Green Taxis

LEOLA, PA – Most people expect a taxi to be yellow. But that’s not the case at Metro Taxi in Denver. This company has earned the nickname of “Greenest Taxi Company in the Nation” by going green with hybrid vehicles and eco-friendly operating systems.

“Our goal is to reduce the impact of the carbon footprint we produce both on the road and at our company headquarters,” says Brian Horvath, fleet manager of Metro Taxi. “We’re steadily replacing our older taxis with Toyota Prius Hybrid cars and plan to continue with this until we have a complete fleet of hybrid vehicles, which should be in about three years. By our estimates, we’ll be able to save 2.6 million gallons of gas annually once our fleet of almost 500 vehicles is completely converted.”

Behind the scenes at Metro Taxi the green efforts are just as visible and intense. The company uses two Clean Burn used-oil furnaces in their maintenance facility to recycle used-oil on site from oil changes to the taxis.

“We transform an average of 500 gallons of used-oil monthly into free heat for our shop using the Clean Burn furnaces,” says Horvath. “We’re also recycling the used- oil during the other months of the year, so this keeps us from sending used-oil to a disposal center. We eliminate the transportation charges and risks, along with potential environmental risks, by recycling the used-oil on site. This allows us to heat our facility without using traditional energy sources.”

Metro Taxi purchased their Clean Burn furnaces from local distributor Interstate Energy, Inc. in Brighton. “When the general public thinks about Colorado they envision a healthy, outdoor setting with pristine mountain ranges and fresh air,” says Gary Osadchuk with Interstate Energy. “The Clean Burn units operating in our state help keep the environment safe and clean. Metro Taxi represents the best of what a company should be --- a partner with the environment and an innovator in environmental stewardship.”

In addition to recycling the used-oil from their taxis, Metro Taxi also has a company-wide recycling program, uses wind energy and is exploring the use of solar power. For more information on Metro Taxi’s environmental efforts, visit www.metrotaxidenver.com.

There are 80,000 Clean Burn functional furnaces and boilers located throughout the world that burn approximately 120 million gallons of used-oil each year on-site, at the point of generation. This volume of used-oil would otherwise be transported on highway systems and pose a considerable risk to spills and/or contamination to the environment.

Clean Burn is an ENERGY STAR® partner. The company holds numerous industry certifications and works with the U.S. government, the Environmental Protection Agency and various associations to help coordinate the establishment of standards and regulations related to heat recovery and recycling efforts involving used motor oils. For more information on Clean Burn, visit www.cleanburn.com or call 1-800-331-0183.

The Clinton Climate Initiative and the U.S. Green Building Council

Collaboration to include new program development that will rethink and radically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from new building developments

Washington, DC – (February 9, 2009) The Clinton Climate Initiative and the U.S. Green Building Council today expanded their partnership to radically reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment on a global scale, with an initial focus on accelerating efforts to drive efficiency in existing buildings. Homes, schools, offices and other buildings account for 38% of CO2 emissions globally, according to the U.N. Environment Program. In the U.S. alone, the “low hanging fruit” in building efficiency could save the economy more than $160 billion by 2030, according to McKinsey & Company. Looking ahead, new program development is underway to rethink and redefine new building developments.

“Retrofitting buildings represents an immediate and measurable opportunity to cut greenhouse gas emissions and improve our economy; they are a priority for my Climate Initiative which is encouraging retrofit projects around the world”, said former President Bill Clinton. “I'm proud to strengthen my Foundation's collaboration with the USGBC to accelerate this important work.”

“Two years ago, the Clinton Climate Initiative helped put the urgency of reducing CO2 emissions by improving the performance of our existing building stock squarely on the national agenda,” commented USGBC CEO, President and Founding Chairman Rick Fedrizzi. “USGBC is proud to partner with CCI to accelerate and expand the effort at this critical moment. Green building creates green jobs that save energy and money – and green building will help save our climate.”

To date, the Clinton Climate Initiative’s Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program has helped partners to initiate more than 250 retrofit projects encompassing over 500 million square feet of real estate in more than 30 cities around the world. These include retrofit projects across the municipal, private, commercial, education, and housing sectors. USGBC’s LEED for Existing Buildings/Operations and Maintenance (LEED EB/OM) certification system has resulted in energy performance improvements ranging from 30 – 60% in certified buildings. More than 2300 projects in 12 countries have been registered or certified through LEED EB/OM.

About USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council is a 501c3 nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Since USGBC’s founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 18,000 member organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED® green building certification systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 78 chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

About the Clinton Climate Initiative
President Clinton launched the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) in August 2006 to make a difference in the fight against climate change in practical, measurable and significant ways. In its first phase, CCI is serving as the exclusive implementing partner of the C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group, an association of large cities around the world that have pledged to accelerate their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In May 2007, CCI launched its Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program which brings together many of the world’s largest cities, real estate firms, energy service companies and financial institutions in a landmark effort to reduce energy consumption in existing buildings across the public and private sectors. Expanding upon its work with the C40, CCI has extended the benefits of its building retrofit program to additional cities, building owners and institutions.

For more information about the Clinton Foundation and CCI, please visit www.clintonfoundation.org.

SchenkelShultz Architecture receives prestigious 2008 Tilt-Up Achievement Award for outstanding design of School District of Palm Beach County's $28 million, 202,500-square-foot Palm Springs Community Middle School in West Palm Beach, FL

ORLANDO, FL – SchenkelShultz Architecture received a prestigious 2008 Tilt-Up Achievement Award for its outstanding design of the School District of Palm Beach County’s $28 million, 202,500-square-foot Palm Springs Community Middle School in West Palm Beach, FL. The Tilt-Up Achievement Awards are presented annually by the Tilt-Up Concrete Association, Mt. Vernon, IA. The project also received the 2007 Florida Educational Facilities Planners’ Association First Place award, as well as the 2007 Educational Design Project of Distinction award from School Planning and Management magazine. The 1,526-student facility contains: self-contained separate student learning centers for each grade level with three science labs; a fine arts building including an art gallery, four music suites, two art classrooms, home economics and a drama classroom with a portable stage; a 458-seat dining/multi-purpose space; a 1,000-seat gymnasium, soccer and softball fields, basketball and tennis courts; a secure courtyard with an outdoor amphitheater; and an administrative suite with a separate adult administration complex.

 

SchenkelShultz has designed more than 28 million-square-feet of K-12 projects in 28 Florida school districts. In addition, the firm has designed numerous higher education projects including the award-winning six-story Stetson University Lynn Business Center, the first LEED®-certified building in the state of Florida, and the LEED®-Gold certified Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University.

 

Celebrating 50 years of design excellence and consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top design firms, SchenkelShultz is a full-service architectural firm specializing in education, justice, aviation and commercial facilities design. With eleven offices nationally (seven in Florida) and over 50 LEED® Accredited Professionals, SchenkelShultz is a recognized leader in green design which has long been committed to designing sustainable concepts into every project. Further evidencing its leadership, the firm designs all K-12 schools in accordance with green design principles at no additional cost to school boards. As a result, schools designed by SchenkelShultz are achieving the benefits of sustainable design including reduced operating costs and improved environmental/educational quality.

 

Also commemorating 25 years in Florida under the leadership of J. Thomas Chandler, AIA, President and COO, the firm established its Orlando office in 1983 and subsequently expanded with six additional offices in Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Naples, Sarasota, Tampa and West Palm Beach. “At SchenkelShultz,” said Chandler, “our focus is on architecture but our passion transcends excellent design. Our firm,” he added, “is continuously evolving to anticipate and adapt to ever-changing market trends, and is dedicated to building positive, successful relationships with our valued clients, employees and communities.”

 

SchenkelShultz Architecture, Orlando, is located at 200 East Robinson Street, Suite 300, Orlando, FL, phone 407-872-3322. For more information, visit www.schenkelshultz.com.

 

CO's 1st LEED-Gold private school relies on Wausau's windows

Colorado's first LEED-Gold private school relies on Wausau's windows

Wausau, Wis. -- Striving to pursue excellence in sustainable design and construction, Valor Christian High School became the first private school in Colorado to earn Gold certification through the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED® Green Building Rating System™. Helping contribute to this achievement, Wausau Window and Wall Systems provided high-performance windows manufactured with recycled aluminum for the campus' Academic Building.
 
The $55 million, 35-acre campus in Highlands Ranch, Colo., includes an academic building, athletic complex, and football and track stadium. At full capacity, the 9-12 grade school supports 1,200 students with a 20:1 student to teacher ratio.
 
Opened for the 2007-08 school year, the three-story Academic Building was the first of four buildings to emerge -- constructed in just 11 months. It contains 43 classrooms, eight science laboratories, administrative offices, and a 5,300-square-foot research and teaching media center with direct views of the Rocky Mountains. Sustainable design components for the 130,000-square-foot Academic Building include thermal displacement ventilation, low-flow/automatic restroom fixtures, and an advanced lighting/daylighting control system.
 
Valor's school leaders sought to "include ample amounts of natural light, which will provide a superior learning environment by helping students maintain alertness and interest." In addition, all buildings are designed to offer air quality and energy efficiency surpassing typical schools and creating a healthier facility. Eight months after opening, estimates indicated the school would use about half the amount of energy as a standard public school, saving an estimated $65,000 per year.
 
Enhancing the Academic Buildings' energy-efficient, daylighting features, outdoor light sensors limit the occupants' use of florescent bulbs when natural light is available. "Valor's large windows are engineered to maximize daylighting, while maintaining a comfortable interior climate. As an industry pioneer in energy-efficient, high-performance, thermal barrier products, Wausau's 3250 Series Heritage windows' were tuned to Colorado's climate and solar exposure," says Kevin Robbins, Wausau's regional sales manager.
 
Wausau's window frames were painted by Linetec in a durable, bronze finish and fabricated with recycled aluminum. Twenty percent of the facilities' materials are comprised of recycled content and 77% of the construction materials were diverted from landfills and to recycling programs. Regional suppliers and locally sourced materials were selected whenever possible. Colorado Window Systems of Denver installed Wausau's insulated window units to meet the school's quick-turn timeline, as well as its performance and sustainable design goals. Today, the windows allow students to enjoy outside views and a continued connection with the environment.
 
"The windows are energy efficient and provide proper lighting, yet remain aesthetically appealing. As the first private high school in Colorado to receive a LEED-Gold certification, we are very pleased to have partnered with a quality window manufacturer in Wausau," said Shannon L. Dreyfuss, executive vice president and CFO of Valor Christian High School.

Guided by the mission, "influence through excellence," Valor Christian High School formed its school board in 2005. The board purchased the future site of its campus in January 2006, and almost immediately selected SlaterPaull Architects Inc. of Denver to design the educational complex in collaborations with The Lund Partnership of Lakewood, Colo., and Anderson & Hastings of Denver. RMH Group provided additional, sustainable design and engineering recommendations. Saunders Construction Inc. of Englewood, Colo., served as general contractor and began construction on the Academic Building in September 2006.
 
Saunders' senior project manager, Dennis Disney, told the Associated General Contractors of Colorado, "A project of this scale typically requires an 18-month timeline, not including the four weeks we lost to inclement weather and snow removal." After the Academic Building's successful opening in August 2007, Saunders completed the athletic facility and chapel in October 2007 and the stadium in May 2008. Construction of the Arts and Aquatics facilities are planned for the near future.
 
Nationally recognized for its innovative expertise, Wausau Window and Wall Systems is an industry leader in engineering window and curtainwall systems for commercial and institutional construction applications. For more than 50 years, Wausau has worked closely with architects, building owners and contractors to realize their vision for aesthetic beauty, sustainability and lasting value, while striving to maintain the highest level of customer service, communication and overall satisfaction. Wausau is a part of Apogee Enterprises, Inc., a publicly held, U.S. corporation.

GreenBuild 08, Boston MA: Highlights – part 5

By Sonja Persram, BSc., MBA, LEED® AP
Source: Sustainable Alternatives Consulting Inc.

EXPO & COMMENTS

Jerry Yudelson noted[1] the increasing representation among solar companies. It would be good to see this expo segment grow, along with wind turbine providers and e.g. chilled beam manufacturers.

Suntech aims to have 1000 MW of solar PV production capacity by 2010. Their solar PV cells are at 20% efficiency; some products include Suntech See Thru™ PV glazing that can be used e.g. in curtain walls, skylights or atria; and Suntech Just Roof™ is BIPV that can be substituted for tiles, with weatherproofing, water channels. For case studies of a retrofit in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and new construction in Hokkaido, Japan click here.

I found Accoya interesting. It is acetylated wood, i.e. treated with acetic anhydride (derived from acetic acid, or concentrated vinegar) to change the water molecules to acetyl groups. This process hardens the (FSC certified) wood and the resulting product has been tested for ‘dimensional stability, durability, UV resistance, paint retention and in-ground conditions,’ as well as strength and hardness. Uncoated, it emitted a vinegar odour.

Airvac fascinated me. A case study of a vacuum sewer system installed in Holden Beach, North Carolina, an island community with a high water table and failing septic tanks and drain fields, indicates the benefits include the alternative to gravity-flow lines, and prevention of sanitary sewer overflows during storm surges or power outages since it runs pneumatically in comparison to gravity sanitary sewers. Small town Hooper, Utah also addressed their challenge of septic systems leaking into groundwater this way. This technical data sheet from EcoSan notes benefits of vacuum sewer system/sanitary installations (which must be separate from stormwater systems). They provided: water savings of as much as 80% since a vacuum toilet used 1 litre of water per flush; capacity for blackwater collection for biogas; 20-25% cost savings over conventional methods; and protection against nutrient and pathogen discharges due to the closed system.

The ecoScorecard system is paid for by manufacturers and free to users. It is a tool intended for architects and designers at the spec process, that translates manufacturers’ data (including designer’s product lines, percent post-consumer recycled content, percent rapidly renewable materials, and environmental ratings) to provide the necessary documentation for certification.

I’ve been aware of the merits of North America’s Island Press and New Society Publishers, and found I also liked several books by Earthscan Publications out of the UK.

I would also find value in seeing:
· Energy storage companies[2] given: their capacity to smooth out variations and enable dispatchability; and the focus on renewables expansion in the new economy.
· A significantly greater complement of finance/insurance as well as reinsurance companies, given the mutual market transformation potential – since green buildings can enhance portfolio value and reduce risk.
· Biogas companies and closed-loop food security systems that provide solutions at neighbourhood and individual building scales.
· More Consulate/Government quasi-catalogues like the displays from the Netherlands and the Canadian governments.

As a market research analyst, I was puzzled by the number of booths that didn’t clearly identify key benefits or competitive advantages of their products and services – even those with site demos. As the expo grows, it becomes even more necessary to capture attention of visitors quickly so they stop for that sound byte that could make a sales or outreach difference.

Overheard at the conference:
· A need for sessions addressing code and regulatory barriers, possibly prior to GreenBuild, which could feed findings and conclusions into the conference. After co-authoring a project on code, regulatory and systemic barriers[3] it is clear that there are key issues and best practices in both countries in regards to these – often significant – challenges, and this would be a useful adjunct, in my opinion.
· Opportunities for youth to engage in the conference, possibly via a separate but concurrent part-stream.

On the systems side, it also would be helpful to have a larger expo map, a hard copy of the index by booth number, and each booth’s number clearly marked.

It would be useful to hear reader feedback on the above suggestions and booths.


GreenBuild 08: an excellent event. Thanks for your hospitality. Boston, Cambridge, Concord: I’ll be back.


Green Syndicated Columnist Sonja Persram is co-author with DCAT’s David Eisenberg of a forthcoming publication on code, regulatory and other systemic barriers affecting Living Building projects, for Cascadia Region Green Building Council. She has conducted several research projects for Yudelson Associates, and is lead author of ‘Marketing Green Buildings to Owners/Tenants of Leased Properties’ for the Canada Green Building Council (2007) with co-authors Nils Larsson (MRAIC) and Mark Lucuik (P.Eng, LEED AP). Ms Persram wrote ‘Green Buildings: A Strategic Analysis of the North American Markets’ for Frost & Sullivan (2006) addressing Energy, Water and Facilities Management; and the USA portion of ‘International Sustainable Building Policy Initiatives,’ a 2007 study for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation whose project lead was Nils Larsson. She is a member of the CaGBC Greater Toronto Chapter’s Business Development Committee and the USGBC’s Social Equity Task Force.
Contact: sonja@sustainable-alternatives.ca
Sustainable Alternatives Consulting Inc.



[1] Yudelson, Jerry, personal communication with Sonja Persram
[2] See Peters, Roger with O’Malley, Lynda, Storing Renewable Power Primer, June 2008, The Pembina Institute, http://pubs.pembina.org/reports/StoringRenewablePower-jun17.pdf .
[3] Eisenberg, David & Persram, Sonja, Code, Regulatory & Systemic Barriers Affecting Living Building Projects, for Cascadia Region Green Building Council, 2008, Forthcoming.

GreenBuild 08, Boston MA: Highlights – part 4

By Sonja Persram, BSc., MBA, LEED® AP
Source: Sustainable Alternatives Consulting Inc.

CARBON

Measuring embodied carbon impacts in commercial and industrial buildings was the topic of dcarbon8’s Andrew Marris’ and Tony Siantonas’ presentation. CEO Marris noted the ratio of embodied to operational carbon is 20:80, however given the scenario where buildings are low energy the ratio becomes 40:60 based on benchmark data from the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)’s carbon buzz website. Their UK carbon consultancy firm developed their Planet Positive mark which requires measuring carbon footprint of direct (operational) and indirect (embodied) activities, and of products based on life cycle analysis, committing to reduce this footprint significantly, and offsetting the balance by a minimum of 110%. Siantonas stated that 1 tonne CO2 equivalent is:
· about 2 months of an average home’s emissions from energy (gas and electricity)
· $3.50 on CCX, $10 on VER (Voluntary or Verified Emission Reduction), $20 on regular markets, and $40 shadow cost of carbon

Some findings:
· Analysis of embodied carbon by lifecycle in one study resulted in 85% coming from manufacturing processes, 7% from delivery to site and 8% due to fuel combustion. Their conclusion in this case, which may be applicable to others: focus on where materials are from and how they are manufactured, not necessarily the delivery to site.
· In analysing carbon by building component, they found the building envelope contributed 42%.
· In steel production[1] over 90% of GHGs were from direct emissions i.e. blast furnace energy. Less than 10% of emissions came from: feedstock GHGs (mining ore, limestone), infrastructure (tools e.g. making the blast furnace), and a small amount came from what they call ‘infrastructure squared’ or the tools for tools. Siantonas noted the latter component was hard to control, and the size of the contribution meant including such data wouldn’t add much to the analysis.

Client projects include:
· A carbon footprint analysis for Lend Lease Retail project Somerset Central in Singapore.
· The Masdar city carbon footprint analysis: the headquarters building is energy positive, and is 103,000 m2. The building envelope was targeted for major reduction approaches.
· Prologis - the largest global owner, manager and developer of distribution facilities with $40.8 billion real estate assets under management representing 548 million sf in 22 countries.

Prologis Manager of Sustainability Drew Torbin described his corporation’s rationale for carbon measurement: he “thinks of carbon as waste,” and found that value was from an embodied carbon study via the following:
· Low carbon = high efficiency. ‘Less’ is used: less energy, resources…
· Strengthening of customer relationships
· Attraction for customers and investors: ‘A’ quality assets attract ‘A’ quality customers

BEYOND PLATINUM: REVOLUTIONARY GREEN

In discussing how to achieve sustainability and happiness, the speakers called for changing the system, not the mindset. Jim Hartzfeld, Managing Director of InterfaceRAISE noted that personal sustainability practices were key: ‘green your routine,’ since ‘order begets order’… use a ‘practice placement’ (a re-working of ‘product placement’) since ‘every little green practice breaks down inertia and at some point they all add up to break the status quo.’ He said we could get caught up in catastrophes, when maybe what we need to do is consider ‘how could you live your best life every day.’ He uses this tactic to achieve enormous change: ‘get peoples’ stories of what they have been the absolute proudest of being associated with. Two-thirds of these memories are memorable examples of what they thought was impossible.’ Analyse – ‘what made that happen? Big goals? Not taking ‘no’ for an answer? Unbelievable planning and execution? Then they think it’s not quite as impossible (as before).’ He goes on to suggest that we ‘focus on what LEED buildings can do, and the power of buildings to affect the mindset of occupants.’

Dayna Baumeister of the Biomimicry Guild foresaw that society in future would be free of white noise, and we would be wondering at times not at what we did, but what we put up with in that regard. An interesting viewpoint, especially given we often have to go ‘out into nature’ to achieve needed peace from urban noise, and noise can be considered as wasted energy.

CLOSING PLENARY

The closing plenary presentations are available online. Some key messages:

E.O. Wilson stated ‘four-fifths of animals on the planet are nematode worms,’ of which most species are unknown. There are ‘5,000-6,000 species of bacteria in a handful of soil – all unknown to science.’ There is great tragedy in that ‘human action is destroying countless species before even knowing what they are.’ Later in their collaborative ‘armchair’ discussion, Wilson noted the need for addressing worldwide water shortages, such as via dry land agriculture, and that we use too narrow a band of species given that ‘50,000 species of plants could be adapted to crops.’

Janine Benyus described her childhood adventures in the ‘micro-wilderness outside (her) house;’ how as a ‘dinner-bell kid’ in the morning she would ‘squirm out of my mother’s embrace to go outside,’ investigate all day in the field by her house, and her mother ‘would have to ring and ring the dinner bell to get me to dinner.’ Later, she watched from the bushes as her childhood idyll was ‘scalped’ with the incursion of bulldozers in phase II of a new subdivision, and noted: ‘if they knew differently (about the natural world there) they would treat that settled land differently’…. We ‘all have to get to know our places very well.’

Through the massive knowledge gaps they spoke of and damage incurred given those gaps, I nevertheless found the presentations rather relieving and engendering of hope, because of the announcement of two websites. They are:
· The Encyclopedia of Life (launched by a global consortium of key museums and research organizations) with a goal of having one webpage on each of the estimated 1.8 million species on earth. Wilson observed that this arose out of a perceived to link ‘science and the enlightened future-oriented business that you are involved in.’
· www.asknature.org aims to share biomimetic design knowledge for applications globally.
Both projects are free and open source.

This post is instalment #4 of 5. Stay tuned!


[1] Based on data he cited from the International Federation of Institutes for Advanced Study (IFIAS), 1974

GreenBuild 08, Boston MA: Highlights – part 3

By Sonja Persram, BSc., MBA, LEED® AP
Source: Sustainable Alternatives Consulting Inc.


GREEN JOBS were one major focus of the conference.

Green For All President and Founder Van Jones gave a rousing presentation, sponsored by Dadanco:
"You are the people who the country is going to turn to… You have a president (elect) who wants 5 million green jobs… (you’re going to be the people … who have to find a way of doing that) … and a president elect who wants to put $150 billion into clean and renewable energy. This used to be a lot of money. Now it sounds like a rounding error … There are some investments in this country that we can no longer put off…

It’s not that we have a President (-elect) who’s black, it’s that for the first time we have a president who’s green." Continue reading Van Jones’ Master Speaker presentation here.


Among other excellent presenters on this topic[1] was the Greener Good panel on USGBC Chapters’ local green job and social equity initiatives. The panel was convened by Jerome Ringo, President of the Apollo Alliance – a coalition, Ringo noted, that impacts 17 million people and is a collaboration of conservation organizations, business, industry, labour and politicians with a common, green focus. Ringo described how the Apollo Alliance’s new 10 year extensive investment Apollo program is a $500 billion strategy which they believe can create over 5 million green jobs, to “put people to work from all walks of life.” Said Ringo: “We believe we have our own moon shot mission today – we can now declare energy independence, we can now stimulate the American economy, and we can clean up the environment.” What a feat this will be, and how badly the US – and Canada – both need such an initiative.

A marvellous example of the triple-bottom-line in action was the panel presentation on her company’s initiative by Martha Jane Murray, an architect and co-owner with her husband of Neil M Footwear - a shoe factory in Arkansas. Murray is Policy Associate with the Clinton Climate Initiative and Founding Chair, USGBC Arkansas.

In rural America, retaining both companies and employees is difficult. Murray noted the following stats:
· 7.6 million families are living under the poverty level in the US
· 400,000 household units qualify in Arkansas for federal assistance

She described how their corporate concern about profitability led to a focus on compensation to enhance employee retention. In seeking different ways to compensate employees in addition to salary and benefits, they simultaneously found means to stimulate their local (rural) economy. Unusual for a corporation that addresses their own energy efficiency, they also worked with their local utility to develop an energy benefit program for employees. In this program they work with employees to make energy efficiency upgrades to homes, while generating local jobs.

Murray and her husband finance the retrofits up front using an energy fund with payments over time arranged via payroll deductions. Employees get cash coupon incentives from their utility for the recommended measures, and then receive benefits from lower utility bills in the amount of $200-$1,500/year per homeowner. As one employee observed, “Normally people don’t go out and do this on their own. They don’t know how extensive or how little (the retrofits will be)."

These are small measures on an individual basis that make enormous differences in people's quality of life, and benefit the environment and local economies.


This post is instalment #3 of 5. Stay tuned!

[1] See also Majora Carter: http://www.greenbuild365.org/pagemaker.aspx?PID=67

GreenBuild 08, Boston MA: Highlights – part 2

By Sonja Persram, BSc., MBA, LEED® AP
Source: Sustainable Alternatives Consulting Inc.

The INTERNATIONAL FORUM was hosted by the USGBC, the World Green Building Council (WGBC), and the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE).


Of interest were the juxtapositional presentations on Windmill West’s Dockside Green project by Joe Van Belleghem, and journalist Tim Lesle’s Frontline story on Huangbaiyu, a collaborative development between William McDonough + Partners and China.

Van Belleghem noted Dockside Green’s triple bottom line focus on factors facilitating community - such as addressing nature deficit disorder and social equity issues related to green jobs and to the site’s formerly being native lands - has contributed to cost savings on entitlement (due to lack of opposition), construction and marketing.[1] These in turn have led to a 250% sales increase from October to November. He stated that the key to sustainable development is to “unlock the human potential that we have within us to do what is right.”

By contrast, Lesle presented his observations of how the Huangbaiyu project’s implementation fell short of their sustainable goals. And, in the Q&A session, a representative from McD+P stated that the firm acknowledged this result, noting the detrimental impacts of the need for translation.

Some lessons learned from the two scenarios:

Lesle:
· “in some ways, farmers’ days are numbered” in the same way as the classic family farm in the west.
· “it’s not enough just to have translation.” It’s important to employ translators, and the translation then “must represent (the company’s) interest.”

Van Belleghem noted some market transformation indicators:
· “local developers want to participate.” “Large developers initially come for solutions” e.g. about technology – but leave with more understanding of the values shift underpinning
· They’re “getting rid of the stigma that green costs more”
· The “suburban lifestyle will die.” “We need to have a conversation about how we fix suburbia.”


John Hynes, President & CEO of Gale International, described the company’s master plan for Songdo City, a joint venture with POSCO E&C in a $20 billion private development in South Korea. The project’s goals: 42 million sf LEED-ND certified, with cogen hydrogen, 75% construction material recycled, low VOCs, and a city-wide procurement/recycling initiative. One of the turning points for transformation was the need for enhanced infrastructure as many in the nation’s rural communities migrate to cities. The project is intended for multi-national firms which would be expected to hire about 95% Koreans and 5% ex-pats from other countries. A cost premium of 5-15% is budgeted for the project.

Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, UAR, is intended to be the first zero-carbon, zero-waste, car-free city. 6 million sf is under development at a cost of $22 billion over 8 years, for 50,000 residents and 40,000 commuters, with a 135 person/ha density. The project is being conducted with the support of WWF and One Planet Living, with a goal of being a global hub for “cleantech education, R&D, and production,” according to Director of Property Development Khaled Awad.

Wang Shi, founder of China’s largest home builder company China Vanke Co. Ltd., presented real estate data interspersed with images of his mountain climbing achievements (he scaled Everest and Kilimanjaro, among others). Chinese currency is the China Yuan Renminbi; 1 CNY/RMB is $0.146372 USD,[2] consequently the 2007 China housing market revenue at 2.5 trillion RMB is $365.93 billion USD. He also noted that 10% of China’s rural population migrates to cities annually.

I posed some questions in relation to recognition of value in a Deutschebank initiative, which will be addressed separately, post-GreenBuild.


A poignant moment at the Lend Lease international reception was a serenade by incoming WGBC chair Tony Arnel of GBC Australia with GreenBuild chair Jerry Yudelson and ‘outgoing’ WGBC chair Kevin Hydes (known for his songfests).


This post is instalment #2 of 5. Stay tuned!


[1] See also: http://docksidegreen.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
[2] http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert.cgi

GreenBuild 08, Boston MA: Highlights

By Sonja Persram, BSc., MBA, LEED® AP
Source: Sustainable Alternatives Consulting Inc.

The City of Boston has been deemed by Popular Science Magazine to be the “3rd Greenest City in North America” and was a beautiful locale for the conference. In cold and sunny November, Boston’s stunning architecture, beautiful harbour views, and friendly folks added much to the experience. Being in Boston also brought to life some of my favourite books[1] that were set in the city and its surrounds. Kudos – and thanks - to Conference Chair Jerry Yudelson, the USGBC, Kimberly Lewis, Vice President of Conferences and Events and her organizers, Ashley Katz for facilitative media relations and all the speakers, exhibitors, attendees and volunteers.

USGBC

Strategic Plan for 2009-2013
Fostering Social Equity was added to the USGBC’s Guiding Principles and is imbued within the Strategic Plan. Another key strategic issue: “lack of capacity in the building trades to meet the demand for green building.”

CEO Rick Fedrizzi reported that 30,000 were registered for GreenBuild from 80 countries, with over 15,000 people logged in worldwide. Some quotes from his inspirational opening presentation:
· Green collar workers will be the backbone of this economy that we will help create. It will transcend the financial mess we find ourselves in.
· Martin Luther King said we need to move ‘from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society.’ Our values have to include fostering social equity in everything we do, and everything we choose. We are at the beginning of a seismic shift in priorities.
· We must say to those who pollute our land… this will never happen again, not on our watch. (The new paradigm) is not about Washington, or Wall St. but about us. Change comes from us. We are the people that we have been waiting for. We are revolutionary green.

Leadership Awards
Some of this year’s outstanding winners were Alex Wilson, Executive Editor of Environmental Building News for education, and Davis Langdon for research.

PLENARY

The energy and courage of the African Children’s Choir was a joyful opener – and closer - for 1984 Nobel Peace Price winner/2007 Gandhi Peace Prize winner, most reverend Archbishop Desmond Tutu. A winsome, formidable speaker, he fed spirits we didn’t know were starved for his brand of radiant insight. He marked the opinion turnaround in response to people concerned about the environment – from being considered a ‘lunatic fringe’ about whom people would ‘nudge-nudge, wink-wink’ to (providing hope). His words are here.

This post is the first instalment of five. Stay tuned!



[1] Apart from works by the renown philosophers and naturalists of the region, here are some by more contemporary authors: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/l/jane-langton/; http://www.nealstephenson.com/zodiac/

Book Review: Choosing Green: The Homebuyer’s Guide to Good Green Homes

Choosing Green: The Homebuyer’s Guide to Good Green Homes, is written by Jerry Yudelson, 2008, New Society Publishers

Book review by: Sonja Persram, BSc., MBA, LEED®AP
Source: Sustainable Alternatives Consulting Inc.


A recent poll[1] found only 4% of adults in the U.S. are aware that buildings are a major GHG emission source in the nation.

This represents an enormous potential for market transformation. What the public doesn’t know about, they don’t want. But, by what means will the industry address this with target markets? And, how can it be done effectively?

Choosing Green is a useful tool to achieve this goal, in my opinion
Jerry Yudelson ably addressed the awareness gap in his book for U.S. and Canadian homebuyers, and I believe it also should be required reading for: realtors, the home building industry – including the financial, investment and insurance services sectors. As well, I think it’s a must-read for influencers and folks in all levels of government – including municipal councillors and staff. And, it’s useful for gifts in our personal goals of market transformation.

As previously with my reviews of Jerry Yudelson’s books, here’s my disclosure: he is a friend, a client, … and my senior editor! And, while I received a review copy several months ago, it was entirely my decision to review this just prior to GreenBuild.

Why this book is a helpful resource

For homebuyers:
Jerry walks the reader through the issues using everyday language. He describes in detail different valuation systems and tools: HERS, the NAHB National Green Building Program, Energy Star (and Energy Star Canada), LEED for Homes, local programs from utilities, government and non-profits (like EarthCraft House and the American Lung Association Health House Program). He helps optimize home/condo selection by discussing the green rationales and using jargon-free descriptions of measures and benefits (e.g. ‘glass’ not ‘glazing’). He talks about financing and incentives and value using clear examples, and provides checklists to personalize the ‘green choice.’ He addresses ‘blue’ - energy vis-à-vis ‘green’ issues. He includes experiences of folks who’ve gone the green homebuyer route, to make the possibilities real for readers. He presents a host of information on where to find green developments in both countries. And then he talks about what to do after purchase – how to keep one’s home green, how to make it greener. A glossary and resources list rounds out the smorgasbord of provisions. Jerry’s dedication to education is laudable.

But, this is not just a boon for buyers. It’s for developers, realtors, the home building industry, the services sectors, and government representatives and staff. Here’s why:

• Developers can use it to educate realtors on what’s available, and the competitive advantages of their propert
• Realtors who are new to the sector can read it … and understand the how and why of green homes and condos. Realty companies will need to educate their professional associates.
• The home building industry can apply it in presentations and workshops – so different trades can understand how their work fits within a whole-building approach
• Leaders in real estate services sectors (financing, investment, actuaries, insurance) can use it to enable understanding of how green measures should be adding to home value and lowering risk
• Government representatives and staff need to be able to understand the criteria, measures and benefits that green homes can bring to society, to more effectively provide incentives and supports to their constituents

The awareness gap means we all have much to do, to bring about market transformation. Choosing Green is a thoroughly readable journey to a green home, and a major step toward enabling this market greening.

It’s another gift from Jerry Yudelson, who leveraged his knowledge into a meaningful tool at a low-unit-price. I recommend we pay this gift forward.


[1] Statistic from a recent poll by Harris Interactive for Autodesk; the full study will be launched at GreenBuild next week.