New Report: Green Building is Growing Despite Down Market

Green Building is Growing Despite Down Market, According to Report from McGraw-Hill Construction

Report compares initial 2006 study to 2008 findings for residential housing market

 

New York – October 7, 2008 – McGraw-Hill Construction, a part of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), in partnership with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) National Green Building Program, today released the full update[1] to its 2006 study with 2008 green home building data. The new SmartMarket^® Report, The Green Home Builder: Navigating for Success in a Down Economy, covers market opportunities, key triggers and obstacles, and trends in green home building practices from 2001 to 2007, such as the impact of the down market on this sector. Major findings include:

• Forty percent of builders find “building green” makes it easier to market in a down economy; 16% find it makes it much easier.

• In 2009, 21% of builders expect to be building 90% of projects green.

• Sixty percent of builders claim homebuyers are willing to pay more for green homes. This is greater than the opinion in 2006 (56%).

• “Quality” is the top driver behind green home building, which is a shift from the top driver in 2006, “doing the right thing.” This seems to indicate that green homebuyers in today’s market are not just “green consumers,” but are also buying a green home for investment and performance reasons.

• Fourteen percent of builders find today’s homes overall more than 30% more environmentally friendly than two years ago. 85% think that energy-efficient features are the ones making these homes more environmentally friendly.

• Builders use products that lead to energy efficiency far more than other elements. In particular, they focus on air sealing/tight construction, increased insulation, water-efficient plumbing fixtures, and Energy Star products.

• The region in the U.S. with the best growth in green building is the Pacific, followed by the South Atlantic and Mountain regions. The East South Central region has the lowest growth.

“Green building has definitely reached its upper tipping point,” said Harvey M. Bernstein, McGraw-Hill Construction vice president of Industry Analytics, Alliances and Strategic Initiatives. “Builders can no longer ignore the benefits and market advantages of green building. Especially considering today’s market and current economic situation, builders need to differentiate themselves from their competitors and hold steady or prosper in the down economy. Green building gives builders that opportunity to expand their market share and ride out this economic slump.”

 

“Education, training, advocacy and other services that NAHB offers its members help ensure that home builders and remodelers are prepared to go green,” said Bob Jones, NAHB vice chairman/treasurer and a Michigan home builder. “This survey clearly indicates that the market is moving toward more sustainable home building practices, and our members are ready.”

 

The report also features special sections detailing government regulations, NAHB Green Home Rating Systems, and case studies on different types of green homes (e.g., customized, affordable, and large productions). Commentary on green-washing, product availability, brand awareness, and certification provides further background data and analysis of the market.

To order a copy of The Green Home Builder: Navigating for Success in a Down Economy, visit http://greensource.construction.com/resources/smartMarket.asp. Previous SmartMarket Reports also available online include Global Green Building Trends, Greening of Corporate America, The Green Homeowner, Green Building: Health Care, and Green Building: Education. In addition, McGraw-Hill Construction will release several reports at GreenBuild (booth #1410), including the first-ever 2009 Green Outlook Report, The Green Home Consumer SmartMarket Report, and Commercial and Institutional Green Buildings SmartMarket Report.

 

For more information on NAHB, visit www.nahb.org or www.nahbgreen.org.

 

About McGraw-Hill Construction

McGraw-Hill Construction connects people, projects and products across the design and construction industry. For more than a century, the Company has remained North America’s leading provider of construction project information, plans and specifications, product information, industry news, and industry trends and forecasts. In print and online, the Company offers a variety of tools, applications, and resources that easily integrate with its customers’ workflows. Backed by the power of Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, Engineering News-Record (ENR), GreenSource and 11 regional publications, McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers within the $4.6 trillion global construction community. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

 

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands including Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2007 were $6.8 billion. Additional information is available at www.mcgraw-hill.com.

World's largest solar-powered winery

 

PACIFIC POWER MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCES WORLD’S LARGEST

SOLAR INSTALLATION AT A WINERY

 

Solar System using Mitsubishi Solar Panels to be installed at Gonzales Winery in Monterey County to be the largest in the County

           

Gonzales, Calif. (October 8, 2008)  – Pacific Power Management, LLC announced today that it has begun the installation of the largest solar system at a winery in the world at Constellation Wines U.S. (CWUS) Gonzales Winery, located in Monterey County, Calif.  The 1.2 megawatt solar system will cover approximately 170,000 square feet of the main winery warehouse roof and will produce more than 1,700,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, providing approximately 50 percent of the winery’s total energy requirements.   This project is being financed and built by Pacific Power Management and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. 

 

Managing Partner of Pacific Power Management, Mark Frederick, commenting on the CWUS installation, said: “Constellation Wines has again shown their industry leadership by going solar.  They have a system that now sets the green standard in the wine industry and gives them a competitive advantage that will only grow as electricity prices increase.”

 

The environmental benefits from this project include a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and an annually reduced carbon footprint equal to planting 2,500 acres of trees, not driving an average automobile 25 million miles, or taking about 2,083 cars off the road.  

 

Clean renewable energy such as solar power helps to protect the environment, lowers energy and consumer product prices, and reduces strain on the electric utility system grid by generating electricity when demand is high during the summer.  California, in particular, benefits from solar power due to its high number of annual sunlight hours.   

 

Exporting Electricity from the Winery to California Homes

 

"During the summer months, when the winery is not processing grapes, the system will export enough electricity onto PG&E's power lines to supply all of the electrical needs for about 25 percent of the roughly 1,695 households in Gonzales.", said Kelly McMahon, Director of Sales for Pacific Power Management.

           

 “We are proud and excited about this solar project,” said José Fernandez, CEO, Constellation Wines North America.  “We are committed to investing in technologies that will allow us to produce our wines in the most sustainable way possible, from our vineyards through the entire winemaking process.  This installation is one of the most significant environmental projects undertaken to date by the wine industry, and will have a positive impact on the environment, as well as being cost effective.”

 

 

Solar Project Details:

 

§         The system will provide approximately 60 percent of the winery’s average energy needs,

§         When more energy is produced than required on-site, excess will be sent 'back to the grid',

§         The system will be capable of generating 1,176,230 watts of D.C. power and delivering 1,000,040 watts of A.C. power to the grid,

§         The installation will include a total of 6,358 Mitsubishi 185 watt solar panels

§         Pacific Power Management, based in Auburn, Calif., is financing and building the system.

 

§         The annual offsets (pollution avoided) are as follows:

o       Carbon Dioxide CO2 - 1.6 million pounds annually

o       Sulfur Dioxide -  1,636 pounds annually

o       Nitrogen Oxides – 2,909  pounds annually

 

About Pacific Power Management, LLC

 

Pacific Power Management is a full service commercial solar provider.  Their services include assessment, financing support, design, engineering, installation, web-based monitoring, maintenance and public relations support to promote their customer’s environmental leadership.  The company emphasizes making solar power easy-to-buy through their Power Purchase Agreement Program, efficient, high-quality systems and complete project management.  The company’s proprietary, flat-roof racking systems are designed for a 50-year life and high solar panel output efficiency.  For more information, visit: www.pacpower.biz.

 

About Constellation Wines U.S.

 

Constellation Wines U.S. (www.cwinesus.com) is the largest wine company in the U.S. based upon sales dollar value and encompasses three wine businesses: VineOne, Icon Estates, and Centerra Wine Company. The company’s portfolio includes such brands such as Clos du Bois, Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Blackstone, Robert Mondavi Winery, Simi, Estancia, Wild Horse, Arbor Mist and Paul Masson Grande Amber Brandy. Constellation Wines U.S. is an operating division of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ) a leading international producer and marketer of beverage alcohol in the wine, spirits and imported beer categories. www.cbrands.com.

 

The Gonzales Winery, (formerly known as the Blackstone Winery), is located in Gonzales, Calif.,  and produces wines distributed by VineOne, the premium and super premium wine division of CWUS. Wine brands produced there include, Black Box, Blackstone Winemakers Select, Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Solaire by Robert Mondavi and Hayman & Hill. The winery is ISO:9001:2000 and HACCP certified and has a 23.4 million gallon storage capacity.  It is also home to the Blackstone Monterey Tasting Room.

 

About Mitsubishi Electric, Photovoltaic Division

 

Mitsubishi Electric is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and providers of solar power technology, including PV cells, modules and inverters.  The company’s eco-friendly photovoltaic systems are used throughout the world to bring clean, reliable energy to residences, business, power generation plants, schools, factories and areas without access to electricity, as well as other applications such as highway and stadium lighting.  In the United States, Mitsubishi Electric photovoltaic panels are marketed by Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics USA, Inc., and sold only through authorized distributors and installers. For more information visit www.mitsubishielectricsolar.com or call 714.220.2500.

 

Net-Zero Energy Buildings

Architectural Record’s Popular Innovation 2008 Conference Explores Progress in Race for High-Tech and Cost-Effective Zero-Energy Buildings

 

New York – October 10, 2008 – Architectural Record welcomed a record number of 380 architects, engineers, scientists and students to Innovation 2008: The Net-Zero Energy Buildings Conference at the McGraw-Hill Headquarters in New York this week on October 7-8. Attendees filled every seat and spilled into the aisles, anxious to learn about the latest technologies and best practices in super-energy efficient building from industry experts.

 

Innovations such as MIT Professor Daniel Nocera’s photosynthesis approach—using Cobalt, Co(III), as a catalyst and enabler for efficient energy storage in homes—will create homes that can be both power generators and gas stations. The latest high-performance glass and photovoltaic coverings were also presented, and there was a strong call to action for change in the way buildings are designed and used in light of global warming, greenhouse gases and the imposing carbon footprint created by buildings around the world.

 

“There’s a tremendous amount of energy wasted because we’re not exactly sure how we work,” said Charles Linn, deputy editor at Architectural Record, citing the example that his building among many others leave the lights on in empty or sparsely used workspaces.

 

Dr. Andrew Laing, managing director for DEGW North America challenged attending architects and developers with “creating the right workplace that will attract the kind of people who will want to work there in a new way.” Laing’s proposed “new way” of working and thinking about workspaces involves reinventing the office to take advantage of mobile, shared and flexible workplace options, which can reduce space needs by 20-30% and significantly affect a building’s carbon footprint. “On average, we let our assets be used only 30% of the workday,” he added.

 

“It’s not just about the tools that we use, it’s how we use them, and we need to change the process,” said Denzil Gallagher, partner and MEP regional discipline leader at Buro Happhold North America. “We have tools, we have codes, we have standards, but someone has to set the goals early in the process.”

 

For more information, articles, blog posts, videos and photos, visit ArchitecturalRecord.com or http://construction.com/events/innovation2008/. B-roll and a video news release are also available by contacting Lisa Jaycox at +1 212-512-3272 or lisa_jaycox@mcgraw-hill.com.

About McGraw-Hill Construction

McGraw-Hill Construction connects people, projects and products across the design and construction industry. For more than a century, the Company has remained North America’s leading provider of construction project information, plans and specifications, product information, industry news, and industry trends and forecasts. In print and online, the Company offers a variety of tools, applications, and resources that easily integrate with its customers’ workflows. Backed by the power of Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record,Engineering News-Record (ENR) , GreenSource and 11 regional publications, McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers within the $4.6 trillion global construction community. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

 

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands including Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2007 were $6.8 billion. Additional information is available at www.mcgraw-hill.com.