Hello...this is Matt with today's green building video post. This video is helpful if you are considering bamboo as a building material for a home. The producer does a good job of explaining that bamboo is a sustainable and renewable grass - not a tree as many people believe. Happy Learning...
Covering topics like green home building, green school construction, prefabricated modular building, sustainable architecture, recycled building materials and solar power.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Hong Kong's First Zero Carbon Building - Video
Posted by
Matt Banes
This video was produced in 2012 but it's worth bookmarking for reference if you are a builder, architect or owner. Make note of the under-floor ventilation system combined with the over sized ceiling fans. I like the point the designer makes about cooling the body first. Now...is it affordable?
Posted by Matt Banes, iGreenBuild.com
Posted by Matt Banes, iGreenBuild.com
Monday, April 22, 2013
How to Design and Build a Home in a Hot Climate
Posted by
Matt Banes
This video has some great insight if you are considering building in a hot climate. Pay close attention to the roof insulation advice.
Stay cool and enjoy this segment...Matt
This blog post was approved by iModular.com, a GBM Marketing, Inc. web property.
Stay cool and enjoy this segment...Matt
This blog post was approved by iModular.com, a GBM Marketing, Inc. web property.
Thursday, April 04, 2013
Green Roof Performance Monitoring
Posted by
Matt Banes
WEB-BASED WEATHER STATIONS TRACK PERFORMANCE OF GREEN ROOF DEMONSTRATION PLOTS AT AMHERST COLLEGE
BOURNE, MA, April 4, 2013 — Amherst College in Western Massachusetts has installed a series of research-grade, web-based weather stations to monitor the performance of two green roof demonstration plots for its new science center.
The college plans to cover the rooftop of the new building with vegetation to help offset interior cooling costs, and help the four-story, 250,000-square-foot facility blend in with its natural surroundings. The building, which is estimated to open in 2018, will house the college's various science departments and programs.
Green roofs are an increasingly-popular means to absorb rainwater, provide insulation, offer a habitat for wildlife, and lower urban air temperatures. Vegetation, which can completely or partially cover the roof, is planted over a waterproof membrane. These living roofs typically include drainage and irrigation systems.
Four web-based HOBO® U30 weather stations from Onset, a Massachusetts-based company, are being used to help track local weather conditions to determine the most prolific vegetation varieties for the college's proposed green roof.
The stations, which feature double-weatherproof enclosures, are outfitted with plug-in soil moisture and temperature sensors that were installed in the roof's soil matrix at various depths. They also include sensors for measuring air temperature, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, rainfall, barometric pressure, and solar-radiation data. The units are affixed to the top of an 8-foot shade wall, from which they transmit data wirelessly to the college's computer network via HOBOlink, a cloud-based data access service hosted by Onset. This allows for remote access to data on a 24/7 basis.
"Remote access to data is key to the success of this study because it eliminates sneaker traffic from the team's office in Boston to the site on campus," said Gregory Johnson, president at Vermont-based Kilawatt Technologies and consultant on the project. "In addition, members of the design team on the West Coast can access the data instantly."
The HOBO U30 weather stations can also be configured to send text and email alerts when measurements hit high and low values that exceed set tolerance.
The weather stations are collecting data from the demonstration plots every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, for the duration of the 2012-2013 growing season. The data collected by the stations will help determine specific air temperatures, humidity levels, and moisture levels that yield the healthiest plants, and gauge how the green roof is performing.
ABOUT ONSET
Onset is the world's leading supplier of data loggers. The company's HOBO data logger and weather station products are used around the world in a broad range of applications, including building energy performance monitoring, water resources management, and ecological and agricultural research. Based on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Onset has sold more than 2 million data loggers since the company's founding in 1981. Visit Onset on the web at http://www.onsetcomp.com.
ABOUT KILAWATT TECHNOLOGIES
Kilawatt Technologies, based in Shelburne, Vermont, provides a data-centric, statistically-based, energy and environmental management program. The methods involve continuous trending and analysis of energy and interior environmental data for commercial, multi-family, and industrial buildings. Visit Kilawatt on the web at http://www.kilawatt.com.
BOURNE, MA, April 4, 2013 — Amherst College in Western Massachusetts has installed a series of research-grade, web-based weather stations to monitor the performance of two green roof demonstration plots for its new science center.
The college plans to cover the rooftop of the new building with vegetation to help offset interior cooling costs, and help the four-story, 250,000-square-foot facility blend in with its natural surroundings. The building, which is estimated to open in 2018, will house the college's various science departments and programs.
Green roofs are an increasingly-popular means to absorb rainwater, provide insulation, offer a habitat for wildlife, and lower urban air temperatures. Vegetation, which can completely or partially cover the roof, is planted over a waterproof membrane. These living roofs typically include drainage and irrigation systems.
Four web-based HOBO® U30 weather stations from Onset, a Massachusetts-based company, are being used to help track local weather conditions to determine the most prolific vegetation varieties for the college's proposed green roof.
The stations, which feature double-weatherproof enclosures, are outfitted with plug-in soil moisture and temperature sensors that were installed in the roof's soil matrix at various depths. They also include sensors for measuring air temperature, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, rainfall, barometric pressure, and solar-radiation data. The units are affixed to the top of an 8-foot shade wall, from which they transmit data wirelessly to the college's computer network via HOBOlink, a cloud-based data access service hosted by Onset. This allows for remote access to data on a 24/7 basis.
"Remote access to data is key to the success of this study because it eliminates sneaker traffic from the team's office in Boston to the site on campus," said Gregory Johnson, president at Vermont-based Kilawatt Technologies and consultant on the project. "In addition, members of the design team on the West Coast can access the data instantly."
The HOBO U30 weather stations can also be configured to send text and email alerts when measurements hit high and low values that exceed set tolerance.
The weather stations are collecting data from the demonstration plots every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, for the duration of the 2012-2013 growing season. The data collected by the stations will help determine specific air temperatures, humidity levels, and moisture levels that yield the healthiest plants, and gauge how the green roof is performing.
ABOUT ONSET
Onset is the world's leading supplier of data loggers. The company's HOBO data logger and weather station products are used around the world in a broad range of applications, including building energy performance monitoring, water resources management, and ecological and agricultural research. Based on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Onset has sold more than 2 million data loggers since the company's founding in 1981. Visit Onset on the web at http://www.onsetcomp.com.
ABOUT KILAWATT TECHNOLOGIES
Kilawatt Technologies, based in Shelburne, Vermont, provides a data-centric, statistically-based, energy and environmental management program. The methods involve continuous trending and analysis of energy and interior environmental data for commercial, multi-family, and industrial buildings. Visit Kilawatt on the web at http://www.kilawatt.com.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Green Building Event 2013 - ISSP Conference Chicago
Posted by
Matt Banes
ISSP Conference 2013
May 8 -10, 2013
Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel
Chicago, Illinois
ISSP is hosting its next face-to-face summit of ISSP members and other sustainability professionals from May 8–10, 2013 at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. Speakers from GRI, Alaska Airlines, The Nature Conservancy, Presidio Graduate School and other top flight organizations will address conference attendees. Sustainable Urban Communities, Integrated Reporting, Sustainability In the Industrial Sector and Green Architecture are just a sampling of the great content that will be presented.
In addition to a high quality agenda and a gathering of sustainability leaders from around the world, the program includes exciting pre-conference workshops, and the inauguration of the next class of inductees into the ISSP Sustainability Hall of Fame(TM), collaborative work on the ISSP signature Sustainability Lexicon Project(TM), and an interactive World Cafe that will help chart the future of the profession.
Check this page frequently for updates about the conference - http://www.sustainabilityprofessionals.org/issp-conference-2013 .
Registration discounts are available through April 1, 2013.
Register now!
Conference Registration and Hotel Reservations
We have arranged a special rate at the Hotel Knickerbocker for the days of our event. Click here to directly make reservations at the discounted rate for any of the nights of May 7 - 9 . If you wish to stay longer, contact the hotel directly at 800-621-8140 to make your reservations and let them know you are with the ISSP conference so that they apply the discount to the conference portion of your stay.
Sponsorship and Vendor Expo Opportunities
ISSP offers organizations of all types the opportunity to broaden their presence in the sustainability community via sponsorships as well as participation in a vendor expo to be held at the conference. ISSP is heavily promoting the event to its members and in cooperation with a variety of media partners. As a result, conference sponsors and their products and services gain visibility with thousands of people interested in the latest in sustainability. For more information about sponsorship and vendor expo opportunities, download the overview posted at the bottom of this page. Check out our great line-up of sponsors and expo vendors to date. Thanks to all of them for supporting the conference! Posted By Stephan Levitsky
May 8 -10, 2013
Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel
Chicago, Illinois
ISSP is hosting its next face-to-face summit of ISSP members and other sustainability professionals from May 8–10, 2013 at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. Speakers from GRI, Alaska Airlines, The Nature Conservancy, Presidio Graduate School and other top flight organizations will address conference attendees. Sustainable Urban Communities, Integrated Reporting, Sustainability In the Industrial Sector and Green Architecture are just a sampling of the great content that will be presented.
In addition to a high quality agenda and a gathering of sustainability leaders from around the world, the program includes exciting pre-conference workshops, and the inauguration of the next class of inductees into the ISSP Sustainability Hall of Fame(TM), collaborative work on the ISSP signature Sustainability Lexicon Project(TM), and an interactive World Cafe that will help chart the future of the profession.
Check this page frequently for updates about the conference - http://www.sustainabilityprofessionals.org/issp-conference-2013 .
Registration discounts are available through April 1, 2013.
Register now!
Conference Registration and Hotel Reservations
We have arranged a special rate at the Hotel Knickerbocker for the days of our event. Click here to directly make reservations at the discounted rate for any of the nights of May 7 - 9 . If you wish to stay longer, contact the hotel directly at 800-621-8140 to make your reservations and let them know you are with the ISSP conference so that they apply the discount to the conference portion of your stay.
Sponsorship and Vendor Expo Opportunities
ISSP offers organizations of all types the opportunity to broaden their presence in the sustainability community via sponsorships as well as participation in a vendor expo to be held at the conference. ISSP is heavily promoting the event to its members and in cooperation with a variety of media partners. As a result, conference sponsors and their products and services gain visibility with thousands of people interested in the latest in sustainability. For more information about sponsorship and vendor expo opportunities, download the overview posted at the bottom of this page. Check out our great line-up of sponsors and expo vendors to date. Thanks to all of them for supporting the conference! Posted By Stephan Levitsky
Monday, March 25, 2013
Recycled Roof for Major Sports and Entertainment Arena
Posted by
Matt Banes
Here is a good example of how recycled materials can be used to renovate a roofing system on a high use, very visible sports arena in Boston. The question now becomes - how does the owner pass the energy savings on to the sports fans?
Labels:
Boston,
Massachusettes,
Recycled Building Materials,
Roofing
Location
Boston, MA, USA
Thursday, March 21, 2013
April 2013 CALGreen Workshop - Sacramento
Posted by
Matt Banes
Sacramento Workshop Coming Soon
March 21, 2013
Dear Colleagues:
Our April Workshop in Sacramento is coming soon. Register now and you can still obtain a registration discount.
July will bring publication of the latest changes to CALGreen, California's mandatory green building code, changes that will become mandatory in January.
July will bring publication of the latest changes to CALGreen, California's mandatory green building code, changes that will become mandatory in January.
You won't have to wait that long to find out what this update will bring. On April 19, at the Green California Summit, code experts from the Building Standards Commission and the Department of Housing and Community Development will lead you through the latest developments.
This is your chance to hear directly from those involved in the development of the code - and to ask any questions you might have about CALGreen basics or how the code will evolve in the future.
More Training and Free Concurrent Sessions
The Summit offers professional training on other topics, from changes in accessibility codes to meeting AB 1108's requirements for benchmarking energy use before building sale. For details, click here.
Your registration for professional training also gives you free access to the concurrent education sessions on April 18 and 19 at the 2013 Green California Summit, as well as the Expo, opening session on April 18 and the Leadership Awards reception on April 18. This is a great opportunity for you to get up to date on more than just CALGreen. Attend sessions organized by USGBC California, Clean Cities, the Institute for Local Government and more.
For details on these great sessions, click here.
Register Now
You can register today at the Green California Summit registration page. Note: choose the "Professional Training" badge.
Session details:
Friday, April 19
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Sacramento Convention Center
1400 J. Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Sacramento, CA 95814
SEATING IS LIMITED - REGISTER TODAY!
AIA continuing education credits available.
The session offers 3 AIA credits and .3 ICC credits.
Registration is $105. Seating is limited.
LEED Gold Creates Great Work Environment
Posted by
Matt Banes
This video is a really good resource for any business owner or building owner considering renovation or new construction of a low rise office structure. I like the thinking behind the positioning of employees close to natural light sources for personal enjoyment of their work environment. So many other great concepts covered as well. Enjoy.
Monday, March 18, 2013
EPA Begins Construction of Groundwater Treatment System for Torrance Superfund Sites
Posted by
Matt Banes
For Immediate Release: March 18, 2013
Media Contact: Nahal Mogharabi, mogharabi.nahal@epa.gov
EPA Begins Construction of Groundwater Treatment System for Torrance Superfund Sites
LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced the start of construction of a groundwater treatment system that will clean up groundwater contamination from past operations at the Montrose and Del Amo Superfund sites in Torrance, Calif. The treatment system is expected to be completed in 18 months at an estimated cost of $15 million and will be used to remove chlorobenzene, benzene and other industrial chemicals used to manufacture DDT and synthetic rubber from the groundwater.
Under EPA supervision, Montrose Chemical Corporation will build a water treatment plant, dig 11 wells, and install approximately 30,000 feet of underground piping. The completed system will draw contaminated groundwater from the aquifer, remove the industrial chemicals, and then return the treated water back underground. The treated water will not be served as drinking water, but will instead be re-injected to surround the contamination and prevent it from any further movement into unaffected groundwater areas.
Construction will take place on both public and private property. Wind screens and noise blankets will be used to control dust and noise generated during construction work. In addition, the construction team will use the best available dust control measures to protect construction workers and prevent migration of DDT-impacted dust outside of the work area. Dust and air monitoring will be conducted during all construction activities, and plans are in place to ensure that dust does not blow into residential areas or businesses.
Montrose Chemical Corporation of California manufactured the pesticide DDT from 1947 until 1982. Chlorobenzene was a raw material used in making DDT. The Del Amo Superfund site, located adjacent to the Montrose site, was formerly a synthetic rubber manufacturing facility that used benzene, naphthalene and ethyl benzene. Groundwater contamination from both sites has co-mingled and will be cleaned up by this single treatment system.
For more information and project updates on the Del Amo and Montrose Superfund Sites, please visit: www.epa.gov/region09/montrose
###
Media Contact: Nahal Mogharabi, mogharabi.nahal@epa.gov
EPA Begins Construction of Groundwater Treatment System for Torrance Superfund Sites
LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced the start of construction of a groundwater treatment system that will clean up groundwater contamination from past operations at the Montrose and Del Amo Superfund sites in Torrance, Calif. The treatment system is expected to be completed in 18 months at an estimated cost of $15 million and will be used to remove chlorobenzene, benzene and other industrial chemicals used to manufacture DDT and synthetic rubber from the groundwater.
Under EPA supervision, Montrose Chemical Corporation will build a water treatment plant, dig 11 wells, and install approximately 30,000 feet of underground piping. The completed system will draw contaminated groundwater from the aquifer, remove the industrial chemicals, and then return the treated water back underground. The treated water will not be served as drinking water, but will instead be re-injected to surround the contamination and prevent it from any further movement into unaffected groundwater areas.
Construction will take place on both public and private property. Wind screens and noise blankets will be used to control dust and noise generated during construction work. In addition, the construction team will use the best available dust control measures to protect construction workers and prevent migration of DDT-impacted dust outside of the work area. Dust and air monitoring will be conducted during all construction activities, and plans are in place to ensure that dust does not blow into residential areas or businesses.
Montrose Chemical Corporation of California manufactured the pesticide DDT from 1947 until 1982. Chlorobenzene was a raw material used in making DDT. The Del Amo Superfund site, located adjacent to the Montrose site, was formerly a synthetic rubber manufacturing facility that used benzene, naphthalene and ethyl benzene. Groundwater contamination from both sites has co-mingled and will be cleaned up by this single treatment system.
For more information and project updates on the Del Amo and Montrose Superfund Sites, please visit: www.epa.gov/region09/montrose
###
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Stylish & Sustainable Green Building with Reclaimed Materials
Posted by
Matt Banes
I like the point about how reclaimed building materials have already offgassed....this is a really good video to watch for new and remodeling projects.
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