Solar Impulse, the group whose goal is to fly an airplane around the world propelled solely by solar energy, has proven that night flight using solar energy stored in batteries in possible.

On July 7, 2010, just before 7 in the morning, the prototype Solar Impulse HB-SIA took off from Payerne military airfield for a memorable flight.

André Borschberg piloted the solar-powered aircraft with a wingspan of 64 meters on a non-stop flight lasting more than 26 hours. In the night of July 7-8, the Solar Impulse flew using solar energy stored in the batteries in the course of the day.

It was intended to be the longest and highest flight in the history of solar-powered aviation: the FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale) immediately awarded the Solar Impulse three new world records in the Solar Powered Airplane class. Based on the technical organization and adjudication by the Swiss Aero Club, the FAI ratified the following flight records, owned by André Borschberg:

- Absolute height: 9235 m

- Height gain: 8744 m

- Duration: 26 hours, 10 minutes, 19 seconds

Visit a 3-D animation that explores the Solar Impulse plane inside and out at http://www.solarimpulse.com/index.php.

WASHINGTON

Purchases of green power help to prevent greenhouse gas emissions and also help accelerate the development of new renewable energy capacity across the United States.

To participate in the challenge, a local government must join EPA’s Green Power Partnership and use green power in amounts that meet the program’s purchase requirements. The local government must also conduct a campaign to encourage local businesses and residents to collectively buy or produce green power on-site in amounts that meet EPA requirements.

More than 30 cities and towns in Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin have become green power communities, and are collectively buying more than 900 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) from the electricity use of nearly 80,000 average American homes.

The campaign is designed to expand upon the successes of the program, aiming to double the total aggregate amount of green power used by EPA Green Power Communities. As part of the national campaign, communities will compete to see which one can use the most green power and which one can achieve the highest green power percentage of total electricity use. There will be a separate award for each category with national recognition and special attention from EPA. The winners will be announced in September 2011.

During the challenge, from Sept. 20, 2010, to Sept. 1, 2011, communities will be ranked for the two award categories on EPA’s website on a quarterly schedule; EPA will also provide technical assistance to help participants increase their green power usage.

Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas, and low-impact hydropower. Green power resources produce electricity with an environmental profile superior to conven tional power technologies, and produce no net increase of greenhouse gas emissions.

More information on EPA’s Green Power Community Challenge:http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/gpcchallenge

More information about EPA’s Green Power Communities:
http://epa.gov/greenpower/communities/index.htm

Learn how an all-electric vehicle works.

Ford Motor Company has announced first markets that will sell the Focus Electric, Ford’s first all-electric, zero CO2-emissions passenger car.

The first markets selected for Ford Focus Electric: Atlanta, Austin and Houston, Texas; Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, New York, Orlando, Fla., Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz.; Portland, Ore.; Raleigh Durham, N.C.; Richmond, Va., Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

The Focus Electric initial markets were chosen based on several different criteria including existing hybrid purchase trends, utility company collaboration and local government commitment to electrification. As part of the collaboration with dealers, utilities and local governments, Ford will help develop consumer outreach and education programs on electric vehicles as well as share information on charging needs and requirements to ensure the electrical grid can support customers’ needs.

Last month, Ford launched a new educational Web site on electric vehicles (http://www.fordvehicles.com/technology/electric/). The site offers video, text and diagrams to help consumers understand differences in the technologies of electrified vehicles.

Focus Electric, available in late 2011, will be built at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich. Production will occur on the same line as the gasoline version of the Focus. Using an existing vehicle platform and assembly line will give Ford the ability to vary production based on demand for the Focus Electric.

Instead of a traditional gas engine, the Focus Electric’s motor will be powered by a 23 kwh lithium-ion battery. The system utilizes liquid heating and cooling system to maximize battery life and driving range.

Collaboration between Ford and local authorities

Ford has been working with local government agencies and utilities in several of the selected markets to help prepare for the adoption of electric vehicles. Efforts focus on development of consumer outreach and education programs on electric vehicles as well as shared information on charging needs and requirements to allow for ease of consumer charging and to ensure the electrical grid can support the necessary additional demand.

As part of its electrification outreach, Ford has been conducting the “Charging Into the Future: The Ford Electric Vehicle Tour.” The 14-city tour promotes Ford’s electric vehicle strategy and educates consumers about what to expect from electrified automobiles and what is needed from the public and private sector to support this new technology.

Ford also will launch five new electrified vehicles in Europe and North America. In addition to Focus Electric, Ford will introduce the Transit Connect Electric small commercial van, two next-generation lithium-ion battery hybrids and a plug-in hybrid. The range of electrified vehicles allows Ford to address a variety of consumer driving needs.

The Challenge is designed to help a school benchmark and better understand how big its carbon footprint is, how it compares to other schools and how much carbon is produced for each student it educates.

Zerofootprint, a leading organization in the global fight against climate change, announced the launch of the Challenge at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting in September.

The Zerofootprint Challenge will work collaboratively with school districts to provide students with easy-to-use software and social networking tools to measure carbon footprint information, provoke competition and discover a new culture of energy use. “Measurement and benchmarking are critical to any endeavor that seeks to create meaningful change,” said Dr. Ron Dembo, founder and CEO of Zerofootprint. “Our goal is to make it easy, fun and meaningful for kids to tackle climate change and discover new ways to reduce their energy consumption. What is unique is our use of clear metrics for all phases of the program.”

According to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, buildings represent 40% of the world’s environmental footprint. By targeting reduction efforts at schools, students around the world can take climate change into their own hands and make a real and meaningful difference to the global environmental footprint.

“As governments take action to make meaningful reductions in carbon emissions under their jurisdiction, they will naturally look to all public buildings for participation, including schools,” said Jill Buck, founder of Go Green Initiative. “What I appreciate most about the Zerofootprint Challenge is that it brings sophisticated carbon measurement software tools within easy grasp of any school. Any school can benefit from this program, and I hope every school will.”

When a school joins the Zerofootprint Challenge, it gains access to an easy-to-use online application that helps determine its current footprint and enables direct comparisons with other schools. In an active online forum, students can view results and share experiences on their progress. Teachers are provided with links to curriculum-based lesson plans and activities provided by Zerofootprint partners – organizations that are highly active in education for sustainable development.

Rick Hay, a teacher at Maurice Cody Public School in Toronto, has already committed to reducing his school’s footprint. “I’m excited about working with my school’s EcoTeam this year to reduce our carbon footprint. The Zerofootprint Challenge program, with its kid-friendly graphs and comparison charts, will help motivate us to reach a carbon impact goal of 120 kg per student, down from 155 kg.”

“Green Teams” organized by a teacher or principal at each school, will take charge of the Challenge by measuring their footprint via (the past year’s) heating, electricity and water bills. Once students set the baseline for last year’s emissions, the school challenges another school to join the competition in a “Race to Reduce.”

“The Zerofootprint Challenge will help schools on their path to EcoSchool’s platinum level certification by engaging students in a collective effort to reduce their environmental impact,” said Richard Christie, program coordinator of EcoSchools Toronto and early adopter of the Zerofootprint Challenge.

For tips and tricks to reduce your footprint, Zerofootprint has partnered with sponsors, including TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, and partners, including Eco Schools Toronto, Eco Schools USA, Go Green Initiative, Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, The Climate Project Canada, EarthCARE and the Climate Change Connection, where students can access resources and research methods to reduce their impact.

Zerofootprint Challenge on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/zerochallenge

For more information, or to sign up for Zerofootprint Challenge, please visit: www.zerofootprintfoundation.org

About the Zerofootprint Foundation

The Zerofootprint Challenge is spearheaded by the Zerofootprint Foundation, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to apply technology, design and risk management to the massive reduction of our global environmental impact.

For its efforts, Document Solutions, Inc. (DSi), an e-discovery and digital forensics company, won the “Lean, Mean & Green” Award from the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.

Presented to a Future 50 winner, this new “Distinct Honor Award” celebrates precedent-setting, sustainable business practices that significantly impacted institutional procedures, products or services. The “Lean, Mean & Green” Award was one of six Distinct Honor Awards given, recognizing that businesses need more than just revenue growth to be leaders in the marketplace.

The Future 50 award is an annual recognition program of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the 50 fastest growing, privately owned companies in the Nashville area. DSi was named a Future 50 winner for the second year in a row.

“When we determined to change our mode of transportation for deliveries, we did research into various options and found a company that makes these electric cars,” said Co-founder Tom Turner. “We had it tailored to our needs and confirmed required specifications with the Tennessee Department of Transportation. What used to require a gas-chugging vehicle – not to mention hard-to-find parking – now can be done with a regular 110v outlet.”

Originally started as a photocopying firm, DSi has been consistently making the effort to “go green” over the last 10 years, including a dramatic decrease in paper used. Today, less than a fifth of their work involves actual paper, with the rest of the documents handled and delivered digitally. In addition to their other green initiatives, DSi saves all paper waste and has it shredded and used for recycling.

“Our goal is to be a prime example of a company that is pushing to be more environmentally friendly while still providing excellent service to our clients,” said co-founder KevinTyner.

Based on the average number of sockets per household, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) estimates that American households will save an average of $143 on electric bills when the transition is complete. This figure assumes an electrical rate of $0.11/kWh.

NEMA has published a brochure that clarifies the upcoming phase-out of incandescent light bulbs. Lighting Options for Your Home summarizes the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act, which mandates reductions in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and explains how the changeover from incandescent lamps will help accomplish the country’s sustainability goals.

Options for lighting homes and offices include halogen, compact fluorescent, and LED light sources, each of which is explained in detail.

To download a copy of the brochure, click here, or contact communications@nema.org to request a hard copy. For more information on lighting legislation and saving energy through lighting upgrades, visit www.nemasavesenergy.org.

Let’s begin with the things you already know about concrete: Concrete is, of course, strong — at least in compression. And concrete reinforced with steel can handle the worst abuse — we build bomb shelters and prisons with concrete. It doesn’t rot, even under water or in soil. It can be molded into nearly any shape imaginable. (Think Calatrava’s Tenerife Auditorium.)

The concert hall of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Designed by the architect Santiago Calatrava.

You may also know that concrete’s thermal mass can contribute to a building’s energy efficiency by reducing interior temperature swings, thereby reducing the size of heating and cooling equipment. It can incorporate recycled material like fly ash and blast furnace slag. And, it’s mold-proof and does not off-gas toxic substances.

On the other hand, you also know that concrete requires formwork that can be expensive, increasing the initial cost of construction. Concrete is more complicated to build with and once in place is difficult to change. Poorly built concrete surfaces are not very attractive and cracking seems inevitable. And it just isn’t warm and inviting like wood.

However, concrete is an essential ingredient of sustainable construction.

Concrete’s greatest contribution to sustainability lies in is its durability. When a concrete building is designed properly, it will perform admirably for many years and will offer its residents energy efficiency and safe shelter from nearly any natural or manmade disaster. And when the end of its life finally does arrive, concrete is eminently recyclable and can even be turned into new concrete by crushing it into aggregate.

But aren’t concrete structures more expensive? The same question is often asked about sustainable construction in general and that, of course, depends on how you measure it. The initial cost for concrete buildings is typically a bit higher than for buildings using other materials. But we all know that is only a small part of the story. The true way to look at the cost of a building is through life cycle assessment, including everything from extracting the raw materials (and reclamation of mine sites) through operating and maintenance expenses until the end of the building’s life. This is where concrete shines, since operating expenses are typically much less for a concrete structure. Consider the Roman Pantheon’s concrete dome, which is still standing after 2000 years. (To learn more about life-cycle costs and concrete, go to ConcreteThinker.org.

House built with ICF Reward Wall Systems, Omaha, Nebraska, Courtesy of ConcreteNetwork.com

In residential construction, concrete’s advantages may be even more pronounced. Energy-efficient, safe concrete homes come in a wide variety of configurations. “The initial cost of a concrete home depends on several variables,” said the PCA’s Jim Niehoff, “especially the experience of the builder with the particular system and part of the country you are building in. In a costal area, for example, you have heightened requirements to meet certain wind loads. You really have to beef up wood frame construction to meet those standards, but you don’t have to do much different with a concrete home. So all of a sudden, concrete is very competitive.”

Even typical cast-in-place concrete construction is air tight and has thermal mass, although without added insulation its R-value is low. Many modern concrete homebuilding techniques, though, incorporate insulation in a variety of ways to result in energy-efficient, quiet, disaster-resistant homes:

Precast panels: Sandwich panels incorporate insulation into the wall cross section. Dukane Precast in the Chicago area, for example, manufactures double-wall panels with 3-1/4 inches of insulation sandwiched between layers of concrete to achieve an R-22 wall.

Insulating concrete forms (ICFs): Once relegated to residential basements, highly energy-efficient ICFs are now also being used for above-grade walls for homes and even for multistory buildings, especially hotels and schools.

Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC): Blocks and panels made from AAC are lightweight and a 10-inch wall has equivalent R-values in the low 20s.

Tilt-Up: Several systems are in use today to insulate tilt-up panels for homes, including T-Mass from Dow Chemical’s Styrofoam line. The New American Home (TNAH) at this year’s International Builders Show used T-Mass panels (see sidebar) but with plant precast panels rather than site-cast tilt-up panels.

Concrete Masonry: CMU construction can achieve high R-values by injecting foam into the cores. The majority of Florida homes today are built with CMUs.

Sprayed concrete: Several systems have emerged recently where polystyrene insulation is erected and then concrete is applied to both sides by spraying or shotcreting. A recent 9,200-square-foot home in Illinois built with this method has an expected 100-year life.

An interior floor by Kemiko Concrete Products. Installed by Jagger SSC Inc, Dallas, Texas. Courtesy of ConcreteNetwork.com

Concrete’s contribution to sustainable construction doesn’t end with walls. During the past 10 years, we have seen a revolution in decorative concrete, especially for interior floors and countertops. Durable decorative surfaces have many advantages both in commercial and residential construction.

Streets, driveways and parking lots have been concrete for many years, and contribute to sustainability by reducing heat-island effects with their lighter, more reflective surfaces. But pervious concrete takes this one step further, by draining rain and snowmelt directly into the subsurface and eliminating the need for runoff retaining ponds. For more information about pervious concrete, visit the ConcreteAnswers Series for Architects, Engineers and Developers.

Pervious concrete pavement allows storm water to seep into the ground.

One criticism of concrete has always been that cement manufacturing is energy-intensive and produces large quantities of CO2. While at one time those points may have been valid, the cement industry has taken an extremely aggressive approach to reducing these impacts. Start with the fact that today cement manufacturing accounts for only 1.5 percent of U.S. CO2 emissions.

So come along with us to learn why when you think about sustainable construction, the first material that should come to mind is concrete.

The New American Home

Each year at the International Builders Show, sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), a special home is built to showcase the most innovative materials and methods in homebuilding. For six years in a row, including the home built for the 2009 show, concrete has been a primary component of The New American Home. “There’s a nice synergy since they always want to demonstrate cutting edge housing technology and each year that includes concrete,” said the Portland Cement Association’s residential promotion manager, Jim Niehoff.

The 9,000-square-foot New American Home for 2009 was built in Las Vegas and achieves a 76% energy-use savings.

The 2007 TNAH used insulated precast panels for walls and hollow-core precast planks for floor/ceiling decks. By combining air-tightness and thermal mass, the above-grade walls provide thermal performance equivalent to an R-26 wall. Foundation walls are also precast panels, with exterior R-5 insulation. The cement-based stucco used on much of the home’s exterior incorporates a new photocatalytic cement, TX Active, from Italcementi. Developed initially as a self-cleaning cement, it was soon learned the reaction also consumes carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, and sulfur dioxide. Italcementi has calculated that coating 15 percent of the exterior wall surfaces in Milan with TX Active would result in a 50 percent reduction in airborne pollutants.

Protecting America’s Homes

Although building codes, especially in coastal regions, are becoming more stringent, the U.S. insurance industry is funding an effort to make buildings even safer. While safer buildings may be good for the insurance industry, they are much better for the people who live in them. The Institute for Business & Home Safety (www.ibhs.org) has developed a program called “Fortified…for Safer Living” to develop guidelines that will minimize the property damage homeowners suffer from natural disasters. Fortified program manager Chuck Vance says, “the program is code-plus with independent verification inspection. Any home that meets the Fortified standards will be above the minimum standards if code is in place and quite a bit above local practice in areas where code is not in place.”

To achieve the Fortified seal of approval, a home — regardless of the building material — must be able to demonstrate that it is constructed to better withstand the “perils” it is subject to, whether that be hurricanes, tornadoes, extreme winter weather, wildfire, or flooding. “Every Fortified home must have independent verification by an IBHS-certified inspector that it meets a specific requirement for a given location, which is code-plus, even if they already have a code in place,” said Vance. “We believe these homes will stand up even better than code-designed and built homes. For the homeowner, this means peace of mind and a stronger, safer, more durable home that is more sustainable in the face of the perils in their region.”

Concrete homes are not a requirement of the Fortified program, but there is an advantage.

“The factor that makes concrete a good building material for residential construction,” said Vance, “is that whether it’s block or ICF or poured, it’s reinforced with steel and can withstand the wind loads, and is fire resistant and very durable. So, it’s a little easier to get to a Fortified home using concrete. Those builders that are using concrete residential building techniques tend to be building a stronger better home already and they know it and want to get credit for it.”

Royal Concrete Concepts, a manufacturer of modular concrete homes, was recently recognized by IBHS as a builder of Fortified homes. “All single-family homes offered by Royal Concrete Concepts will receive the Fortified designation when sited according to our qualifying criteria,” said Vance. “By offering affordable homes up to 2,500 square feet, Royal is furthering the Fortified program’s goals to make disaster-resistant housing an option for more people.”

William D. Palmer Jr. is a construction writer and president of Complete Construction Consultants in Lyons, Colo. He was formerly editor in chief of Concrete Construction magazine and executive director of The Masonry Society. He writes a blog that appears regularly on the Concrete Network. This article originally appeared in Environmental Design + Construction magazine.

The RAMPed UP design.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has announced the four finalists for its 2010 Natural Talent Design Competition, which gives students and emerging professionals the opportunity to apply sustainable design principles to the ongoing the rebuilding efforts in New Orleans. The jury deliberation at the Andrew H. Wilson Charter School in the Broadmoor neighborhood in New Orleans and the announcement of finalists occurred in conjunction with the release of a five-year retrospective update released by USGBC earlier this week.

After a day of deliberation, the jury selected two student and two emerging professional teams whose designs for small, affordable, ADA-compliant (American Disabilities Act), LEED Platinum homes demonstrated innovative green building principles and will save the future homeowners money over the life-cycle of the home. These designs maintained respect for the Broadmoor aesthetic and respected the opinion of the neighborhood as captured by the community vote, held earlier in the summer. The four finalists are:

Emerging Professional Team: “The Little Easy”, USGBC Connecticut Chapter: This team first came together when they led Cornell University’s 2005 DOE Solar Decathlon Team. After graduation, the group founded ZeroEnergy Design, an architecture and energy consulting firm as well as FreeGreen.com, a site for free green house plans. Their design included an “outdoor living room” – a porch that functioned as an extended room, a wheel chair lift, providing greater ease to elderly or disabled homeowners and a storm water collection system.

View their designs here.

Emerging Professional Team: “RAMPed Up”, Urban Green USGBC New York City Chapter: The team from Buro Happold Consulting Engineers and Rogers Marvel Architects placed high importance on a structural system that resists both gravity, wind and flood, strategically placed windows and ceiling fans to promote passive ventilation during fall and spring and a rainwater harvesting system to mitigate storm water runoff, reducing the impact of heavy rains on the city’s overburdened storm drainage system and covering 100% of the home’s irrigation demand.

View their designs here.

# # #

U.S. Green Building Council
The USGBC community is transforming the way we build, design and operate our buildings for healthier places that save precious resources for people to live, work, learn and play in.  UGSBC is helping create buildings and communities that regenerate and sustain the health and vitality of all life within a generation.  Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Council is the driving force of the green building industry, which is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product by 2013. USGBC leads a diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials, concerned citizens, teachers and students.  The USGBC community comprises 80 local chapters, 17,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 150,000 individuals who have earned LEED Professional Credentials. Visit www.usgbc.org for more information.