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Green Building News May 2007 |
May 9, 2007 First LEED Platinum Federal Building
A research facility at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory has been designated as one of the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly places to work in the United States by the U.S. Green Building Council under its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building program. The 71,000-sq. ft., $22.7-million, state-of-the-art Science & Technology Facility (S&TF) in Golden is the first federal laboratory building to receive a platinum rating, the highest in the LEED Green Building rating system. Only 28 other buildings in the world have achieved the LEED platinum designation. One of the 28 – the Rocky Mountain Institute – is in Boulder, CO. LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. It recognizes and measures building performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. “Our built environment uses 40 percent of the nation’s energy. As the country’s largest energy consumer, it is incumbent upon the federal government to lead by example and use energy as efficiently as possible,” Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Andy Karsner said. “The President’s historic Executive Order requires the government to cut energy intensity by at least 30 percent in less than a decade, promoting energy efficiency as a national priority. Consistent with our emphasis and investment at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, this building is a beacon of how we can combine innovative designs and new building technologies to minimize our carbon footprint and transform the built environment.” “NREL is leading by example – conserving precious resources and minimizing its environmental footprint,” said NREL Director Dan Arvizu. “As we move forward with the construction of facilities at NREL that have been made possible with additional funding from DOE and Congress in 2007, we will continue to demonstrate how clean energy technologies and practices can reduce energy consumption and environmental impacts.” The multi-story building was designed to fit into the gently sloping side of a mesa, where care was taken to minimize disturbing the natural terrain and conserve and manage water resources. Architectural features such as daylighting, evaporative cooling and efficient motors, fans, windows and lighting reduce the building’s energy requirements, saving 41 percent in energy costs. NREL staff worked with the architect and construction contractor to make certain that 11 percent of the building materials were from recycled materials and 27 percent of the construction materials were manufactured within 500 miles of the building site. This minimized impact on land and air quality by reducing the amount of waste to landfills and vehicle emissions from transporting materials. “Indoor environmental quality and employee health and safety were high priorities,” said Nancy Carlisle, AIA, NREL senior project leader. “The building’s office area is 100 percent day lighted. That glare-free natural lighting coupled with large window views of the outdoors not only saves energy, but decreases eye strain, improves ‘see-ability’ and has been shown to increase productivity.” About 55 researchers and support staff work in the S&TF. The Science & Technology Facility houses some of NREL’s solar and hydrogen energy research and was designed to help accelerate the development and commercialization of promising new energy technologies. It was completed in June 2006. The SmithGroup of Phoenix, AZ, was the design architect. M.A. Mortenson Company of Denver, CO, was the general contractor.
Awards Honor Achievement in Green Home Building Interest in the awards has surged in the last year, with the number of entries rising threefold, "an indication of explosive growth in green building and that NAHB members are at the forefront of this growth," said Ray Tonjes, chair of the association's Green Building Subcommittee and a green custom builder in Austin, Texas. Energy efficiency, water and resource conservation, sustainable or recycled products and indoor air quality are increasingly being incorporated into the everyday process of home building, Tonjes said, demonstrating that green building is fast entering the mainstream. "When a green home doesn't look or feel significantly different from one built using more traditional construction methods, when builders have the tools and resources to build them without significant material or labor cost increases, and when consumers readily accept the finished product, then 'green' has arrived," Tonjes said. "These winners have helped lead the way to market acceptance. They are pioneers." The exploding market for sustainable, environmentally friendly and recycled building products, along with the greater availability of educational opportunities for builders, has accelerated the public's acceptance of green building, he said. A recent NAHB-McGraw Hill Construction survey found that more than half of the NAHB membership, which is responsible for building more than 80 percent of the homes in the country, expect by the end of this year to be incorporating green practices into the development, design and construction of their homes. The winners were:
AIA Names Top Ten Green Projects The 2007 COTE Top Ten Green Projects program celebrates projects that are the result of a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems and technology. They make a positive contribution to their communities, improve comfort for building occupants and reduce environmental impacts through strategies such as reuse of existing structures, connection to transit systems, low-impact and regenerative site development, energy and water conservation, use of sustainable or renewable construction materials and design that improves indoor air quality. The jury included: David Brems, FAIA, Gillies Stransky Brems Smith PC; Alisdair McGregor, PE, Arup; John Quale, LEED AP, University of Virginia School of Architecture; Traci Rose Rider, LEED AP North Carolina State University; Anne Schopf, AIA, Mahlum Architects and Susan Szenasy, editor-in-chief, Metropolis. "Both the number of submissions and level of sophistication have increased dramatically since the AIA COTE Top Ten Green Projects program's inception in 1997. This program examines a metrics that address context, transportation, energy, water, light and air and other characteristics," said Kira Gould, Assoc. AIA, chair of the AIA Committee on the Environment. "We are pleased to see design teams getting increasingly comfortable with such metrics, which suggests that performance standards are being effectively integrated into the design intent, rather than being understood as something separate." The 2007 Top Ten Green Projects are shown below with links to a detailed case study on the AIA Web site.
The Home Depot Introduces Eco Options Products with the Eco Options label are either eco friendly by definition, such as solar lights that use natural power, or have met certain environmental performance criteria verified by Scientific Certification Systems, an independent standards development and certification company. Eco Options products fall into one of five categories: clean air, water conservation, energy efficiency, healthy home and sustainable forestry. As The Home Depot works with vendors and independent experts, the Eco Options line will be continuously expanded to include additional innovative products that reduce the impact on the environment. The first Eco Options displays are rolling out now in The Home Depot stores across the country. The launch will capitalize on the growing trend of consumers embracing environmentalism and seeking ways to protect the environment. The Company also is working to reduce its own impact on the environment. To save energy in its stores, The Home Depot has begun the process of replacing the incandescent bulbs in its Lighting department displays with CFL bulbs. The bulb replacement is under way at 200 The Home Depot stores and will be expanded to others throughout the year. Also, The Home Depot has an agreement with The Conservation Fund to offset all carbon emissions created by the Company's Atlanta headquarters and a portion of emissions created by associates commuting to work there and traveling on business. The Home Depot will fund the planting of thousands of trees across metro Atlanta as part of The Conservation Fund's Go Zero program.
Nominations are accepted within the following criteria:
Deadline for nomination: June 1, 2007. Nomination Form
Bank Plans Green Products
In addition, Bank of America will further promote its existing product:
Cutting Demand and Energy Costs for Cooling Homes The NightBreeze system integrates heating, ventilation cooling and air conditioning and provides fresh-air ventilation for maintaining indoor air quality. The system circulates cool nighttime air through a home to remove the heat stored during daytime hours in the home’s thermal mass. By precooling this mass during off-peak hours, comfortable temperatures can be maintained throughout the day with little or no need for conventional air-conditioning equipment. Read the article. |
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