Green Building is Booming: Are Your Bases Covered? 6 Tips for Keeping Your LEED Credentials Current

In February McGraw-Hill Construction and United Technologies Corp. released their “World Green Building Trends” report, which looked at current trends driving the global green building market. The consensus? More and more firms are making the shift toward green building—with 51 percent of those surveyed anticipating more than 60 percent of their work to be green by 2015.

Likewise, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said in a recent report that a growing focus on sustainable construction will offer even more job prospects for qualified professionals. Now more than ever, demonstrating your knowledge and skill level by maintaining your LEED credentials is essential for staying competitive in the growing green market. Here are 6 tips for making sure you complete the education you need to renew your accreditation and stay competitive:

1. Make Sure Your Education Provider is USGBC Approved. Be sure to choose an education provider approved by the U.S. Green Building Council. This will guarantee your courses support the LEED professional credentialing maintenance program and meet the USGBC’s high standards for instructional design and content quality.
2. Multiple Licenses? Choose “Double Duty” Courses. If you hold a professional license, check to make sure the courses you are taking will also work toward any continuing education requirements you have in your license state. That way, you can kill two birds with one stone.
3. Keep Your Certificates of Completion in One Easily Accessible Location. There’s nothing worse than scrambling to find your course completion certificates when you need them, so be sure to store them in one place so they’re easy to find. Better yet, choose an online education provider such as RedVector with an electronic transcript service that uploads all your documents to one master location.  
4. Make Sure You can Test Drive a Course. You wouldn’t buy a car without test driving it first, so why shouldn’t it be the same for CE? Check to make sure your education provider offers demo courses so you can get a feel for what they are like before you commit to a lot of hours.
5. Having the Right Support is Critical. Don’t underestimate the value of good support—especially when you’re having technical issues or you need help navigating your LEED requirements. Make sure your education provider offers 7-day-a-week technical AND educational support to help answer your questions, and always ask if they have LIVE support and not just an automated system.  
6. The Best Providers Put Your Satisfaction First. A quality product or service will always be backed by a quality guarantee. Be sure to check the refund policy of your education provider to make sure you can get your money back if you’re not completely satisfied.

A Word about Renewing

Finally, when it comes to getting your LEED education requirements completed on time, the USGBC recommends renewing as close to your renewal date as possible since you can’t start logging new activities until your two years are up. (Each CMP reporting period last two years, with your two-year anniversary marking the date you initially earned your primary credential.) For professionals with more than one credential, the USGBC recommends renewing all of them at the same time as your primary credential so you only have one date to remember. 

Is 2013 Living up to the Green Building Trend Predictions?

Earlier this year SustainableBusiness.com surmised what 2013 would have in store for construction professionals in terms of green building. As we move closer to the half-way point of the year, do you think these predictions are on track?

More green renovations

According to the news source, many existing buildings will receive makeovers in an effort to transform them into greener spaces. This trend is expected to impact nonprofits and higher education institutions.

One school that has shown a commitment to going green is Sewanee: The University of the South, which is located in Tennessee. While many colleges and universities take steps toward sustainability by following the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, Sewanee is taking a different route, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported. The university used the LEED standards as the basis for its own system - the Sewanee Standards.

Using these standards, Sewanee has renovated Cannon Hall, one of the school's dormitories. The facility, which was built in the 1920s, now features an array of green features, including a recycling center and air conditioning that will be connected to the campus' new efficient central cooling system.

More water conversation

SustainableBusiness.com reported that many building owners, managers and designers will place a greater focus on conserving water to avert a freshwater crisis. This is apparent based on the number of recipients of LEED certification that list water conservation among their buildings' green features.

No matter what size a structure may be, it is possible to reduce the amount of water that goes to waste. For instance, in Florence, Kentucky, a new Verizon Wireless store proves that it is possible to do business and keep the planet healthy in the process. According to Cincinnati.com, this LEED-certified Verizon location optimizes water use and is designed to save 28,000 gallons of water each year.

Meanwhile, in Mount Dora, Florida, First Green Bank has proven its commitment to the environment with a new location that lives up to the bank's name. According to American Banker, the branch cuts down on water consumption by roughly 25 percent through the use of waterless urinals and other fixtures.

More solar power

Officials from First Green Bank also believe in solar power, which is something many other people will support in 2013, SustainableBusiness.com reported. The news source predicted that the number of buildings using solar power will continue to rise in the new year.

American Banker reported that First Green Bank has offered to finance 100 percent of business owners' or homeowners' solar power upgrades.

"My dream is if you drive into central Florida and go, 'Wow, look at all the solar power, wonder what that is,' our name will be front and center as to the reason why," Ken LaRoe, the bank's founder and chief executive officer, told the news source.

SustainableBusiness.com stated that the interest in moving toward net-zero energy buildings will help fuel the growth in solar power use in 2013. The Georgia Institute of Technology is one institution that wanted to become less reliant on energy. Now, its Carbon Neutral Energy Solutions Laboratory is the first building on campus to achieve its net-zero energy consumption goal, Technique, the school's newspaper, reported. This is made possible thanks to the largest photovoltaic array on campus.

"Almost every available surface, we put photovoltaic cells on," Darrell Scott Jones, the institute's director of design and construction in its Facilities Department, told the news outlet.

USGBC Identifies the Country's Greenest States

While construction crews can help environmentally friendly structures rise across the country, there are certain states where green building is especially popular. Recently, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its list of the 10 states that had the most Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications over the course of 2012.

Landing in the list's top spot was the District of Columbia. Virginia, Colorado, Massachusetts, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Washington, California, Texas and Nevada followed it, respectively.

"Securing a spot on this list is a remarkable achievement for everyone involved in the green building movement in these states," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, chief executive officer and founding chair of the USGBC, as quoted by the council's website. "From architects and designers to local chapter advocates, their collective efforts have brought sustainable building design and use to the forefront of the national discussion on the environment, and I applaud their efforts to create a healthier present and future for the people of their states."

Here is a look at some of the states that appeared in the top 10, as well as reasons why they earned a spot:

District of Columbia
Although it is not a state, the District of Columbia bested all other regions of the country in terms of LEED space certified per resident. According to USGBC data, 36.97 square feet of space was LEED certified per resident in 2012. Overall, 110 projects were certified.

After learning of the District of Columbia's placement at the top of the list, Keith Anderson, interim director of the District of Columbia's Department of the Environment, said that buildings are one of the main focus areas of Mayor Vincent C. Gray's Sustainable DC Initiative.

"We are indeed thrilled to be leading the nation in per-capita LEED certified space," said Anderson, as quoted by the USGBC website. "Our private and public building sectors are boldly leading with the development of high performing green buildings, and we have aligned governmental policies to support such innovation."

According to the District of Columbia's website, 24 District buildings have received LEED certification at the Silver level or higher. In addition, more than 150 projects are LEED registered.

Virginia
Landing in the list's second spot is Virginia, with 3.71 square feet of space LEED certified per resident. While Virginia's LEED space per capita was lower than the District of Columbia's, its number of projects certified was significantly higher at 170.

One man who was very pleased with the ranking was Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, who has a desire to make his state the energy capital of the U.S.

"Today's ranking is a validation of the tremendous effort of Virginia's architects and builders to design and renovate building spaces to be more energy-efficient," McDonnell said in a statement. "Last year, I signed into law the High Performance Building Act, which ensures that public building design, construction and renovation now meets the LEED green building standard as well. It is good for the environment, good for our bottom line and good for business."

Illinois
Illinois earned the fifth spot on the USGBC's list, with 1.94 square feet of LEED space certified per resident. For Governor Pat Quinn, this was welcome news, as he has worked to make Illinois the "most environmentally-friendly state" since he took office, according to a press release.

Quinn's advocacy for green building is one reason why Illinois ranked so high on the list. In 2009, the governor signed a capital construction plan that requires all state-funded projects to seek at least LEED Silver certification. Furthermore, any major renovation of an existing state-owned structure must pursue LEED certification as well.

What Companies Want to see in their Green Facilities

Companies continue to see the value in finding greener ways to do business. This means that many organizations may be looking for construction professionals who can help them design, build and renovate structures that would be worthy of the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

If construction professionals wish to become green building authorities, they could look into continuing education options, as well as work toward earning a LEED AP credential. Something else these individuals may want to do is take a look at companies that clearly have an interest in becoming more environmentally friendly organizations. This will allow them to see what types of green features some of today's biggest companies want to see in their facilities. Here are just three examples of businesses with buildings that recently received LEED certification:

Swisslog Healthcare Solutions
This provider of integrated logistics solutions for hospitals, warehouses and distribution centers, recently saw its North American headquarters in Denver, Colorado, receive LEED Silver Certification for Existing Buildings, a press release stated.

What this means, according to the USGBC, is that the facility puts an environmentally friendly spin on ongoing building operations, such as water and energy use, as well as waste stream management.
"LEED certification is the culmination of two years' effort in sustainability projects at Swisslog," said Mike Hoganson, Swisslog's president. "Our gains in operational efficiency and cost reduction provide a sound business justification for the stewardship programs we have in place as a result of our participation in the LEED program."

SKECHERS USA
SKECHERS sneakers often come in green, which is fitting, as the footwear manufacturer has an interest in keeping the planet healthy. This is apparent based on the fact that the company's 1.82 million square foot North American distribution center in Rancho Belago, California, recently earned LEED Gold certification, according to a press release.

The facility received LEED certification for multiple green features, including a warehouse ventilation system that makes use of outside air, energy-efficient hating and cooling systems, and 280,000 square feet of solar power generation systems that sit atop the distribution center's roof.
"SKECHERS is committed to growing its business in a way that conserves natural resources, protects the environment and reduces waste," said David Weinberg, the company's chief operating officer and chief financial officer. "In addition to efficiently distributing our product across North America, the SKECHERS Rancho Belago facility is an outstanding example of how large corporations can grow their business while also promoting Earth-friendly practices."

Whirlpool Corporation
Since its inception more than 100 years ago, Whirlpool Corporation, the world's largest manufacturer of home appliances, has worked to make a positive impact on communities, according to Lee Utke, the company's senior director of global corporate real estate, as quoted by a press release. Whirlpool's commitment to communities continues with its new Riverview Campus in Benton Harbor, Michigan - the recipient of LEED Platinum certification.

The Riverview Campus serves as an example of what green construction can be. For example, nearly 15,000 tons of construction waste was kept out of landfills thanks to the fact that 95 percent of building materials and waste were recycled and reused. In addition, the facility is designed to save more than 147,000 gallons of interior water each year.

Other green features at the Riverview Campus include architecture that uses natural daylight and onsite electric charging stations to promote the use of fuel-efficient vehicles.

 Of course, these are just three companies that have recently received LEED certification for their facilities. With the right training, construction professionals may be able to help many more organizations do the same in the years ahead.

Reaching Higher for Green Cred

The water crisis sounds like another media creation, like Y2K. But Y2K was only solved after the hype scared businesses into looking at the situation. They managed to fix most glitches and were prepared for the date change. But the specter remained. And the media loves a good specter. And so the hype lived on until New Year’s Day, 2000.

Can business also solve the water crisis before it goes too far? That remains to be seen, but like Y2K, the clock is ticking.

In the U.S. we use water for everything from drinking and farming to washing vehicles and watering lawns. At the same time, costs for utilities are going up and everyone from homeowners to major conglomerates would like to spend less on it. But it’s tough to break bad habits.

Low-hanging Fruit

Much of the low-hanging fruit is gone. We have the low-flow fixtures in place. Even retail spaces like business offices have gotten a handle on it due to a mix of fighting for LEED certification and trying to save cash. Reclaimed water for landscaping maintenance? It’s being carefully drip-irrigated outside your window right now.

Reach Higher

So that leaves us with the fruit that isn’t low-hanging. Rainwater capture could be interesting. It works well for Bermuda, where all the roofs are designed to catch and contain rainwater for home use. Water flow as well as water treatment issues would need to be addressed. Get some ideas with these classes:

Water and Plumbing Basics

Storm water harvesting

Storm water treatment

Biofilters

These can be used to filter out pollutants before water hits a wetland or groundwater table. Wetlands are an important defense against a storm surge and are often regarded by local governments as protected areas. Groundwater, of course, leads to aquifers and other bodies of water where the majority of our drinking water comes from. Polluting either can result in fines, not to mention bad karma. Check out these classes for a little help:

Biofilters  

Wetland Basics

Groundwater Contamination

Groundwater Hydrology

Drinking Water

Sure, you have that little filter on the sink for your water, but wouldn’t it be nice to skip that? Or to be able to stop buying those jugs of water at the supermarket? Learn what’s up with RedVector drinking water classes:

Disinfection of Drinking water

Filtration

Arsenic Anyone?

Gray water, rain harvesting and more

Clean water is something we take for granted right up until we don’t have it. We know that municipalities are on the lookout for polluters and hefty fines can be incurred through mistakes of omission. Keep an eye out for mistakes with training from RedVector.

Small Business Survival Skills

There’s an old axiom that bemoans how it isn’t fair that we take our best standup comics and make them sit-com stars. They got famous being great standup comedians. And now we demand they do something completely different? It’s proven with every failed Margaret Cho and Jeff Dunham show.

Small business people often feel the same way. A contractor gets where he is by building things. By knowing lumber and codes and LEED certifications. But then he starts out on his own and has to learn things like sales, billing, W-4s and marketing, plus do all the stuff he usually does.

It can easily get overwhelming. Luckily, RedVector has your back.

Marketing: 101

Don’t fall for the old “I see it so everyone sees it” marketing strategy.

You see lots of media every day, including TV, billboards, newspapers and radio. Just because you listen to 70s Rock doesn’t mean your customers rock out to “Freebird” on the local station. In fact, if you sell high-end homes, all your customers might only be on satellite radio.

No, put the SiriusXM contract down; my point is that you don’t have the bandwidth to research all that. Gut instinct is great, but don’t rely on it. Use it when testing new media, not when you are betting the farm that it works.

Start slowly and take a class. RedVector has them available—from public relations to putting together a marketing strategy. Just type “Marketing” into the course search online.

To get you started:

• Effective Public Relations: http://bit.ly/W3ca7v
• Marketing: http://bit.ly/X7PNwP
• Another Marketing: http://bit.ly/101g8Dg

Small Business Survival Skills

So let’s say you start out and you get a few contracts. Then, you need to hire employees to do the work. But you need more work coming in to keep those paychecks going out. And your business builds.

Best case scenario? It has a dark side. Payroll taxes. Benefits. Morale. You’ll need leadership and juggling skills. If you’ve come this far, you probably have all the building blocks. Hone your skills by stopping by SmartTeam. A sister to RedVector, SmartTeam specializes in getting your small business on its feet. Your sales guys can get trained to sell. Your human resources person can get the basics. And you can take a class on staying stress-free.

SmartTeam can even keep you out of legal hot water.  There are ethics classes to help you spot where a business venture might be getting a little shady and compliance classes to show you the way out of shady territory. There are safety classes that help keep everyone off workers’ comp. And there are professional courses that could head off sexual harassment cases.

And so on. We can help teach you computer skills, health and wellness and so much more. And suddenly you might just realize that you have gone from a crazed small business person to someone who is taking care of business.

Have you visited www.SmartTeam.com? It's built just for small businesses looking to step up their game from the receptionist up front to the back office. Try out the 7 day trial for free.

Rethinking Dunes (and Codes) after Sandy

(Note: Scroll to the bottom of the post for hurricane-related courses from RedVector.)

Hurricanes Sandy and Andrew were very different storms more than 20 years apart, but they will have an impact on the way local governments build for decades to come. Andrew spurred major wind mitigation rethinking. Early indications point to flooding and storm surges as being the thrust of Sandy’s legacy.

To that end, seaside communities from Fire Island to Atlantic Beach are reevaluating their dunes strategies. In the recent past, not every community was willing to pony up several million dollars for mounds of sand that would disrupt views and ruin the fun for surfers. But Sandy changed a lot of that thinking.

Long Beach, NY, turned down dunes six years ago. Myriad local opinions drove the city council to vote it down unanimously. Neighboring beach communities to the north and the south swallowed the cost and voted it in. The Army Corps of Engineers designed and built the 15-foot-tall dunes where approved.

The result?

After the storm blew through, Long Beach (with a population of 30,000 people) suffered more than $200 million in damages. Nearby towns with dunes saw a fraction of those damages. Even where the dunes were breached, scientists and community leaders say the damage wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Damage estimates and comparisons between the towns are still being calculated, but the wheels of emergency federal funds are already moving forward with dunes projects. Local government is ready to approve the measures. There is a good chance this won’t be the only policy revisited after Sandy.

When Andrew rolled through South Florida, strict building codes were enacted that reverberated throughout the state. Those in high-risk counties strapped down their roofs and purchased specially-designed doors and windows. Even builders hundreds of miles away from the affected area were impacted by revised codes. And the state’s property insurance landscape has forever changed since the storm.

RedVector training helped architects, engineers and construction companies in Florida adjust to the new restrictions. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on any changes in the Northeast as well. In the meantime, we have a variety of courses designed to keep your customers safe, including:

Coastal Engineering: Hurricanes - The Basics

Coastal Engineering: Storm Surge

Costs and Benefits of Natural Hazard Mitigation 

Earth Dynamics: Tornadoes 

Emergency Management Guide 

Hurricane Damage: Wind vs. Water Determination 

Hurricane Mitigation: Design and Construction Lessons 

And our package:

15 Hour Coastal Engineering and Hurricane Design Package with Ethics 

  

Source: New York Times

LMS and Change Management

You know the eye rolls. The restlessness. They come just after you announce a training class. It’s training malaise! And it isn't welcome in a training-intensive medical environment.

Developing a corporate attitude that welcomes training is just another type of change management. We've all had to learn new policies and procedures and eventually they become second nature.  Training will follow a similar course in an anti-training environment. There will be resistance. People will say they don’t have time. Eyes will roll. Management needs to take action. How?

1)      Is your staff tech-savvy?  Unless your office is tech-savvy, your change management could meet with fear and frustration. Make sure you get over that hump before dragging an LMS in the mix (Pssst! www.smartteam.com can help).

2)      Hold managers accountable. You know what? If my manager thinks a program is a joke, I’m not wasting my time on it. Period. Tackle your managers first, get them on board and the rest will follow.

3)      Meet on it. Taking courses in solitary confinement can make for drudgery and less learning. While the act of sitting through an online course might seem independent and self-contained (headphones, a quiet study area), people don’t often learn like that. Hold offline meetings before or after lessons to review key takeaways. The social interaction will encourage teambuilding and make the lessons more meaningful.

4)      Certificates! I love certificates. I want to reach milestones, get documentation and check items off my to-do list. I’m not alone. Track what training everyone takes and reward good behavior. Our LMS makes it so easy and quite powerful.

5)      Communicate. Even the most training-centric corporate culture will forget about the LMS if you do. We have a million other things to get done, how are you going to hold my attention long enough for me to train after that first month?  Remind me. Email me. Leave posters in   the break room. Post reminders on the intranet. Create contests. Update me in the newsletter. Add a bill-stuffer to my paycheck. If   you continue to be on board with the program, so will I.

Purchasing, creating and perfecting your LMS takes so much time.  But it doesn't end after the programmers send it over. You’ll need to manage it on an ongoing basis like anything else. RedVector will take care of the courses, but you need to take care of your employees.

Holiday Trees: Live or Artificial?

Many people eschew them for the real thing. But if the rush and madness at a local home center’s Black Friday sale is any indication, they are here to stay. Artificial Holiday trees. The $50 doorbuster sold out within nine minutes of the early store opening.

No, thank goodness I wasn't there at the sale. I bought my artificial tree earlier that week. But I've been having environmental guilt.

Artificial Tree?

Is the tree in my living room the best I could have done for the environment? I use reusable bottles, reusable coffee mugs, reusable plates, forks and knives. Is a reusable tree the same?

A Google search shows why my environmental Spider Sense is tingling. Many people don’t think artificial trees are helpful to the earth. Made in China. Shipped stateside. Contains dubious chemicals. Never degrade in landfills. The list goes on.

Live Tree?

So a live tree? Purchased at the same home center? Those trees get trucked in. Then a fire hazard. Then you hope your town will mulch them and not dump them in a landfill. On the upside, less pesticides than I expected. But it helps if you know your grower, which leads me to...

Cut it Yourself?

Home centers aren’t the only places for live trees. You can cut one down like my uncle’s family.  They get an ultra-fresh tree with less fire hazard. Personally, I worry about squirrels coming home with you. But they haven’t had issues and have decades of holiday chopping under their belts.

 Bulb Tree?

Lastly, the Internet greenies point to bulb trees. These are live trees that the nursery digs up, wrapping their roots in burlap. Then you bring the whole thing home. But there is a lot to think about when you buy a tree and make it a houseplant for a week. How to keep the roots wet? How to plant it in the frozen soil outside on December 26? How long can it stay inside the house (wow, you really should read this article: http://cin.ci/TxwpIV)? Also note that balled trees are really heavy. Like a 6” tree can be 200lbs. Check it out:  http://bit.ly/QCenbg

So my environmental guilt is well founded. But my cats can climb this tree as well as any other one, so at least they are happy. If you are in a Tree Quandary of your own, check out these articles for a little research:

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/christmas-trees-picking-greenest-options-synd2?click=pp

http://environment.about.com/od/greenchristmas/a/christmas_trees.htm

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20121201/LIFE08/312010014/Get-your-tree-real-fake-or-freshly-cut

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/18/a-fake-vs-a-real-tree/

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/

ET7P8D73J9JK 

Green Car Tour

Electric cars! I know, I know, you’re thinking about the old slow Prius in traffic this morning or the (shudder) Honda Insight of decades past. But that thinking might just change in the next couple of years.

Check out the Greenbuild 2012 Green Car Tour lineup. Conference attendees will have an opportunity to drive one of 14 new electric vehicles, from the new Volkswagen Bug to the much touted Nissan LEAF to more exotic fair like the Fisker Karma. (I mean, have you seen the Karma? Gorgeous.) 

Honda gets the award for having the most cars in attendance, with six models in play. One of their Civic designs has even moved away from the electric concept, riding instead on natural gas.

The wide selection of models seems to say that, while it has taken a bit, car builders have decided to give green a look. Whether it is a more environmental customer or the President’s new 54mpg standard for cars in the U.S. it is hard to tell. Nevertheless, car makers are giving electric cars a try, even if it is just a toe in the water, it could be your future faster than you think.

The current fuel economy rules for automakers selling cars in the U.S. stands at an average of 27.5mpg. That means all cars across an automaker’s lineup have to average 27.5. So for every truck introduced into the U.S. market that is running at 20mpg, an econo car running at 35mpg must also be introduced.

As the MPG laws creep up on automakers, hybrid vehicles will make a difference. At least if they still want to offer big trucks in their lineup. And while 2025 sounds like The Future, it is only 13 years away.

See the completely awesome Greenbuild lineup here.

Will we see you at the show? Nov. 14-16 in San Francisco!

Read more about the 54.5MPG decision here http://www.cnbc.com/id/48829545/Getting_to_54_MPG_Will_Change_What_We_Drive

Green Cleaning: Cheap and Effective

The Healthy Schools Campaign has released the fourth edition of their Quick and Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools. Anyone who has walked down a corridor that has been freshly wiped down with ammonia can appreciate the effort. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/RKNtKB

But it got me thinking about what happens when the child comes home. How to keep up the green cleaning?

Below are some cheap and effective cleaning recipes that will minimize the collected spray bottles under your sink but still scrub your bathroom tub sparkling clean:

Surface Cleaner:
White Vinegar. Use it in a spray bottle and you have a powerful cleaning tool that kills bacteria and cuts grease but doesn't hurt you. A mix of 50% vinegar and 50% water will clean kitchen counters, floor tiles and anything else you can think of. Many are turned off by the smell, but it fades in 5 minutes and it absorbs odors while it is doing it. I have found this works great on hard water stains and makes my shower walls shine.

Scrub:
Mix 50% baking soda and 50% Borax. Add a little water until you get a consistency like frosting. Use as a scrub in bathroom or kitchen. Also works on toilets.

Scrub#2:
On less dirty surfaces, you can sprinkle baking soda and spray lightly with vinegar. The reaction forces air into all those nooks and crannies and shoves the grime out. Rinse away with water.

Laundry Detergent:
I didn't think it would work, but it does. Doesn't really bubble, don't worry about that.

1/2 cups Borax (in the laundry detergent aisle)
1/2 cups Washing Soda (Arm N Hammer makes it, check the laundry detergent aisle)
1/3 of a bar Fels Naptha (laundry detergent aisle)
Water
Sturdy 5 Gallon Bucket

Boil 4c water in a large pot on medium at a light boil
Grate the 1/3 bar of soap. Stir into boiling water. Stir briskly until melted. A wisk is nice here.
(watch for boiling over. If it does, turn down heat, stir)
Once soap is melted, add borax and washing soda.
Stir. Stir. Stir. 3 minutes or until everything looks dissolved.
Remove from burner and allow to cool a moment.

Place bucket in sink
Add 6 cups cold water from the tap
Add boiled mixture
Add enough water to fill bucket.
Stir.
Allow mixture to cool overnight outside. Tomorrow it will be ready to use.
Use 1/2 cup per load of laundry. That bucket will last 4+ weeks and

Dish Soap
2 cups laundry detergent mixure above
1/4 cup vinegar (for grease)
Two shakes of essential oil for fragrance.
Combine all. Vinegar might cause a little bubbling, but will subside.

Enjoy!

Do the LEED 2012 Slide

LEED: the green building standard we have all come to know and love. We collect points during the design and build out of the project…the right insulation, the right windows. Then we add up all the values and apply to the US Green Building Council (USGBC) for your building’s certification.

Good system? Bad system? It’s up to you!

The USGBC opened a fifth (!) public comment period from Oct. 2 till Dec. 10 of this year. They want direction, opinions and ideas for the next LEED. During that time you and all your fellow citizens are free to make your voice heard. Chances are they will respond to you personally.

The authors of LEED have always known that it could get better. And with federal government buildings making up a full 7% of LEED certified buildings and 11% of pending approvals, the Feds know LEED pretty well. In fact, government knows LEED pretty well, with local, state and other government buildings making up another 27% of LEED certifications. The GSA likes LEED because it saves on energy costs. The USGBC calls this government leadership at all levels a win for green.

So the LEED 2012 update to the regulations will be super-green, right? Maybe.

While it is great that you have a voice, lobbyists and corporations can also throw their opinions out there. Interested parties currently include – and are not limited to – the American timber producers, PVC pipe makers, plastic insulation makers, vinyl window manufacturers and more. Oh and don’t think those lobbyists haven’t called their representatives in Congress and the House. The great debate has USGBC changing the name from LEED 2012 to LEEDv4, as the original November 2012 go live date has slid back. Perhaps way back.

Have you commented yet? Read up on the areas of change and submit your comments here: https://new.usgbc.org/leed/v4/#comment

Whose voice will be heard? Expect the debate to be loud and long at GreenBuild in San Fran this Fall!

Will you be at GreenBuild? Stop by RedVector’s booth #1733S and pick up your free LEED class! And of course, you know that when the LEED regs do change, RedVector will be the first on the scene with updated classes!

Looking for more details? Stop by the USGBC site or see this site for a great rundown of the LEED Slide.

And the prize goes to…

How is your state for energy efficiency? I’m not talking your state capitol or your area’s DMV. I’m talking about your state. As a whole.

Think about the last building you worked in with the leaky windows. Your spouse’s company with that wheezing HVAC cranked and blowing. What about all those shops you pass by on the way home? The ones with condensation-covered windows from AC turned up too high all summer? And all those residential homes in all those suburban areas with all those old and tired water heaters?

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) took into account all of it when they tallied their energy use and ranked all 50 states. And many states in the union have had their eye on the rankings. It’s a great measuring stick for states that have Green Bills and measures passed in the last few years, including Massachusetts (Green Communities Act of 2008), Oklahoma’s plan to achieve a 20% reduction in energy use, and the widespread adoption of the Energy Efficiency Resource Standard.

This isn’t just some hippie green movement making the rounds. The ACEEE is achieving real and measurable targets in reducing foreign oil dependence, while at the same time creating jobs and promoting economic growth. According to the ACEE, annual savings have topped 18 million megawatt-hours in 2010, a 40% increase from 2009.

So where does your state rank? You know you want to know. Click here:

http://aceee.org/sector/state-policy/scorecard

Day of Service: Where is your project?

Welcome to the first annual Day of Service! On Saturday, Sept. 29, children will be leading the way to a better learning environment in our schools. They’re backed up by parents and teachers who are all working hand-in-hand to stress that Where We Learn Matters.

The concept is a simple one. Ask students and parents to look around their school and find a green project that needs to be done. It could be an edible garden, a schoolyard cleanup or decorated recycle bins. These simple projects are designed to remind school administrators, local officials and community leaders that healthy sustainable schools are important to our children and the community.

The Center for Green Schools is the organizing force behind this largely grass-roots effort. But the emphasis here is not on water efficiency or energy envelopes. The point of Sept. 29 is to wake us all up a little to where children are learning and remind us how much it matters.

Check out the Center’s site for service, Green Apple. Scroll down the home page to do a search for events in your area. Almost 10 percent of all schools in the U.S. have an event, so chances are you’ll have an opportunity to green up a location right in your area.

Be sure to bring a green apple! Take a pic of your child at your project site with the apple and post it to the Green Apple site. There it will join other pictures from across the globe. The projects and sites are very different, but these children all have the same goal: to remind us that Where We Learn Matters. 

Design Festival 2012: Something for Everyone

It's easy to be distracted by sustainable design’s engineering. To be dazzled by the triple-paned windows and the attic’s insulation coefficients. 

But this week it’s the art of design that's taking center stage in London. That’s where the London Design Festival is taking shape and inspiring designers from all walks, including architects, artists and audiophiles. No matter your profession, the art of design is on center stage.

The Sound Portal design is a rubberized black mass in the center of Trafalgar Square, looking perfectly out of place amongst the classical square’s architecture and statues. 

It is the brainchild of think-tank BE OPEN, whose mission is to foster creativity and innovation. Visitors to the portal will be treated to “soundscapes” on some of the most advanced audio equipment in the world. Designers say the point of BE OPEN is to remind visitors to appreciate the sounds as well as the sights of the Festival.

How much adventure can 12 hardwood chairs have? Plenty if they fall into the hands of Royal College of Art students. The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) wanted to advertise American lumber without the usual pop up tent and tradeshow table. Instead, they asked the students to use the lumber in new, ecological and interesting ways. The art installation, called Out of the Woods: Adventures of 12 Hardwood Chairs, coincide with research the AHEC is doing into the Life Cycle Assessment of their products. See more on the research as well as pictures of the 12 chairs here.

And then there is the installation by the artist Kris Ruhs. The German artist has filled a post-industrial display building with swaths and piles of shredded tires, inner tubes and other recycled and found materials. Sounds like a junk yard, but the installations remind you that all these materials can be graceful again in the right hands. Called Landing on Earth, the installation makes the user think about all the materials routinely tossed away in our daily lives and how they can come alive again. 

Inspired installations, each with a message to think beyond the everyday in your design.