For designer and certified color expert Jen Guerin, "green" isn't just a color.   

Going green used to be something people only did on St. Patrick's Day, but, for many local hotels, going green is something they do 365 days a year.   

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 appropriated nearly $800 billion to stimulate the U.S. economy out of recession. Included in the Recovery Act is billions of dollars for cleantech, including $16.8 billion for the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Approximately $2.5 billion was allocated to support research, development and deployment activities. These are significant opportunities for companies involved with developing new clean technologies. However, companies should be aware of strings attached to these new funding opportunities.   

The smell of manure hangs over Greeley as it has for half a century.   

Canaan Valley Institute's new building features state-of-the-art laboratory and conference space, colorful tile of recycled porcelain and glass in the entry way and scenic views from every employee's window.   

Colin Beavan sat under the light of a single bulb, freaking out.   

The organizer of a $10 million contest to develop next-generation green vehicles said Monday it narrowed down its list of competitors by half, with qualifying teams ranging from Indian car giant Tata Motors to a team of Cornell University engineering students.   

Did you know that rain travels over the tops of roofs, across paved areas and into storm drains, which lead to San Diego's creeks and rivers, and eventually to the ocean, affecting our beaches and bays? Along the way, this runoff picks up metals from roofs and other pollutants from paved areas and carries them directly to the ocean untreated, where they can harm our precious marine ecosystem.   

Cleaning products can contribute to indoor air quality problems as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) evaporate and are circulated through the building's ventilation system. Indoor air is often several times more contaminated than outdoor air, and allergic reactions to unhealthy environments account for more than 10 million work days missed by U.S. employees each year.   

Initial revisions to the Department of Energy's Energy Star window performance standards, which will be effective Jan. 1, should make clear that generic low-e glass no longer represents a level of energy efficiency required to "transform the market," a key charter of the agency's Energy Star program.   

KVA Stainless Inc. is a research and development company involved in developing and promoting a martensitic stainless steel alloy that rivals the strength of titanium but is lower in cost and lighter in weight, making it suitable for many industrial applications, from automotive to agriculture, as well as oil and gas pipelines, sports equipment, aviation, medical devices and train cars.   

Reducing emissions and energy costs while helping the environment is the goal that drew Doug Poffinbarger to energy consulting.   

A financial institution recently foreclosed on a commercial property only to learn that the Environmental Protection Agency had initiated an action to make the owners of the site a "potentially responsible party" in a Superfund groundwater cleanup action. Although the property had no current environmental issues, the EPA had issue with the property due to the historical uses of the property as a plating facility. This ultimately cost the bank several million dollars.   

LEED-certified buildings must be re-certified at least once every five years and under the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) current rules, can be recertified as often as once a year. Some credits should be easier to obtain the second time around, since features such as density and proximity to mass transit are unlikely to change. But owners and property managers who don't prepare for recertification with green practices and consistent reporting may find it difficult to retain a building's certification.   

San Diego Gas & Electric is vying for approximately $100 million in stimulus money to fund an innovative, environmentally friendly "smart grid" system for the region.   

Owners of solar and wind energy systems will soon be eligible for compensation and credits for generating more power than they consume.   

A local investment firm said it closed the largest carbon offset transaction in the United States earlier this week, further expanding on its commitment to what it believes will be a vibrant domestic and regional market.   

Sempra Generation, a subsidiary of San Diego-based Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), has acquired Auwahi Wind Energy LLC, a company developing a 22-megawatt wind energy and battery storage project in Maui, Hawaii.   

   

Developers of algae biofuel were told at a conference Thursday to form alliances, protect their intellectual property and not be afraid to accept government funding.   

Helix Wind (OTCBB: HLXW) announced it will soon begin testing of its wind turbines as a way to power cell phone towers in remote locations.