Greenroofs.comConnecting the Planet + Living Architecture
Each week you can expect to learn What’s New here on Greenroofs.com through our “This Week in Review” video. Here is the transcript from March 9th, 2012 from our daughter, Anjuli – click on the photo below to see the video, or here. Enjoy!
– Hello, I’m Anjuli Velázquez and welcome to “This Week in Review” for March 9th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.
– Our project of the week is the Epcot Living Wall built in 2011 in Orlando, Florida. Epcot ® theme park is one of four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort, and is divided into Future World and World Showcase. Located in the Festival Center, the interior EcoWall was created as part of the 2011 Epcot ® International Flower and Garden Festival, and now serves as a dual purpose for Disney’s Epcot Food and Wine Festival as well, and is permanently on display in the park.
It features 1300 tropical plants and ferns and during the Food and Wine Festival edible plants, like pineapples, dwarf banana trees and citruses, are incorporated as part of an interactive display to show unique spaces, saving solutions in urban farming. The EcoWall uses a unique and lightweight combination of inorganic growing medium into the design. The material locks in moisture and nutrients, which reduces the amount of resources required to sustain healthy plant growth. Guests get to walk through the living wall as they enter and exit the Festival Center.
– To learn more about the Epcot Living Wall, click on our project of the week photo on our homepage (or on the above photos).
– Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Video
– Watch our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 13: “Green Roof Policies – An International Review of Current Practices and Future Trends“ by Wolfgang Ansel.
And find the rest of the videos in this series on our GreenroofsTV page and/or our greenroofsTV YouTube channel.
– Colbond’s Parent Company Invests In Green Roof Market By Acquiring Xero Flor International GmbH.
– Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest post: “Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 13: Green Roof Policies – An International Review of Current Practices and Future Trends.”
– “Upcoming Events“
– Today, March 9th through the 11th: there is a Green Living Technologies (GLTi) Canada Professional Installer Certification Program, in Princeton, Canada.
– March 10th-14th: is the National League of Cities – 2012 Congressional City Conference, in Washington, D.C.
– March 13th-25th: is the Environmental Film Festival, in Washington, D.C.
– March 14th-18th: is the Boston Flower & Garden Show at the Seaport World Trade Center, in Boston, MA.
– March 15th-18th: is GardenScape 2012, Recipe for Springtime, in Rochester, NY.
– And March 15th-20th: is the RCI – 27th International Convention and Trade Show, in Dallas, TX.
– “In the News“
– Hosea Sanders of ABC7Chicago.com, reports on “Chicago produce firm runs earth-friendly operation.” Testa Produce is a 100-year-old family business and has recently constructed a new warehouse that features a barreled greenroof, a 238-foot tall wind turbine, and a solar hot water system.
Testa Produce President, Peter Testa, said the greenroof and wind turbine are his two biggest accomplishments and that the electricity the turbine produces with save him as much as $80,000 a year. Testa Produce has also implemented a long list of operational changes to reduce waste, such as switching to reusable mesh pallet wraps from disposable plastic and recycling all cardboard. They have earned a LEED Platinum certification. You can visit the full article and watch the local news clip.
– Samantha Marcus of the Allentown Morning Call, talks about “Hospitals, schools pursue energy technology with savings in mind.” She says “with energy bills reaching as high as $10 million, conservation is not just about the environment.” The greenroof on top of St. Luke’s Hospital and Health Network’s Heart and Vascular Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is doing its job: improving air and water quality while insulating the building. Inside, systems detect ambient light coming in and close the shades accordingly.
Same smart energy savings are happening at the Lehigh Valley Health Network, which has ultraviolet lights to extend the life and efficiency of air handlers by preventing bacteria and mold from building up on heater coils. Greenroofs and solar arrays are the most visible ways buildings are saving on energy costs but high-efficiency motors and boilers are also hard working inside buildings to help promote savings. Lehigh Valley Healthcare has installed two 300,000 kilowatt solar arrays at its Cedar Crest and Muhlenberg campuses, with the help of local and state grants, and they’ve already seen savings. Several schools in the area have already had energy efficient replacements and more are scheduled.
– To learn more about these stories and new ones posted daily, go to our In the News or Newslinks section of our website.
– Send us your green articles, videos and images to editor@greenroofs.com and share your greenroof or greenwall info with the world!
– Make sure to keep up with everything Greenroofs.com by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, being a member of our network on LinkedIn, and subscribing to our greenroofsTV channel on YouTube!
– This has been This Week in Review for March 9th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV. I’m Anjuli Velázquez and I’ll see you next week!
*This week’s episode is sponsored by The Greenroof Directory, brought to you by Greenroofs.com.*
Did we miss something? We’d love to hear from you!
~ Linda V.
