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Green Building
Shea Homes San Diego announced in January that it is introducing the “Shea High Performance Home.” All new homes will be built to standards that are 38 percent more efficient than California Title 24 guidelines and will offer solar electric power and water heating as standard features. Homeowners will be able to reduce their utility bills up to 80 percent compared to a conventionally built home. The company plans to build about 200 high performance homes over the next 18 months in its new Scripps Highlands community, located 15 miles north of downtown San Diego. 100 houses will be outfitted with solar panels that generate 1,500 kilowatt hours of electricity a year, in addition to conventional electricity. Another 160 homes will offer solar panels as an option. The panels add about $6,000 to the cost of a homes, which sell in the $400,000 – $600,000 range. As a result of the current California energy crisis, San Diego homeowners pay 10 times more for electricity and twice as much for natural gas as they did a year ago. Mark Brock, Shea Homes San Diego president notes, “The Shea High Performance Home gives our buyers much greater control when there are energy […]
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Do you have a commercial building that might be a good candidate for ‘high performance’? The picture at the right is the Real Goods high performance building in Hopland, CA. The U.S.Department of Energy is looking for commercial developments in the design phase that might qualify as High Performance Buildings demonstration projects. Steven Winter Associates (SWA) is under contract with the DOE to identify and consult to commercial building project teams. Potential clients must be interested in incorporating high-performance practices including energy and water conservation, resource-efficient materials, indoor air quality, recycled waste programs, state-of-the- art HVAC systems, fuel cells, photovoltaics, or low-impact landscaping. SWA is consulting on three projects in different parts of the country: a public library in Chicago that is building a green roof, recycled building materials, and extensive daylighting; a prototype office building for a major developer in Boston that will have reusable/recyclable interior materials and finishes, and advanced mechanical/electrical/plumbing systems with raised floor distribution; and a mixed use commercial/residential building on a site in Arizona that may incorporate PV panels, solar water heating, water harvesting, and a water-source heat pump system. Contact Mike Crosbie, SWA: mcrosbie@swinter.com[sorry this link is no longer available]
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Since 1991, Ecotrust has supported the growth of regional businesses that integrate conservation and economic development. Now, the organization is redeveloping an historic warehouse in Portland into a green retail and office complex. It will serve as “a marketplace for the ideas, goods, and services of the emerging conservation economy.” The 80,000 square foot Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center is named for the philanthropist and Ecotrust board member whose $2.5 million gift enabled the building’s purchase. A $2 million low-interest loan from the Ford Foundation is helping to finance the $12 million project. Space will be leased to companies and organizations that focus on conservation. 80 percent of the space is leased; opening ceremonies are planned for this summer. Patagonia, a leading sustainable business, will be the retail anchor. The building will house Ecotrust’s headquarters, the Wild Salmon Center, ShoreBank Pacific, the Certified Forest Products Council and Progressive Investment Management. The Natural Capital Center is in Portland’s emerging Pearl District, an area targeted for dense redevelopment as part of a regional smart growth strategy. It will be home to 15,000 new residents. The Portland Streetcar, which starts operating this summer, will stop directly in front of the building.The building is […]
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This Spotlight section is on U.S. Green Building - highlights of important developments over the last 6 months. The first article discusses results of a survey on the builder/buyer attitudes toward green building features.
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Maryland Smart Growth ProgramSince 1997, Governor Glendening has spearheaded the nation’s most comprehensive smart growth program in the state of Maryland. The award-winning “Smart Growth and Neighborhood Conservation Program” provides incentives to attract commercial and residential growth in communities with existing infrastructure and away from undeveloped areas. [sorry this link is no longer available]In March, the governor announced that Baltimore’s largest office building – a $75 million complex called Montgomery Park – will be a green renovation of a vacant 1.3 million square foot building. The Maryland Department of the Environment will occupy 262,000 square feet of floor space. The building’s energy efficiency features such as extensive daylighting, and insulating glass and sensors, will reduce energy costs from the $2 per square foot of a typical comparable building to about 98 cents a square foot annually. Recycled materials will be used throughout the building in partitions, ceiling tiles and carpet. Collected rainwater will be used to flush toilets. Contractors expect to salvage about 75 percent of the demolition debris. Also in March, Governor Glendening signed an executive order that creates a commission to recommend criteria for a comprehensive energy conservation strategy, green buildings and for the purchase of renewable energy. […]
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An on-line guide to designing and constructing green buildings has been produced by the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC). Although it is geared primarily for commercial and institutional buildings, it also includes resources for residential projects. It begins with an introduction to the economic, environmental and social benefits of green buildings, and the holistic approach to designing buildings.Each chapter consists of questions to consider for the particular topic and then a comprehensive set of links related to the topic. It covers all the important substantive areas from transportation to codes, from materials to energy efficiency, from indoor air to demolition. There are links to resources for technical assistance, financial assistance, software, and news about green buildings. It leads you to case studies covering commercial, municipal, residential, brownfields and hospitality applications. Check it out: [sorry this link is no longer available]A new book from the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council, Low-Energy, Sustainable Building Design for Federal Managers, is designed to help government personnel meet the ‘Greening the Government’ executive orders and to make informed decisions on sustainable design strategies, renewable energy options, water conservation, operation and maintenance, and resource-efficient materials. [sorry this link is no longer available]org The group will […]
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A 2,800-panel, 100 kW multi-celled thin-film PV system is now installed at the U.S. General Services Administration’s Suitland, Maryland Federal Center. Through the Million Solar Roofs initiative over 100,000 solar roofs have been installed since 1997 – nearly double the goal of 51,000 solar roofs by 2000. The federal government also exceeded the goal set forth in President Clinton’s Executive Order 13123, which requires 2,000 solar energy systems be installed on federal buildings by the end of 2000. 2,100 systems are operational now – the government plans to meets its goal of 20,000 PV system installations by 2010. In early 2002, the U.S. EPA’s Environmental Science Center – the federal government’s principal environmental laboratory – at Fort Meade, Maryland will be powered by the most efficient on-site power plant in the world. The fuel cell-gas turbine hybrid power system will be built by the Siemens-Westinghouse Power Corporation. Says U.S. DOE Secretary Richardson, “The Fort Meade project will preview a future of ‘good neighbor’ power generators that can be sited at or near the customer.” The power plant will combine a solid-state fuel cell (powered by natural gas) and a microturbine. It will generate 1,000 kilowatts of electricity at about 60% […]
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A 2,800-panel, 100 kW multi-celled thin-film PV system is now installed at the U.S. General Services Administration’s Suitland, Maryland Federal Center. Through the Million Solar Roofs initiative over 100,000 solar roofs have been installed since 1997 – nearly double the goal of 51,000 solar roofs by 2000. The federal government also exceeded the goal set forth in President Clinton’s Executive Order 13123, which requires 2,000 solar energy systems be installed on federal buildings by the end of 2000. 2,100 systems are operational now – the government plans to meets its goal of 20,000 PV system installations by 2010. In early 2002, the U.S. EPA’s Environmental Science Center – the federal government’s principal environmental laboratory – at Fort Meade, Maryland will be powered by the most efficient on-site power plant in the world. The fuel cell-gas turbine hybrid power system will be built by the Siemens-Westinghouse Power Corporation. Says U.S. DOE Secretary Richardson, “The Fort Meade project will preview a future of ‘good neighbor’ power generators that can be sited at or near the customer.” The power plant will combine a solid-state fuel cell (powered by natural gas) and a microturbine. It will generate 1,000 kilowatts of electricity at about 60% […]
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The Time Warner Center is under construction at Columbus Circle, one of the most prominent corners in New York City. Its 2.1 million gross square feet will be a showcase for energy efficient design. It will house the AOL Time Warner headquarters, CNN broadcast studios, 6 floors of high-end retail stores and restaurants, luxury condominiums, a hotel and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Steven Winter Associates is the project’s green building consultant and is advising the team of architects and engineers on efficient energy practices and green building materials.The project will fulfill the requirements to earn a LEED green building rating and the recently established NY State Green Building Tax Credit. The project will incorporate a wide range of energy conservation strategies including premium efficiency motors and chiller, occupant controlled daylight dimming and lighting, demand-based ventilation in large retail areas and auditoriums and carbon-sensor-based garage ventilation. Dozens of commercial projects have registered as LEED-rated buildings in the six months since its launch. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is now building the organizational infrastructure to support it, hiring staff to assist with technical support and program outreach, and establishing project database and tracking systems. A 250 page Reference Guide and other […]
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