Look What's New! LEED 2012 Webinar

RedVector is continually expanding our green building and LEED course library to meet the needs of our design and construction professionals. In January, RedVector is holding one of our hottest green-related webinars yet! See below for details.

01/31/2012: LIVE WEBINAR: LEED 2012 Changes Tuesday, January 31st, 2012, 1pm-4pm EST

The U.S. Green Building Council® LEED system is changing! This three-hour webinar focuses on the proposed LEED 2012 changes. LEED 2012 is a technical update to the LEED rating systems, including the Building Design + Construction, Interior Design + Construction, Operations + Maintenance, Neighborhood Development, and LEED for Homes rating systems. This course is important for professionals associated with green building (LEED A.P., architect, landscape architect, engineer, or other green building professional) , in order to stay up-to-date with the LEED rating systems. This course will focus on the proposed 2012 changes including the addition of three new credit categories (Integrative Process, Location and Transportation, Performance), changes to technical content , and a revised point distribution. Finally, this course will look at the revision process and associated timeline for adoption.

Learn More / Sign Up Here

LEED 2012: Six Things You Should Know

By Vicki Zambito

The New Year is almost upon us and while most of us contemplate changes that we hope reduce our waistlines or increase our bank accounts, the USGBC has been hard at work developing the next evolution of LEED. The second public comment period for the draft version of LEED 2012 has closed. According to the USGBC, it is anticipated that LEED 2012 will be put forth for a member ballot vote in late summer 2012, after the public comment and response periods. Meanwhile, here are six quick things you should be aware of about the proposed LEED 2012 rating system:

1. The number of credit categories has jumped from seven to ten. The three new credit categories are Integrative Process, Location and Transportation, and Performance.

2. The number of prerequisites has climbed from nine to fifteen.

3. Point values of existing credits have changed.

4. The “LEED Accredited Professional” credit has changed. It now requires two additional individuals representing primary disciplines to be LEED AP (with any specialty) or Green Associates. The current language for compliance with this credit requires one LEED AP with applicable specialty.

5. It is anticipated that the LEED Professional Credential program administered through the Green Building Certification Institute will remain the same.

6. Project teams need not comply with the 2012 rating system proposed for public comment. Project teams should follow the rating system version for which they are currently registered.

For more information on LEED 2012, visit http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=9826

Net Zero Energy Building Certification: 5 Imperatives You Must Meet

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

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

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

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

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

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.

1. InterfaceFLOR carpet tiles with PFC-free carpet fibers

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

Visit 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.

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

Teaching an Old Building New Tricks

By Jeff Nippes

Unlike our canine friends, you can teach an old building new tricks. The iconic Empire State Building recently achieved LEED Gold Certification, and now the once dated and inefficient super structure is a lean, mean energy- and natural resource-conserving machine.

The Empire State Building—celebrating its 80th anniversary this year—has undergone a remarkable renovation that will reduce the building’s energy consumption by over 38% and save around $4.4 million in spending every year, meaning it will take only about three years to pay back the cost of the implementation.

The improvements will also enable the Empire State Building to offset around 105,000 metric tons of carbon emissions over a 15-year period. Additionally, many new LEED features include low-flow toilets, carpets made with recycled materials, low-VOC paints and adhesives, green wall coverings, and green pest control and cleaning products. During the renovation process construction debris and tenant waste were recycled to gain building reuse credits, and a new tenant energy management system was introduced.

All of these improvements illustrate that no matter old, big or tall a structure is, there are still plenty of ways to obtain LEED Certification and turn any building into Gold!

Making the Grade: 7 Cities Requiring Green Building Report Cards

By Vicki Zambito

Not all green buildings are created equal. Some are inevitably more energy efficient than others. So how do you know which is which? There’s a growing trend across the country to make data reporting on energy efficiency in buildings the law. Below are 7 cities leading the charge:

1. New York City's Greener, Greater Buildings Plan requires annual ENERGY STAR benchmarking and public disclosure for large commercial and multifamily buildings. Ratings must be reported to the city in the spring of 2011 and disclosure begins in 2012. All municipal buildings were benchmarked in 2010.

2. The District of Columbia requires annual ENERGY STAR benchmarking and public web site disclosure for large commercial and multifamily buildings. New buildings must obtain and disclose ENERGY STAR ratings based on energy modeling. The policies phase-in over a period of four years. Ratings must be reported to the District for some buildings beginning in the spring of 2011 and disclosure begins in 2012. ENERGY STAR ratings for municipal buildings were disclosed in 2010.

3. Austin requires commercial buildings to obtain ENERGY STAR ratings by mid-2011 and disclose ratings to prospective buyers. It also requires audits of single-family homes prior to a sale and audits of large multifamily buildings by mid-2011. Home audit results must be disclosed to prospective buyers, and multifamily audit results must be posted within the building and may trigger mandatory upgrades. All three policies are part of Austin's Energy Conservation and Audit Disclosure Ordinance (ECAD).

4. Santa Fe requires newly constructed single-family homes to display HERS ratings to prospective home buyers.

5. San Francisco requires annual ENERGY STAR benchmarking and public disclosure, as well as periodic energy audits, for commercial buildings. The requirements supplement a statewide rating and disclosure law passed in 2007.

6. Portland has informally proposed policy to ENERGY STAR benchmark its commercial buildings and disclose ratings.

7. Seattle requires commercial and multifamily buildings to annually ENERGY STAR benchmark and report ratings to the city. The law phases-in over two years beginning in 2011. The requirements supplement a statewide rating and disclosure law passed in 2009. Seattle is also piloting a home rating program.

To learn more about energy reporting and disclosure across the country and the world, check out this interactive map from BuildingRating.org: http://www.buildingrating.org/ammap

5 Reasons to Attend GreenBuild 2011

By Vicki Zambito

The world’s largest conference dedicated to green building is just weeks away – GreenBuild takes place October 4th through the 7th. There are many reasons to pack your sustainable bags and hit the road for this worthwhile show, but here are my top five.

1. It’s being held in Toronto. What better excuse to play tourist in Canada’s biggest city and the fifth largest city in North America? If you go, check out the Toronto Zoo which is home to over 5,000 animals representing 460 distinct species.
   


2. 25,000 people are expected to fill the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. These days, not many AEC industry conferences can boast numbers that big. Don’t be left out – your peers and competitors will most likely be there.
   


3. Happy Anniversary GreenBuild. It’s the USGBC’s 10th year holding this international event and it features the world’s largest expo hall devoted to green building. More than 1,000 exhibitors will showcase the latest in innovative products and services, exemplifying the idea of utilizing green to grow business to attendees from around the world.
   


4. Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman is giving the first keynote. Friedman is an American journalist, columnist and author. In his 2008 bestselling book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution—and How It Can Renew America, Friedman explores the parallels between the climate crisis and the global economic crisis, proposing a national strategy, coined "Geo-Greenism," to make America healthier, richer, more innovative, more productive, and more secure.
   


5. Maroon 5 is going to rock the house as they are set to headline the opening celebration. The Grammy award-winning band’s front man Adam Levine says, “The environment is a cause that entire band deeply cares about.” Maroon 5 went carbon neutral for its 2007 tour and has been honored at the Environmental Media awards.

How Do U.S. Home Sizes Compare to Other Countries? Infographic Breaks it Down.

By Vicki Zambito

A survey conducted by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment looked at average home sizes around the world. It found the smallest homes were in the UK and the largest homes were in the USA. In fact the study found that American homes, at an average square footage of 2,300, were 181% larger than homes in the United Kingdom which came in at 818 square feet. Does that mean our brethren across the pond are automatically greener than us?

Meet the World’s Greenest Office Building

By Vicki Zambito

Construction on the world’s greenest office building has begun in Seattle. Groundbreaking on the Bullitt Center at 15th Avenue and East Madison in the city’s Capitol Hill area began on Monday. The six-story building has been designed to produce as much energy as it consumes. Consider these items:

• The building will provide all its own water


• The building will process all its own sewage


• Timber for the building will come only from forests certified as sustainable


• The steel, concrete, wood, and other heavy materials will all come from within 300 miles


• Parking will be provided for bikes – not cars


• Building materials that contain hazardous substances won’t be used

Building a building this green costs some green. It is estimated that the building’s super sustainable features increase the building’s upfront costs by nearly one-third. But the building’s owner still expects to make money. Four of the six floors already have signed future tenants who are willing to pay a premium to locate there. Jason McLennan, CEO of the Cascadia Green Building Council, calls the construction project, “the most important building being built in the country today.”

Learn more about this story by watching this video: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/flatpages/video/mediacenterbc3.html?bctid=1127563044001

3 Things Happening in LEED Right Now

By Vicki Zambito

1. A Federal Court Judge just dismissed the $100M lawsuit against the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and its LEED Rating System. Henry Gifford and other plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in October 2010 claiming the USGBC falsely advertises that LEED guarantees energy savings in LEED-certified buildings. The court cited a few reasons for its dismissal including its conclusion that the plaintiffs couldn’t prove they were being harmed by the USGBC. To read more, visit http://greensource.construction.com/news/2011/08/110818-Lawsuit-Against-USGBC.asp

2. Now is the time to provide the USGBC with feedback on its proposed 2012 update to the LEED green building rating system. The public comment period opened August 1st and ends on September 14th, 2011. The USGBC collected just under 6,000 constructive comments and recommendations in the first comment period and says it has integrated feedback. To read more, visit: http://www.usgbc.org/Docs/News/2011-07-27%20press%20release%20-%20final.pdf

3. Time is very quickly running out for Legacy LEED APs to upgrade to LEED with specialty. Enrollment windows end on a specific date between August 1st and October 27th, 2011. End dates have been staggered over these three months in order to avoid overloading the USGBC’s systems. To avoid retesting, one way to upgrade is through completing 30-hours of prescriptive credential maintenance. To learn more about your options, visit http://www.redvector.com/leed-cmp/leed_ap_without_specialty.aspx

Top 5 Videos of the World’s Greenest Homes

By Vicki Zambito

I just hit green gold surfing the Internet last weekend. PlanetGreen.com features a play list of videos all highlighting what it bills as “the world’s greenest homes.” I clicked down the list, engaged by the images of some very cool earth-friendly dwellings. Below are links to five of my favorites. I hope you enjoy as much as I did!

1. Hong King Space Saver – Check out this ultra hip 330 square foot apartment which features a futuristic sliding wall system.
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/videos/worlds-greenest-homes-hong-kong-space-saver.html

2. Texas Candy Land - The style is whimsical and fun, but the technology is totally green.
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/videos/worlds-greenest-homes-casa-neverlandia.html

3. Grass Roof Bungalow - The deck is made from recycled milk jugs, there's grass on the roof and different types of solar panels saves this family around $800 a year on the electric bill.
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/videos/worlds-greenest-homes-the-grass-roof-bungalow.html

4. Energy Saving Straw House - Features include a saltwater swimming pool, and a cooling tower inspired by Middle Eastern architecture.
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/videos/worlds-greenest-homes-the-arizona-straw-bale-house.html

5. Beachside Power Saver - It took only six hours for a traditional-looking, pre-fab home to be assembled in one of the most sought after areas of Toronto.
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/videos/worlds-greenest-homes-toronto-prefab.html

For more videos, visit http://planetgreen.discovery.com/videos/worlds-green-homes/.

Green Jobs Provide Silver Lining to Economy Blues

By Vicki Zambito

Wired Magazine recently published an article on the emergence of what it calls “smart jobs” or innovative middle-class jobs that scramble the line between blue-collar and white-collar. It’s an interesting article. But what struck me most when reading the piece was the accompanying graphic which showed an off-the-chart (literally) gain in jobs in the category of “Renewables and the Environment”. It just seems to be another sign that as we continue to look for ways to improve the economy, we should focus on innovating in the area of green and sustainability. Check out the chart below. Or read the article here: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/05/ff_jobsessay/

Green Building Boom: Southeast’s Top Green Contractors

By Vicki Zambito

Engineering News Record (ENR) recently published its list of the Southeast’s Top Green Contractors. The publication’s report found that despite the tough economy, income from green projects has increased notably, specifically showing a 14% improvement over a year ago. BE&K Building Group out of North Carolina is at the top of the list. To see the complete rundown of 60 firms, click on the link below to visit the ENR article.

http://southeast.construction.com/southeast_top_lists_construction_firms/2011/GreenContractors/001-100.asp

Global Green Rating Systems: 5 Programs that aren’t LEED

By Vicki Zambito

LEED, LEED, LEED. In the United States you can’t discuss green building rating systems without focusing on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating program. But it’s not the only party on the block—nor was it the first.

The first environmental certification program—the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM)—was created in 1990 in the UK. Since then, a variety of assessment programs have been developed around the world. Different rating systems apply differently in different climates and geographical conditions. Here’s a look at five other programs taking hold around the globe.

1. The First. The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) in the UK touts itself as the world’s foremost environmental assessment method and rating system for buildings, with 200,000 buildings certified: http://www.breeam.org/index.jsp


2. Doing Good Down Under. The Green Building Council of Australia’s Green Star program has registered or certified more than 12 million meters of space in Australia and transformed the country’s property and construction market: http://www.gbca.org.au/


3. Hong Kong Goes Green. The Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM) used in the world’s most vertical city provides standards for building assessment, performance improvement, certification and labeling: http://www.beamsociety.org.hk/general/home.php


4. LEED’s Biggest U.S. Competitor? Green Globes® is a revolutionary green building guidance and assessment program that offers an effective, practical and affordable way to advance the overall environmental performance and sustainability of commercial buildings: http://www.thegbi.org/green-globes/default.asp


5. LEED India. Okay, this is still LEED, but it’s specific to India. LEED-INDIA launched in 2007 and provides building owners, architects, consultants, developers, facility managers and project managers the tools they need to design, construct and operate green buildings: http://www.igbc.in/site/igbc/tests.jsp?event=22869

Happy Birthday LEED v3!

by Jeff Nippes

Depending on who you talk to, LEED v3 is either just about to turn two or just turned two. LEED v3 was actually released in April 2009 but the new version of the test did not start until June of 2009. In either case, LEED v3 has reached the two-year mark.

Why is that significant? Because everyone credentialed under LEED v3 has credential maintenance coming due. If you are a LEED Green Associate or LEED AP with Specialty, you have 15 or 30 hours of credential maintenance coming up, respectively. If you are a Legacy LEED AP and you opted to upgrade to a LEED AP with Specialty, you would have 30 hours of prescriptive credential maintenance coming due.

Don’t get caught scrambling at the last second trying to figure out how to get your credential maintenance hours, what activities count, or how to report your hours.

Here are some tips:

1. Consult the Credential Maintenance Guides that are available on www.gbci.org. These guides are the law when it comes to figuring out what activities count and what limitations there are for various activities. Bonus Tip: Taking approved professional development courses have no limitations.

2. Check to make sure that the courses you take are approved. All approved courses will show on www.usgbc.org under education  Find Courses tab. Select advanced options and you can search by providers.

3. Don’t let your credential maintenance deadline sneak up on you! Go to the GBCI site under ‘My Credentials’ and your due date will show. The last thing you want to do is try to cram in 15 or 30 hours at last minute.

4. Consult the professionals. If you are still uncertain about how many courses you need or you just simply don’t have the time to figure it out, call someone who knows. At RedVector, we have educational advisors standing by every day to help you navigate your requirements. We have more than 50 USGBC-approved courses including plenty of LEED-specific options. We also have 30-hour Prescriptive Credential Maintenance packages that will have everything you need to upgrade to a LEED AP with Specialty without retesting.

Happy Birthday LEED v3 and good luck with your credential maintenance!

Blue is the New Green: 3 Water Conservation Sites You Wanna Check Out!

by Vicki Zambito

According to the EPA at least 36 states will face water shortages by 2013, which means the need to conserve water is becoming more and more critical. Everyone in the design and construction industry—as well as consumers—should take steps to reduce water consumption and increase sustainability. Below are three websites devoted to helping you learn how to save water.

WaterUseItWisely.com has a list of 100 ways to conserve water. And it deserves to be said that each way begins with you! The site also has a cool widget you can add to your own website. The Conservation Tip Widget displays a new tip each day of the month, so your site visitors can keep up with ways to save water.

http://www.wateruseitwisely.com

Kohler’s Save Water America website is presented through a partnership with Habitat for Humanity. The site includes a list of water-saving resources, a 90-second quiz to see how water smart you are, and an interactive map of the U.S. It also keeps a running count of all Kohler’s water-saving product donations to Habitat for Humanity.

http://www.savewateramerica.com

H2OConserve.org is an online source of tools and information that enables you to make water conservation part of your everyday life. It includes a water footprint calculator that calculates the amount of water you use in and around your home throughout the day, including the water you use directly and indirectly.

http://www.h2oconserve.org

Wanted: Clean Energy

by Jeff Nippes

Earth Day is just around the corner. How are you planning to celebrate? Earth Day is held annually on April 22, and this year’s theme is “A Billon Acts of Green”. That is a great theme, and a billions acts of green would certainly be a tremendous accomplishment. However, until we get serious about clean and renewable energy, it will remain little more than a novelty on a global scale.

Call it coincidence or irony or just bad luck, but Earth Day again coincides with an environmental disaster. Last year as we were celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we were also creating the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. The Deepwater Horizon oil rig had just exploded, and though we didn’t know it yet the gulf was about to absorb the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry.

It seems as our technology increases, the danger we present to our planet increases as well. This year we have an ongoing crisis in Japan in the form of a potential nuclear meltdown. This disaster is a little different, since it was created as a side effect from a massive earthquake and not just carelessness or faulty equipment. Still, the common theme is energy. We need clean energy, we need safe energy. Drilling 10,000 feet below the surface and nuclear fission are both dangerous businesses. Oil is a fossil fuel and nuclear energy produces toxic byproducts and harmful nuclear waste that takes centuries to degrade. Our nuclear byproducts literally are a ticking time bomb.

Here on Earth we have the technology, but we need vast improvements in safe, clean renewable energy. We need solar, wind, biofuels, and tidal power. Humans have made some headway, but our renewable energy programs are still just a drop in the bucket compared to how much we spend on developing and researching traditional, non-renewable energy sources such as oil and coal. In the immortal words of Chief Brody, we’re “gonna need a bigger boat”.

The 4 Coolest Things Happening Right Now in Green

By Vicki Zambito

1. Facebook is taking green to the social level. The social networking giant’s executives are working with designers, city planners, and local residents of Menlo Park, California to come up with ideas on how to connect their new campus to the community while reducing fossil fuel emissions and benefiting employees and local residents. Read more about the outcomes of their recent design charrette: http://greensource.construction.com/news/2011/03/110323-facebook-campus.asp

2. The “G” in Google stands for green. The Internet Search Company just installed its first wireless electric car charger at its Mountain View, California headquarters. The Plugless Power charging station is based on technology similar to that of the electric toothbrush. The system streamlines the charging of electric vehicles and extended-range hybrids by eliminating the nuisance of the cord and the plug. Check out the product at: http://www.pluglesspower.com/

3. Need to save the world from energy waste? Technology to the rescue! Retroficiency, a startup software company out of Boston, has developed a software as a service (SaaS) application that can analyze the efficiency of commercial office buildings and determine the most cost-effective repairs and retrofits. As the company’s website boasts, “It’s time consuming and expensive to analyze energy savings opportunities and there are thousands of possibilities to consider. Retroficiency helps you accurately identify more, actionable opportunities in less time.” You can’t argue with that. Check it out at: http://www.retroficiency.com/

4. Household name Procter & Gamble just made an impressive commitment to earth. One of the world’s largest manufacturers of personal products has committed to pursuing LEED certification for all new facilities worldwide. According to P&G, its commitment to pursuing LEED will include all new office buildings, research facilities, and manufacturing and distribution centers. To learn more about P&G’s promise, visit: http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2011/3/3/Procter-Gamble-Breaks-New-Ground-with-LEED-Commitment/

ACT TODAY - Voice Your Opposition to HB 5005

ATTENTION LAND SURVEYORS, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND INTERIOR DESIGNERS: Your voice is needed right now. The Florida Legislature is considering a bill that would dismantle regulation for land surveyors, landscape architects, interior designers and nearly 30 other professions in the state.

Time is critical. Your representatives need to hear from you.

This bill will be heard in the House Economic Affairs Committee beginning at 8:00am tomorrow, Thursday March 24th. It already cleared its first house committee stop last week. Click here to read a summary of the bill.

How Can You Help?
There are a variety of ways you can join in the battle against HB 5005:

1. Attend the House Economics Affairs Committee meeting on Thursday the 24th at 8:00 am in Tallahassee. The Committee will be meeting in Reed Hall (Plaza Level) of the House Building at the Capitol (400 South Monroe).

2. Contact your legislators TODAY and let them know you oppose the bill.
a. Find Your House Representative Here.
b. Find Your State Senator Here.

3. Contact the Economic Affairs & Appropriations Committee Members TODAY and let them know you oppose the bill. Their emails are listed below.

4. Use the legislative talking points provided by the Florida Surveying and Mapping Society, the Florida Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and the American Society of Interior Designers to argue against the bill. You can read those by visiting the following web pages:

http://www.fsms.org/legislation.cfm
http://www.flasla.org/
http://www.asid.org/legislation/resources/talkingpts/default.htm

5. Spread the word to your colleagues, friends and family. The more voices the better to help save your profession!

The Team here at RedVector will also be doing what we can to add our voices to the opposition on this bill.

Good luck!
The RedVector Team

Economic Affairs & Appropriations Committee Members Email List:
dorothy.hukill@myfloridahouse.gov; doug.holder@myfloridahouse.gov; frank.artiles@myfloridahouse.gov; esteban.bovo@myfloridahouse.gov; jim.boyd@myfloridahouse.gov; chris.dorworth@myfloridahouse.gov; brad.drake@myfloridahouse.gov; peter.nehr@myfloridahouse.gov; bryan.nelson@myfloridahouse.gov; jeanette.nunez@myfloridahouse.gov; ken.roberson@myfloridahouse.gov; ritch.workman@myfloridahouse.gov; geraldine.thompson@myfloridahouse.gov; joseph.abruzzo@myfloridahouse.gov; evan.jenne@myfloridahouse.gov; steve.perman@myfloridahouse.gov; irving.slosberg@myfloridahouse.gov; jim.waldman@myfloridahouse.gov; denise.grimsley@myfloridahouse.gov; bill.proctor@myfloridahouse.gov; steve.precourt@myfloridahouse.gov; robert.schenck@myfloridahouse.gov; william.snyder@myfloridahouse.gov; will.weatherford@myfloridahouse.gov; gary.aubuchon@myfloridahouse.gov; john.legg@myfloridahouse.gov; seth.mckeel@myfloridahouse.gov

Reducing Your Ecological Footprint

by Rumanda Young

This semester I asked my class to complete an ecological footprint assessment. An ecological footprint gives a person a measure of his or her lifestyle demand on Earth's ecosystems. The assessment outcome is an estimate of how many Earths it would take to support humanity if everybody lived a given lifestyle. Out of the entire class, I had the highest numbers of Earths.

The outcome of the assignment concerns me, as I teach courses on sustainability and feel that I do things daily (garden, recycle, compost, eat little meat) to help lower my footprint. Upon reflection, I realized travel was the culprit in my oversized ecological footprint. I admit I don’t drive the smallest, most fuel-efficient car, but I am convinced it is the travel associated with my jobs that takes up more than my fair share of Earth’s resources. My weekly commute to the university logs more than 240 miles. Also, I travel every other week for the government either by car or plane.

I dread traveling half a day and fighting airport crowds to attend a one-hour meeting that I could have attended easily via teleconference. I think it is a waste of time that could be spent with my children, but now I am realizing it is also an incredible waste of resources (both monetary and environmental). I know the time has come to adopt more sustainable ways to travel. As an important first step, I will learn how to say “no” to travel that does not necessitate face-to-face interaction. After a bit of Googling, I’ve also found a few tips (source: www.factoidz.com) on how to become a more conscious traveler:

Stay in locally-owned accommodations as opposed to hotel chains. Local owners benefit greatly from tourist support, and as a traveler you are able to eat local food and given an opportunity to take in local culture in a more intimate environment.

Visit national parks or conservation areas as part of your travel. The money you pay for such attractions is put back into protecting wildlife, habitat, and the environment.
Nature deserves our respect, so when you are done enjoying its splendor, it should be left as you found it. Leaving little evidence you were there ensures it will be enjoyed by other travelers for years to come.

Be mindful of your consumption of water, energy and the amount of waste you create. Practice the same recycling habits you would at home by using travel mugs and other reusable products.

When you shop local markets, remember this is one of the ways (and possibly the only way) local people support themselves. They work hard at their craft, and this small-scale fair trade exchange has a greater impact on their lives than on yours.

When it comes to transportation, flying imposes the biggest burden on the environment because of the fuel consumed and the emissions created. However, there is a way to offset your carbon footprint as a result of flying. By buying carbon credits that are used toward environmental efforts, you reduce your travel impact on the planet. This is a new and innovative way to promote responsible travel and is more and more widely promoted.

Finally, volunteer travel is one of the most sustainable travel practices that make a difference. There are always environmental efforts going on in various parts of the world that would welcome your time and energy, and these opportunities are a great way to learn about the culture, people and areas in most need of help.

Form a Green Team

By: Jeff Nippes

If you are in the construction business at some level you are most likely involved in Green Building, Sustainable Design or LEED. It is one of the bright shining spots of the construction business these days. We all want to be green, and, more specifically, we all want to do business in the green building market. But are we actually being green? Not in the building or training sense of the word, but in the everyday office function sense of the word. Are we practicing what we preach? Do we recycle properly? Do we conserve electricity where possible? Do we conserve paper?

In our office, like many offices, the answer is “Well, we’re kinda green.” Or maybe the answer is, “We’re not really green at all.” Or maybe, “ I have no idea how green we are.” In any case, odds are there is some room for improvement and in some cases room for dramatic improvement. So what's a great way you can find out how green you are and how much room for improvement there is? Form a Green Team! Here are some tips on forming a Green Team so your company can practice what it preaches:

Look around your Workplace

What kinds of unnecessary waste do you see? Chances are, you can find at least one co-worker with a paper take-out cup or bottled water, or an empty office with the lights on inside. Look a little closer and you’ll probably see wasted paper – copies printed on only one side, or recyclable items in with the trash. If you keep your eyes peeled for the rest of the day, you can probably find numerous opportunities for your company to become more eco-friendly. And if you ask around, there are probably others in your company who feel the same way and would like to help.

Get Management Support
If your Green Team will be meeting during business hours, it’s best to get the support and approval of management. Be prepared to give an overview of the types of projects the team might work on and how much time will be spent. Don’t forget to talk about the possible benefits to the company. Many of your activities (especially energy and waste-reduction steps) have the potential to save substantial amounts of money!

Build the Team
Schedule a kickoff meeting! Invite attendees by email, at staff meetings, or by posting notices in common areas. Alternately, you could ask each department to nominate a representative - the best teams are made up of diverse members who are from different departments and work at different levels in the company.

Establish Objectives and Goals
When it’s time to choose a first project for the Green Team, start by looking for “low-hanging fruit” (the easiest tasks to accomplish). A recycling program can be fairly simple to start, as can a campaign to reduce energy by turning off lights and computers when not in use. This will help the team achieve results quickly and start to build momentum. There will be plenty of time for more ambitious activities once you get rolling! The team should come up with clear goals and timelines for each project, and each member should have a specific role. This will allow you to measure success and give you a reason to celebrate when goals have been met.

Launch your Project
Ask each department for a coordinator or representative. This person can help explain goals to their staff and train the department on new guidelines or procedures. They can also help you measure the success of their department in meeting objectives. Publish regular reports to let everyone know how the project is going. Offering incentives or prizes to groups who contributed the most toward reaching a goal is a good way to keep everyone involved and motivated.

Once your Green Team has reached its first goal, have another project ready! Capitalize on the momentum of your success to gain new members and take on bigger challenges.

Climbing the Green Ladder: 5 Sites for Great Green Jobs

By Vicki Zambito

Earlier this month President Obama introduced the Better Buildings Initiative in an effort to make U.S. buildings more energy efficient. Part of his vision for a cleaner, greener future, it includes a new tax credit and grant competition among cities and states to help achieve the new energy conservation goals.

Some are calling the proposed program “an excellent blueprint to re-employ the construction workforce, modernize our built environment and help ensure our nation’s energy security,” and the growth of the green job industry is good news for AEC professionals.

Ready to climb the green ladder? Here are 5 opportunity-packed websites to check out!

5 Great Websites for Green Job Seekers:

www.greenjobs.com
Greenjobs’ goal is to be “the leading provider of renewable energy employment services and information”. Highlights include a monthly newsletter and a Green Directory of businesses, governments and associations focused on green building.

www.greenjobstore.com
Provides links and information about green career opportunities, including a “Featured Jobs of the Week” list, helpful videos, Green Business News, and the Green Job Blog.

www.greenjobsready.com
Quick and easy job search site includes a green job board, blog, articles, and helpful tips on green training for professionals seeking to advance their green career opportunities.

http://twitter.com/greendreamjobs
Green Dream Jobs is an easy-to-access source for information about green building jobs, renewable energy jobs, organic jobs, and environmental and sustainable jobs.

www.ecoemploy.com
Offers a broad list of environmental jobs and careers in the U.S., with helpful links to environmental agencies and employer websites as well as résumé tips and career information.

Tick Tock Goes the LEED Clock

By Jeff Nippes

Every time I write the date I can’t believe it is 2011. We’re already into February, and before we know it the summer will be here—then Thanksgiving, Christmas, and on to 2012. Time is relentless, always ticking, always moving forward. It seems like just the other day it was 2009 and LEED V3 was released, and here we are approaching the second anniversary of the latest version of LEED.

So what exactly does that two-year mark mean? It means credential maintenance will be coming due for LEED professionals who have a LEED with Specialty credential (anyone who tested after June of 2009) and that the window to upgrade for LEED APs without Specialty (anyone who tested under a previous version of LEED) to a LEED AP with Specialty—through prescriptive credential maintenance without retesting—is running out. That window to enroll in the prescriptive Credential Maintenance Program closes in the fall of 2011. Note: previous versions of LEED did not require credential maintenance. The requirement for LEED APs with Specialty is 30 continuing education hours, 6 of which must be approved as LEED specific. The prescriptive path is the same number of hours, but hours have to be achieved in prescribed categories relative to the applicable specialty.

Getting back to the time issue, 2012 is really just around the corner, and what that means in the LEED world is that a lot of folks are going to start having continuing education hours due. Although many are accustomed to complying with yearly CE requirements, for some of us it will be a new experience. It seems like just the other day when I tested for my Green Associate credential, and here it is over a year later and I’ll be having my credential maintenance coming due. That means it’s time to start thinking about satisfying that requirement so I don’t have to spend this holiday season cramming for continuing education courses.

It can be confusing, so consult the CMP guides to make sure you understand the requirements as well as the approved educational activities. I have included links to the Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) guides from the Green Building Certification Institute below. Of course, the number-one way to satisfy these education requirements is to take approved courses that have been reviewed and approved by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Education Reviewing Body (ERB). Providers such as RedVector will have these courses available, and these courses will often satisfy other professional licenses.

CMP Guide
http://www.gbci.org/Files/cmp_guide.pdf

Prescriptive CMP Guide
http://www.gbci.org/Files/enrollment_guide.pdf

The Low-down on LEED CMP

Feeling a little perplexed about earning your stripes under LEED 3.0? You’re not alone. The new credentialing system has a lot of industry professionals confused about what they need to become LEED accredited, so we’ve put together a brief overview to help clear things up.

Under LEED v3 there’s now a three-tiered credentialing system created to help industry professionals achieve and maintain LEED accreditation. The first tier is LEED Green Associate; the second is LEED AP with Specialty; and the third is LEED AP Fellow. Whether your goal is to become a Green Associate or advance to a LEED AP with Specialty, you must first pass the LEED Green Associate Exam—and before that you must do one of two things:

• Successfully complete a LEED Green Associate course; or


• Have verified LEED project experience.

Under the second tier—LEED AP with Specialty—there are five credentials available: LEED Building Design & Construction (LEED AP BD&C); LEED Interior Design & Construction (LEED AP ID&C); LEED Operations & Maintenance (LEED AP O&M); LEED Homes (LEED AP Homes); and LEED Neighborhood Development (LEED AP ND). To meet your professional goals under Tier II, you now have two options:

• Become a LEED AP with Specialty by passing one of the required specialty exams; or


• Complete the prescriptive CMP requirements for the initial 2-year reporting period (see CE and Maintenance Fees).

The third and final tier under the LEED v3 credentialing system is LEED AP Fellow, which is currently still being defined by the GBCI.

CE and Maintenance Fees
In order for professionals to maintain their LEED Green Associate or LEED AP with Specialty credentials under LEED v3, certain steps are now required. LEED Green Associates will be required to pay a maintenance fee every two years and complete 15 hours of CE (three of which must be LEED-specific). Likewise, LEED APs with Specialty must pay a maintenance fee as well as complete 30 hours of CE (six of which must be LEED-specific) every two years from the initial date the credential was received.

And what about Legacy LEED AP?
LEED APs without Specialty or those credentialed prior to April 2009 are considered Legacy LEED APs under LEED v3 and have three options:

• Enroll in the new LEED v3 system before June 2011 and complete the CMP requirements;


• Pass the new (LEED v3) version of the LEED AP with Specialty exam before June 2011; or


• Do nothing before June 2011 and remain a Legacy LEED AP.

(Note: If a Legacy LEED AP chooses to upgrade to a LEED AP with Specialty after the last enrollment window closes in October 2011, he or she will have to start from the beginning and first take—and pass—the Green Associate exam.)

So there you have it—the new LEED CMP in a nutshell! Check out RedVector’s LEED Roadmap for more.

Going Green in 140 Characters or Fewer: 5 Top Twitter Sites

By Vicki Zambito

Baby steps. It’s a phrase used when you want to take things slowly, get your bearings before plowing ahead, test the water before diving right in. It’s also a good way to take on an initiative to live a more sustainable lifestyle. And what better way to take baby steps toward going green than to follow some of the Twitter world’s most popular green experts? The beauty of Twitter is its forced brevity; now you get your dose of green in 140 characters or fewer! I found a great list of green tweeters on mashable.com. Here are five of the most popular:

EcoInteractive: http://twitter.com/EcoInteractive
This is the blog for the Eco Preservation Society, whose website bio says they are “inspiring action, empowering people, connecting communities & transforming the planet through conservation, reforestation & education”. They have more than 105,000 followers.

TreeHugger.com: http://twitter.com/treehugger
Tree Hugger is the leading media outlet dedicated to driving sustainability mainstream. They have more than 77,000 followers.

GreenBizDaily: http://twitter.com/greenbizdaily
This blog provides real-time news about green energy and the environment. It has almost 50,000 followers.

PlanetGreen.com: http://twitter.com/PlanetGreen
PlanetGreen.com offers practical, everyday tips on how to live a greener lifestyle and provides actionable advice across a variety of topics. They have over 38,000 followers.

Green Life: http://twitter.com/agreenliving
Green Life is a blog for the green enthusiast out there that cares about the environmental issues affecting our planet. They have more than 31,000 followers.