USGBC Blog

Out with the old...

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Easton) — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 19:35:00 +0000

We're excited to announce that the USGBC blog has moved to the new USGBC.org website.

Head there now to check out our recent posts, including:

And don't forget to update our RSS feed link in your readers.

Thank you for sticking with us during this change and for reading the USGBC blog. See you on the other side!

- The USGBC blog team

Q&A with Mark MacCracken: Taking Project Haiti Fundraising to New "Heights"

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:02:00 +0000

Marisa Long
External Relations Manager
U.S. Green Building Council

Mark MacCracken, Immediate Past Chair of USGBC's Board of Directors and CEO of CALMAC Manufacturing Corporation, is embarking on an adventure that’s taken him and his 25-year-old son, Josh, to the Swiss Alps; where they are climbing the Matterhorn, one of the highest peaks in the region, and clearly the most recognizable. Each foot they climb is raising money to build USGBC’s LEED Platinum Project Haiti Orphanage & Children’s Center being designed by HOK Architects.

Marisa Long: What made you decide to climb the Matterhorn?

Mark with his son, Josh, on a recent climbing expedition

Mark MacCracken: I was fortunate to first visit Switzerland and Zermatt almost 20 years ago and have been going with my wife Kimberly to ski for many years. The mountain is truly majestic and the lure to climb it was palpable, at least for me. About 10 years ago I mentioned it to my son and we put it in the "bucket" list. Two years ago my son said to me, “Dad, you aren’t getting any younger, I think we need to do this now.” I’m always looking for adventures for my son and I to take together and this seemed like a perfect fit. Knowing my year as Chair of USGBC’s Board of Directors would be very demanding on my time, and needing time to prepare, we set the date for Summer 2012.

ML: What did you have to do to get ready for this trip?

MM: Since it is a pretty dangerous adventure, my wife, Kimberly, laid down the ground rules: I had to take a mountaineering course first and had to get in great condition. Last year I took an extensive mountaineering course, learned all the safety techniques including cravats rescue and climbing in snow with crampons on 60 degree inclines. The week ended with an ascent of Mount Baker in Washington, which is about 11,000 feet. Physically, the Matterhorn climb is very demanding. I spent about two years getting into better shape. One of the best preparation exercises has been climbing the stairs in the 36-story building where I live (New York City). I slowly built up from doing the building two or three times, with no pack, to nine times in succession with 30 pounds on my back. I would take the elevator down, to save the knees and time, which resulted in some interesting conversations and some new friends.

ML: How are you using this opportunity to raise money for Project Haiti?

MM: I’ve wanted to do some type of fundraising for Project Haiti and was looking for a good opportunity that would be challenging and worthwhile. I had the idea to link it to the climb and after supportive conversations with Rick (Fedrizzi, USGBC’s president & CEO) and Roger (Limoges, USGBC’s vice president of organizational development) it became real. At USGBC’s Mid-Year Meeting this summer, I was given the opportunity to speak to all of the attendees during the opening plenary, and I announced my intentions in front of more than 500 USGBC chapter leaders and board members. Within just the first 20 minutes more than 30 people emailed me saying they wanted to make a donation.

I wanted it to be simple for people to donate, so for every foot I climb on the Matterhorn, I asked for a penny to be pledged toward Project Haiti. On the big day, we climb Hornli Hut at 10,000 feet to the peak at 14,800 feet, so each cent would be a $48 dollar donation, rounded to $50 if I made the summit. To incentivize further, my company, CALMAC, agreed to matching the funds I raised through others, up to $10,000. To my surprise some people donated 5, 10 and even 20 cents per foot! Nearly 100 percent of USGBC¹s Board of Directors, and dozens of USGBC Chapter leaders, industry contacts, squash buddies and friends are supporting this cause.

ML: What are you most excited about for this adventure?

MM: Sharing this experience with my son is what I am looking forward to the most. The Swiss Alps are mystical with rolling fields and fantastic snow covered mountains so we will just take it all in. I’m also excited that through this experience, I will be able to contribute to Project Haiti in a meaningful way. I will be thinking about the children and families who will benefit throughout this journey.

The EBies: Honoring Great Work in Buildings Gone Green

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 21:12:00 +0000

William Nutt
Associate, Marketing and Communications
U.S. Green Building Council

Urban Green Council, the New York City chapter of USGBC, held the first-ever EBie Awards on June 28th at the Hard Rock Café Theater. Though this marks the first public showcase for the EBies, the project reflects concepts and ideas that have been discussed for years by NYC leaders in sustainability. The basic idea is this: We need to recognize and encourage the people who are making amazing improvements to existing buildings (hence “EB”ies). Last month, a total of 10 projects from around the country received awards across eight categories.

Sixty-seven entries were submitted; the jurors narrowed the list down to a select 18 finalists, and then chose the winners. Winning the All-Rounder was Glen Neville, a Director of Deutsche Bank, with a team from Jones Lang LaSalle for the Deutsche Bank Americas Headquarters at 60 Wall Street. Maintenance, operational, and capital improvements to the property increased its energy and water efficiency as it moves towards a goal of carbon neutrality by 2013. Included in the spectacular outcome of this $8 million project is the creation of a 123KW flat panel solar array – the largest rooftop array in New York City.

Forty percent energy savings over the past three years earned Jesse Dillard of the Dallas Museum of Art the Reformed Gas Guzzler Award thanks to lighting, HVAC and water heater retrofits. The Reformed Drinker Award went to Steve Allwine of the Johnson Braund office building in Seattle for reducing water consumption by 95%. The range of building types that received other innovative awards include a commercial office space, a mixed-use industrial complex and office building, an elementary school, a condominium complex and a rental apartment building.

Beyond installing sustainable technologies, some finalists and winners also encouraged behavioral changes for their projects. Recognized achievements on that front include the launch of a carpool program, information-sharing about green living and messaging to tenants about the use of energy-efficient light bulbs and other home improvements.

All of the winners clearly deserved their walk down the green carpet. And congratulations to Urban Green Council for recognizing their critical work in such prestigious fashion!

Russell Unger, Executive Director of Urban Green Council

A proud winner.

LEED: A Global Reinvention

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:50:00 +0000

Mahesh Ramanujam
Chief Operating Officer
U.S. Green Building Council

“Invent because you must.”

Tom Sachs’ adage is a fitting mantra for our International vision for LEED. As the market and the passion for LEED grows around the world, we must re-invent USGBC in the context of the global landscape. There are new destinations ripe with green building potential, and emerging markets from Berlin to Budapest.

Our strategy? To follow the knowledge, to go where there is passion. Last month, that took USGBC leadership to China.

The USGBC team in Shanghai, along with bian lian performers wearing USGBC-themed masks

Why China? The passion and pro-activeness for green building among Chinese developers cannot be understated. Despite language barriers and other challenges, the Chinese have begun applying LEED across an array of projects and building types, from green schools to Shanghai Tower, which will be the tallest LEED building in the world once complete. China is a place where the dispersion of green building has grown organically, 7,500 miles from the birthplace of LEED. For our USGBC team, it felt like we were parents looking at our own child: Our creation made us look very small. And that was a remarkable feeling.

We’ve been fortunate to travel to China in years past, making lasting connections with emerging LEED users and celebrating new projects with plaque ceremonies. This particular trip was an opportunity for USGBC to gain critical insight in to emerging global markets. USGBC has become a knowledge center that many sectors leverage – but there is an abundance of knowledge outside of USGBC and LEED. China represents one nucleus of this kind. As we walked the floors of China’s LEED buildings, and met the enthusiastic and accommodating teams that championed them, that fact became extremely clear.

We left China with a “mission accomplished” feeling, and a clear idea of what USGBC needs to develop in order to support Chinese developers and act on their recommendations. There were three prominent outcomes:

The developers asked us, “How can we learn more about LEED?” China is just getting started, and it is our responsibility to bring as much education and guidance to the region as possible. Which brings us to our next outcome…
Translating LEED resources is a necessity, not a luxury! The language barrier among Chinese LEED users is the biggest obstacle to widespread usage of LEED in China. It only gets more complex through the delivery chain – a Chinese developer or corporate leader may speak an array of languages, but consider the construction worker or laborer who has lived in China his entire life: Generations of his family may have never stepped outside of the country. The time to translate USGBC and LEED resources is now. You can expect a launch of many translated resources on Oct. 1.
We were extraordinarily humbled by the level of access and hospitality we were given by the busy Chinese developers and business leaders we met with on our trip. Despite hectic schedules, these individuals were eager to learn from us and interested in progressing the green building mission. The amount we learned from them is insurmountable. We are grateful to them, and to our USGBC International team members, Jennivine Kwan and Nellie Chang, for making this experience a reality.

The trip to China left me and Judith Webb, USGBC’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications, feeling more energized than ever – and truly convinced of LEED’s global potential.

LEED is currently being applied in hundreds of countries, but to see China’s green building revolution firsthand brought the idea home. And just like the bian lian performers we met in Shanghai, who can change their masks in a fraction of a second (see the photos below), we, too, need to change and reinvent ourselves. By making LEED globally accessible, we're on the road to doing exactly that.

Lastly, thanks goes to USGBC’s Senior Vice President of LEED, Scot Horst. Accompanying him to China was an experience: I felt like a student in the presence of the master. Thank you, Scot, for your influence over the past three years.

I have just become more passionate.

The art of bian lian - or "face-changing" with masks.

A bian lian performer changes his mask with a flourish...

A USGBC bian lian mask.

Policymakers Imagine a Contributing Role for 130+ Million (Greener) Homes

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 21:18:00 +0000

Jeremy Sigmon, LEED® AP BD+C
Director, Technical Policy
U.S. Green Building Council

Even in a still struggling economy, green building policymaking continues. To celebrate some of the impressive progress this year, USGBC partnered with the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL) to convene key state lawmakers in Chicago this past Tuesday during the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The most notable successes to date have been in the proliferation of green schools policymaking – more than 80 bills in 28 states this year alone.

Big buildings – like schools, office buildings and civic structures – capture a lot of the limelight in green building policy and practice. Rightfully so, you might say, due to their typically large social, economic and environmental footprint. But in a nation with more than 130 million homes and growing, the numbers point to a similarly important opportunity for residential buildings to make important contributions to a more sustainable future.


Access the policy brief.

At Tuesday’s event, the group of leading state policymakers explored how government could help augment the potential of residential buildings to contribute to achieving sustainability goals. We introduced a new policy brief to answer that question: Green Homes are Better Homes.

To date, USGBC counts more than 400 public policy initiatives that promote or advance green building and LEED. Only 25 of these, however, make a concerted effort to leverage all that a green home can contribute to a greener neighborhood or community. (If I’m missing one you know about, please do send it in!) New Mexico and Cincinnati have probably had some of the most celebrated successes with their programs, and New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo just approved a bill last month that would allow New York municipalities to offer similar, powerful incentives.

Of course, Adam Smith would argue that the Invisible Hand of the free market, too, has a critical role to play. But efficient and transparent systems for sellers and buyers of green homes aren’t yet widely available. We’ve got a campaign for that: Highlight Green Homes. And while the market may eventually provide adequate and appropriate housing for all, healthy and efficient affordable housing is needed today. We’ve got a campaign for that, too: Value Healthy and Efficient Affordable Housing. And to accelerate the market uptake of green homebuilding practices, our Leadership with LEED campaign promotes incentives for building green homes that are verified and tested by a third-party, like a LEED for Homes Green Rater.

At Tuesday's gathering, Jason La Fleur, Regional Director of the Alliance for Environmental Sustainability and lead residential advocate for USGBC-Illinois, provided lawmakers with his professional perspective from the field. “Green homes address many of the energy and environmental issues that state legislators are already focusing on, such as energy efficiency, water efficiency, resource conservation, reduced toxicity, stormwater management, heat island reduction and more.”

In addition to providing incentives for market uptake of green homebuilding practice, some states are demanding higher energy and environmental performance of their new and existing affordable housing stock. Helping the market operate more efficiently may be the most transformative means to unleash the potential of green homes and, as La Fleur said, “It’s all about allowing the market to quantify the value of green.” At the federal level, help is hopefully on the way with the SAVE Act.

In the California marketplace, where green homebuilding has been prolific and is now also required in the statewide code, we now have empirical evidence that green homes sell for a premium – upwards of nine percent according to a study released last month. La Fleur added that some projects in Chicago report 20 percent value premiums for LEED certified homes. Higher valuation creates a greater asset value for homeowners, establishes a broader tax assessment base for municipal governments, and drives the market to deliver more green real estate.

June’s announcement of 20,000 LEED-certified homes and the accelerating growth of the program does provide promise that the residential marketplace is expanding, but there is a lot of ground to gain. How will you help policymakers incentivize the sustainability potential of 130+ million homes?

State Legislators Celebrate Green Schools While Paying Tribute to One of the Movement’s Greatest Champions

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 19:09:00 +0000

Nathaniel Allen
Center for Green Schools Advocacy Lead
U.S. Green Building Council

Earlier this week, the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council co-hosted a reception at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) alongside the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL) to celebrate the impressive growth of green schools policy activity. More than 80 related bills across 28 states have been considered in state legislatures just this year. Additionally, 28 of these bills have been signed into law, and more may still be on the way. Surely these are stats worth celebrating.

This year’s monumental progress is enumerated in a report released at the reception, which drew together approximately 50 lawmakers and members of the NGO community. The report highlights the variety of ways that legislators are using their pen to help make green schools for all within this generation a reality. From appropriating funds for school upgrades, to standards around new school construction, to improved operations and maintenance best practices, the report showcases tried-and-tested policy ideas and fresh, new approaches.

A few highlights include:

Utah passed HJR1 which highlights the importance of green schools and encourages new construction and major renovation projects to be healthy and energy-efficient.
Vermont passed S.92, instituting a green cleaning policy for schools.
Arkansas appropriated money through HB1078 to fund infrastructure improvements consistent with green building rating systems.
Illinois passed a resolution to encourage participation in Green Apple Day of Service this coming September 29.

The full report includes many more examples. The new ideas have also been incorporated into the Center’s growing green schools menu of policy options.

This is a significant increase in the volume of state legislative activity on green schools from years past, and it demonstrates that even amid unproductive political discourse and gridlock, state lawmakers are continuing to put differences aside to prioritize the importance of green schools in our communities.

Illinois State Representative Karen May, chair and co-founder of the 50 for 50 Green Schools Caucus Initiative, urged her colleagues to continue to fight to make green schools their lasting legacy that will impact communities for generations to come.


Doug Widener, Executive Director of the IL-USGBC Chapter, Rep. May, Nate Allen and Jeremy Sigmon, pictured with a green apple necklace, hand-made by USGBC's own Maggie Comstock

After six terms of dedicated service to the legislature, Rep. May is retiring at the end of this session. She has been a terrific champion for the green schools movement. Since helping to found the 50 for 50 Initiative, Rep. May has elevated this topic among her colleagues in Illinois, organized state lawmakers around the country in the 50 for 50 network, helped create resources specifically for state legislators to advance green schools, and most recently, brought together both sides of the aisle around an issue that’s too important to fall victim to partisan politics. We will miss working with Rep. May as a member of the Illinois legislature, but look forward to future opportunities to engage with one of this movement’s greatest champions. On behalf of all your friends at USGBC, thank you, Karen!

For additional ideas and resources about advancing effective green school policies, consult USGBC’s evolving Green Schools Menu of Options for State Legislators, available for download at www.centerforgreenschools.org/50for50.

For more about Tuesday’s event, and the release of a new policy brief on how policymakers can tap residential buildings to further sustainability goals, see “Policymakers Imagine a Contributing Role for 130+ Million (Greener) Homes.”

Sowing Seattle Seeds for the Green Apple Day of Service

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 13:16:00 +0000

Emily Knupp
Grassroots Outreach
Center for Green Schools

Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Seattle for our very first Day of Service project. I joined the Seattle Mariners, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Sounders and Seattle Storm, along with Washington Green Schools and Seattle Public Schools, the Green Sports Alliance, Skanska, community volunteers and students from Denny International Middle School and Chief Sealth High School to conduct a service project to gain momentum leading up to the official Green Apple Day of Service on Sept. 29.

The goal for the day was to expand the garden. We were tasked with building three plant beds and filling them with compost, soil, and plants, installing shelves in the tool shed and building a few benches. There were 22 middle and high school students there to join including the garden clubbers and some of the school’s athletes, new Seattle Public Schools Superintendent José Banda, an amazing crew from Skanska, the Washington Green Schools program, Cedar Grove Composting who even donated a truckload of composted soil, as well as players past and present from the Mariners, Seahawks, Sounders and Storm.

Helping Lucas Luetge with our project

In four hours we unloaded the soil, built three beds, two benches, planted kiwi, lavender, blueberries, strawberries and flowers, made an amazingly tasty lunch with ingredients from the garden, got really smelly and pretty much had the greatest day ever. The players were super engaged and excited to be there. I showed the Mariners relief pitcher Lucas Luetge (who pitched half an inning later that night!) how to plant a lavender bush and helped Superintendent Banda put a blueberry bush in the ground. They had a great time. The team from Skanska taught the kids about the company’s “Stretch and Flex” program which encourages job site safety and about being great advocates for Green Apple Day of Service.

This project realized everything Day of Service has the potential to be:

A diverse group of students engaged and excited to get dirty and learn new things.
Community organizations and companies partnering together for a great cause (including local celebs!)
Local media coverage - West Seattle Herald as well as a couple of local news outlets and the sports radio station
Hard work with tangible results and something the community put their sweat into, will maintain, and be proud of.

Start to finish, the trip to Seattle could not have been better. Our new friends from the Mariners, Skanska and the Green Sports Alliance treated us like family the entire week, and we even got to spend an evening on the owner's suite at the Mariners game. It was awesome, but was really just a treat on top of the experience we had the day before yesterday.

Thanks to everyone who made this day such a success, and we're look forward to many more projects like this to come!

The Value of Green Labels in the California Housing Market

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 21:23:00 +0000

Nils Kok
Visiting Scholar
University of California, Berkeley

When shopping for a new car, one of the most prominent features on display is the miles-per-gallon (MPG) usage of the vehicle. There is an EnergyGuide label for dishwashers, clothes washers and other appliances, and an Energy Star label for the most efficient appliances. But when buying a home, there is usually no information on its energy efficiency — which is strange, considering the substantial impact that monthly expenditures on electricity, gas and water have on disposable income. For many people, energy is the single largest monthly expense after mortgage or rental payments.

Photo credit: Zeck Butler Architects

The recent surge in the labeling of more efficient, “green” homes should therefore be good news for people who want to make a more informed decision when purchasing a new home. In Europe, an energy label for homes has been in place for some years now, providing prospective homebuyers with a simple assessment on the energy efficiency of a dwelling. Consumers seem to value this type of information: a large-scale study on the effect of energy labels on the selling prices of homes in the Netherlands shows a price premium for more efficient homes.

Now there is comparable evidence for the U.S.

In a study released last week, Matthew Kahn and I look at sales transactions of 1.6 million homes in California to investigate the price implications of three “green” labels: LEED for Homes, Energy Star and GreenPoint Rated. We find statistical evidence that, holding other factors constant, a green label on a single-family home in California provides a market premium of 9 percent compared to a similar home without the label. It is important to note that this premium is just an average, and there is some variation in the estimate. In addition, we find that the price premium is influenced by local climate — a green home is worth more in hotter areas where cooling is more important, and thus energy efficiency is more valuable. We also find that environmental ideology influences the willingness to pay for green homes. In areas with more hybrid vehicle registrations (which presumably reflects a higher degree of environmental consciousness), the premium paid for a green home is higher.

The bottom line: Green labels, or the characteristics these labels reflect (energy savings, water savings, higher comfort, etc.) are valued by homebuyers.

This finding is comparable to evidence on the financial implications of LEED and Energy Star labels as documented for the commercial sector, and it provides important information for developers who still wonder about the marketability of more efficient homes. A question that remains is whether displaying information on non-efficient homes could further consumers’ understanding of the energy efficiency of their (prospective) homes, thereby reducing the information asymmetry that is currently present in the residential housing market. But for now, green labels seem to do a good job in informing the market. For consumers who upgrade their home, getting a label might not be a bad idea!

The Road to #Greenbuild is Paved in Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 20:17:00 +0000

Mara Baum
Senior Associate, HOK
Greenbuild Host Committee

Greenbuild is finally making its way to San Francisco this November – and us Bay Area locals are really excited. The conference theme is aptly “@ Greenbuild,” referencing the mindboggling array of Internet and technology companies headquartered here in the Bay Area. The big names include Google, Yahoo, Twitter (who’s co-founder, Biz Stone, will join us at the Greenbuild opening plenary), LinkedIn, Yelp, and YouTube. Smaller social media outlets are also ubiquitous, including the likes of StumbleUpon, Reddit, Delicious, Yammer, Pinterest, and many more. Of the 17 companies mentioned in a recent survey on social media for designers, all but one are headquartered here. (Tumblr hails from New York. Rebels!) We also have our host of gaming companies, many of whom tap into social networks; gamejobhunter lists over 120 companies nearby, from tiny start-ups to titans like EA and Zynga.

The “classic” Silicon Valley stretches from Palo Alto to south of San Jose, CA.
Image source: Wikipedia

Our social media bonanza has roots in the original tech boom in Silicon Valley – named after silicon chip innovators – back in the 1970s. What is Silicon Valley exactly? Although the name originally referred to a specific region emanating out from Stanford University and San Jose, its tech prowess has now spread throughout the region; San Jose Mercury News recently asserted that “Silicon Valley” now includes five Bay Area counties. For many of us, though, Silicon Valley is more about a mindset and an approach to business that’s become synonymous with high tech innovation. It has remained in this area because, as I once learned in a city planning class, companies that demand a stream of employees with the tech sector’s specialized mindset and skillset tend to thrive when they flock together. (San Francisco’s tax break for tech companies probably doesn’t hurt.)

901 Cherry, home of YouTube: Photo copyright
Mark Luthringer, courtesy of William McDonough + Partners.

This brings us to where we are today – a vibrant and slightly avant-garde-geeky community about to host the biggest Greenbuild ever. I’m excited to be at the nexus of this tech + sustainability crowd as part of the Greenbuild 2012 Host Committee, made up of volunteers from USGBC’s Northern California Chapter. As the co-chair of the Host Committee’s Social Networking Sub-Committee, we’ll work with USGBC’s Greenbuild team to create the most networked show ever – with your help, of course (get those #Greenbuild tweeting thumbs ready!). This emphasis on the collision between technology and sustainability is especially appropriate because many of our local tech companies are also leaders in green building. Google, Adobe, SAP and Zynga were four of the first six to sign on to the California Best Buildings Challenge, a program by USGBC and its Northern California Chapter, and many others have substantial sustainability programs. Many of the Bay Area’s tech companies reside in LEED buildings or spaces, and YouTube now occupies 901 Cherry, an early green building landmark designed by William McDonough + Partners.

I’ll elaborate on some of these initiatives in future blog posts, along with other San Francisco highlights from the Host Committee’s Road to Greenbuild, a series of events leading up to the show. I look forward to “seeing” you in San Francisco this November – if not in person then via social media. In the meantime, you can follow @Greenbuild on Twitter, join the LinkedIn group, like the page on Facebook, and peruse Greenbuild pins on Pinterest. See you there!

A Renewed Commitment to Buildings and their Social Benefits

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 21:31:00 +0000

Maggie Comstock
Policy Analyst
U.S. Green Building Council

As the dust settles from Rio+20, I finally have a moment to reflect upon the outcomes of the historic Earth Summit Conference. The non-committal nature of the Rio text was a surprise to no one, yet the identification of buildings as an important strategy for the development of sustainable cities and urban infrastructure was still a “win” for the green building movement. Energy efficiency was also recognized as a strategy for combating climate change within both the developed and developing world. Our leaders’ acknowledgement of the role of the buildings sector in sustainable development is a testament to the benefits of green building that go beyond protecting the environment, as outlined in the United Nations Environment Programme Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative’s new report, "Building Design and Construction: Forging Resource Efficiency and Sustainable Development."

Snapped on USGBC's trip to the Rio+20 conference.

As the world’s population rapidly urbanizes, we need to address future development and construction. Picture this: In order to accommodate the expected increase in urban population of two billion people before 2030, we would need to construct 200 new cities larger than Paris! Our planet cannot accommodate such development, especially if done conventionally. Clearly the decisions that we make today are crucial to ensuring the future health of our planet as cities put more pressure on our finite resources.

Green buildings not only address the development requirements of future urbanization, but also serve important social and economic needs of these populations. For example, the International Labour Organization estimates that the construction sector employs 111 million people globally; and as green buildings increase their share of the market, they also provide stable employment for millions and boost local economies around the world. Green schools and affordable housing programs help spread the social benefits of green buildings to a wider audience, promoting education and health.

Download the report.

Finally, the report outlines the role of cities in driving green building construction and sustainability. Sub-national governments are taking the lead on urban sustainability as national governments are slower to implement progressive policies. As building design and construction have acute benefits for local populations, cities are often best suited to implement these policies.

The UNEP-SBCI report helps builds the broader case for green building throughout the world as more than an environmental movement, but also a social and economic one, which appropriately aligns with the themes of Rio+20—economic prosperity, social inclusion and environmental protection.

Two Billion or Bust: LEED Square Footage Tips the Scales

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 15:41:00 +0000

Brendan Owens, LEED AP, P.E.
Vice President, LEED Technical Development
U.S. Green Building Council

Ever been to New York, NY? Picture the island of Manhattan in your mind (or Google’s). Now multiply that by three. Or, picture the entire District of Columbia.

Both are roughly equivalent to two billion square feet – the amount of LEED-certified space that now exists around the world, a milestone that we announced yesterday. And while it’s difficult to conceptualize so much space, I think we can all agree that it’s a milestone worthy of celebration – and one to which so many people, from architects to project managers to building inhabitants – have contributed.

To exemplify that point, let’s take a peak at some of the recent certifications:

Google’s LEED Platinum office in Mumbai, India, a commercial interiors project
A new construction project in Lem, Denmark: the LEED Platinum Vestas Technology Center
LEED Gold Warrensburg Elementary School in Warrensburg, Missouri
LEED Platinum Ernst & Young Plaza in Los Angeles, California, an existing buildings project
LEED Platinum University of California Irvine Medical Education Building in Irvine, California

Two billion is a great benchmark for LEED’s growth. Twelve years ago, LEED started as a singular rating system for new construction projects. Now, LEED encompasses a suite of rating systems that touches just about every possible building type, from hospitals to our homes, offices to outlet malls. We’re certifying two million square feet of commercial LEED space every single day in 130 countries. There are 50,000 LEED-certified and LEED-registered projects, comprising a grand total of nine billion square feet. And if that isn’t enough to blow your mind, perhaps the 22,000 LEED for Homes certified units will. (51% of which are in the affordable housing sector!) In twelve years, LEED has made more than a splash in the marketplace (cannonball, anyone?), which would have never been possible without the continued input and involvement of a vast array of industries. Today, LEED is a rating system that more than 1,200 companies, from architecture firms to product manufacturers to Fortune 500 companies, are willing to stand behind.

To all of you LEED users out there, whether your certified project was a commercial building that accounts for hundreds of thousands of square feet, or a small storefront of just a couple hundred, we applaud you - and we thank you. Green building is our collective movement, and no matter how far you moved the needle, you’ve helped tip the scales to two billion square feet. One billion = big. But two billion? It’s safe to say that LEED has grown larger than we ever imagined in the early days, and now, it’s difficult to imagine a built world without it.

All this amazing work notwithstanding – let’s all agree that this is just the beginning!

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Green Apple Day of Service (But Were Afraid to Ask)

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 21:00:00 +0000

Mallory Shelter
Communications Associate
U.S. Green Building Council

Hello San Antonio! The Center for Green Schools team arrived this week in the great state of Texas for USGBC’s annual mid-year meeting, chatting with our most engaged stakeholders about Green Apple and the Day of Service. It’s been inspiring to hear how engaged so many of our leaders are planning to be on Sept. 29, and what they’ve already done to promote this day.

We’ve been spending our days with the chapter green schools committees and those interested in how they can further become involved in our mission to create healthy, high-performing schools for all within this generation. But through talking further about the Day of Service, one thing we’re finding is that people still have a lot of questions. How do I register? How can I get more volunteers? How do I promote my event on and after Sept. 29? Where can I find funds for my project? And the list goes on.

Well, for those of you reading this post and find yourself asking similar questions, you’re in luck! We’ve answered some of the inquiries we’ve been getting a lot of below. If we didn’t answer your questions, feel free to reach out to me at mshelter@usgbc.org and our team will be sure to get you an answer ASAP.

How do I find projects in my area?
Our Green Apple website supports search functionality for registered projects within a 100 mile radius of a zipcode, or by country. We’re seeing 8-10 new registrations a day, so check often!

Does my event have to be on Sept. 29?
We’re using Sept. 29 as our main date for service projects, but we don’t want to discourage others from getting involved if Saturday does not work for them. The majority of events will happen in the month of September, so if you’re not doing a project on Sept. 29, just be sure to keep us informed of what date it will be on.

How do I promote and broadcast the work I’m doing leading up to Sept. 29?
We encourage you to check out our promo kit on our tools page, which takes you step by step through different ways you can talk about the great work you’ve been doing. We also encourage you to share your updates and progress via social media – it’s a great and easy way to spread the word and get more people on board. Follow us on twitter, @mygreenschools, and share your plans with #greenapple. Finally, the Center welcomes any photos or blog posts you may have about the work that you’re doing - we’d love to feature them on our site!

What do I do after my project?
Tell us the details! How it went, how many people showed up, what you accomplished, any media coverage that came from it – and don’t forget photos! We’ll be working hard in the months after September to share all of your stories, and encourage more participation for next year’s Day of Service.

Where can I find funding?
Our hope is that Green Apple Day of Service does not have to be a significant financial undertaking, demonstrating that school improvement projects can happen with little cost, and with in-kind contributions of services and resources from within one’s own community. Check out the idea cards we have posted on the site. We've suggested a number of low- or no-cost school improvement projects like classroom and schoolyard cleanups. For other projects like school gardens for which supplies will be required, we recommend you seek in-kind contributions of services and resources from within your own community. Local businesses, NGOs and PTAs make great partners for Green Apple Day of Service.

Where can I find additional volunteers?
Partner, partner, partner! Forming a partnership with a group in your community is a very easy way to expand your volunteer base exponentially. Places like churches, Rotary clubs, companies based in your area with a large number of employees or local non-profits are great places to start.

My project is small – should I still register it?
Yes! Even if you don’t plan on needing additional volunteers or capacity, we’d still like to get your project on the map.

If I will be doing something in multiple locations, should I register one event, or each one?
We’re thrilled you have more than one project in the works, and we want to know about every single one. The map on mygreenapple.org is more than a way for you to register projects; it’s way for everyone to see just how far and wide Green Apple Day of Service is being taken! By registering each Day of Service event individually, you’ll be able to meet potential volunteers where they live and work, providing nearby opportunities to connect and support. If you have lots and lots of projects to get registered, contact Emily Davis, edavis@usgbc.org, to help you navigate the registration tool.

I’m from another country – do you have materials in different languages?
We do! We have our one-pager in Spanish, and are working on also translating it into Arabic, Swahili and French. If there is a resource you would like translated, please contact Carly Cowan, ccowan@usgbc.org. If you’ve already taken the initiative to translate our resources yourself, please let us know and we can help to format them.

I’m not able to do a service project – is there anything else I can do?
While we’re sad to hear you aren’t able to join us on Sept. 29, there are plenty of other ways you can get involved. One of the easiest and most visual ways you can help is to take a picture of a green apple for our We Learn Here campaign. Identify a place you feel you learn the most, and snap of a picture of you with a green apple there. The upload it on our website, or share it via social media.

Green Buildings: A Bridge to a More Resilient Future

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Easton) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 19:16:00 +0000

Jeremy Sigmon, LEED® AP BD+C
Director, Technical Policy
U.S. Green Building Council

I overheard a lot of scary things in the workshops and in the halls during last week’s 37th Annual Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop. The sessions I attended were worrisome, and the mere titles of some of the sessions I missed were downright frightening – like, “Community at Risk: Biodefense and Civic Action after the Anthrax Attacks,” or “What Keeps Me up at Night: Senior Hazards Researchers Reflect on Lessons (Not) Learned.” It's a sobering conference to be sure, but it's also extremely important to learn about the many ways that our society, economy and infrastructure are very, and increasingly vulnerable to disaster.

Where I come from, the motivation for action today is not typically driven by the threat of disaster. Instead, we're driven by the promise of a brighter, greener future. I was uncertain about how this optimism would be received when I was invited to participate on behalf of USGBC in this conference, but I learned very quickly that emergency managers and the many minds that stay up late thinking about how to better prepare for and mitigate myriad disasters are advancing a hopeful and constructive approach to planning for a resilient future. Phew!

Build to last: Green building methods and codes can help prepare and mitigate the effects of natural disasters. Photo source: NOAA Photo Library, Flickr

As you may know, USGBC has been involved in this line of thinking for several years, after being called upon time and again to help communities rebound from disasters and build back better, stronger and greener. Resistance, preparedness, mitigation and resilience to natural hazards are at the heart of a resiliency agenda. And we know, intuitively, that a resilient future is a sustainable future.

At our panel session, we addressed a simple question, “The Future of Green Codes and Standards: Is there a Place for Disaster Resistance?” The short answer is, “Of course!”

In fact, USGBC posed a similar question last year in a joint venture with the University of Michigan to better understand how green building – and LEED in particular – already addresses some of the longer term hazards posed by a changing climate. This report is one of the first attempts to compile all research on the impacts of climate change on the built environment, and to link impacts with strategies for addressing them.

The report finds that preparedness for future climatic conditions will require greater effort in design, mitigation and adaptation given the decreasing reliability of past climate and weather data. Appendix C spends more than 150 pages detailing how LEED credits and prerequisites are, in many cases, promoting resistance to potential climate-related disasters. LEED users may think most commonly of credit awarded for development outside of known floodplains and for minimizing contributions to global climate change through energy efficiency and renewable energy. Maybe the most direct example is LEED for Homes’ “Durability Management Process,” where all projects are required to assess durability risks (with particular emphasis on moisture control, including flood risk), prior to construction, then manage those risks, and may also earn credit for third-party verification that those measures were implemented. You are encouraged to suggest ways that LEED could evolve to even better address these and other hazards by proposing a credit for the LEED Pilot Credit Library.

Codes, too, have a clear and important role to play given their well-established role of protecting the health, safety and welfare of building occupants in any compliant building from acute risks and hazards, and the insurance industry agrees. For some natural hazards, a code that applies to all buildings may be a far more logical and effective place for design and construction safeguards and other applicable mitigation strategies. Should any building be allowed to be built in an area prone to earthquakes that would crumble under even the most frequent and predictable quakes? Determining the minimum threshold of acceptable risk is what code development and adoption is all about.

There’s a reasonably good argument to incorporate some of these safeguards into the International Green Construction Code (certain measures may extend building service life, for example), but there is an equally appropriate counter argument for them to be incorporated into the base codes (these are acute life safety hazards to which all buildings should be resistant). Either way, the codes will continue to be an important vehicle to mainstream these protections in newly constructed buildings.

I had the pleasure of catching up with Mayor Dixson of tornado-ravaged Greensburg, Kan. about his community’s rebuilding efforts, in which they have committed all new public construction to LEED Platinum. Almost any building – green or not – would be damaged if a similar tornado were to strike again.

“We’re building back in a way that will ensure that this can never happen again,” Mayor Dixson told me, referring both to the deliberate focus on preventing loss of life and property in a future storm, as well as investments to reduce the carbon footprints of city facilities that will thus contribute far less to the uncertain weather patterns and events.

Discussing green buildings and resiliency with Mayor Dixson of Greensburg, Kan. at the 37th Annual Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop

Most importantly, we should be pleased that this constructive conversation on green buildings and resilience is happening, and will continue. I came away from the Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop with a renewed sense of hope because of the common ground we found between these two communities. Through research and outreach, the green building community is taking the steps to better understand the risks posed by natural hazards and to find innovative approaches to address and mitigate those risks. Communities around the country are doing great work to analyze, design, and build today in order to ensure a better, brighter, greener and stronger tomorrow. That bridge to a more resilient future requires input and action from a diverse community of perspectives to ensure that our buildings, our communities and our society end up better, brighter, stronger and greener.

Visit USGBC.org/resiliency to learn more.

Fresh Approach to Education @ Greenbuild 2012

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 20:43:00 +0000

Rina Brulé
Manager, Event Content
U.S. Green Building Council

Heading into the eleventh Greenbuild, our education program continues to evolve with a fresh approach to entertaining and motivating you inside the session room.

Check out some of the changes I’m most excited about:

Shorter education sessions = 60 minutes. In an effort to help you make the most of your experience, education sessions are now hour-long presentations. View the program »
Earn your continuing education. This year we’re increasing time slots and education opportunities. LEED APs and Green Associates can still earn one year’s worth of continuing education credits at Greenbuild. Learn more »
USGBC Updates are one track. In the past, specialty updates were offered during one time slot, and you told us it wasn’t working. So we’re changing it up. In 2012, if you wish, you will have the opportunity to attend every USGBC update.
More special sets. This is your year to experience the magic of special sets. Special sets feature unique stages, lighting, audience polling and interactive presentation styles to better engage the audience. Forty sessions will be held on a special set.
Start scheduling and connecting. Looking to connect with an attendee, exhibitor, or presenter? Greenbuild Connect not only reserves your seat in education sessions, it also helps you plan your entire Greenbuild experience. Greenbuild Connect »

What are you looking forward to learning @ Greenbuild 2012? Let us know and tweet @Greenbuild.

Support for LEED and Sustainability: Briefing at the Capitol

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 19:57:00 +0000

Bryan Howard
Legislative Director
U.S. Green Building Council

LEED for Business: No, it’s not a new rating system – but rather, the pulse of every LEED rating system. LEED has become an instrumental tool for businesses, from commercial construction companies to global financial firms to your favorite coffee shop. Forty-eight companies in the Fortune 100 use LEED certification to reduce operating and energy costs, and nearly 1,300 product manufacturers are USGBC members. Why? As USGBC’s Vice President of National Policy, Jason Hartke, put it, “The business case for LEED is unassailable.”

This afternoon, three key LEED users, from Hines, Interface, and Yates Construction - came to the Capitol to talk business: Why they use LEED and how it impacts their business operations.

Congressman Robert Dold (R-IL), co-chair of the Congressional Green Schools Caucus, kicked off the event with a nod to green building practices.

L to R: Mason Statham of Yates Construction, Congressman Dold, Gary Holtzer of Hines, and Jason Hartke, USGBC

“I’ve been talking to businesses everyday about removing overhead costs,” said Dold. “I’ve seen solution after solution that pay themselves off after 18 months. Certainly, we need to follow suit with government buildings.

“I think this is a very important topic and one we’re going to hear a lot more about.”

And that we did.

“What it does is create passion.”

Gary M. Holtzer, managing director and global sustainability officer at Hines, described LEED as a vehicle that “…allows you to start to think about the broader picture of what sustainability means.” He added later, “Seventy percent of the world’s population will be living in cities by 2050. We are a firm that wants to be forward thinking about sustainability now.”

But the real importance of LEED? “What it does is create passion.”

To underscore this point, Holtzer told the story of 101 California, a LEED-certified building and Hines project in San Francisco. The project was ranked at the Certified level on April 14, 2009.

“The operating engineers decided that wasn’t good enough,” Holtzer said. “They wanted Platinum to prove that they ran a good building.”

The culmination? The 30-year-old 101 California building took a second go at LEED and earned Platinum last July – becoming the highest scoring existing building project awarded at that time.

“It’s profitable for us.”

George Bandy Jr., of Interface

As George Bandy Jr., Vice President of Interface, spoke about his company’s commitment to sustainability (pioneered by corporate sustainability legend Ray Anderson), he pointed to the floor.

“At this very day we can take this carpet tile on this floor and re-manufacture it in to new carpet.” He added, “And it’s profitable for us.”

Bandy noted that transparency and corporate responsibility have always been foundational elements of the Interface brand, and sustainable operations have been a key way to emphasize that.

“It’s no longer okay to privatize wealth and socialize the risk.”

“It’s created markets and supported business.”

Mason Statham, Director of Sustainability for Yates Construction, said the interest in LEED is “…owner-driven. We work for owners and investors. We build what they want, and what they see is a good investment. It creates a competitive advantage.”

What’s more, Statham said, is that LEED has “…created markets and supported business.”

To exemplify this point, Statham recalled working on the Keesler Air Force Base LEED for Homes project in Mississippi – the largest LEED for Homes project in history. His team was pursuing sustainable construction waste management, but faced difficulties when they realized local waste facilities and vendors did not provide sustainable services. So Statham’s team began asking local vendors to provide this option.

Two years later, when Statham’s team returned to this market to work on another LEED project, the infrastructure had been built out and local businesses were offering construction waste management services.

“All the sudden, this service existed. [LEED has] created markets and supported business.”

“It’s pushing technology.”

Holtzer, of Hines, closed out the briefing after a Q & A session.

His final anecdote touched on Hines’ relationship with LEED, of which he noted, “We don’t always agree with USGBC.” But disagreements lead to dialogues, which ultimately lead to innovation. Specifically, Holtzer noted that many investors and clients request building spaces with floor to ceiling windows, often conflicting with green building strategies. In seeking solutions, innovation occurs: Windows that transition from transparent to shaded based on how much daylight the building is receiving, or glazes that mitigate the effects of UV rays and heat.

“The buildings that do not continuously improve will be left behind…[LEED] is pushing technology. Without this push/pull dialogue, it may not happen as quickly – and we want it to happen quickly, because it’s good for all of us.”

Speak Up for LEED: Spurring Job Growth & Innovation for Over a Decade

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 15:03:00 +0000

Brendan Owens, LEED AP, P.E.
Vice President, LEED Technical Development
U.S. Green Building Council

If 10 years ago, someone had told you that a consumer desire to buy paints that don’t emit harmful fumes (also known as VOCs) would jeopardize the jobs of decent, hard working Americans, would you have believed them? If they had predicted that 10 years in the future, low-emitting paint, carpets and adhesives, would not only be widely available but also considered by many industry practitioners as standard rather than specialty products, would you have believed them? For me, it’s honestly tough to say.

Ten years ago I doubt I knew 50% of what I have come to know as a result of my engagement with the green building movement. Ten years ago I’m pretty sure I knew what VOCs were – but only because I had to endure organic chemistry in college: Not because I knew they were a paint ingredient. Ten years ago I’m pretty certain I knew that VOCs weren’t good for you, but I probably couldn’t have explained why (I was a pretty focused energy guy back in the day). Ten years ago I’m 100% certain that I would not have been able to tell you that VOCs were a chemical ingredient that, although they were very common at the time, would be completely absent from every single paint we used when we renovated the house we moved in to last year. And there’s just absolutely no way that 10 years ago I would have been able to tell you that it wouldn’t cost me a dime more to purchase a product that performs the same, but is vastly healthier than available alternatives.

Photo credit: Bob Mical

Since USGBC launched LEED in 2000, we’ve seen some extraordinary changes in our industry. Pick a product: paint, carpet, chillers, glass, lighting, furniture, air handlers, adhesives, lavatories, composite wood, concrete, toilets, steel, wood, building automation/controls, aluminum, drywall, insulation – virtually any product we make buildings out of/with – and I’m certain you can find a product that performs the same or better but has a vastly improved environmental and/or human health footprint than a comparable product sold in 2000. Has LEED driven all this? Certainly not on its own – the clever people who brought us these improved products were just as clever before LEED came along – but one thing I think we can say with confidence is that the rate at which this innovation occurred was accelerated by LEED. I think we can also say with confidence that the companies that took hold of the leadership of this movement and cultivated the innovation that has changed our industry are vastly better positioned than their competitors to respond to the global challenges we all collectively face.

In spite of all of this, trade associations are currently running around telling lawmakers that the ideas that USGBC is considering for future versions of LEED – ideas that are enhancements to the market-based ideas from previous versions of LEED, ideas that led to revolutionary innovation which has made hundreds of companies globally more competitive and hugely more profitable – are putting the jobs of decent, hard working Americans at risk. Do you believe them?

Me neither. Let's do something about it.

Plano Environmental Education Center: A City's Symbol for Sustainability

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:15:00 +0000

Gary Olp, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD&C
President
GGO Architects

It's curious how times change. During the ‘80s, I heard about how the city of Plano was a rapidly growing example of Dallas sprawl. It was looked upon as a scourge of urban revitalization. But by the millennium, Plano had evolved to become simply the northern edge of a growing greater Dallas metropolitan area.

And just as the city’s reputation changed in this context, so did its commitment to environmentally-friendly practices. This is the story of how a green building in Plano, TX has become a symbol for the city’s ever-increasing commitment to sustainability.

Plano Environmental Education Center. Photo Credit: Mark Olsen

The Vision

Flashback to the year 2000: As the city of Plano matured, conversations with city staff at local sustainable conferences and USGBC events evolved around the potential for a more sustainable approach for solid waste practices, water conservation and innovative municipal policies that would benefit Plano long term.

An early advocate, Nancy Nevil, Director of Sustainability & Environmental Services for the City of Plano, decided to take matters into her own hands and make a difference at the local level. Armed with a vision to reduce, reuse, and recycle, she groomed the support of the city’s elected officials and implemented automated recycling and household chemical collections programs that have became benchmarks for other cities throughout the state.

After years of trimming my trees and witnessing mountains of woody debris being collected and hauled off to the landfill, I was thrilled to discover that an outgrowth of Plano’s new program was the conversion of the collected debris into soil amendment products such as humus, mulch and compost. The city was marketing those products to consumers as a revenue stream! This was the most realistic example of closed loop thinking I had ever encountered. Soon afterward, Nancy made me aware that they were also crushing collected glass and selling it as billet to local glass product manufacturers.

Novel thinking and committed action! In that moment the concept of thinking globally and acting locally became clear.

The Building

Nancy's team built a small backyard composting demonstration garden that grew in popularity with volunteers and residents, eventually evolving into the Environmental Discovery Center. A typical Saturday featured hands-on master gardener classes, master composting, water conservation, xeriscape landscaping, beneficial insects identification, organic pest control and recycling classes outdoors. As a consequence of their passion, City Council ultimately tasked Nancy’s department with educating the community on sustainability and incorporating sustainable best practices into city government, local businesses and the daily lives of its residents. The mission and the vision just got bigger! The focus of the educational effort was expanded to include energy conservation, air quality, water conservation, native planting materials, pest control, etc.

Plano Environmental Education Center.
Photo Credit: Mark Olsen

Ms. Nevil and her staff soon recognized that to implement this environmental mission effectively, they needed to encourage Plano residents of all economic levels and diverse cultural backgrounds to see, touch and experience a green building. “The only way for our citizens to understand the value of green buildings and their triple bottom line benefit was to provide this experience – by creating a building for them!”

The finished facility – the LEED Platinum Plano Enivronmental Education Center - displays dynamically how to integrate sustainable features and actions into the homes and businesses of the community’s residents.

It’s not surprising that one of the most popular aspects of the building is that all of the stormwater runoff is contained on site. Our region is reeling from the effects of extreme summer heat, extended drought conditions and current municipal water restrictions. Residents are delighted to learn that 25,000 gals of rainwater are harvested from every square inch of the roof and shade canopies and recycled first as flush water for the toilets, then to irrigate the living roof and finally to water the native demonstration landscape that envelopes the facility.

Every aspect of this facility was designed as an educational tool to highlight and celebrate sustainable features with a simplicity and friendly practicality that informs the cities’ diverse multicultural residents that environmentally responsible actions are not difficult to implement and are easy to do. Plano’s local leadership with this green building is already having an influence on economic and environmental actions by citizens and businesses alike to save energy, create jobs, and restore the local environment.

Who's Coming to Greenbuild 2012?

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 16:09:00 +0000

Kimberly Lewis
Senior Vice President, Conferences and Events
U.S. Green Building Council

Four IMEX Green Meetings Awards. Tens of thousands of attendees. Greenbuild is not just an event, but the award-winning tent revival for the most passionate and innovative leaders of the green building movement. Can you believe it's just a few months away? This year, at the 2012 Greenbuild Conference and Expo, we’re expecting over 35,000 attendees from every facet of the green building sphere to join us at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif. for the largest Greenbuild event to date.

I’m thrilled to announce today that Greenbuild 2012 will kick-off with Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough of MSNBC’s weekday morning show “Morning Joe,” and Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, Inc. headlining at the opening plenary on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at the Moscone Center.

Greenbuild 2012 speakers: Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough of “Morning Joe” (outer photos); Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, Inc. (center photo)

Our Greenbuild theme for 2012 is all about bringing technology and sustainability together in the global green environment, and I can’t think of a better speaker line-up to drive this point home. And what better place to celebrate than San Francisco, a city known world-wide for its ongoing commitment to green practices and sustainability? San Francisco embodies the fusion of sustainability and technology with its diverse range of LEED-certified buildings – not to mention its proximity to Silicon Valley and reputation as the nucleus of tech giants and start-ups. This impressive city will provide the perfect backdrop for Greenbuild 2012’s green building tours, 150+ educational sessions, networking opportunities, and more.

For those of you who have been part of the Greenbuild family for years, you know how far we’ve come since Greenbuild’s 2002 debut in Austin, Texas. Last year in Toronto, Ontario, over 20,000 people joined us for educational sessions, networking events, keynote speakers like Thomas Friedman, and even a performance from the Grammy award-winning band Maroon 5.

Today, we are extremely proud that Greenbuild is the largest conference and expo dedicated to green building in the world. On the year of its 11th anniversary, we’re bringing a three-day Greenbuild line-up that is bigger and better than ever—the expo hall itself is our biggest yet, spanning three floors to accommodate 1,000 exhibitors and 2,000 booths that will showcase the most cutting-edge technological innovations and green products.

Greenbuild provides an opportunity for green professionals from around the world to network with peers, clients and potential customers, something that is so important in advancing the green movement. There is so much excitement in store for Greenbuild 2012 and I hope to see each of you there.

For everything you need to know about Greenbuild 2012, visit greenbuildexpo.org or follow @Greenbuild on Twitter, and tweet hashtag #Greenbuild to join the conversation. And for those of you interested in winning a full, free registration to this year's event, tell us what you'll do @ Greenbuild using hashtag #get2GB to enter. Check out the contest page for details.

I look forward to seeing everyone in the city by the bay this November!

Think and Be Greener: A Visit to Woodland Hill Montessori School

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:49:00 +0000

Jodi Smits Anderson
Chair
USGBC NY Upstate Chapter

What would you do if you found yourself in front of an audience of 20 kids, all convinced they know it all, yet totally open to new thoughts and ideas? If you were bold and a bit naïve, you might try to teach them about the triple bottom line, only to be blown away by their reception of the concept.

I had the opportunity to teach the middle school kids of Woodland Hill Montessori School about sustainability after complaining one too many times about the Styrofoam cups at their monthly coffeehouse fundraiser. Rather than accepting my offer to donate paper cups, one teacher conceived a greener, more dynamic alternative, and I was fully game to partake.

I began with Annie Leonard’s appropriately inflammatory short film about our consumer culture, “The Story of Stuff,” which prompted an engaging discussion about what the students’ families purchase and how those choices affect our world—including other people and the built environment, as mankind and nature are not independent.

Greening your computer: The students suggested that old computers could always benefit from redecoration with stickers. (Source: Phil Hawksworth, Flickr)

We then considered an example: How can you be a little greener in buying a new computer? Ideas flooded the discussion as if we were deciding where to eat ice cream. Laptops take less energy and are smaller! Buy one with a take-back policy! Be sure to clean out and maintain your computer! Buy from a local company! Buy a refurbished one! When it seems old, decorate it with stickers instead of buying a newer, prettier one that works the same way! I need to learn the last one.

The point was made. The only wrong answer is: Don’t ask any questions! If you want to be greener, all it takes is training yourself to think—about the purchases you make; about the spaces you are designing; about how you are doing something and if its working for you, your wallet (long-term) and the planet. “Think and be greener” is the motto I tried to teach.

Watch my recent TEDxTalk for the whole story, including how the students applied what they learned to their coffeehouse fundraiser.

Greener every day.

The Scoundrel's Handbook

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:09:00 +0000

Rick Fedrizzi
President, CEO & Founding Chairman
U.S. Green Building Council

It was Samuel Johnson who said that patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel. He talked a lot about false patriots, those who "appeal to the rabble, circulate pointless petitions, and who allow their passions to confound the distinctions between right and wrong." He never said if he had anyone particular in mind, but I sure do. A lot of people in Washington, D.C. have become quite adept in using the Scoundrel's Handbook to advance their narrow view of the world.

The first chapter in this primer for the morally challenged, of course, is denial, and we've seen any number of people over the years willing to stand up and lie bold-faced to the American people simply because admitting to their actions would expose them for the scoundrels they are.

But it's the second chapter I'd like to talk about: the one in which the scoundrel goes on offense and attacks anyone and everyone willing to expose him for what he is.

Unfortunately these scoundrels come in a variety of shapes and stripes. The ones that concern me most are those who attempt to savage a mountain of scientific evidence in favor of obfuscation and innuendo. They cloud what's clear because the light of day would expose them for what they are -- scoundrels of the worst sort. In their effort to protect a status quo that is good for them but not so much for the rest of us, they wrap their world view in flag and country and patriotism, and loudly proclaim that to question their self-interest is somehow un-American.

Regrettably, that's the way so much gets done these days in Washington and why it's not about who's right, but who's loudest, who lies and denies most convincingly, and who is the most willing to pay, say or do whatever is necessary to win, regardless of the consequences.

I say this because as the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has become more successful, we've developed our share of enemies: people willing to do just about anything to defend their status quo at our expense -- even if it means polluting the environment, subjecting the most vulnerable among us to cancer-causing carcinogens, and regularly prioritizing financial gain over human lives.

The hot button so many of them use today is jobs. You watch: it will happen. Some industry in this country will start crowing that some environmental non-profit like ours threatens the livelihood of those who make a living in the very industry they represent. They'll irrationally claim that our most deeply held desire is to derail their freedoms and all those rights they'll contend are inherently theirs, and that we're working tirelessly to put people out of work. Come on. Really?

I say: Bring it on. And let's talk jobs.

Tens of thousands of R&D jobs could be created if any industry out there made it a standard operating practice to investigate, explore and develop more sustainable ways of conducting business, safer and healthier ways of manufacturing and disposing of waste, and new, innovative and entirely eco-friendly uses for new and existing products.

Talk about a growth industry! Talk about a rich, fertile field for young, bold and forward-thinking entrepreneurs! Not only could any industry create an overwhelming number of internal jobs and whole new areas of growth for existing companies, it could also spawn hundreds of startup ventures whose success would be tied directly to the sustainability made possible by their industry's safer, cleaner operating procedures. If they took what they spent on lobbyists and lawyers who are defending the status quo and invested it here, think of how many jobs that would create.

The reason LEED certification has achieved such a massive level of acceptance and buy-in across the globe is because in putting the program together we were fiercely dedicated to working hand-in-glove with the very companies we'd be rating and certifying. As a result we were able to balance what was practical with what was desirable. In the process we created a certification program that not only makes a ton of business sense, but is good for both the planet and those generations who will someday inherit it. And along the way we were the catalyst for a new market that didn't exist 10 years ago, and that today accounts for thousands of jobs and a market impact in the billions.

Make no mistake: these scoundrels can't have it both ways. If USGBC is on the side of sustainability, that could only mean that those who oppose us are ultimately on the side of exploiting the earth's non-renewable resources.

If we're on the side of protecting the environment from careless and short-sighted decision-making, that could only mean those who oppose us are for subjecting you and your family to the kind of short-sighted decisions that lead to eco-disasters like Love Canal, the Gulf oil spill, and mountaintop coal removal.

And if my organization and the hundreds of corporate partners we represent are on the side of public health and protecting American citizens -- especially the youngest and most vulnerable among us -- that could only mean that those scoundrels who populate my Washington list, who run around the halls of Congress and nestle into corner booths making it all about them... well, they clearly don't think of us at all!

In this town countless individuals and organizations read from the Scoundrel's Handbook, learn from it, and ultimately swear by it. So much so, in fact, you'd almost think it was the Bible -- which, I guess if you worship at the altar of greed and power, it no doubt is.

Follow Rick Fedrizzi on Twitter: @RickFedrizzi

This article was cross-posted from Huff Post Green.

Healthy, Sustainable Interior Design: A Conversation with ASID

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 14:06:00 +0000

We're surrounded by interior design. Take a look around you: For those of you reading this blog from your office, coffee shop down the street, or living room at home, everything from your overhead lighting to flooring represents a design decision. Given that we spend upwards of 90 percent of our time indoors, these decisions matter - and can have profound effects on our health and the environment.

Sustainable interior design continues to be a key pulse of LEED - and who better to discuss the industry than the the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)?

We caught up with Randy Fiser, Executive Vice President and CEO of ASID, to get his take.

Randy Fiser, ASID

ASID has been involved in a variety of sustainable design initiatives. Why does the organization deem it important to get involved in this space? What does sustainability mean to ASID?

Randy Fiser: Because people ultimately spend most of their time indoors, interior design plays a significant role in helping to create functional spaces that improve the human experience and our everyday interactions with our environments. Sustainability is an essential part of the built environment, but we believe that its ultimate goals and outcomes should address both the impact on bottom-line and the people who live and work in those spaces.

Why is green interior design important? How does it impact occupants and the environment?

RF: One of the most important aspects of sustainability is health – health of the indoor environment, of the occupants, of the materials. Interior designers offer specialized knowledge of interiors materials and FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) that promote good indoor air quality, are toxin-free, and are water/energy-efficient. For example, formaldehyde is a known carcinogen that is ubiquitous in furniture and cabinetry. Understanding the health implications of this substance and how to source formaldehyde-free products demonstrates the value interior designers bring to the table.

USGBC's green office digs in Washington, DC

How important is it for interior design professionals to understand the concepts of sustainability?

RF: ASID recently issued our Facts & Figures report which cites that on average, interior designers specify products in nearly 9 out of 10 projects in both residential and commercial projects. This figure illustrates the impact that interior designers have on the built environment. For example, consider the issue of water conservation. At least 2/3 of the U.S. has experienced or is expected to experience water shortages. Reducing the amount of water we use is imperative and one of the easiest solutions is to improve water efficiency of kitchen and bath fixtures and appliances. If every household in America installed a water-efficient faucet, the U.S. could save 60 billion gallons of water annually. From the commercial perspective, a small office with as few as 10 employees can save about 69,000 gallons of water and $420 in water utility bills in a single year if they replace just one toilet. Scale that up to a 500-room hotel and you get a sense of the impact interior designers have on their clients’ pocketbook as well as the environment. Specifying water-efficient fixtures is just one example of something interior designers do on a daily basis that makes a real impact one project at a time.

Can you highlight a green interior space or project that you find particularly inspiring?

RF: Prior to joining to ASID, I worked as an advisor for the Make It Right Foundation that led the development of the world’s largest LEED Platinum residential community in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward. It was through my experience there that I witnessed first-hand the power and impact that sustainable design can make on the well-being of a community. The residents not only benefitted from safe and healthy homes, but also significantly reduced utility expenses. In some cases, residents went from electric bills that exceeded $300 a month in their old homes, to bills that averaged less than $50 per month in their new homes. The benefits of sustainable design on the environment are evident, but the potential cost savings provides significant economic advantages and increased opportunities for families and communities to allocate more money to essentials like education, groceries and healthcare.

What's the future for green interior design?

RF: Even though sustainability has made significant inroads into the everyday design vernacular, we need to do much more for it to become common practice. One of the more impactful education sessions at NeoCon this year focused on developing industry-wide models for a sustainable future. We believe that an integrated model of collaboration and a holistic approach that brings builders, designers, architects and the occupants together is integral to the future of sustainable design and we look forward to being a key partner in this quest.

Evolving LEED for Existing Buildings at BOMA's Every Building Conference & Expo

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 19:08:00 +0000

Lauren Riggs, LEEP® AP
Manager, LEED and Building Performance Partnership
U.S. Green Building Council

This Tuesday, I participated in a panel at BOMA’s Every Building Show in Seattle, WA. The topic: The Evolution of LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance.

Now, you’d think that we would have shared a lovely timeline of how LEED for Existing Buildings has grown from a renovation strategy baby to an operations-focused teenager – we didn’t. Instead the panel focused on our movement towards emphasizing building performance outcomes. Specifically, USGBC has launched Pilot Credit 67 (aka. Energy Jumpstart!), is emphasizing performance through a restructuring of the rating system requirements and will be launching LEED EB: O&M recertification program guidelines in the near future.

Given all that we covered, there were two comments from that audience that have stuck in my mind.

First comment: LEED should award a point to building owners and managers who provide submetering to tenant spaces.

My reaction to this comment was, “But what about tenant data privacy? Isn’t the intent of awarding points for tenant metering to also allow the property manager to manage and trend tenant energy consumption?” But, I was wrong. Rather, tenants would be presented with the opportunity to monitor and control their own energy consumption – something that isn’t as standard practice as some would like.

I fully support incentivizing buildings to have tenant level metering and to provide occupants with the information and power to influence how the energy is used. A colleague and I recently launched a LEED pilot credit that shares that intent. Check it out.

Second comment: Raising the minimum ENERGY STAR score to 75 in LEED v4 EB: O&M may prohibit the next tier of LEED projects from participating in the program.

Why? Because portfolio owners have already queued their best buildings for LEED. Those buildings that could easily achieve the current minimum ENERGY STAR score of 69 are already certified or are on their way; the next tier of buildings will not easily reach a score of 69, never mind a 75.

[Pan to me] “Oh my god, no one has ever said that to me before.” This is a great point that I thank Gary Thomas for making. Even with Energy Jumpstart!, EAp2 may still be a barrier to entry for some existing buildings and this is an issue that USGBC will need to discuss before LEED v4 fifth public comment.

There were other good comments and great conversation that followed the panel session. Overall, the session was like a microcosm of one of our public comment periods, demonstrating just how powerful “audience participation” is in the LEED development process. However, there was a surprising lack of excitement for the sneak peak at the recertification guidance for LEED v3 EB projects… I’d like to put it out there: This is exciting! More information is on the way – sample LEED Online forms, full guideline document, etc.

We hope to be able to provide you with full LEED EB: O&M recertification program details in the very near future. In fact, it is my only desire…(hint hint: I work in LEED).

Stand Up and Cheer, the EBies are Here!

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 20:04:00 +0000

By Cecil Scheib
Note: this blog is cross-posted from the Urban Green Council blog

On Thursday, June 28, the first annual EBie Awards were held at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square. The EBies are a nationwide, juried competition that celebrates increased sustainability in existing buildings (thus, EBies) and the people behind these improvements. Close to 70 competitors submitted entries, from every region of the country, and the finalists gathered in New York City to down “EBie Elixirs” and wait breathlessly to hear the winners announced (between banter among local and national green building luminaries).

The stated point of the competition is to recognize unsung heroes – but let me tell you, after last night, those heroes have been sung! As a building geek (and speaking for all the other building geeks in the room), it was heartwarming to hear the applause and cheers for all the people working their chillers off to reduce energy and water use in existing buildings. While the “sexy” focus is often on the construction of fancy new structures, in order to reduce the overall impact of our built environment we must also greatly improve our existing buildings.

And while all the hardworking people doing this will tell you they don’t care, I think the truth is that people are motivated by the recognition of their peers (and let’s face it – the chance to have a Broadway star sing to you, as Emily Padgett did). It also helps the recognition of the profession overall to have an Oscar-like production celebrating existing building efforts.

Finalists were from all walks of building management life, including owners, engineers (yes, there were many engineer jokes at the EBies), and in one case, the principal of Rosa Parks Elementary School (Lexington, KY), Leslie Thomas. Leslie stole the show when she described how her team involved the kids in her school in the process of creating energy retrofits – and the kids came up with great ideas, helping the team walk away with a Reformed Gas Guzzler EBie.

In the end, we’re all winners, since reducing energy and water use helps all of us. Ultimately, victory will be defined by all buildings performing like EBie winners. But for now, the green carpet, the Times Square marquee, the fancy drinks, the wild applause, and all the glitz surrounding the EBies should encourage folks to dream how they might be up on stage themselves next year.

Occupant Empowerment: Creating a Culture of Sustainability with LEED

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Lonny Blumenthal, LEED AP O+M
Associate, LEED
U.S. Green Building Council

I hear people say it all the time: “Buildings don’t use energy, people do.” So then I ask myself: Why has the idea of engaging with building occupants fallen by the wayside?...Despite the fact that it’s one of the most cost-effective ways to minimize energy consumption and save money? I wish I could provide a simple answer to that question, but the reality is that influencing occupants to modify their behavior to meet the sustainability goals of a building and/or an organization is far from straightforward. It requires an understanding of the actions people perform and even more importantly, the motivation behind those actions. Sounds easy, right?

Less power, more occupant empowerment.
Photo credit: Public Domain Photos

To address the impact occupants have on resource consumption in the built environment, USGBC recently released Pilot Credit 59: Occupant Engagement. Our goal is to help improve the performance of existing buildings by enabling energy efficient behaviors among building occupants. The credit encourages building owners and tenants to create a culture of sustainability and resource conservation for occupants in LEED-certified projects. Project teams are awarded for implementing innovative engagement mechanisms that empower occupants to become aware of and responsible for their own energy consumption.

Pilot Credit 59: Occupant Engagement requires two main components:

Consumption feedback: Inform occupants about the actual energy consumption of the building and/or their workspace and provide a relevant comparison point
Occupant empowerment: Implement and maintain an occupant engagement program that includes education, empowerment and feedback components

We would like project teams to establish performance goals and develop a way to effectively track the success of the occupant engagement program. Additionally, the requirements above are only intended to serve as a foundation for an occupant engagement program and are by no means meant to display a “one size fits all” approach.

Introducing this concept as a pilot credit allows us to leverage both project team and market feedback to directly inform whether the credit’s requirements are effective or if they should be modified to better accomplish the stated intent.

So, let’s hear from you. Have you recently implemented an occupant engagement program focused on energy efficiency? What strategies did you find effective? What barriers kept your program from achieving its goals?

Hospitality Development Update: Moving Towards LEED

noreply@blogger.com (USGBC) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 14:56:00 +0000

Jefferson Thomas, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Sr. Design Manager (LEED Advocate)
Marriott International

Green construction starts have increased by 50% in the past two years, and now represent 25% of all new construction today, according to a study by McGraw Hill. Green and sustainable construction initially had a slow start for the hospitality industry, but now seem to be gaining momentum. Today, there are 141 LEED-certified hotels and nearly 1,200 more that are registered with the intent to certify upon completion.

Because there are wide misperceptions about the cost of building green, hotel owners have been hesitant to embrace green practices. However, it has been proven that green building does not have to cost more. In some cases, where projects target higher or more complex levels of green building, there may be added upfront costs of 1-4% - but these costs can be recouped relatively quickly, often within the first few years. Investing in high energy performance equipment and high insulated building materials has the shortest pay back from a cost standpoint, and generally, high-performance buildings and building green reduce operating costs and increase the net operating income for the life of the building.

Courtyard Marriott in Portland, Ore.

Green hotels are catching on in a number of ways. For one, there is a new generation of hotel owners who put a higher asset value on their investments, and are realizing the benefits of green building practices. Many hotels are taking advantage of the federal, state and local incentives that can help pay for half to all of the additional cost to construct LEED-certified buildings: Attaining LEED certification, which is third-party verified, signifies a true green hotel. Marketing advantages, permit expediting, obtaining building approvals and reduced county fees are just a few other reasons why more owners are now turning towards building LEED. On the corporate sustainability front, major Fortune 500 corporations are changing their travel preferences to book green hotels, in order to boost their own company-wide green efforts.

Hotels have the greatest opportunity for savings since they are consuming resources seven days a week, 24 hours a day - unlike most other commercial properties. Water usage and energy consumption are the primary areas of focus for hoteliers, especially since the hospitality industry consists of unique building types that have more bathrooms than any other type of construction. Additionally, incorporating cost effective technologies and combining entire building systems is the next area of growth for the industry. Providing building automation systems in areas previously controlled manually by the guest or by the hotel staff can add to the bottom line.

Other areas of development in greening the hotel business include the supply chain of manufacturers. Each individual hotel is supplied by thousands of product industries, from furniture to textiles to the pens and paper provided for guests in each hotel room. With notoriously low profit margins in the hotel industry, there need to be more cost-neutral, green solutions. More focus is being put on interior finishes and indoor air quality while rating systems for suppliers are being created by independent organizations such as MindClick. Furthermore, a holistic approach needs to be incorporated in everyday practices like the food and beverage supply chains that are required to support large and small hotels, including restaurants and banquet facilities. Changing purchasing policies to source locally has economic benefits to the community and should always be investigated. Moving towards organic produce and beverages - including alcoholic beverages - is a way to make a difference.

Courtyard Marriott in Portland, Ore.

LEED v4, will include the very first LEED rating system for hospitality, will be a great new start in these areas.. This new rating system will include LEED credits for interior finishes and even new LEED points for sustainable food and beverage programs.

Additionally, the LEED Volume Program streamlines the LEED certification process for companies that are building or renovating a large number of properties – typically 25 or more – saving projects time and money. Through this program, Marriott will have more LEED-certified hotels for its select service hotels in a period of three years, compared to a period of 12 years from all of it brands combined using one-off LEED certification. Marriott International recently released two additional brands, rounding out our portfolio of five select service brands using the LEED Volume program: Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites and TownPlace Suites. Together, these new prototypes will allow our owners to build more sustainable hotels and work toward transforming the hospitality industry. Marriott looks forward to constructing many more LEED-certified hotels in the upcoming years.

For more information on LEED and hospitality, visit usgbc.org/hospitality.