Standards & Compliance Briefing: Energy Star Buildings, WindMade, Corrugated Packaging, WEEE

The newly released list of U.S. cities with the most Energy Star certified buildings for 2011 is led by Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Riverside, Calif. and Boston. Through 2011, the 16,500 Energy Star certified buildings have helped save about $2.3 billion in annual utility bills, the EPA said.

The WindMade consumer label for companies and products powered by 100 percent wind resource has expanded to include events. For an event to be WindMade certified, it needs to procure 100 percent of its electricity footprint from renewable power. The program only addresses electricity use, and conference organizers are encouraged to offset carbon emissions from other sources such as transport and heating, WindMade said.

The European Wind Energy Association’s 2012 Conference & Exhibition in Copenhagen (EWEA 2012) is the first event to earn the WindMade label. The UN Global Compact’s Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum, which will be held ahead of the UN’s Rio+20 in June, has also earned the label, WindMade said.

Wisconsin-based IPS Testing has become the fourth testing lab in North America authorized to perform tests for the Voluntary Standard for Repulping and Recycling Corrugated Fiberboard. This approval comes from the Corrugated Packaging Alliance and allows IPS to certify new alternatives to wax coatings, the company said.

The European Centre for the Recycling of Solar Energy (CERES) has collected more than 500 tons of end-of-life photovoltaic panels between January 1 and April 1, 2012, with its free take-back model. CERES said the program is established to achieve compliance with the updated WEEE Directive, which now includes photovoltaic panels, PV Tech said.

Sprint’s new LG Viper 4G LTE device is ULE Platinum certified, RoHS compliant, and has a charger that exceeds the EC Code of Conduct on energy efficiency with no-load consumption. The casing also is made from 50 percent recycled plastic, the company said.

Gensler’s Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif.,  has achieved LEED Gold certification. The hotel recycled 50 percent of all construction waste, sourced 10 percent of its materials within a 500-mile radius, and installed an automated demand response system that has reduced its carbon footprint by 43 percent compared to a similar hotel, writes World Architecture News.

The Horton Building at the Central Ohio Aerospace and Technology Center, owned and operated by the Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority, has attained LEED certification for its core and shell buildings. The Horton Building is the first new commercial office building in central Licking County to receive the USGBC certification, the Newark Advocate said.

Isle of Man building services and FM contractor Stewart Clague Services (SCS) has earned ISO 14001. This accreditation adds to its existing ISO 9001 and OHSAS 18001 certificate, IsleofMan.com writes.