Giving Green: 6 Holiday Gift Guides for the Eco-friendly Shopper

By Vicki Zambito

Don’t let the hustle and bustle of the holiday season derail your efforts to be green. There are plenty of websites out there selling great green gifts. Not only will your conscience love you, but so will your family and friends! Below is a sample of six sites to check out.

Treehugger.com: http://www.treehugger.com/giftguide/?campaign=TH_more_slideshows

From organic bathrobes and reclaimed walnut stools to recycled plastic cell phones, this gift guide keeps you earth-friendly but makes sure you’re still giving the goodies they'll love.

Thedailygreen.com: http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/green-gifts

This green gift guide features gifts made by artisans - you won't find them in your people-packed mall! On a side note, make sure you check out their slide show of ugly Christmas sweaters.

Naturemoms.com: http://www.naturemoms.com/green-christmas/best-green-gifts.html

It ain't easy being green... and it ain't easy being a mom either. This useful list includes green gourmet cookware and organic cotton bed sheets.

Thefuntimesguide.com: http://green.thefuntimesguide.com/2010/11/christmas_gifts_for_guys.php

The Fun Times Guide focuses on the top green gifts for guys. For the sports lover in your house, it even lists where you can find fair-trade, vegan, eco-friendly sporting goods. Touchdown!

Greenfeet.com: http://www.greenfeet.com/nav.asp?Gifts=Gift+Guide&gclid=CPuImfbJ8aUCFS9e7AodTGAMpQ

This site bills itself as The Planet's Homestore, and it doesn't disappoint. Check out the wine cork trivet kit, which allows even the hardiest of wine drinkers to be green.

Theultimategreenstore.com: http://www.theultimategreenstore.com/s-62-kids-toys.aspx

Don't forget to start the kids thinking green too! Here's a list of eco-friendly toys for your tots.

Over 1 Billion (sq ft) Served

By: Jeff Nippes

LEED has reached an important milestone. LEED-certified commercial buildings now exceed 1 billion square feet.

"This traction demonstrates the transformation of the way we design, build and operate buildings," said Rick Fedrizzi, USGBC president, CEO & Founding Chair, in a statement. "Not only does green building contribute to saving energy, water and money, it also creates green jobs that will grow and energize our economy."

This doesn’t mean LEED is fool-proof and that every strategy is the best that it can be, but with another 6 billion square feet in commercial projects registered to become LEED certified, LEED is clearly gaining traction and being utilized and pursued at an extraordinary rate. The byproduct of which cannot help but reduce consumption of natural resources and put us on the path toward a sustainable future.

LEED Projects Certified and Registered By Year:

Year. ..# Certified..# Registered
2000....... 3..............8
2001........5.............71
2002.......21...........142
2003.......46...........181
2004......117..........321
2005......201..........692
2006......320..........931
2007......542........3,961
2008......967........7,187
2009....2,290.....10,375
2010....2,682......12,357
Total....7,194...... 36,226

Life Cycle Assessment – Issues with the Green Tool

By: Rumanda Young

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is touted as the premier green decision-making tool (i.e., which product or process has less negative impact on the environment). I agree it is important to determine the sustainability of products or activities by looking at all environmental impacts throughout the product or activity life cycle, including product manufacture, selection, use, maintenance and end-of-life disposal. However, it is incredibly difficult to truly capture a system boundary. In fact, defining the boundary of a system is the most complicated step in the LCA process. The more complex and difficult a system boundary becomes, the more accurate and reliable the results.

Theoretically, a complete life cycle system includes all raw materials and energy sources taken from the earth and ends with all materials either returned (with good or bad consequences) to the earth. Any system boundary delineation for LCA that falls short of this “full circle” boundary is limiting the analysis and conclusions regarding the total system cannot be drawn. Depending on the goal of a study, this may be advantageous. When using the LCA as a tool to compare and evaluate tradeoffs, the analyst must take into consideration anything that limits the system boundary of one product or process, so that the analysis is not skewed. However, too limited a boundary may exclude consequential activities or elements and statements, and findings about the total system impact cannot be reasonably made. The bottom line is that study conclusions are exceedingly sensitive to system boundary delineation. My final thought is that applications and the role of LCA-based information should be interpreted only as far as the system boundary allows, and LCA should be one among several inputs to the environmental decision-making process.

5 Green YouTube Channels To Check Out

By Vicki Zambito

There is no shortage of information when it comes to learning how to incorporate sustainable practices in your every day life. As I mentioned in my previous GreenView post, just google “environmental websites” and you get 31 million results. If you visit YouTube and search for videos on “green living”, you get 132,000 results. So the problem isn’t finding the information, it’s culling it down into something less overwhelming and more manageable. I thought I would help you out. Below are five YouTube Channels I found that are the “real deal” when it comes to giving good green tips and advice. They are in no particular order.

1. Building Green TV: http://www.youtube.com/user/buildinggreentv

This channel includes highlights from Building Green TV (BGTV), a pioneering and entertaining eco-lifestyle television series airing on PBS. Each week, BGTV's host, Kevin Contreras, explores the latest innovations, techniques and products available for making any home greener, more energy efficient and better for the environment. BGTV shows viewers how consciousness can be upscale in a way that speaks as much to our sense of style as it does our sense of responsibility.

Videos of interest:

Landscaping Tips: http://www.youtube.com/user/buildinggreentv#p/a/u/1/R70zrIEI2JM

Windows & Doors: http://www.youtube.com/user/buildinggreentv#p/u/11/sZhwT2GUPjU

2. Planet Green TV: http://www.youtube.com/user/PlanetGreenTV

Planet Green is the multi-platform media destination devoted to the environment -- providing tools, information and content that will enlighten, empower and most importantly - entertain.

Videos of interest:

Water Conservation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxFgDbCLhEc&feature=channel

Recycling: http://www.youtube.com/user/PlanetGreenTV#p/c/A49A5CBF8D5360C0/6/3HEf_0s08Zg

3. Howdini: http://www.youtube.com/user/HowdiniGuru

Howdini is the go-to source for how-to videos from the experts you trust. Topics include health, beauty, food, entertaining, pets, travel, sex, green living, and more.

Videos of interest:

Energy Saving Tips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo3Fzm4vRsc&feature=channel

4. Greenoplois TV: http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenopolisTV?feature=chclk

Greenopolis TV is committed to helping users combine online actions with offline activities, creating opportunities to rethink recycling and conservation.

Videos of Interest:

Sun Chip Bag Too Noisy:
http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenopolisTV?feature=chclk#p/u/9/o0FwybnTQ30

Love Your Reusable Bag: http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenopolisTV?feature=chclk#p/u/11/3LRbBJilO3I

5. Living Green Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/livinggreenchannel

The Living Green Channel is an online video source for living an eco-friendly lifestyle.

Videos of interest:

Green iPhone Application Review:
http://www.youtube.com/user/livinggreenchannel#p/a/u/1/JqU4zqfC9VY

Green Vacationing:
http://www.youtube.com/user/livinggreenchannel#p/u/15/LTREv7WuTWY

Advice for responding to the LEED haters

By Ryan Sparks

If you follow anything in green building, you have heard that Henry Gifford has filed a class action lawsuit against the USGBC and its founders on behalf of "consumers, taxpayers, building design and construction professionals." In reviewing the comments and responses to these postings/articles, it is apparent that there are a significant number angry building professionals that are supporting this legal action.

Now, I am not a lawyer, but as a USGBC supporter, I have the following recommendations for the USGBC to help reduce the number of LEED-haters out there:

1. Don’t charge for promotional materials. $0.75 to obtain a brochure to learn more about more about the core values and purpose of USGBC? And if you are going to charge for a brochure, make the total cost clear and don’t make me wait till I checkout to find the full amount (including shipping and taxes) is $4.98. The fact that the USGBC does not make the brochure easy to find in a downloadable format does not only portray a priority of profit over promotion, it is also not green.

2. Provide a Transparent Financial Information: The About USGBC section of the USGBC provides a link to a 2008 Annual Report, that shows the net assets, end of 2007, but nothing for the following fiscal years.Providing a simple statement of financial activities will go far to reinforce the commitments as a non-profit organization.

3. Acknowledge the lawsuit and reinforce that LEED is consensus driven: Information on the class action lawsuit can be found almost anywhere except on the USGBC website. In fact, as of Oct 26, 2010, the “In the News & Press Releases” section is noticeably empty. Why not post a simple statement that reinforces the fact that the LEED rating systems was created from “consensus-based decision-making from across an extremely diverse membership” and that the USGBC will review the claims in the same manner? There is no doubt that the lawsuit is attracting a lot of traffic to its website, use this as an opportunity to remind the public that LEED is build based on the experience and wisdom of builders and not a single entity.

These are comments from some casual observations. Please share your thoughts.

Going Green Is Not An Option

By: Jeff Nippes

Green Building is no longer optional for one Canadian province, it’s the law. Starting Dec. 1, energy efficient furnaces, low-flush toilets and other environmentally friendly fixtures will be required by law for all new homes built in Manitoba.

The provincial government has changed the Manitoba Building Code and Manitoba Plumbing Code to include energy efficiency as an objective for the first time ever.
Ok, So Canada has gone green, would such mandatory green building ever be able to take root in America? The answer yes and it is already happening too. California’s First Mandatory Green Building Code, effective Jan. 1, includes provisions to reduce energy usage, conserve water and improve environmental quality. And its not just California many other states are considering legislation and upgrades to the building code to make green building the law. In Albuquerque, NM the city has the Green Path Program which calls for adopting energy efficient building codes. In 2007 the city signed the adopted revised Energy Conservation Code which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by requiring new buildings, and existing buildings undergoing alterations, to be more energy efficient.

The point is if you are still resisting the green revolution its time to get on board. Its no longer just the right thing to do or the environmentally conscious thing to do is rapidly becoming what you have to do, and if its not required to build green today, it most likely will be tomorrow.

The Numbers Behind Going Green: 5 Fun (& Informative) Calculators

By Vicki Zambito

Google “environmental websites” and you get 31 million results. Look for “green blogs” on Technorati and the results show over 6,000 sites. No doubt about it, there is a lot of information on “being green” out there. It can be intimidating if you are looking for a place to start and trying to figure out how to be more environmentally-friendly without upending your life. Like any good businessman or woman would tell you, start with a benchmark. Figure out how green you are today, and then go from there. Here are five fun calculators to help get you started.

1. IN THE OFFICE:
Widgetbox’s Eco Calculator - This online widget calculates how much greenhouse gas, trees and wastewater you and your company can save by using eco-friendly paper products.
Link: http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/eco-calculator

2. AT HOME:
Low Impact Living Calculator – This household environmental calculator shows not only the carbon footprint but also energy, water, wastewater, trash, and stormwater runoff footprints of your home and lifestyle.
Link: http://lowimpactliving.com/pages/impact-calculator/impact-calculator

3. ON THE ROAD:
Vehicle Eco Calculator – This number cruncher uses fuel economy, sticker price, miles driven per year and the price of gasoline to determine annual fuel costs and carbon dioxide emissions. I learned that I am going to spend roughly $2,000 in gas this year and give off 6.22 metric tons of CO2.
Link: http://www.leopardo.com/vec/

4. IN THE AIR:
TerraPass Air Travel Calculator – This tool allows you to input your air travel plans to calculate your air emissions and compares it to your emissions if you chose other forms of transportation to reach the same location. It’s fun to use. I am about to head from Tampa to San Francisco for a work conference so I plugged in my flight information and learned my flight will give off 2,312 lbs of CO2 and that it would be “greener” of me to carpool. Anyone on their way across the country? Can I hitch a ride?
Link: http://www.terrapass.com/carbon-footprint-calculator/#air

5. YOUR TOTAL IMPACT:
World Wildlife Fund’s Footprint Calculator - This simple, handy calculator looks at the impact of food, transportation, work and other important indices. It takes just five minutes!
Link: http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/

Can the healthcare industry stomach the latest LEED rating system?

By Ryan Sparks

Just when you thought the healthcare industry could not possibly be more regulated, there will soon be an additional option for self-imposed oversight with the new LEED for Healthcare Green Building Rating System. This rating system has completed its third public comment period and it is expected to be launched before the end of the year.

Once launched, this new rating system, which is a collaborative effort between the USGBC and Green Guide for Healthcare (GGHC), will provide guidelines for facilities to improve the health of their patients and the planet. While it is widely expected that many of the items in the rating system, such as increasing access to daylight and raising air quality will be widely adopted, there will be some significant obstacles facing this new rating system upon its release:

• Cost Phobia – Small hospitals and senior care facilities will likely implement any “green” improvement that will reduce their fixed costs, such as more efficient lighting. However, many facilities will simply not have the financial means to finance the overall improvements needed to be certified under the new system.
  
• Preexisting Complexities – With so much uncertainty around healthcare reform and other mandatory initiatives, such as implementing electronic healthcare records, it is likely that many organizations may shy away from taking on an additional large-scale initiative.
  
• Regulation Fatigue – Healthcare facilities already face regulation at the local, state, and federal level and, as a result, the option to take on one more review may be too much for some organization to handle.

Only time with tell if the healthcare industry will embrace this new rating system or if facilities pick and choose the green initiatives that address their individual needs.

LEED 4.0

By Jeff Nippes

Whether you embraced or resisted the release of LEED 3.0 (LEED V3 or LEED 2009), one thing is certain, the next version of LEED is already in the works. I can hear some collective groans through cyberspace now. If something is working, why fix it? Or better yet, why do they have to change it now that I have it almost figured out?

First, relax. LEED isn’t changing anytime soon. Most of us are still trying to decipher all the changes that LEED 3.0 brought us, such as: the three tiered credentialing system (though only 2 tiers currently exist), the five specialty designations (BD+C, O+M, ID+C, Homes and ND), a 100 point credit scale for all categories, and regional priority credits.

Change can be painful and sometimes new versions of things are no better than the last. For example, some versions of Microsoft Windows are no better than their predecessors (anyone remember Windows NT?). But the concept of building a system, improving it, and launching new versions will, in the long run, greatly improve that system. If you looked back at all early versions of Widows, it’s hard to imagine how we ever called that an operating system (of course back then we didn’t know what operating system meant either). Perhaps we’ll all look back one day and talk about the early versions of LEED and how the changes brought on by LEED 3.0 helped us improve every subsequent version. We might even wonder how we ever got along without it.

Black, White, and Shades of Green: Environmental Ethics

By: Rumanda Young

As I begin a new semester of teaching I am met by eager master’s level students who want to learn how to marry design with the environment. These future professionals are exposed to the idea of sustainability and environmental ethics much more than students of the past. Today, professionals in the planning, design, and construction industry must understand Aldo Leopold’s statement that “a thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise” (1933).

Not only do professionals have an obligation to design for the welfare and safety of people they represent; they also have an obligation to safeguard the environment. There is an ethical obligation to promote excellence of design and endeavor to conserve and preserve the integrity and heritage of the natural and built environment. Professionals are faced with issues, including:

• Loss of natural areas
• Land consumption
• Energy efficiency
• Water quality
• Air quality
• Endangered/threatened species
• Resource conservation
• Habitat destruction
• Noise pollution
• Light pollution
• Encroachment issues

Environmental consideration in design and development is based on the idea that “land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics” (Leopold 1933). Development professionals are not the only people faced with ethical judgments regarding land use. The following individuals also play an integral role in making ethical land use choices:

• Landowners
• Land developers
• Builders
• Public land-users (e.g. campers, hunters)
• Citizens involved in interest groups
• Public officials (e.g. elected, appointed)
• Land-use professionals (e.g. planners)
• Resource Managers
• Banking Institutions
• Homeowners
• Environmental and conservation groups.

Professionals in the planning, design and construction industry should strive to make environmentally sound decisions for the sake of future generations. How professionals (and the general public) treat the natural and built environment today will diminish or enhance the quality of life for future generations. Timothy Beatley wrote that although “some degree of human intrusion on the natural environment is inevitable, there is an ethical obligation to ensure that the human footprint is a small one” (Beatley 1994).

What do Kids and Green Building Have in Common? AECOM Found a Link.

By Vicki Zambito

It’s difficult to teach young kids about concepts like sustainability and not being wasteful. I know I have to constantly remind my own children to turn off the faucet and not leave every light in the house burning. I also know I am not alone.

It’s nice to see a large corporation leading by example when it comes to raising our kids to appreciate sustainability. AECOM employs 46,000 people worldwide and is a global provider of professional technical and management support services to a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government.

AECOM is also the designer for the world’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum-certified public children’s garden in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

According to the AECOM website:

The Paul Smith Children’s Village at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens is one of less
than 300 projects worldwide to achieve Platinum status and the second commercial
project in Wyoming to earn LEED Platinum.

The goal of the AECOM design team for the Children’s Village was to create an interest and understanding in children of natural and sustainable systems through fun, interactive experiences in a garden setting. The garden showcases and interprets sustainable systems for food production and preparation, water quality, energy production, habitation, community building, and cultural fulfillment.

The Children’s Village features a historic prairie that allows visitors to see how Native Americans lived in the Cheyenne area; a sustainable agriculture area featuring a village square, farmer’s market and amphitheater; a solar court that demonstrates healthy food preparation methods that utilize fresh produce; and examples of water systems, including the use of flow forms, aeration and biolfiltration with wetlands.

Over 77% of construction waste was diverted from the landfill and repurposed in recycled concrete walls, piers, and amphitheater seating. “As we began the LEED process, the team had to be practical and flexible with our design strategies,” stated Mark Kosmos, AECOM project manager. “An early walk of the site revealed a quantity of discarded viaduct stone and a vast supply of concrete slab on site from a previous era. We were able to reuse these materials in the walls and amphitheater in artful ways. It turned out this was not only sustainable but also practical and cost effective.”

Click here for some children's garden pictures.

Why Low-Impact Development is Critical: A Texas-Sized Example

By Rumanda Young

After a webinar on low-impact development (LID) with RedVector, I thought it appropriate to post a blog on how important the LID approach has become within the Edwards Aquifer recharge zones in Texas Hill Country. The Edwards Aquifer fulfills the water needs (recreation, industry, and residential) of south central Texas, specifically in the highly populated areas of San Antonio and Austin.

The aquifer has special meaning to Texans. In truth, San Antonio would not exist without the aquifer. There are many beautiful and meaningful Edwards Aquifer water features. The website, edwardsaquifer.net, offers a collection of images and short essays about some of the most significant features.

The Blue Hole, Barton Springs, Leona Springs, and many others hold a special place in both history books and hearts. Barton Springs has special memories for me as a summer fun spot in Austin, Texas. In 2003, the natural pool was closed for environmental testing and the results depicted contamination from urbanization.

Many hydrologists fear that uncontrolled urbanization will eventually lead to closing Barton Springs. In 2008, Robert Redford co-produced a documentary titled the Unforseen as part as the fight to preserve this precious natural resource.

The Blue Hole in San Antonio was once a fountain spring. In 1857, Frederick Law Olmsted described the beauty in the following way:

...The San Antonio Spring may be classed as the first water among the gems of the natural world. The whole river gushes up in one sparkling burst from the earth. It has all the beautiful accompaniments of a smaller spring, moss, pebbles, seclusion, sparkling sunbeams, and dense overhanging luxuriant foliage. The effect is overpowering. It is beyond your possible conceptions of a spring. You cannot believe your eyes, and almost shrink from sudden metamorphosis by invaded nymphdom.

The Blue Hole no longer fits Olmsted’s description, but is still a beautiful natural retreat from urbanization.

Due to the historic reliance on the Edwards Aquifer, very little surface water facilities have been developed. Water demand in this high populace, semi-arid climate area is beyond the Aquifer's capacity. Each precious inch of rainwater that falls is essential to capture and recharge. Therefore, low-impact development techniques/approaches within the recharge and contributing zones are crucial. The benefits for Texas Hill Country would be groundwater recharge, cleaner streams and rivers, urban heat island effect reduction, improvement in local air quality, and enhancement in the aesthetic quality of Hill Country. Currently, there is an initiative for public agency representatives to develop a technical guidance manual for using low-impact development techniques in arid and karst regions. This would be a wonderful tool to help conserve our much needed stormwater in Texas.

Are you Green Experienced?

By Ryan Sparks

Obtaining certifications and/or credentials can be addictive. For some, it’s the thrill of passing the exam. For others, it’s the ego boost they get from seeing the acronyms after their name that take up two lines on their business card. Others just like to wallpaper their office with certificates. Regardless of the reason, if you are a Green Associate, the next credential to shoot for is becoming a LEED AP. The only problem is that GBCI requires you demonstrate experience on a LEED project in order to qualify for the exam.

But what about all the sales professionals that want to become LEED APs to establish credibility with their green clients? Or all the attorneys that want to establish a niche in green building law? How are they supposed to qualify for the exam?

So maybe sales professionals and attorneys do not garner a lot of sympathy from the general public, or maybe architects and engineers like this obstacle because they feel it keeps their credential more prestigious. The fact of the matter is that unless you are working in a firm with LEED projects, your chances of getting LEED experience is limited to the following:

• Volunteering – Non-profits like Habitat for Humanity and Enterprise Green Communities (http://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/) provide volunteer options to work on LEED affordable housing projects.
  
  
• Interning – This is not an option for a working professional, but students or recent grads can try to obtain unpaid positions with firms that work on LEED projects.
  
  
• Buying the Experience – Many LEED exam prep sites are now selling project experience that is limited to participation in weekly web conferences at a cost starting around $400.
  

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that many professionals that are already LEED APs are also clamoring to work on LEED projects to build up their experience and resume. So until there is real boom in LEED construction, Green Associates are going to have to look for creative ways to get their name listed on a LEED project.

Can Green Jobs Save the Future of Construction?

By: Jeff Nippes

It has been a rough couple of years for the economy, and the design and construction industry has been hit about as hard as anyone. All you hear about in the news is recession this, great depression that, how long it will take to recover from the real estate bubble bursting, how many jobs the industry has lost etc. etc.

How about some good news for a change? For a good read check out the U.S. Green Building Council’s Green Jobs Study.

It is a fairly large document (52 pages) but if you only the read the executive summary you will probably feel a little better about our industry. The growth in green jobs is staggering.

$396 billion dollars in labor earnings from green construction is forecast from 2009-2013 compared to a very respectable $123 billion in labor earnings from 2000-2008. If you are doing the math that’s triple the labor earnings in a 5 year period compared to a 9 year period. Like I said, staggering. The economic impact directly tied to LEED related construction is equally impressive. Using the same two time periods LEED labor earnings is forecast to go from $703 million to $12.5 billion. This study was released at Green Build ’09 in November of last year so it takes into account the current economic climate.

So as the dog days of summer grind on and it seems the economy and construction industry grind with it, take a peak at the green jobs report for some feel good reading.

Do you think green jobs can help the construction industry recover?

How Many Green “Firsts” Can You Boast? Heery International’s list is impressive.

By Vicki Zambito


There’s a lot of talk about “being green”, but few companies have taken it to the level that HEERY International has. More than 25% of Heery’s staff are LEED Accredited Professionals.

The firm is proud of its sustainable “firsts”, which it lists as including:

The first LEED Gold hospital in Colorado: Heery served as the architect, programmer and planner for the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colorado, which is the largest hospital to have achieved LEED Gold certification. Heery and Poudre Valley Health Systems agreed on a fast-track design and construction process to bring the project in on time and without budget overruns. The 595,000 SF, 136-bed medical center is designed as a hospital within a hospital and houses the Heart Center of the Rockies and the Trauma Center of the Rockies.

The first LEED Gold winery in the nation: Heery provided commissioning services for the Stoller Winery in Dayton, Oregon. Work included installation checks and startup and performance verifications of building systems as required for LEED certification (Energy and Atmosphere). The project received a LEED Gold certification from USGBC, the first LEED certified new construction winery in the country.

The first LEED Gold daycare in Georgia: Heery designed Georgia Power’s first day care facilities; one at the Atlanta corporate campus and one adjacent to the Henry County Customer Care Center. Given Georgia Power’s initiatives to reduce the impact on the environment and their projects to make the air and water cleaner, one of the major requirements for the projects was that they be sustainable and obtain at least a LEED Silver certification rating. Incorporating high efficiency HVAC and lighting systems, as well as low VOC finishes into the building, helped achieve
the LEED points necessary for a sustainable project.

Other LEED firsts that Heery recognizes is the first LEED targeted power plant in the nation and the first LEED K-12 school in South Carolina.

Learn more about Heery’s LEED projects at http://www.heery.com/about_us/about_us_sustainability_leedprojects.aspx

Why so few LEED AP Homes Professionals?

By Ryan Sparks

In reviewing the latest statistics on LEED credentialed professionals, I am surprised how few “LEED AP Homes” there are in relation to the other specialty options (247 total compared to 21,000 BD&C professionals). With this tight housing market, you would think more builders would be seeking out this credential as way to distinguish themselves from the competition.

Why so few? In talking with some builders, it turns out there are a number of factors:

• Rating System Requirements: Unlike the other rating systems, LEED AP Homes is the only rating system that requires the involvement of ‘pre-approved’ entities, specifically LEED for Homes Provider and Green Rater.
  
• Competition with the NAHB: The National Association of Home Builders – offers a competing credential called the Certified Green Professional (CGP) for professionals participating in design and construction of high-performance green homes. This rival credential that has managed to attract several more individuals (4,352 more actually) than the LEED AP Homes credential .
  
• Pushing Green can Turn Off Potential Buyers: Many builders feel that getting too technical with the green details can actually overwhelm buyers and discourage sales. As a result, most builders feel they just need to be knowledge of a few features regarding lower operating and maintenance costs, instead of being a LEED expert.
  
• Appraisers Not Seeing the Green Value: Many builders are not seeing appraisers recognize the value that green features add therefore the builders are not investing the time to pursue the credential.
  

Is Your Office Green? PBSJ’s Tampa office is and they have a USGBC award to prove it!

By Vicki Zambito

PBSJ’s new corporate headquarters in Tampa was recently recognized with the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the USGBC’s 2010 LEEDership Commercial Interior “Project of the Year” award.
PBSJ’s Sustainable Building Design Group used a sustainable design to convert 3.5 floors within the building, roughly 90,000 gsf of commercial office space, to meet the requirements for LEED Gold for Core and Shell Building certification. The space houses 350 employees, 146 private offices, open office areas, and 10 conference rooms.

The award recognizes demonstration of a holistic approach toward integrating green building practices and principles into project design, execution, and operation, as well as the development of innovative solutions to regional design challenges.

PBSJ is the largest tenant in MetWest One, a new office building in Tampa’s Westshore business district and Westshore’s first gold certified building under the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

Green Building: Why Wouldn’t You Do It?

By Jeff Nippes

I remember talking to clients several years ago, long before building Green and LEED really picked up the momentum it has now and a question that I used to get asked was “Why do I want to build green?” What they really meant was why do I want to build green if all it does is take away from my profit margin? It was generally thought that building green and to LEED Standards was just an additional expense and wouldn’t provide any additional revenue for the designer, developer, builder and owner. “It’s fine for tree huggers, let them live in a earth shelter house but I work on a bottom line so unless building green is practical and contributes to my bottom line then I’m really not that interested.”

Now, fast forward to 2010 and with more education on the subject and better standards and better overall understanding of what green building is, it is more of the standard than the anomaly. That has a lot to do with aforementioned profit margin. Building to LEED standards today only adds on average 1.8% to the total building cost which can easily be recovered in the first year or two of operation. (See Also Davis Langdon’s The Cost of Green Revisited http://www.davislangdon.com/USA/Research/ResearchFinder/2007-The-Cost-of-Green-Revisited/) LEED Certified buildings have higher occupancy rates and draw higher rents and a higher ROI. As soon as green building became more profitable it became more interesting to a lot of people. When you really look at it, most LEED and green building strategies involve more common sense than money. For example: Landscape with native plants rather than vegetation that is not native to the region and will thus require less water, use a pervious type of pavement so the water goes right back into the water table rather collecting pollutants and running off and polluting another water source, reuse building materials, buy products that have little or no volatile organic compounds, buy wood with the Forrest Stewardship Council (FSC) seal, buy local building materials when possible since they will have consumed far less resources to travel to the building site all seem like no brainers, require little or no extra money to implement and all provide LEED credit points so today the question isn’t really “Why do I want to build green?” it is, “Why wouldn’t you build green?"

Welcome to our Green Blog

By Vicki Zambito

Welcome to GreenView, RedVector's new green blog. We've created this blog as a place to highlight and discuss important and interesting topics in the world of green building, sustainable design, and even beyond.

According to the USGBC, buildings account for 38.9% of U.S. Primary energy consumption. Given this fact about our industry, we feel we can do our part in helping educate on and advance the practice of green building and sustainable design.

We look forward to sharing our blogs with you and hope to stir up some interesting conversations!