by Michael Smith
I have wanted to be able to lay my hands on one of these reusable shopping bags in its own bag for a while already in order to do a review of them. Finally I have now managed to get one of them.
Like with the review of the USB Cells I should, maybe, add that this Chico Bag was not sent to me for review from the manufacturers or one or the other green vendor; it was picked up as a freebie, like the Eco-Button and the USB Cells, on a trade fair. In this instance on the RSA Europe 2008 Conference & Expo that I visited as Editor of the ICT Review.
Initially I thought that once one would have unpacked the Chico Bag shopper from its little “compression sack” it might be nigh on impossible to put the genie back into the bottle, so to speak, but it was a lot easier than I had thought and it works very well indeed. Five marks out of five for that, definitely.
Those are real nifty little shoppers that are so easy to have on a keyring or clipped to a belt or in a pocket or purse that not having once own shopping bag or two when visiting the stores, even in case of an unplanned visit, is just not excusable.
ChicoBags are designed to be unforgettable. They effortlessly fit in your pocket or purse when they are stuffed into their integrated stuff pouch. The pouch has an attached carabiner to easily hook your ChicoBag to your key chain, backpack or belt loop. The very design encourages you to always have your ChicoBag on hand or pocket or purse as and when needed.
The ChicoBags now come in two sizes though the one that I have is of the “Original” size.
The sizes now are “Original” and “Vita” and the dimensions, etc. are below:
For the “Original” the dimensions are: bag 18" x 14.5" and pouch 3"x4" (approximately). The weight is 1.5 oz and the capacity is 25 lbs.
The dimensions for the “Vita” are: bag 19" x 15.5" and pouch 3.5" x 5" (approximately)
The weight of the bag is 2 oz. and the capacity is 40 lbs.
For weight comparison: One gallon of milk is approximately 7 lbs.
The bags are made of durable woven polyester. The fabric allows for easy opening and stuffing. No special folding is required. The bags can be machine washed on cold and should then hang to dry.
I have to say that I have, not as yet, have had a chance to fully test the ChicoBag in my possession but I have given it a little strength test and it hold up well under that strain. Whoever, though, would want to carry 25lbs – which equals about 12kg – in one single shopping bag beats me but, well, there's none stranger than folks, as my old Mami used to say. I personally would not wish to even try to carry that amount in any bag to be carried in my hand.
However, as far as I am concerned, this is a good idea and one that I can but endorse.
We all know that there are more ways of carrying your own shopping bag with you when you go to the stores and it does not have to be a bought one but, if you are looking to have one that you cannot, nigh on, forget then the ChicoBags is the way to go.
Outlets that sell the bags are aplenty and they can be found all over the Net and also, I am sure, in the real world. So, what#s stopping you from having your own shopping bag with you, even if you are doing some grocery shopping on the spur of the moment?
Go and get a ChicoBag...
© M Smith (Veshengro), November 2008
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ChicoBag – Product Review
Olympic champion Jamie Staff launches the Sustrans Bike It project at Kingsnorth Primary School
Pupils and parents from Kingsnorth Primary School will be cycling to school for a free bike breakfast and a chance to meet the Olympic champion Jamie Staff as they celebrate the arrival of the highly successful Sustrans project, ‘Bike It’. This unique project works with schools across England and Wales to encourage children and young people to choose two wheels instead of four for the school journey.
Kingsnorth Primary School is the latest school to benefit from the continued success of Bike It across Ashford. Sustrans Bike It Officer David Robert works with 12 schools across the region.
Bike It Officer, David Robert said: “I am delighted that Kingsnorth Primary School has joined the Bike It project, the staff and pupils are really enthusiastic about increasing the cycling levels at the school. It is great to have a role model such as Jamie Staff backing the project. We know from research that 47 per cent of children would like to cycle to school but only 2 per cent actually do – there is an enormous potential for increasing cycling levels across the country. Cycling to school has so many benefits for pupils such as improved health, confidence and concentration as well as the obvious benefits for the environment in which they will grow up in.”
The Bike It project works directly with pupils, parents and staff to help them overcome whatever it is that is preventing them from cycling to school – by organising cycle training, helping to install new bike sheds, contributing to classroom work and providing information about safe routes to schools. Participating schools across England have seen levels of cycling treble within a year– bucking the trend in declining numbers of children cycling to school. Currently there are 32 Bike It officers working with over 300 schools and over 60,000 children across England and Wales.
Bike It is a nationwide scheme, managed by sustainable transport charity Sustrans. Nationally the project is funded by Cycling England, and the cycle industry through the Bike Hub, locally Bike It is supported by Kent Highway Services.
Staff, parents and teachers who are interested in promoting cycling and walking in their school are encouraged to call the Sustrans School Travel Team on 0117 915 0100 for free information and advice.
Sustrans is the UK's leading sustainable transport charity, working on practical projects so people can choose to travel in ways that benefit their health and the environment. The charity is behind the award winning National Cycle Network, Connect2, Safe Routes to Schools, Bike It, TravelSmart, Active Travel and Liveable Neighbourhoods, all projects that are changing our world one mile at a time. To find out more visit www.sustrans.org.uk
Sustrans is a member of Stop Climate Chaos, a broad coalition of environmental, development, faith-based, women's and other organisations campaigning to stop human-induced climate change www.stopclimatechaos.org.
Sustrans' vision is a world in which people choose to travel in ways that benefit their health and the environment. It is achieving this through innovative but practical solutions to the UK’s transport challenges. Hence Sustrans offer a free information line for staff, parent and teachers who are interesting in promoting cycling and walking in their school.
Bike It is a nationwide scheme, managed by sustainable transport charity Sustrans, aiming to increase the number of young people cycling to school and on other journeys.
Over the 2006/07 academic year there was a trebling of cycling levels in schools taking part in the Bike It programme. There are currently 32 Bike It Officers, working with over 300 schools and over 60,000 children and young people across England and Wales.
The project receives funding from Cycling England with the support of the Department for Transport, Bike Hub – the cycle industry levy, the Big Lottery Fund's Well-being Programme, the Welsh Assembly Government, Transport for London and support from partner local authorities Bike It is core funded by the cycle industry, comprising both bicycle manufacturers and retailers, through the Bike Hub.
Cycling England is the expert body set up by Government to promote cycling nationally. Further information about Cycling England can be found at www.cyclingengland.co.uk
Source: Sustrans
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OPTIBIKE PARTNERS WITH RENESAS TECHNOLOGY TO PROVIDE EFFICIENT, GREEN ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION
Optibike attends Renesas’ Developer’s Conference with worlds leading designers
BOULDER, CO, November 2008: With the expectation of President-Elect Barack Obama’s alternative energy plans in the near future, Optibike and Renesas Technology are teaming up to provide the world with the next generation of eco-friendly transportation options.
Both companies are leaders in their respective fields. Renesas Technology is the top worldwide supplier of motor controllers. Optibike is the leader in high performance electric bikes.
The two companies are joining forces to develop cutting edge motor controllers and fully integrated state of the art displays for all Optibike models.
Says Jim Turner, founding visionary of the Boulder, Colorado-based company Optibike, “We’re utilizing Renesas’ components because they significantly increase efficiency and ease of use in all of our bikes. By making the Optibike more efficient and easier to use we will continue our dominance of the high performance electric bike market.”
Both companies met again at Renesas’ Developer’s Conference (DevCon) in October. DevCon offers engineers the opportunity to interact with industry leaders, work in hands-on laboratories and attend workshops covering the latest industry trends.
Optibike has led the high performance electric bike market with the patented Motorized Bottom Bracket (MBB). The MBB allows the rider to add their pedal power to the motor power for a harmonious balance of electric power and exercise.
Powered by the largest lithium battery available in an electric bike (20ah, 36v) the Optibike has a range of 50 miles with a 30+mph top speed. The Optibike is in the Ferrari class of electric bikes- each bike hand built to customers specifications with prices ranging from $4995-$13,995.
Optibike has been custom building the fastest electric bikes available since 1998. As a leader in the electric light vehicles industry Optibike is committed to developing the most state-of-the-art, trend-setting transportation in the electric bike industry.
Renesas Technology Corp. is one of the world's leading semiconductor system solutions providers for mobile, automotive and PC/AV (Audio Visual) markets and the world's No.1 supplier of microcontrollers.
For further information, please visit http://www.renesas.com
Source: Optibike LLC
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REEP-ING THE BENEFITS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
VANCOUVER, B.C., CANADA, November 2008: A global public-private partnership that helps facilitate renewable energy projects around the world has issued a call for project proposals.
The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), whose international secretariat is based in Vienna, wants to develop energy from natural resources, such as sunlight, wind, tides or geothermal heat, in several Least Developed Countries and emerging market economies. More than 4.3 million Euros will be available to support these projects. Funding comes from Australia, Ireland, Italy, Norway and the United Kingdom. Australia, with its significant contribution, will help intensify REEEP’s efforts in small island states in the Pacific. The United Kingdom and Norway will focus on emerging economies. Ireland and Italy will concentrate on Africa.
The REEEP call is an open tender seeking projects from Brazil, China, India and South Africa and from across the developing world. REEEP will build on its experience gained over the last five years with a bottom-up approach to defining priorities and selecting projects.
REEEP is intensifying its efforts to directly engage governments and financial institutions in its program. It would like countries with specific policy, legislative or regulatory needs to work directly with the partnership. Development finance institutions with need for financing structures and business models can also apply. It is hoped that this will convince the financial world to invest in these new markets. REEEP’s principal partner in Canada is Environment Canada. The department responsible for coordinating the government’s environmental policies contributes financially to the program and distributes the on-line RETScreen Clean Energy Project Analysis Software. This decision-support tool is developed with the contribution of experts from government, industry, and academia. The software, provided free-of-charge, can be used worldwide to evaluate the energy production and savings, costs, emission reductions, financial viability and risk for various types of Renewable-energy and Energy-efficient Technologies (RETs).
Dr. Marianne Osterkorn, REEEP International Director believes the partnership can add value across a number of areas. "We are grateful to all REEEP donors - UK, Norway, Ireland and Italy and we welcome the new donor Australia to the REEEP programme. We look forward to working with Australia to support the Pacific Islands to develop local energy sources and helping their quest for energy security.," she says.
One of REEEP’s advantages is the assurance that background checks take place with financial institutions and project developers to ensure that clients receive carbon credits from reliable projects with genuine emissions reductions.
Though its global network of partners, REEEP’s eight regional secretariats can contact project developers selling carbon credits and independently verify their information. The current call for tender is the largest in REEEP’s five-year history. The partnership disbursed € 3.2 million euro in 2007, € 2.2 million in 2006 and € 1.1 million in 2005.
To learn more about GLOBE-net please go to www.globe-net.com
Source: GLOBE-Net
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CREDIT CRUNCH PROVES BITTER SWEET FOR THE WORLD LAND TRUST
SUFFOLK, UNITED KINGDOM, November 2008: According to Third Sector (17 September), the main news source for Charities, a third of all charities have been forced to make staff redundant due to the slowing economy. However UK conservation charity the World Land Trust is clearly bucking the trend. Figures released by the Trust this week show a rise in donations of 26% for the year 2008. Determined to see a silver lining to the looming credit cloud, the Trust also feels that every penny donated will now go further due to the worldwide fall in land prices which will enable them to fund the purchase and protection of more critically endangered habitat across the globe.
Interestingly, at present it is the business fraternity who can be directly credited for the rise in donations. According to John Burton, WLT's CEO this is "Because we are a nimble charity able to respond to the needs of the business world, and because our projects are demonstrating the clear success of long term land conservation at the frontier of climate change mitigation. The business world is taking the threats to the planet very seriously, and while the Trust can only do so much, we can at least offer businesses a visible way of addressing their concerns. While it is easy to criticise this as Greenwash the World Land Trust believes that it is important to engage corporate support and to work with these companies to improve their environmental accountability as well as ensuring that their corporate donations are used to best effect to save critically threatened habitats"
It seems that, despite the economic downturn, businesses and individuals alike have not ceased to care about their impact on the environment. Support for the World Land Trust's overseas land purchase and protection projects is coming from a variety of corporate streams, particularly through CSR. Other companies believe that by making a commitment to 'green up' their image they can get an edge for their company in the corporate marketplace. More generally, John Burton suggested that "Perhaps, at long last people are waking up to the fact that the future of the planet is becoming precarious, and that has implications for us humans. Certainly the last two years have seen unprecedented growth in the donations to the World Land Trust." It is certainly reassuring that during a time when businesses are reorganising their priorities for the difficult time ahead, they are standing firm on green policies, something which has never happened in previous economic down turns.
The World Land Trust has recently launched an urgent appeal to safeguard Orang-utans in Borneo, where the main threats come from the massive conversion from tropical forest to oil palm plantation. Because of the huge profits to be made from palm oil, the land is much more expensive than the Trust usually has to pay however, according to John Burton, there may be a positive aspect for endangered species resulting from the credit crunch: "The last year or two has seen land prices world wide increasing dramatically, so the financial crisis may bring prices down, making every Dollar/Pound/Euro go further." The WLT helps its overseas project partners purchase and protect rainforest and other habitats, usually costing around £50 an acre. "Unlike money, we cannot just borrow more wilderness; once it’s gone it’s gone - there is no way of bailing out rainforests!"
Source: PA Media
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CONSERVATION GROUPS TAKE FIRST STEP IN LAWSUIT OVER ILLEGAL CUTS IN CRITICAL HABITAT FOR THE ENDANGERED SAN BERNARDINO KANGAROO RAT
SAN BERNARDINO, CA, November 2008: Conservationists recently filed a formal notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over the agency’s slashing of critical habitat for the San Bernardino kangaroo rat. The Center for Biological Diversity, the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society, and the Friends of the Northern San Jacinto Valley contend that the designation of only 7,779 acres of habitat – a 76 percent reduction from the 2002 designation of 33,295 acres – will drive this rare and declining animal closer to extinction.
The formal notice represents the latest action in a campaign by the Center to reverse politically tainted decisions concerning dozens of endangered species. The campaign was initiated August 28, 2007 with the filing of a notice of intent to sue over decisions involving 55 endangered species in 28 states and 8.7 million acres of critical habitat.
“Once again, the Bush administration has made a decision that completely disregards the science,” said Ileene Anderson, a biologist with the Center for Biological Diversity. “Today it’s the San Bernardino kangaroo rat that is under assault, but this is just the latest of a long line of politically corrupt endangered species decisions coming out of this administration. We intend to go to the courts once again to force this lame-duck administration to follow the law.”
Just six years ago, the Fish and Wildlife Service had designated more than 33,295 acres in four different areas of San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Identified as four separate units, habitat critical to the animal’s survival was acknowledged on the Etiwanda Fan, Lytle, and Cajon Creek areas, and the Santa Ana River and Wash in San Bernardino County, and on the San Jacinto River and Bautista Creek in Riverside County. In October 2008, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service eliminated thousands of acres of critical habitat where the pocket-sized kangaroo rat currently lives, prompting the litigation.
“Slashing over three-quarters of the San Bernardino kangaroo rat’s habitat is the antithesis of conservation for this declining species”, said Drew Feldmann, president of the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society. “No good scientific rationale explains why these areas have been cut from the designation — areas in which the kangaroo rat currently dwells.”
The San Bernardino kangaroo rat is not a true rat but a small, seed-eating animal related to squirrels. It hops around on large hind legs like a kangaroo, which is how it got its name. It lives along the banks of creeks and dry streams where it is helps to re-establish plants and habitat after floods by collecting and distributing seeds of local shrubs and flowers. It is found only in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, although it was much more widespread just 50 years ago. Its habitat has recently been prime real estate for big-box warehouse development, so it now survives mainly in sandy and gravelly washes that periodically flood.
“The San Bernardino kangaroo rate lives in flood-prone areas, so all of these areas should be protected – not just for this endangered mammal’s sake, but for our water supply and public safety,” Anderson said. “The science simply does not support this absurd designation.”
The Center’s efforts to reverse politically tainted decisions have already met with substantial success. In response to Center lawsuits, the Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to redo critical habitat designations for 15 species, including the California red-legged frog, arroyo toad, vermillion darter, Mississippi gopher frog, four New Mexico invertebrates, and seven plants from California, Oregon, and North Carolina. The newly proposed critical habitat designation for the California red-legged frog alone totals approximately 1.8 million acres — quadruple the area previously protected. In addition, the Service has agreed to reconsider listing the rare, highly imperiled Mexican garter snake as an endangered species.
The Center for Biological Diversity is a nonprofit conservation organization with 200,000 members and online activists dedicated to protecting endangered species and wild places. www.biologicaldiversity.org
Source: Center for Biological Diversity
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San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WARNED TO ADDRESS OCEAN ACIDIFICATION OR FACE LAWSUIT
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, November 2008: The Center for Biological Diversity has notified the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of its intent to file a lawsuit against the agency for its failure to respond to the threat of ocean acidification. Last year, the Center filed a formal petition asking EPA to impose stricter pH standards for ocean water quality and publish guidance to help states protect U.S. waters from ocean acidification. Today’s notice of intent to sue urges EPA to promptly respond to the Center’s petition.
The oceans cover about 70 percent of the Earth’s surface and absorb about 22 million tons of carbon dioxide each day. The absorption of carbon dioxide is changing seawater chemistry, causing it to become more acidic. This process, known as ocean acidification, impairs the ability of marine animals to build the protective shells and skeletons they need to survive.
Already, the pH level of the ocean has decreased 0.1 units on average due to carbon dioxide pollution caused by human activity – especially emissions from such sources as automobiles and electrical power plants. If carbon dioxide emissions continue unabated, seawater pH may decrease an additional 0.4 units — more than a 100 percent change in acidity. A recent article in the journal Science noted that rapid changes in pH would have adverse effects on a number of marine organisms and highlighted the need to update EPA’s water-quality standard for pH, according to the authors of the July 4 Science article, “Carbon Emissions and Acidification.” “The seawater quality criteria of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency date back to 1976 … [t]hese standards must be re-evaluated based on the latest research on pH effects on marine organisms,” the authors wrote.
The federal Clean Water Act requires the EPA to update water-quality criteria to reflect the latest scientific knowledge. Since the agency developed the pH standard back in 1976, an extensive body of research has developed on the impacts of carbon dioxide on the oceans.
“Ocean acidification is global warming’s evil twin,” said Miyoko Sakashita, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity’s oceans program. “The EPA has a duty under the Clean Water Act to protect our nation’s waters from pollution, and today, carbon dioxide is one of the biggest threats to our ocean waters.”
According to the Center’s notice of intent to sue, the EPA’s current water-quality criterion for pH is outdated and woefully inadequate in the face of ocean acidification. A decline of 0.2 pH — allowed under the current standard — would be devastating to the marine ecosystem. Twenty-five leading scientists researching ocean acidification concluded in a Sept. 25, 2007 commentary in the Geophysical Research Letters that “a decrease of this magnitude would pose a risk to the physiology and health of a variety of marine organisms.”
“Unless we take steps now to stop ocean acidification, it could cause the collapse of our marine ecosystems,” Sakashita said. “EPA needs to take prompt action to address this serious water-quality threat facing our oceans.”
If the EPA strengthens the pH water-quality criterion for oceans, then the Clean Water Act requires states to adopt a water-quality standard at least as protective as the one established by the EPA. Here, stronger water-quality standards for pH could translate into measures that regulate pollutants such as carbon dioxide, which is causing ocean acidification.
The notice of intent gives the EPA 60 days to correct the alleged violations before the Center may pursue legal action.
More information is available from the Center for Biological Diversity at http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/programs/marine/acidification.html.
The Center for Biological Diversity is a nonprofit conservation organization with 200,000 members and online activists dedicated to protecting endangered species and wild places. www.biologicaldiversity.org
Source: Center for Biological Diversity
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NEW JERSEY VOTERS APPROVE FUNDS FOR OPEN SPACE, DESPITE POOR ECONOMY
MORRISTOWN, N.J., November 2008: On November 4, voters nationwide approved $7.3 billion in new public money to protect land for parks and open space—the highest amount ever according to The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national land conservation organization. The increase can be attributed in large part to the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment accounting for $5.5 billion. Overall, 62 out of 87 measures (or 71 percent) were passed by voters.
In New Jersey, voters approved 14 of 22 county and municipal measures generating $191 million in conservation funding. New Jersey more open space ballot measures than any other state. In Hunterdon County, voters approved the largest measure and the only county measure on the ballot, with 76 percent voting to continue the current levy of three cents per $100 of assessed property value to fund the Hunterdon County Open Space Trust Fund indefinitely rather than letting it expire next year. The move is expected to generate $7.6 million annually for open space, farmland, and historic preservation efforts, as well as stewardship of county and municipal parklands.
In Ocean County, Ocean Township voters approved increasing the open space tax from 1.2 to three cents per $100 of assessed value, and voters in Barnegat Light Borough approved a new one-cent open space tax. Both measures will provide funds to help acquire lands important to protecting water quality in the Barnegat Bay watershed. In Mercer County, Hopewell Township voters approved a one-cent increase to the open space tax that will generate an additional $459,000 annually for preservation efforts.
A complete list of results from local and state balloting on conservation and parks is available online today from LandVote 2008.
“These results demonstrate sustained support among New Jersey residents for new investments in parks and open space, even in a very tough economic climate,” said Tom Gilbert, mid-Atlantic conservation finance director with The Trust for Public Land. “Looking ahead to 2009, we look forward to working with Governor Corzine, the New Jersey legislature, and our conservation partners on the critical need to renew and strengthen the Garden State Preservation Trust next year.”
Last November, New Jersey voters approved $200 million in bonding to replenish state open space, farmland, and historic preservation programs for one more year. Those funds will soon run out resulting in the first gap in state funding to preserve open space in decades.
“We call on Governor Corzine and state legislative leaders to follow the great example given by the voters in this election and make good on their pledge to replenish the Garden State Preservation Trust,” said Thomas Gilmore, Chair of the New Jersey Keep it Green Campaign, a coalition of over 100 organizations working to promote open space preservation in New Jersey. “Renewing and strengthening this state-wide Fund is integral to preservation efforts and allows the State to continue to actively partner with local governments to preserve our parks, forests, farms, and historic places.” Since 1988, voters have approved newly 1,700 conservation measures, generating more than $54 billion in new public funds for conservation.
The Trust for Public Land conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and natural areas, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. To date, TPL has helped protect more than 2.5 million acres nationwide, including more than 25,000 acres in New Jersey, visit www.tpl.org/newjersey.
Source: The Trust for Public Land
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EMerge Alliance Launched to Create New Standard for Power Distribution and Device Control in Commercial Buildings
New, Broad-Based Consortium Assembling Expertise in Architecture, Engineering and Construction Practices to Establish a Common Platform For Building Interiors of the Future
SAN RAMON, Calif. (November 2008) – In a move aimed at increasing the flexibility, efficiency and sustainability of commercial buildings, a group of visionaries today are announcing the EMerge Alliance™. The Alliance will lead the creation and deployment of a new power, control and device-level technology standard for commercial interiors, developed around the use of safe, low-voltage direct-current (DC) power.
Founding Members of the Alliance at the Governing level include Armstrong World Industries, Johnson Controls, Nextek Power Systems, OSRAM SYLVANIA and WAVE.
Participating Members include Crestron Electronics, Delta Power, Finelite, Kanepi Innovations, Lighting Science Group, Steelcase, WattStopper and Zumtobel. Eden Park Illumination is a General Member, and Supporting Members include AVP, Brinjac Engineering, CleanTech Commercialization, EdCampus, Green Plug, Houston Advanced Research Center, JB Electrical, Los Angeles Community College District, Paladino and Company, Sensor Switch, Southern California Edison and Webcor Builders.
Today’s workplace is dominated by fixed overhead lighting and a wide variety of electrical devices that are typically wired for a building’s lifetime rather than occupants’ changing needs. Building designers and owners increasingly have been seeking systems to make buildings more adaptable and integration of infrastructure, equipment and furnishings that can improve energy efficiency. Addressing these widespread needs for greater flexibility, efficiency, and sustainability is the focus of the EMerge Alliance, according to Alliance Chairman Brian Patterson of Armstrong World Industries.
“While the ways in which we use electricity have changed dramatically, the manner in which electricity is distributed for interior devices and control purposes remains largely unchanged since the beginning of the 20th century,” said Patterson. “The EMerge Alliance is drawing from a broad and deep pool of leaders involved in the design, construction, and management of commercial buildings to create an enabling infrastructure that future proofs the workplace through the use of DC power. The standard is a revolutionary approach to the layout and re-use of interior space.”
The central feature of the proposed EMerge standard is the selective and scaleable distribution of low-voltage DC power within common infrastructures already present in commercial interiors. For example, DC power is ideally suited for integration into the ceiling plane, providing facility managers with the ability to readily arrange and rearrange lighting, sensors, actuators, and other devices without the need for rewiring.
The EMerge standard also embraces the trend toward using on-site alternative energy, by providing a means of direct and more efficient connection between these new energy sources and interior electrical loads, like lighting and controls.
EMerge Alliance’s Patterson sees the development of this new commercial technology standard as providing a platform for innovation to create even more energy-efficient and individually controllable devices for the future, such as Light-Emitting Diode (LED) or other solid-state general lighting devices.
“In creating a long-reaching, ‘plug and play’ standard for integrated management and control of lighting and the many digital devices found in commercial buildings, the Alliance is focused on the nexus of today’s top priorities for building owners – energy savings and adaptability. One of the most intriguing aspects is the ability to seamlessly connect a low voltage DC infrastructure to on-site generated alternative energy sources, such as solar and wind power,” said Patterson. “This provides sustainability-minded building owners on the leading edge of power technologies with a faster return on their investment in clean energy.”
The EMerge Alliance is accepting new members interested in developing or supporting the EMerge standard. Membership is open and available at a variety of levels, from those interested in contributing to or making products compatible with the new standard, to companies and organizations supporting the overall development of this new platform. The Alliance is professionally managed by Global Inventures.
The EMerge Alliance is an open industry association promoting the rapid adoption of safe, low-voltage DC power distribution and use in commercial building interiors. EMerge is focused on developing a global standard that integrates interior infrastructures, power, controls and a wide variety of peripheral devices, such as lighting, in a common platform. Building owners can gain unprecedented design and space flexibility along with reduced energy usage and improved sustainability. Alliance membership is broad-based in nature, comprised of entities such as architects, interior designers, consultants, engineering firms, government and code groups, academic and industry groups, product manufacturers, and building owners. For more information, or to find out how your organization can join the Alliance, please visit www.EMergeAlliance.org.
Source: Edge Communications, Inc.
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