Hartford, Conn. – The Hartford Business Journal reports that the U.S. Green Building Council and The Princeton Review named five Connecticut colleges and universities to its list of environmentally friendly U.S. schools.

Central Connecticut State University, Connecticut College, Eastern Connecticut State University, the University of Connecticut, and Yale University were named in The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges.

The guide was developed using a sponsorship from Hartford conglomerate United Technologies Corp.

The guide did not rank the colleges, but simply listed them in alphabetical order listing their green efforts, such as LEED® certified buildings, sustainability initiatives and other efforts to lessen their impact on the environment.

The 232-page book available on The Princeton Review’s Web site is geared toward high schoolers looking to select a college for their higher education.

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Fairfield, CT – According to an article in connecticutplus.com, Salon of Fairfield recently recognized a decade of being in business with an in-store celebration and the addition of an eco-friendly color line — Organic Salon Systems. This alternative offering will accommodate customers preferring a natural hair color product.

Intrigue Salon co-owners, Sally Goldstein, and her daughter, Carolyn Pease, have worked as local stylists for decades.

Ms. Goldstein has worked at salons in Greenwich, Ridgefield and in Trumbull at JCPenny Salon. As an accomplished hair colorist, Goldstein has taught for major manufacturers in the tri-state area. Ms. Pease spent time at Christian’s Salon Plus in Ridgefield and Texture Salon in Fairfield. After holding these varied positions, the women joined forces to open Intrigue Salon at it’s current Brickwalk location. March 9th marked Intrigue’s tenth anniversary and was a day Goldsteinreflected on the salon’s beginnings. “Having a grand opening just months after 9/11 was a challenge. Many businesses were closing and the future looked dismal.” The salon is still thriving in its tenth year and provides a range of hair services for men, women and children.

With substantial experience in the industry, the mother-daughter team have a firm grasp on what clients want. “Our clients are hip, fashion-conscious, energetic people. They want to leave looking fabulous and feeling refreshed,” said Pease. All seven Intrigue stylists have varying specialities, with a particular expertise in color. A master stylist, Ms. Goldstein also offers permanent waving and teaches at a local cosmetology school. In addition to haircutting and color, Intrigue offers straightening, free flowing color, hair extensions and ever-popular blowouts.

Prompted by requests for natural alternatives to existing hair color products, the owners decided to carry Organic Salon Systems to meet the needs of clients with that preference — possibly due to allergies or pregnancies. Organic Salon Systems, created by the British-based company with the same name, fills the niche for green enthusiasts. “We now offer the best of both worlds — traditional color for those who prefer it and an organic line for others,” said Ms. Goldstein. “We’ve found Organic Salon Systems delivers a beautiful result.” The alternative line contains certified organic ingredients such as comfrey, grapefruit, hydrolyzed wheat protein, chamomile and vitamins C & E, among others.

With Intrigue turning ten and still enjoying success, Ms. Goldstein could not be more pleased. “We’ve made it our goal to be a full-service salon with heart, to the Fairfield community and beyond. Our customers enjoy the friendly atmosphere and personal attention — and they are discerning. I’m so glad we took a chance.”

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Guest Post by Zac Colbert

Mobile technology is replacing our paper-based practises and offering up a host of more efficient options. With telecommunications improving, soon the idea of working from home won’t be limited to those in digital media. Many businesses are realising how much they could benefit from a sustainable and mobile workforce.

Thanks to high-speed broadband, powerful computers in handheld devices and the proliferation of wi-fi, we’re on the brink of a workforce revolution as our hyper-connected generation no longer associate ‘work’ with somewhere they have to physically attend. They can now do it from anywhere, from home, or while they’re on the move. Read more »

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New York, NY – According to a company press release, Locus Energy, a web-based asset management software for renewable energy systems with offices in New York and San Francisco has been selected by the Connecticut Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA) as an approved Performance Data Provider (PDP) for its Residential Solar Investment Program (Program). To qualify for a rebate under CEFIA’s Program all participants must purchase and install a monitoring system from an approved PDP. Locus Energy has worked with CEFIA to create a special monitoring solution that meets the requirements of the Program.

CEFIA is utilizing the Locus platform to offer a bundle of hardware and web-based software that will track the performance of residential solar photovoltaic systems and make the data available to participating installers and homeowners. The performance data will be collected by Locus Energy’s industry-leading residential power meter, the LGate 101, and uploaded every 5 minutes to the SolarOS™ monitoring website. Participating installers will have access to the website which provides tools to track aggregated power generation as well as identify and address systems that are underperforming. CEFIA’s Program is designed to provide homeowners with access to personal portals so they can see how much electricity their system has produced and the corresponding environmental benefits. 

“We are delighted to be working with CEFIA on this effort,” said Michael Herzig, founder and CEO of Locus Energy.  “Having grown up in the Hartford area of Connecticut, I’m very happy to see the state continuing to offer innovative programs which help increase the adoption of solar energy systems.”

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New York, NY – Arnold Worldwide’s New York office, ArnoldNYC, one of the top five most creatively awarded agencies of the past decade, has been named global agency of record for Torrington, CT-based Optiwind, a wind turbine technology company founded in 2007 that allows businesses and schools to generate all or most of their power onsite. The assignment’s scope spans branding, multi-platform digital, trade shows, content development, website design and multimedia that will be adapted for a wide variety of audiences, as well as cultures and languages. Initial work is currently in progress.
 
“Optiwind is a progressive company at the forefront of wind technology, so we’re very excited about the opportunity to partner with them in building their brand around the world,” said Lynn Power, Managing Partner and President of ArnoldNYC. “They have rethought the conventions of wind energy to create a purposefully engineered product that can benefit a wide range of enterprises. We look forward to ensuring their story is told clearly and effectively in a way that builds awareness and ultimately drives results globally.”

Since its founding in 2007, Optiwind has developed and built a completely new style of wind turbine that is uniquely suited to the task of producing onsite power for schools and businesses. With a design that is more compact, quieter and safer than conventional 3-bladed turbines, Optiwind’s technology is up to 50% less expensive to install and 75% less expensive to operate than conventional 3-bladed wind turbines.  Even in lower wind speed areas and without any government subsidy at all, this typically reduces the price of electricity below the average price of the local grid, opening up huge new markets to clean, renewable power. Optiwind has received significant venture funding since their initial start-up 5 years ago and plans to launch in North and South America in 2013, with global expansion following from there.  The world spends $1.7 trillion on electricity every year and the existing global wind energy market is more than $80 billion per year.

“What we have developed is an onsite commercial scale, renewable power source that produces power for less than the cost of power from the grid without the need for government subsidy, which is the ‘Holy Grail’ of energy generation, and we know we need to tell that story and nurture our brand from scratch,” said Sam Fairchild, CEO, Optiwind.  “We looked at several agencies before selecting Arnold Worldwide as our strategic and creative partner. The agency has a history of proven success driving end results and we look forward to doing great work together.”

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Hartford, Conn. – According to an article in the Hartford Business Journal, the Connecticut Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority approved 126 solar electric rooftop proposals in the first month of its Residential Solar Investment Program.

The 126 installations will receive $1.4 million in CEFIA funding and leverage another $2.8 million in private investments to install 800 kilowatts worth of residential solar in Connecticut.

CEFIA made $7.5 million available for the program in the first year.

The approved applications for the solar projects came from more than one third of the 70 approved installation companies in the state.

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