Daily Business Report — Oct. 6, 2009
Sony Electronics opens its new greeen headquarters
Sony Electronics Inc. on Monday celebrated the opening of its new 455,000-square-foot green headquarters in San Diego, which houses 1,400 of the company’s 2,000 area employees. The building is at 16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego. The building, constructed over the past two years, includes a Mitsubishi Electric panel solar power system developed under San Diego Gas & Electric’s Sustainable Communities Program. It was installed by the solar integration company HelioPower. The solar power system was installed on the employee parking structure.
Energy saving strategies in the building include the solar power system on the parking structure, energy-efficient air conditioning and heating and the use of recycled materials in the carpeting and furniture. Drought-resistant landscaping was also used and all the construction debris was recycled. The building’s design and construction process incorporated many environmental features according to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification requirements. “Sony is committed to reducing our impact on the environment,” said Greg Aveni, facilities director for Sony Electronics. “We are doing this by implementing methods to reduce energy-use, such as installing solar panels for our new San Diego building and waste from our day-to-day operations, while at the same time finding ways to develop more energy-efficient products.”
The solar power installation consists of 867 Mitsubishi Electric 185-watt photovoltaic modules and is expected to produce 230,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
Qualcomm donation supports chamber of commerce mixers
Thanks to a contribution from Qualcomm Inc., the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce is providing members free registration to its Business After Five Mixers. Up to 200 chamber members at each of the organization’s monthly networking events will have their registration fees covered by the company. “Qualcomm’s generosity will help the chamber give our members a unique opportunity to connect with other San Diego businesses to increase visibility, develop relationships and identify strategic partnerships,” said Ruben Barrales, president and CEO of the chamber. The monthly Business After Five Mixers provide chamber members a venue to create business-to-business and business-to-consumer connections with more than 300 attendees. For more details on the Business After Five Mixers or membership information for the chamber, visit www.sdchamber.org.
Panel to explain Swine Flu preparations
Three prominent experts on Swine Flu (H1N1 Virus) will tell San Diegans how the city and county are preparing for and countering the expected pandemic at a special San Diego Press Club presentation on Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. at the Morrison & Foerster offices at 12531 High Bluff Drive, San Diego. Wilma Wooten, public health officer for the county, Robert L. Bray, deputy commander with the National Medical Disaster system, and Nick Manchione, director of the County Health Department, will be panelists. The event is free for Press Club members and $10 for nonmembers. Reservations may be made at sdpresslub@cox.net.
Genomic researcher joins Scripps Health
Genomic researcher Samuel Levy has joined Scripps Health’s genomic medicine program as director of genomic sciences. Levy has extensive knowledge of the sequencing and analysis of human genomes. He was the leading scientist on the first published diploid genome sequence of a human, that of J. Craig Venter. This groundbreaking work identified an extensive class of DNA variation that had not previously been identified, and under his leadership, Levy’s team provided pioneering analyses on how individual human genomes could be characterized. Levy joins Drs. Eric Topol, Nicholas Schork and Sarah Murray at the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI). He will direct the human genome sequencing efforts at STSI, employing state-of-the-art, massively parallel DNA sequencing methods, enabling clinicians and scientists an unparalleled understanding of genetic changes in human samples. He also will also direct STSI’s integrated genomics program as supported by the National Institutes of Health Clinical and Translational Science Award. Before joining Scripps, Levy was director and professor in human genomics at the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, Md.
Carlsbad Charitable Foundation to fund senior citizen programs
The Carlsbad Charitable Foundation will award more than $50,000 to three organizations that serve Carlsbad’s senior citizens. The awardees are the San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine, Interfaith community Services and the North County Food Bank. The awards are to be presented today at the new Tri-City Wellness Center from 5 to 7 p.m.
• San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine will receive $27,500 to design programs and train all professional staff currently serving Carlsbad’s palliative and hospice patients. This model program will be taught, monitored, and disseminated throughout the state of California, but Carlsbad patients will be the inaugural recipients of pain relief through this staff training.
• Interfaith Community Services will receive $12,500 to provide emergency food cards and transportation assistance to Carlsbad senior citizens. ICS case managers and the Coastal Service Center will partner with the Carlsbad Senior Center to refer those seniors needing assistance.
• North County Food Bank will receive $12,500 to expand the provision of needed nourishment to low and extremely low income qualified senior citizens. Funding will enable the North County Food Bank to open a second food distribution site within the city of Carlsbad, and to augment current outreach to Carlsbad seniors through the organization’s Senior Visitor Program.
Lawyers and volunteers to plant vegetables and flowers
The San Diego County Bar Association and the American Bar Association section of Tort Trial & Insurance Practice will plant vegetables and flowers for residents of the National AIDS Foundation/Josue Homes in San Diego on Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. “Let Them Eat Veggies” is one of the TIPS Law in Public Service Committee’s projects for this year. Lawyer-volunteers from around the country are participating while attending the TIPS Fall Leadership Meeting at the Hotel Del Coronado. They will dig in with local volunteers to plant nutritious vegetables as well as flowers to bring fresh food, cheer and comfort to the homeless HIV/AIDS residents of the homes. The National AIDS Foundation/Josue Homes was founded in 1988 by Father Joe Carroll and St. Vincent De Paul Village.
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