| Administrative Office
P.O. Box 980247
West Sacramento, CA 95798
(916) 372-9943
Fax (916) 372-9950
Email Us
|
|
Go
Back to Previous Page
WDMA Green Update
06-12-2012 |
In this Issue
• USGBC Delays LEED 2012 Ballot
• Green Agenda Takes Backseat as Recession Lingers
• California Boosts Code Efficiency Requirements by 25%
• Who Is Responsible for Green Building Performance?
• More Stories
New Quality & Process Tools for W&D Manufacturing.
Using our Profile Scanner and software, W&D manufacturers easily confirm color matches on profiles and accurately measure any profile angle or dimension. Print or email your results instantly. Take our 4 month trial for $500.00*, and if you're not satisfied, keep the scanner as our thanks for trying. *some conditions apply. MORE
USGBC Delays LEED 2012 Ballot
Woodworking Network (06/05/12) Koenig, Karen M.
The ballot on the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED 2012 is being pushed back to June 1, 2013 so that stakeholders can have time to examine the changes to the program before voting, the organization said. USGBC is also re-naming the program “LEED v4” as the vote will not take place this year. The organization says it is “continuing to ask for the market’s assistance in 'test driving' LEED v4 to gain important insight during a time when improvements in usability infrastructure can be made." The new standard has tighter rules and affects the Green Power Credit, and there are changes to every section of the program. There will be a fifth public comment period between October 2 and December 10, which will allow time for public forums and educational sessions on v4 during the annual Greenbuild expo. “We want to do everything we can to ensure that the market can fully embrace LEED v4 because it represents significant progress on carbon reduction and human health,” said USGBC President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi. “Greenbuild will provide us the perfect venue to experience the look and feel of the new system as an integrated package.” While v4 is delayed, LEED 2009 will be open for registration for three years, the organization says.
Share | Web Link | Return to Headlines
Green Agenda Takes Backseat as Recession Lingers
GreenBiz.com (06/04/12) Lee, Mark
As the global economy continues to struggle, it remains to be seen what effect it will have on sustainability leadership, writes Mark Lee, executive director of sustainable development think tank SustainAbility. There are conflicting reports about the state of America’s economy, while China’s growth seems to be slowing and Europe is still on the brink of economic meltdown--all of which is likely to put sustainability on the back burner while countries try to get their financial houses in order. Some say that the United States is unlikely to take a leadership role in sustainability as it struggles with continued high unemployment in a bitterly contested election year, so if there were to be any green jobs agenda it would have to wait until after the election is settled. As for China, regulatory agencies are already struggling to enforce environmental standards and an economic slowdown will only make it more difficult by further diminishing resources. And in Europe, some sustainability policy innovations are likely to be lost as the region struggles to take care of its finances, though Europe could try to drive recovery through strategic green investments. In the meantime, local and regional government is the place to look for sustainability leadership, as mayors are energized on green issues and initiatives such as the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group are promising. And the lack of government leadership on green issues does not mean business cannot take the reins--in fact it pushes the responsibility directly on the shoulders of business leaders.
Share | Web Link | Return to Headlines
California Boosts Code Efficiency Requirements by 25%
EcoHome (06/12) Easley, Claire
New buildings will have to be 25% more energy efficient under new codes adopted by the California Energy Commission (CEC). Starting January 1, 2014 builders will be required to outfit homes with solar-panel ready roofs, insulated hot water pipes, and air conditioners that have been approved by independent examiners. To reach the rest of the way to the 25% reduction in energy consumption builders can choose from recommended options that include boosted wall insulation and windows with a 0.25 solar heat gain coefficient. The CEC believes the new requirements will cost around $2,290 per house, while the savings in homeowners' energy bills will pay back that investment in a year and a half. The unanimous vote by the CEC was well received by some in the building industry, including Senior Engineer & Technical Director Bob Raymer of the California Building Industry Association. Bob was pleased that the congenial process kept compliance costs down while including the most price-efficient products. When it comes to the environment, CEC projects this standard will save 170,500 tons of greenhouse gasses and 200 million gallons of water per year. The building industry in California could also see up to 3,500 new jobs.
Share | Web Link | Return to Headlines
Who Is Responsible for Green Building Performance?
Environmental Leader (06/04/12) Karrell, Marc
A building that is designed to be “green” may fail to meet an intended LEED or other green standard, and when this happens a design or construction firm may be find they have to defend themselves in the question of who is at fault for the failure. To prevent this, the first step is to make sure there is a strong team of technical experts and clear contractual language terms, and engineers and architects should only work with a contractor they trust and who fully understands LEED and other green building standards. Many construction professionals are less knowledgeable than engineers about what it takes to meet LEED standards and may take short cuts, so it is essential to partner with a firm that has experience and knows the standards well. In terms of contracts, the language should not in any way guarantee that the project will meet a certain green standard, but should instead note the various green design or construction features that will be included and perhaps more generally mention the goal of a more sustainable building.
Share | Web Link | Return to Headlines
Four Lessons Learned from Washington D.C.’s Green Building Act
CleanTechnica (06/05/12)
The evolution of Washington D.C.'s Green Building Act, which requires all public buildings to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification standards, offers some valuable lessons for government agencies, lawmakers, and environmentalists. The first is that getting green policies made takes time -- the law was first passed in 2006 but not enacted until 2012, during which time lawmakers tweaked the policy and ensured that all stakeholders understood the requirements and consequences for failing to comply. The second lesson is how important it is for lawmakers to fully understand the ramifications of a green policy before passing it -- the Green Building Act required contractors to purchase green performance bonds to get approval for contracts, but no such bond yet existed. The law essentially created a new kind of surety bond insurance, but surety providers said the bonds were too risky to underwrite and lawmakers had to pass emergency legislation to provide alternatives. All other stakeholders must fully understand the implications of the policy as well--construction professionals, surety underwriters, insurance companies, and project owners all found their business affected by the Green Building Act and wrote letters and blog posts explaining the flaws in the Act. The final lesson is that government agencies are in fact able to enforce energy efficiency policies, despite the challenges.
Share | Web Link | Return to Headlines
Fresno Green Building Program Runs Out of Steam
The Business Journal (CA) (06/04/12) Keller, Ben
Despite the many incentives it offers for green building developers, the Fresno Green Building Incentive Program is receiving fewer applications -- none at all in the past year -- and the California city's 2025 General Plan makes no mention of the program at all. Among the incentives the program offers are reduced planning fees, expedited permit processing, and leniency on some items that do not meet development standards. But the slowdown in the building industry has affected applications, according to Green Team Chair Karana Hattersley-Drayton. She says many of the original program's creators no longer work with the city, and others question the need for the program at all, as California has beefed up mandatory green building standards. Still, the Green Team is intact, she says, and is ready to consider new applications. The program was launched in 2007 and has reviewed 21 building projects since then, certifying eight and awarding a 25 percent reduction in some planning fees and a 20 percent deviation from development standards. It is a points-based system much like the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification program, and projects that meet LEED requirements automatically receive the Fresno Green label, but the Fresno program also includes public art and pedestrian access as categories while streamlining the time and cost associated with other certification programs. One of the Fresno Green projects is the La Quarencia co-housing project, in which each of the 28 condominiums has solar panels, Energy Star appliances, low-water use fixtures, lots of natural light, and active/passive cooling and heating systems that reduce utility bills to as low as $300 per year per resident.
Share | Web Link | Return to Headlines
Meet The World’s Highest-Scoring LEED Building
EarthTechling (05/29/12) DeFreitas, Susan
Bayer MaterialScience’s new office building in Greater Noida, India, is now the highest-scoring LEED building in the world, scoring 64 out of 69 possible points for Platinum certification. The building followed the principles of Bayer’s EcoCommercial Building Program, using green technologies and products such as a solar photovoltaic system that produces more energy than the building uses in a year. It also uses polyurethane-based insulation, which cuts the electricity that would have been used for cooling by 70 percent compared to other buildings in tropical regions, and other protections against solar gain and energy loss that produce total primary energy savings of about 42 percent. In terms of water efficiency, the building harvests rainwater and treats graywater on site. Thomas Roemer, head of Bayer MaterialScience’s construction and building industry platform, said he hopes the building inspires other developers to get into sustainable building, and that the LEED Platinum certification “is a clear indication that the concept of ecologically sustainable building can be achieved with the right materials, regardless of whether in the developed world or in an emerging market.”
Share | Web Link | Return to Headlines
Artists Flocking to Green, Affordable Housing
WLBZ-TV 2 (Bangor, ME) (06/01/12) Leigh, Vivian
The first multi-family building in Portland, Maine to be certified LEED Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council is also being marketed as an artist community. Avesta Housing's Oak Street Lofts has 37 affordable housing units which are almost 40 percent more energy-efficient than traditional apartment buildings, with features such as low flow faucets and toilets, non-toxic paint, and Energy Star appliances. The building also has a work space for artists and the lobby is a gallery where residents can show their work. The building is already fully leased and there are 2,000 families on the waiting list.
Share | Web Link | Return to Headlines
Oregon's Green Portable Classroom Effort Advances
Sustainable Business Oregon (06/07/12) Williams, Christina
Portland State University (PSU) has finalized the design and plans for two prototypes of green portable classrooms, dubbed Smart Academic Green Environment (SAGE), and the units will be built this summer. The classrooms will use half the energy of a traditional modular building through features such as a heat recovery system, extra windows for natural light, improved air flow, and a steel floor structure that cuts costs and improves portability. Overall the unit will cost about 20 percent more than a standard portable classroom, but lower operating costs will make up the difference along with an improved learning environment. The project is part of the Oregon Solutions program, a partnership of Blazer Industries, Portland State’s Department of Architecture, the Green Building Laboratory at PSU, the Institute for Sustainable Solutions, the American Institute of Architects, State of Oregon Building Codes Division, Portland Public Schools and Energy Trust of Oregon, among others. M Space of Park City, Utah has committed to purchasing one of the portable buildings, which will be displayed at the Greenbuild 2012 conference, and Pacific Mobile has purchased the second mobile unit with plans to install it at a school in its home town of Chehalis, Washington.
Share | Web Link | Return to Headlines
A-Lister’s Green Dream Rejected – The Challenges of Heritage Retrofits
DesignBuild Source (06/06/2012) D'Alterio, Emily
Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth and his wife, environmental activist Livia, have seen their plans to “green” their Victorian estate in London’s Bedford Park nixed by the Hounslow council for aesthetic reasons. The couple was planning to retrofit the Grade II listed heritage home with a 2.14 by 1.17 meter rooftop solar panel, which the council said “would erode the architectural qualities of the listed host building itself and would cause actual harm to the character and appearance of the Bedford Park conservation area.” The council also said that solar power is no more effective than other green technologies that are less aesthetically appealing. The UK government has been pushing the use of wind power and other green technologies, and it will be a great challenge to reconcile this mission with the country’s many listed historic buildings--20,000 in London alone.
Share | Web Link | Return to Headlines
|
|
|
|
|
|
Print Friendly Page
