System Upgrades Power Up Energy Savings for Hotels
from Environmental Leader
 For hotels, going green translates into energy-saving projects with some very tangible results. These include the Hilton New York’s energy fuel cell installation that is nearly three times as efficient as the electric grid, system upgrades at Denver's historic Oxford Hotel that nearly cut the hotel’s monthly utility bills in half, and the solar panel system at the Dubai Aloft Hotel that will save about 870 megawatt hours of electricity annually. They also garnered several environmental awards for their improvements. More 
World's Highest Skyscraper in Dubai Won't Open Until January Next Year
from Chicago Tribune
Visitors will have to wait until early next year for the opening of the world's tallest building in Dubai. The media office of the city-state's ruler said the hulking Burj Dubai will now debut on Jan. 4, a month later than expected. The new opening date is timed to coincide with the fourth anniversary of Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's appointment as ruler of Dubai. More
AFE Corporate Partners Support Facilities Engineering Education
from AFE
AFE’s Global Technical Partners play a direct and significant role in promoting the personal and professional success of AFE members. Their support allows AFE to offer ongoing training and education, certification courses and other valuable technical resources AFE members need to deal with everyday issues on the job. Not surprisingly, the majority of AFE members and certified professionals indicate they’re more likely to do business with an AFE Global Technical Partner than their competitors. To learn how to become an AFE Global Technical Partner and reach more than 40,000 facilities professionals, please contact Jane Jacobs at JJacobs@AFE.org or (571) 203-7235.
$555 Billion Sahara Solar Energy Belt Takes Giant Step Forward
from Inhabitat
A giant step has been made in what will be the world's largest renewable energy project. While previously just a grand vision for the production of clean energy in the Saharan desert, the project now has a core group of backers and a signed agreement between 12 companies wanting to move forward with the US$555 billion renewable energy belt. The 12 collaborators signed articles of association last week for the DESERTEC Industrial Initiative, which will work to bring more companies and groups on board as well as focus on regulations and conditions to get the project successfully completed and generating pure power from the sun. More
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Hospital Adopts UVC for Infection Control, Green Energy Savings
Muskogee Community Hospital (Muskogee, Oklahoma), a model of green healthcare design, is using Steril-Aire UVC Emitters™ facility-wide in an innovative infection control strategy. "We are hopeful that UVC technology will help us to record some of the lowest infection rates in the country by keeping bacteria and other microbes continuously in check," reports MCH president Mark Roberts. More Info.
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Certified Plant Engineer (CPE) Online and Classroom Review Classes Now Scheduled!
from AFE
Online CPE Review: Join instructor Jim Taylor of Machinery Management Solutions for an extended review of the CPE Review Pack. This online class is double the instruction time of the traditional week-long review to allow working professionals to dedicate the appropriate time to prepare. Classes will be held from 12-2 EST. Traditional Classroom Review: To be held Nov. 14, Nov. 21, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12,
2009 in Eastern Massachusetts.
For the schedule, pricing and registration, please click here. or contact Carol Lawrence at (571) 203-7238 or CLawrence@AFE.org.
The Greening of Willis Tower: Rooftop Gardens Part of Plan to Improve Efficiency
from Chicago Tribune
Buildings account for about 70 percent of all Chicago emissions, according to the Chicago Climate Action Plan. If the largest 10 buildings in the Loop were targeted for greening projects, architect Sara Beardsley said, it would reduce the energy needs of the Loop by more than 10 percent. With a building as enormous as Willis Tower, the floor space of which is equivalent to 16 city blocks, a change in the direction of the sun can mean that when the temperature outside is 5 degrees, air conditioning is being pumped into one part of the building because so much heat is being collected from the sunlight while the side in shadow is being heated. An experimental green roof (greenery planted on a roof to lower energy costs and offset water runoff) on the 90th floor required metal meshing to prevent sod and plants from blowing away.
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Benchmarking for Your Facility
from AFE
AFE is researching a benchmarking tool to offer as part of a member benefits package and we need your feedback! This benchmarking tool will help you identify the cost and consumption metrics for your facility, and then provide comparisons for similar facilities. Based on the comparison, you will be able to identify the best way for you to improve your metrics. AFE needs to know what areas are most important for you to track - Utility consumption? Maintenance? Custodial/Security? Operating Expenses? Sustainability?
To take the survey, please click here.
Harvesting Energy from Nature's Motions
from Medical News Today
By taking advantage of the vagaries of the natural world, Duke University engineers have developed a novel approach that they believe can more efficiently harvest electricity from the motions of everyday life. More
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