Going Green!

How Obama can promote green building without legislation

2012-01-24T08:36:00.000-08:00

The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International was among 15 partner organizations who joined the U.S. Green Building Council today to announce the release of a report that recommends nearly three-dozen executive actions across 23 agency programs where the Obama Administration can drive the economic and environmental benefits of green building without new legislation.

The report, Better Buildings though Executive Action: Leveraging Existing Authorities to Promote Energy Efficiency and Sustainability in Multifamily and Commercial Buildings, builds on a 2010 report that identified nearly 100 legal authority opportunities across 30 existing federal programs worth more than $72 billion to improve energy efficiency in U.S. building stock.

USGBC and the 15 partner organizations (including BOMA International) worked closely with federal government officials to identify new executive policymaking opportunities to achieve greener buildings. Since the first report of April 2010, there has been significant progress in implementing several proposals, including the Administration’s “Better Buildings Initiative,” which contains many recommendations of the 2010 report, such as improving the Energy Efficiency Commercial Building Tax Deduction, using Department of Energy loan guarantees and utilizing Small Business Administration financing programs to support energy efficiency retrofits at commercial buildings.

http://www.boma.org/Resources/news/pressroom/Pages/pr011812.aspx

New addendum could help appraisers give credit for green features

2011-10-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

The three-page Appraisal Institute form should guarantee at the minimum that an appraiser will take notice of a home's energy improvements and seek to come up with a value adjustment for local market conditions.

By Kenneth R. Harney

October 9, 2011

Reporting From Washington—

Here's some good news for homeowners who've installed energy-saving features but haven't been sure appraisers will credit them with higher valuations: Thanks to a new industry-issued appraisal addendum, the odds have improved that such upgrades get the fairer market value they're due.

The Appraisal Institute, the country's largest and most influential association in its field, published the long-awaited addendum late last month. It's designed to be attached to any standard appraisal report covering a property with significant green features. Owners, sellers, buyers, refinancers and realty agents don't have to wait for an appraiser to use it. They can download it at no cost and ask that it be made part of the appraisal submitted to the lender.

The new addendum won't guarantee you that the appraiser will raise your property value by the tens of thousands of dollars you spent on your solar panel array, high-efficiency windows or geothermal system. But it should guarantee at the minimum that he or she will take notice of the energy improvements and seek to come up with a value adjustment for your local market conditions.

Read more here.

10 Common Failures in LEED for Homes Projects

2011-10-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

Green rater Andrea Foss was on a worksite with a developer who had just failed several items on her LEED for Homes inspection when she came up with the idea for a list of 10 common failures in LEED projects.

Presenting at an educational session at the recent Greenbuild Conference, Foss, managing partner of Washington, D.C.-based green building consulting company Everyday Green, recounted the inspiration for her presentation.

“The developer was upset because she had failed some of the items,” Foss said. “She said, ‘I wish I had known to look for these things beforehand.’ ”

To help other green building professionals avoid making that developer’s missteps—as well as the mistakes she made while rehabbing her own home to LEED standards—Foss listed the 10 most common issues she’s found during her LEED inspections.

Read more here.

Rain Garden Training Program

2011-10-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Water Resources Program Presents:

Rain Garden Training Program, October 19 - 20, 2011 at Isles' YouthBuild Institute and the Center for Energy and Environmental Training, Trenton, NJ

WHAT IS A RAIN GARDEN?
A rain garden is a landscaped, shallow depression that captures, filters, and infiltrates
stormwater runoff at the source. A rain garden removes nonpoint source pollutants from
stormwater runoff while recharging groundwater. Rain gardens are an important tool for
communities and neighborhoods to create diverse, attractive landscapes while protecting
the health of the natural environment.

WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND
This workshop will provide you with the skills needed to install and maintain a rain garden.
The two‐day training includes both classroom and field time, including an actual installation at a Trenton City site.

AGENDA
Attendees must be present for both sessions to receive a certificate of completion.
DAY 1: CLASSROOM SESSION
Wednesday, October 19, 2011 • 9:00am ‐ 4:00pm
Isles’ Youth Build Institute and the Center for Energy and Environmental Training,
33 Tucker Street, Trenton, New Jersey
8:30 Registration
9:00 Welcome and Introductions
9:15 New Jersey Stormwater Regulations: How Rain Gardens Fit the Bill
9:45 Rain Garden Site Selection
10:45 Break
11:00 Rain Garden Installation and Maintenance
11:30 Rain Garden Native Plants
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Designing and Using Native Plants
1:30 Urban and Suburban Rain Garden Case Studies
2:00 Break
2:15 Rain Garden Design Exercise
3:45 Wrap up and Evaluations
4:00 Adjourn

DAY 2: HANDS‐ON RAIN GARDEN INSTALLATION
Thursday, October 20, 2011 • 9:00am ‐ 12:00pm
Trenton City Site, Location to be announced during Day 1 (Classroom Session)
8:45 Registration
9:00 Site Specific Rain Garden Design Considerations
9:15 Hands‐on Rain Garden Installation
11:45 Wrap up and Evaluations
12:00 Adjourn
NOTE: Agenda is subject to change without notice.

REGISTRATION
Register online at www.water.rutgers.edu COST: $25.00.
Please make check out to “Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.”
The cost includes a copy of the Rain Garden Manual of New Jersey ($10.00 value), refreshments, and lunch for the classroom session.

Please send your check for the full amount to:
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
RCE Water Resources Program
ATTN: Amy Boyajian
14 College Farm Road
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

SPECIAL DISCOUNT: For businesses that would like to send more than one person to this training, there is a discounted rate of $15.00 for each additional person.
For example, XYZ Company would like to send 3 people to the training. They will pay $25.00 for the first person and $15.00 for each additional person. XYZ Company would end up paying a registration fee of $55.00.

TRAINING LOCATION
Isles’ YouthBuild Institute and the Center for Energy and Environmental Training
33 Tucker Street, Trenton, New Jersey
Street parking is available

QUESTIONS?
Please call Amy Boyajian, Program Associate, RCE Water Resources Program, at 732‐932‐9800 x6164.

Changes to 2012 International Energy Conservation Code

2011-10-12T06:05:00.000-07:00

The 2012 International Energy Conservation Code will require more insulation, a tighter envelope, tighter ducts, better windows, and more efficient lighting than the 2009 code

Are you ready for the 2012 code? Each revision of the International codes tends to ratchet up energy performance requirements, and the 2012 revision is no exception.

Although its adoption may be a long ways off in some jurisdictions — after all, many rural areas of the U.S. still have no building codes at all — the 2012 International codes may become law in some areas as soon as next year.

Click here to read more.

Meet The Decision Makers Lecture Series Breakfast - NJ DCA Commissioner Lori Grifa

2011-10-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

Come rub elbows in an intimate setting with state regulators and key policymakers in New Jersey whose daily decisions affect your professional industry as well as your personal life. The most recent installment of USGBC-NJ's new lecture series will focus on the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), which provides administrative guidance, financial support and technical assistance to local governments, community development organizations, businesses and individuals to improve the quality of life in New Jersey.

When: 25-Oct-2011
7:30 AM - 9:30 AM

Where: Hamilton Park Hotel & Conference Center, 175 Park Ave., Florham Park, NJ 07932

Click here to register.

Latest lead paint changes represent wins for remodelers

2011-09-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

Despite being in place for 18 months now, the details of the federal government’s lead paint rules continue to change.

The latest updates this summer to the Lead Paint Repair and Renovation Program rules that apply to pre-1978 homes were, all-in-all, a positive for remodelers, with contractors getting some of the changes they wanted from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The NAHB, which has been lobbying Congress and working with the EPA in an attempt to modify the rule, has put together an analysis of the latest changes. Click here to see the highlights from HousingZone.

LEED 2012: The USGBC Adds Teeth, Real-Time Reporting To Its Green Building Ratings

2011-09-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

Responding to criticisms that its ratings can be meaningless and easily gamed, the USGBC is introducing new rules so buildings must continually re-certify and measure their energy use against their neighbors.

Alec Appelbaum reports that LEED 2012 will require LEED-certified building owners to recertify their structures every five years—and to share real-time information about how their buildings are performing. “Our goal is to show that real leaders share data,” USGBC’s Senior VP for LEED Scot Horst says. The web-based Green Building Information Gateway will allow for comparison and education within the building community. “Now the LEED rating is the beginning of a relationship,” Horst says.

Read more here

Enterprise 6th Annual Green Homes & Sustainable Communities Conference Sessions

2011-08-31T06:55:00.000-07:00

Now Available: 6th Annual Green Homes & Sustainable Communities Conference Sessions
The 6th Annual Green Homes and Sustainable Communities Conference provided attendees with a wealth of knowledge on the latest trends and innovations in green affordable housing. Conference materials and presentations are available for download (Password: ipedpres).

Topics include:

Achieving High-Level Green Impact through Transit-Oriented Development

Multifamily Energy Usage: Benchmarking and Analysis

Using Tax Credits to Promote Sustainable Development

Integrating Behavior Change into Design, Development, and Operations to Maximize Sustainability Benefits

Ironbound Community Corp Brownfield Plans

2011-08-24T06:28:00.000-07:00

Our friends at Ironbound Community Corporation have launched a blog dedicated to their brownfield redevelopment plan. Learn all about brownfields and take a tour of the brownfields in the Ironbound.

Check it out at http://iccbrownfieldredevelopment.wordpress.com/

Green Homes Sell for More, Studies Show

2011-08-04T11:02:00.000-07:00

In many markets, third party-certified homes command higher prices and sell more quickly than conventional ones.

As green building pros know all too well, today’s recession-weary home buyers are often more concerned with price than with a home’s energy rating, durability, or indoor air quality. New research, however, reflects a steady increase in the public’s understanding of the value of green building features.

In fact, one analysis in the Portland, Ore., metropolitan area found that green-certified dwellings sold for up to 30% more on average. The study from Portland-based nonprofit Earth Advantage Institute, which analyzed sales data for May 2010 through April 2011 from the Portland Regional MLS, found that green-certified new homes, on average, sold for 8% more than non-certified ones. In one of the six counties reporting figures, the premium was more than 23%. Certifications came from Energy Star, LEED for Homes, Earth Advantage, or an Earth Advantage/Energy Star combination.

http://www.builderonline.com/green-building/green-homes-sell-for-more-studies-show.aspx?cid=BBU:080211

Enterprise Best Practices Series: Carbon Emissions Reduction

2011-08-03T06:16:00.000-07:00

Best Practices Series: Carbon Emissions Reduction
Wednesday, August 17, 2011 from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (Eastern)
Register

Description
Energy use from residential buildings accounts for nearly 22 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S.- which totals over one billion tons a year. Therefore, projects that result in more energy efficient homes are an opportunity to mitigate carbon emissions into the atmosphere. This session features a discussionon on the opportunities for affordable housing in the U.S. Offset Market. It will include an overview of the Voluntary Carbon Market, how carbon is quantified, and feature case studies from various residential offset projects and programs across the country.

NJIT, Rutgers students push boundaries of sustainable building with innovative green house

2011-07-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

From the Star Ledger:
Published: Sunday, July 24, 2011, 7:15 AM
By Alice Speri

NEWARK — If your idea of clean energy is a solar panel on a rooftop, think again. Sustainable homebuilding is getting a whole lot smarter, and NJIT and Rutgers University students are pushing the boundaries of the field.

"Team NJ" — as the group of architecture, planning and engineering students from the two universities is called — has built a futuristic-looking, one-story house that challenges traditional building techniques and sets a model for innovative, green housing.

The house is the two schools’ submission to the 2011 Solar Decathlon, a solar-housing competition the U.S. Department of Energy sponsors every two years. Launched in 2002, the initiative aims to push the creativity of 20 U.S. and foreign collegiate teams, rewarding designs that combine affordability and optimal energy production.

"People think that you can slap a few panels on a roof and you are doing the right thing," said Urs Gauchat, dean of the college of architecture and design at NJIT. "As academics, we want to bring more to the energy debate. We want to challenge preconceived notions of how to build in this country."

Team NJ’s house — envisioned as a Jersey Shore getaway for a couple — features a modular structure, precast concrete walls and an inverted roof to catch water and sunlight. Solar and thermal technology is integrated into every exposed surface of the house, which produces enough energy to power all of its appliances and keep the place cool during summers and warm during winters.

The 940-square-foot, one-bedroom house, built on an NJIT parking lot in Newark, will be presented to the public Tuesday in a topping off ceremony. It will then be disassembled and transported to Washington, D.C.

"We’re trying to think of new ways to build houses in the U.S.," he said, before a last-minute run to the Home Depot for some bolt shopping.

Other students stressed the long-term savings that energy-efficient houses can provide.

Read the rest of the article here.

Earth Advantage: Green homes fetch higher prices

2011-07-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

By Christina Williams
Sustainable Business Oregon

Portland-area homes with green credentials command prices an average 30 percent higher than their non-certified counterparts, even while the overall market share of certified green homes in the region took a slight dip, according to new data.

Earth Advantage Institute, a nonprofit green building organization, announced Wednesday the results of its annual certified home analysis for the Portland metro region for the year May 1, 2010 through April 30, 2011 based on Portland Regional Multiple Listing Service data.

The report found that better sales prices were nabbed by both new homes and existing homes with certification of sustainability measures such as energy efficiency and green building materials.

Read more here.

Heat Pump Water Heaters

2011-07-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

There’s a revolution underway with electric water heating. It could be just as significant as the shift from top-loaders to horizontal-axis front-loaders that we’ve seen in the laundry appliance industry.

For years, electric water heaters were simply insulated tanks with a couple of electric-resistance elements that heated the water. These have worked pretty well, and with the highest-insulation products, the “Energy Factor” (a standardized measure of efficiency that factors in losses through the insulated tank) of the best products get pretty close to 1.0 (100% efficient).

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/energy-solutions/heat-pump-water-heaters?utm_source=email&utm_medium=eletter&utm_content=20110622-gas-hot-water&utm_campaign=green-building-advisor

How Is a Home’s HERS Index Calculated?

2011-06-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

It’s time to pull back the curtain to look at the algorithms used to come up with a HERS Index score

Anyone involved with the Energy Star Homes program has probably heard of the HERS Index, a method of scoring the energy efficiency of a new or existing home. A Web page maintained by the state of Arkansas, for example, explains that the “EPA requires a house qualifying for Energy Star to be built with best practices, tight ducts, and at least 15% more energy efficient than code as shown by a HERS Index score of 85 or less as determined by a HERS Rater.”

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/how-home-s-hers-index-calculated?utm_source=email&utm_medium=eletter&utm_content=20110615-LEED-cheat&utm_campaign=green-building-advisor

The Value Add of Energy Efficiency Is Still Cost

2011-06-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

Three builders share their experiences selling more-efficient houses.

“We are not a green builder,” said Chris Schoonmaker, vice president of sales at S&A Homes in Bellefonte, Pa.

He made that comment during a panel discussion called “Seizing Energy Efficiency as a Competitive Weapon,” during last week’s Housing Leadership Summit in Chicago. Schoonmaker was talking specifically about S&A’s eHome marketing campaign, which features a 2,721-square-foot house with a Home Energy Rating of 67 that saves the homeowner $171 per month in energy costs compared to a 10-year-old, less-efficient home.

http://www.builderonline.com/energy-efficientconstruction/the-value-add-of-energy-efficiency-is-still-cost.aspx?cid=BLDR110609002

HUD Unveils Green Refinance Program

2011-06-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a new program that will allow owners of existing affordable rental housing developments to refinance into new mortgages that include funding for energy-efficient upgrades. Under Green Refinance Plus, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Fannie Mae (http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2011/HUDNo.11-106) will share the risk on loans to refinance existing rent-restricted projects while allowing owners to borrow additional funds to make the green retrofits.

http://www.housingfinance.com/news/ahf/060111-ahf-HUD-Unveils-Green-Refinance-Program.htm

Deep Energy Retrofit: Focus on the Envelope

2011-06-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

You can't expect to cut a home's energy use by 50% without a serious renovation of its exterior envelope. For all its components—walls, roof, foundation, slab—the details need to be worked out.

Part 1: What is a Deep Energy Retrofit?

Part 2: Focus on the Envelope

This is part two of the Green Architects' Lounge three-part series on deep energy retrofits.

Nailing Window Flanges Through Foam

2011-05-31T10:31:00.000-07:00

Builders have been doing it for years, but some window manufacturers aren’t sure it’s a good idea

Over 30 years ago, when builders first began installing rigid foam wall sheathing, they had to figure out their own methods of fastening flanged windows. In 1982, when I sheathed my house with 1-inch-thick EPS, I installed “picture frames” of 1-inch lumber around each window rough opening. As it turned out, Joe Lstiburek was also building a foam-sheathed house in 1982, but he used a different approach.

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/nailing-window-flanges-through-foam?utm_source=email&utm_medium=eletter&utm_content=20110525-nailing-window-flanges-thru-foam&utm_campaign=green-building-advisor

Virtual Tour of USGBC’s LEED Platinum Headquarters

2011-05-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

Modeled after live tours of the U.S. Green Building Council Headquarters, this online course illustrates how the integrative design process optimizes energy efficiency and occupant comfort. This virtual tour explores a three-dimensional model featuring green products, as well as videos, images, audio content, and text that link to other online resources.

View here.

Homeless Solutions Green Building Groundbreaking

2011-05-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

Beginning in 2010, Homeless Solutions, Inc. built ten affordable apartments in Washington Township, Morris County, New Jersey. After years in the design and approvals process, the project is poised to be the first LEED Platinum affordable housing development in New Jersey.

This is the first in a series of nine short videos intended to educate people about both the green building process and the development of affordable rental housing. It will also culminate in a longer video that will span the entire construction process.

LISC Experts Online: What's Health Got to Do With It? How Green Development Builds Healthy, Resilient Communities

2011-05-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

Webcast Event - May 4, 2011; 1:00 - 2:30 PM

Overview

These days, green development means more than green building and energy efficiency. It means strengthening people and places so that they are healthy, sustainable, and resilient. Public health has also expanded into a broad scope that includes the built environment and its effect on human health. Taken together, green development and public health offer a strong platform to address the fundamental causes of poor health and create communities where fresh food is accessible, housing is healthy, and opportunities for physical activity are inherent to neighborhood design.

Many of us today work in distressed neighborhoods that suffer disproportionately from illness and chronic disease. As we look for opportunities to create more affordable housing, greener schools and workplaces, and safer streets and parks, it is important to consider how we can make the people in our communities as strong and sustainable as their new physical environments.

In this free public webcast, the LISC Green Development Center has convened three expert speakers to explore what happens when we look at green development and public health through one lens. Drawing from their expertise in active living design, food systems, and healthy homes, a panel of experts will address such questions as:

What does it take to create neighborhoods where all residents have access to healthy, fresh food?
How can we build homes that are affordable, do no harm, and actually improve health?
Where have communities successfully connected the dots between built environment and people’s heath?

To register or learn more, click here.

Who Is Responsible for Making Plans Green?

2011-04-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

While the cooperation of everyone involved is necessary to make a project truly green, who should take the lead and what are the supporting roles?

As a practicing engineer, I see dozens of plan sets every year. What I can’t figure out is why they aren’t different today than they were 10-years ago. Where’s the green? If green is so great, then show me the green!

Read more here.

Living in a LEED-Certified Green Home

2011-04-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

Quality, comfort and savings. These are three features homeowners stand to gain from a green home and part of the reason that green homes are becoming increasingly popular. But how do buyers know that a home is green? Watch below to learn about the LEED rating system and how it works to certify that a home has been built to green standards.

Green Heating Options

2011-04-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

Green Heating Systems Can Heat the House and Its Water

A heating system strongly influences a home's energy use. Only three things have a greater effect: air sealing, insulation, windows. All forms of space heating have environmental as well as financial implications, so there’s no such thing as cheap heat. The main choices are natural gas, propane, electricity, fuel oil, wood or wood pellets, and solar.

Click here to learn more.

Top 10 Green Building Trends for 2011 as Selected by Earth Advantage Institute

2011-04-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

Earth Advantage Institute (http://www.earthadvantage.org), a leading nonprofit green building resource and research organization that has certified more than 11,000 sustainable homes, today announced its annual selection of top ten green building trends to watch for over the next 12 months.

1. Affordable Green

Many consumers typically associate green and energy-efficient homes and features with higher costs. However, the development of new business models, technologies, and the mainstreaming of high performance materials is bringing high-performance, healthy homes within reach of all homeowners. Leading the charge are affordable housing groups, including Habitat for Humanity and local land trusts, now building and selling LEED® for Homes- and ENERGY STAR®-certified homes across the country at price points as low as $100,000*. In the existing homes market, energy upgrades are now available through new programs that include low-cost audits and utility bill-based financing. Through such programs as Clean Energy Works Oregon, and Solar City's solar lease-to-own business model, no up-front payment is required to take advantage of energy upgrades.

Take a look at the rest of the trends here.

Central Jersey’s Go Green Expo 2011

2011-04-05T12:14:00.001-07:00

A great opportunity for your company to reach this audience and showcase your “green” products!

Saturday, April 23rd, 2011 10am-2pm

At the Hamilton Manor
Hamilton, NJ

This is one of the first events of its kind to encourage and celebrate growing the green economy in Central New Jersey.

Eco-friendly showcase opportunity in Central New Jersey for eco-minded consumers & businesses.

Showcase your latest eco-friendly options for the home & office, eco-friendly food and clothing, transportation options, organic food and cooking,green health & beauty, pet and baby products and other "GREEN" solutions.

CALL FOR VENDOR OPPORTUNITIES

Each level of participation comes with an ad in a special focus edition of Packet Media Group
newspapers that reaches over 350,000 readers and online visitors.

Contact:
Dan Bershad
dbershad@centraljersey.com
609-874-2212

Reviving an Old Debate on Vapor Barriers

2011-03-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

Despite evidence that interior polyethylene vapor barriers can cause problems, some architects still specify them

Posted on Mar 21 by Scott Gibson
From Green Building Advisor

The post was simply labeled “Martin Holladay” — for the GreenBuildingAdvisor senior editor — but the question from architect Stephen Thompson went to the heart of one of the most contentious building questions in recent history: is a polyethylene vapor barrier a good idea?

Thompson tells Holladay he's read much of what Holladay has had to say about vapor barriers, but he still is puzzled by several comments.

“You believe that polyethylene film is not to be used as a vapor barrier,” Thompson says in his Q&A post. “I could not disagree more; after 10 years of work in Minnesota, I've seen what can happen when VBs are left out. All of the expert seminars at the AIA Convention insist that VBs are essential in cold climates. After viewing their photos of buildings turned icicle, I must agree.”

Read more here.

Enterprise Presents: Overview of Enterprise Green Multifamily Rehabilitation Specifications

2011-03-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

Thursday, March 24th from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (Eastern)

Description
This webinar will provide participants with a brief orientation to a new Enterprise tool, the Green Multifamily Rehabilitation Specifications. These model Specifications were created for multifamily projects of more than three stories undergoing moderate rehabilitation, and they are aligned with the 2011 Enterprise Green Communities Criteria. The session will cover the basic content and structure of the Specifications, as well as helpful hints to consider when customizing the Specifications for your climate, housing stock, and targeted Enterprise Green Communities Criteria. This presentation is sponsored by Bank of America.

Presented by:

Emily Mitchell, Enterprise Community Partners
Kara Strong, Sustainable Design Consulting

Register for this event

11 Green Building Trends for 2011

2011-03-09T13:19:00.000-08:00

By Jerry Yudelson
Yudelson Associates

More people are going green each year, and there is nothing that will stop this trend. In fact, it is accelerating each year. As a result, we expect to see considerable interest in green products that promote water conservation and energy efficiency, including fixtures and appliances, as well as energy-efficient windows and doors, certified wood products (either FSC or SFI), and recycled-content materials.

Many individual homes and businesses are investing in new resource-efficient technologies and green operational practices, and cities are developing certification systems to reward this behavior. My consulting company, Yudelson Associates, is a good example. In December 2010, we were certified by the city of Tucson, Az., as a green business because of our operational practices, including solar electric and thermal systems, water conserving fixtures and rainwater harvesting, waste recycling, and environmentally preferable purchasing. These are all measures that you will begin to see adopted in greater numbers by many of the end-users served by you and your direct customers.

Let's take a look in more detail at where some of the green building trends are headed.

1. Worldwide, the green building movement will continue to accelerate, as more countries begin to create their own green building incentives and develop their own green building councils. Inside the U.S., we expect to see an expanding roster of green product certifications, each aiming to influence the consumer's choices. Dealers will need to stay on top of these product choices, to find which are favored by their customers.

2. Green building in the commercial sector will rebound in 2011, as measured by the new LEED project registrations. The dramatic slowdown in new construction of commercial real estate was not offset by other sectors, such as government, so the growth rate of new green building projects fell dramatically in 2010. However, we expect a continued upward movement of new green buildings, albeit at a slower pace, as green continues to take market share.

3. Recent announcements of the federal government's commitment to a minimum of LEED Gold for all new federal projects and major renovations of public buildings highlight the Obama Administration's continued focus on green technologies. At the state and local level, other layers of government show no signs of "green fatigue." In fact, new green building mandates and incentives continue to grow. This means more product sales, as commitments become action.

4. The focus of the green building industry will continue its switch from new buildings to greening existing buildings. The fastest growing LEED rating system in 2009 and 2010 was the LEED for Existing Buildings program-and I expect this trend to continue in 2011. Affordable energy and water conservation devices will accelerate this trend, and should lead to greater sales of such devices.

5. Blue will become the new green, especially in arid areas of the West, Southwest and Southeast. Awareness of the coming global crisis in fresh water supply will continue to grow, inducing building designers, owners, and managers-as well as consumers-to take further steps to reduce water consumption and increase sustainability. This will be accomplished through the use of more conservation-oriented fixtures, rainwater recovery systems, and innovative new water technologies. Many new packaged systems are coming to market, and these could provide good opportunities for dealers and distributors in water-short regions.

Read the rest here.

USGBC Launches LEED for Homes Scoring Tool

2011-03-01T09:24:00.000-08:00

The LEED for Homes Scoring Tool is an easy way for anyone to get acquainted with green building and the LEED for Homes rating system. There are two main components to the scoring tool, a Quick Score path and a Credit by Credit path.

Check it out at www.leedforhomes.org

The Tenant Advisor on Selecting the Right Office Space

2011-02-28T10:28:00.000-08:00

Investigate the Building's Attributes

Economics is obviously a primary factor in selecting office space, but a tenant’s cost of occupancy is made up a numerous factors beyond the rental rate.

In addition, the features of a building and the quality of Landlord services are important considerations in property selection. Many tenants and their brokers fail to investigate a buildings’ full set of possibilities and drawbacks before making a building selection. These are some often-overlooked considerations that can make a difference in your occupancy of a particular property.

Efficiency

A particular property might offer a slightly lower lease rate, but when comparing a tenant’s total cost of occupancy on an “apples to apples” might not be the most economical deal due to the space efficiency.

For example, the competitor may offer a 10,000-square-foot space with a 20 percent load factor, meaning that one-fifth of the leased space on which the tenant pays rent is not usable for business purposes—it’s made up of elevator lobbies, hallways and restrooms.

Read more here.

Rigid Insulation Rehabs

2011-02-23T12:45:00.000-08:00

What type, where, and how much rigid insulation should we use to retrofit exterior above-grade walls and roofs?
Posted on Jan 31 by Peter Yost

We tend to put insulation into empty roof and wall cavities because, well, they’re empty. If a rehab gives access to the bare exterior or interior of framing assemblies, how do we decide what type of and how much rigid insulation to add, and what are the pros and cons of putting the rigid insulation on the exterior or the interior of the assemblies?

Design all assemblies to dry
Regardless of where the rigid insulation might go, the key to all enclosure rehabs is to detail the assemblies to resist bulk water (weather-resistive barrier and flashings) and then allow them to dry if, or when, they do get wet. We tend to focus on the vapor permeability of just one layer in the assembly—the vapor retarder—to keep water vapor from getting into assemblies. But much more important is the overall vapor profile of the assembly (based on the relative vapor permeabilities of ALL the assembly’s components), which determines how the assembly will dry.

Read more here.

Are Energy Codes Working?

2011-02-23T12:41:00.000-08:00

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy codes will have to become more stringent — and they’ll need to be enforced

Posted on Feb 4 by Martin Holladay, GBA Advisor

Residential energy codes have evolved rapidly over the last two decades. The origin of many of our current energy codes can be traced back to the Model Energy Code (MEC), which was first introduced in 1992. The MEC eventually evolved into the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).

In jurisdictions that have adopted the International family of codes, residential builders can usually use the IECC to fulfill energy code requirements. But most home builders choose instead to follow the simpler energy requirements found in the International Residential Code (IRC). Confusingly, IRC energy requirements are similar but not always identical to requirements found in the IECC.

Read more here.

2011 Enterprise Green Communities Criteria

2011-02-14T08:30:00.000-08:00

The 2011 revisions to the Enterprise Green Communities Criteria have been completed. Click here to read about improvements that have been made in this update. The most significant changes include pathways for different locations type in the Location + Neighborhood Fabric category and a revised whole-building energy performance standard.

Location + Neighborhood Fabric:

Category focused around smart growth principles that are most appropriate for three different location types — urban/small city, suburban/mid-size town or rural/tribal/small town.

Energy Efficiency:

The whole-building energy performance requirements have been updated to reflect revised national voluntary programs and standards, including the U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR for New Homes and its High-Rise Multifamily Program.

The 2011 Criteria was designed to be seamlessly integrated with Enterprise Green Communities Certification. Enterprise encourages you to use the 2011 Enterprise Green Communities Criteria in your next project. Register your project online at: http://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/tools/certification/.

2010: A Year of Successful Advancement in State Green Affordable Housing Policy

2011-01-10T10:33:00.000-08:00

To date, 18 state housing finance agencies have included the Enterprise Green Communities Criteria as either optional or threshold requirements in their Qualified Allocation Plans (QAPs) for allocation of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. Every state QAP has incorporated at least one green building or sustainability measure that is also referenced in the Criteria. Additionally, this year the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) established the Enterprise Green Communities Criteria as a threshold requirement in their allocation plan.

“Green building provides long-term cost savings and improved quality of life for residents and communities,” said Tasha Weaver, CHFA tax credit manager. "CHFA has worked in partnership with our state’s tax credit developers to incorporate affordable and common-sense green building elements in the QAP." To learn more, visit the Enterprise Green Communities interactive state map.

Also be sure to check out Enterprise's Green Asset Management Toolkit for Multifamily Housing.

USGBC Seeks Comments on LEED Rating System Draft

2011-01-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

USGBC has opened the first public comment period, to run through Jan. 14, 2011, for the next update to the LEED rating system. The proposed update is a general technical update to the rating system content, and will undergo at least two public comment periods and a member ballot vote, per LEED development requirements. The first public comment period is open to all interested stakeholders.

Read more here

100K House Blog

2010-12-02T07:19:00.000-08:00

We'd like to thank Monmouth A-Team Co-Chair Phil Welch for referring the Network to the 100K House Blog.

100K House Blog is a great source of information featuring green projects and tips. Be sure to check them out and add to your favorites!

www.100khouse.com

Understanding ENERGY STAR for New Homes Updates

2010-11-29T07:49:00.000-08:00

Enterprise Green Communities Presents

Understanding ENERGY STAR for New Homes Updates

Thursday, December 2nd from 2:00 - 3:30 PM (Eastern)

Register

Description

This Enterprise Live Online Event will provide an overview of the recent updates to the ENERGY STAR for New Homes program. Understanding the ENERGY STAR program requirements will be important for affordable housing developers using the 2011 Green Communities Criteria, as the Criteria's whole-building energy performance pathway for single family and low-rise buildings will be tied to certification under the ENERGY STAR for New Homes program. ENERGY STAR for New Homes staff Sam Rashkin and Brian Ng will describe the updates to the program and the technical resources available to affordable housing developers to ensure compliance with the program.

Going Green!

How Obama can promote green building without legislation

New addendum could help appraisers give credit for green features

The three-page Appraisal Institute form should guarantee at the minimum that an appraiser will take notice of a home's energy improvements and seek to come up with a value adjustment for local market conditions.

10 Common Failures in LEED for Homes Projects

Rain Garden Training Program

Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program Presents:

Changes to 2012 International Energy Conservation Code

The 2012 International Energy Conservation Code will require more insulation, a tighter envelope, tighter ducts, better windows, and more efficient lighting than the 2009 code

Meet The Decision Makers Lecture Series Breakfast - NJ DCA Commissioner Lori Grifa

Latest lead paint changes represent wins for remodelers

LEED 2012: The USGBC Adds Teeth, Real-Time Reporting To Its Green Building Ratings

Enterprise 6th Annual Green Homes & Sustainable Communities Conference Sessions

Ironbound Community Corp Brownfield Plans

Green Homes Sell for More, Studies Show

Enterprise Best Practices Series: Carbon Emissions Reduction

NJIT, Rutgers students push boundaries of sustainable building with innovative green house

Earth Advantage: Green homes fetch higher prices

By Christina WilliamsSustainable Business Oregon

Heat Pump Water Heaters

There’s a revolution underway with electric water heating. It could be just as significant as the shift from top-loaders to horizontal-axis front-loaders that we’ve seen in the laundry appliance industry.

How Is a Home’s HERS Index Calculated?

It’s time to pull back the curtain to look at the algorithms used to come up with a HERS Index score

The Value Add of Energy Efficiency Is Still Cost

HUD Unveils Green Refinance Program

Deep Energy Retrofit: Focus on the Envelope

You can't expect to cut a home's energy use by 50% without a serious renovation of its exterior envelope. For all its components—walls, roof, foundation, slab—the details need to be worked out.

Nailing Window Flanges Through Foam

Virtual Tour of USGBC’s LEED Platinum Headquarters

Homeless Solutions Green Building Groundbreaking

LISC Experts Online: What's Health Got to Do With It? How Green Development Builds Healthy, Resilient Communities

Webcast Event - May 4, 2011; 1:00 - 2:30 PM

Overview

Who Is Responsible for Making Plans Green?

While the cooperation of everyone involved is necessary to make a project truly green, who should take the lead and what are the supporting roles?

Living in a LEED-Certified Green Home

Green Heating Options

Green Heating Systems Can Heat the House and Its Water

Top 10 Green Building Trends for 2011 as Selected by Earth Advantage Institute

1. Affordable Green

Central Jersey’s Go Green Expo 2011

Reviving an Old Debate on Vapor Barriers

Despite evidence that interior polyethylene vapor barriers can cause problems, some architects still specify them

Enterprise Presents: Overview of Enterprise Green Multifamily Rehabilitation Specifications

11 Green Building Trends for 2011

USGBC Launches LEED for Homes Scoring Tool

The LEED for Homes Scoring Tool is an easy way for anyone to get acquainted with green building and the LEED for Homes rating system. There are two main components to the scoring tool, a Quick Score path and a Credit by Credit path.

The Tenant Advisor on Selecting the Right Office Space

Investigate the Building's Attributes

Efficiency

Rigid Insulation Rehabs

Are Energy Codes Working?

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy codes will have to become more stringent — and they’ll need to be enforced

2011 Enterprise Green Communities Criteria

2010: A Year of Successful Advancement in State Green Affordable Housing Policy

USGBC Seeks Comments on LEED Rating System Draft

100K House Blog

Understanding ENERGY STAR for New Homes Updates

Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Water Resources Program Presents:

By Christina Williams
Sustainable Business Oregon