Industry News

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will invest £100 million to construct an offshore wind power research facility in the United Kingdom. The U.K. government will contribute an additional £30 to the project. The facility will support the development of turbines capable of producing more than 5 megawatts utilizing blades 100 meters long.

Johnson Controls is partnering with IBM to create a Smart Building Solution that can improve operations and reduce energy and water consumption in facilities worldwide. Johnson Controls will combine its prowess in energy efficiency and sustainable technologies with IBM’s software, hardware, and services. The result will help clients improve energy and asset management performance across their enterprises.

The University of North Carolina broke ground in February of 2010 on the $76 million Energy Production and Infrastructure Center in Charlotte. Designed by Narmour Wright Creech Architects, the 200,000-sf collaborative teaching and research facility will house the departments of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Electrical Engineering. EPIC will support research in energy production and infrastructure development with advanced laboratories, classrooms, and offices. Completion is expected in November of 2011.

The University of British Columbia is constructing the $37 million Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) in Vancouver. Designed by Perkins + Will, the facility is designed to transcend carbon neutrality by acting as a net energy producer and a greenhouse gas-positive building. Slated for completion in summer of 2011, the project will function as a living laboratory for sustainable design, construction, and operation.

Wind turbine manufacturer Clipper will break ground in spring of 2010 on a wind turbine blade factory in Newcastle in the United Kingdom. The facility will house up to 500 employees and is slated for completion in the third quarter of 2010. Clipper is based in Carpinteria, Calif.