Gen. Colin Powell, USA (Ret.) to Give Keynote Address at the Greenbuild Conference

The U.S. Green Building Council announced that former Secretary of State and retired Gen. Colin L. Powell will give the keynote address at USGBC’s annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo being held Nov.17-19, 2010, in Chicago, Ill.

“General Powell has made another career of sharing his lessons of leadership.” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of USGBC. “His keen insights and global perspective are especially relevant to our movement in these times of great challenge and change. He exemplifies that leadership is about more than a title: It’s about taking charge during times of great crisis.”

General Powell is a retired four-star general. He previously served as National Security Advisor under President Ronald Regan and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed General Powell to be Secretary of State, a position he held until 2005. In addition, for the past decade, General Powell has committed his time, energy and leadership to improving the lives of America’s young people as founding Chairman of America’s Promise Alliance — an organization that works with over 400 partner organizations to provide
needed resources that build better lives for America’s youth.

General Powell has demonstrated his exemplary leadership through his public service and private life. He has broken racial barriers as the first African-American Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He has received several distinguished military and civilian honors including two Presidential Medals of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star and the Soldier’s Medal. General Powell also founded the Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies at his alma mater, the City College of New York and has served on the boards of various non-profits.

As a sign of General Powell’s wide-ranging leadership and the powerful message he will bring as Greenbuild’s opening keynote speaker, a LEED Platinum affordable housing building in his childhood neighborhood bears his name. The General Colin L. Powell Apartments in the South Bronx, N.Y., is a cutting-edge 50-unit multifamily project resulting from a partnership between Habitat for Humanity-New York City and Blue Sea Development. General Powell participated in the LEED certification ceremony.

In addition to General Powell’s keynote address, Greenbuild 2010 will feature an array of inspiring speakers and more than 100 education sessions and the world's largest exhibit hall devoted to green building with over 900 exhibiting companies with over 1,800 booths showcasing the latest in innovative, cutting-edge products and services

For more information, visit http://www.greenbuildexpo.org/.

GREENGUARD's Exhibit at HEALTHCARE DESIGN.10 to Help Architects and Designers Specify Healthier Products

Architects and designers who visit the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute's first-ever HEALTHCARE DESIGN.10 exhibit next week will have the opportunity to learn how low-emitting products and materials can help create healthier, more sustainable healing environments.

The GREENGUARD exhibit, which draws attention to the potential health hazards of product emissions and invisible indoor air contaminants, will also identify ways that architects and designers can more easily and efficiently specify low-emitting products.

"Given that many people in healthcare environments suffer from weakened immune systems and/or debilitating respiratory conditions, such as asthma, the need to address indoor air quality in healthcare environments is more critical now than ever before," says Paul Bates, market outreach manager for the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute.  "There's no doubt that airborne chemical exposure from product emissions can exacerbate existing health conditions and can even trigger new problems. If the goal of a healthcare environment is to promote healing, it is incumbent upon architects, designers, and facility managers to ensure that the products they use in those environments are low-emitting."

Hazardous airborne chemicals commonly found in healthcare environments include formaldehyde, benzene, methyl methacrylate, and hexane—all of which can off-gas from healthcare-related products. Many are known or suspected carcinogens, reproductive toxins, developmental toxins, and/or physical irritants, and can be particularly harmful to the sick and the elderly.

Products that have achieved GREENGUARD Certification have been independently, scientifically tested to evaluate their chemical emissions and ensure that they meet some of the world's most stringent health-based requirements. As a result, they're recognized in the Green Guide for Healthcare, the healthcare sector's first quantifiable, sustainable design toolkit that integrates environmental and health-based practices into the planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance of healthcare facilities.

"Why risk exposing patients, doctors, nurses, and staff to potentially dangerous contaminants in a place where they're supposed to be healing?" Bates says. "By choosing the right products—those that have been independently assessed for their impact on indoor air quality—you can be certain that the healing environment you're creating is healthier for everyone involved."

To learn more about GREENGUARD Certified products at HEALTHCARE DESIGN.10, visit Booth Number 258. HCD.10 runs Nov. 13 through Nov. 16. For more information, visit www.hcd10.com.

ABC to Host Green Building Symposium

ABC is holding a Green Building Symposium in conjunction with Ecobuild America on Dec. 7. The one-day conference takes place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. 

The conference will include several sessions on green building topics including; “Green Building Outlook: Trends and Opportunities for Sustainable Design and Construction During Economic Recovery;” “Best Practice: Using Pervious Concrete for Managing Storm Water;” “Chicken or the Egg: Using the IPD Process to Drive Cultural/Generational Evolution;” and “Green Building: Codes, Regulations, Process and Legal Exposure.” The conference will conclude with a reception for networking opportunities. 

ABC members can register for this event at www.GreenConstructionAtWork.com/Symposium . Members will need to register for the Tuesday day pass in order to attend ABC’s conference. The cost of registration is $245 with a 15 percent discount for ABC members. In order to obtain the 15 percent discount, ABC members must enter discount code ABC15TEX.   For more information on ABC’s Green Building Symposium, please visit www.GreenConstructionAtWork.com/Symposium.  

For any further questions, please contact Jen Huber, huber@abc.org.  

Code for Sustainable Construction

The Portland Cement Association (PCA) and the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) have developed High Performance Building Requirements for Sustainability 2.0. The criteria are written in mandatory language that amends and appends the International Code Council International Building Code (IBC).

Download High Performance Building Requirements for Sustainability 2.0 

Download Power Point Presentation 

Download White Paper

Experts Join for Green Building Round Table Discussion at Balsam Mountain Preserve

D&J Properties, a green consultancy group, is bringing together a panel of green building experts from a variety of disciplines to discuss green building practices and options in a Trust Talk, Thursday October 28 starting at 5:30 at the Balsam Mountain Boarding House. Additionally, D &J Properties will host an open house Saturday, October 30, between 2:00 - 6:00 pm at their Balsam Mountain Preserve residence and office.

To attend either the Trust Talk or the Open House, please contact D&J Properties Atlanta office: 770-564-9737.

Designing Out Waste: ‘Pre-cycling’ to Eliminate Waste in Design Phase New

By: Tom Hardiman
Modular Building Institute

The impact of construction and demolition debris on the environment is staggering. More than 135 million tons of debris from construction sites is brought to U.S. landfills every year, making it the single largest source in the waste stream (Source: USGBC White Paper –Planning for Construction Waste). Reducing the amount of waste in a project is an important part of sustainable building and begins with the design process. Choosing alternative methods of construction such as prefabrication, preassembly, modularization, and off-site fabrication techniques is an effective way to design out waste.

Example of waste on a construction site that gets
sent to landfills. Image courtesy WRAP

According to the Whole Building Design Guide provided by the National Institute of Building Sciences, construction waste reduction is measured by material diverted by the waste stream divided by the total potential waste:

Quantity of materials diverted from the waste stream / Total potential waste quantity
Most efforts by the green building community, however, have focused on recovery, reuse, recycling or diversion of the waste post-construction, rather than reducing waste on the front end, through better management, procurement, and construction practices.
The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating program recognizes and rewards points for waste that is diverted post-construction, but does not address the issue of waste minimization during construction.
In its LEED NC Version 3.0 under MR Credit 2 it says:
Intent: to divert construction and demolition debris from disposal in landfills and incineration facilities. The LEED rating system awards points for diversion of (recycled or salvaged) 50% of debris (1 point) or 75% of the debris (2 points).

This system ignores and potentially punishes a contractor who actually generates less waste to begin with, and some could argue it rewards contractors for generating large amounts of waste to achieve the goal of diverting 50% of waste.

Example:
Consider a typical 2,000 sq. ft. home that generates about 8,000 pounds of waste, or about 4 pounds per square foot - roughly 15% total waste (Source: National Association of Home Builders Deconstruction Series).

Contractor A is able to divert 50% of that waste from the landfill and as a reward, receives 1 LEED point for only sending 4,000 pounds to the landfill.

Suppose Contractor B is resource-efficient and generates 10% waste or 5,333 pounds of waste from the same 2,000 sq. ft. home, but is only able to divert 45% from the landfill. Contractor B sends only 2,933 pounds to the landfill, but LEED does not recognize this effort within its rating system – despite the fact that the contractor sent 26.7% less waste to the landfill on the same home.

Post construction recycling is just one method of reducing the amount of waste that ends up in our landfills. Waste avoidance through lean construction processes and minimization of waste through prefabrication and the use of building information modeling are much more effective techniques.

Modular construction by nature is material and resource-efficient. One of the great economies of modular construction is the ability to assemble repetitive units in controlled conditions. Another is to minimize material waste associated with conventional construction due to weather intrusion and construction site theft. Whole modular units – largely finished prior to arriving at the construction site – can significantly limit construction waste generated at the site and contribute directly to construction site waste management.

Modular construction capitalizes on the ability to move product in controlled manufacturing conditions, and on tight inventory control and project schedules. It is inherently waste conscious and can have minimum site impact if delivered carefully and strategically with respect to site constraints. In addition, since modular builders work in factory controlled environment, they can have many construction projects underway simultaneously in one location, so they are better able to re-inventory materials that may have been allocated to one project, for use in another. With site built construction, a general contractor would send any overage to the recycle or to the dump.

Off-Site Construction offers significant potential to minimize construction waste. Images courtesy Britco Structures.

Modular buildings arrive to a site between 60% to 90% complete and are built of the same materials and to the same codes as buildings constructed by conventional, on-site methods. Further, once assembled, modular buildings are virtually indistinguishable from their typical site-built counterparts. Pictured is High Tech High in Chula Vista, CA by Williams Scotsman. The school is LEED® Gold certified and made of renewable and recycled materials such as sealed lightweight concrete floors and high-density fiberboards.

A report published by the U.K. group, Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) supports the fact that off-site manufacturing processes can help the construction industry reduce waste. Off site manufacture already offers the construction industry benefits in terms of time and cost predictability, health and safety and skills. However, this work shows that there is the potential to make a significant difference to the amount of waste the industry produces (Source: Current Practices and Future Potential in Modern Methods of Construction).

Some of the biggest waste streams in traditional construction are packaging (up to 5%), timber (up to 25%) and plasterboard (up to 36%). Up to a 90% reduction can be achieved by reducing wastes such as wood pallets, shrink wrap, cardboard, plasterboard, timber, concrete, bricks and cement by increasing the use of off-site manufacture and modular construction. WRAP has developed an excellent resource, the “Designing out Waste: A design team guide for buildings” report to help owners and contractors.

Estimates of the levels of site waste reduced using modular construction. Data courtesy WRAP

For example, modular manufacturers have materials delivered to the factory on pallets frequently. However, rather than disposing of the pallets as is common with on site construction, many manufacturers use companies that remove the pallets and even pay a few pennies to makes them available to supplier companies for reuse as is. This direct reuse results in very low embodied energy versus recycling. For modular manufacturers, pallets do not represent part of the waste stream, just a reusable delivery mechanism.
If we as a construction industry are to be serious about waste reduction, doesn’t it make sense to look at both parts of the equation? Why can’t we design out waste to simultaneously minimize the amount of waste generated during construction as well as managing post-construction waste?

About the Author

Tom Hardiman is the Executive Director of the Modular Building Institute (MBI). MBI is the international non-profit trade association representing commercial modular contractors. For more information, visit www.modular.org.

Where are the World's Greenest Buildings

Green building industry leader Jerry Yudelson says that green building has continued to grow worldwide in spite of the global economic crisis and the ongoing credit issues in most countries. The green building consultant is now looking to document how well these projects are doing by looking at ongoing performance data, especially those rated at the highest levels in the various national green building rating systems (e.g., LEED Platinum, BREEAM Outstanding, Six-Star Green Star). “What we’re seeing is that more projects are going green each year, and there is nothing on the horizon that will stop this trend,” explains Jerry Yudelson, the principal of Tucson-based green building consultancy, Yudelson Associates, “but the bigger issue is: how are they performing?” An upcoming book from Yudelson and Ulf Meyer, “The World’s Greenest Buildings: Promise vs. Performance in Sustainable Design,” will be published in Spring 2012 by Routledge Taylor & Francis, a leading global publisher based in London. Yudelson and his co-author, Professor Ulf Meyer (currently teaching at the University of Nebraska), are asking for submissions of top-rated green projects (such as LEED® Platinum in the U.S.) worldwide that are willing to release at least a year’s worth of documented energy and water use.

Projects must be at least 5,000 square meters (or 50,000 square feet) in floor area and have been completed no later than the beginning of 2004. “We want to establish metrics of contemporary practice for building teams to aim at. For example, one possible benchmark might be100-kilowatt hours per square meter per year of primary or source energy use,” said Yudelson. “Only when we know what to aim at can we begin to confidently start reducing carbon emissions from new buildings.” Yudelson has prepared a simple online survey that project owners, managers and architects can use to submit buildings for the authors’ consideration. The survey can be accessed at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/worldsgreenestbuildings. Submission deadline is October 31, 2010.

About Yudelson Associates and Jerry Yudelson Yudelson Associates is a leading international firm in sustainability planning and green building consulting. The founder, Jerry Yudelson, is widely acknowledged as one of the nation’s leading green building and sustainability consultants. He is the author of 12 green building books and served for two years as Research Scholar for Real Estate Sustainability for the International Council of Shopping Centers, a 70,000-member international trade organization. He is a frequent green building keynote speaker at industry and professional conferences around the world. He chaired the industry’s largest annual show, Greenbuild, from 2004 through 2009. For more information please contact Jerry Yudelson, 520-207-9759, or visit the Yudelson Associates website,http://www.greenbuildconsult.com/.

Building Code for Sustainable Concrete Construction Emphasize ‘Functional Resilience’

Building requirements developed by PCA, IBHS stress durability as well as energy efficiency and other green building requirements

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A sustainable building with a higher degree of durability can decrease the amount of materials going to landfills and use of community resources when disasters occur

September 20, 2010

Each year in the United States, more than $35 billion in direct property loss is caused by natural disasters. Yet, while states and municipalities are seeking to adopt ordinances that require “green” or “sustainable” construction, they are overlooking disaster-resistance construction.

To allow local governments to adopt green building codes that address high performance as well as conventional sustainable features, the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) have developed High Performance Building Requirements for Sustainability 2.0. The criteria are written in mandatory language that amends and appends the International Code Council International Building Code (IBC).

The document includes the concepts in most other sustainability or green standards like energy, water and material resource conservation, and indoor air quality while enhancing disaster resistance and setting more stringent durability requirements.

“Using these requirements will give forward-thinking communities not just more efficient buildings, but more sustainable communities that have the ability to resist and recover from disasters when they occur,” said Wanda D. Edwards, PE, IBHS director of building code development.

PCA and IBHS have aligned the provisions with the concepts of both the Whole Building Design Guide (wbdg.org) and High Performance Building Council. Enacting and enforcing these provisions provides the basis for designers and owners to obtain certification as a US Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for New Construction (LEED-NC).

The criteria are organized by chapter and section consistent with the IBC format and is intentionally limited to issues typically within the purview of the building code and zoning and land use officials. There are no requirements for sole source certification or fees that increase the initial project design cost.

“A sustainable building with a higher degree of durability can decrease the amount of materials going to landfills and use of community resources when disasters occur,” Steve Szoke, PCA director of codes and standards, said. “After Hurricane Katrina, more than 44 million cubic yards of building materials and contents were disposed of in landfills. The PCA/IHBS ordinance provides mandatory requirements for increased resistance to natural disasters with the goal of reducing the number of destroyed buildings and protecting property, and saving human life.”

About the IBHS
IBHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific and educational organization supported by the property insurance industry. The organization works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other risks to residential and commercial property by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices.

About PCA
Based in Skokie, Ill., the Portland Cement Association represents cement companies in the United States and Canada. It conducts market development, engineering, research, education, and public affairs programs. More information on PCA programs is available at www.cement.org.

Return On Investment in LEED® with Sustainable Designs and Green Buildings

Stanley Chow, AIA, PP, LEED AP BD+C

Our diversity allows us to innovate with the different facets of sustainability, architecture, engineering, and construction to deliver integrative environments that will be healthy for people and environmentally sustainable for future generations.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) September 20, 2010

Stanley Chow, AIA, PP, LEED AP BD+C, former Director of LEED® Resource Development at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), announces the launch of CHOW & Company, LLC. The Washington DC-based consulting firm provides professional services in environmental sustainability, LEED implementation, green architecture, construction management, sustainable land-use development, and retail design. CHOW & Company works closely with developers, architects, engineers, planners, and constructors to manage integrated project delivery teams.

With a background deeply rooted in real estate development, Chow recognized the one thing that would make a difference to building owners, real estate developers, tenants, and financial lenders was proving the Return On Investment for green initiatives and LEED certifications.

CHOW & Company is focused on finding the green benefits at every stage of the design, development, and construction process and delivering clients with real ROI opportunities through leading edge integrative and strategic greening.

Chow says “Our diversity allows us to innovate with the different facets of sustainability, architecture, engineering, and construction to deliver integrative environments that will be healthy for people and environmentally sustainable for future generations. As buildings account for a major portion of the energy, resources, and materials depletion on this planet, we can help minimize the environmental damage and reduce carbon footprints, while ensuring the appropriate ROI.” Chow explains that “the investment portion of the ROI is analyzed and presented in financial and environmental terms so clients can be better informed to make critical decisions.”

Chow is a Registered Architect, Professional Planner, and LEED AP BD+C with almost 30 years of diverse experience in sustainability, architecture, construction, and real estate development. While at USGBC, Chow led a specialized team of LEED Accredited Professionals in the development, improvement and maintenance of LEED tools and resources.

Chow was also Vice President of Development at a major real estate investment and development firm in Washington DC, Vice President of Construction at an international retail/entertainment development company based in Baltimore, MD and Director of Development at a McLean, VA development firm.

Chow has managed mixed-use development projects with construction values upwards of $1.2 billion. He is a recognized specialist in retail design, store planning and construction and has held senior leadership positions with national retailers Toys R Us, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Party City, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Best Buy.

CHOW & Company is an active member firm of the U.S. Green Building Council, the American Institute of Architects, and the International Council of Shopping Centers. Learn more at CHOWandCompany.com or contact Marcia Karasek at 202.618.0080.

Johnson Controls Awarded LEED Platinum Certification for Sustainability Improvements at Corporate Campus

Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) has been awarded LEED® Platinum certification -- the highest such recognition -- by the U.S. Green Building Council, for its efforts to make its Glendale corporate campus a model of energy efficiency and sustainability. This represents the largest concentration of LEED Platinum buildings -- four -- on one site ever awarded.

Hundreds of wireless controllers and sensors communicating throughout buildings on the 33-acre site feed information to the company's Metasys® building management system which provides continuous monitoring of energy consumed per square foot. Variances can be detected and the systems adjusted automatically or with hand-held devices from any location via the Internet. Numerous other Johnson Controls energy efficiency technologies are in use as well.

"As a company that's been in the energy efficiency business for 125 years, we believe it was important to set an example and demonstrate the benefits of incorporating the latest green technologies, including many of our own,  into a multi-building campus setting," said Stephen A. Roell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Johnson Controls. "We're delighted that the U.S. Green Building Council has recognized our efforts with its highest award of LEED Platinum certification. Hopefully, it will encourage others to improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of their properties, be it for one building or several."

The company's energy usage has been reduced by 21 percent, despite the recent doubling of space by adding 160,000 square feet.  Greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced, annually, by more than 827,000 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent due to the on-site solar electricity generation.   Water usage has been reduced by 595,000 gallons annually by collecting and recycling rain water and the addition of low-flow fixtures.

Each employee has desktop control of workspace temperature, lighting, airflow volume, and can introduce white noise to mask sound. The environmental systems turn off in a workspace when an employee is gone for more than 10 minutes, reducing air conditioning and electrical loads.

"We have made significant strides in improving the working environment for our employees at the Corporate and Power Solutions headquarters," said Roell. "Not only are our employees more comfortable, but our engagement scores have improved as well. We believe that the working environment is a major contributing factor to employee engagement."

"Since its pioneering LEED Silver certification of the Brengel Technology Center in 2001, Johnson Controls has demonstrated unparalleled green building leadership," said Rick Fedrizzi, President and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council. "The Johnson Controls corporate campus takes this commitment to a new level and sets an example for other organizations considering the implementation of sustainability initiatives in their facilities."

"As a USGBC member, Johnson Controls has been instrumental from very early on in helping develop the LEED rating system," said Rob Watson, Chairman, CEO & Chief Scientist of the EcoTech International Group.  "I'm very impressed with the project's Platinum achievement, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the broad range of sustainable technologies and practices the company used that can be implemented by its customers worldwide.  Their commitment to ongoing performance measurement, verification and optimization will ensure that the campus will continue to perform at an optimal level for many years to come."

The company expects to recoup its spend on making the campus energy-efficient within eight years, using the savings realized. The project is attracting wide-spread attention with more than 6,000 interested visitors from around the world who have toured the campus over the last few years.

Additional energy efficiency features at the Johnson Controls Corporate headquarters include:

• A geo-thermal heat pump--linked to 272 wells, each 300 feet deep--uses moderate subsurface  temperatures and mass to improve the efficiency of heating and cooling.
• 31,115 square-foot ground-mounted solar photovoltaic array and 14,335 square-foot of solar film on the roof produces electricity and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Solar thermal water heating technology is in place as well.
• Skylights and increased window area reduce use of energy for lighting.
• Window shades adjust automatically to the path of the sun.
• Lighting controls include ballasts that are intelligent, addressable and controllable for reducing artificial lighting and harvesting natural daylight.
• 3-acre parking lot resurfaced with permeable paving blocks allowing rainwater and snowmelt to be collected and retained on-site.
• Rooftop rain water collection, filtering and storage for use in flushing water closets and urinals.

For a video, photos and additional details about the sustainability efforts on Johnson Controls corporate campus visit http://johnsoncontrols.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=112&cat=127

About Johnson Controls

Johnson Controls is a global diversified technology and industrial leader serving customers in over 150 countries. Our 130,000 employees create quality products, services and solutions to optimize energy and operational efficiencies of buildings; lead-acid automotive batteries and advanced batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles; and interior systems for automobiles. Our commitment to sustainability dates back to our roots in 1885, with the invention of the first electric room thermostat. Through our growth strategies and by increasing market share we are committed to delivering value to shareholders and making our customers successful. To learn more, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com.

About U.S. Green Building Council

The USGBC community is transforming the way we build, design and operate our buildings for healthier places that save precious resources for people to live, work, learn and play in.  UGSBC is helping create buildings and communities that regenerate and sustain the health and vitality of all life within a generation.  Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Council is the driving force of the green building industry, which is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product by 2013. USGBC leads a diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials, concerned citizens, teachers and students.  The USGBC community comprises 80 local chapters, 17,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 150,000 individuals who have earned LEED Professional Credentials.  Visit www.usgbc.org for more information.

SOURCE Johnson Controls, Inc.