USGBC / LEED

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December 10, 2009

Green Neighborhood Pops Up In Sonoma

Posted by Steve Sacks under Building and Design, Carbon, Green Economy, Sustainable Community, USGBC / LEED | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |
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One of the most interesting sessions I attended at Greenbuild discussed sustainable neighborhoods.   Greg Searle from One Planet Communities provided a great case study of Sonoma Mountain Village (SOMO), a new community being built in Sonoma California.

SOMO, a partnership between developer, Codding Enterprises, and consultant, BioRegional, is a fantastic example of green building.  Not only is SOMO striving to be a net zero community, it is also being built on a defunct business campus, so it is a brownfield site.  Along with municipal buildings, the 200 acre development will include commercial, office, retail, and residential space including 1,900 homes of all sizes and types for sale and rent.    According to the SOMO website, the development has already generated more than 600 jobs, and will lead to 4,400 jobs by completion.

One Planet Communities is a fantastic concept, and I love the flexibility it offers… flexibility as long as you hit the very high benchmarks, which is not the easiest thing to do…. To achieve designation as a One Planet Community, a development must follow these ten principles:

  1. Zero Carbon – All buildings and their fittings and fixtures must be energy efficient and supplied by renewable energy.
  2. Zero Waste – At least 70% of waste by weight to be reclaimed, recycled or composted and ideally no more than 2% should be sent to landfill.
  3. Sustainable Transport – CO2 emissions of persons travelling to and from the site and within it must be reduced relative to an agreed regional benchmark. Ideally all unavoidable CO2 emissions from transport should be offset by a certified carbon sequestration scheme.
  4. Local & Sustainable Materials – Use of local, reclaimed, renewable, recycled and low environmental impact materials in construction and estate management should be increased and optimised.
  5. Local & Sustainable Food – Healthy diets should be promoted and minimum targets achieved for supply of organic or low-environmental impact food and local sourcing.
  6. Sustainable Water – Water efficiency and recycling must be promoted in line with country-specific best practice.
  7. Natural Habitats & Wildlife – Local biodiversity and natural resource stocks must be increased.
  8. Culture & Heritage – Valuable aspects of local culture and heritage must be maintained, enhanced or revived.
  9. Equity & Fair Trade – Targets must be set to boost the local economy, notably in disadvantaged areas, and to ensure a set ratio of imported goods are fair trade certified.
  10. Health & Happiness – Health and happiness of residents must be promoted based on emerging findings from ‘happiness’ research and periodic residents’ surveys

OK, I know some of these categories may sound like “fluff,” so you’ll have to go to the Principles Page on the One Planet Community website to read more.

The beauty of One Planet’s concept is the lack of rigid  checklists found in the LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) system (just emerging from pilot phase).  LEED-ND is certainly a step in the right direction, but I think the One Planet Communities approach makes more sense for neighborhoods.  LEED works well for buildings because builders want and need uniformity in methodology.  Costs come down when you can reuse building methods from one building to the next.  But neighborhoods are regional and unique.   One Planet Communities’ flexibility acknowledges that difference with a simple approach that is easy to understand.  In the end, the standards are set high, and that’s what matters.

It is unclear if SOMO will strive for LEED-ND, and with One Planet Communities certification under its belt, one has to wonder if a LEED-ND designation for SOMO is necessary at all.

 

November 23, 2009

Risk Transfer Reflections From Greenbuild

Posted by Steve Sacks under Build It Green / Green Point Rated, Conferences / Conventions / Events, Incentives and Rebates, Risk Transfer, USGBC / LEED | Tags: |
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There were many compelling sessions at the USGBC Greenbuild conference, but I focused on sessions that discussed policy, local government, and risk transfer.  I would like to start with the session on risk transfer.  But rather than go into what the speakers presented (which only scratched the surface), I thought it would be a good to dig deeper and review and summarize what we have stated previously on the CGBB.

When going for LEED, Greenpoint Rated, or any other certification, make sure to pay close attention to the following areas:

- Scope of work.  Make sure the scope of work is clearly defined.  If you’re going for a specific certification, LEED, GreenPoint Rated, or other, cut and paste the requirements right into the specifications in the contract.  Also, you’re going to need to specify who is responsible for review and inspection of each item, and who is responsible for documentation and preservation.  High-performance buildings require a new level of inspection, and the heightened level of liability for these tasks must be detailed in the contract.  Failure to properly document materials for construction is one of the top reasons buildings fail to get proper certification.

- Incentives and rebates.  Make sure it is clear who is responsible for applying for and securing incentives and rebates for products and efficiencies.

- Standard of care.  The AIA recently issued form contract B214–2007 for architects working on LEED buildings.  That form specifies the standard of care architects should observe when designing a LEED building.  After the AIA contract, there’s not a lot of guidance, so make sure your contract is specific regarding ALL parties on the project.

- Review specifics with your surety.  Make sure your surety is committed to building a green building…not many are convinced of the added value in green buildings.  Sureties will not help you build an independently certified building unless you clearly specify such in the contract.

- Value engineering.  Don’t go through the process of value engineering without reviewing how this might effect your LEED or GreenPoint Rated application.  Know your materials, and make sure there are no substitutions without a clear understanding of the implications.  This goes for projects that use BIM software too.  If the project uses BIM, make sure liability is clearly assigned for any changes that may result in issues, and make sure the liable party is aware of the implications changes may have of third party certifications.

Arguably, the greatest risk to constructing a high-performance building is in the contract documents themselves.  Make sure the documents are precise and reflect exactly what needs to happen.  All parties need to be informed of their responsibilities, AND liabilities.

Stay tuned for more from Greenbuild – future posts will reflect more of actual session content…I promise.

 

November 17, 2009

Al Gore Speaks At Greenbuild

Posted by Steve Sacks under Conferences / Conventions / Events, Green Economy, Law, Legislation, and Policy, USGBC / LEED | Tags: , , , , |
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I just returned from the USGBC Greenbuild conference in Phoenix, AZ, and it was great! Roughly 28,000 people attended the three day conference, and there were over 1,000 exhibitors.  I will spend the next few weeks posting about the sessions I attended, but first I want to relay a funny and poignant story.

Al Gore was the keynote speaker, and he has a new book out (Our Choice: A Plan To Solve The Climate Crisis).  He is a very gifted speaker, and told the following anecdote.

Mr. Gore spoke with the US representative to the upcoming climate conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.  When Mr. Gore asked the representative how he thought the conference would go, the representative said “we’ll be fine.”  Mr. Gore found this remark quite unsettling and used a joke he once heard from the famed Minnie Pearl to bring home the point. Here’s the joke…

A farmer was involved in a car accident and sued the other driver for the farmer’s injuries.  The opposing attorney was cross-examining the farmer and said, “Sir, isn’t it true that at the scene of the accident you stated you were ‘fine’?”

The farmer replied. “Well, I was driving down Martin Road when the fella over there…”

The attorney interrupted. “Did you, or did you not say that you were ‘fine’?”

The farmer, patiently paused and then started again.  ”Well it’s not that simple.  See, I was driving down Martin Road when the fella over there came into my lane and hit my truck and trailer.  My horse and I were thrown, and we were lying there on the road.  After some time, a policeman came up and saw my horse writhing in pain.  ’This animal is suffering,’ said the policeman. ‘I’m gonna shoot him to put him out of his misery.’ Well, that’s just what the policeman did, and then the policeman turned to me with that gun still smokin’. ‘How are you feelin?’ the policeman asked.   I told that policeman ‘I feel fine.’

The moral of the story is one I think we all can see.  It’s easy to say everything is “fine” when you have a gun pointed at your head, but the truth is there may be a lot of hurt hiding.

There was plenty of “feel-good” praise going on at Greenbuild, and I guess that’s better than the pain of facing the daunting numbers associated with climate change.  Mr. Gore hit the nail on the head, however and drove home the idea that it’s not enough to just be involved in the solution.  The United States has to make real progress, and now.  The US government can not go on saying things will be fine without tackling climate change aggressively at all angles.

The angle we promote here at the CGBB is that we need to fix our buildings.  If our buildings are efficient, then we won’t need foreign oil to heat and power them.  You don’t even have to believe in climate change, and this is not a question of political allegiance. Dependence on foreign oil jeopardizes our national security, and that is a non-partisan issue.

The current version of the climate change bill before congress doesn’t even address building inefficiencies, and buildings are the single largest producer of greenhouse gasses in the world.  The disconnect between political pressure and reality is real and vast.  The original Waxman-Markey bill contained a national building code to address energy efficiency.  Let’s hope the climate change bill that eventually makes it to a vote gets back to that priority.

Stay tuned for more information from Greenbuild…..In the meantime, contact your congressional representatives by clicking here, and tell them you want energy efficiency guidelines and mandates in a national building code!

 

June 22, 2009

Green Hospitals

Posted by Sarah Grilli under Building and Design, Building Operations, Conferences / Conventions / Events, Law, Legislation, and Policy, USGBC / LEED | Tags: , , , |
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A key objective of green building is improving the health of building inhabitants.  The US EPA has reported that Americans spend 90% of their time on average indoors, making healthy indoor environments seem like an obvious choice. And building a healthy environment for healing seems like an even more obvious choice.  Centuries ago, didn’t doctor’s instruct the sick to recuperate  in the countryside partially because something about clean air and a non-toxic environment led to healing? Well, it seems that modern medicine has begun to recall this basic remedy, and the push for greening healthcare environments has finally begun to make some inroads.

In San Francisco last month a partner at our firm, Eric Phillips, spoke at the Greening Hospitals Breakfast Form event organized and sponsored by Turner Construction, HDR Architects, Mazzetti & Associates and Bell, Rosenberg & Hughes. The forum was a chance for hospital employees, contractors and design professionals in the healthcare trade to obtain an inside scoop on the newest offerings from organizations  working to facilitate green hospital construction. Green hospital construction faces specific challenges such as 24 hour energy loads, excessive amounts of chemicals and contaminated wastes, and fragile inhabitants. Healthcare facility owners, designers and contractors also have the additional  legal challenges of complying with strict regulations that ensure the safety of their buildings. In California, OSHPD is the agency overseeing all hospital construction, adding yet another hurdle to building healthcare facilities.

Other speakers at the forum included members from The Green Guide for Healthcare (GGHC)  the USGBC, and the The Global Health and Safety Initiative (GHSI). Each of the speakers  explained how their organizations products and services will assist in creating healthy and green healthcare facilities. GGHC is a voluntary self-certifying system that has been available free on-line since its inception in 2003. GGHC launched a comprehensive certifying system, version 2.2 in January 2007, and the operations section of the toolkit was recently updated in 2008. The GGHC is similar to the LEED products and is based on a point based system where each credit includes an intent, referenced standard, suggested documentation, and potential technologies and strategies. It also includes a section with input by a doctor identifying the health impact of each credit.

The GGHC and the USGBC have had an amicable relationship, and currently, they have been collaborating to create LEED for healthcare, a new LEED product specifically aimed at green health care facility design and construction.  LEED for Healthcare is undergoing a second public comment period, but will likely be released in late fall 2009. 

Lastly, a representative from the GHSI spoke about their organization which is a collaboration of groups and hospitals who’s goal is to promote healthy environments for healthcare facilities. Launched in California in October, 2007, the GHSI seeks to bring together everyone working within the healthcare sector and provide a resource for these organizations and groups. By working in collaboration they aim to transform and green the way that healthcare designs, builds and operates its facilities and products within those facilities by education, outreach and it even providing concrete assistance such as listing product choices on its website.

These organizations are optimistic that their resources will  make it an easier choice for healthcare designers and builders to build healthy facilities. And judging from the strongly positive audience response at the breakfast forum, this is just the beginning of this emerging field. Stay tuned to the California Green Building Blog for further reporting on this exciting topic.

 

May 5, 2009

New International Green Building Code

Posted by Sarah Grilli under Government, Law, Legislation, and Policy, USGBC / LEED | Tags: , , , |
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The International Code Council (“ICC”) recently announced that it is developing a model green building code for commercial buildings. The new code aims to catapult green building techniques into normal building practice. The code will provide guidance in the areas of water reduction, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, materials and resource reduction, and overall environmental impacts of the buildings.  The ICC stated in its announcement that it is creating the code while recognizing other rating systems. One can only assume it means the preeminent rating system, the USGBC’s LEED. (ICC’s world headquarters are located in a LEED certified building.) The ICC has also previously developed a residential green building code, ICC 700, which was released on 1/30/09.

The press release issued by the ICC for the new commercial code asks for comments from those working in the field during the drafting process. Comments can be sent to the following address: GreenBuildingCode@iccsafe.com. The ICC also stated that individuals can become even further involved by becoming members of the Sustainable Building Technology Committee, which they allege will play a key role in development of the code. If you are interested in joining the committee, click here.

This new ICC code will be yet another resource for governments to add to their toolbox, and hopefully it will provide even more incentive to cities and countries throughout the world to draft building codes with mandatory green building practices. Some may even decide to adopt the code in its entirety. Stay tuned: this blog will provide a summary of the code once it is released and will follow any standards that adopt all or part of its provisions.

 

April 11, 2009

Lauded: California’s Green Building Codes

Posted by Sarah Grilli under Building and Design, Law, Legislation, and Policy, USGBC / LEED | Tags: , , , |
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The Sunday New York Times columnist, Thomas L. Friedman, well-known for his books The World is Flat, and, Hot, Flat and Crowded, is a notorious proponent of green practices. In a recent article, Mother Nature’s Dow, Friedman quotes Hal Harvey, CEO of the foundation ClimateWorks , who states that there are 5 key elements that will ensure the planet is on a forward trajectory in the fight against carbon emissions. The first element Harvey lists is building codes, and he cites California’s Green Building Codes as an example.

As discussed in a previous blog article here, California’s Green Building Codes are currently voluntary, but have been praised as a positive step and an example for other states to emulate. Currently, the Building Standards Commission (“BSC”) is working on a subsequent version of the code that will be mandatory. The codes have been well-received by most Californians, however, some groups would like to see significant changes prior to enactment of the mandatory version. One of these groups is the Northern California Chapter of the US Green Building Council. As a member of the green codes committee, I have been assisting the NCC in their efforts to provide input and recommendations to the BSC during the ongoing drafting process. Currently, the green building code is a separate section of the building code, however, because green building techniques need to be implemented throughout an entire building, the NCC USGBC’s position is that the green codes should eventually be integrated into all sections of the building code.  The group also wants the code to include language that clearly states that it is only setting a floor for green building measures; local cities and towns are not restricted from enacting more stringent legislation. Additionally, to avoid any perception that mere compliance with the code will result in a green building, they suggest changing the name to the Environmental Standards Code.

Another concerned group, the NRDC, recently sponsored legislation, AB 828, that parallels some of the items the NCC USGBC is advocating. The bill also seeks to require more input of other state agencies in the drafting process, such as the Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission.

Be sure to check back with this blog to stay updated on these efforts and the final version of the regulations. And if you are highly interested in the codes, or if you have ideas to impart to the BSC, attend one of their open meetings, typically announced on the events page of the BSC website.

 

March 26, 2009

There’s A First For Everything, I Guess…

Posted by Steve Sacks under Green Economy, Just Plain Cool, USGBC / LEED | Tags: |
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Yes. Now there are LEED Certified pizzarias… (Click Here) for details…

 

March 2, 2009

REGREEN Offers Green Advice And Tools For Design And Construction Professionals

Posted by Steve Sacks under Building and Design, USGBC / LEED | Tags: , , |
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The American Society of Interior Designers’ Foundation and the U.S. Green Building Council have partnered to provide best practice guidelines and targeted educational resources for sustainable residential improvement projects. The Program is called REGREEN, and they offer resources, tips, and tools (including checklists and case studies).

Though primarily focused on design professionals, contractors and developers may find the website helpful as well. It’s straightforward and lacks a lot of the clutter you find on other websites designed with the same purpose in mind. You can find REGREEN at www.regreenprogram.org.

 

February 26, 2009

Turner Construction Completes Over $500 Million In Green Construction in California!

Posted by Steve Sacks under Building and Design, Green Economy, USGBC / LEED | Tags: , , , |
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According to Metro Green Business, the Turner Construction Company completed more than $3 billion of green buildings nationally and more than $500 million of green construction in California in 2008

Eighty projects are LEED Certified, and 130 projects are LEED Registered. Twenty two of Turner’s Registered projects and 9 of the Certified projects are located in California. 

Turner’s active green projects in California during 2008 include:

  • Stanford University Graduate School of Business, $280 million, seeking LEED-NC Platinum Certification, Palo Alto, CA
  • Sacramento International Airport Terminal B, $286 million, seeking LEED-NC Certification, Sacramento, Calif.
  • 555 Mission, LEED-CS Gold Certified, San Francisco, CA
  • LAUSD Valley Region High School No. 5, $102 million, seeking 34 CHPS points, Los Angeles, CA
  • LAUSD Central Region High School No. 13, $116 million, seeking 42 CHPS points, Los Angeles, CA
  • LAUSD Central Region High School No. 16, $90 million, 30.5 CHPS points, Los Angeles, CA

According to the Engineering News-Record Turner is the largest builder of green building projects in the United States and has the most LEED Accredited Professionals on staff among construction management firms.

According to the Turner website, Turner seeks to reduce their carbon emissions by 5% over the next five years.  Part of the plan includes adding more high mileage and hybrid vehicles to its fleet, recycling more than 75,000 tons of waste on its jobsites in 2008,  and renovating offices to be more energy efficient.

 

February 2, 2009

USGBC and Obama Administration Working to Create New “Green-Collar” Jobs

Posted by kevinjeong under Build It Green / Green Point Rated, Energy, Green Economy, Incentives and Rebates, Law, Legislation, and Policy, USGBC / LEED | Tags: , |
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First a little bit of history for the nostalgic . . .

The year was 1933 and the U.S. was 4 years into a crippling depression.  Unemployment was over 25% in most sectors and FDR had been in office for less than a year.  On June 16, 1933, Congress passed the National Industrial Recovery Act, creating the Public Works Administration (PWA).  The PWA then set out to “spend big bucks on big projects” by financing numerous public works projects in order to curb the astronomical rate of unemployment.  Between July 1933 and March 1939, the PWA funded the construction of more than 34,000 projects, including: airports, electricity-generating dams, aircraft carriers, and 70% of all schools and one-third of all hospitals built during that time.  However, the PWA failed to build quality, affordable housing, building only 25,000 units in four and a half years. (click here for more information)

Of course, the debate remains whether it was public works or World War II that ultimately reduced unemployment rates and bolstered the economy.  Regardless, our modern infrastructure reached a new height of production during the era of the New Deal.

Fast forward to 2009 . . .

President Obama has been in office for less than a month and the U.S. is  one year into a devastating recession.  Unemployment, at least in California, has reached nearly 10%.  On January, 29, 2009, the U.S. Green Building Council announced that it would be working closely with the Obama administration to create millions of new green-collar jobs and save Americans billions of dollars in energy. 

The USGBC states that it is actively monitoring the economic recovery package under development in Congress.  (click here for more information)  While the bill is not yet finalized, USGBC states that the following parts of the package hold great promise for green building:

  • Green Schools – Billions of dollars for modernization of schools and universities, with preferences or requirements for green building projects
  • Green Federal Buildings – Billions of dollars for the General Services Administration’s Federal Buildings Fund, with green requirements for federally funded projects
  • Weatherization Assistance Program – Billions of dollars to expand the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program, which provides weather services to help improve energy efficiency of homes and lower energy costs
  • Energy Efficiency and Conservation Grants – Billions of dollars in block grant funds to states, localities, and tribes for green projects
  • Public Housing – Billions of dollars for the Public Housing Capital Fund to support improvements for public housing, including authority or priority for energy efficiency incentives and projects
  • Green Job Training – Billions of dollars to spend on job training programs, with preference or requirements that a portion be used for training in green sectors

While critics may continue to laud that the proposed economic recovery package is nothing more than more government spending, two facts remain true: 

  1. Our nation’s infrastructure is failing
  2. When reinvesting in infrastructure we must invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy sources to increase our energy independence.

Perhaps in the short-term, it may seem like the federal government’s expenditures in green initiatives does little for the economy; but these investments are sure to pay off in the long run.

 

 

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