Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va., July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Sun Design Remodeling Specialists, Inc., of Fairfax County, Va., in the midst of one of the most successful periods in its 24-year history, has hired six new team members and promoted one.

The newly named members of the Sun Design team are: Scott Smith and Marc Brady, Assistant Project Managers; Hope Hassell, Assistant Specialty Designer; Mike Linder and Dwain Foltz, Lead Carpenters; and Kely Ta, Administrative Assistant. Ta is taking over for Heather Lapsley who was promoted to Production Coordinator. The company is planning further growth and is looking for additional sales and design staff. Sun Design was named by Virginia Business Magazine this year as one of the region's best places to work.

The new hires are part of Sun Design's recent growth and successes. During March 2012, the company had its best sales month ever -- more than $1.8 million -- beating its record of $1.6 million in June 2007.

Also, the company has won two national remodeling industry awards: a national Chrysalis Award for a residential basement project in Fairfax County (one of only 81 winners nationwide) and a national CotY Award as a "Contractor of the Year" from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) this spring for a dramatic remodeling project in Fairfax, VA. Sun Design also won a 2012 Guildmaster Award (with Distinction) which is based on a lengthy track record of exceptional customer satisfaction.

Sun Design President Bob Gallagher, said, "Clients really love to work with our team members because they are highly experienced, creative and responsive to client needs. We're really pleased to welcome this new group of people to the company as they put their talents to work for our clients. Sun Design is in an exciting growth phase and it appears that we are going to have one of our best years ever."

About Sun Design Sun Design, celebrating its 24th year, has been the recipient of dozens of industry awards. Each year, Sun Design shows off its work during a series of home tours and other special events. For more information, visit the "Events" page at http://www.sundesigninc.com or call 703-425-5588. Sun Design is located at 5795 B Burke Centre Parkway, Burke, VA 22015.

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Sun Design Remodeling Specialists of Fairfax County Continues to Expand With Six New Hires

West Caldwell, New Jersey - MaxLite, a leading global manufacturer and marketer of the award-winning MaxLED line of innovative LED luminaires and lamps, announces that three LED lamps are now listed on the Lighting Design Lab's (LDL) interim qualified products list. Being listed ensures that MaxLite's 7.5-watt A19, 6-watt dimmable PAR20 and 12-watt dimmable PAR30 will qualify for rebates for one year by most utility companies in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, which includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Alaska. The LDL qualifies LED products while they are being reviewed by ENERGY STAR or DesignLights(TM) Consortium (DLC). Products on the LDL list meet ENERGY STAR or DLC specs, except lumen maintenance, and are listed for no longer than 12 months.

"LED lamps use up to 75 percent less energy and last 10 to 17 times longer than incandescent bulbs," said Director of Product Marketing Pat Treadway. "Qualifying for the LDL LED List is certainly a hallmark of energy efficiency, performance and quality that we can pass on to our customers in the Pacific Northwest."

MaxLite's new LEDs provide better quality light than CFL lamps and offer superior cost savings to their incandescent alternatives. These MaxLED lamps deliver 25,000 and 40,000 hours of maintenance-free operation, or 8 to 14 years based on eight hours of daily usage. MaxLED LDL-qualified lamps are manufactured with high-ranked LEDs that are proprietary binned, which ensures color uniformity. MaxLED lamps operate with reduced heat, and without emitting radiation, which can also reduce HVAC costs.

With a high color rendering index (CRI) of 80, MaxLite's three LED lamps, which are UL- and cUL-listed for damp locations and operate on a 120-volt lighting system, include the 7.5-watt A19 (SKB7.5LED27), the 6-watt dimmable PAR20 (SKR2006DLED30) and the 12-watt dimmable PAR30 (SKR3012DLED30).

The 7.5-watt A19 Frosted LED Bulb with a standard E26 medium base is available with a 2700K correlated color temperature (CCT), while delivering 450 lumens. The lumen maintenance is enhanced by the proprietary housing and integrated thermal management system. Equivalent to a 40-watt incandescent, the LED A19 Bulb offers a 90 percent energy savings and a minimum L50 of 40,000 hours. This bulb is ideal for table and floor lamps, ceiling fixtures and decorative chandeliers that are used in residential, hospitality and commercial environments. To view a data sheet, visit http://www.maxlite.com/PDFs/FocusSheets/SKB7-5LED.pdf.

The fully dimmable 6-watt PAR20 LED with an E26 medium base is available with a 3000K CCT, while delivering 380 lumens. Offered with a 30-degree spot, the highly efficient PAR20 LED has a life of 25,000 hours at L70 standards. The lumen maintenance is enhanced by the solid aluminum housing and integrated thermal management system. This bulb is ideal for retail, residential, recessed and architectural lighting applications. To view a data sheet, visit http://www.maxlite.com/PDFs/FocusSheets/SKR2006DLED.pdf.

The fully dimmable 12-watt PAR30 LED with an E26 medium base is available with a 3000K CCT, while delivering 730 lumens and has a life of 25,000 hours at L70 standards. The lumen maintenance is enhanced by the solid aluminum housing and integrated thermal management system. This bulb is ideal for retail, residential, recessed and architectural lighting applications. To view a data sheet, visit http://www.maxlite.com/PDFs/FocusSheets/SKR3012DLED.pdf.

All MaxLite LED products are backed by a fiveyear limited warranty. For hi-res images, please visit http://www.maxlite.com/PDFs/PR/PRkit/ML.SKR2006DLED50-SKB7.5LED27-SKR3012DLED50.jpg.zip. About the Lighting Design Lab The Lighting Design Lab (LDL) was created in 1989 and has grown to become the Pacific Northwest region's state of the art energy efficiency lighting demonstration facility. The LDL offers resources, information, and training on cutting edge, high quality, energy efficient lighting technologies to architects, lighting designers and contractors, utility personnel and other industry professionals throughout the Pacific Northwest Region. The LDL is a dynamic, technical resource for the region's conservation and lighting community. Visit the LDL website: http://www.lightingdesignlab.com.

About MaxLite (www.maxlite.com) Inheriting global manufacturing and marketing expertise that dates back to 1955, MaxLite was one of the first movers into LED technology in the industry. Committed to energy efficiency as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year in 2009, MaxLite established the MaxLED brand, an extensive line of indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures featuring innovative LED luminaires and lamps using the latest state-of-the-art LED technology, ranging from the award-winning Flat Panel collection, to the best-selling outdoor lineup, Plug-and-Play light bars and lamps.

Out of the company's two main distribution centers, conveniently located in West Caldwell, New Jersey and Rancho Cucamonga, California, MaxLite ships products within the continental United States within one to three days on standard orders. Through MaxLite's innovative research and development capabilities in its California office, MaxLite continues to be at the forefront of energy efficient technologies. For more information about MaxLite and its products, call 800-555-5629, fax 973-244-7333, email info@maxlite.com, or tweet us at https://twitter.com/maxlitenewsroom.

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Three MaxLite LED Lamps Qualify for the Lighting Design Lab's LED Products List

GlacialLight F, No. 352, Sec. 2, Zhongshan Rd New Taipei City, , 235, R.O.C, Taiwan

- Save power and turn ordinary lights into effective security devices -

Taipei, Taiwan - GlacialLight, a division of experienced global technology leader, GlacialTech Inc., has added the GL-PIR10C, a versatile infrared motion sensing switch, to its popular range of lighting products.

This passive infrared (PIR) motion sensor can be connected to a wide range of light sources to enhance ease-of-use, cut power consumption, and improve security. User adjustable settings include light and motion sensitivity. It is suitable for indoor and outdoor use in almost all lighting conditions, with an adjustable range of up to 12 meters.

This infrared motion sensors can switch the lights on automatically when people enter an area, keep them on as long as required, and switch them off again when people leave. This saves power costs, can lengthen light lifetime, and reduces light pollution by preventing unnecessary use of lighting and power. Automatic lighting control saves time for staff, who no longer have to switch lights on and off by hand - an ideal solution for situations where operating a light switch by hand could be difficult or even dangerous.

The instant bright illumination of an area when motion is detected can also enhance security and help prevent crime. The light will remain on as long as motion continues to be detected, and will then turn off after an operator-set interval.

Users can easily adjust this motion sensor to work in most environments and to perform a variety of useful functions. The GL-PIR10C can be adjusted to detect motion over a very wide range of ambient light levels, from 3 lux to 2000 lux, making it ideal for both day and night use. A sensitivity control can be used to increase or decrease the range and motion sensitivity of the GL-PIR10C. At low sensitivity the sensor is suitable for small areas, up to 5 meters, while at high sensitivity it can detect motion up to 12 meters away. The user can also adjust the length of time that the light will remain on when motion is detected, from a minimum of 10sec to a maximum of approximately 7 minutes.

The GL-PIR10C is an ideal choice as a motion sensor to directly control almost all popular 100V to 240V AC light sources. It can handle rated loads of up to 1200W for incandescent lamps and 300W for energy-saving lamps. An adjustable bracket and swivelling pivot allows the sensor to be aimed precisely to provide the area coverage required by the user.

GlacialLight has designed the GL-PIR10C to be eco-friendly and reduce power consumption, with the environment in mind. The sensor's power consumption is only 0.1W while idle and 0.45W while operating. Operating temperatures are from -20 to 40C.

Specifications

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IR Motion Sensing Switch controls 100-240 Vac light sources.

CHICAGO, July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- IA Interior Architects is pleased to announce that Tish Kruse, MCR, LEED AP has joined the firm as Director of Workplace Strategy. She will be based in Chicago, IL.

Tish brings over 25 years of consulting, management, real estate, and design experience to deliver value-driven solutions. Her focus is developing strategies that are sustainable amidst ongoing change, and the results are engaging environments that increase employee productivity, facilitate innovation, and reduce footprints by an average of 20-30%. Most recently, Tish was with Jones Lang LaSalle's Strategic Consulting group, and prior to that she was the leader of HOK Chicago's Interiors practice.

"Tish is a valuable addition to our Workplace Strategies team. Her expertise in conducting relevant research, establishing the business case, and facilitating buy-in for change has led to powerful design solutions. We are pleased to have her on board," said Tom Powers, Managing Principal.

Tish is a registered interior designer and a licensed real estate broker. She is a member of CREW, CoreNet, and USGBC. In 2011, she was a recipient of Jones Lang LaSalle's coveted DaVinci Award for Innovation.

Tish's new contact information is as follows:

205 West Wacker Drive, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60606 p 312.488.5204 | m 312.504.2460 | f 312.553.8208 t.kruse@interiorarchitects.com

ABOUT IA INTERIOR ARCHITECTS

Founded in 1984, IA Interior Architects is the first and largest global architectural firm focused exclusively on interior architecture and workplace strategies. IA helps clients in diverse markets worldwide align their business strategies and core values with the dynamic use of space. IA has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, London, Los Angeles, New York, Orange County, Raleigh, San Francisco, Seattle, Silicon Valley, and Washington, DC and has partner affiliates in Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia and Australia, Canada, and Latin America through the IA Global Alliance. For more information, visit http://www.interiorarchitects.com.

Media Contact: Sofia Zimmerman s.zimmerman@interiorarchitects.com 917.579.5702

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Tish Kruse Joins IA Interior Architects as Director of Workplace Strategy

IRVINE, Calif., July 2, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture + Planning, based in California, and Garbett Homes of Salt Lake City, UT, announce that Utah's first truly affordable solar-powered and geothermal homes, the Solaris Collection at Daybreak in South Jordan, UT, has earned the highly-coveted Gold Nugget Grand Award for the Residential Project of the Year in the detached product category. The award was presented by PCBC to Garbett Homes and KTGY at the awards ceremony on June 28, 2012, at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco and sponsored by BUILDER magazine. The award competition, which is the oldest and most prestigious design awards in the nation, is open to builders, developers, architects and land planners with projects in the United States and all international countries.

Built by Garbett Homes and designed by KTGY, Solaris is located in the award-winning mixed-use, sustainable planned community of Daybreak in South Jordan, developed by Kennecott Land. Solaris offers high-density ENERGY STAR rated single-family homes for cost-conscious, eco-minded buyer, from the low $200,000s. Unique to this price-point, Garbett Homes includes solar PVT (Photovoltaic Thermal) panels, geothermal heating and cooling, and a super-tight energy-efficient building envelope with HERS ratings under 40 in a Climate Zone 5, which saves residents up to 70% on their monthly utility bills. The homes' eclectic, modern exteriors with fiber-cement siding are used in unique ways not seen before in this market and a vibrant color palette add to the overall unique appeal. Garbett Homes has sold over 80 Solaris homes in Daybreak and recently received 14 new lots, which the company has started to sell.

In addition to the Gold Nugget Grand Award, Solaris was also awarded a Gold Nugget Award of Merit in the category of Single Family Detached Home - 1,700 to 2,500 sq. ft. Recently, Solaris received a Merit Award in the 2012 Residential Architect Design Award competition.

Garbett Home's TerraSol in South Salt Lake, a pioneering 60-unit urban infill development near downtown Salt Lake City, designed by KTGY, received a Gold Nugget Award of Merit in two categories: Green Sustainable Residential Community and Single Family Detached Home - under 1,700 sq. ft. All homes at TerraSol are ENERGY STAR rated and include as standard either photovoltaic solar and solar hot water or geothermal heating and cooling. TerraSol broke ground in August and all 60 homes were sold by April, without Garbett Homes building any spec homes.

"Garbett has done what no other builder has done; they have completed the loop from inside to the outside," said KTGY's John Tully, a principal and a founding partner of the California-based architecture and planning firm. "We took leading-edge solar photovoltaic, solar thermal and geothermal technologies that have traditionally only been found in expensive custom-built homes and made it work for an affordable production home. Its cover - bold, modern exteriors - amplifies the technology inside, and the inside matches the outside. We are excited about this next generation of housing at both Solaris and TerraSol."

"We have struck gold with fresh, modern, high-density single-family home designs from KTGY -- wrapped in a super-green solar and geothermal standard feature package and high tech interiors at an attainable price for first-time buyers, empty nesters and just about everyone in-between. We can't build these homes fast enough," said Garbett Homes Marketing Director Rene Oehlerking. "Our buyers are really looking for something different in a sea of uninspiring brown French Country stucco boxes built without any consideration of energy efficiency or renewable energy generation."

"When people buy from Garbett Homes, they're not only buying a home, they're also buying into a lifestyle choice that allows them more flexibility with their time," said Garbett Homes President Bryson Garbett. "They are within walking distance from essential amenities and recreational activities. Maintenance-free landscaped areas, where their children or grandchildren can play surround them, and they can relax. They enjoy the benefits of 'locking and leaving' their home while they go on vacation, and knowing their investment will be completely maintained in their absence. Our homebuyers love this kind of freedom."

"KTGY is committed to the understanding of the end-user and socio-economic trends and interpreting them through fresh, inventive design solutions that take advantage of their surroundings to create successful projects," Tully said. "Our designs are forward-thinking, yet grounded in the reality and viability of each specific project and each client's unique needs. We are thrilled that the Solaris Collection at Daybreak has been so well received in the marketplace and recognized as the Residential Project of the Year in the detached product category in the Gold Nugget Award program."

The oldest and largest program of its kind--now in its 49th year--the Gold Nugget Awards honor creative achievements in architectural design and land use planning for residential, commercial and industrial projects. Drawing more than 400 entries from the 14 western states and internationally, the Gold Nugget Awards program is the premier event of the annual PCBC, the nation's largest regional trade show and conference. See http://www.goldnuggetawards.com.

About Garbett Homes

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Garbett Homes and KTGY Group Earn National Accolades for Contemporary-Styled Leading-Edge Solar & Geothermal Homes ...

RICHMOND, VA - Old Donation Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia has a large, beautiful fellowship hall that was rarely used after its construction in 1990. Strong echo and reverberation created by the low vaulted ceiling made large gatherings or musical performances loud and uncomfortable. Harold VanderWilt, the new Senior Warden for the grounds, decided something had to be done and contacted Acoustical Solutions, Inc. of Richmond, Virginia.

Fellowship halls are often used for services and gatherings where speech intelligibility is critical, as well as live and recorded musical performances. The irony of these rooms, like Old Donation's fellowship hall, is that their architectural design is often counterproductive to this purpose. High vaulted or cathedral ceilings and large, uncovered windows mimic the beautiful old churches that we know and love, but those buildings were made before AV equipment was available. When used with today's digital audio technology or applied to smaller rooms, these architectural elements create a very lengthy reverberation time. Reverberation time, or RT 60, is the amount of time it takes for sound waves to stop reflecting around a room and fade completely. The longer it takes for each sound to end, the harder it is to understand subsequent sounds as they build up, making it uncomfortably loud.

"We planned a lot of activities for children, but these groups would have to meet at another church, because of the background din", said VanderWilt ,"they absolutely could not be in here before the treatment". VanderWilt hired Acoustical Solutions, Inc. to custom make and install twenty four AlphaSorb(TM) Cloud Mount Panels which brought down reverberation and actually improved the look of the room.

"Acoustically, this room is exactly where we wanted to be. We were worried that the acoustical panels would diminish the architectural detail, but it looks great" said VanderWilt.

AlphaSorb(TM) Fabric Wrapped Cloud Panels answer your acoustical and aesthetic needs with their strong sound-absorbing performance, durability and elegant appearance. These hanging acoustical cloud panels are used for noise reduction and reverberation control and are available in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and colors. Standard or custom sizes go up to 4' x 10' in 1" or 2" thicknesses with various edge details. Standard color options are the Guilford fabric FR701, 2100 series line or SoundSuede fabric with designer selected fabric wrapped panels available upon request. The AlphaSorb(TM) Fabric Wrapped Cloud Panel is Class 1 fire-rated.

About Acoustical Solutions, Inc.: Since 1989 Acoustical Solutions, Inc. has provided the detailed expertise needed to serve the noise control community. Acoustical Solutions, Inc. works with a wide variety of customers from commercial and residential development to worship facilities, recording studios and home theater designers. Acoustical Solutions, Inc. offers the industry's most comprehensive selection of noise control and soundproofing products, including a full line of indoor and outdoor industrial, commercial, environmental and architectural noise control products. For more information please visit http://www.AcousticalSolutions.com, call 1-800-782-5742, or see our media kit.

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Congregation's Acoustical Treatment Is a Miracle After Twenty Year Echo

The more than 2 million people who are experiencing power outages and heat waves along the East Coast could get a break soon as several power companies expect restoration in coming days.

People living in states from Illinois to Virginia are into their third day without power after a series of violent summer storms struck over the weekend, killing an estimated 18 people. Many of the lives lost during the storms were a result oftreesfalling on homes and cars, according to reports.

Temperatures are within the triple digits Fahrenheit, but as soon as the electricity is back on, affected residents will be able to power up their air conditioners.

Here are some links to maps of power restoration plans from several companies serving the affected region.

Dominion Resources Inc.

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Power has already been restored to approximately 600,000 customers. The Virginia power company expects that 80 to 85 percent of power will be restored by Tuesday night. By Thursday night, there will be 90 to 95 percent power restoration, and nearly all service will be up and running by Saturday.

More than 3,000 employees, contractors and retirees are working to get the lights back on, Dominion said. Some 1,200 utility workers from 13 states, including Kansas, Texas, Wisconsin and Florida, and the Canadian province of Quebec, are making their way to the area to help. (View the summary of outages.)

FirstEnergy

More than 566,000 people were affected in areas of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia, which is served by FirstEnergy. The more than 3,200 employees working have restored electricity to more than 314,000 customers. You can map current outages on its website and view the estimated restoration time.

Continued here:
East Coast Storms: Heat Wave, Power Outages Continue; Restoration Coming In Days [MAP]

WASHINGTON -- Pepco reports on Twitter that power has been restored to "about half" of the "more than 440,000 customers who lost power as a result of Friday's storm" in the D.C. area. The electric utility's storm map shows 229,403 still without power as of about 2:20 p.m. on Monday.

The area's biggest power company, which supplies electricity to the District of Columbia and parts of suburban Maryland, estimates that power will be back on for everyone by 11 p.m. on Friday -- almost exactly a week after it went out due to the fast-moving, aggressive thunderstorm system known as a derecho that swept through the nation's capital on Friday evening.

Area officials are "fuming at utility companies," according to The Washington Post, which quotes Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) as saying that "Nobody will have their boot further up Pepcos backside than I will."

D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray also had tough words for Pepco:

According to the Cleveland Park listserv, D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) has ideas about how to improve Pepco's reliability, like burying power lines across the city.

We need new people on the PSC, that's for starters. And second I'm going to call for the Chairwoman of the Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs to hold a hearing on the response to this storm, the causes of failures, and improvements that have to be made. If she does it, that will be an occasion for the public to express their views.

In its 2012 "Blue Ribbon Task Force on Pepco Service Reliability," the power company said "it would cost almost $4 billion" to put all D.C.'s power lines underground.

For all local officials' fuming and ideas, some Twitter users aren't just dissatisfied with Pepco's response to the storm:

Something tells me if Cory Booker was mayor of DC, hed be at Pepcos office with a flamethrower about now.

WJLA-TV reports that as of early afternoon on Monday, two-thirds of of Dominion Virginia's Northern Virginia customers had their power restored but 159,520 were still without power, while 221,420 of BGE's customers in Maryland were reported as still being without power.

Originally posted here:
Pepco Power Restoration Efforts Under Fire From Customers, Politicians

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WJZ)The storm damage reaches far beyond power outages.

Derek Valcourt has a closer look at the problems in Baltimore and Howard counties.

In Howard County, the trees that fell in Roger Davis yard took out some major electrical lines.

This is the worst since weve been here. Thirty-five years and weve never had anything like that, he said.

Hundreds of their Howard County neighbors are still waiting for roads to reopen and their power to return.

And our grandchildren are coming from California, so we are going to have three children in our house, so I really hope it comes on soon, said Beth Davey.

The storm also left a mess in Ann Walls yard.

Sometimes the house even shook, it was that bad, and we have a brick home, she said.

It certainly was a crazy storm, said Ken Eads.

Eads was inside his Howard County house when a 22-ton tree came crashing down, punching major holes in his roof. Hes just thankful no one was hurt.

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Downed Trees Delaying Power Restoration In Parts Of Baltimore County

New Delhi, Jul 2 : Delhi Cabinet today decided to permit implementation of cluster buses under cluster No 6,7,8 and 9 to take number of such vehicles plying under DTC routes to 3,000.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

Speaking to the mediapersons after the Cabinet meeting, Ms Dikshit said her government has been striving hard to augment fleet of city transport in the city.

"As a replacement to the Blue Line bus services, the Transport Department introduced the cluster bus services. The agreements in respect of 5 out of the 17 identified clusters have already been signed. The buses under 4 and 5 clusters are operating partially," she said.

The Cabinet has now given its green signal for implementation of cluster buses under clusters 6, 7, 8 and 9, Ms Dikshit said.

"At present, 247 clusters buses are plying on the road. With implementation of clusters buses under 4 new clusters, the number of cluster buses will go up to 3000. In addition to this the DTC has been plying 5775 buses," she said. (UNI)

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Number of cluster buses to go up to 3,000: Dikshit