Tired of Paper Towels

Embassy Stockholm is exploring green technologies to take care of drying hands in bathrooms. Are there any American companies out there with small (we have space issues), effective, solutions? Thanks

Top Down Greening in Athens

US Embassy Athens has begun greening the roof of the Embassy with extensive vegetation. This will reduce wasteful runoff and lower heating and cooling costs for the building.

Next step to offset carbon and environmental impact is a greenhouse at the Ambassador's residence to grow carbon consuming plants for landscaping the embassy and other US Government residences.

Mission Germany Lights The Way

US Consulate Hamburg is converting security lighting fixtures with halogen bulbs and voltage regulators (at 82 watts each) to OBO-approved fixtures with compact fluorescent bulbs (at 42 watts each). The change yields an annualized savings of 3,600 kWh or a 1.3% reduction in electricity consumption compared to calendar year 2009. This step builds on a total 11.9% reduction in electricity consumption achieved at the Consulate Office Building (COB) during 2009.

This change is carbon neutral because the consulate converted to a green energy utility provider on January 1, 2009 – which, coincidentally was:

• a budget neutral change, going from 9.85 € Ct./kWh to € 9.84 Ct./kWh,
• a 146-ton reduction of carbon emissions for the switch to a green source provider, and
• a 10-ton reduction of carbon emissions for the lower electrical consumption during 2009.

Via Mission Germany’s collaborative Energy Savings Initiative, post Munich is already exploring whether it can apply this approach to a similar problem of high energy consumption security lighting.

Vienna Uses Danube To Cool Homes

US Embassy Vienna is not satisfied with new Mag-Lev chillers or adding Smart cars to the motorpool fleet. They've now leased apartements that are cooled by heat exchange with Danube River water!

Embassy Zagreb Spreads the Word

Public advocacy – the Embassy joined a nascent Green Building Council in Croatia, helping to launch locally was is already a world-wide effort to incorporate sustainable building practices. Our involvement puts a “green” face on the Embassy’s public image and helps us promote our own greening efforts in the mission. If other posts are interested, countries with existing and prospective GBCs are listed here.

Nordic Nations Leaders in Global Trend toward LEED Green Building Program

International builders are increasingly adopting the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Green Building Rating System -- the United States’ primary tool for green building -- with international projects now comprising 27 percent of LEED certified and registered projects. LEED projects are underway in 114 nations, with a particularly strong presence in Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark.

“Currently there are 43 LEED projects under construction in the Nordics, where their commitment to consensus and collaboration mirrors exactly how LEED works best,” said U.S. Green Building Council’s Vice President of International, Tim McEnery. “Growth of LEED adoption in the Nordic region is accelerating: 36 projects have registered with LEED so far in 2009. With the increase of interest in the Nordic countries, we’re confident that LEED will be a tremendous tool to add to the leadership in sustainability that the Nordic countries embody.”