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AN ECONOMIC CATALYST, the Oregon Built Environment & Sustainable Technologies Center (Oregon BEST) connects the state's businesses with its shared network of university labs to transform green building and renewable energy research into on-the-ground products, services, and jobs that power Oregon's green economy.
- Solar Awnings, Green Walls, and Brighter Schools
Oregon BEST researcher Ihab Elzeyadi has always been
fascinated with light. “I love light, but when you grow up in Cairo,
you appreciate the shade,” he says.
No wonder Elzeyadi, a professor of architecture at the University of Oregon, is thinking outside the box (literally) when it comes to light and shading, solar panels and green walls, and how to brighten school buildings to improve student health.
“The façade of a building should do much more than just separate you from the outside,” says Elzeyadi, who works with Frank Vignola, director of the UO's Solar Radiation Monitoring Lab.Most solar PV panels are installed out of sight on building rooftops, where they provide only one function: converting sunlight into energy. But Elzeyadi has designed a unique solar awning that can be mounted on the facades of buildings and do much more. Full story...
BEST Leadership Includes Top Oregon Executives
Oregon BEST's leadership includes executives from some of Oregon's most respected green building and renewable energy companies: SolarWorld, PGE, Gerding Edlen Development, Collins Companies, CH2M HILL, SunPower Corporation, PNNL, and Perkins Coie. These people join research leaders from Oregon BEST's member universities (Oregon Institute of Technology, Oregon State University, Portland State University, and the University of Oregon) and a member of Oregon's Legislature to form a visionary management team committed to building Oregon's green economy. Read More...
