Where design and sustainability cross paths

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Creating the Biggest Solar Company in the Northeast

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The solar power industry in the northeast is poised to get a major boost as Riverside Partners, a Boston based private equity firm, announced the merger and acquisition of CT based Solar Works, Inc. and RI based SolarWrights, Inc. This merger will create the largest solar energy company in the Northeast with over 30 years of combined solar energy expertise.

As solar power becomes an increasingly viable solution to energy independence, the new merger will play an important role in leading the way for continued innovation and development of this renewable energy. The combination of the Northeast’s leading installer of commercial solar systems with the region’s largest residential solar provider will greatly enhance the growth of solar power across the Northeast.

Despite the dismal state of the current economy, clean energy has seen tremendous growth and the merger of these two leading solar companies will most likely have a positive impact on local economies and help stimulate job creation. With many big businesses struggling to keep their heads above water, this is a positive example of how some companies are continuing to prosper and grow in spite of today’s tough economic climate.

www.solarworksinc.com

www.solarwrights.com

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Project H Design: Lifestraw Family Water Filters for Mumbai

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“Today, more than a billion people lack access to safe drinking water and five million people die each year from water-related diarrheal disease. The need for safe and clean water is especially acute for people living with HIV and AIDs. Chronic diarrhea is a leading cause of death for people with AIDs, and it affects up to 90% of HIV patients. Furthermore, diarrhea is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among HIV-infected children.”

Project H Design, founded by Emily Pilloton has put together an initiative to provide 100 + families in Mumbai with the “LifeStraw Family” system. The amazing point-of-use water filtration device is designed and manufactured by Vestergaard Frandsen and builds upon the success of “LifeStraw Personal“, a portable water filtration device developed two years ago, designed to be used outside of the home. Like its predecessor, “LifeStraw Family” does not require electricity or batteries, making it ideal for use in difficult environments. It eliminates 99.9% of waterborne disease bacteria, parasites, and viruses, bringing clean drinking water quickly and reliably, and preventing life-threatening disease from spreading through unclean water. This August the Project H team will travel to Mumbai, India to collaborate with local NGOs along with key communities needing this efficient, effective, and simple point-of-use water solution.

To learn more about Project H and their other “product design initiatives for humanity, habitats, health, and happiness,” visit projecthdesign.com. If you’d like to support this initiative, a $25 donation will sponsor one “LifeStraw Family” system.

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BASF Adds a “Story” Section to Their Website

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In the spirit of open communications with the public about their green projects, BASF has launched a section on their site devoted to promoting their green initiatives that have successfully had positive impacts on the environment. One material they’ve released recently is called Ecoflex, a plastic they say is completely biodegradable and compostable. Targeted as a replacement material in the production of trash bags and disposable packaging, it’s designed to decompose (in compost) within a few weeks. In soil, BASF claims it will leave no residues. Ecoflex is engineered to work just like Low Density Polyethylene, allowing it to be made into films, bags or coatings. This bio-based plastic does not require drying and remains stable for one year on the shelf or being warehoused.

BASF is also working on initiatives such as PremAir, a catalyst product for the commercial market that destroys harmful, ground-level ozone (different from the ozone that we’re used to hearing about). A main component of smog (smoke and fog), ground-level ozone causes eye and nose irritation while weakening the immune system, increasing chances of illness. It’s been found by some studies that hospital visits and fatalities caused by respiratory complications are increased when ground-level ozone amounts are higher than average. When BASF’s PremAir coating is applied to heat-exchange surfaces, such as traditional car radiators for example, the catalyst coating manages to reduce ground-level ozone in the air, converting the ozone molecules into oxygen molecules instantly upon surface contact.

Click here to visit BASF stories.