Lithonia Lighting earned award for protecting the environment through energy-efficient lighting fixtures
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 8, 2008--Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE:AYI) today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy have named Lithonia Lighting, an Acuity Brands Lighting business, as a 2008 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year. The award recognizes Lithonia Lighting for its outstanding contribution in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through its energy-efficient lighting fixtures and its efforts to educate consumers about those fixtures. Lithonia Lighting's accomplishments were recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 1, 2008.
Lithonia Lighting, an Energy Star partner since 1994, was honored for its leadership in manufacturing products that earn the Energy Star, the government-backed symbol of energy efficiency. In 2007, Lithonia Lighting introduced 84 new Energy Star qualified products including three complete fixture families. Acuity Brands believes sustainable business practices are fundamental to success, as demonstrated by Acuity Brands Lighting's active participation in the U.S. Green Building Council. Additionally, Acuity Brands Lighting's new products are designed to have minimal environmental impact, and four of its facilities are LEED certified. In November of 2007, Acuity Brands Lighting announced its partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative, thereby solidifying the Company's emphasis on sustainability and innovation in energy-efficient technology.
"Our customers are more concerned than ever about protecting the environment and they recognize the value that Energy Star products offer," said Ed Weaver, Vice President of Lithonia Lighting's Consumer Products Group. "Through our partnership with Energy Star we are able to manufacture and promote products that not only save our customers money, but also help protect our planet from the risks of global warming."
LEED certified versus LEED
certifiable in Boston
A new building code in Boston requires all new private
developments over 50,000 sf to be LEED certifiable… but not LEED
certified. After a 12-month study, a city task force recommended
an amendment to the Boston Zoning Code Article 80 (Development
Review and Approval), requiring the buildings to be designed and
planned to meet the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED
certification standard but not to actually be certified. Greener
Buildings, March 12, 2008. To read more, click
here.
Looking ahead to top AEC
markets of 2008
Which markets look strongest for AEC firms in 2008? Two
respected authorities, Building Design+Construction's chief
economist, Dr. Jim Haughey, and ZweigWhite's 2008 AEC Industry
Outlook, forecast the consensus hot markets for 2008:
healthcare, higher education, K-12 schools, and commercial
office buildings. Building Design+Contruction, January
1, 2008. For more info, click
here.
Home buyers turned off by green marketing hype
“Energy Pulse 2007,”
a study by The Shelton Group, Knoxville, Tenn., reports a
significant downturn in purchase intent for some green home
products, as well as rising skepticism about advertisers’ use of
terms like “green,” “sustainable,” “earth,” and “eco-friendly.”
The study says consumers have lost enthusiasm for
energy-efficient home products, as well as for green housing
itself.
Electronic News, December 18, 2007