Video: Green Home Building In Arkansas

Little Rock, AR -- FOX16 Top Stories of the day - The hot bed of Arkansas' green construction movement is right here is central Arkansas. North Little Rock is where you will find the first homes in the state certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Canada Green Building Council's Toronto summit June 11-12 is SOLD OUT

The CaGBC's summit Shifting Into the Mainstream to be held next week June 11-12 in Toronto, is sold out.

Folks who were planning to register on-site at the conference now only have limited registration available to them - and for these events only:

• Green Building in Education Day (Tuesday, June 10)
• Chapter Day (Tuesday, June 10)
• Post-Summit CaGBC workshops (Friday June 13)

Register for the above events at:
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building - East Registration Desk
First-come, first-served until capacity #s are reached
Beginning Tuesday, June 10, at 8 am

For delegates who are already registered - your Summit packages will be at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre:
Tuesday, June 10: 4-7 pm and
Wednesday, June 11: beginning at 7 am

Welcome to Toronto...
See you at the Summit!!

Canada Joins World Bioenergy Association

This news just in to iGreenBuild.com and we're proud to help spread the word. CANBIO, the Canadian Bioenergy Association (www.canbio.ca) has recently joined the World Bioenergy Association which aims to be the global voice for bioenergy, and to promote the use of biomass in a sustainable and economically efficient way. The organisation will also promote trade with biofuels and biomass, standardisation of fuels, technical development and research. An important task is to monitor potential for bioenergy in different parts of the world. WBA also plans to help to develop certification systems to ensure that bioenergy is produced in an environmentally-friendly way, and under acceptable working conditions.

You can read the full release on iGreenBuild.com here.

Environmental Nature Center Grand "Green" Opening in Newport Beach

Irvine-based LPA, Inc. Announces the Design of a new

LEED Platinum Facility – the First in Orange County

Irvine and Newport Beach, CA – June 3, 2008 – The Environmental Nature Center (ENC) in Newport Beach takes center stage this spring, with the opening of their highly anticipated building and learning center.

Designed by the seasoned sustainability experts at LPA, Inc., the ENC is on track to become the first LEED Platinum building in Orange County, pending approval from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The sustainable strategies implemented by LPA will potentially save the ENC over $20,000 on an annual basis.

Set within the suburbs of Orange County, the ENC provides hands on education with nature and demonstrates indigenous California vegetation and habitats. The new facility will add an additional educational tool that will showcase smart green design.

“The sustainable elements that make up this learning center will demonstrate to students and visitors that green design is the wave of the future,” said Bo Glover, Executive Director of the ENC. “LPA understood that we were in need of a building to complement our commitment to natural science education.”

The 9,000-square-foot facility is located on a 3.5-acre site at 1601 16^th Street in Newport Beach, CA. It provides 16,000 students the opportunity to study local ecology in 15 on-site, native Southern California plant communities.

LPA, Inc., one of the largest architectural, planning, landscape, engineer and interior design firms in California, developed the facility for the ENC together with Griffin Structures, Inc., which provided program management. By using a holistic, integrated design approach, where architects and engineers work together from the beginning of a project through its completion, LPA was able to offer a cohesive vision for a building that was unified and sustainable from the ground up.

“We integrated sustainability into every aspect of this building,” comments Rick D’Amato, design principle at LPA, Inc.“The learning center educates visitors about the benefits of environmentally-conscious design through the application of new technologies. These include powering the building from renewable resources such as solar panels and maintaining the health of the ENC staff and visitors through the implementation of green design strategies which provide a healthier indoor environment.”

Other sustainable features at the ENC include:

· Bicycle storage and shower facilities

· Drought tolerant, indigenous landscape

· Fixtures that promote water conservation – such as waterless urinals and low-flow faucets

· Efficient storm water management

· Photovoltaic roof panels which convert light into power and provide for 100 percent of the building’s power needs

· Natural ventilation – no heating or air conditioning is needed in the building

· Daylight harvesting

· An aggressive Sustainable Education program

· Green housekeeping

· Dimming systems and occupancy sensors

· Heat island reduction

· Extensive use of recycled and recyclable materials:

o Insulation made of recycled blue jeans

o Natural linoleum for countertops (100% organic and recyclable)

o Composite wood for exterior skin (made from saw dust and natural resin)

o Pressed organic materials for millwork and shelving units

o Natural concrete

o Carpet tiles with high recycled content

o Recycled fabrics/finishes for furnishings and work stations

LPA’s principal in charge of the project is Jim Wirick, with Rick D’Amato serving as design principal and Dave Duff as project manager. Lake Forest, CA-based Culp & Tanner served as the structural engineer. Griffin Structures served as the program manager, with Gentosi Builders acting as the general contractor.

The Grand Green Opening for the ENC is invite only. To be included on the Media Entrance List, please RSVP to Rochelle Veturis at (949) 701-4148 or e-mail rveturis@LPAinc.com.

###

About the Environmental Nature Center

For over 30 years, the Environmental Nature Center (ENC), a non-profit 501 (c)-3 public benefit corporation, has been serving over 16,000 local students. The ENC is recognized as a leader in science and social science education, providing opportunities for increasing the community’s knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the natural world. For additional information, visit www.ENcenter.org.

About LPA, Inc.

With offices in Irvine and Roseville, CA, LPA, Inc. is one of the largest multi-disciplinary organizations in California, providing professional services in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, land planning, urban development and interior design. Since its establishment in 1965, LPA has been known for its design solutions and strong project management skills. With over 60 percent of its staff holding LEED® accreditations, the firm and its principals have been repeatedly recognized for their leadership in providing innovative solutions in all aspects of the built environment. LPA has also received more than 300 awards for design excellence.

A leading firm with the largest number of LEED-certified projects in the state, LPA has designed a wide variety of sustainable facilities, including K-12 schools, higher education buildings, office buildings, corporate campuses, libraries and police stations. Prominent clients include Blizzard Entertainment, the Cities of Anaheim, Mission Viejo and Orange, the Coastline Community College District, Disney, Dioceses of Orange, E*Trade Financial, Ford, Surfrider Foundation, The Irvine Company, Toyota, Verizon Wireless, United States Dept. of Defense, University of California (Davis, Irvine, and Los Angeles), Urban Decay, Volcom and Wal-Mart. For additional information about LPA, visit www.LPAinc.com.

About Griffin Structures, Inc.

Griffin Structures, Inc. provides program management, owner representation, construction management, and program management “at risk.” For more information about Griffin Structures, call (949) 497-9000 or visit http://vocuspr.vocus.com/VocusPR30/Url.aspx?519891x1363x227247.

Solar incentives threaten local ownership

Minneapolis, Minn.—(May 28, 2008). Large, remote concentrating solar power systems are the new darlings of the solar industry. Some observers now see centralized, not decentralized solar as the future. But a new report by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance reveals that the economic advantage of centralized solar and absentee owned solar arrays rests on federal tax incentives that discriminate against locally owned, decentralized solar arrays.

John Farrell, the report's author and a strong voice in the energy community, calls for Congress to change federal tax incentives to give equal benefits to residential solar arrays, instead of favoring commercial and centralized projects.

"Decentralized solar arrays avoid the cost and hassle of building new high voltage transmission lines", says Farrell. "They also enable local ownership, which should be a goal of public policy."

Concentrating solar power plants work more like conventional power plants than solar photovoltaic panels. They use large arrays of mirrors to focus sunlight for heat, using the heat to create steam and generate electricity. These plants, mostly built in the deserts of the American Southwest, must send their power over long-distance transmission lines and are much larger than the rooftop solar panels that were previously the dominant form of solar power production.

The size of concentrating solar plants precludes local ownership, a benefit that renewable energy policy must factor in. "Ownership converts citizens into energy producers, which in turn gives them a personal stake in expanding the use of renewable energy," notes Farrell. "It also encourages them to maximize energy efficiency, because the greater the efficiency the more independent they become, perhaps even becoming a net exporter of electricity."

The full report, Concentrating Solar and Decentralized Power: Government Incentives Hinder Local Ownership, is available online at http://www.newrules.org/.

For more information, or to arrange an interview with John Farrell, please contact Brooke Gullikson.

About ILSR and the New Rules Project: Since 1974, ILSR has worked with citizen groups, governments and private businesses in developing practices that extract the maximum value from local resources. A program of ILSR, the New Rules Project was designed to build community by supporting humanly scaled politics and economics.

Don't miss the CaGBC summit 'Shifting Into the Mainstream' on June 11-12 in Toronto

There's still time to register for Shifting Into the Mainstream, the Canada Green Building Council's summit in Toronto, June 11-12.

Don't miss this must-attend event of the year, where you will learn about the CaGBC's plans for enabling green building certification over a building's entire lifecycle... for all building types.

Delegates from commercial, institutional & residential sectors will hear about:

• the LEED Canada for Existing Buildings rating system (planned for release in early 2009) which will enable financial, energy efficiency and tenant benefits in high performance buildings.
• actual energy use in existing buildings from CaGBC national pilot projects involving various sectors, including over 70 government administration buildings (> 1 million m2), 60 commercial buildings (> 3 million m2) and 200 schools
• the LEED Canada for Homes rating system (planned for release in Spring 2009)
• the LEED for Homes delivery model which makes the rating system accessible for home builders
• financial, energy efficiency and market benefits of green homes from the nearly 500 green home projects across Canada.

Readers may also be interested in two market reports the CaGBC published that are helpful for the leased properties sector, and which can now be downloaded from their website. Authors were: Sonja Persram, BSc., MBA, LEED AP, Mark Lucuik, P.Eng., LEED AP & Nils Larsson, FRAIC:
Marketing Green Buildings for Owners of Leased Properties
Marketing Green Buildings for Tenants of Leased Properties

Registration for summit delegates (online) closes May 30, and reopens at the summit venue.

See you there!

Michaels Engineering Completes Comprehensive Ground-Source Heat Pump Study for State of Minnesota

La Crosse, WI - May 9, 2008 - Michaels Engineering has recently completed a ground-source heat pump study for the state of Minnesota.

The study compares the performance of ground source heat pumps to conventional gas heating / electric cooling systems in school, office, and residential buildings.  Results include annual electric and gas energy usage, annual energy costs, simple payback, life-cycle costs, and annual emissions levels.  The study includes 120 building simulations of varying building types and sizes, age (new construction or retrofit), and climate zones.  Results are presented in concise tables for ease of comparison.  The study also includes the current status of the industry and market potential of ground-source heat pump systems for the state.

The study can be found at the Minnesota Department of Commerce website by clicking here.

AIA Releases Study of Three Green Building Rating Systems

 

 

Report Examines Green Globes, LEED NC 2.2, and SBTool 07 in Relation to AIA Position Statement on Green Rating Systems

 

Contact: Scott Frank

202-626-7467

sfrank@aia.org

For immediate release:

Washington, D.C. – May 8, 2008 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has released a study of three green building rating systems (Green Globes, SBTool 07, and LEED NC 2.2) and assess their effectiveness in supporting the goals of the AIA sustainability position statement. In late 2007, the initial results were shared with the three groups whose systems were reviewed. After receiving feedback, the study was modified and further refined into the final report.

 

The purpose of this exercise is to offer analysis to both industry and the public as an opportunity to learn how three unique, creative and evolving green building rating systems resonate in various dimensions with the goals of the AIA position statement on sustainability and our goal to achieve carbon neutrality in buildings by 2030.

 

Click here for AIA position statement on green rating systems

 

“This study is not a report card or ranking of the various standards,” said AIA Executive Vice President/CEO Christine McEntee. “The intent is to offer design and construction professionals an in depth review of the three systems with particular emphasis on areas for improvement in relation to more rigorous energy conservations requirements.”

 

Click here for full report, “Quantifying Sustainability”

 

“We reviewed these particular systems because they are the most broadly used in the U.S. market and they take a comprehensive approach to evaluating an entire building,” added AIA President Marshall Purnell, FAIA. “With new sustainability continuing education requirements in 2009 for AIA membership the results of this study can help better inform our members and the profession on green rating systems as they relate to our carbon reduction goals.”

 

Key findings:

 

Green Building Initiative’s Green Globes:

The system offers a broad based evaluation of projects in both the design process and based on environmental criteria. When used to certify a project, more stringent and specific requirements in the areas of energy reduction and operational performance are needed, as these are the two areas that most influence carbon production.

 

U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED NC 2.2 system:

This is good example of a rating system which provides a measurement of environmental achievement. Continued developments in life cycle assessment, requirements for renewable energy or carbon reduction targets for certified projects will continue to make this system an effective resource for architects.

 

International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment’s SBTool 07:

SBTool 07 is a toolkit for designing a rating system. If used as a rating system providing certification, SBTool 07 would be stronger if there was an increase in the number of “required” items vs. those that are simply “encouraged” and required project documentation. Specific requirements in the areas of energy reduction and operational performance would supply any rating system approach that comes out of SBTool 07 with performance-based requirements necessary for reaching carbon reduction goals.

About The American Institute of Architects
For over 150 years, members of the American Institute of Architects have worked with each other and their communities to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings and cityscapes.  By using sustainable design practices, materials, and techniques, AIA architects are uniquely poised to provide the leadership and guidance needed to provide solutions to address climate change. AIA architects walk the walk on sustainable design. Visit www.aia.org/walkthewalk.  

 

 

CEFPI Wins USGBC Curriculum Recognition Award

                                    

 

 

Scottsdale, AZ -- CEFPI’s School Building Week School of the Future Student Design Competition curriculum addressing national middle school math standards has won the USGBC’s inaugural Excellence in Green Building Curriculum Recognition Award. CEFPI was one of just six organizations selected from over 200 entries that competed for these coveted nationally recognized awards.

 

“This is a great milestone for us to be involved with the USGBC and the exemplary work they do in improving the quality of our schools. Our shared goals will transform the way schools are built, operated and maintained for our children in coming years,” said Merle Kirkley, REFP, President, CEFPI.

 

Recognition awards honor existing green building education projects, activities or programs that advance green building ideals of transforming how buildings and communities are designed, built and operated.

 

“This award is a testimony to our unparalleled efforts in advancing knowledge and awareness among children about the importance of healthy, high performance schools. We believe children need to be educated about advancing green building ideals so that we can ensure a better quality of life for future generations,” said John Ramsey, Executive Director/CEO of CEFPI.

 

The recognition awards were judged on demonstrated success, ability to be replicated, scope of influence, advancement of green principles within the educational community and the fostering of a collaborative or interdisciplinary approach. Grant proposals were evaluated on originality, collaborative or interdisciplinary approach, scope of influence, feasibility and the ability to be replicated. 

 

According to a news release issued by USGBC, Peter Templeton, Senior Vice President, USGBC said:  “USGBC launched this initiative to highlight the central role education plays in furthering the green building movement. The submissions we received showcase the range of institutions and organizations taking an active role in educating young people about green building and the Council is committed to fostering more growth in this arena.”

 

USGBC will establish a repository of the newly identified curricula and will develop a teaching resource database, which will serve to disseminate these programs nationally and facilitate contact among educators from a wide variety of disciplines.  In addition, an Educator Summit during the USGBC’s Greenbuild Conference in Boston on November 21, 2008 will showcase the winning curriculum.

 

 

The award-winning curriculum is available at:  http://sbw.cefpifoundation.org/competition.html

FSC Family Forest Certification Moves Forward

 

FSC-US and the FSC Family Forests Alliance Announce

Next Steps in Standards Development Process

 

Reston, VA; April 16, 2008 -  Forest product and forestland certification are rapidly gaining recognition in the marketplace as vehicles for  rewarding responsible forest management practices.  More than 250 million acres of forests are certified around the world under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standard.  Despite the growth in forest certification, it is often difficult for small ownerships and family forests to participate. 

 

“Family forests are an important part of the landscape and provide critically important ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, water quality protection, and wildlife habitat,” says Corey Brinkema, President of FSC-US.

 

At meetings held in Minneapolis on April 7th and 8th, the FSC-US undertook the next steps for expanding family forest certification opportunities in the United States.

 

“In the U.S. almost 60% of the forests are privately owned and it is important to include these lands in forest stewardship efforts,” says Kathryn Fernholz, Executive Director of Dovetail Partners and Secretariat for the FSC Family Forests Alliance, a collaborative group that is advocating for expanded access to FSC certification opportunities for small privately owned forests.

 

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is the fastest growing global forest certification program and the only one endorsed by the world’s leading environmental and social non-governmental organizations.  In the U.S, the FSC has developed a Family Forests Program to ensure small landowners will be able to receive the benefits of FSC certification and sell their products under the FSC label.

 

“Our Family Forests Working Group was brought together to complete a process of reviewing the existing FSC certification standards and to offer recommendations on how to more effectively engage small landowners,” says Brinkema.

 

The FSC-US’s Family Forests Working Group includes representatives from the FSC Family Forests Alliance and other stakeholders. 

 

“My hope, and the hope of other Working Group members, is to use our many years of experience working with family forest certification, and the lessons we’ve learned to help make the program work better for everyone while still maintaining the high standards that are expected of FSC certification,” says John Gunn of the Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands, an Alliance core organizer.

 

Additional meetings of the working group are planned in May 2008, and a public review and comment period will be announced later this summer. The full standards review and approval process is anticipated to be completed before the end of the year.

For more information:

http://www.familyforestsalliance.org

 

About Forest Stewardship Council

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a non-profit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC sets high standards that ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable way. FSC-US, based in Reston, VA, is the U.S. National Initiative of FSC International, based in Bonn, Germany.

www.fscus.org

 

About FSC Family Forests Alliance

The FSC Family Forests Alliance has been created to provide a national mechanism for bringing together individuals and organizations committed to promoting responsible forest stewardship through FSC standards. By creating a forum for communication, cooperation, and information sharing, participants in the Alliance can pursue issues of common interest, learn from one another, and enlarge the community of landowners and small businesses practicing responsible forestry.

www.familyforestsalliance.org