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Panel Source International:Sustainable Building Materials

Panel Source International (PSI), headquartered in Alberta, Canada, has been in the panel products business for more than 60 years. About five years ago PSI committed itself solely to the manufacturing and sales of sustainable building materials. As part of that, PSI received FSC certification in 2003.James McLeod, Project Manager, said they sought out FSC certification because it is, “the only certification program that is truly independent of the forest products industry and able to provide unbiased information and direction. It is also the only certification program that is accepted by the US Green Building Council’s LEED program. We were very impressed with FSC’s holistic approach to forest management, the chain-of-custody system, and the certification by independent third parties. With these reasons, we believe that FSC will be the program of choice for the future.” Scientific Certification Systems granted PSI’s certification.PSI is engaged in the manufacture and distribution of building materials that offer key environmental attributes, and are suitable for use in the LEED program. These attributes include products that are urea-formaldehyde free, moisture resistant, recycled and/or rapidly renewable raw materials, and products that are FSC-certified. Although headquartered in Canada, their manufacturing and warehouse operations are centralized in Tacoma, Washington […]

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Recycled Water Seen as Opportunity

In California, the San Diego City Council recently approved a study to evaluate recycled water opportunities, launching a Master Plan Update. The objectives, developed with local environmental groups, include evaluation of all aspects of water reuse as well as information concerning potential impacts of the wastewater stream on water quality and public health. San Diego’s municipal golf course, Torrey Pines, takes about 400,000 gallons of reclaimed water daily for landscaping purposes. The San Diego campus of the University of California uses around 300,000 gallons of reclaimed wastewater a day to satisfy 40% of its irrigation needs. Meanwhile, the city of Corona, CA. began pipeline construction on its recycled water system expected to be completed in mid-2005. The system will include reservoirs, two pump stations, and about 30 miles of underground pipeline to carry recycled water from the wastewater treatment plant to irrigation connections. Recycled water will be used to irrigate landscaping at schools, parks, churches, freeway medians and homeowners’ associations-governed landscaped areas reports Water Reuse News.In Atlanta, Georgia, 24 wastewater treatment facilities generate reclaimed water to irrigate golf courses. The latest system to come online is in Denver, Colorado, where 30 million gallons of water a day will be pumped […]

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Utility Green Pricing – Palo Alto Achieves 10% Enrollment Goal

Less than 18 months after unveiling its 'PaloAltoGreen' renewable energy program, the City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) announced that it has reached its goal of enrolling 10% of its customers in the program, making it the second utility green pricing program to achieve a double-digit customer participation rate. Currently, about 2,780 residential and business customers participate in the program through which customers can purchase green energy from wind and solar energy resources at an extra cost of 1.5/kWh above standard rates. CPAU also recently announced that Roche, a Swiss-based healthcare group that employs about 1,000 people within the city, has committed to purchase 1.8 million kWh of renewable energy annually through the 'PaloAltoGreen' program, or enough to meet 5% of the power required for its Palo Alto facilities.

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