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Modernist Bata shoe factory transforms into geothermal-powered homes

AGreenLiving

Although the modernist-style factory had been decommissioned in 2000 and sold to a plastics factory, Sonja Bata repurchased the 1,500-acre site in 2008 as part of an ambitious masterplan to transform Batawa into a model of sustainable development. Geothermal energy powers all of the HVAC systems.

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Sunlight-Reflecting ‘Cool Walls’ Can Save Building Owners Big Money, Study Says

GreenTechMedia

cool walls could lead to annual HVAC energy costs savings of up to 11 percent for standalone retail stores, 8.3 Cool roofs, which became a required measure in 2005 for low-slope commercial buildings and in 2008 for some single-family homes under California’s Title 24 building energy-efficiency standards, are now commonplace.

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