Import cargo projected to increase in U.S.

With shoppers starting to emerge from hibernation, the freeze that has chilled the waterfront in Charleston and other port cities for the past couple of years is beginning to thaw.

Import cargo volume at the nation's major retail container ports is expected to be up 15 percent in June compared with the same month a year ago, and double-digit increases should continue into the fall as the U.S. economy recovers, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report issued by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

U.S. ports handled 1.15 million 20-foot-long cargo containers or their equivalent in April, the latest month for which numbers are available. That was up 7 percent from March and up 16 percent from April 2009. It was also the fifth month in a row to show a year-over-year improvement after December broke a 28-month streak of year-over-year monthly declines.

May was estimated at 1.16 million cargo containers, a 12 percent increase over last year as spring products hit store shelves and summer merchandise followed close behind. June is forecast to remain at 1.16 million containers, but the figure would be up 15 percent from last year. July is forecast at 1.23 million units, up 11 percent from last year; August at 1.27 million, up 10 percent; September at 1.31 million, up 15 percent; and October, traditionally the busiest month of the year, at 1.34 million, up 12 percent. The year-over-year increases are due partly to easy comparisons against unusually low numbers last year.

The first half of 2010 is expected to total 6.6 million containers, up 12 percent from the same period last year.

"Virtually all of the ocean carriers now seem to accept that there will not be a relapse into a second-dip recession nor an end to the growth," Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett said, noting that many shipping companies have restored services and capacity that had been cut back.

Final scene?

Charleston's Hippodrome Theater continues to lag in business, and although co-owner Michael Furlinger won't call curtains yet, the big-screen's Twitter account says otherwise.

A June 11 tweet said, "Theater will close by year's end," adding, "Sorry folks."

Furlinger said in April that the former IMAX theater was losing between $5,000 and $10,000 per month and could close by Sept. 1. Reached last week, he said, "It's inevitable" but added that the theater would remain open for "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" this month and sci-fi thriller "Inception" in July as its last-ditch effort. The Hippodrome opened on Concord Street in May 2009.

Green sprout

The Sustainability Institute has reopened its Greenhouse Learning Center at 1441 E. Montague Ave. after renovations.

Touted as one of the greenest offices in the region, it serves as the headquarters of The Sustainability Institute's Energy Conservation Corps program and a public resource center for learning about cutting-edge, sustainable technologies.

Constructed in the 1940s as a residence, the building was highly inefficient with documented energy bills for the family previously living there in excess of $300 a month for less than 900 square feet of living space. Following the building's first renovation, the facility won Carolina Recycling Association's 2004 Green Building Project of the Year and received national attention. Now expanded and updated with the newest technologies on the market, it exceeds most regional and national green building standards and boasts energy bills as low as $40 a month.

The upgraded facility has a range of sustainable concepts and technologies including LED lighting; Energy Star appliances; spray-foam insulation; salvaged wood and cork flooring; recycled-glass countertops; low and no-emitting paint and finishes; a rainwater catchment system that collects water and uses it to flush the toilets; a dual-flush toilet and waterless urinal; and native plants.

Chill out

The official start of summer was early today, but steamy weather has long since settled into the area.

Summertime can be a relentless stretch for a home's air-conditioning system, which is why it is important to be savvy with the thermostat.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy says heating and cooling a home uses more energy and drains more dollars than any other system, typically accounting for 43 percent of the power bill. Improve the performance of the HVAC by regularly replacing its air filter and doing annual routine maintenance, but one of the easiest ways to save money is at the thermostat.

"When it comes to setting your thermostat for cooling, try to forget about the number 72," said Zack Dusenbury, Santee Cooper vice president of retail operations. "Instead, aim for a setting of about 78 degrees. You won't sacrifice that much in comfort, but you will see an improvement in your bill."

If you're going to be away from your home for an extended period of time (longer than eight hours), Dusenbury recommends setting the temperature a few degrees higher to save even more money. Programmable thermostats can be useful for homeowners looking for more customized control over their HVAC system, but changes in settings for heat pumps should be minimal for best performance.

"If your home is equipped with a heat pump, it's important to avoid drastic changes in your thermostat's settings," Dusenbury said.