By inournature on September 1, 2010
Renewal by Andersen is at The Great Minnesota Get Together, also known as the Minnesota State Fair, where almost every food item imaginable can be found on a stick! Renewal by Andersen is not on a stick, but you can still get a close up view of their environmentally friendly windows. Pictured here is their hands-on “Feel the Difference” display where you can literally feel the difference between ordinary dual pane glass and Andersen’s Smart Sun®. Smart Sun technology boasts high UV protection, solar control and energy efficiency all while maintaining high visibility. 
In addition to Smart Sun glass, Renewal windows are made of Andersen’s energy efficient Fibrex® wood composite material, which contains 40 percent pre-consumer recycled content. Fibrex material is a blend of wood waste from the company’s manufacturing processes and polymer; maximizing wood use and reducing embodied energy.
If you happen to be in the Twin Cities area and attending the fair, stop by the Renewal by Andersen booth at W-20 on Cosgrove St. between Wright and Dan Patch Avenues. Pick up your free tote bag and sign up for a chance to win a gift certificate valued at $2,000! Window care experts will be on site to explain the environmental benefits of Fibrex material and Smart Sun glass, and answer any window or patio door questions you might have.
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By inournature on August 25, 2010
Today’s economic times pose new challenges for us all. Companies best positioned to survive are those who have anticipated and prepared for leaner times and who are flexible and willing to do things differently.
McKelvey Homes, based in Chesterfield, MO, near St. Louis, knows what it takes to weather a storm. The company has been in business since 1898. Recently, NAHB’s Nations Building News ran a story on McKelvey, a Silver Line customer, discussing the measures they’ve taken and the success they’re seeing during one of the most challenging business climates in their 112 year history.
Among other money-saving options for homebuyers, McKelvey offers a free hybrid energy package. This energy-saving system allows the home to alternate between gas and electric as the temperature and energy prices fluctuate.
Read the story at www.hgtvpro.com to learn more.
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By inournature on August 17, 2010
When the neighboring Xcel Energy power plant notified Andersen Corporation in 2005 that the company needed to find a new source of steam energy for its Bayport facility, Andersen met the challenge while adhering to their principals of environmental stewardship. Today, Andersen’s unique new steam plant allows the use of virtually all renewable energy with its wood-fired boilers and a Warm Water Recovery System.
The new steam plant has been fully operational since 2007. It supplies the entire heating and cooling demand for the 2.5-million-square-foot Bayport facility, and some of its manufacturing power. The primary boiler is fueled by sawdust collected from Andersen’s on-site milling operations. In addition, the plant captures thermal energy contained in warm water discharge from the Xcel Energy power plant located just upstream on the St. Croix River. The benefits are two-fold; Andersen extracts existing heat thereby lowering the water temperature for re-entry into the river, and the result is good for the river’s ecological balance.
In addition to its functional benefits, the structure itself was built with minimal environmental impact. The steam plant utilizes both the footprint and steel of an existing, unused storage building on the Andersen property.
Andersen Corporation received numerous accommodations for the innovative steam plant: the American Council of Engineering Companies’ Grand Award in the energy category at the Engineering Excellence Awards in spring 2009, a Seven Wonders Award in 2009 from the Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers and a Green Business and Environmental Management Award in 2007 from the Minnesota Environmental Initiative. The project was a finalist for the Green Award in 2007 presented by the Minnesota High Tech Association.
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By inournature on August 11, 2010
Top 8 Ways to Beat the Heat.
Hot summer days don’t have to mean greater energy consumption and expense. In addition to the ideas below, if we acclimate our bodies to the summer heat by avoiding big temperature swings, we can rely less on AC to cool us down.
- Turn up the Dial. Each degree above 78 (Fahrenheit), can save 5 to 8 percent on cooling costs.
- Use a Fan. A fan will cost two to five cents per hour to operate and can make the room feel 4 to 6 degrees cooler. When used in conjunction with AC, a fan helps move around dry, dehumidified air from the AC.
- “Texas Cool”. Open windows at night and close them during the day allowing hot air out and cool air in. This is an especially good tactic for those without AC during hot and humid days!
- Pull the shades. Keep hot sunrays at bay and keep your house cooler! Preventing direct sunlight from beating inside your home will keep your house cooler and energy bills down.
- Replace Light Bulbs. Compact fluorescents bulbs use about 75 percent less energy and emit 90 percent less heat than incandescent bulbs.
- Hang Clothes on the Line. Tumble dryers consume the most energy of all household appliances. They make a house hot and increase the load of AC. The sun offers fast, fresh smelling dryer services at no cost! Drying clothes on the line helps reduce your household’s carbon emissions. It’s also easier on your clothes then a tumble dryer.
- Eat Smart. Eat light and cool meals. Keep both your kitchen and your body cool by avoiding use of oven. Eat cold tuna or pasta salads, cold marinated veggie dishes and chilled watermelon. Keeping the oven off will avoid unwanted heat in your home. Raw foods are healthy and require no energy “to make”, therefore produces no added heat.
- Seek Water. Keeping hydrated throughout the day helps prevent getting “zapped” by the heat! Also, jumping in a pool, lake or river or running through a sprinkler is more fun then sitting in front of the AC. It’s less drain on the cooling load and boosts your energy!
When we work with our natural environment rather than against it, we become more balanced and comfortable and we do the environment a big favor!
http://greenhomeguide.com/know-how/article/10-ways-to-beat-the-heat
http://www.homedepot.ca/wcsstore/HomeDepotCanada/pdf/eco_options/summer_checklist.pdf
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By inournature on July 22, 2010
The largest earth sheltered home in the United States is currently under construction in Northern Michigan. Homeowner Bessheen Baker is passionate about sustainable living, and has hired “The Hybrid Home Guy” Adam Bearup to ensure successful completion of the compound.
The 12,000-square-foot complex consists of multiple buildings, including the main house, a greenhouse, guest quarters, and a barn. All units will be connected, buried under 22 feet of earth, and will not use publicly available power. The Baker earth shelter home incorporates Andersen’s 400 Series windows throughout the buildings. The building process is available to view on Hybrid Homes’ website.
Bearup, the owner of Hybrid Homes, has a proven track record of building energy-efficient homes, fueled by his passion for sustainable building. Bearup uses only the best, most efficient technologies and materials, including Andersen windows. He built Michigan’s first LEED Platinum home, which also uses Andersen 400 Series windows.
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By inournature on July 20, 2010
Andersen Corporation has proudly participated in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay Transport program since 2008. The program’s motto states, it’s “the smart way to save fuel, money, and the environment.” SmartWay’s website boasts that this program “is an innovative collaboration between the EPA and the freight sector designed to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions, and improve energy security.”
Andersen’s private commercial motor vehicle fleet gathers data and measures driving performance, excess idle time, emissions and other information from onboard computers in the vehicles. Desired levels are established and set to insure lower standard speed limits and monitor driving habits for better fuel efficiency. Automatic air gauges on all new 2010 semi trailers help maintain optimal tire pressure and improve mileage.
Combining these initiatives improves daily fuel efficiency, eliminates excess maintenance, and improves overall return on investment (ROI), all while helping the environment. At least 50% of Andersen’s hired carriers must also be SmartWay partners for Andersen to partner with SmartWay’s carrier program.
According to the EPA, “companies that participate in SmartWay Transport programs save money, reduce fuel consumption, and are recognized for their social responsibility and leadership.”
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By inournature on July 7, 2010
Andersen Corporation’s 100 Series product line has received the 2010 Top 100 Best New Building Products of the Year award from Hanley Wood. Hanley Wood’s Building Products magazine and its ebuild website provide details on the winners. Sustainability is a key buzzword among the products featured in this year’s awards.
Andersen Corporation’s new streamlined and versatile 100 Series products, made with the company’s patented Fibrex® material, contain up to 24% preconsumer recycled content. 100 Series products offer environmentally responsible and third-party certified materials and manufacturing methods. Combined with Low-E4 SmartSun® glass, 100 Series products qualify for the Economic Stimulus Energy Tax Credit without expensive upgrades. Additionally, the 100 Series products can help earn LEED points.
More information about the environmental benefits of choosing 100 Series windows and doors can be found on Andersen’s website.
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By inournature on July 1, 2010
Leaders at Andersen Corporation launched an internal effort in 2008 to reduce, reuse and recycle everything possible in the office area of the business. Andersen Corporation Vice President of Corporate Sustainability and Quality, J Glasnapp, dubbed the program ECO3 and launched an employee communications initiative around it.
The company carefully measures these activities and, since the program began, the results show it is extraordinarily successful. In 2009, the enterprise goal was to reduce paper consumption and printer use by 25% across the enterprise. Employees far exceeded that goal with actual reductions tallied at 39%.
The Administrative Services Manager of Washington County, Nancy Brase, and her colleague Greg Wood, facilities director, got wind of Andersen’s initiative and wanted to learn more. Mike Koenig, corporate sustainability manager, and others at Andersen Corporation, hosted Brase and Wood at their offices to share details of the program.
“We’re excited to exchange ideas with Washington County and other businesses within our communities,” said Koenig. “We share common sustainability goals, so whatever we do is good for us all.”
“This type of collaboration and exchange of ideas and best practices is precisely what’s needed to tackle the challenges facing us today,” Koenig added. “Private and public companies, civic groups, nongovernmental organizations, and especially the environment benefit when we work together.” Andersen Corporation continues to share and learn from others, to conserve resources, and to preserve the environment for future generations.
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By inournature on June 29, 2010
Securing certification for Andersen windows and doors is an important way to show our commitment to sustainability. Third-party certification programs from a neutral, objective source helps consumers easily identify products that have been manufactured in an environmentally responsible way. That’s why Andersen has produced Hallmark-certified products since the 1970s.
The Hallmark Certification Program began in the 1940s and was developed by the Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA). It is considered a mark of excellence among architects, contractors and manufacturers in the industry. To become certified, manufacturers must pass in-plant inspections, which include audits of quality control procedures. Manufacturers also undergo periodic inspections after the initial certification to ensure that the production process continues to comply with Hallmark standards.
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By inournature on June 24, 2010
It’s the most sustainable building in America to date. This morning, representatives from Andersen Corporation, Hoffman LLC, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and the Holy Wisdom community formally certified Holy Wisdom Monastery in Middleton, Wisconsin as a LEED structure.
- Holy Wisdom Monastery was formally certified as a LEED structure on June 24. Pictured from left to right are Neal Smith, executive director of Holy Wisdom; Mike Koenig, manager of corporate sustainability for Andersen Corporation; Sister Mary David; Paul Hoffman, president of Hoffman LLC; and Jay Lund, president and chief operating officer of Andersen Corporation.
The monastery, built by Hoffman LLC of Appleton, Wisconsin, earned 63 out of a possible 69 LEED points, the most of any LEED-NC building in the United States to date. Andersen Windows was a key partner on this project.
The building is expected to yield more savings than other energy-efficient structures. “Compared to a LEED baseline building, Holy Wisdom Monastery anticipates a 60% savings in energy costs and a 44% savings in indoor water usage,” said Mark Hanson, director of sustainable services at Hoffman LLC.
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