Via Cleanlink.com

As seen in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Sears Tower is “going green” while keeping its attire of basic black. The tower’s owners are planning a rooftop-to-plaza renovation to conserve energy and power up its financial performance.

The makeover detailed Wednesday calls for giving the tower a new neighbor, a 50-story hotel that the Sears owners said would feature “net zero” use of energy. They said changes to the tower itself will cut its appetite for electricity by 80 percent.

Not part of the plan is changing the tower’s color. A switch to silver had been contemplated, but the owners, working with noted architect Adrian Smith, decided it would be enough to change all 16,000 windows, introducing double-paned glass with an insulating layer of film in between.

The work on the 110 -story tower should cost about $350 million, said John Huston, principal with American Landmark Properties Ltd. The Skokie-based firm is part of the tower’s ownership group.

Huston estimated the hotel, for which outside investors will be sought, could cost $225 million. He said the dual projects could be completed within five years.

“Our plans are very ambitious. Our plans are groundbreaking in many respects” and will “set new standards for the greening of existing buildings,” Huston said.

Smith, of the firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, designed the hotel to include solar and wind power generation. He also is directing the changes to the tower.

He said the task is important because buildings worldwide account for more than 50 percent of carbon emissions. Smith said initiatives such as green roofs and advanced lighting controls will trim energy usage for a building that, with a population of 20,000 people, is a “good-sized village.”

The plan is to make the tower attractive to tenants who care about the environment. That could justify higher rents down the line, markets conditions permitting.

Robert Wislow, chairman of U.S. Equities Realty, which manages Sears Tower, said an efficient building is a selling point to tenants. “They are demanding to occupy sustainable space,” he said.

Conservation will help the tower’s occupants by reducing what they pay toward the building’s operating costs, said Katherine Scott, executive vice president at U.S. Equities.

Huston said the owners have requested a zoning change from the city to accommodate the hotel. A city subsidy also is under discussion, but Huston declined to get into details.

He noted that a Sears renewal would create 3,600 jobs, including short-term construction work. Based on formulas applied to other subsidy requests, the Sears owners could be asking for around $60 million under tax-increment financing, which provides developer subsidies from property taxes that otherwise would support local government.

Sears Tower is “the biggest taxpayer in the city” and has paid more than $750 million since it opened in 1973, Huston said.

A hotel building at Jackson and Wacker would fulfill original ideas for the property as developed by the architectural firm Skidmore Owings & Merrill in the 1960s. Lead architect Bruce Graham allowed for another building on the block, although current zoning doesn’t permit it.

Owners of the tower include New York investors Joseph Chetrit and Joseph Moinian.

In the near term, the owners plans two other changes: a name change and a heart-thumping addition to its 103rd floor observation deck.

This summer, the building will be rechristened Willis Tower after an insurance brokerage, Willis Group Holdings Ltd., that is leasing 140,000 square feet there.

The observation deck is supposed to reopen in a few weeks with glass extensions from the building that will give visitors the illusion of stepping out into space, with a clear view down to Wacker Drive.

____

Highlights of the sears tower makeover
* 50-story, 500-room hotel planned at the northeast corner of Jackson and Wacker will use solar and wind technology to strive for “net zero” energy use.

* Granite plaza to be replaced with green space, new retail, permeable pavement and, along Adams Street, a solar-powered digital display for news and event information.

* Lobby “learning center” to demonstrate the latest in energy production and conservation.

* Replacement of 16,000 windows and metal panels to save heating energy by up to 60 percent.

* New mechanical systems to incorporate fuel cell technology.

* Advanced lighting controls will adjust to movement and daylight.

* Elevators get new motors that go on or off almost instantly to adjust with demand.

* Escalators get motion detectors.

* Solar hot water panels on 90th floor roof will heat water for the restrooms.

* New plumbing fixtures will cut water use.

* Wind turbines and green roofs will be tested at various levels except the tower’s antenna roof.

* Programs for tenants include bicycle sharing and recycling of paper and electronics.

(Click to see our collection of Green Products)

Via Cleanlink.com

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) urges Congress to commit additional research funding to evaluating the environmental, economic and health benefits of green schools, and endorsed the recent passage of the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act Passes. H.R. 2187 authorizes billions of dollars to support school repair, renovations and modernization projects in school districts nationwide.

USGBC also commends USCM for its leadership in passing a green schools resolution, showing its unwavering support of greening America’s schools. At its 77th Annual Meeting in Providence last week, USCM adopted the “Make Green Schools a Reality” resolution, which supports building, repairing and making operations and maintenance improvements to schools throughout the U.S. by using tools like the LEED green building rating system.

“The U.S. Conference of Mayors has been a strong supporter of greening America’s schools, and the green schools resolution takes one giant step in the direction of enhancing the learning environments for America’s students, teachers and administrators that go to school every day,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, USGBC.

USGBC has been working towards brightening the future of America’s school children and educators through the development of the National Green Schools Campaign, which is committed to promoting and supporting federal, state and local initiatives that advance the green school building movement, including support of the Congressional Green Schools Caucus, and USGBC’s “50 For 50″ Green Schools Caucus Initiative and Mayors’ Alliance for Green Schools. For more information on green schools, including USGBC’s LEED for Schools Green Building Rating System, visit www.buildgreenschools.org.

Via Cleanlink.com:

The Carpet and Rug Institute once again raises the bar on industry standards by enhancing the Seal of Approval Service Providers program, to encourage carpet cleaning companies to provide a higher level of customer service and satisfaction.

The Seal of Approval program tests and certifies superior performing carpet cleaning solutions, vacuums, deep cleaning extractors and recognizes professional carpet cleaners that exclusively use Seal of Approval products which meet residential carpet warranties. Companies certified as Seal of Approval Service Providers must continue to use cleaning products and equipment tested and certified under the program. Additionally, the enhanced Service Provider program asks that companies agree to uphold certain principles of customer satisfaction and comply with a “code of conduct.”

“Carpet is comfortable and beautiful. But we know that consumers have questions about how to care for carpet over time. Choosing the wrong service provider can be a disaster, since a bad choice may result in poor carpet cleaning results or even damage to carpet fibers,” said Werner Braun, CRI president.

“The Seal of Approval Service Provider program is designed to make carpet cleaning and maintenance easy by helping identify companies who use only superior performing products and equipment and are responsible for the workmanship of the services provided. As a result, customers can feel confident doing business with companies who have earned the Seal of Approval Service Provider Certificate.”

The Seal of Approval also aims to match the right cleaning methods with the right products and strongly recommends that participants are also certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), an independent certification body that sets industry standards for firms and their employees.

CRI has also established a “code of conduct” requiring certified providers to uphold a high standard of accountability, responsibility and customer-oriented service. It also has provisions for carpet manufacturers and equipment and sundries manufacturers, including honoring warranties and providing product usage and cleaning and maintenance information for consumers.

We are happy to announce a new line that we are bringing in to our product offering: Nilodor

For over 50 years Nilodor has been helping businesses to keep their establishments fresh and sanitary. Nilodor’s unique proprietary odor neutralizer is formulated into each product to effectively control and eliminate odors.