04/30/2008 08:54 AM

Page: 1  | 2  | 3

Weekly Clean Energy Roundup: April 30, 2008

Page 2

American Architects Name Top Ten Green Buildings for 2008

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment have named the top 10 examples of sustainable architecture and green building design solutions for 2008. The efficient buildings draw on a variety of energy-saving technologies, including efficient lighting, daylighting, passive solar heating, natural ventilation, thermal mass, earth berms, and green roofs. For mechanical heating, the buildings draw on a range of technologies, including a wood-pellet boiler, radiant floor heating, and ground- and air-source heat pumps. Cooling technologies include demand-controlled ventilation and fans with variable-frequency drive motors. Four of the buildings employ displacement ventilation, which provides air at more moderate temperatures at low velocities, in a way that gradually displaces the stale air in the room with the fresh ventilation air. One of the top ten buildings, the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center even features "Earth tubes," pipes buried below the foundation to moderate the temperature of incoming ventilation air.

The buildings range from a temporary, modular building for exhibits to a high-rise condominium. Most are institutional buildings, including a library, a visitor center, two K-12 school buildings, two university buildings, and the headquarters for a foundation. The AIA's Top Ten Green Projects program is sponsored in part by DOE and the Energy Star program, a joint effort of DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The projects will be honored at the AIA 2008 National Convention and Design Exposition in Boston, Massachusetts, in mid-May. See the AIA press release and top-ten list.

Los Angeles Approves an Aggressive Green Building Ordinance

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed a law on Earth Day that requires all new large building projects in the city to meet green building standards. Touted as the most aggressive green building plan of any big city in the United States, the new law requires any new building with more than 50,000 square feet of floor space or consisting of more than 50 units to meet the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building standard of the U.S. Green Building Council.

In exchange, the city will work with builders to speed up approvals and to remove obstacles in the municipal code for elements of sustainable building design, such as green rooftops, cisterns, and permeable pavement. Builders who go the extra step to pursue LEED Silver certification will benefit from expedited processing of their building applications. See the mayor's press release (PDF 33 KB) and the city's green building Web page. Download Adobe Reader.

Maryland Approves Wide-Ranging Clean Energy Bills

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley signed a package of energy bills last week that will set new renewable energy requirements for the state, institute utility energy efficiency programs, and offer new funding and incentives for clean energy. House Bill (HB) 375 more than doubles the state's requirements for renewable power, requiring 20% of the state's electricity to be produced from renewable energy by 2022. Compared to previous legislation, the new law slows the growth in the so-called renewable portfolio standard (RPS) over the next several years, then accelerates it starting in 2011. It still maintains a requirement for 2% of the state's power to come from solar energy by 2011.

On the energy efficiency side, HB 374 establishes a state goal of achieving a 15% reduction in per capita electricity use and peak demand by the end of 2015. The bill requires the state's utilities to implement energy efficiency programs and tasks the Maryland Public Service Commission with tracking progress toward the goal. In addition, HB 376 requires buildings constructed or renovated solely with state funds to meet tough green building standards, equivalent to a silver rating from the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system. The governor also approved HB 373, which encourages transit-oriented development. See the related press release from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.

« back   next »