Posts Tagged ‘sustainable’

Green Jobs Rise as Sustainable Building Increases


resized_green_construction_sustainable_buildingIn the Energy Policy Examiner, Clifford Bryan writes about the many green jobs that are showing up as sustainable building practices increase demand for green construction workers.

The factors that differentiate “green” construction derive from a new set of expectations relating to structures and their function. Green buildings aim to maximize efficiency in their use of water, energy and other resources, to minimize waste, pollution, or other contributions to environmental degradation, and to create environments that contribute to health and productivity.

The Green Jobs Guidebook (Environmental Defense Fund 2008), thought by many to be the definitive green jobs report to date, lists 41 job classifications directly related to green building. Among them: Green Building Project Design and Development; Green Building Design and Engineering; Green Building Operations; Energy Efficiency Services and Installation. Other green jobs that relate to construction include: Solar Power Installation; Maintenance, Development and Manufacturing; Wind Power Installation; Geothermal Operation and Development; Plant Environmental; Health and Safety Facility Positions; Environmental Consulting; Municipal Waste Treatment and Recycling.

In addition to new methods and materials, the culture of the green construction site can be different. According to Bill Stough, “maximizing energy efficiency and material efficiency so there is less waste being generated on a construction site – the waste that is generated on the construction site is reused to the maximum extent possible.” For example, deconstructing a building in preparation for new construction is another aspect of high performance building standards that requires special training. Recycling of building materials and debris left over from clearing the site earns points for green building certification through programs such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. In addition, secondary jobs are created in the marketing of the refuse – jobs for processing the material and making it ready for use in other, less valuable products, called “downcycling”

Cool House Tour June 6-TX Solar Energy Society


It’s a wonderful, unique opportunity to see some of  the way’s that Austinites have made their homes more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.  You’ll be inspired and impressed, and have fun in the process.

Sponsored by the Texas Solar Energy Society and Austin Energy Green Building, the annual Cool House Tour is coming this weekend, June 6.  Go here for details and ticket instructions:  http://www.txses.org/solar/content/cool-house-tour

cool house tourOne of your stops will be this renovated 1917 cottage at 607 Deep Eddy Avenue featuring sustainable materials such as renewable eucalyptus cabinetry and recycled paper countertops.

 

 

AD Stenger Cool House TourOr how about this updated AD Stenger home at 440 Ridgewood Drive? 

Get your guidebook/ticket at any Central Market, and google map your favorites!  Hope to see you there!

Taiwanese Building Made of PET Bottles


The inspiration for using these beverage bottles as the primary construction material for the building came to developer Arthur Huang, of the Miniwiz plastic bottle building taiwanSustainable Energy Development Company by observing what was in the trash bins.  This is a link to a short and amazing video of a beautiful three story exhibition hall made of bottles. 

Builders turned bottles from Taiwan’s waste stream for reprocessing, into plastic containers that interlock strongly enough to block the elements and withstand storms or earthquakes, said Arthur Huang, managing director of the contractor Miniwiz Sustainable Energy Development Ltd.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8622212.stm

Greenest Building in US? Surprise!


The greenest building in the U.S isn’t a fancy hotel, apartment complex, or office building. It’s a monastery. The U.S. Green Building Council recently awarded the Benedictine Women of Madison’s Holy Wisdom Monastery a Platinum LEED rating with 63 out 69 possible points–the most points of any certified building in the country.

The Sisters at the 30,000 foot, two-story monastery in Middleton, Wisconsin never intended to set a LEED record. Apparently, they have always prized sustainability–just take a look at their restoration of 95 acres of farmland to prairie and their project to dredge a glacial lake that had been previously been filled with silt.

Of course, the monastery still had to work hard to set the record. Some of the ultra-green features in the Hoffman LLC-designed building include a geothermal heating and cooling system, a photovoltaic system on the Chapel roof, windows with special glazing that allow for light and climate control, and the restoration and reuse of old pipe organs and bells. Almost 100% of the 60,000-square-foot old Benedictine House was also recycled or reused in the building process. Not bad for a bunch of Sisters with a dream.monastery2

This article courtesy of FastCompany.com, written by Ariel Schwartz.

School Lunches:Greening the Programs


If you are a green minded parent, you may be concerned abuot the environmental and health consequences of the choices made by your child’s school.  BetterSchoolFood.org offers a simple, sensible action plan that starts with eating lunch with your child to see and taste what’s being served. 

The site has great resources for parents and you can become a member if you like. Here’s a quote to give you an idea of what they offer: “Have you been told “They won’t eat it” and “It’s too expensive” in response to wanting to improve the food in your school cafeteria?  Then we have good news for you! A study done by the University of Minnesota has found that school lunch sales don’t decline when healthier meals are served. The study also shows that more nutritious lunches don’t necessarily cost schools more to produce.”

Another good site is www.farmtoschool.org, which connects schools with local farms in school districts across the nation.  There are 1200 participating school districts in Texas, and the program helps improve the quality of food and is environmentally sound because the produce is more local.  Visit these sites to learn more about how this important component of your child’s education is being handled, and if you see a need for improvement; jump in and be part of the solution for your own kids and others. 

Here’s great Youtube video from Whole Foods called “Five Ways to Help Your School”  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6wSLaP1a0c&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=F68DD6C0034EA90D

Resolve: Greener Cleaning for 2010


A simple way to support your goals for going greener is to change the way you clean your home.  You can eliminate smells, germs, and grime without introducing toxic chemicals or supporting the production of these products using simple, inexpensive methods.

First, easily make your own cleaning solutions- Buy industrial sizes of white vinegar, baking soda, and some orange oil. Buy a non-noxious liquid soap like Mrs. Meyers and some Borax.  Buy or reuse a couple of sprayer bottles. Lay in a supply of microfiber cloths (so you can keep bathroom and kitchen cloths separate), rubber gloves, and a pumice stone.  You’re ready to go!

 Kitchen: Mix equal parts vinegar and water in your sprayer bottle for cleaning surfaces.  Especially greasy mess? Add a few drops of the orange oil. You will avoid combining toxic chemicals with food preparation surfaces.  Use baking soda for cleaning the inside of the fridge.  Make a paste of vinegar and soda for baked on oven messes (conventional oven cleaners have some of the most noxious chemicals going, and you will inhale them and introduce them into your food if you use them), and for stinky sink drains areas.  Stainless appliances?  A few drops of the liquid soap and wipe down with the grain.  If you have to have a commercial grease fighter to be happy, try Holy Cow in a gallon size, and mix with water in your sprayer bottle.  Not only are you eliminating toxic chemicals in your home, but reducing the demand for highly toxic chemicals in plastic bottles and all the environmental damage that goes with that entire process.

 Bathrooms: Use your 50/50 vinegar water spray here for surfaces and mirrors as well.  Baking soda paste scrubbed into grout and tub and sink gunky areas works great.  You can use Borax, which is cheap and non-toxic, for mildew areas in showers.  Industrial cleaners typically contain glycol ethers, which are easily absorbed through the skin and have been linked to reproductive problems and birth defects in animal studies.  Not a good idea, and way overkill considering the simple alternatives! 

Baking soda and your scrub brush to clean the “throne”, and if it needs whitening, hydrogen peroxide works or try (gently!) scrubbing stubborn stains with a pumice stone.

 While we are on the subject of clean, fresh smelling homes, please consider reducing or eliminating the use of aerosol sprays, scented oils, plug-ins, etc.  Many of these have not been tested for health effects, and add to the number of particles we breath in our indoor spaces that may contribute to allergies, breathing problems, and generally poor indoor air quality.  Opt for sensible ventilation practices instead; an open window when climate allows and use of vent fans to pull odors out.   

 Our Stanberry and Associates wish for you is a healthier, safer, and more eco-wise clean home for 2010, and a Happy New Year. 

 For further reading: 

 

http://www.seventhgeneration.com/show-whats-inside/cleaning-products-ingredients-guide

 

http://www.womenandenvironment.org/campaignsandprograms/SafeCleaning/recipes

 

HouseLogic green cleaning articles: http://tinyurl.com/yl4u7ha

New Climate Change Policy? Displacement.


The Copenhagen climate change meeting might actually turn out to be a success over time. China introduced their plan to limit green house gas emissions which was embraced by most of the world with the exception of Europe and the United States, although Barack Obama made some favorable comments about the Chinese plan.

So what is the Chinese plan? Basically it is one of energy displacement without any caps on emissions. They plan on radically increasing the amount of energy that they will produce from renewable resources (wind, solar, and even nuclear) but will not agree to any caps on carbon emissions. The idea is that renewable energy will always be used before a utility will turn to burning fossil fuel to generate electricity. The more renewable energy you build, the less fossil fuel you burn based on a given demand. If you can grow your renewable infrastructure to the point where you are increasing your renewable energy capacity faster than your electric demand then you will start reducing carbon emissions.

China currently receives only a tiny fraction of its electric power from renewable sources (other than hydroelectric). They will try to double their renewable energy production each year for the foreseeable future. It will take many years of doubling to reach an equilibrium point with an economy growing 10% per year. They talk about reducing the carbon output for each unit of production.

Why are the Chinese using this approach? Cap and trade just doesn’t work for them. They can’t put carbon limits on an economy that is growing 10% per year. If the caps really worked, their growth rate would decline substantially. They are not willing to give up the growth which provides jobs for the hundreds of millions of Chinese looking for work to move out of poverty.

To implement this policy of displacement, the Chinese government had decreed that power companies must buy all of the renewable energy produced even if the price of that energy is higher than the price of energy produced from fossil fuels. Note that the price renewable energy producers can charge is regulated by the government but is typically set at a price that provides a decent return for the company. China will also provide fast approval for renewable projects and will work to build out their electric grid to connect new power sources.

The First Solar deal with China to build 20 GigaWatts of solar collectors by the year 2020 is a good example of this policy at work. China guaranteed First Solar a rate tariff on the electricity produced that would make them a profit if they would build a factory in China to produce the panels. China will build the transmission lines to get the power to market for them. In 2020 China will have 20 GigaWatts for solar power which will mean they will product 20 GigaWatts less power from fossil fuels when the sun shines.

The displacement policy means Chinese wind and solar system producers are gearing up to increase production dramatically. This high consistent demand is allowing them to use scale to drive down manufacturing costs. One day renewable may become cost effective as a power source compared to fossil fuels and China won’t have to subsidize their production. In the mean time China creates whole new industries with tremendous export potential and thousands (millions?) of new jobs. They also don’t have to be heavy handed with energy consumers. Consumers will pay a slightly higher price for electricity as the utility companies pass through the higher prices they pay for renewable power.

Read more at Examiner.com:  http://tinyurl.com/y85gcks

Benefits of Green Building


Green buildings have realized substantial bottom line savings from more energy efficient heating and cooling systems, ventilation, waste reduction and environmental sustainability. While initial investment is required to incorporate environmentally friendly technologies and design into buildings, the savings far outweigh the costs. In fact, the California Sustainable Building Task Force shows that an initial increase in upfront costs of approximately 2% for green design will yield lifecycle savings of more than ten times the initial investment, or 20% of total construction costs (based on a conservative estimate of a 20-year building life.)

Even the startup costs of building green can be comparable or less expensive than average construction prices where resource efficient and smaller mechanical, electrical and structural systems are more effective than oversized, underutilized systems, according to the US Green Building Council (USGBC). Generally, McGraw-Hill Construction estimates that green buildings generate an increase of 7.5% in a building’s value and a 6.6% improvement in return on investment, while decreasing operating costs by 8-9%.

The payoffs go far beyond financial returns. A recent study published by the University of San Diego and CB Richard Ellis Group showed that employees in LEED certified buildings take 2.9 less sick days each year than in non-green offices, which saves their employers roughly $1,200 per worker and results in significant productivity gains that generate sales. The research doesn’t determine exactly which green technologies improve employee health and productivity, but it is clear that natural lighting and cleaner air increase office stamina and even retain staff.

Externally, green buildings are creating market differentiation opportunities, improving reputations with clients and minimizing risks to corporate brand equity. Even in recessionary times, green buildings have been commanding higher rents; $30 per square foot, $3 over the national average of $27, and vacancy rates are over a percentage point lower. Green buildings also welcome government tenants and increase public sector good will.

Demand for green buildings continues to climb, as the value of green building construction is expected to reach $60 billion in 2010, up from $12 billion in 2008. Green is being incorporated into building codes at local and state levels. By upgrading now, buildings can anticipate these mandates and upgrade on their own terms, avoiding delays or operational losses. As more and more buildings become LEED certified, traditional buildings risk obsolescence and forfeit any first mover benefits of going green. Simply put, green buildings create a triple net effect, benefitting the owners’ bottom line, its tenants, and the environment. This author is left with just one question: Why notbuild green?

Courtesy of www.justmeans.com

On Buildings and Climate Change…


The importance of energy-efficient buildings in mitigating effects of climate change was highlighted Friday at the climate conference currently taking place in Copenhagen. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released a report Dec. 11 urging that buildings be considered as a major component of any strategy concerning emissions reduction.

UNEP’s report, “Buildings and Climate Change – Summary for Decision Makers,” emphasizes that buildings are an area of great potential to impact climate change. The report is a result of three years of study by the UNEP Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative (SBCI), a think tank and partnership between the United Nations and leading companies and organizations in the building sector.

Buildings account for more than 30 percent of worldwide energy use. Fortunately, buildings present vast opportunities to reduce energy consumption and related greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, buildings generate the equivalent of 8.6 billion tons of CO2 a year, according to the report, and this amount is expected to nearly double over the next two decades. Population growth and urbanization are cited as the impetus for new construction growth.

For example, new construction in China over the next ten years will be so prolific that it will equal the size of all existing buildings in the United States, the report says. Investment in new buildings is also expected in South Africa. UNEP warns booms like these will likely double the amount of pollution associated with energy use in buildings.

Along with the report, the climate summit served as the debut of SBCI’s global Common Carbon Metric for Buildings to measure energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions of buildings. The new metrics were created in conjunction with the International Energy Agency, International Standardization organization, World Green Building Council, International Initiative for the Sustainable Built Environment and Sustainable Buildings Alliance as well as private sector companies and associations.

This information adapted from greenandsave.com News

Green Home Trends


Green Home Trends: Ten Ways to Make your Home Greener…  A nice overview and links for ten new products; smokeless, portable indoor/outdoor fireplace, biodegradable furniture, home composting systems, new light emitting strips, water conserving plant and lawn systems and more.

http://www.realtor.org/rmohome_and_design/articles/2009/0902_househome_greener