By Vicki Zambito
The world of green building has another certification to add to its portfolio of sustainable stamps-of-approval. The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) is launching a Net Zero Energy Building Certification program based off its popular Living Building Challenge. The ILFI defines net zero energy as “One hundred percent of the building’s energy needs on a net annual basis must be supplied by on-site renewable energy.”
According to the ILFI’s website, to earn Net Zero Energy Building Certification, the requirements of the following five Living Building Challenge Imperatives must be met:
1. Limits to Growth (in part): Curbs the building’s contribution to the effects of sprawled development, which undermines the positive impact of achieving net zero energy building operation.
2. Net Zero Energy: Serves as the primary focus of Net Zero Energy Building Certification.
3. Rights to Nature: Ensures that the building does not preclude another building from achieving net zero energy operation as a result of excessive shading.
4 & 5. Beauty + Spirit and Inspiration + Education: Underscore the notion that renewable energy systems can be incorporated into a building in ways that are attractive and inspiring.
To learn more, visit: http://www.living-future.org/netzero/details.html
Friday, December 9, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Ecobuild America 2011: 4 Reasons to Brave DC in December
By Vicki Zambito
The Ecobuild America Conference is being held December 7-9 in Washington D.C. The widely popular event brings together AEC industry leaders from across the country to explore the latest in green building technology, products and proven strategies to improve future projects. The conference is billed as covering “the ENTIRE spectrum of strategies and technologies to build faster, smarter and more sustainably.”
I’ll be there but five other reasons to head to chilly D.C. in the middle of winter are:
1. There are many co-located events going on at the same time (so you can get more “bang for your travel buck”). Co-located events include: buildingSMART alliance conference, Building Enclosure Technology & Environment Council Symposium, FedCon ‘11, and the National Institute of Building Sciences Annual Meeting.
2. The keynote features two speakers from the Department of State and will reinforce the relationship between a Unified Building Management System and Building Information Modeling (BIM) through the use of the Construction Operations Building information exchange (COBie) standard.
3. The AEC Interoperability Center will feature kiosks clustered on the exhibit floor that visually demonstrate real-world examples of how BIM and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) systems are revolutionizing collaboration.
4. And the most important reason – free drinks! A new Happy Hour Reception with beer, wine and light snacks will happen on the expo floor Wednesday night from 4 -6 pm.
For more information on Ecobuild America, visit: http://aececobuild.com/conference-exhibits
Thursday, November 17, 2011
7 Facts about the New International Green Construction Code
By Vicki Zambito
Final action hearings held this month on the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) mark a milestone in what’s been a 2-year development process. The code was finalized in Phoenix on November 6 and will be available Spring 2012. The objective of the IgCC is to raise regulatory minimums while raising high-performance possibilities. Here are seven things you should know about this new code:
1. The code applies to residential buildings over 3 stories tall and all commercial buildings.
2. Mandatory requirements make up the bulk of the code but jurisdictions which adopt it may also include their own requirements.
3. 1,500+ organizations have expressed their support of the IgCC including AECOM, CH2M Hill, and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
4. Greenfield development is not permitted (with some exceptions).
5. New buildings, renovations, and additions are required to have a zero energy performance index (zEPI) of 51.
6. Smoking shall not be allowed inside of the buildings.
7. Rhode Island was the first state to adopt the IgCC back in 2010. Other states to have already adopted the code include Florida, North Carolina and Oregon.
For more information, visit the International Code Council’s website at http://www.iccsafe.org/cs/IGCC/Pages/default.aspx
Final action hearings held this month on the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) mark a milestone in what’s been a 2-year development process. The code was finalized in Phoenix on November 6 and will be available Spring 2012. The objective of the IgCC is to raise regulatory minimums while raising high-performance possibilities. Here are seven things you should know about this new code:
1. The code applies to residential buildings over 3 stories tall and all commercial buildings.
2. Mandatory requirements make up the bulk of the code but jurisdictions which adopt it may also include their own requirements.
3. 1,500+ organizations have expressed their support of the IgCC including AECOM, CH2M Hill, and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
4. Greenfield development is not permitted (with some exceptions).
5. New buildings, renovations, and additions are required to have a zero energy performance index (zEPI) of 51.
6. Smoking shall not be allowed inside of the buildings.
7. Rhode Island was the first state to adopt the IgCC back in 2010. Other states to have already adopted the code include Florida, North Carolina and Oregon.
For more information, visit the International Code Council’s website at http://www.iccsafe.org/cs/IGCC/Pages/default.aspx
Friday, November 4, 2011
Green Projects Drive Growth for Green Design Firms: Meet the Top 5
By Vicki Zambito
Engineering News Record (ENR) just released its list of Top 100 Green Design Firms and for a fourth year in a row, revenue from green projects made a sizable leap. According to ENR, “In 2010, firms reported $3.47 billion in revenues from green projects globally, up 12.3 percent over 2009. In the United States, green project revenue increased a dramatic 17.4 percent, valued at $3.3 billion.” The top three green design firms all come out of California. Below is more information on the leading five from the ENR list.
1. URS Corp., San Francisco, California: 339 Million in revenue from green projects, 461 LEED APs
2. Gensler, San Francisco, California: 321 Million in revenue from green projects, 990 LEED APs
3. AECOM Technology Corp., Los Angeles, California: 192 Million in revenue from green projects, 904 LEED APs
4. Perkins+Will, Chicago, Illinois: 171 Million in revenue from green projects, 980 LEED APs
5. HOK, St. Louis, Missouri: 158 Million in revenue from green projects, 930 LEED APs
To see more of the list, visit: http://greensource.construction.com/features/currents/2011/images/1109-Green-Design-Firms-lg.jpg
Engineering News Record (ENR) just released its list of Top 100 Green Design Firms and for a fourth year in a row, revenue from green projects made a sizable leap. According to ENR, “In 2010, firms reported $3.47 billion in revenues from green projects globally, up 12.3 percent over 2009. In the United States, green project revenue increased a dramatic 17.4 percent, valued at $3.3 billion.” The top three green design firms all come out of California. Below is more information on the leading five from the ENR list.
1. URS Corp., San Francisco, California: 339 Million in revenue from green projects, 461 LEED APs
2. Gensler, San Francisco, California: 321 Million in revenue from green projects, 990 LEED APs
3. AECOM Technology Corp., Los Angeles, California: 192 Million in revenue from green projects, 904 LEED APs
4. Perkins+Will, Chicago, Illinois: 171 Million in revenue from green projects, 980 LEED APs
5. HOK, St. Louis, Missouri: 158 Million in revenue from green projects, 930 LEED APs
To see more of the list, visit: http://greensource.construction.com/features/currents/2011/images/1109-Green-Design-Firms-lg.jpg
Monday, October 31, 2011
Top 10 Most Energy Efficient States in the Nation
By Vicki Zambito
How energy efficient is your state? A new report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy ranks all 50 states in terms of how energy-efficient friendly their policies are. States were ranked on an array of metrics that capture best practices and recognize leadership in energy efficiency policy and program implementation. Measured metrics included how much the state is doing to increase efficient transportation and what standards it enforces on appliances. The Scorecard benchmarks progress and provides a roadmap for states to advance energy efficiency in the residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors. Below is a list of the top 10 and the bottom 10.
Top 10:
Massachusetts
California
New York
Oregon
Washington
Rhode Island
Vermont
Connecticut
Minnesota
Maryland
Bottom 10:
North Dakota
Wyoming
Mississippi
Kansas
Oklahoma
South Carolina
West Virginia
Missouri
Alabama
South Dakota
For more information or to download the report, visit: http://aceee.org/research-report/e115.
Read a Fast Company article on the topic at http://www.fastcompany.com/1789668/some-states-are-more-efficient-than-others?partner=rss&utm_source=pulsenews&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fastcompany%2Fheadlines+%28Fast+Company+Headlines%29
How energy efficient is your state? A new report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy ranks all 50 states in terms of how energy-efficient friendly their policies are. States were ranked on an array of metrics that capture best practices and recognize leadership in energy efficiency policy and program implementation. Measured metrics included how much the state is doing to increase efficient transportation and what standards it enforces on appliances. The Scorecard benchmarks progress and provides a roadmap for states to advance energy efficiency in the residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors. Below is a list of the top 10 and the bottom 10.
Top 10:
Massachusetts
California
New York
Oregon
Washington
Rhode Island
Vermont
Connecticut
Minnesota
Maryland
Bottom 10:
North Dakota
Wyoming
Mississippi
Kansas
Oklahoma
South Carolina
West Virginia
Missouri
Alabama
South Dakota
For more information or to download the report, visit: http://aceee.org/research-report/e115.
Read a Fast Company article on the topic at http://www.fastcompany.com/1789668/some-states-are-more-efficient-than-others?partner=rss&utm_source=pulsenews&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fastcompany%2Fheadlines+%28Fast+Company+Headlines%29
Friday, October 14, 2011
Top 10 Green Building Products for 2012: A Look Ahead
By Vicki Zambito
The world’s largest conference dedicated to green building just ended – Greenbuild took place October 4th through the 7th in Toronto, Canada. Greenbuild 2011 featured more than 140,000 gross square meters of expo hall floor with 1,700 booths presenting a variety of innovative green building products and services.
Every year at this premier sustainable design event, BuildingGreen.com presents their top 10 green building products as selected by their editorial team. BuildingGreen.com is an independent publishing company committed to bringing accurate, unbiased, and timely green design information. Their top picks for 2012 are below.
The world’s largest conference dedicated to green building just ended – Greenbuild took place October 4th through the 7th in Toronto, Canada. Greenbuild 2011 featured more than 140,000 gross square meters of expo hall floor with 1,700 booths presenting a variety of innovative green building products and services.
Every year at this premier sustainable design event, BuildingGreen.com presents their top 10 green building products as selected by their editorial team. BuildingGreen.com is an independent publishing company committed to bringing accurate, unbiased, and timely green design information. Their top picks for 2012 are below.
1. InterfaceFLOR carpet tiles with PFC-free carpet fibersVisit BuildingGreen.com’s website, http://www.buildinggreen.com/live/index.cfm/2011/10/6/BuildingGreens-Top10-Products-for-2012-Our-Picks-for-a-Resilient-Future#more, for more information on these products.
2. Lifeline PVC-free resilient flooring
3. CI-Girt Rainscreen System
4. EonCoat waterborne ceramic coating
5. Aqua2use Graywater System
6. Cypress Envirosystems' analog-to-digital wireless thermostat
7. Ritter XL solar thermal system
8. Mitsubishi ductless heat pumps and variable-refrigerant-flow systems
9. AllSun Trackers
10. Philips EnduraLEDs
Friday, September 30, 2011
More Changes for LEED APs: GBCI Relaxes Reporting Rule
By Vicki Zambito
Aristotle once said “Change in all things is sweet.” LEED APs better hope so.
Since the USGBC began the LEED rating system back in 1994, it’s been continually evolving and its changing nature extends to the credential maintenance program (CMP) required for LEED APs to maintain their accreditation. What is the latest change? Just this month the GBCI announced that LEED professionals are no longer required to enter a sub-category when reporting their CE hours. The GBCI says this recent rule adjustment is part of their continuous improvement of the CMP. They add that LEED APs may still choose to enter their sub-category if they wish.
For more info: http://www.gbci.org/org-nav/announcements/11-09-23/CMP_Improvement_Subcategory_now_optional.aspx
Aristotle once said “Change in all things is sweet.” LEED APs better hope so.
Since the USGBC began the LEED rating system back in 1994, it’s been continually evolving and its changing nature extends to the credential maintenance program (CMP) required for LEED APs to maintain their accreditation. What is the latest change? Just this month the GBCI announced that LEED professionals are no longer required to enter a sub-category when reporting their CE hours. The GBCI says this recent rule adjustment is part of their continuous improvement of the CMP. They add that LEED APs may still choose to enter their sub-category if they wish.
For more info: http://www.gbci.org/org-nav/announcements/11-09-23/CMP_Improvement_Subcategory_now_optional.aspx
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