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Starwood Energy Closes $433m Infrastructure Fund


Bloomfield, Conn., June 29 - Energy and power-focused private equity firm Starwood Energy Group Global has closed its first fund, Starwood Energy Infrastructure Fund, on $433m, exceeding its $400m target. Starwood Energy is an affiliate of Starwood Capital Group Global, a Greenwich, Connecticut-based real estate-focused private equity firm.

The fund will principally target investments in generation and transmission assets in North America, has already committed more than $250m of equity.

Barry Sternlicht, chairman and CEO, Starwood Capital, said, 'The fund is the result of a focused business strategy that we have been pursuing in the extremely vibrant North American power generation and transmission sector for several years.'

In April of this year, the firm agreed to acquire the Thermo Ft. Lupton Facility, a 272 megawatt natural gas power plant and associated greenhouse steam-host.

Source: AltAssets.com

 

Sustainable Energy Partners With Opel


Bloomfield, Conn., June 19 - Sustainable Energy Technologies Ltd. has announced that it will partner with Shelton, CT based Opel International to install and monitor a high concentration solar power system in Medicine Hat, Alberta. More on Opel

The 5Kw trial system will combine Sustainable Energy's SUNERGY(TM) CPV inverter, Opel's Mark I high concentration photovoltaic modules and the OPEL-FEiNA dual-axis tracker. Procurement for the installation, which will be owned and operated by the City of Medicine Hat, is set to begin immediately, enabling operational testing during the important summer season.

"We are very excited about working with Opel and Medicine Hat in this project, which will help us to better understand the unique operating characteristics of CPV concentrators, and to optimize our CPV inverter software. It will also provide an important demonstration of the value of solar concentrator technology for Western Canada," said Michael Carten President & CEO of Sustainable Energy.

The City of Medicine Hat, which owns and operates its own electrical utility, is exploring a variety of renewable energy technologies to expand its power generation portfolio. "The high concentration photovoltaic demonstration will help us understand the viability of adopting this technology on a larger scale in the future," said Russell Smith, Environment Manager for the City. "Opel and Sustainable Energy have approached the project with unique technologies that bring tangible benefits to system level performance and economics."

Sustainable Energy Technologies is based in Calgary, Alberta and designs, manufactures and distributes power inverters for distributed alternative energy applications, including solar PV systems, small wind power systems and energy storage systems, such as batteries and stationary fuel cells.

Source: www.istockanalyst.com

OfficePower Invests in Microturbines


Bloomfield, Conn., June 16 - Norwalk, CT based OfficePower, a national power solution company providing proprietary, breakthrough solutions to the electric distribution problems facing commercial real estate owners has signed an agreement with Capstone Turbine Corporation for approximately $3.5M for C1000 MicroTurbine® systems to be deployed in the U.S. market. The C1000s will be installed in the following Class A office buildings in Manhattan:

  • 200 Park Avenue is a 58 story multi-tenant office building located in midtown Manhattan on 42nd street, abutting Grand Central station. 200 Park Avenue is the MetLife building, one of the most iconic buildings in Manhattan.
  • 220 East 42nd Street, also known as “The News Building,” is a 37 story multi-tenant office building in the heart of midtown Manhattan. Its landmarked lobby featuring a rotating globe was made famous in the Superman television series in the 1950’s and it continues to attract visitors from around the world.
  • 230 Park Avenue is a 34-story multi-tenant building located between 45th and 46th streets known as the Helmsley Building.

“We install, own and operate state-of-the-art Combined Heat and Power generating facilities in office buildings and are glad to be the first to introduce the new Capstone C1000 into Class A office buildings in New York,” said Joel R. Wilson, CEO of OfficePower, Inc. “Mayor Bloomberg’s leadership in energy and environmental policy supports the deployment of distributed generation technologies and we are proud to play a role in its implementation,” added Wilson.

OfficePower’s systems increase a building’s power reliability and overall asset value by reducing the facility’s consumption of grid power during high cost peak periods and providing the back-up power necessary to ensure the continued operation of critical tenant or building loads during service outages and other grid related disruptions.



Source: www.businesswire.com

Green Residential Project Breaks Ground


Stamford, Conn., June 7 - The Jonathan Rose Companies, LLC, a green real estate development, planning, consulting and investment firm, broke ground last week on Metro Green Apartments, 50 units of green affordable housing, situated on Henry Street between Atlantic Street and Washington Blvd. in Stamford, CT. Metro Green Apartments is the first phase of Metro Green Residential, a candidate for LEED New Construction and Neighborhood Development certification that includes 238 mixed-income rental and for-sale residences on a mixed-use, Transit Oriented Development (TOD) site.

Stamford Mayor Dannel P. Malloy joined Jonathan F. P. Rose, president of the Jonathan Rose Companies, Anthony E. Malkin, president of W&M Properties, the land owner and development partner, and local and elected officials as well as community leaders at the ground breaking for Metro Green Apartments.

The Metro Green project serves as a model for smart growth in Connecticut and beyond. In addition to the Jonathan Rose Companies and W&M Properties Metro Green Residential joint venture, Metro Green will feature a 350,000 square foot, 17-story, “best in class” LEED Platinum candidate office tower as well as numerous public improvements to the streetscape along Henry and Atlantic streets, including the creation of a new public plaza.

Green features of Metro Green Apartments include:

· A rainwater harvesting system that will funnel water from the roof into storage tanks to be used for drip irrigation and filtered for use in washing machines located in the shared laundry room.

· A high performance building envelope characterized by a roof that reduces heat-island effect, high efficiency, operable double hung windows, Hardi plank siding and high-performance spray on cellulose insulation.

· Individual heating and cooling units and gas-fired domestic water heaters in each apartment to provide maximum energy efficiencies. The heating and cooling units in each apartment are individually controlled from the residential unit. The high-efficiency, instantaneous, gas-fired domestic water heaters are located in each unit to produce domestic hot water on an as-needed basis.

· Each apartment unit is metered individually for electricity. The use of Energy Star-rated appliances and light fixtures will provide additional savings to residents.

When complete, the larger Metro Green Residential development in its entirety will offer residents a magnificent courtyard landscaped with sitting areas, active gardening spaces, a meditation labyrinth, a parking garage with a green roof and a pedestrian link to the Stamford Metro North Train Station.

Financing for Metro Green apartments was arranged through JPMorgan Chase, GE Capital, The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority and The City of Stamford. The balance of Metro Green’s residential and office developments are now in final approval and planning stages.

In related news, this past week, Governor M. Jodi Rell also announced that the state is providing $6.2 million in financial assistance for five affordable housing projects across Connecticut. One of those projects is Metro Green Apartments.

 

Source: Jonathan Rose Comapnies

Movies2Housing Recycling Program Announced


Stamford, Conn., June 1 - The Stamford-based Connecticut Film Center, a provider of financial services, production services, and facilities for the motion picture and television industries, has joined forces with Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County to launch the Movies2Housing Recycling Program.  The program will have production companies who are shooting films in the state recycle used movie sets for use in Habitat's homebuilding projects in the state.

"The movie industry in Connecticut is going green on affordable housing," film center President and founder Kevin Segalla said in an article which appeared in the Stamford Advocate. "We are really thankful to movie production companies for agreeing to recycle their used sets to support Habitat's local Connecticut affordable housing initiatives. And we are thrilled to be working with an organization like Habitat, which has such a strong reputation for linking compassion and action to help those in need."

Normally, movie sets are discarded after a production spends as much as millions of dollars building them, Segalla said. Some of those materials, such as lumber, fixtures and other items can be recycled for use in building projects sponsored by Habitat, Segalla said. Sets are often built in the film center's Norwalk production studio, where the most recent production, Jerry Bruckheimer's "Confessions of a Shopaholic," constructed the interior of a New York apartment, the interior of a New York office building and an elevator. Three truckloads of materials were donated, Segalla said.

According to a March, 29, 2008 New York Times article, since the Connecticut Tax Credit went into effect in 2006, the state has attracted sixty-six feature films with about $400 million in production costs.

Source: Stamford Advocate http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/norwalkadvocate

BidForGreen Announces New On-Line Auction


Crane, MO, May 26 - BidForGreen, a well-known biodiesel logistics company with operations in Connecticut, has announced that its on-line green auction site is ready for business at BidForGreen.com.

“We are excited about our ability to match buyers interested in using biodiesel and other green products to quality sellers who can provide them with excellent service,” BidForGreen President Dale Wiley said. “We have been able to provide quality biodiesel to some of the biggest names in show business, and we intend to expand that to schools and businesses all over the nation.”

BidForGreen provides logistical support to music tours, such as Willie Nelson, Styx and Brett Dennen, and for movie and television production companies, such as NBC Universal and the TV show CSI. The company provides educational services, and focuses on making sure that suppliers are qualified under both ASTM and the BQ-9000 standard.

Because of their music touring base, BidForGreen launched an on-line trading version. Quality remains the focus. While anyone can be a “buyer” on the site, only pre-qualified companies will be able to offer biodiesel for sale. “We have a large network of qualified partners,” said Wiley. “We will be able to help customers make the switch.”

“Many people in our industry take a list that they find on the internet and accept that as quality,” said Wiley. “Our process includes pre-qualification, continued monitoring, and even site visits.” When fuel is questionable, vehicles are re-routed or otherwise re-supplied.

The hallmark of the BidForGreen trading site is a “Wanted” section. “We want people to tell us what their needs are with biodiesel,” said Wiley. “We will put them in touch with our quality suppliers. If they need help and training, that’s available as well.”

BidForGreen also provides quality green content on the site as well, with blogs from the likes of Tommy Shaw of Styx, Tony Jones and Dallas star Larry Hagman, industry views, and a video section.

Source: BidForGreen.com

Noble Energy Files for Public Offering


Essex, Conn., May 18 - Wind energy company Noble Environmental Power, with headquarters in Essex Connecticut, has filed to raise as much as $375 million in an initial public offering, according to a document with the Securities and Exchange Commission that was filed Thursday.

The company plans to list its shares with the Nasdaq under the symbol "NEPI," operates in the booming wind power market. But the company will still have to brave a weak IPO market.

The 4-year-old Noble runs wind parks in New York state that generate about 282 megawatts of electricity; and later this year, it plans to open added parks in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Maine, and Texas. Noble is seeing demand for wind power in the Northeast partly because of renewable energy mandates in the area. But the wind-power industry is hampered by a shortage of wind turbines.

Noble plans to use the money from the IPO to develop its business, invest in new technologies, and ink future turbine supply agreements. Lehman Brothers, JPMorgan Securities, and Credit Suisse Securities, are underwriting the IPO.


Source: biz.yahoo.com

DPUC Approves Fuel Cell Projects


Hartford, Conn., May 12 - The Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) has approved fuel cell power plant projetcs for Stamford Hospital and Waterbury Hospital. The plants will be provided by FuelCell Energy Inc., a Danbury-based manufacturer of fuel cells.

The Waterbury Hospital project will use one plant to generate 2.4 megawatts of electricity for the grid while it supplies Waterbury Hospital with heat. The Stamford Hospital project will use two plants to generate 4.8 megawatts of ultra-clean electricity for the grid — enough for about 4,800 homes—and also generate low-cost heat for the hospital.

“Utilities need cleaner sources of electricity and hospitals must have a reliable, 24/7 source of energy—exactly what our fuel cell power plants provide,” said R. Daniel Brdar, chairman and CEO of FuelCell Energy.

Source: Hartford Business Journal

Yale Building Makes Top Ten List


Washington, D.C., April 27 - The Yale Sculpture Building and Gallery has been selected by The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) as an outstanding example of sustainable architecture in 2008. The AIA/COTE also selected nine other projects that also iencorporated green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment.

Here is the ten projects selected:

1. Aldo Leopold Legacy Centre (Baraboo, Wisconsin; The Kubala Washatko Architects) - The LEED Platinum headquarters for the Aldo Leopold Foundation consumes 70 percent less energy than a usual building and achieves net-zero-energy performance. Extensive day lighting and passive ventilation boost the energy savings, reports Environmental News Network.

2. Cesar Chavez Library (Laveen, Arizona; John Birkinbine, AIA, Line and Space, LLC) - The Library, situated next to an artificial lake in the Arizona desert, consumes uses earth berms to provide thermal mass and regulate temperature, while large overhangs and sunshades allow day lighting with little solar heat gain. Rainwater is collected and used to irrigate the neighbouring park.

3. South Lake Union Discovery Centre (Seattle, Washington; Miller|Hull Partnership) - This is currently located in a Seattle park, where it sits on concrete piers to lessen its impact on the site. Designed to be disassembled and relocated, the building features extensive daylighting and air-source heat pumps for heating and cooling.

4. Pocono Environmental Education Center (Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania; Bohlin Cywinski Jackson) - This building features extensive day lighting, passive ventilation, and passive solar gain. Native grasses were used for landscaping, and a small wetland north of the site was preserved to help filter storm water.

5. Garthwaite Center for Science and Art (Weston, Massachusetts; Architerra, Inc.) - This centre features a locally fabricated, exposed timber frame structure and polished concrete floors, among other environmentally responsible materials. A boiler fed by wood pellets, provides 80 percent of the buildings heating needs; the building was expected to use 38 percent less energy as compared to conventional building.

6. Macallen Building Condominiums (Boston, Massachusetts; Office dA, Burt Hill) The building features two green roofs, once of which is irrigated with collected storm water runoff. The project recieved a LEED innovation point for collecting and treating cooling tower blowdown water for irrigation.

7. Nueva School Hillside Learning Complex (Hillsborough, California; Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects) This three-building complex, constructed into a hillside, was designed to consume 69 percent less energy than a conventional school building; a 30-kW photovoltaic array provides 24 percent of the projects electricity. Waterless urinals, dual-flush toilets, and low-flow fixtures contribute to a 50 percent savings in indoor water use.

8.Queens Botanical Garden Visitor Centre (Flushing, New York; BKSK Architects) This building has rainwater collected from the roof, which flows through a series of channels until it reaches swales filled with native wetland species that filter the water; the treated water is piped to a fountain that feeds a stream that flows through the site. The centre also features integrated photovoltaics and siding made of western red cedar certified to Forest Stewardship Council standards.

9.Sculpture Building and Gallery (New Haven, Connecticut; KieranTimberlake Associates) The building located at Yale University features an innovative curtainwall system that incorporates solar shading, triple-glazed, low-emissivity glazing, and a translucent, double-cavity spandrel panel. The spandrel panel has an insulation value estimated to be greater than R-20 while maintaining 20 percent visual light transmittance.

10.Lavin-Bernick Center (New Orleans, Louisiana; Vincent James Associates Architects) in this student centre at Tulane University, windows were added to increase the available daylight and allow natural ventilation; mixed-mode operation in temperate months was expected to decrease cooling requirements in the perimeter spaces of the building by 42 percent.

Source: www.thaindian.com