Pickens Scales Back Ambitious Wind Farm

In a sign of the difficulties facing the development of wind energy, T. Boone Pickens, the legendary Texas oilman, is suspending plans to build the world’s largest wind farm, The New York Times’s Kate Galbraith reports. More     More

Facilities America to be Held Oct 29 - Nov 1, 2009 - Register Today!

AFE will present Facilities America, a comprehensive conference program on the latest in facilities management topics being held in conjunction with the Carolina Industrial & Facility Maintenance Show October 29 – November 1 in Greenville, SC. More

New Air-conditioning Design Standard Allows for Increased Air Speed to Cool Building Interiors

Building occupants, who may soon feel cooler from increased air movement, can thank a committee of building science specialists. The committee in charge of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy, has voted recently to allow increased air speed as an option for cooling building interiors. In lay terms, increased air speed is the equivalent of turning up the fan. MoreMore

New Light Bulb Standards to Reduce Energy Use

Just like the public telephone, the conventional incandescent bulb’s and the ubiquitous (and ugly) fluorescent tube’s days may be numbered. New federal standards announced June 29, 2009 sets new national minimum energy standards for the standard bulbs that light our offices, homes, stores, and factories. The standards also phase out conventional incandescent reflector lamps, effectively extending the phase out of inefficient incandescent products initiated by Congress in 2007 to the common cone-shaped bulbs used in recessed light. More

AFE Webinars: Top-Notch Facilities Training

AFE's virtual classes provide a one-stop educational resource for the plant/facilities engineering, operations, and maintenance professional. Classes are taught by experienced representatives from the field. In addition, each course equates to 0.1 CEU or recertification credit for individuals currently holding AFE credentialing (CPE, CPMM or CPS). Plus -- it's free for AFE Members! For information on upcoming classes, Click here.More

Efizia Tower LEEDs Mexico City in Green Design

Intent on producing one of the greenest buildings in Latin America, SPACE Architects + Planners have unveiled their Efizia Tower design for the Santa Fe district of Mexico City. The 33 story tower will be made from 30 percent recycled materials, including aluminum, reinforced concrete, and glass, and will boast numerous eco-friendly features. Efiza Tower was named one of the three best tall building projects at the 2009 MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects Awards, and is currently under the LEED certification process, having already obtained the gold standard at its pre-certification stage. MoreMore

Solar for Dark Climates

Cool Energy, a startup based in Boulder, Colo., is developing a system that produces heat and electricity from the sun. It could help make solar energy competitive with conventional sources of energy in relatively dark and cold climates, such as the northern half of the United States and countries such as Canada and Germany. More

Oregon Office Building Earns Highest Green Globes Rating

Columbia Square, a 313,000-square-foot office building and flagship property in the Melvin Mark Companies real estate portfolio, has been awarded 4 Globes by the Green Building Initiative (GBI) for achievements in green design and sustainable operations. The building was rated under the Green Globes environmental design and assessment tool and the 4 Globes designation is the highest possible rating. More