Fast Track to Green

The Patent Process can be a long one. There are blueprints to submit, research to be reviewed and so much more. But if you have a green product? Get ready for the fast track!

Did you know that the US (and many other countries around the globe) has a specialized patent process when it comes to green products? Called Fast-Track, it was instituted in the US in 2009 and the green patent process has been buzzing through red tape and waiting lines ever since.

A study by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development came out this fall and found that worldwide the programs have been delivering on a faster patent wait time. The study shows that the quicker process is usually requested by start-up companies seeking to get new technologies out there. Additionally, fast-tracked patents are more likely to be granted, according to the study.  

This is important for a startup.  Getting a patent can lead to product going out the door faster or investor capital arriving on a company’s doorstep quicker than no patent.

The effort and budgets needed to decrease wait times were approved based on climate change concerns brought forth in the Kyoto Protocol. They are hitting the mark. The study shows that the majority of patent applications are climate change-related. Of these, renewable energy technologies are the most often requested.

Could the next big thing come from a fast-tracked patent? The world is hoping it will. The UN and the signers of the Kyoto Protocol will be hearing updates on it in Quatar this week and next.

LEED Moves with the Times: new changes to the CE Program

When designing LEED, the USGBC knew they were building a program that would have to move quickly with developing technologies. The newest change is a just-announced easier and more effective education experience for current LEED professionals.

(If you are seeking LEED credentials,the path is still the same.  Train up,take a test. In fact, you can do so right here: www.redvector.com)

If you already hold the LEED certification however, you know you need to take courses every one or two years to keep your credentials. And that audit period when you turn everything in can really stink. Sometimes you find you took courses that didn’t apply to you. Other times you find you are missing a couple hours and need to drop everything to take care of it by the deadline.

USGBC heard the critics. Often enough that they made to following modifications to the recertification process:

• Reporting will get easier: RedVector and other providers couldn’t report what courses you took to the USGBC on your behalf. That was your job. An annoying job full of paperwork that could sometimes resemble doing your taxes.
•  USGBC will be allowing RedVector and others to report directly for you, if you so choose. That could save you a lot of headaches in the future. We will alert you when they open that up. Right now it is still in the future.
•  Forms: You know those reporting forms? They should be getting better by having less for you to fill out.
•  Activity Types: this was where you were taking classes that you didn’t need. No more. They have reduced the activity types to four categories: education, LEED project participation, volunteering and authorship. Volunteering has a 50% hour limit and the other activities have no limit.
•  Website changes: their site is looking much better these days, check it out. https://new.usgbc.org/leed/credentials
• Free Stuff! Take a free 6-hour webinar and you get one free BD+C, ID+C or O+M specialty credential. If you already hold one of these, take the course and get another. No matter what designation you hold you’ll get 6 hours credit free (even Green Associates). Register here: https://new.usgbc.org/leed/credentials/leed-ap/upgrade
• Another piece of good news for Green Associates? There are no more eligibility requirements, anyone over 18 can take the courses and test.

So there you go. LEED continues to change with the times. And RedVector promises to stay on top of all changes and help to make the LEED credentialing process as painless as possible.

What? Haven’t’ taken all your CEcredits yet? You’re not alone, head over to RedVector.com for some refreshers.

Gardening: not just for the front yard anymore

I want to start a new garden. No, I am not talking about a new flower patch in the yard. I am talking about my roof.

Green roofs - roofs covered with vegetation instead of asphalt shingles - are everywhere these days another green trend that has taken hold in urban areas and could be featured in a suburban outpost near you. Granted, green roofs in the ‘burbs are a little far off. They make more sense in the concrete jungle, where roofs already often have a hotel pool or a sunbathing deck installed. Why not some flowers too?

Another reason they make sense in the city: Cities get steamier in the summer. A field of green not only looks more refreshing to the eye, but it cools off a surface that would usually absorb and radiate heat. The interior of the building often stays cooler too, by about 8 degrees.

Green roofs got a boost in the late 1990’s when a particularly sweltering Chicago summer claimed over 700 lives in the city. Mayor Daley declared “heat islands” in the cities caused the heat wave to be more severe than it had to be. One way the heat islands could be cooled off was with green roofs, he said. Soon after, Daley announced the city hall would be the site of a large green roof. Since then, they have grown in popularity.

How do the plants get up there?

In the U.S., green roofs are much more likely to be on a commercial building (think hi rise), however green roofs are available for a single family home. A little Internet research showed a variety of methods, most coming over from Europe, where residential green roofs are more common.

While in my head a green roof installation is a lot like laying sod on top of my asphalt shingles, it is more complex. First of all, my sod roof would slip right off in the first rain. One company has overcome that with a series of trays that lead down to a succession of moisture barriers that wick excess water away to gutters leaving plants watered but not inundated. They look a bit like nursery pots.  

Toyota has developed Roofing Squares that look like very high-tech sod. The squares feature plants on top, a moisture-wicking layer and even a little tread on the bottom. These squares are made to snap together. At $43 a pop they don’t come cheap but they are pretty cool.

But what about my roof?

Sadly, I finally realized that a green roof is a bit heavy for my 1980’s rancher to handle. But leaps forward in the creation of high-tech green roofs and with science backing up the cooling effects on your home and utility bill, I think it’s only a matter of time before my roof is blooming. Maybe if I am lucky, I can put goats up there too.

Way More than a Bucket List

At Greenbuild this month, when walking in the entrance to Moscone North on Howard Street, you’ll see it. The slabs of chalkboard will be at the hall entrance. Show attendees will be waiting in line. It’s not another talk. Not another green display. Chalk in hand, some participants may be dashing off something carelessly, others will be more thoughtful. All will be completing the sentence “Before I die…” This is Public Art.

The project was begun by Candy Chang in New Orleans in Feb. 2011. After experiencing the loss of someone close to her, she got to thinking about what was truly important in life. What was really imperative to do before she died?

In this dark time, she began to wonder what was important to her friends and neighbors. Through a series of events she painted an abandoned home with blackboard paint. She stenciled “Before I die I want to ____” on the blackboard over and over again. She left pieces of chalk by the boards.

An amazing thing happened. People wrote. It was more than a bucket list. People shared hopes and dreams on it. Hearts opened. A writer wanted to be published. An ex-husband wanted his ex-wife back. A lover wanted to hold “her” one more time in his arms. Someone just wanted to “understand.” Each night the blackboard wall was washed off. And each day the boards filled up again.

The blackboards—now dubbed a global public art project—have appeared in Philadelphia, Orlando, Chile, Germany, the UAE and more. Now they will be visiting Greenbuild in San Francisco.

Don’t miss this opportunity to stop by and leave your mark.

Greenbuild: Will you be there? We will! Nov 14-16 San Francisco.

http://www.greenbuildexpo.org

See other walls and their participants’ thoughts here:

http://beforeidie.cc/site/blog/category/walls/

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