sustainability

Shop Green ‘Til You Drop! Is sustainable retail development an oxymoron? Not according to the many retailers and retail developers profiled in Jerry Yudelson’s latest green building book, Sustainable Retail Development: New Success Strategies (Springer, October 2009), written for the 70,000-member International Council of Shopping Centers. For the past two years, Yudelson has been ICSC’s Research Scholar for Retail Real Estate Sustainability. In the book, he profiles retail sustainability efforts worldwide and presents a solid business case for greening retail operations and shows how leading companies are advancing sustainable retail businesses.

Sustainable Retail Development maintains that green retail buildings and retail development that will grow significantly in importance over the next half-decade, a trend being seen throughout the developed world.

This book is a practical and comprehensive guide to greening retail real estate, featuring green building and marketing strategies, corporate sustainability programs and features a 10-point “action program” for greening any retail real estate portfolio.

While it’s aimed at professionals in design, construction and operations of shopping centers and retail stores, it provides a good read for anyone interested in how sustainability thinking and green building design are changing this huge commercial sector. With projects and concepts featured in full color, the book features more than 30 green retail developments from North America, Europe, South America, Asia and Australia, as well as interviews with 25 leading industry experts.

You can order the softcover version of the book from the ICSC or from Amazon.com.

Testimonials:
Mary Lou Fiala, Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, Regency Centers:
“Sustainable Retail Development does an excellent job of discussing the opportunities available to retail developers for adopting high-performance building design. Addressing and understanding the split incentives between retail developers and their tenants is the first step to finding solutions that reward both sides.”

Martin Townsend, Director, Building Research Establishment, U.K.
“An authoritative book which is not only a pleasure to read from cover to cover, increasing the knowledge of the reader with the turn of every page, but also a book that can easily be used for quick reference. A must for all wanting to know about the current state of sustainability in the retail sector.”

“Jerry Yudelson has done a first-class job in collecting constructive initiatives, examples and ideas from all over—not only from the USA—to assist retailers and retail property owners everywhere in pursuing a more sustainable business model.”
—Milton Cockburn, Executive Director, Shopping Centre Council of Australia

“In good economic times, or in bad, green buildings and operations are here to stay. Jerry Yudelson provides a glimpse of some of the best industry practices worldwide, strategies to implement an effective green business plan and an invaluable road map for sustainable retail real estate.”
—Arco Rehorst, Technical Director, Multi Asset Management, Gouda, The Netherlands

“[To think, feel and act sustainably, companies need to be able to draw on best industry practices and] Sustainable Retail Development provides an excellent source for such practices in retail real estate. With examples from Austria to America and from Australia to Portugal, it gives a practical view of sustainability and what green shopping centers and retail stores can contribute to the corporate bottom line.”
—Prof. Dr. Filipa Fernandes, Spar European Shopping Centers, Salzburg, Austria

“Jerry Yudelson provides powerful insight into both why and how retail shopping centers should design and build green.”
—Romily Madew, Chief Executive, Green Building Council of Australia, Sydney

“Sustainable Retail Development is a very impressive work. Undoubtedly, it will be an invaluable resource for architects and other professionals involved in the design, construction and renovation of shopping centers and retail stores."
—Lauren Yarmuth, Principal, YRG Sustainability, Denver/New York

"Sustainable Retail Development" is a great snapshot of the transformation that the professional and consumer market will begin to witness in the retail industry. Jerry Yudelson provides a solid overview of what retailers should know to position themselves for the green transformation.”
—Justin Doak, Founder, Ecoxera retail consultancy, Austin, Texas

Ohhhhhhhh this off grid zero energy prefab house is never going to be done.
Ohhhhhhhh I'm exhausted (but excited).

Ohhhhhhhh. Wait a second: Once the prefab house kit is done, there's more to do:
The Land.

Ohhhhhhhh.

Well, thanks to the sustainable landscape architect Heather Barber of Topos LLC, our sustainable land management plan has been expanded beyond crop tree release and bush hogging.

And if you thought it took long to build the prefab house, wait until we journey years to gently shape the land to function more sustainably.

Great. I just set myself up with decades of more work. ; ) And we have no money.
But the landscape architecture plan by Topos is delicious.

And I mean that literally: There's blueberries and a root cellar in them thar plans!

So, c'mon, what are you waiting for? Let's check it out!

From Heather, the landscape architect of Topos LLC:

"casa-ti is a remarkable example of how far prefab residential architecture has come. this greenmodernkits kit home is located on 55 acres in a heritage area in the western portion of virginia. the most exciting yet challenging thing about the casa ti project is that it contradicts any idea that the landscape is a stayed design, or an anchor for the architecture. we are taking a very historical site contextually speaking and turning it on its ear...creating a post modern design that connects the home with it’s expansive environs. i think the opportunity to design a functionally sustainable, yet whimsical site plan for casa ti is a true honor and an evolutionary process. we are talking about the first kit / prefab modern home that is completely ‘off-grid’ / fully sustainable in the state of virginia.* this shows that the greenmodernkit home can translate anywhere, in any capacity. it is my job and again, opportunity, to create that threshold between the prefab sustainable home and the environs in which the owners choose to site it. this is a luxury for me. i can take a very simple form of architecture, which has it’s own inherent beauty in that it’s simple, and connect it to it’s site through the landscape architecture. whether it is urban, sub-urban, or farmland, the modern pre-fabricated homes that are greenmodernkit homes do, in fact speak the language of their location. and it’s a language that is very sensitive to the people living in it as well as the environment."

[ *Heather said we're the first off grid prefab in Virginia, I haven't heard of any others, but I don't know for sure if that's true... will research, but no, I haven't heard of any other modern prefabs that are off grid here... ]

Wow, Heather, I'm honored by your words! When Topos originally inquired into what our landscape architecture would be, I laughed and replied, "Um... a bush hogg, Handsome Husband and a shovel?"

I thank Topos immeasurably for giving OUR FAMILY the opportunity, through their experience, to turn an abandoned, briar-filled plot into, one day, a sustainable farm.

So... let's go through it:

• Starting with field #1, Topos created a figure 8 access road which allows us to easily navigate the drive, house, and shed while maintaining the field. This eight acre field was previously farmed. By bush hogging it regularly we have been reducing the briars which had cropped up before we bought it, and will start planting cover crops to enrich the soil this fall. Wildlife such as quail will be encouraged through allowing patches to not be mowed but to create the habitat quail, turkey, and rabbits enjoy.
• I also envision field #1 being used to grow potatoes and garlic...
• Field #2 is downhill from the house kit. Rainwater will easily help irrigate it.

The area around the prefab house is geared for high traffic and fun...
more on that in a minute!

• Back to Field #2: Being downhill, rainwater will naturally run towards this plot, and if you can look closely Topos has created furrows and a collection area for water- which is the way they used to irrigate fields in times past.
• Not only will we be using that existing field for crops but it will also harbor fruit and nut trees, and a berry hedge.
• This area is surrounded by woods that had been cut-over twenty-ish years ago. Lots of pine, cedar, but a surprising amount of diversity in the trees- poplar, birch, hickory, walnut...

Ok, let's get to the prefab house kit area:

• Pavers made with recycled fly ash for high-traffic areas in poor soil areas
• Cisterns for rainwater collection
• Baffle (you always wanted to know what a baffle was, didn't you?)
• Root Cellar
• Terrace for High Traffic Areas
• Retention Pool (more on what this does later...)
• Blueberry Hedge
• Berm to lounge against while watching Casa Blanca projected onto the side of the prefab house like David Day always wanted to do with a bunch o' friends
• ...and more...

I will go into this, and more, later, but in the meantime need to pack up for another camping weekend in the prefab house kit! In the meantime, check out Topos, a modern landscape architecture firm!

The zero energy prefab house kit exterior is complete.

In about 2 weeks we move on to the next steps: interior walls of the modern house, off grid systems (solar energy, solar heat, and rainwater collection and filtration), and with it all, stepping back for a larger view: the land, and how we will encourage its health while bearing sustenance for our family.

Heather Barber, ASLA, of Topos met with us last week to discuss the land, and landscape architecture.

From the beginning, here are my thoughts about the land:

• I love the fact we did not have to cut down ONE TREE for the home site.
• However, we are big believers in crop tree release to help the woods become healthy. What that means, in short, is removing weed/competing trees to let the native, desirable trees grow strong and healthy. Along the field we have a mixture of poplar, hickory, oaks, walnut... mixed in with cedar, red bud, pine, a few dogwoods and... non-native evil ghetto palms! Ghetto palms, I'm out to get you!
• The 8 acre field can be rotated with
  • cover crops of warm season grasses that encourage the quail habitat (as well as leaving strips here & there in the fields, and other quail / wildlife management practices)
  • potatoes, garlic, onions: With friends we can plant the field, then harvest it together, keeping enough for our families and donating the rest to the Society of St. Andrews. I mean, why glean (although I do look forward to doing that with my friend Peggy, what fun combined with hard work on a gorgeous weekend!) when you could actually plant a field for hunger? (Also note: store bought potatoes have one of the biggest carbon footprints as they often travel quite far to reach the consumer. They're so easy to grow, try growing your own in your back yard!)
  • eventually move to the Rodale Institute's cover crop roller. Currently we have a tractor with a bush hog and blade.
• There is a smaller field downhill from the home site we could irrigate with rainwater... we've tossed around ideas of growing some kind of crop there, like asparagus... but the reality is that as it is much deeper in the woods it will be much more accessible to wildlife... but it's something to think about...
• I would love a root cellar in which to store food.
• ...and, I admit, we have a hankering for mid-century coolio functional cooking grills- purposeful practicality with kickin' design. YES I realize this is a murky area, in which I struggle. Half o' me is survivalist (heck my family has survived here for hundreds of years), half of me is forward thinkin' design, and half (fine I never said I was good at math!) o' me wants a third option from the solar cooker and propane marine stove. I mean, if the weed tree is felled, why not use it? (Or not? Considering.)
• Handsome Husband and the casa ti green building architect, David Day thought it would be plenty fun to have our friends hang on the slope next to the east side of the house in the evening and project old movies onto that north-east side of the house. They were even tossing around words like, "amphitheater." We'll see. They're such romantics. Which is why I love 'em. Which is why they're both more talented than I. : )
• We've already planted apple trees around the shed, and I was pleased to see they are all in bloom and healthy! In a few years we can invite friends over to pick apples!

Now I also must remind myself that we are on a STRICT BUDGET. So maybe most of these ideas will not happen for years. But in the meantime, here are a BUNCH of land pictures, so that the Virginia landscape architect Heather Barber can get a better feel of the entry, field, and area surrounding the modern house kit. I commented on many of the photos, so if there is something that interests you, click on it to see it larger, and with commentary.

We also met with Ron Bernaldo, also known as The Most Fabulous Contractor In The History of the World about our next steps. I can not re-iterate enough how critical having a knowledgeable, experienced contractor has been to the success of our house kit completion. The house kit itself erected easily; but the decisions we had to make as consumers, making the modern off grid house kit "our own"- could not have been affordably or successfully achieved without a contractor like Ron.

Regarding our green building progress, as I mentioned we start again framing the interior, then move on to solar and rainwater collection integration. And THEN we move to interior design of the house kit. Married to a fellow design enthusiast, living our role as house building consumers, I suspect there *might* be design fights ahead.

The first hint came when Handsome Husband nailed up some old sconces. Yes, they do help light the interior of the unfinished SIPs - exposed house kit, but... um... Fortunately they dribbled wax onto his pristine-just-polished concrete floor so I suspect that will be that. But we shall see... never underestimate Handsome Husband.

So maybe I should start a new blog category, called, "design fight" just in case...

In the meantime, here are a few more pictures of the zero energy modern house, it was a *lovely* weekend on the land!

It’s just depressing really. You turn on the television, radio or flip through the newspaper and the economic nightmare is staring you in the face. But there is a “green lining” to the thunderstorm that is our economic tragedy. “There is?” you ask.

Yes, the January 2009 issue of Environmental Building News (EBN) took an investigative look at green building and results show that architecture, engineering and construction firms have the ability to conquer this crisis and achieve financial success while continuing on their path of helping the environment with their sustainability muscle.

The article published in EBN, entitled, “Finding the Green Lining: Surviving and Thriving in an Economic Downturn” reminds us that there is hope amidst the dreary downfall of our economy, and that’s a welcomed reminder in my book. “What is your company’s strategy for surviving the economic downturn?” that’s the question ringing through the halls of so many companies across the world.

The typical response is to cut expenses and reduce the workforce. However, it is the atypical response to make changes through energy consumption and adopt the “less is more” mentality that is catching on. It is because of this aim to consume less that the green building and sustainability industries have been placed in the spotlight more than ever. So, what is this “apple of one’s eye” industry doing to stave off the economic evildoer? They are educating consumers about simple changes that will help reduce costs and allow them to keep valuable employees.

The best part is that these changes are bringing about positive results and those results are ringing through the halls too. The more people hear about the benefits of sustainability the more they want to learn. Once they learn how easy it can be, they’ll hire a firm to assist them with the transition. It may be in a commercial project or it may be in smaller areas of a residential home – but the fact is that in one way or another people CAN do their part to go green and help their environment, family and pocketbook.

Who wouldn’t want to jump on that bandwagon? It’s as if sustainable building or green living were the prince that rode in on his white horse to save the day! Essentially, when businesses apply the teachings of sustainability, they also thrive; which is evident through decreased costs of doing business.

So it’s not only the designers, architects or builders helping others jump on the sustainability bandwagon that make money; it’s those companies that hire green gurus for their help too. Cue, the flourishing world of green! The majority of the population that makes up the design and construction industry aren’t seeing hoards of people walking in the door to put up brand spankin’ new buildings, not to say that those clients don’t exist.

But, they are seeing more business owners who recognized the huge jump in energy prices as a wake-up call to make the most intelligent changes they can to conserve. People are making modifications where they can in the structures that are already in place by upgrading current systems and creating programs to be more energy efficient. I’m sure this question has been posed to you already, but I’m going to ask it anyway.

If the president of your company asked you and your co-workers if you would rather change the number of hours in the work week, practice more sustainability and downgrade the company holiday party or potentially face getting laid off, what would you pick? If it were, I’d absolutely say let’s make the changes to avoid layoffs. When I set out to write this series, my goal was to hit home the concept that everyone wins by going green – money is saved and our planet is taken care of – and if we can continue this movement imagine what kind of future this planet holds.

We’ve painted a much prettier picture in my mind. So go out there and be a responsible and efficient consumer – and as always – go green! See more at www.acreageanywhere.com

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED as it is commonly called, was established by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to develop a rating system for green building. It is the measure for design, construction and operation of green buildings. LEED advocates sustainability through a whole-building approach in 5 areas of performance in human and environmental health. Those 5 areas are:
• Energy efficiency
• Sustainable site development
• Water savings
• Materials selection
• Quality of indoor environment

The rating system is tailored to each project and coincides with LEED specific programs. A handful of these programs are New Construction, Existing Buildings, Commercial Interiors, Core and Shell, Homes, Neighborhood Development and Schools. The rating system fosters global endorsement of sustainable green building and improvement through the “creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.” The criterion is developed by leaders in their specific industry and ranked in 4 levels of certification; in ascending order those levels are: certified, silver, gold and platinum. These LEED certifications are directly related to the number of credits earned in each of the 5 performance categories listed above. Currently, the LEED standards are applicable to new commercial construction, major renovation, interior projects and existing structure operation. However, standards are being developed to include construction for commercial core and shell, neighborhood development and new homes.

The members of the USGBC recently approved a revision to the LEED rating system that will be effective in March. This update, known as LEED 2009, hopes to bring about more consistency within the family of LEED rating systems, more focus on energy and climate issues through the use of more scientific benchmarks and an evaluation of building technology. The point system for all LEED programs will consist of 100 points with a possible 10 point “bonus.” Previously the system was based on 64 points with a potential for 5 bonus points. A sliding scale was created to earn marks for optimizing energy efficiency, with a maximum of 19 points, as compared to the former maximum of 10 points. With changes like this you can see that the projects hoping to be LEED certified will need to have a much heavier focus on energy performance. Some of the other changes reflected in the LEED 2009 rating system are:

• 20% reduction in water-use is now mandatory for certification; previously you would have earned 1 point for water-use reduction.
• The “Sustainable Sites” category will contribute to almost 24% of the maximum score, this is about 4% higher from the old rating system.
• LEED 2009 offers bonus points to those that put an emphasis on their regional environmental goals (to be published in March).
• The “Energy and Atmosphere” category now makes up nearly 32% of the total score; formerly it was approximately 25%.
• Access to public transportation earns 6 points as opposed to 1 point prior to the revisions.

I would venture to believe that USGBC anticipates applicants to shine their spotlights on energy use and renewable energy sources – as that has been a driving force as of late.

Some of you reading this may already know that it’s not easy being green (thanks Kermit) and in order to obtain LEED certification you have to put yourself to the test through the USGBC’s certification process. The USGBC’s website has a multitude of information about the process, helpful documents and guides, a listing of professionals that are LEED accredited and schedules for LEED training workshops and conferences. The certification is performed by a third-party who will evaluate the building to ensure that it meets the highest standards of sustainability. If you’re uncertain as to whether or not your building has the potential to be LEED certified, take a moment to review the LEED checklist.

Going through this process has incredible rewards for not only for the environment but from a financial standpoint. When your building is LEED certified you qualify for special tax rebates, zoning allowances and benefits in hundreds of other cities. The federal economic stimulus package also provides existing buildings the opportunity to take advantage of these benefits by properly retrofitting current equipment and structures. As you can see, LEED is the yardstick by which the green building industry is measured through its efforts to champion environmental friendliness and efficient use of energy. In my final installment of this series I’ll discuss how sustainable building should stay afloat amidst the economic downturn – yes some industries will thrive during this and I believe sustainability is just now gaining popularity. Until our next discussion, go green!

See more at www.acreageanywhere.com

The planning process is relevant when it comes to virtually any building project, but because of the many idiosyncrasies involved in sustainable building, the planning process becomes much more crucial. Previously in this series we’ve discussed the financial benefits and key elements of green building. During this installment I would to emphasize the importance behind the planning process and give you some ideas about how to approach the plan.

While it may seem elementary, there are several missteps that can occur causing your project to run off the tracks. Before you begin seeking a professional team to assist you with the build (which you most definitely will need), think about your own ideas, priorities and expectations; having a clear understanding of what you want will benefit you immensely when you begin interviewing potential builders, architects and designers. If you have the ability to draw, sketch something out. Or maybe you know of certain materials you want to utilize in your build – see if you can get a sample.

Also take into consideration the complexity of your project. Are you looking for a technologically savvy structure with the latest and greatest or are you more traditional? Browse the web for images that you like and use them when you meet with architects and designers. By doing some of your own homework, you’ll come to the table with a clear mind, great ideas and an edge when it comes to knowing price points for materials, labor, professional fees, etc.

Once you have some of your goals in place, start looking for a professional builder, architect and designer that have excellent track records for quality work that runs according to schedule. This information is basic stuff that you would want to know about anyone involved in your build; however, more in-depth questions you should pose might be:

• What kind of general knowledge do you possess regarding green building?

• What is your understanding of sustainable building and how do you implement your philosophy in your projects?

• What is your expertise with more unconventional methodology for green building, such as, water catchment basins and other sustainability techniques?

• Are you involved with other sustainable building organizations?

• Are your subcontractors knowledgeable of the principles of sustainability? • What projects are you working on currently?

• Can you furnish me with references and images of your work? Of course everyone is going to want your business, so keep your feelers out for those that are just telling you what you want to hear.

Discuss prices with the builder and make sure they give you straightforward answers – if they’ve been in the business long enough price points should be clear and concise. Ask if you can visit buildings that have been completed.

Additionally, if you are able to get information about current projects that are in the building phase drive by the location and see if it meets your standards. Remember, part of sustainable building is caring for the environment during the building process through recycling and responsible clean-up procedures.

Now, don’t go break any laws or trespass – but perform your due diligence. If anyone is wary of allowing you access to completed projects or those that are in the building process, I would steer clear of those individuals. When considering the architectural and design team for your project, look for someone that resonates with your concept and expands on your ideas with their professional opinion.

Additionally, you want someone who knows the ins and outs of LEED certification for green buildings and it would preferable if they were LEED Accredited. Some design teams can also assist you with meeting the appropriate qualifications for Federal Energy Tax Credits. The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 offers many incentives for businesses and consumers, keep these tax credits in mind when planning your build. The Solar Investment Tax Credit, which is part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, includes an 8-year extension of the solar investment tax credit in both the commercial and residential sector and completely omits the monetary cap for residential solar electric installations.

As you can see, with the multitude of tax savings involved with green building, it is well worth your time and money to hire the right professional that will assist you with your project and help you obtain the tax credits that you are eligible for. During the planning/design process it is important that strategies of each “team member” are in alignment with one another. If strategies conflict, you could have a huge mess on your hands. In an effort to sum it up, the planning process should encompass innovation, partnerships, accountability for performance and collaboration through various disciplines. In my next installment we’re going to discuss information about LEED certifications. Until next time, go green! See more at www.acreageanywhere.com

Those of us interested in LEED were excited last year when the USBGC launched its LEED-H certification for homes. Minnesota currently has about five houses in the process of being certified under this new LEED-H program. One of these is being built in Minneapolis by the design/build firm III AD. This house, being certified in the Gold category, helps shed the old “Earth Shoe” image of environmentally responsible building. See how architect Jonathan Query articulates his "warm modernist" vision in the context of this emerging sustainable vocabulary, at www.3-ad.com.

I read an interesting article in Metropolis last night, "Going Local" by James Howard Kunstler.

I encourage you to read it.

It sent me off on a slightly different tangent of reflection. We are inundated by "green" and we all try to stay on track as encouraging gentle lifestyles in a positive way without sinking into greenwashing’s shiny consumerism or the hoarse blaring of a death-toll message shouted in spittle mouthed fear.

But there was just something there, in this article, that made me think about what my own identity of "green" is, and how it has changed.

Many here were green before there was "green"- I mean, you’re talkin’ to a girl who grew up with a family farm, who always had a vegetable garden and composting, and whose family had solar panels in the ’70s.

What changed?

For myself, my vegetables became not just a pleasure and addition to our table, but where, in an urban environment, I carefully plan and rely on fresh produce from our garden.

It was the perplexing realization that I do not have the *right* in my city to have minigoats for milk or hens for fresh eggs in my large, fenced-in back yard- that just bothers me! I strongly feel that every human should have the right to rely on themselves for sustenance, and as someone committed to helping those less fortunate, it frustrates me that these families with meager incomes don’t have the right to provide their families with fresh eggs and milk.

Having children, it was the knowledge I gleaned from information on GMOs, hormones in meat and milk, pesticides, and the horrible factory farm conditions and the great respect for life I have that led me to only purchase meat from people I know whose animals are free-range and naturally fed, to raise heirloom vegetables, save seed, and patronize our neighbors’ farms.

It was the shock of reading about how our seed companies are purposely creating vegetables and grains that will not produce viable seed so that you (and farmers) will have to purchase their seeds each season!

It was the fun of a science experiment:
I giggle over solar cooking, yet it has changed my life. With two young children whining to stay outside instead of forcing them indoors so momma can make dinner, I now just throw food in the solar oven and… go off and play!

The cold frames I use enable me to defy cold weather, giving the seeds just enough more heat to resist freezing and get an early start on production.

And as someone in the green building industry, it was the disgust I felt as I saw endless tracts of vinyl, huge, ugly, inefficient houses being the major choice a home buyer has, and even then they are out of financial reach for most first time home buyers.

So, there you have it, my latest musings as I stand up on the cafeteria room chair to rant…

So, who is gonna kick me off today?
; )

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GreenerBuildings News
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Welcome to the latest edition of GreenerBuildings News. We are committed
to bringing you the latest information and resources on the full
spectrum of environmental issues related to buildings and facilities.
Log on to http://www.GreenerBuildings.com for more up-to-date news,
tools, case studies, and other resources related to greener building
practices.

A full-color, graphic version of this newsletter is available online at:
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/enewsletter

=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE LATEST NEWS & FEATURES =-=-=-=-=-=-=

Creating the Greenest Auto Mechanics on the Block
By Matthew Wheeland
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55562
AAMCO, the auto service chain, launched a green certification program that will
close the loop on waste in certified franchises and promote efficiency at every
step. Matthew Wheeland sat down with AAMCO CEO Todd Leff to learn more, and
discuss some of the challenges the company faced in launching the program.

Xcel Energy, PG&E Among Utilities with Leading Energy Efficiency Programs
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55580
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy released its second survey
of the country's best utility-based efficiency programs, finding that a handful
of companies are significantly stepping up efforts to reduce their customers'
energy usage.

Over 4,200 Buildings Have Been Energy Star Certified
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55584
The EPA's Energy Star program has certified more than 4,200 office buildings,
supermarkets, schools and other facilities as being highly energy efficient.

CEOs Increasingly Seeing Real Estate as Key to Sustainability Practices
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55592
Energy efficiency has become one of company leaders' three most important
priorities when it comes to greening operations, and bringing down energy use in
offices and facilities is a significant way of achieving that goal, according to
a new study.

Group Established for Sustainable Courts, Jails
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55577
The Academy of Architecture for Justice established a Sustainable Justice
Committee to promote green design and construction of police stations, courts
and prisons.

New Campus Sustainability Program Launches Comprehensive Push to Green Campuses
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55574
The Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS), developed by
the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, will
bring attention to everything from buildings to food programs to education.

New Green REIT Aims to Make Investing in Sustainable Retrofits Easier
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55560
Green Realty Trust, a new project from real estate investor Rob Hannah, is a new
kind of Real Estate Investment Trust, one that hopes to make it easier to bring
big money to green building retrofit projects.

USGBC Boosts Research Funds, LEED for Homes Network
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55564
The U.S. Green Building Council has doubled the amount of money it will dedicate
toward research at a time when interest in green building is escalating and its
network of LEED for Homes Providers has multiplied.

Denver Company Donates Insulation for Greening Government Program
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=36624
The state government plans to cut its energy use by 20 percent by 2012. To
achieve that goal, the Governor's Energy Office is adding efficient insulation
to its walls and ceiling.

Southern Methodist to Launch Sustainable Design Degree Program
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=36621
Bringing together leaders from industry, government and academia, SMU is working
to develop an advanced degree program in sustainable design that combines ideas
from engineering, architecture and technology into a forward-looking Master's
degree program.

Honeywell Helps Hotel and Motel Rooms Become Energy Efficient
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=36614
Honeywell plans to retrofit some 12,000 hotel and motel rooms in California to
make them more energy efficient on behalf of a program from PG&E.

MORE OF THE LATEST NEWS... http://greenerbuildings.com/news.cfm

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= TOOLS & RESOURCES =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

WebEx's Green Guide to the Office
http://greenerbuildings.com/tool_detail.cfm?LinkAdvID=97275
This report looks at the many ways that businesses of all sizes can contribute
to combating climate change, from employee-level recycling programs to solutions
from the IT department like collaborative working.

MORE TOOLS & RESOURCES... http://www.greenerbuildings.com/tools.cfm

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Cost-Efficient Sustainable Buildings
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Host: American Business Conferences
Date: April 14-15, 2008
Location: Philadelphia

Come hear the country's leaders in green building examine the specifics of
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If you measure success by the number of attendees, the sixth annual Green Festival in San Francisco http://www.greenfestivals.org/ on November 9-11 was a winner. It sure felt like the anticipated 35,000 attendees did indeed attend. With over 150 speakers and 400 exhibitors plus workshops about sustainable living, the organizers claim it is the world’s largest sustainability conference.

“Green Building: How a Healthier Built Environment Can Benefit All” was one of the panel discussions that I attended. The panelists included: Sean Culman, USGBC http://www.usgbc.org/ certified architect; Kevin Griffith, real estate developer for affordable housing; Sandy Mendler, sustainable building designer; Michael Willis, architect for neighborhood revitalization projects.

The panelists noted that there has been an important shift in green building in the last few years. Sustainable design was once just an overlay to the existing design process. Now the panelists see more integrative system solutions where the engineers, architects and designers are collaborating closely to create sustainable buildings. It has gone much further than just using green materials such as recycled carpets and cabinetry. Rather than reacting to client’s wishes, the panelists are more proactive about sustainability.

Another key shift in sustainable building is the realization of cost benefits. According to the panelists, until recently the cost benefits were realized over time and initial costs of sustainable building were higher. Now, initial costs are generally the same as non-sustainable design costs. This is a pivotal point for the green building industry. The conversation has shifted its focus on two key issues: site selection and water access/usage. Site selection and health issues are now linked as people pose the question: “Do suburbs make you fat?” The lack of community and the dependence on cars in many suburbs are cited as contributors to poor health. Generally, the feeling is that the denser the city, the better for not only for the environment but for personal health.