Green Apple Day Of Service

Mark Kurowski (K&W Engineers) and I taking part in the Green Apple Day Of Service

What is the Green Apple Day Of Service?

USGBC and The Center For Green Schools created this annual event to engage people around the world and give them an opportunity to give back to their community.  The goal is to educate children/students about sustainability in their very own backyard.  They have a fantastic website (www.mygreenapple.org) which has tracked, organized and reported on the thousands of service projects that have been going on around the world on September 29, 2012.

Who was involved?

Our local Green Apple Service event was coordinated by The Emerging Professionals Committee of USGBC Central Pennsylvania.  In just a couple of weeks, Sarah Knehr and Justin Kovaleski were able to secure over $1500 in donations for trees/mulch/tools and round up 30+ volunteers to help.  People of all backgrounds came out to chip in… Professional engineers, occupational therapists, construction workers, parents, children and college students.  It was great to see such a positive response to the event and really inspired me to do more projects like this on an ongoing basis.  Penn State Harrisburg and their newly founded USGBC Student Group was there with numerous volunteers.  Penn State Harrisburg also visited with Middletown Area Middle School students this week to teach them about green buildings and the environment.

Penn State Harrisburg USGBC Student Group

What did we accomplish?

We accomplished many things today…  We connected people… We improved City Island by planting 15 trees… We supported a struggling city in need (Harrisburg)… We educated students about giving back… and most of all We Had FUN!  People really do enjoy rolling their sleeves up once in a while and getting dirty.  It was great to see so many smiling faces and people really looking to help each other with this project.  I even got to see a mom teach her two middle school age children how to plant a tree… quite remarkable!

How can you get involved and support future projects like this one?

Become a volunteer with your local chapter of the US Green Building Council… Our website in Central Pennsylvania is www.usgbc-centralpa.org.  Our chapter covers 37 counties throughout Central Pa and includes large areas such as State College, Lancaster, Berks, York, Harrisburg, Carlisle and Chambersburg.  We have many great committees doing good work and fun interactive events on a monthly basis.  Check here for upcoming events!

Donate now… Non-profits like USGBC Central Pa need financial resources in order to continue to provide community service projects, educational programs and to advocate for sustainability to local and state government.  Please consider donating today to ensure this organization can continue to support sustainability in your community for years to come.

Higher Education: Truly Embracing Sustainability

Higher Education is perhaps the field which has embraced the realm of sustainability to the fullest.  Colleges/Universities have implemented curriculum, green building policies/procedures, research projects, marketing efforts, recycling programs, and campus wide sustainability efforts.  This seems to have occurred both from the students (grassroots) and from the leadership supporting the efforts resulting in massive culture change.  Higher Education is very competitive and they have found that ‘being green’ can make their campus & school more attractive to the next generation (which is all about the environment and smarter decisions).

Two years ago, The Princeton Review + USGBC teamed up to provide the guide to green colleges and universities.  You can download the latest publication here for free: 
http://www.princetonreview.com/green_guide_download.aspx

There is a ton of great information on each of the schools and what they have done on their campuses to become more environmentally responsible.  I personally found it pretty cool to find out that my alma mater, Catholic University (Washington, DC) was on the list.

Also an emerging trend on campuses, USGBC Student Groups are popping up all over the country!

Here is a map of the current sanctioned USGBC Student Groups (78 of them to be exact): 
http://centerforgreenschools.org/main-nav/higher-edu/community/usgbcstudents/findagroup.aspx

This is pretty remarkable for a program that is fairly new (two years old)… The student groups are focusing on campus sustainability initiatives, LEED AP/GA prep courses, local green building tours, research projects, engaging local leaders in green building and more.

Locally here in Central Pennsylvania, we have two official student groups: Penn State & Penn College of Technology

Three other schools have shown interest in the program and are starting the affliation process:  Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC), Messiah College and Dickinson College…

Pennsylvania Higher Ed Student Roundtable:

On March 15, 2012 at GreenCon we will be holding a USGBC Student Group Roundtable discussion to share information and resources… we hope you can join us!

More Information:

If you are interested in starting a group at your college/university, here’s how to get started: 
http://centerforgreenschools.org/usgbcstudentsstart.aspx

If interested, here is a sustainable design competition for those that are either students or young professionals: 
http://dvgbc.org/sustainable-design-competition

Feel free to share your campus initiatives and green efforts here!

Zero Energy Buildings: Myth Or Must?

As the immediate needs for more environmentally friendly and energy efficient buildings become more and more apparent, a logical question begins to come into focus: Where does it end?

Many in the design and construction community believe the answer is Zero Energy Buildings.  Zero Energy is a term used to describe a building that consumes as much energy as it generates in a given year or net zero.  Conversely, carbon emissions, which are directly related to the energy consumed, are zero. This is not to be confused with the notion that the building consumes zero energy all together.  This would be nearly impossible given all of the HVAC, Lighting, and Life Safety System demands that are needed to operate a building, especially a commercial one.  The key is to reduce the amount of energy consumed to the lowest possible amount and then create that amount of energy on-site by renewable means.

Here is a DOE’s database of Zero Energy Buildings in the US Today: 
http://zeb.buildinggreen.com/

Science House (Minnesota) is a Net Zero Building Used as A Teaching Tool

It all starts with the building envelope and conservation: 

This encompasses the entire surrounding perimeter of the building including the roof, the walls, fenestration (windows/glass), and the foundation below.  The envelope is the first building system which must be optimized to achieve the most efficient building possible.  Several new building envelope concepts have emerged, most notably the use of air/vapor barriers and insulation on the outside of the building in lieu of the traditional installation on the interior of the building.  Driving this concept is the fact that thermal bridging has been found to drastically reduce the functional R-Value of an exterior wall when substrate and exterior finishes are attached directly to the framing of the building with no layer of thermal protection on the outside.  Not only must a building envelope be well insulated but it must also need to be sealed well enough to prevent air leakage.  Air leakage is one of the top reasons for energy loss in existing buildings today.

Click here for a link to a great resource, the passive haus institute on more information to maximize envelope efficiency: 
http://www.passivehouse.us/passiveHouse/PassiveHouseInfo.html

System Optimization & Proper Sizing: 

The next step to achieving net zero energy consumption in a building is through the optimization of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems that operate the building.  Virtually on a monthly basis new mechanical, electrical, lighting and plumbing equipment are released to the market with increased efficiencies.  Designers are finding new ways to integrate these systems and make them efficient as possible.  Also, these systems need to be engineered to be properly sized and configured based on the envelope and the anticipated demands of the occupants.  After occupancy, the use of building management systems, smart controls and variable settings on equipment have all helped to integrate these systems and provide constant feedback on the amount of energy being used at a given time.  The proper sizing and smart usage can combine to reduce the energy consumption by nearly 50% by using highly efficient systems and equipment.

For more information and great articles on optimizing energy efficiency in buildings:  Check out the M-Files Blog 
http://blog.mcclureco.com/

Note:
Studies and energy models have shown that maximizing both the envelope and the major building systems can reduce the energy consumption of a building by 70% (over the baseline energy usage established by ASHRAE 90.1).   Where does the remaining 30% come from?

On-Site Energy Generation:

The final step of achieving net zero energy consumption is through the generation of on-site energy for use by the building or the purchase of renewable energy through a green power provider.  The plausibility of generating your own energy or using renewable energy sources has increased recently due to a heightened awareness and a drop in costs (avg solar array runs between $3.50 and $5.00 per watt).  Systems that incorporate energy recovered from these various systems are becoming more of a common place for those planning to construct a new building: Solar, Geothermal, Cogeneration, Energy Recovery, Micro turbines, Wind and hydroelectricity.  Utilizing this energy locally first, at the building location, is where the remaining 30% reduction occurs.

Whether Net Zero is Feasible or Not, Raising the bar is a Must:

Buildings and optimizing their performance must be a focus for the design and construction communities because they have the single largest impact on the environment today (and the costs of operating our buildings).  Our collective commitment to creating buildings that perform optimally from a comfort, consumption and generative stance is imperative.  Finding creative ways to reduce energy (as much as fiscally possible) and then operating these buildings in an optimal manner is a must.  I am confident that the technologies and the strategies will continue to evolve and netzero will eventually become commonplace.

The Living Futures Institute (Creators of the Living Building Challenge) has now implemented a Net Zero Certification Program, for more information, go here: 
http://living-future.org/netzero/

Pennsylvania Green Building Advocacy Day = A Success!

Yesterday was a very exciting day for me and 50 other green building advocates as we visited the Pennsylvania State Capitol to promote green buildings and schools.  It just so happened to be the very same day that an important bill was going before the house for a vote, House Bill 193 - High-Performance, State Buildings Standards Act.  This bill would effectively mandate that state buildings over 10,000 square feet must be designed and built to meet high energy performance criteria and certified by a 3rd party.  This bill would inevitably reduce the amount of energy usage, resource depletion and environmental impact of the state and its buildings.

Update: HB 193 passed in the House of Representatives on a vote of 170 – 18.

As a group, we had over 20 appointments with state legislators to educate them on the benefits of high performance green buildings and discuss  upcoming legislature.   We also had students, teachers and administrators from local green schools come along for the ride.  They were able to give first hand accounts of what it’s like to work and learn in a green building environment. 

3rd Grader, Ethan gets to meet Representative DePasquale and Talk about his Green School

A Summary of Key Green Building Initiatives and Legislation at The State Level:

#1 Legislative Initiative for Better State Buildings: HB 193 (Harper) SB 1136 (Rafferty)

State Government must lead the way towards energy efficiency and sustainability in the built environment.  We spend 80-90% of our time indoors and in buildings.  Maintaining the highest quality possible in our built environment positively impacts the environment, our economy, and the health and productivity of our people.  Combined, building construction and operationsare the largestenergy consumersin the United States and the largest source of landfill waste.  Reducing these impacts will preserve our natural resources and protect the environment.  HB 193 and SB 1136 will set modest standards for building construction on certain State-owned construction projects.

 These bills will:

• Reduce annual operating costs compared to conventional buildings;
• Support Pennsylvania’s economy by increasing the market for green building products made in Pennsylvania;
• Provide healthier and more productive work environments for Commonwealth employees;
• Reduce the environmental impacts of building construction and operation on the environment in terms of energy, air quality, water and waste.

 #2 Introducing PACE: Property Assessed Clean Energy HB 1667(Galloway)
PACE is a local government initiative that allows property owners to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy projects for their homes and commercial buildings through an assessment on their property taxes for up to 20 years.

• PACE financing is not a government subsidy
• Participation in PACE is voluntary and property owners opt in to the program
• Currently, 27 different states have some form of PACE legislation
• Long-term financing (up to 20 years) eliminates the two greatest impediments to energy efficiency improvements: upfront costs and transferability.

 #3 Support of the Pennsylvania Department of Education Pathways to Green Schools initiative
In late October, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced that it would participate in the pilot year of Green Ribbon Schools. The program, created by the U.S. Department of Education, recognizes schools that will have achieved or made considerable progress toward energy efficient buildings, healthy students and school environment, and the environmental literacy of all graduates.On average, 20% of Americans go to school every day and spend 30% of their waking hours in schools.  Greening schools is one of the most immediate and cost-effective ways to provide healthier environments for children, save and reinvest public funds in every community in our region, and create the next generation of sustainability advocates. Green schools save an average of $100,000 per year, enough to hire a teacher, or purchase many more books or pieces of computer equipment.

Teamwork:

USGBC Central Pennsylvania, Delaware Valley Green Building Council and Green Building Alliance (Pittsburgh) worked as a team to set up displays and hand out educational materials to lawmakers from across the state.  The overall effect of the day was a resounding positive experience for those that were in attendance and a great outcome in the passing of House Bill 193.  Thanks to all that were able to help and to those that support green building nationwide.

 

Join us for GREENCon – March 15, 2012 – Messiah College

Click Here To Register For GreenCon Today!

Early Bird Rate is $40 Until 2/22

Join us for a great conference & expo!

USGBC Central Pennsylvania will be hosting GreenCon – A Green Building Conference & Expo on March 15, 2012 at Messiah College.

The day will feature national and local experts on green building technologies, systems and philosophies.  There will be plenty of opportunities to learn, network and witness sustainability up close and personal as Messiah College gives tours of their numerous green initiatives.  There will be several guest speakers discussing exciting, relevant and innovative topics.  You can earn credential maintenance hours and promote your business through exhibiting or sponsorship.

If you are interested in learning more about this conference, please comment below and I will be happy to send you information regarding registration/exhibiting/sponsoring.

Happy New Year!

The Future of Green Building… The Living Building Challenge

Last month in New York City, I was fortunate to attend the first east coast workshop for the Living Building Challenge. The challenge was created in 2006 by The Cascadia Green Building Council (
http://cascadiagbc.org/
), one of the three founding chapters and pioneers of the US Green Building Council. The Living Building Challenge has now become part of the Living Futures Institute and has no specific affiliation with LEED. It is a stand alone program that looks to push the boundaries of design, material usage and building efficiency all while focusing on true beauty and being one with nature. I wanted to introduce you to the challenge and give you some insight as to where things are headed in the world of green building.

The Living Building Challenge is exactly that… a serious CHALLENGE. For even the most savvy of green builders and designers it will serve as a formidable foe… The benchmarks are far beyond LEED… Far beyond where any of us think about when it comes to conventional design and construction. This challenge will force you to abandon your comfort zone, your means & methods and think outside of the box. For this, I love the challenge. The challenge has two large hurdles in my mind: Net Zero Water Consumption and Net Zero Energy Consumption.

It is certainly not for everyone. In my estimation, the upfront costs are significant, projecting anywhere from 10-50% more than conventional buildings, but there are virtually no utility costs and you will be among the few, the proud, the pioneers. There is something to be said for being Net Zero both from an efficiency and technology standpoint. It is not easy but just imagine all those dollars saved throughout the lifespan of the building.

There are 7 major Categories within the Living Building Challenge which they call petals. Within each petal category there are imperatives which must be met, 100% in order to receive the petal. If you are able to receive all 7 petals for your building then you will receive the Living Building Challenge Certification. They have just unveiled a lower tier of recognition which is the Petal Recognition for achieving 3 of the petal categories. My impression is this has been well received because of the rigorous and almost impossible demands of all 7 petal categories.

Here are the 7 petals and their imperatives (requirements):

I.) Site

01 – Limits to growth

02 – Urban Agriculture

03 – Habitat/Land exchange

04 – Car Free Living

II.) Water

05 – Net Zero Water

06 – Ecological Water Flow

III.) Energy

07 – Net Zero Energy

Note: No combustion allowed

IV.) Health

08 – Civilized Environment (fresh air and daylight are priorities)

09 – Healthy Air

10 – Biophilia (Reference – http://biomimicryinstitute.org/about-us/what-is-biomimicry.html)

V.) Materials

11 – Red list (DO NOT USE List)

12 – Embodied carbon footprint

13 – Responsible industry

14 – Appropriate Sourcing – FSC Pure, Salvaged or Timber from on site

15 – Conservation + Resource

Note: Only petal which currently requires significant documentation

VI.) Equity

16 – Human Scale + Humane Places

17 – Democracy + Social Justice

18 – Rights to nature – Do not impede others access to natural light, water, etc.

VII.) Beauty

19 – Beauty + Spirit (Nature, delight, joy)

20 – Inspiration + Education

A New Horizon:

I am extremely encouraged by this challenge and the fact that there is someone raising the bar on the design and construction industry. USGBC did this with LEED some 15 years ago. When LEED first arrived, people complained about how hard it was to have 5 different material containers on-site for recycling and how it was impossible to get people to sort their waste. Now it is virtually impossible to find a job that doesn’t recycle its waste. We must continue to push for net zero and challenge people to think outside of the box to get it accomplished. We have a tall task ahead of us and limited resources which are being depleted more every day… let us not forget this.

Photo Of Omega Center, NY

More Information:

For a more in depth look at the Living Building Challenge imperatives/requirements, please go here:
https://ilbi.org/lbc/LBC%20Documents/LBC2-0.pdf

For a look at the cost comparison of a living building vs. LEED Gold, please review this extraordinary cost matrix:
https://ilbi.org/education/Resources-Documents/Reports-Docs/ProcessDocs/LB_FinancialStudy_Comparison_Matrix.pdf

If you would like a presentation, please contact me for more information and we will be sure to assist you with this.

ABC stays ahead of the curve with the new Green Contractor Certification

The Associated Builders and Contractors continues to be at the forefront of the green
construction movement with their new ABC Green Contractor Certification program.
With so much green-washing spread throughout the market these days, ABC National
decided to come up with their very own measuring stick for what makes a “Green
Contractor”. They also want to separate the companies that just build green buildings
from the ones that truly implement sustainable practices into their culture everyday.

13 Pre-Requisites & 36 Possible Credits
They have provided a flexible and comprehensive checklist of sustainable business
practices ranging from procurement practices to LEED project experience. This
certification is focused on how you operate your business and run your jobsite offices.
This checklist can be downloaded at www.greenconstructionatwork.com.

Areas of Evaluation:
1. Pre-Requisites (Policies & Procurement)
2. Main and Branch Offices (Operations)
3. Jobsite Offices (Field Operations)
4. Education & Training (Employee Development)

Why your company should consider it?

Fosters Teamwork & Collaboration
When we (Wohlsen Construction Company) decided to pursue this certification, we
arranged a meeting with all of the leaders from each major department. This included
our President, Human Resources Director, Information Technology Director, Purchasing
Director, Training Coordinator, Sustainability Coordinator and Operations Executives.
One by one we reviewed each potential credit within the ABC Green Contractor
Certification Checklist and asked the following questions: Are we doing this now? If
not, do we want to? If we would like to do this, what are the resource implications and
timeframe?

Improve The Triple Bottom Line (Profit, Planet, People)
This was an enlightening discussion for everyone on our team. Each topic/credit opened
up a new conversation and allowed us all to think about how our area of the business
impacts each of the other areas and ultimately, the end result on the environment. From
this conversation we were able to create our gameplan for approaching the certification.
Each leader was assigned credits from the checklist to gather supporting documentation
and report back to the group. We followed up with two more meetings to ensure that we
would provide enough backup information to provide proof of our practices.

The ABC Green Contractor program includes third party verification:
Within two weeks of submitting the application and supporting documentation, we were
contacted by a local “green professional” (an architect in our case) who met with us to
review our application and take a tour (and photograph) our offices.

Costs
The costs for the certification itself is $450. If your company has already begun to
implement green practices at work than this could be the extent of the process for you and
it will simply be a matter of documenting what you have done and sending this to ABC
National for their review and approval. Each credit, if it hasn’t been implemented, could
be fairly time and cost intensive.

Just Do It!
I highly encourage any company interested in being green or sustainable to print the
checklist for themselves and see how they measure up. This is a great way to invest
in your company, your image and the environment. ABC has also provided a guide to
green practices which serves as a roadmap to the entire process.

Let me know if you have any questions throughout the process, our company was the 17th company in the country to navigate the process and achieve the certification.

10 Reasons Why You Should Join the Green Movement…

1. Further your career - If this is something you are passionate about, then become an expert or attain a credential.  In the area of sustainability, there is a void with regard to experts.  You have an opportunity to fill that void.  If you are in Real Estate, Engineering, Architecture, Construction or Law – I suggest you start here – LEED Green Associate.
2. Gain a competitive advantage in your industry - Every business is looking for an edge. Green could quite possibly be that competitive advantage your business is looking for.  Whether it is marketability or profitability, green can help your bottom line.  Interface Flor has made it part of their culture and it helps them to stand out amongst competition.
3. Help the environment – The environment needs us now more than ever.  We have been heading down a treachorous path for centuries and we have become a wasteful society.  We need to change our habits and begin living as if nothing were disposable.
4. Help future generations – We have limited resources which are rapidly running out:  Fossil Fuels, Land, Water, Trees.  Sustainability is all about the responsible use of what resources we have left.  My goal is for our great-grandchildren to have plenty of each when they grow up.

5. Gain a sense of purpose - Let’s face it, when people join forces to propel an issue larger than themselves, it can be immensely powerful.  The earth is an amazing place… let’s keep it that way.
6. Be cool & cutting edge – Green products and technologies are emerging every day.  Connecting with others who are interested in sustainability will ensure that you remain ahead of the curve when it comes to these technologies and their implementation.  Not to mention you may be able to invent your very own green product or technology.
7. Expand your mind – If you take the time to read and study about environmental related issues, you will be astounded by what you learn and the people which you come across.  Their passion and yearning for knowledge is contageous and it helps you to expand your mind and your outlook on life.
8. Be a leader – As far as history is concerned.  We are currently at a crossroads… For centuries we have taken from the environment through the use and consumption of materials.  It is time for us to reverse that cycle and begin a more regenerative cycle of living.  One where we give back more than we consume.  You can be a pioneer with this way of thinking/living.
9. Give back – In order for the green movement to continue, one must teach others what they have learned.  There are several schools and communities out there who would love to hear about ways that they can have a positive impact.  Take what you learn and give back.
10. Live Healthier – By understanding the products we consume and digging a little deeper,  we can make smarter and healthier decisions.  Check out this great website to help us evaluate various products:
    http://www.goodguide.com/