Green Guru Network

The Hudson Valley Branch of the US Green Building Council NY Upstate Chapter is hosting a 'Green Materials Expo' on Thursday October 18, 2012. Your company would be a great match as a table or event sponsor. The event is an excellent way for your company to specifically reach your preferred customer market.

The NY Upstate Chapter is a 501C3 non-profit corporation with a mission to promote sustainable building practice in our region. Please take a look at our web site for more information about the chapter: www.greenupstateny.org

Our membership includes architects, engineers and other building design professionals, contractors, allied trades professionals, developers, product suppliers and real estate professionals. The HV Branch territory covers Orange, Sullivan, Dutchess, Putnam, Ulster, Greene and Columbia Counties. In addition to our membership our chapter email list reaches over 2200 people state wide.

We hold an expo once a year.

There will be a technical presentation from 7 to 8pm. This year we are excited to have Tracie Hall, the Executive Director of the Upstate Chapter as our speaker.

Cost: $250 per 6' table, $500 as an event sponsor.

Set up time: 5:30

Table Sponsor benefits include:

8 foor table/booth space. (Table, if needed but be reserved in advance.)

2 exhibitors and guests

Three Email blasts with company logo

Company logo on Branch web page announcing the event

Recognition at the event

Recognition at Branch Holiday party

Special recognition during New Year email blast

Event Sponsor benefits also include:

Special Recognition at the event.

Company logo on the HV Branch web page for one year.

Please contact Rick Alfandre with any questions: ralfandre@alfandre.com 845- 255-4774

By Eva Finkelsein

Natural sunlight can be brought inside residential and commercial spaces through windows, doors, skylights and light tubes to enhance the lives of the occupants as well as reduce the environmental impacts of electrical lighting.  

Passive daylighting is both healthy and inspiring to people, plants and animals.  It is becoming a crucial component in sustainable design and development for a multitude of reasons. The United States Green Building Council has designated LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) as the national standard for sustainable building, and tubular daylighting devices can fulfill the following categories for LEED certification: Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Innovation in Design.  

LEED and Energy Star certifications not only increase the efficiency of a building, but increase a building’s value as well!  However, certifications are certainly not necessary to enjoy an energy efficient, non-toxic, well-lit space!

The latest technologies allow the sun to shed its light minus the UV rays.  Some passive tubular units can also control the heat exchange that could affect the indoor climate.  If the heating or cooling systems must struggle to try to keep the indoor temperature steady, then the utility bills could actually increase.  Again, buyer  beware, because not all daylighting systems have the capacity to keep your fabrics from fading and keep your indoor air temperature optimal.  

Solatube International, for example,  is currently manufacturing light tubes that have the ability to efficiently separate indoor and outdoor air as well as prohibit UV light rays from traveling inside.  The Solatube solid tubing is lined with the most reflective metal on the market, which allows the light that is captured by the clear dome on the roof to travel from 0 to 90 degree angles through the tubing, delivering the purest color rendition possible.

Fortunately, the government is rewarding daylighting with tax credits that make an environmentally responsible choice a profitable one as well.  Schools, warehouses, dark offices and rooms without windows are excellent places to consider adding natural, passive lighting.  We all need healthy places to live and work, and daylight is a need that we should not ignore.