You are here

Building Design

Daylighting -- the use of windows or skylights for natural lighting and temperature regulation -- is one building strategy that can save money for homeowners and businesses. Highly efficient, strategically placed windows maximize the use of natural daylight in a building, lowering the need for artificial lighting without causing heating or cooling problems.

A Touch of Green for Des Moines’ Sherman Hill
This 1930s grocery store is currently under renovation by the Green & Main initiative. When complete in Spring 2012, the previously abandoned building will be LEED Platinum certified and feature a green roof and 54 original windows retrofitted to achieve high energy efficiency standards. | Photo courtesy of Green & Main.

Des Moines' Green & Main intends to intends to renovate an abandoned 1930s grocery store into a mixed-use facility with LEED Platinum certification – a prestigious badge of energy efficiency and sustainable building practices.

Winning the Future Through Innovation and "Better Buildings"

Find out what President Obama means when he talks about his vision to "Win the Future".

U-Launch Winner Secures $2.4M Investment for Building Energy Performance Software
This screenshot from cleantech start-up company FirstFuel's building energy efficiency performance software shows users a building's response to all forms of weather, operational schedules, key energy metrics, daily consumption patterns, seasonal analysis, peak loading, and shell integrity. | Photo courtesy of FirstFuel.

Awarded under the Energy Department's Innovation Ecosystem Development Initiative, Fraunhofer TechBridge is using the funding to deliver “U-Launch” awards to services that catalyze growth for promising early-stage cleantech companies.