Governor Schwarzenegger learns about high R-value windows

We were honored to host Governor Schwarzenegger at our Sunnyvale, California offices today, on the eve of Earth Day 2010. Critical to enabling energy efficiency for financial benefit of California’s home and building owners, manufacturing growth, and job creation opportunities in California, the Governor announced that he signed SB 77 to establish the statewide PACE program. This program lowers financing costs for businesses and residences in California to make energy improvements through retrofits, like installing super-insulating energy efficient windows, on existing properties.

The Governor learned about high R-value windows, the importance of high acoustic performance in buildings, new manufacturing innovations, and the massive energy efficiency retrofit underway of the Empire State Building. We are proud to stand behind the Governor, and keep doing our part manufacturing advanced products that save money and energy.

See video coverage of the press event here and more photos on Flickr.

Full press release:

Governor Schwarzenegger Tours Serious Materials and Announces Signing of Legislation to Promote Energy Efficiency Retrofitting

Sunnyvale, CA — April 21, 2010 — Serious Materials, the leading energy-saving building materials company in the U.S., today welcomed Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California along with Senator Fran Pavley (D-Santa Monica) to its headquarter office and R&D facility in Sunnyvale, California. Governor Schwarzenegger announced he signed SB 77 by Senator Pavley to establish the California statewide Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Reserve Program that will lower financing costs for businesses and residences in California to make energy improvements through retrofits, like installing super-insulating energy efficient windows, on existing properties.

“Serious Materials is another company joining a long list of companies in California that are proving what I have always said: what is good for the environment is also good for the economy,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “We want to keep these companies and these jobs here in California. That is why I signed SB 77 to help build our green economy, create thousands of jobs and create a cleaner environment by making energy efficient investments easier to make.”

“Governor Schwarzenegger is a great friend of the environment,” said Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Materials. “He also knows energy efficiency is a triple-win for everyone, which is why he signed SB 77. Retrofitting our homes and buildings with super-insulating high R-value windows saves money for homeowners and businesses, creates jobs, and recharges the Californian and American economy. ”

Governor Schwarzenegger feels the difference of super-insulating glass

To see photos from the event, visit Serious Materials’ Flickr page and see video coverage here and on the Serious Materials blog.

SB 77 creates another financing option for commercial and residential property owners to make energy improvements, such as replacing single and dual pane windows with high R-value windows, using bonds and/or loans that can be repaid through assessments added to their property tax bill. The legislation establishes a state-financed reserve, through the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority, of up to $30 million from the Renewable Resources Trust Fund to implement the PACE Reserve Program.

Serious Materials manufactures super-insulating high R-value windows for residential and commercial markets that can save up to 40% of heating and cooling costs. As a leading example of the financial benefits of energy efficiency retrofits, the Empire State Building is undergoing a major retrofit that is expected to reduce energy use by 38 percent, save $4.4 million per year in energy costs, and save 105,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide over the next 15 years. Selected by Johnson Controls, Serious Materials is upgrading all 6,514 dual pane windows of the Empire State Building that will directly reduce energy costs by more than $400,000 per year. In a first-of-its-kind process, Serious Materials is reusing all existing glass and create super-insulating glass units (IGUs) in a dedicated processing space located in the Empire State Building. The new IGUs then will be re-installed and will increase the thermal performance of the windows by up to four times their current thermal performance, improving the R-value of the older dual pane IGUs from R2 to R-values ranging from R-5 to R-8. The super-insulating new windows will also reduce solar heat gain by more than 50% compared to the older windows.

About Serious Materials
Serious Materials develops and manufactures sustainable green building materials that save energy, save money, improve comfort, and help address climate change. Serious Materials’ products are manufactured in the company’s 5 factories across North America. For more information, visit http://www.SeriousMaterials.com.

Press Contact:
Valerie Jenkins
Serious Materials
vjenkins@seriousmaterials.com

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On the eve of Earth Day 2010, we are thrilled to be hosting Governor Schwarzenegger tomorrow, April 21, at our headquarter offices and R&D manufacturing facility in Sunnyvale, California. The Governor will tour our facility and announce new legislation that will lower financing costs for businesses and residences in California to make energy improvements through retrofits, like installing super-insulating energy efficient windows on existing properties.

Governor Schwarzenegger will be joined by Senator Fran Pavley - and a motivated crowd of Serious Materials employees, customers, and partners.

The event will be live webcast here at 10.30AM (PST) and of course we will share our own coverage here on our blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr.

We were very fortunate to be asked to participate and lend our SeriousWindows to two special projects of ABC’s Extreme Makover: Home Edition. Led by partners G&M Contracting, Burch Builders Group, and thousands of volunteers, the new construction of the Fishing School community center and the Tripp Family home, both located in under-served neighborhoods of Washington, D.C., was completed in just 7 days.

What makes these two projects exceptionally special is that both were built to be as near net-zero energy as possible. Energy measures included SIPS panels provided by Winter Panel, solar electric systems from Aurora Energy, insulated Concrete Foundation forms from Leep Green, and super-insulating high R-value windows – which is why we were asked to contribute SeriousWindows.

The projects needed windows of R-6.0 and high air infiltration requirements for maximum air tightness. R-value measures the insulation value of a window (the inverse of U-value); the higher the R-value, the better. To put into perspective, a typical dual pane low-E window is an R-value of R-2.0, while ENERGY STAR® 2010 standards for windows require a minimum R-value of R-3.3.

The show airs on February 14, 8PM EST, on ABC.  Check Extreme Makeover Home Edition online.

See our pictures from the demolition and construction of the Fishing School and Tripp Family home.  More photos here and here.

More information on Near Net-Zero Energy goals of the projects and our press coverage.

Watch Clean Skies video coverage of the work taking place last August.

Serious Materials CEO Kevin Surace will have the opportunity to speak to the House Democratic Caucus tomorrow morning, discussing the critical role energy efficiency can play in re-energizing the U.S. economy. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Caucus will convene at Democratic Caucus Job Summit to focus on job creation and innovation. Kevin will outline how energy efficiency innovations, manufacturing, and building retrofits can aid the recovery of our nation, create millions of jobs, and fuel America’s long-term prosperity and energy independence. In Kevin’s view, we are in the midst of the next industrial revolution – the revolution that America must and can lead.

We will be posting Kevin’s speech on our blog tomorrow. Follow @housedemocrats for updates throughout the day and watch the Democratic Caucus Job Summit page for coverage as well.

Today, everyone from President Obama to Green Building Advisor Martin Holladay is talking windows – those that save money and save energy.

At a Home Depot store in Virginia, Obama explained how retrofitting buildings and investing in “energy-efficient windows and doors” is the biggest bang for the buck for economic growth, environmental initiatives and energy efficiency.

Martin posted a fantastic summary and is leading a great discussion on Windows That Perform Better Than Walls.

His technical explanations dive deep into the relationships and qualities of insulation values (R-value or U-value) and solar gain and a concept that we specialize in, and the critical art of directional “tuning” glass values based on a building’s position in relation to the sun. He discusses different standards such as Canada’s ER (Energy Rating) method and Passive House - one specifically that emphasizes the fine balance of solar energy gains and losses, super-insulation, advanced window technology, air tightness, and ventilation. Read more about Passive House here.

It is pretty simple. This chart details the amount of money you can save replacing your home’s old single pane windows (an R-value of 1.0) with other windows on the market. Super-insulating windows of higher R-values can help you save the highest percentage of heating and cooling costs when compared to other “energy-saving” windows available today.  Even compared to typical ENERGY STAR® windows (they are usually dual pane low-e windows with an insulating value of R-2.5 to R-2.8 depending on geography).

The data for this chart is based on the U.S. Department of Energy’s RESFEN model and is an average taken from 5 typical cities across the U.S.:

Today, Serious Materials announced a new super-insulating, affordable window line, SeriousWindows WAP Series™, specifically for Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) agencies and states to be able to source into low-income housing projects as replacement windows. WAP’s mission is to reduce energy costs for low income families by improving the energy efficiency of their homes while ensuring their health and safety. According to the NEAT (National Energy Audit Tool) model, SeriousWindows WAP Series can create up to twelve times more energy savings per household than other common weatherization measures.

“The single greatest immediate impact on the environment that we can have as a nation, and the world can have, is weatherization. That’s the immediate biggest bang for the buck. It has the advantage of creating jobs, jobs right here in America,” said Vice President Joe Biden while speaking at Serious Materials Chicago window factory in April 2009. “This is a story about how we inspire a better tomorrow. You’re making some of the most energy-efficient windows in the world, I would argue, the most energy-efficient windows in the world.” View Vice President Biden’s full speech here.

As a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, Department of Energy WAP funding has increased to over $5.5 billion over the next three years and the average investment allowance per household has doubled to $6,500. With increased funding, more complete weatherization methods can be implemented, particularly those that include today’s advanced energy-efficient technologies such as super-insulating windows. Previously, weatherization energy audit tools, such as NEAT, did not account for highly insulating windows, until Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) recently released an update to NEAT to include them.

The ability to evaluate super-insulating windows was added to NEAT because windows are the biggest source of heating and cooling energy loss in homes. SeriousWindows WAP Series are the first, high performing replacement window designed specifically for WAP needs as a cost-effective energy efficiency and energy savings solution. By replacing existing windows with super-insulating, high R-value SeriousWindows, families can reduce their heating and cooling bills by up to 40%. R-value measures the thermal insulation of, for instance, windows and walls.

SeriousWindows WAP Series products will be manufactured in Serious Materials’ window factories based in Chicago, Illinois and Vandergrift, Pennsylvania. Earlier this year, Serious Materials acquired and reopened these bankrupt facilities and rehired workers who had lost their jobs. Demands for its WAP Series windows will create additional green jobs.

“Today, we have the opportunity to secure our energy independence, combat climate challenges, and strengthen our economy using the most cost-effective and energy saving materials available. Their benefits for WAP agencies, and for the low-income families they serve, are tremendous,” said Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Materials. “Advanced energy saving building materials must be a priority across all types of construction to successfully deliver on our Nation’s most critical priorities.”

Super-insulating SeriousWindows can create up to twelve times more energy savings per household than other common weatherization measures (based on a single family, 1,600 square foot house in Minneapolis, Minnesota).

SeriousWindows WAP Series is available now across the U.S. through Serious Materials and a select group of partners and dealers. For more information visit www.seriouswindows.com/wap or call Serious Materials at (800) 797-8438.

ABOUT Serious Materials

Serious Materials develops and manufactures sustainable green building materials that save energy, save money, improve comfort, and aggressively address climate change. Super-insulating full-frame R-value SeriousWindows™ reduce heating and cooling energy costs by up to 50%. SeriousGlass™ industry-leading insulating glass units have been installed in over 10,000 projects and offer the highest energy savings in the industry. QuietRock® soundproof drywall and QuietGlass® reduce material use, enhance livability, and support dense urban construction. EcoRock™, the only true green alternative to gypsum drywall and five times more environmentally friendly, uses 80% less energy in its core production and has the potential to save billions of pounds of CO2 annually. SeriousWindows, SeriousGlass and super-insulating ThermaRock™ drywall support energy efficiency funding programs as outlined under The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) including Weatherization (WAP), Green Federal Buildings, State Energy Program (SEP), Energy Efficiency – Conservation Block Grants, Energy Tax Credit for Consumers, and Tax Deductions for Commercial Buildings. The company was commended by both President Obama and Vice President Biden for its advanced energy-saving materials and the work it is doing to re-create American green manufacturing jobs. For more information, visit www.SeriousMaterials.com.

The most recent issue of The Bridge, the quarterly publication of the National Academy of Engineering, features an in-depth review of “Building Materials, Energy Efficiency, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” - co-authored by Serious Materials’ CTO and VP of Policy & Programs - a timely piece in light of the American Clean Energy and Security Act that calls for the U.S. to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions by 17% from 2005 levels by 2020, and by 83% by 2050. Energy-saving building measures are central to the bill, currently awaiting approval from the Senate after the House passed the bill last week. Of particular importance is the fact the bill contains a key provision mandating new federal energy-saving standards for buildings, appliances, and industry.  Today, President Obama and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced an investment from the ARRA that set new standards for new construction and energy retrofitting of both commercial and residential buildings.

Why buildings? Because the built environment (material manufacturing and operating costs) account for 52% of global greenhouse gases - compared to 9% from passenger cars. Reinventing manufacturing process, materials, and construction provides the fastest, largest impact on savings and C02 reductions compared to any other energy sector.

“Between 2012 and 2042, these new standards will save consumers up to $4 billion a year, conserve enough electricity to power every home in America for 10 months, reduce emissions equal to the amount produced by 166 million cars each year and eliminate the need for as many as 14 coal-fired power plants,” Obama said.

Comparison of Full-Frame R-values for various window technologies

It is critical that policy, market education, and advanced science align to make this a reality, and this is precisely the
discussion point Dr. Robin Roy and Brandon Tinianov of Serious Materials review. Today we are seeing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change our built environment to save consumers billions of dollars, recreate manufacturing jobs, and aggressively tackle energy and climate challenges - starting with the window. Learn about it.

On Tuesday, Senator Udall visited the Serious Materials commercial glass and windows factory in Boulder, Colorado. The trip was made to show his support for companies that manufacture energy-saving building products, and in doing so, create new American green jobs. See photos here.

“The economic opportunities for companies making sustainable products are endless, and that’s what today’s visit shows,” said Senator Udall. “For many years I’ve worked for policies that encourage the development of green technology and manufacturing because I believe it’s the right thing for our economy and for our environment. And I know that through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and other legislation, we can continue to increase the demand for sustainable building products – and create many more good-paying jobs as a result.” Full press release here.

How are windows critical to “the right thing” for our economy and our environment? Inefficient windows are in fact one of the biggest energy culprits in the U.S., costing consumers approximately $35 billion per year in energy. The next generation of windows could reduced this by more than half. In fact, 30% of building heating and cooling energy is lost through inefficient windows. Super-insulating high full frame R-value windows (of R-5 or greater) can solve this problem today and energy costs by as much as 50%.

It is extremely encouraging that policy, and policy leaders such as Senator Udall, support and recognize the important role and immediate opportunity advanced building materials can have in leading both economic and environmental progress. The energy saving programs created by the ARRA for Colorado totals $171,371,913, including funding dollars for Colorado State Energy Program, Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant Program, the largest state annual Weatherization Assistance grant from the DOE to help low income families save money by making their homes more energy efficient. For more info, visit Senator Udall’s Web site on Economic Recovery for Colorado and see your state’s dollars allocated towards energy efficiency here.

Today, it can simply start with the windows.

This week in Congress revealed the latest struggle for progress around energy and the environment.  The House Committee on Energy and Commerce released a draft of the American Clean Energy and Security Act that its Chairman, Henry Waxman, and the Chairman of the Energy and Environment subcommittee both agreed  “will create millions of new clean energy jobs, save consumers hundreds of billions of dollars in energy costs, enhance America’s energy independence, and cut global warming pollution. “

It is an excellent step with the right goals, but…it’s nowhere near being enacted into law. The bill as drafted has four parts (see full summary here):

• A clean energy piece that promotes renewable sources of energy, carbon capture and sequestration technologies, low-carbon fuels, clean electric vehicles, and the smart grid and electricity transmission. This piece is already being fought by the Republican lawmakers who offered their version of the Budget this morning, deleting the cap-and-trade portions of the bill;
• An energy efficiency mandate that increases energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy, including buildings, appliances, transportation, and industry. This is such an important piece to the American people. Efficiency saves each of us money in perpetuity – some that each of us appreciates in today’s economy. It will have some issues surrounding how ARRA money will be used to bring about energy efficiency and how quickly we can develop new audit tools that can model the cost effectiveness of modern building materials science advances. There is also an ongoing debate about how quickly ENERGY STAR® will be able to strengthen their requirements. This piece of the bill is one in which the devil is in the details and we should all educate ourselves on the relevant elements that touch us;
• A global warming aspect that places limits on emissions of heat-trapping pollutants, which is where much of the cap-and-trade debate will take place. Industries like oil and gas will have to acquire  software to track these emissions across global facilities and report to the governments of many countries with different standards;
• A transitioning piece that protects U.S. consumers and industry and promotes green jobs during the transition to a clean energy economy. These jobs cannot and should not be outsourced, and we should be training people who are currently out of work to do them. Van Jones of Global Green has done a lot of great work on this.
  

So there we are – another positive step on the road to an energy smart America. As this we can all unfolds, we have a responsibility to educate, retrain, and retool ourselves to be part of this bright green future.