The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute yesterday announced a new “formaldehyde free” verification service for manufacturers. The institute said consumers’ growing concern about the health effects of the carcinogen has created the need for “fool-proof identification of products that neither contain it nor emit it.”
A new standardized method developed by the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers and ASTM International will measure the environmental impact of food service equipment and provide data for use in LEED submissions, Food Service Equipment & Supplies Magazine reported on Wednesday. The “sustainability calculator” is a spreadsheet that awards points based on a variety of environmental factors.
The United Kingdom will use a carbon dating technique to award certificates to renewable energy providers that produce power from municipal waste, Biomass Magazine recently reported. The Renewable Obligation Certificates will be issued for every megawatt hour of renewable electricity generated, and can then be sold to electricity suppliers.
Although a federal judge in New York dismissed a lawsuit against the U.S. Green Buildings Council (GBC) that claimed the organization made false statements about “the energy- and money-saving aspects of LEED certification,” legal experts said Wednesday that more litigation can be expected, according to a report in Business Insurance. The judge’s ruling said that the plaintiffs – builders and engineers who alleged that the GBC’s exaggerated statements diverted customers from their businesses to LEED-accredited professionals – could still sue in state court.
Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Italian navigation systems subsidiary has received ISO 14001:2004 accreditation for its environmental management, the company announced Wednesday. The certification was issued by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance, an accredited third-party auditor, after inspections of the company’s Rome facilities in June.
WarmlyYours, a maker of energy-efficient radiant electric heating supplies for household and bathroom floors, announced on Wednesday that it has received certification of full RoHS compliance for its TempZone mats, Slab Heating cables and mats, and Snow Melting cable and mats systems. The floor heating products contain no lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybromo biphenyls, or polybromo diphenyl ethers, the company said.
Entech Solar, Inc. announced on Wednesday that its concentrating photovoltaic module, SolarVolt, has met the CPV module testing and construction evaluation requirements of IEC 62108 and the safety requirements as outlined in draft standard IEC 62688. The company said this certification will help pave the way for SolarVolt’s introduction to the commercial market for large-scale commercial, industrial, and government utility applications.
Ecotech Institute, a college whose curriculum focuses on preparing America’s workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainable design, recently received LEED gold certification for its main campus building. The building features twelve rooftop solar panels, eight wind turbines, and low flow fixtures.