On January 4, 2006, the Executive Committee of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) board of directors approved the charter of a Research Committee and appointed its initial five members. This is a core

organizational committee of the Council (as opposed to being a LEED® committee) that focuses on one of the USGBC’s six key goals in its 2004 Strategic Plan: “The USGBC will be both a resource for existing knowledge about the built environment and a driver of relevant research.” To achieve this goal, the Research Committee charter includes seven key objectives:

The California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved the California Solar Initiative, the largest solar energy program in the history of the U.S., in January 2006. The initiative will provide $2.9 billion in incentives through 2017 for solar systems in the state. The result is expected to be 3,000 MW of solar power spread across one million California rooftops. “We’re confident this will bring solar from a fringe industry into the mainstream,” says Dian Grueneich, one of the five PUC commissioners.

Effective January 1, 2006, the PUC will pay $2.80 per watt of installed capacity for photovoltaic systems—about one-third the total cost for a typical residential system. This amount will decrease by about 10% each year. The PUC also plans to provide incentives for solar-thermal-electric and solar-hot-water systems, though the funding level for these systems has not been determined. Ten percent of the program funds are earmarked for low-income housing. The PUC will pay for the incentives by charging an average $1.12 per customer through monthly electricity and gas bills. This charge, set to decrease over coming years, will be largely offset by the expiration of a surcharge that funded energy deregulation.

Vol. 13, No. 1), quite a bit has happened in the area of standardized testing of toilet performance. The Maximum Performance (MaP™) testing that we reported on has been progressing at a rapid pace. Veritec Consulting, Inc., has now tested well over 200 toilet models, and the increasing use of this performance standard for toilet specification (including in our

GreenSpec®Directory) has pushed manufacturers to have their products tested.

Beginning March 1, 2006, builders in California’s Central Valley will be forced to either reduce the smog and particulate matter their projects generate or help finance projects that improve the region’s air quality. The program, believed to be the first of its kind, applies to the eight, largely agricultural, counties regulated by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.

The Central Valley’s climate, topography, and population make it vulnerable to air pollution by particulate matter and ground-level ozone, or smog; as a result, the region rivals Los Angeles and Houston for the country’s worst air quality, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Despite years of improved air quality in the San Joaquin Valley, the air basin still fails to meet state and federal health-based standards,” says the Air District. “Therefore, the Air District is required by federal law to adopt the most stringent control measures available to reduce emissions.”

To help its 77,000 members meet their green design information needs, The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has signed an agreement with BuildingGreen, Inc. The agreement will bring

Environmental Building News (EBN) articles to AIA members through AIA Knowledge Community publications, including

In an effort to capitalize on the brand value of one of its many acquisitions, the financially troubled U.S. Plastic Lumber (USPL) company has been renamed Trimax Building Products, Inc. The rechristening follows the purchase of the company by a private equity firm, American Pacific Financial Corp., according to a January 16, 2006,

Plastics News article. A business unit of American Pacific was the debtor-in-possession lender of USPL through the plastic lumber company’s bankruptcy (see

EBN

Vol. 11, No. 1), the only downside we found was that the noise might be a little . . . much. The sound of the Xlerator’s 16,000-ft/minute (5,000- m/minute) airstream being deflected off hands can reach 90 decibels. Since that sound level can be a problem in some installations—such as quiet restaurants or thin-walled office buildings—Excel Dryer, Inc., has developed an easy, lower-noise, no-cost retrofit for customers who request it.

Tarkett AG, the world’s largest manufacturer of resilient flooring, has acquired Johnsonite, a producer of specialty flooring and flooring accessories. Johnsonite, based in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, makes flooring adhesives with low emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), entryway track-off systems, and flooring produced from recycled tires, among other products. Johnsonite will retain its brand identity and management team, according to Tarkett. “Johnsonite is one of the most respected companies in the flooring industry in America,” says Marc Assa, CEO of Tarkett AG. “We expect to build on this brand strength by marketing suitable Tarkett high-performance commercial solutions under the Johnsonite name.” Tarkett is online at www.tarkett.com. Johnsonite is at www.johnsonite.com.