Practical Eco

Make It Right Introduces Pioneering Duplex Designs for New Orleans 9th Ward

Make It Right, the foundation founded by Brad Pitt to help rebuild the Lower 9th Ward, released its green, affordable duplex home designs by fourteen acclaimed local, national and international architects. 

While each of the 14 duplex designs is unique, the architects tackled some common problems and arrived at innovative solutions that could change the way multi-family homes are built:        

Flexibility – A number of the designs feature interchangeable floor plans that allow the families to change the size and configuration of the two homes as their family size, needs or economic situations change.

Integration with the Street – Increasing the elevation of the homes made them safer from flooding, but interrupted the connectedness between the porch and life on the street –a relationship valued by the Lower 9th Ward community.  A number of architects offered solutions to this problem, including creating landings or stoops in the stairways where the family can gather.  

Landscaping as a design and energy element – Several architects incorporated landscaping into their design of these solar-powered, highly energy efficient homes to maximize exposure to sun and shade and cut heating and cooling costs.  And because outdoor living is such a core part of living in the Lower 9th Ward, many of the designs include courtyards, interior gardens, and social use of the area under the elevated house.

Affordability —To cut the cost, but not the quality of these duplexes, several of the architects stacked the houses one on top of the other to reduce the “footprint” of the home and simplify construction.  One of the designs cuts construction costs dramatically by stacking the core of the home and aligning all of the electrical, plumbing, and heating and cooling systems in the center of the structure, much like an elevator shaft in the center of an office building.

The first two Make It Right duplexes are expected to break ground by mid-August. For an in-depth look at the designs for Make It Right duplexes and to learn more about the architects, go to: www.makeitrightnola.org.

Induction Lighting Explained

Everlast Induction lights offer incredible return on investment, energy savings and a superior light source for almost any application. The bulbs last an incredible 100,000 hours while using 50-55% less energy than a comparable Metal Halide bulb. The light emitted is also a "full spectrum" light which means the color of the light is more similar to sunlight.

I'm now representing Everlast in North Carolina and and the surrounding states so would be delighted to talk to anyone with commercial, university or municipal lighting requirements.

Warren Wilson's EcoDorm earns LEED Platinum

Warren Wilson College has earned a LEED Platinum rating for its "EcoDorm" which was opened in 2003.

This is the first college campus building to achieve LEED Platinum in the Existing Buildings (EB) rating category. And this is the fourth LEED certified building on the Warren Wilson campus. The others are Orr Cottage and the Village South and Village North residences which all have LEED Gold ratings.

The EcoDorm was designed by Samsel Architects of Asheville. It's a the two-story structure that houses 36 residents. Warren Wilson students were involved in the planning, research and design of the building, and helped set its four green priorities: energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality and use of local and recyclable materials.

All wood used in the EcoDorm was either recycled or timber milled and finished on campus. The building's energy-saving technologies include solar hot water, photovoltaic panels, high-efficiency boilers and radiant floor heating. Plus, a web-based energy-monitoring system keeps tabs on it all.

One of the more unusual features students came up with is a salvaged 10,000-gallon railroad tanker car; fed by roof runoff, the underground cistern provides water for flushing toilets and irrigating the dorm's permaculture landscaping.

Their full press release is here.

Chapel Hill Subway Earns LEED Certification

North Carolina's first stand-alone LEED-certified restaurant is a Subway on Market Street in Southern Village, Chapel Hill. There will be a ceremony next Monday, June 29 at the store. It will be only the second LEED-certified store in the entire Subway system (which totals more than 30,000 stores) and the first of some 740 Subways in North Carolina.

Franchisee Mike Abdallat, who owns two other Subways, said, "I am sold on 'green' and will definitely do another eco-friendly store." Subway and Abdallat have been working with Cary-based Green Tech Consulting Inc. to earn a LEED certification for the Chapel Hill store.

The eco elements for the restaurant include recycled floor tile, high-efficiency Energy Star-rated HVAC systems, low flow and flush fixtures in public restrooms, less lighting power, and more natural light for seated customers. Overall, the new Subway store was renovated within its existing shell, thus avoiding a new building footprint.

Other eco-friendly elements include: building materials used from sustainable sources and extensive use of recycled products and furnishings; LED interior and exterior signage; remote condensing units for refrigeration and ice-making equipment; Energy Star-rated kitchen equipment; low VOC adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings; recycling collection of post-consumer recyclable waste generated in-store; and Forest Stewardship Certified (FSC) wood.

Demand Buster reduces air conditioning energy demand by up to 60%

Here in the Southeast we spend an extraordinary amount of energy (and dollars) keeping cool during the hot humid Summers. And it's doubly painful since for many commercial customers utilities charge higher rates at the hottest times of the day.

But businesses, hospitals, hotels and big box stores can double the operating efficiency of their HVAC units at half the cost of replacing equipment by installing a Thermal~Flow Demand-Buster Evaporative Condenser Retrofit system. This energy efficiency retrofit will yield reductions of peak kW demand of 30% - 60%.  And with many utilities offering financial incentive programs to commercial customers to reduce peak demand, the system can be very reasonable to implement, paying for itself in just a few years in savings.

One of our contractor clients installed a unit for a Home Depot store with a nearly new 20 ton air conditioner and realized significant savings immediately. Rick Bofinger of Jerico Mechanical said, "We achieved a 28.9% reduction in peak demand, and a 55% reduction in kWh, while actually INCREASING the capacity of the a/c unit."

Engineered for Commercial Roof-Top Retrofit Applications:

• Light Weight, Modular, Durable, Low Maintenance requiring no Structural Upgrades
• 30%-60% Reduction in Peak kW
• Up to 17 EER Performance
• Proven Commercial Water Cooled Technology with a Record of Operational Success
• 15 Year Limited Warranty

Patented Evaporative Fluid Cooler features:

• Construction: All fiberglass cabinet, cannot corrode. High quality materials throughout. High Efficiency evaporative design allows one tower to service multiple HVAC systems in Thermal-Loop.
• Water Spray Nozzles: Durable plastic, non-corrosive and non-fouling.
• Fans: Aluminum, epoxy coated frame, and precision balanced plastic blades for quiet, trouble-free service.
• Service: Easy access for routine maintenance

HID Retrofit with LEDs

I'm representing LED retrofit kits now that replace Metal Halide and other HID lights, saving 75% of the energy cost and lasting 3 or more time longer.
This video shows how easy they are to install.

Optima Engineering earns a LEED Platinum for their Charlotte offices

Optima Engineering, earned LEED® Platinum certification for its 16,000 square-foot South End office at 1927 South Tryon St. in Charlotte NC.  Optima Engineering is the first in the Charlotte area to have achieved this designation.

Some of the features of the office which helped it to achieve the rating include the use of rapidly bamboo flooring, reclaimed sorghum straw wood, skylights with daylighting sensors for the lighting, a highly efficient HVAC system and the dense urban location close to clients, light rail, and restaurants and retail.

Optima Engineering’s office building also features a rooftop solar photovoltaic array, producing electricity that is sold to Duke Energy, and a solar thermal system to boot.

Deltec Homes’ Model built to “NC Healthy Built” Standards

Deltec Homes is a family run business that has been building energy efficient, hurricane resistant, circular homes for 40 years, based in Asheville NC.

Their new model home in Mars Hill, NC (near Asheville,NC) was completed as a North Carolina Healthy Built Home in October 2008. A Grand Opening Celebration is planned for Sunday June 28, 1-5PM and Monday June 29, 10am-4pm in Mars Hill, NC. It will feature:

    * Tours of the New Round, Energy Efficient, 3800 sq ft home
    * Visit Exhibitor Booths
    * Talk with Green Experts
    * Educational Seminars (Designing a Green Home (20-30 min), Introduction to Solar Energy (20-30 min),Understanding Financial Incentives for Building Green (20 min))

The new Deltec Homes’ model home promotes a comprehensive approach to sustainability by integrating the key components of green building design and construction
This includes site selection and development, energy and water efficiency, materials selection, resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and homeowner education.

The 3800 square foot model home is projected to use 50% less energy than homes of similar size.

It also focused on indoor environmental quality with continually circulating fresh air, a sealed crawlspace, low VOC finishes and formaldehyde free cabinets.

The home promotes exceptional durability through mold and termite resistant framing, fiber cement siding, and a structural shell that was built in a controlled factory environment to limit exposure to building materials during construction.

Deltec produces all of its homes with 100% renewable energy. The prefabricated, panelized structural shell is built with 78% less waste than a typical stick-built home through Deltec’s extensive recycling and reuse program.

LEED certified Ritz-Carlton hotel to open in Charlotte this October

Ritz-Carlton has announced plans to open its first LEED-certified hotel right here in North Carolina. Opening in October, the 147-room Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte Hotel will be located at the Bank of America Center in downtown Charlotte. 

The green design elements include a reflective roof vegetated with living plants, an air transfer system that circulates large amounts of outside air into the rooms and suites, and use of the Natura Water Purification System rather than bottled water.

The hotel will offer complimentary hybrid-vehicle transportation to guests and storage spaces for guest bicycles will be provided to encourage their use throughout the city. Some hotel staff will even wear uniforms made of fabric created from recycled plastic bottles.

It will be the first Ritz-Carlton hotel to receive LEED certification and the first building in Charlotte to be certified too. The hotel will offer over 12,000 square-feet of meeting space with eco-friendly furniture and supplies such as recycled aluminum tables and recycled leather furniture.

Habitat of Durham Information Session on June 13th

The Triangle area has the highest per-capita income in North Carolina and the most expensive rental market in the state. But Durham has the region's lowest home ownership rate, so many hard-working families live in substandard and overcrowded rentals.

Habitat of Durham offers these families an alternative by building affordable homes with no-interest mortgages, for qualified working families who contribute time to the building of their homes. 

Habitat of Durham is hosting an information session for potential homeowners on Saturday, June 13, 2009 at the Habitat office in Trinity United Methodist Church (215 N. Church Street, Durham). 

Share this flyer with friends, fellow employees and church members or call 682-0516 ext. 104 for more information.

Growing Green Wood Markets: A forum on FSC certified forest product markets

A forum on expanding FSC certified wood products in the South, takes place on June 23rd in Greensboro at the Embassy Suites Hotel.  

Join forest products companies, TIMOs, landowners, green builders, FSC staff and others in discussion about current markets and opportunities to expand markets for FSC certified forest products in the South.

Event Schedule:
09:30 FSC Chain-of-Custody Certification Workshop
11:00 FSC Markets Overview
12:30 Market Opportunity Panel Discussions
4:30p Reception

Cost: $35 (includes lunch)

Sponsors include:
The Community Forestry Business Alliance, Southern Forests Network, Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers, Inc, NCSU Extension Forestry- Forestry & Environmental Outreach Program,  NCWoodlands, Rainforest Alliance, Sustainable Furnishings Council  and others

For more information, call 828-277-9008

Time to Downsize that Home, Says E – The Environmental Magazine

If your oversized house is giving you energy anxiety, you’re not alone, says the June 2009 issue of E–The Environmental Magazine (now posted at: www.emagazine.com). A growing number of people in the U.S. are downsizing their homes in response to the collapse of the housing market, rising energy prices and concern for the environment. The trend has long moved in the opposite direction with the average American home size, about 2,500 square feet, up 140% from 1950s.

“Housing has always been this competitive sport and there has always been a negative connotation to being small," says Genevieve Ferraro, who lives outside Chicago and runs a website called The Jewel Box Home, dedicated exclusively to small-home living. “But in my opinion, the new status symbol is not how you display it but how you do it responsibly.”

Now, with small-house blogs and websites, organizations such as the Small House Society, and books like Little House on a Small Planet (Lyons Press) by carpenter and designer Shay Salomon and The Not So Big House (Taunton) by architect Sarah Susanka, there are mainstream resources teaching people how they can live in less space and have more time to enjoy it.

How Small is Small?
 
So how small are these small houses? The company Tiny Texas Homes makes homes that measure 10’ by 16’­, or even smaller. Styles vary from rustic to Queen Anne with gingerbread trim to a gambrel-roofed Dutch Colonial, and all are made using vintage, salvaged materials.

Owner Brad Kittel explains the attraction of his under-sized homes, saying, “You would be surprised at the number of houses where people are just living in one or two rooms, saving money because they aren't heating and cooling a whole house.” He says his homes have particular appeal for retirees and folks on a fixed income. The structures also have great potential as backyard studios or vacation cabins and can easily be run with renewable energy systems.

Gregory Paul Johnson, one of the founders of the Small House Society, lives in a home that’s just 140 square-feet. Jay Shafer, another co-founder, lives in just 89 square feet and his California-based Tumbleweed Tiny House Company builds homes that are between 65 and 837 square feet.

The advantage for home buyers is not only a reduction in energy bills, and a simplified, easy-to-maintain living space, but these smaller homes are movable­ and, as such, don't require building permits. There are others who have chosen to live life in an RV, and still others taking a more conventional route­ by choosing to take up residence in an eco-friendly condo such as those at the Olive8 hotel/condo development in Seattle, which includes a sustainable roof, water-saving fixtures and other energy-saving accoutrements.

A New Perspective

Of course, there are challenges to living in tight quarters. “People need private space,’’ says Johnson. “There’s a phrase people refer to which is ‘too many rats in a cage.’ Any animals will get stressed if there isn't enough space.”

But, for many, the switch to smaller living spaces has offered a new freedom. Particularly the freedom to shed all the accumulated “stuff” they don't use or want, and the ability to politely refuse gifts they'd rather not have clutter their homes. 

That is something 38-year-old Laurel Reitman of San Francisco can appreciate. Last year when she was pregnant, family, friends and coworkers at the high school where she teaches physics wanted to give her things for the new baby. Reitman and husband Mark Frey, 31, already had hand-me-downs and, thanks to their small house, a built-in excuse not to take more stuff. “Having a small house became an acceptable reason we could give so that they wouldn't buy us things,” says Frey, “but we didn't have to reject their kindness.”

There are many reasons for living in a smaller space while keeping environmental preservation in mind, says Ciji Ware, the author of Rightsizing your Life: Simplifying your Surroundings while Keeping What Matters Most (Springboard Press). “The thrust of the book is about people who are tired of the burden of  carrying a big mortgage, a lot of square footage, and maintaining  earthly possessions that don't mean much to them anymore, especially  if the kids have flown the coop," says the Sausalito, California woman. “Their 401Ks have turned into 101Ks, and they want to reduce their carbon footprint.” Ware has a formula for keeping possessions tight in order to live light. Something must be valuable, useful, beautiful or sentimental to make the cut. “Something has to have two of the four or you don't keep it," she says.

LEED Introduces Regional Priority Credits (RPCs)

The new concept of Regional Priority Credits is being introduced in the LEED 2009 rating systems to address geographically specific environmental priorities. RPCs are not new LEED credits, but are existing credits that USGBC chapters and regional councils have designated as being particularly important for their areas.

The incentive to achieve the credits is a bonus point toward the project’s total points. Each specific area is referenced by ZIP codes in a spreadsheet and has six RPCs per rating system.  A project may earn up to four bonus points through RPCs.

Upon project registration, LEED Online automatically determines a project’s RPCs based on its ZIP code. If the project earns an RPC, it will also earn the
associated bonus point. If a project earns more than four RPCs, the team can choose the credits from which the bonus points will be earned.

The USGBC Web site has state-by-state lists of the RPCs at www.usgbc.org/LEED2009.

Or go direct to the North Carolina sheet here.

   

Alamance Community College classes in green building and renewable energy

Alamance Community College is classes in renewable energy and green building.  The classes are taught by Jack Martin, who has taught at Appalachian State, N.C. A&T and Indiana State universities.

A class in renewable energy begins Monday May 18.

A class in sustainable development begins Tuesday May 19.

A class in biofuels begins Wednesday May 20. 

These three classes all meet from 6-9pm at TS Designs in Burlington.

A class about green shelter will meet each Saturday from 9 am to noon from May 23 at Alternative Building Systems in Graham

The college is working with Appalachian State University on an agreement that would allow students to transfer there after getting their initial training in environmentally friendly practices at Alamance Community College. North Carolina A&T University is another college where a transfer agreement may be put in place, Weinberg said.

For more information or to register for the classes, call 506-4200. Cost per class is $55. The classes are free for people 65 and older.

EcoGeek's cap and trade video

As a public service to anyone who doesn't understand what it all means, EcoGeek made a great 3 minute video explaining the fundamentals.
And if you do know what it means, it's still a good quick video.

NAHB National Green Building Awards honors local builder Red-B

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) National Green Building awards last Friday put the best in green residential design in the spotlight.  The awards dinner kicked off the 11th annual NAHB National Green Building Conference in Dallas last weekend.

Durham NC local building company Red-B Construction took the award for "Single-family Remodeling Project of the Year." 

For a list of all of the other winners and categories see the story here.

Atmospheric Water Generator: saves money, saves energy

Anyone using bottled water in an office or clinic should consider the Atmospheric Water Generator as a way to save money on water while helping protect the environment and reduce energy use.

Bottled water use increased rapidly over the past 20 years and we're starting to realize now what a profound impact that has had.

For more details and to order your Atmospheric Water Generator visit this site here, and enter the ID code "58".  Or just contact me to learn more.

Ways to save money on your air conditioning bills

Fellow blogger, Birney Summers, put up a post recently on no cost ways to save money on your air conditioning bills. As the weather gets warmer this is the time to recap ways to use your cooling equipment more efficiently and stop wasting hard earned dollars.

Read Birney's full post here ...

But the salient points are these:

Thermostat Use
-Set your thermostat at a higher temperature - try 78 F.
-Don't try setting it cooler to cool the house faster. Like an elevator, it will get there when it gets there no matter how many times you press the button.
-With heat pumps avoid changing the temp by more than 3 degrees.

Keeping the Heat Out
-Turn off unnecessary lights and use energy-efficient lights.
-Draw draperies, blinds, and shades indoors to keep out sunlight.

Natural Ventilation
-When possible, use fans to keep cool instead of an air conditioner.  Fans consume only a small fraction of the energy of an air conditioner. 
-Set the direction of ceiling fans so that they create a downdraft.
-If you plan to leave for a few minutes or more, turn the ceiling fans off.

“Do It Yourself” Maintenance
-Clean or replace filters regularly on air conditioners; keep outside units free from leaves or debris that may clog vents.
-Clean the outside condenser coils of your heat pump or central air conditioner. It is OK to hose off the outdoor part of your air conditioner or heat pump, even while it is running.

Operating Your Air Conditioner
-Set the fan speed of your air conditioner on high, except in very humid weather.  When it's humid, set the speed on low.
-Turn off your air conditioner when you leave home for an hour or longer. Leave your heat pump running unless you will be gone for more than a day.

I'd add to the last points that here in the South you ought not turn your air conditioner completely off when you're away. That could allow moisture to build up indoors and give mold a foot hold. Since the health hazards of mold outweigh the possible savings, I'd personally set my thermostat at around 82 when out of the house for a few days.

ICF construction open site May 8th and 9th in Chapel Hill

Triangle Polyteel is hosting an open job site this Friday May 8th from 3-5 pm and Saturday May 9th from 9-11 am. Anyone will be welcome to view this Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) construction going up. During each day at the middle hour (3:30-4:30 or 9:30-10:30) there will be a formal introduction to the methods and materials of ICF construction. The half-hour either side allows for visitors to walk around the site and ask question of the builder or the Polysteel distributor.

Come see and feel for yourself the strength, security and performance that only ICF construction can offer. 
The address is:
1023 Russells Ford Rd.
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
map

A Triangle PolySteel job site sign marks the entrance to the private gravel drive.  The project is about a half a mile down the gravel drive.  You will see signs for the address.

Please rsvp to bradley@trianglepolysteel.com indicating which day you expect to come.

UNCG breaking ground on new green building May 18th

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro will break ground May 18 on a new  green building. The 120,000-square-foot, $47 million School of Education building will meet LEED standars and is expected to be completed by Fall 2011.

This will be the first green building on campus, and will stand on Spring Garden Street next to the Bryan School of Business and Economics.

The public is invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony which begins at 11 a.m. on May 18th in the Bryan Building parking lot.

UNCG will seek LEED certification at the silver level for the building. The sustainable design is expected to save an estimated 35 percent on energy costs.

See full press release here on the UNCG site.

Progress Energy announces new incentives for energy efficiency

If you live, or plan to build, in the Progress Energy service area you could benefit from a range of of financial incentives they are now offering to customers who spend money to make their homes more energy efficient.

The NC Utilities Commission approved the programs last week which will go into effect from July 1st.

With the program Progress will pay customers:

• A $180 rebate for testing and repairing leaky air ducts. An additional $120 will be made available for homeowners with dual zone systems who test and repair ducts on the second system.
• A $375 rebate against the cost of insulation.
• Up to $450 toward window replacement, at $30 per window, provided the windows meet their efficiency standards.
• A $300 rebate for installing a central cooling system with an efficiency rating of
• SEER 15 or higher.
• $45 to offset the cost of an annual tuneup and condenser coil cleaning. The company
• will pay $100 for a higher level tuneup that also corrects refrigerant charge and
• adjusts air flow.
• $300 for a geothermal heat pump.

The incentives will be available to owners of single-family, multi-family and manufactured homes. People who live in a rented home can participate with the permission of their landlord.

Customers may also combine the Progress Energy incentives with tax credits offered by the state and federal governments.

Progress Energy believes that customers could reduce their electricity costs by 15 percent by adopting several qualifying measures.

The $20 million program will be subsidized by Progress Energy's customers through increases to their electricity bills. It expects to add about 25 cents a month to a typical household bill, but that figure will likely increase as Progress is expected to introduce further customer incentives over time. 

To qualify for the money, the customer must use a technician from a list approved by the company. Progress has not yet issued that list. Progress will post up-dates on its Website.

Report claims Southeast could produce 25% of its energy from renewables

More than 25 percent of the U.S. Southeast region’s electric power could come from locally-available renewable energy by 2025, according to a report released today by the World Resources Institute (WRI), Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE), and Southface.

This new report, Local Clean Power, can be found by clicking here.

Prompt policy action to develop these resources can also create tens of thousands of new jobs, attract more regional energy investment, and help protect regional air and water resources.

“The Southeast has a strong portfolio of renewable energy resources that offers several economic and environmental advantages over traditional electric power generation,” said Eliot Metzger, a project manager at WRI and an author of Local Clean Power, the first in a three-part series of reports about energy opportunities in the Southeast United States.

The report estimates that investments in local renewable energy resources - like biomass, solar, wind, and hydropower - can meet more than a quarter of future electricity needs in the region by 2025. That amount would be sufficient to meet national renewable energy targets currently being discussed as part of upcoming federal energy legislation.

The expansion of current renewable power production from its current level of about five percent will be a critical step towards meeting future electricity needs with cleaner supplies and increasing energy independence.

Stephen Smith, executive director at SACE, another research partner, added, “Right now we are depending on other regions of the country, and foreign countries like Columbia and Venezuela, to supply us with coal. Doesn’t it make more sense to be producing cleaner power, closer to home? Our research suggests we certainly have sufficient resources. It’s just a matter of recognizing and capitalizing on these home-grown energy supplies.”

Renewable power potential is well distributed throughout the region, though differences in total electricity sales mean that states like Mississippi and Alabama can meet much more than 25 percent of electricity needs with renewable resources (see table). Some electric power utilities are starting to develop renewable resources in the region, but additional policy action is needed to drive investment and carefully manage the transition to new energy resources.

“A focus on developing our own renewable energy resources will create good-paying jobs that cannot be exported from our region,” said Dennis Creech, executive director at Southface, which was a partner on this research. “However, we need public policy to remove market barriers and encourage these investments in the Southeast.”

“Additional policy action and investment in a clean energy future translates to new growth opportunities - which for us means the creation of more jobs,” noted Tim Blackwell, president of OneWorld Sustainable, a company specializing in efficiency and renewable energy in the Southeast.

The report's recommendations to advance renewable energy in the region include: firm targets for renewable power production; flexible incentives to advance local investments in renewable resources; and comprehensive state-level resource assessments, economic analyses, and regulatory guidance to integrate renewable power into the electricity grid.

Top 5 green building mistakes

In EcoHome magazine writer Mark LaLiberte counts down the top five green building mistakes. These are practices that no green builder should be condoning or perpetuating.
His top five are:
5. HVAC Ducts in unconditioned space
4. Building tight without intentional ventilation
3. Improper flashing and drainage planes
2. Poorly selected or installed insulation
1. Wasted resources (e.g. framing wood)

I have to agree with these, though for the Southeast I'd be tempted to add another five:
1. Building bigger than you need (any family of 4 should be able to manage with 2500 sf)
2. Ventilated and unsealed crawl spaces
3. Power ventilated attics
4. Poor site planning for storm water drainage
5. Water hungry landscapes (e.g. lawns)

These are my own peeves and are mostly particular to the hot/warm humid climate of the US Southeast region - though number 1 applies everywhere.

For the original full articles see here.

Cascadia USGBC Chapter Study Proves Viability of Ultra-Green Buildings

A new study has found that the a building that generates its own power and cleans and reuses its water is the most financially responsible approach to new construction over the mid to long term. It goes on to suggest that a building that is only slightly green may end up costing more in ten years than a building whih is designed and built as high performance possible with current technology. What the Cascadia Region Green Building Council calls "Living Buildings" it suggests, offer significantly larger savings in water and energy, plus they cost less to construct than than current prejudice would dictate.

The study team led by SERA Architects with Skanska USA Building, Gerding Edlen Development, New Buildings Institute, and Interface Engineering, determined that the only exceptions to this finding are “spec” buildings which are intended to be sold for capital gains within in a few years.  This study was an effort to put a price tag on the Living Building Challenge rating system – a relatively new program that has already sparked huge interest in North America with at least 60 proposed Living Buildings in some stage of design or actual construction.

Jason F. McLennan, CEO of Cascadia and the author of the Living Building Challenge, says, “Some people have thought this idea was 'pie in the sky' and unachievable. But the study clearly demonstrates that we can increase green jobs, greatly enhance our energy security, and most effectively utilize federal stimulus money by constructing Living Buildings, especially for those in the public sector where taxpayers are going to own and operate a building for the long term.”

The study was carried out by examining construction documentation on nine buildings, ranging from schools to homes and high-rises, in four different US cities representing various climate zones. Each of these reference buildings were certified LEED Gold, already incorporating many green features and representing current best practices. The construction documents were modified to meet the goals of a Living Building and then re-priced based on the modifications, with the purpose of comparing the cost difference of making the leap to net-zero energy and net-zero water. The science behind the study is the same methodology that is typically used by the construction industry for cost-estimating projects prior to construction.

While initial costs are higher, the bottom-line finding is that investing in Living Buildings will have significant economic impact – with less than a ten-year payback in several instances. The study finds that Living Buildings can cost as little as five percent to no more than 49 percent more depending on the building type and location, representing paybacks for many buildings that are well within the range (less than 7-15 yrs) for any institution, corporation or homeowner looking at holding onto their asset for a few years.

One of the most exciting surprises from the study was finding basically no extra cost to build a University classroom building in Portland, Oregon to the ultra high-performance standard of a Living Building. Lisa Petterson, SERA Architects’ Manager of Sustainability Resources and overall manager for the study, explains, “The combined impact of Portland’s mild climate, plus existing and upcoming incentives for green building and net-zero energy projects, make the incremental costs almost zero.”

The degree of cost effectiveness depends on the following five key factors:

• Use of the building: Public schools and classrooms had the lowest cost. Private sector developers building spec buildings had the largest cost differential.
• Size of the building and the roof: The larger the building and roof size (for solar and water catchment systems), the lower the cost premium.
• Climate matters: A mild climate with regular rainfall provides the most cost-effective opportunity for a Living Building, although net-zero energy and water is technically possible for all regions in the study.
• Incentives and rebates matter: When communities offer incentives and rebates for saving energy and using renewable energy, it reduces the cost premium significantly.
• Cost of resources matter: The higher the cost of energy and water, the shorter the payback period, making a Living Building more feasible in areas with high energy rates.

The full study and executive summary are available here: www.cascadiagbc.org/lbc/resources/financial-study/.

The Living Building Challenge will be the key topic of discussion at Living Future, Cascadia’s annual event. Scheduled for May 6-9 in Portland, Oregon, the conference will bring together 600 of the most cutting-edge green builders, developers, contractors, design professionals and thought leaders from all across North America.

For more information, please visit www.cascadiagbc.org.

RainReserve is a clever downspout diverter for your rain barrels

I've actually been wondering where to find these for a few months now. I saw one on the rain barrel at the Carrboro Town Commons structure and was impressed at the idea.

The device attaches to a downspout and will divert water to the rain barrel until it fills up. Thereafter water flows normally down the spout as before. This gets around one of the problems I have with rain barrels which is that too often the overflows don't get far enough away from foundations. I have a 6 foot hose on mine but for some reason it gets stopped up now and then. So I have to check it regularly.

With a RainReserve^TM I could just forget about the overflow worries. Oddly, their website doesn't sell this benefit. Rather they focus on the fact that it allows leaves and other large debris to pass through the diverter and out the downspout.  It seems easy to install and maintain, and is adaptable to any 2"x3" or 3"x4" downspout.

New Green Realtor Blog for NC

I've just come across a new blog started by green realtor Ford Craven. He's hit my radar with a post about an event in Charlotte from the regional Realtor Association:

"Welcome to the Green Revolution!”
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

The Mint Museum of Art
2730 Randolph Road
Charlotte, NC 28207

A worldwide trend is evolving to a new level.  Locally, Charlotte’s communities and neighborhoods are becoming greener.  What does it all mean?

Welcome to the Green Revolution! is brought to you by the Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association (CRRA) Diversity Council  –   At this free event, network with fellow Realtors®, and expand your knowledge and real estate vocabulary about green building and sustainable resources and materials.

Kathy Spence, chair of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Residential Committee (Charlotte Chapter), will provide insightful knowledge about the future of eco-friendly living and housing.

Topics include
• What makes a home green
• The true definition of eco-friendly and sustainable design
• Sustainable residential materials and resources
• Retrofitting an existing home
• Stimulus plan’s green initiative for buyers and sellers

Efficient Features Beat Luxury in Today’s Kitchens and Baths

Demand for luxury kitchen and bath items has fallen significantly, says the recently released quarterly home design trends survey by the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

“Because of concerns over affordability and re-sale value, it’s not surprising that there has been a sharp decline in demand for high-end kitchen and bath products,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker in a press release.

The survey also found that buyers are increasingly interested in building products that are renewable and energy-efficient.

”People are both budget-conscious and environmentally-conscious. They ask a lot more questions,” said custom builder Phil Kean of Phil Kean Designs, in Winter Park, Fla. “People look at [green products] as a long-term investment.”

Kean said that some of his buyers are choosing energy-efficient designs expressly for cost management. “This year I’ve actually had people say, ‘I don’t want as high ceilings because I don’t want to have to heat that space,’” said Kean. However, he added, “people that are more environmentally conscious from the start are most likely to ask about green options, but I think people are moving that direction.”

Status may provide part of the motivation. “Consumer awareness of ‘green’ products” has made eco-friendly features this season’s must-haves in kitchen and bath design. “There is a real cache in being able to show your neighbors your very cool recycling center or countertops made from recycled products,” Edwards said.

Source: Buider Online

5 Steps to Building Affordable Green Homes

FirstCoast Homes, in Charleston, SC, is one company offering green homes at about the same price as conventional homes. Their Energy Star-rated homes cost only $1000 more per house to build than their previous methods and deliver 20% to 30% more energy efficiency. 

FirstCoast builds primarily starter homes ranging from $129,000 to $209,000 in price. And since 2008 they have built only Energy Star-qualified homes. They now build every home with effective insulation, low-E windows, sealed ducts, 14-SEER heat pumps, and Energy Star-rated Whirlpool appliances.

There are five strategies that FirstCoast follows to deliver Energy Star rated homes at reasonable prices:

1. Back to Basics
Rather than rely on new technologies or products FirstCoast uses typical building methods and improves upon them. They focus on proper installation and third-party evaluation of many of the systems in the house.

2. The Great Seal
One of the most important parts of an efficient home is the tightness of the building envelope. FirstCoast relies on Home Energy Solutions of Charleston to perform methodical sealing of the shell with a combination of foam sealing and caulking throughout the building envelope.  Foam is used to seal the wire and plumbing penetrations through the OSB sheathing, caulk at the base plate and corners, and low-expansion foam around the doors and the windows. This sealing package reduces the potential air infiltration to the home by about 30%.

3. Proper Insulation Installation
By doing a good job of sealing, they avoid the added cost of spray foam insulation and can use cheaper fiberglass, but they stress proper installation.

4. Strategic Cost Savings
FirstCoast realizes savings from strategic moves. The company upgraded its windows to low-E high-performance units, but it reduced the number of windows it uses, which reduces costs. The improved sealing, insulation and windows allow the company to reduce the air conditioning needs by one ton. This saves between $400 and $800 per house.

5. Look for Back-End Deals
Regional programs may also help defray the added costs of shifting to Energy Star building practices and FirstCoast recommends builders connect with local power companies for rebate programs and other benefits. Quite a few of their homes are in electric co-ops which often help off-set the costs if a builder follows their prescriptive requirements.

Source: Builder Online

New NC Museum of Art Building aims for LEED Gold

The North Carolina Museum of Art’s new building is aiming for LEED gold standards when it opens in 2010. 

The new expansion is designed to allow more natural light to control energy costs but will still protect artwork from sunlight's damaging rays. It will do this with ultraviolet filers, louvers and curtains. And if direct sunlight threatens artworks, blackout shades will be deployed by sensors. Dan Gottlieb, the museum’s director of planning and design, said, “We have spent about as much money keeping light out as we have letting light in.”

The design will save water by using a 90,000-gallon cistern to hold roof water runoff and air conditioning condensation. The water will be used to irrigate the gardens that make up much of the museum’s new look. The building will also feature five courtyards and three reflecting pools.

The museum will close this September 6th to move its 800 artworks to the new, 127,000-square foot building, which is scheduled to open the following April.

Mecklenburg County Plans LEED certified Project

Mecklenburg County purchased the mainly vacant Freedom Mall and surrounding areas in 2003 planning to convert it into its county offices. It's on the west side of the county at the corner of Freedom Drive and Ashley Road. The mall was built in the early 60s but most of the retailers left in the late 90s. Now it seems to be a pretty run down mall with no real anchor stores.

The county began a renovation last year for its offices spaces and it looks promising, with a more modern and industrial look in deep greens, tans, red glass and metal. Mecklenburg County plans to get certification through the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Program (LEED.)

The plans for the building: photovoltaic roof panels, ice created made by chillers to help cool the building on peak electrical consumption days, rain gardens that filter and clean surface water in the parking lot before it drains into the storm sewer and a parking lot made of light colored fiber glass reinforced concrete to reflect rather than absorb sunlight.

The department of Social Services and about half of the county’s Information Services and Technology moved to the site in February of 2007. The rest of the IST Department along with Hahns real estate serves group is slated to move in this year.

Source: Charlotte Real Estate Voice

The Empire State Building goes green!

The Empire State Building is getting a green makeover. The project aims to cut energy use by 38 percent and thereby save $4.4 million per year in energy costs.

The updates include replacing 6,500 windows to reduce summer heat load and winter heat loss. There will also be significant upgrades to the chiller plus radiative barriers to cut losses from the radiators. Eight major projects in three stages are planned and these are detailed on the project website www.esbsustainability.com.

Also see the video and news on the Clinton Foundation website. The Clinton Climate Initiative is a key partner in moving this project forward and Bill himself speaks eloquently about the benefits and upside of doing many more projects like this to retrofit existing buildings for better efficiency.

Local MLS now includes fields for green homes

The local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) has finally included a number of fields in its database to show green features of homes.

Four major green home certifications programs that are now included in MLS:

• ENERGY STAR homes that are 15% more efficient than a typical home
• Green Certified homes by the Home Builders of the Triangle
• Healthy Built Homes certification administered by the NSCU Solar Center
• LEED for Homes high-performance green homes program administered by the US Green Building Council

You can now search on features like:

• Tankless Water Heater
• Geo Thermal Heat System (closed loop)
• Sealed Crawl Space
• No-Low VOC in Paints, Sealants, Varnishes
• Spray Foam Insulation
• Engineered Wood Products
• ENERGY STAR® Appliances
• ENERGY STAR ® Lighting Fixtures
• EPA WaterSense Plumbing Fixtures
• Sealed Combustion Fireplaces/Woodstoves
• Photovoltaics -Solar Power
• Advanced Framing/Concrete Construction
• Infill Lot
• Rainwater Collection
• Xeriscaping-Drought-Resistant Plants
• Fresh Air Ventilation
• Recycled Construction/Household Waste
• Radiant Heated Floors

Many people in the industry have worked for about 2 years to get this change pushed through. Congratulations to all of them!

And thanks to Jeanne Moyer for flagging this to me. See her post on the topic here.

New Visitor Center At Cliffs of The Neuse State Park is LEED registered

The NC state parks system is beginning a 7,000-square-foot $2.4 million green visitor center at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park in Wayne County.  The project is registered as a LEED project with the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and will incorporate as many features as possible to make it energy efficient and sustainable.

Some of the planned features include active and passive solar energy systems, low-energy, water-source heat pumps and a highly reflective roof surface to reduce summer heat gain. Also, the building's sidewalk will feature a cast model of the Neuse River.

The designer of record is Schema Architecture of Raleigh, and general contractor is Blue Ridge Enterprises of Mount Airy. The event is open to the public. The state park is located 12 miles southeast of Goldsboro on N.C. 111.

A groundbreaking will be held at the park at 11 a.m. April 3 with the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina helping to mark the event with a Ceremonial Blessing.

Similar to visitor centers built at 18 state parks and state recreation areas since 1994, the facility at Cliffs of the Neuse will offer a unique design reflecting the park's character and will feature an exhibit hall, teaching auditorium and classroom along with administrative offices for both the park and the state parks system's east district.

Most hotels have potential to benefit from solar thermal

A recent article in GreenerBuildings.com explores the growing potential for hotels and resorts to save by installing solar thermal solutions. The Proximity Hotel, in Greensboro NC, which I've written about more than once, is heavily featured. Its 100-panel installation covers 4,000 square feet on the LEED Platinum building delivering about 5,000 gallons of hot water each day. This is saving the hotel about $16,000 per year , according to Dennis Quaintance, of Quaintance-Weaver, the company that owns the property.

The company expects to recover its investment in the system within five years. When you total up energy savings, renewable energy credits of $20,000 a year, a 30 percent federal tax credit, 35 percent state tax credit, and accelerated depreciation it's a rapid return on investment. The solar hot water heating system is backed up by a natural gas system, but has been meeting 60 percent of the hotel’s domestic hot water needs.

An even larger system has been installed on the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa. This one goes to 166-panels heating 100,000 gallons of water each day. The installers estimate the hotel's owners should get a return on their $550,000 investment in less than three years. In this case, Arizona Public Service is offsetting 60% of the cost through its purchase of RECs.  The hotel owners are now planning a possible additional 212 panels, which would make it the largest solar thermal installation on any hotel in the United States.  The heated water from phase two will be used for the resort’s restaurants, laundry and pool. Because so much water is used for these, payback time on phase two will be just six months

Hotels are clearly catching on to the sizeable savings they can gain from solar hot water implentations. And it seems to work in almost every part of the country.

EcoDrain cuts down hot water use in showers

In a recent post on inhabitat I came across a brilliant concept that recaptures the heat from your shower water as it runs down the drain. That heat is then recirculated back to the shower mixing valve, thus cutting down your use of hot water from your water heater. Just plain clever. I'm wondering how feasible it is on a retrofit though. More likely it's a feature for new construction.

See the full story on inhabitat here.

Concentrating solar for home lighting and heat

Practical Solar is a computer controlled heliostat (mirrors) system that directs the sun's rays from your lawn or garden into your home. A single heliostat directed through a window or skylight can deliver the equivalent of 40 100-watt incandescent bulbs.  Two systems can directly heat a room with 600 watts of thermal energy.

The system comes with software that runs on a standard pc and can individually control up to 200 heliostats with unique targets and timer settings for each one.

It's a very intriguing and novel idea. I have to commend the designers on coming up with such a simple way to harness solar energy for practical uses. On the other hand, it looks like it will take up a fair bit of lawn space with not particularly handsome equipment. And I have to wonder what it's like to look out your window at mirrors that are focusing the sun right back at you.

Raintube gutter protection with Cradle-to-Cradle Gold certification

I've long felt slightly skeptical about gutter protection systems. A couple years ago I got a price for my house that was around $3000, and I've heard higher prices quoted from other systems for similar sized homes. Considering it cost me less than $100 to have some guys come clean out my gutters (Or I can do it myself in about 3 hours) and assuming I do that twice each year, it would still take about 10-15 years to pay back my initial cost. Plus, the systems out there are anything but green.

Until now that is. The Raintube claims to cost half of what other systems cost, which brings it into the realm of reasonableness. Plus, it's made from 100% recycled HDPE which is virtually indestructible and comes with a transferable lifetime warranty.

RainTube is one of only eleven companies worldwide to achieve a Cradle to Cradle Gold Tier Certification and the only Eco-Friendly gutter protection product out there!  They have won some impressive awards for their sustainability work including:

• The Sustainable Product Award for the highest overall product sustainability rating
• The Global Climate Change Award
• The End of Product Life Award

The patented RainTube material is porous and fits snugly into the body of the gutter keeping debris high up out of the water where it can dry out quickly. Water flows in great volumes around and through the tube via thousands of tiny passageways. In most installations, RainTube crowns slightly above the top of the gutter creating a slippery aerodynamic surface that allows most debris to blow away in a light breeze.

This will finally cause me to rethink my stance on gutter protection systems. However, there isn't an installer in North Carolina yet. Anyone want to partner up to start one?

A Greener fiberglass insulation - EcoBatt

EcoBatt™ fiberglass insulation doesn't look like the usual insulation - for starters it's brown. That's because it doesn't use dyes like other fiberglass insulation products.

The manufacturer, Knauf, utilizes what they call ECOSE™ technology to bind it together. This converts natural organic materials into an inert polymer, binding the insulation fibers.  The technology is also up to 70% less energy intensive.

EcoBatt also contains no formaldehyde, acrylics, or artificial colors. It does however, contain a minimum of 30% post-consumer recycled glass.

It's only now becoming available on the west coast, and is due to become available on the East cost by the end of this year.

Green building materials business forecast to grow to $80 billion by 2013

The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm, recently issued a study titled "Green Building Materials" estimating the 2008 market for green building materials at almost $57 billion. They forecast it will to expand 7.2 percent annually to over $80 billion in 2013. This outpaces the growth of building construction spend over the same period.  Growth will be driven primarily by the recovery of the residential market through 2013 as it rises from its depressed 2008 level. 

FSC-certified wood is expected to be the fastest growing products in percentage terms, but it's coming from a small base. 

Other products expected to see fast growth through 2013 include water-efficient plumbing fixtures and fittings, and energy-efficient lighting fixtures. Demand for each of these products is forecast to grow at a double-digit pace through 2013, but account for only a small share of total green building materials market.

The greatest absolute gains are forecast to come from green floor coverings, which is the largest green building materials market. 

Concrete made from recycled materials (e.g., fly ash, blast furnace slag) had the second largest share of green building materials demand in 2008, accounting for over 15 percent of the market total.  Demand for concrete made from recycled materials is forecast to grow 8.4 percent per year to $14.3 billion in 2013, accounting for an increasing share of total concrete used.

The Freedonia Group is a leading international business research company, founded in 1985, that publishes more than 100 industry research studies annually. This industry analysis provides an unbiased outlook and a reliable assessment of an industry and includes product segmentation and demand forecasts, industry trends, demand history, threats and opportunities, competitive strategies, market share determinations and company profiles. 

Kohl's opening new green store in Wake Forest

Kohl's has announced it is opening 18 new stores this spring including one in Wake Forest on April 1st which are built to a design that is LEED pre-certified at the Silver level.

The store's green attributes include recycled and locally obtained building materials; high-efficiency heating and cooling systems; occupancy sensor lighting for stockrooms, break rooms and offices; water-conserving plumbing fixtures and a recycling program for cardboard boxes, hangers and packaging.

I mentioned Kohl's back in Oct 07 in an item "Retailers Flocking toward Green" and it's a trend I see accelerating across the country. It's great that NC is getting some of that.

I also notice Kohl's flaunting their green credentials with a new site www.kohlsgreenscene.com.

N.C. State Design Uses Less Steel in Beams

Researchers from North Carolina State University (NCSU) have worked out a safe way to use 30 percent less reinforcing steel in manufactured concrete beams, or spandrels, used in building parking garages.

Sami Rizkalla, one of the leaders of the research team, says their new spandrel design "simplifies construction for precast concrete producers," as well as using less steel, the new design cuts labor and manufacturing time in half -- significantly decreasing costs. And the new design guidelines include a significant margin for safety such that spandrels could handle two to three times the maximum weight they would be expected to bear.

The success of the project is already drawing interest from the concrete industry, with individual companies coming to NC State to get input on how to improve their products and manufacturing processes.

For the full story on the NCSU website click here

Great Solar Hot Water Overview

Fine Homebuilding magazine ran an excellent 6-page overview of solar hot water technology which is available free - click here to view it.

The author, Scot Gibson, highlights the different technologies and the benefits of each.  He also gives a brief run down of what is involved in the installation of a typical system.

This is also a good place to remind readers that we're now installing both Solahart thermosiphon units and Apricus evacuated tube units in the NC Triangle area as well as Solahart units in the Charlotte NC area.

Caravan Village Aims Higher Than Green

Caravan Village is the vision of architect Tim Watson, as an eco-restorative community of homes. This community, in Franklinville NC, will go beyond the usual concepts of green building. It aims to put more back into the environment that it takes out. That's an almost unheard of idea for housing developments - even so called green developments.

Caravan Village seeks to create a positive inter-generational community by accommodating the needs of aging and infirm in inclusive ways that integrate them into the wider community. So it goes beyond usual concepts of Universal Design or Aging In Place too. It will create a place where people of all ages and abilities can live happily in harmony.

Some of the amenities planned for the community include:

• Solar Photovoltaic Golf Cart charging
• Golf cart lanes
• Shuttle bus stop to other areas
• Space for communal or individual gardening
• Rain Gardens
• Living retention pond
• Permaculture systems
• On site utility co-op

One of the things I particularly like about it is the utility co-op concept where several homes can share resources like solar photovoltaic, solar hot water, air conditioning, rain water storage etc. This can lower the up-front cost for each home to enjoy these benefits which offer cost savings, security and social improvements.

Plus, Tim intends for one in every five homes to be partly subsidized with the occupant taking responsibility for upkeep of the utility co-op in return.

see www.tlwarchitect.com for more information

Dramatically better concrete - iCrete

Concrete is ubiquitous. It's the world's most widely used building material, but has long been recognized as having high embodied energy and a relatively large carbon footprint. Yet, there are many great and very sustainable aspects to it as well. It's clearly not going anywhere soon. So it's wonderful to see innovations that take a good product and make it better.

iCrete is such an innovation. It’s a system that simply optimizes and customizes the mix designs for concrete. They do this partly by optimizing the void space between aggregates. This allows for a reduction in the amount of cement paste used to create a bond. Using the same basic materials, the company creates a formula specific to local resources and the project requirements, optimizing the production and the procurement or raw materials.

The result you get with iCrete is a stronger concrete that uses fewer raw materials, 25% less cementitious material and is more consistent batch after batch.

The iCrete product has clearly impressed people and they've gained endorsements from Frank Gehry Partners and from Collavino Construction Co., who are working on the Freedom Tower in NYC.

Some of its other benefits and efficiencies include:

• labor savings from shortened construction cycles and improved workability
• fewer rejected loads due to reliable consistency
• less dependence on steel
• higher strength than standard concrete
• greater workability
• faster finishing times
• reduced shrinkage
• reduces the amount of cement used in concrete by up to 40%
• reduces carbon footprint up to 40%
• less material waste because of high quality control and increased consistency

Green Historic Preservation Workshop - Greensboro Feb 10th

Participants of a workshop sponsored by Preservation Greensboro will learn how to preserve our environment by going green.

The event will be chaired by Carl Elefante, Director of Sustainable Design with QUINN EVANS ARCHITECTS from Washington DC and lecturer on historic preservation.

The workshop will meet in the Carolina Cadillac Building at 304 East Market Street  downtown Greensboro. Participants of the workshop will review plans for the building; explore state and federal tax credits; learn of green building initiatives in Greensboro and examine the potential for LEED certification. The case study will familiarize architects, developers, and downtown property owners with the process for qualifying for both tax credits and “Green” initiatives.

Attendance for this event is FREE. The doors will open at the Carolina Cadillac Building at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 10th, followed by review of the following topics:

• Historic Preservation and Tax Credit Projects
• Sustainability / Green Building in Greensboro
• Cadillac Dealership Project
• Green building and LEED certification
• Cadillac Dealership Project Case Study

This workshop is for anyone interested in investing or improving downtown structures, citizens and businesses interested in sustainable architecture and design.

For more information about this workshop, please contact Judi at 272-5003, extension

How much less does it cost to build green?

Barry Katz, in his excellent blog "the future is green" argues that asking how much more it will cost to build green is simply asking the wrong question. He re-frames the issue as life-cycle cost rather than just build cost to say we should really be asking "how much LESS" will it cost to build green.

This is a case I've heard before but really it needs to be said over and over again until we start to look at life-cycle costs rather than outright build costs. Or at least until the standard of buildings is all equally great which means effectively that all building is green.

Mr Katz looks at an excellent example in Adobe System's HQ retrofit which cost $1.4 million but is netting a cost savings of $1.2 million per year. Of course it, and other green buildings offer softer benefits too like improved productivity and reduced absenteeism which could be much larger.

So, how much less does it cost to build green, anyway? See the story here.

Truly green playground systems by EcoPlay

There are several manufacturers in the Commercial Playground industry who are now claiming to be green.  One company in Marietta GA, called Safeplay Systems is the real deal.  Safeplay Systems designs, manufactures, and installs playground structures made of EcoPlay®, a green building material made from post-consumer recycled HDPE plastic (i.e. milk jugs). A single EcoPlay playground keeps an average of 30,000 milk jugs out of landfill.  And, installation can be applied toward LEED certification points.

Not only are EcoPlay green playgrounds made of post-consumer recycled material, but at the end of their useful life [estimated at 50+ years], the playgrounds can be recycled yet again and used in the building of new playgrounds.

Safeplay Systems, initially manufactured and sold wooden equipment. Being familiar with the inherent flaws of wood, and the high maintenance issues of metal, President, Bob Gredys began searching for a new green building material. Recycled plastic proved to be the answer. Working with a top polymer chemist, Safeplay Systems introduced EcoPlay -- one of the strongest materials available. EcoPlay is impermeable to water, cannot be eaten by insects, never needs painting or sealing, and it won’t splinter, crack, rust, swell or degrade in any way. So its a green material on several levels.

Safeplay custom designs their play structures, outdoor classrooms and site amenities – really, anything goes. 

EcoPlay Playgrounds from Safeplay Systems meet and exceed industry standards and all installations are conducted by a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) to assure compliance with all safety codes. 

See: www.safeplaysystems.com.

If your green building design or green retrofit project calls for a playgroud then contact me, or call Sandra Cummins on 770-314-1720 for more information.

 

National Green Building Standard™ Approved by ANSI

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has said that their National Green Building Standard for residential construction has been approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This gives the standard added credibility and importance in a somewhat crowded field of mostly local standards for green building.

The standard defines what green practices can and should be incorporated into residential development and construction on a national scale. And it shows how home owners can operate and maintain their green homes.

 

As part of the stringent process required by ANSI, NAHB and the International Code Council assembled a fully inclusive and representative consensus committee composed of a broad spectrum of builders, architects, product manufacturers, regulators and environmental experts. This group deliberated the content of the standard for more than a year, held four public hearings and evaluated more than 2,000 public comments submitted for consideration.

 

The NAHB Research Center, an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer, administered the development of the standard. The Research Center also administers a national verification and certification program for green homes through NAHBGreen, the NAHB National Green Building Program, and can now offer certification for residential projects to this new standard.

 

A teleconference will be held to discuss the implications of this standard.

When: 2:00 p.m. EST, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009

 

To Participate:

To participate in the teleconference, please dial 1-800... and ask for the “National Green Building Standard” Call.

 

If you are unable to participate in the teleconference, you may listen to a full replay of the call after the teleconference has concluded by calling 877-344-7529 and entering 427664 followed by the # sign when prompted for the account number. The replay will be accessible beginning at 5:00 p.m. EST on Feb. 5 and will be available until 5:00p.m. on Feb. 19.