Real Estate Wire/Green Trends News Wire

Photo: Myriam Scally and Bill Lazar   By Mike Bonts ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (Real Estate Wire/Green Trends)– Local construction nonprofit St. Johns Housing Partnership plans to harness solar energy to help power its main office and three of six apartment units for homeless veterans – thus reducing financial burdens for inhabitants and promoting the use of solar energy in the community. The installation, completed in early May 2023, includes two components: a solar array at the office and another at the veterans' apartment units, known as Patriot Place.  While the financial benefits of these installations are significant, with expected savings of approximately $2,500 annually for the organization and $1,926 for its tenants, it is the broader impact that truly highlights the organization's commitment. By harnessing the power of the sun, St. Johns Housing Partnership not only reduces operational costs but also sets an inspiring example for sustainable practices and environmental stew...

BOSTON (Real Estate Wire/Green Trends) - Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: BHLB) ("Berkshire" or the "Company"), announced that proceeds from its inaugural sustainability bond have been allocated to projects resulting in the creation of 330 units of affordable and workforce housing along with more than 200,000 square feet of green building development.  Berkshire's Sustainability Bond Report, released in conjunction with today's announcement, demonstrates how proceeds were allocated to support affordable housing, workforce housing, green building and financial access and inclusion projects in communities across New England and New York. In June 2022, Berkshire became the first public U.S. community bank holding company with under $150 billion in total assets to issue a Sustainability Bond. The $100 million issuance of its 5.50% fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes due 2032 was used to finance or refinance new or existing social and environmental pro...

NEW YORK (Real Estate Wire/Green Trends) -- The global green construction market size is expected to reach a value of more than US$ 774 billion by 2030 increasing at a CAGR of more than 11.8% over the next 8 years. Green construction is a philosophy and set of techniques that aim to make the creation and use of the built environment as environmentally friendly as possible. Green construction focuses on limiting negative effects on the environment and even adding some positive benefits from the design stage to the assembly stage to the functionality of the structure after completion. The processing of building materials is one of the components of construction that has the greatest detrimental influence on the environment. The production of wood, steel, concrete, and other construction materials can result in deforestation, pollution, carbon emissions, and other negative consequences.  Green construction can reduce this impact by examining the materials they use and how they are pr...

ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. (Real Estate Wire)- -Bridgewater Bank, a leading Twin Cities bank focused on meeting the unique needs of successful individuals and entrepreneurs and a subsidiary of Bridgewater Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: BWB), announced that Bridgewater Corporate Center in St. Louis Park, MN has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® certification for superior energy performance. “Receiving the ENERGY STAR certification of our corporate headquarters is another example of how Bridgewater is making progress on our broader Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) priorities.” ENERGY STAR certified buildings are verified to perform in the top 25 percent of buildings nationwide, based on weather-normalized source energy use criteria that considers occupancy, hours of operation and other key metrics. ENERGY STAR is the only energy efficiency certification in the United States that is based on actual, verified energy performance. “As a growing Twin Cities ...

By Mike Bonts ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - The St. Johns Housing Partnership (SJHP), creating safe, clean, affordable housing in North Florida since 1998, has unveiled its 25 th Anniversary commemorative logo. "I have a deep appreciation for and pride in our agency and what we have accomplished. I want to extend my sincere gratitude and thanks to the extraordinary staff members, volunteers, donors, and partners who have contributed significantly to SJHP’s mission over the last 25 years,” said SJHP Executive Director Bill Lazar. SJHP works with public and private sectors to enhance and provide affordable housing programs. Services vary with always that mission in mind. They include a nationally recognized Weatherization program, new construction, energy audits, repairs for the elderly, disabled or low-income families and rental and purchase programs. “Affordable housing is housing that a household can pay for, while still having money left over for other essentials like food, cloth...

 By Mike Bonts  CHICAGO (Green Trends)  -- Mattiq, the developer of a revolutionary approach to sustainably produce chemicals and fuels poised to transform industries from energy to consumer products, announced its launch alongside securing $15 million in seed funding, led by Boston-based venture capital firm Material Impact.  Formerly known as Stoicheia, Mattiq also announced it has hired veteran Silicon Valley executive and entrepreneur Jeff Erhardt   as Chief Executive Officer. Born out of the Northwestern lab of world renowned material scientist and professor Chad Mirkin, Mattiq’s first-in-kind ‘chemistry for climate’ platform pairs nanotechnology with AI to speed the discovery and deployment of new materials to power the energy transition. Mirkin, a nanotechnology pioneer, has helped develop more than 2,000 commercial products in life sciences, biomedicine, biotechnology, 3D printing, nanofabrication, and semiconductor processing, and is founding director ...

By Mike Bonts LAS VEGAS (Real Estate Wire) –  The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) named the winners in its 10th annual Best of IBS™ Awards during the NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS) in Las Vegas. The awards were presented during a ceremony on the final day of the show. This year’s Best of IBS Awards received more than 400 entries. Decided by a panel of 26 independent judges made up of industry and media representatives, the awards were given in nine categories, plus the overall Best in Show winner. Awards were given to exhibitors with a product or line that shows the best combination of design, functionality and innovation, as well as its usefulness to consumers and/or home builders. The winners are: • Best in Show: Door Stud by Door Stud LLC. • Best Energy Efficient Product: SPAN Drive by SPAN • Best Home Software Product: BILT by BILT Inc. • Best Home Technology Product: GE Profile UltraFast Combo with Ventless Heat Pump Technology by GE Appliances • Best In...