the odds were completely against us,” said NIU team member Charles Ruetsche of Palatine, IL.

In creating the vehicle “from the ground up,” team members found the most time-consuming challenge to be creating the carbon-fiber shell of the vehicle. Because the project was a senior design project for the students, it had to entail tools, formulas and software they had used in four years of study. But making the vehicle body mold, made of Styrofoam, was something they had not encountered in classroom studies.

The NIU team of five individuals built the vehicle on a budget of $7,000, compared to some other entrants that had teams of as many as 20 members and vehicles constructed on budgets up to $30,000.

The NIU team went with a Briggs and Stratton motor more common in a weed whacker than in an aerodynamic car.

Though it may not be practical to think that major car manufacturers and oil companies are going to embrace these types of vehicles in the immediate future, Vohra made it clear that the project has ramifications far beyond the fact that it has been proven that a small, one-man, aerodynamic vehicle could greatly reduce the country’s need for oil-based fossil fuels.

“We are teaching that engineering in the future means creating products that have appeal in a global market,” Vohra said. “While there are things in today’s economics that take jobs away from America, we see a future in which things are made in America that are sold and used worldwide.”

As for the potential for vehicles in the future that need very little fuel, Vohra said he did not think it would be a big issue with companies producing oil in the United States, but the Middle East may not like it if Americans were less dependent on their oil.

While the United States can still boast of the largest wind farm in the world with 627 turbines cranking electrical power at the Roscoe Wind Farm in Roscoe, Texas, many eyes are on the United Kingdom now with the official opening on Sept. 23, 2010, of the largest offshore wind farm.

The Thanet Offshore Wind Farm is considered the largest of its type in the world, off the south coast of Ramsgate in Kent, England. Energy company Vattenfall has reported that the wind farm has 100 turbines and will produce enough energy a year to provide power for up to 200,000 homes. This is in addition to the UK’s current onshore capabilities, leaving United Kingdom leaders proclaiming it now produces enough wind power onshore and offshore to power all of the homes in Scotland – and intends to become a world leader in wind energy.

The ongoing pursuit of wind energy and its capabilities will continue to be a keen interest amongst other world leaders as costs vs. benefits become more clear and more prevalent as time passes.

The Roscoe Wind Farm in Texas, for example, cost more than $1 billion to build, but provides enough power for more than 250,000 average Texan homes. The wind farm is located about 200 miles west of Fort Worth, and spans parts of four Texas counties and covers nearly 100,000 acres, several times the size of Manhattan. Farmers in Texas, as in other states across the country, are seeing the benefit in royalties from wind farm projects, and some are convinced that a wind farm can help revive economies in remote areas. This is particularly true of west Texas and along the state’s panhandle.

Wind-farm proponents maintain that wind turbines represent a cleaner energy source, unlike fossil-fueled power plants. In general, wind farms require no water and generate no carbon dioxide – the main heat-trapping greenhouse gas that is considered a major contributor to global warming. This is possible because the group of wind turbines on a wind farm are interconnected with a medium voltage (usually 34.5 kV) power collection system and communications network. Substations are used to increase voltage with a transformer so the energy can connect with a high-voltage transmission system.

While the United States is considered a world leader in wind farm technology, the United Kingdom is gaining recognition and attention with its latest offshore venture. In the past few years, Spain, Denmark and Germany were considered the main wind-energy producers in Europe.

Currently, Britain gets only 3 percent of its energy from renewable sources, but is aiming for a target of 15 percent by 2020. The nation ranks 25th of 27 European Union countries on green power and intends to change that quickly. And they are doing it in impressive fashion, as each Thanet turbine is up to 380 feet (115 meters) tall and the site is as large as 4,000 football fields.
Vattenfall said its new farm could generate 300 megawatts of energy at full capacity, although critics note that wind power output can be intermittent and variable. The company said the farm is expected to operate for at least 25 years.

News about the conservation initiatives taking place in our homes generally centers on what “green” features developers and builders are offering, and what homeowners or new homebuyers are seeking in energy savings and use of more sustainable products. But what about the millions of people worldwide who rent their living space, be it in apartments or homes?

There’s no reason individuals can’t take it upon themselves to turn their rental unit into a more eco-friendly space, cutting their utility bills and perhaps even convincing the landlord to pass along some of the cost savings by lowering the monthly rent. There are many things a renter can do without any special requests, or even input, from a landlord.

The simplest first step is to recycle – and use recycled items, such as used furniture and even clothing – anything that would keep these types of items out of landfills.

Saving water in a rented apartment may not sound easy, but it’s doable. Place a brick in the toilet tank so it uses less water, like a low-flow toilet. Reuse bathwater or dishwater, with the aid of natural biodegradable soap, to water indoor or outdoor plants. Water monitors for the shower are available, and some even set off an alarm when you reach a pre-set limit on water use.

The discipline of simply using less electricity by shutting off lights and lowering the thermostat is obvious. Renters may also discover that their electric company offers renewable clean electricity at what may amount to only a slight increase in their payment. And it also is not impossible for a renter to buy a solar panel that can hang from a window ledge or clip onto a roof gutter or balcony.

There is no doubt that apartment owners are feeling the squeeze of the weak economy of the past three years, so convincing the landlords of eco-friendly investments might prove to be quite difficult. The trick is to document and keep track of money-saving improvements that the landlord can easily calculate and understand.

Many renters are now requesting what is being called a “green lease.” Under that setup, the renter and landlord agree to split the cost of eco-friendly upgrades and share in the cost savings over a period of time documented in the lease.

Landlords who are in tune with these kind of savings are already beginning to install motion-sensor lighting, timers for sprinklers, and replacing old appliances with Energy-Star rated products. Pushing the landlord to caulk and tint windows and add programmable thermostats are other simple ways to save money over the long run.

In addition, renters can simply follow the conservation habits that are commonly known – unplug small appliances when not in use, put coffee grounds and vegetable and food scraps into a composter, grow your own fruit and vegetables in a window box, clean the coils of the refrigerator and keep the fridge and stove far apart, buy chemical-free cleaners, put aerators on faucets to save water, and use bio-degradable trash bags.

In addition to conserving resources and helping the environment, builders are finding it more practical and financially rewarding to have their homes “green” certified.

That means the builder gets recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program for meeting certain criteria in eco-friendly building materials and paints, and standards in home safety and efficiency regarding cleaner air and water usage.

With more buyers seeking “green” homes, or at least more “green” elements within a home, the builders are finding those types of homes easier to sell or lease.

For the consumer, what exactly does a “green” home mean?

It can mean a lot of different things, depending on the type of home and the builder, as some go above and beyond to higher levels of LEED certification.

The trends are for builders to use sustainable woods, recycled products, reclaimed products, and paints and glues that do not emit toxins.

Bamboo floorings are a more current trend in sustainable products, and it is clear that green roofs and green walls on or within a home are becoming more popular.

Many builders seek vendors that have green policies, such as a carpet-recycling program or renewable wood flooring such as lyptus wood or, again, the bamboo product. Another trend is to use low-maintenance, recycled wood substrate siding, or work with roof and wall sheeting made from renewable sources to eliminate the impact on forests.

All green builders use low VOC (volatile organic compound) paints, which decreases toxic emission into the air. They also use sprayed on insulation that prevents moisture, thus blocking potential mold growth.

A green-certified home has fundamental features as well, such as caulking, but they do these tasks thoroughly in addition to proper venting and foam-sealing of windows. Extra insulation in attics and garage doors is also becoming more common as ways to conserve energy during extreme summer or winter seasons.

It’s becoming a fairly basic formula for builders and home buyers: Green buildings use less energy, water and natural resources, while creating less waste. At the same time, they are proving to be more comfortable and healthier for the occupants.

Alcoa is providing 50,000 recycling bins to organizations and communities throughout the U.S. this year in its effort to promote recycling of aluminum cans and other packaging material.

“Alcoa and the Aluminum Association have a goal of increasing the recycling rates of aluminum beverage cans in the U.S. from the current 54% to 75% by the year 2015,” said Greg Wittbecker, Alcoa Director of Recycling. “This bin distribution program is just one way that we’re trying to make it easier for people to recycle.”

Recycling aluminum cans provides benefits to the environment because it saves valuable landfill space, and the cans are infinitely recyclable. They can be used, recycled, and back on the store shelf as a new beverage can in less than 60 days. And, it takes 95% less energy to make a can from recycled aluminum than from raw materials. Aluminum is also the most valuable material in the recycling bin. Although by weight it is less than 2% of the country’s recycled stream, aluminum generates 40% of the revenue to sustain all recycling programs.

“If we could get each American to recycle just one more can per week over what they already do, we could reach our 75% recycling goal,” said Wittbecker.

Alcoa Recycling first started providing bins in 2008 and has given bins to municipalities, colleges, Native American tribes and community-based organizations in 19 states.

With Chicago laying claim to having the most “green” roofs of any city in North America, it stands to reason that the next building section that will be getting some notoriety in this part of the country will be the “green” wall.

Rooftop decks, gardens and vegetation account for about 7 million square feet of green space in the city of Chicago, with the city government setting an example with a rooftop garden atop the City Hall building.

The city has burst into the global spotlight in this environmental push since Mayor Richard Daley became a major booster after he learned about green-roof construction and design during a visit to Hamburg, Germany in 1997.

Still, there remains debate about whether Chicago has really forged ahead in this area, or if the movement remains in an early stage, with future design and benefits still being tapped.

Regardless of the environmental benefits – and there are many with energy savings, pollution control and natural noise buffers – the dawn of the green rooftop era appears to have descended into the green wall era.

The creation of a “living wall” within a structure may become more prevalent, with a current example unfolding at the Greenbelt Cultural Center under construction in North Chicago by the Lake County Forest Preserve.

The green wall being considered would be the first of its kind in the United States to use plants to filter and clean indoor air.

Proponents of the green wall project say it is much more than just a wall with plants. They view it as a key component of a building’s entire air-handling system, citing the plants’ root systems as a key factor in cleaning as much as 80 percent of volatile organic compounds in the area such as those coming from solvents and cleaning agents, building materials and carpets. They also estimate an energy savings of $600 per year with the green wall, but also view it as a centerpiece feature of a building and an educational tool.

The wall being planned for the center in Lake County would be 510 square feet, with plants installed in a mesh-like growing medium, rather than soil, with the mesh connected to perforated pipes that are in turn connected to the building’s air-handling system.

Nedlaw Living Walls of Canada is the manufacturer of the green wall system being considered. The company claims to be the only one to use plant walls as bio-filters in controlling indoor air quality. Basically, the “dirty air” is forced into the system and comes in contact with water that is constantly flowing within the wall. The pollutants move from the air into the water and are destroyed by microbes on the plant roots.

Some describe the phenomenon as simply as this: An indoor green wall mimics what is happening with the air we breath outside every day.