GO GREEN

This article was written by Mark Hannah with the Moffitt Corportation.

Moffitt Corporation is the Global Leader in Gravity Ventilation since 1961.  Gravity ventilation also known as natural ventilation is using physics to allow heat to rise and escape from the building, others also call this process a stack effect.  The problem with many facilities is that there is not an effective process of heat removal.  Moffitt provides several products that allows for ventilation naturally.

Other ventilation companies often use motor-powered fans to relieve the building of heat and smoke.  This is ineffective in more ways than one.  Fans are only able to pull air out that is within one fan diameter.  That means the heat or smoke won’t be moved until it utilizes gravity’s force to rise towards that fan.  Secondly, fan motors add costs and maintenance that natural ventilators do not.  An estimated $400 is spent per horsepower per year.  That means a single five horsepower motor will end up costing $2,000 in operation alone using electricity.  That is if the motor runs perfectly all year and no additional maintenance is required.

Natural Ventilators once installed require no maintenance.  No hazards of maintenance men climbing up to the roof for repair.  These ventilators keep buildings weather tight allowing no rain or snow in.  The ventilators effectively remove heat and smoke providing worker comfort and cleaner air while having a longer life than a fan.

Moffitt provides a whole line of natural ventilators including our continuous relief ventilator, the Labyrinth and the GreenRoo^®.  Moffitt also provides free ventilation design as well as full turn-key solutions from manufacturing of products to project installation.  The benefits as well as savings are endless:

• No energy consumed
• No maintenance
• No sound
• No operational cost
• Long life span

Reduce your carbon footprint by contacting Moffitt today to greatly reduce your ventilation costs.  Call 1-(800) 474-3267 or mhannah@moffitthvac.com.

See us on the web @ www.moffitthvac.com or follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/moffitthvac.

The following is taken from a study conducted by Elizabeth Svoboda, with additional reporting by Eric Mika and Saba Berhie, called America’s 50 Greenest Cities

Have you ever wondered what the “greenest” cities in the US were?  The following rank of green cities is based on Electricity (E), Transportation (T), Green Living (G), Recycling and green perspective (R).  Electricity (10 points) is based on renewable energy use; Transportation (10 points) is based on commuters who take public transportation or carpool, air quality is also a factor; Green Living (5 points) is based on the number of USGBC LEED Certified buildings and green space (parks & preserves); Recycling & Green Perspective (5 points) is a measure of a city’s recycling program and citizens consideration for the environment.

1. Portland, OR - E – 7.1; T – 6.4; G – 4.8; R – 4.8

2. San Fransisco, CA – E – 6.8; T – 8.8; G – 3.5; R – 3.9

3. Boston, MA – E – 5.7; T – 8.7; G – 3.4; R – 4.9

4. Oakland, CA – E – 7; T – 7.5; G – 3.1; R – 4.9

5. Eugene, OR – E – 10; T – 4.7; G – 2.9; R – 4.8

6. Cambridge, MA – E – 6.1; T – 7.5; G – 3.9; R – 4.7

7. Berkeley, CA – E – 6.2; T – 8.4; G – 2.9; R – 4.7

8. Seattle, WA – E – 6.2; T – 7.3; G – 4.7; R – 3.9

9. Chicago, IL – E – 5.4; T – 7.3; G – 5.0; R – 3.6

10. Austin, TX - E – 6.9; T – 5.9; G – 3.3; R – 4.9

11. Minneapolis, MN – E – 7.8; T – 7.4; G – 2.8; R – 2.3

12. St. Paul, MN – E – 8; T – 4.0; G – 3.5; R – 4.7

13. Sunnyvale, CA – E – 7.3; T – 6.8; G – 2.2; R – 3.6

14. Honolulu, HA – E – 6.0; T – 7.8; G – 2.6; R – 3.5

15. Fort Worth, TX – E – 8.3; T – 4.6; G – 2.4; R – 4.4

16. Albuquerque, NM – E – 7.6; T – 5.5; G – 2.4; R – 3.6

17. Syracuse, NY – E – 7; T – 4.9; G – 2.6; R – 4.4

18. Huntsville, AL – E – 6.2; T – 4.1; G – 3.6; R – 4.5

19. Denver, CO – E – 5.9; T – 5.2; G – 3; R – 4.1

20 New York, NY – E – 2.8; T – 10; G – 3.4; R – 2

21. Irvine, CA – E – 4.2; T – 6.8; G – 2.9; R – 4.2

22. Milwaukee, WI – E – 5; T – 4.9; G – 3.1; R – 4.3

23. Santa Rosa, CA – E – 7; T – 3.4; G – 2.4; $ – 4.4

24. Ann Arbor, MI - E – 4.6; T – 4.8; G – 2.9; R – 4.9

25. Lexington, KY – E – 5.9; T – 3.6; G – 2.3; R – 5

26. Tulsa, OK - E – 5; T – 3.9; G – 3.4; R – 4.4

27. Rochester, NY – E – 4.5; T – 4.4; G – 3.1; R – 4.1

28. Riverside, CA – E – 7.5; T – 3.1; G – 2.1; R – 3.3

29. Springfield, IL - E – 5.3; T – 3; G – 3.2; R – 4.2

30. Alexandra, VA – E – 2.7; T – 6.3; G – 3.1; R – 3.6

The article being reviewed was written by Joann Gonchar, AIA

If you have yet to hear about “cap and trade”, prepare yourself, as our Government has approved a bill known as the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES).  This bill will establish a type of “cap and trade” method which sets limits on greenhouse-gas emissions (carbon dioxide and 5 additional heat-trapping gases).  This bill was created for the purpose of reducing emissions 3% from 2005 levels by 2012.  ”The required reductions would surge up to 17 percent by 2020, and to 83 percent by mid-century.”

Refining sources, utilities, and other industrial sources of greenhouse gas emissions is who the bill would apply to.  The bill would not be directed toward individual commercial buildings.

What does all this mean?  It means the government is trying to save the world by reducing the deadly affects carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases cause.  To learn more about these deadly gases click here: Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

GreenSource Magazine

This article was written by Michael Hartzog with The Murray Company.

So What Makes Green Construction?

LEED Gold Certified – Tui Marine International Headquarters

The construction process can contribute significantly to achieving points in the LEED rating system.  For the Tui Marine International Headquarters, the strategies used in the construction process were directly responsible for pursuing 14 points, which pushed the project total to 40 points and a LEED Gold certification.  Let’s take a look at these LEED credits and the strategy used to achieve them.

“Construction Activity Pollution Prevention” – The LEED intent is to reduce pollution from construction activities by controlling soil erosion, waterway sedimentation and airborne dust generation.  For this project, an erosion and sediment control plan was created and implemented to ensure compliance with the 2003 EPA Construction General Permit.  The plan included providing a silt fence around the construction activities and providing filters around stormwater inlets.

“Fundamental Commissioning and Enhanced Commissioning of the Building Energy Systems” – The LEED intent is to verify that the building’s energy systems are installed, calibrated, and perform according to the owner’s project requirements, basis of design, and construction documents.  For this project, a commissioning authority developed and implemented a commissioning plan for the HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems.  During construction, the plan was applied to review contractor submittals, verify installation, verify performance, develop a systems manual, and verify systems training.

“Construction Waste Management” – The LEED intent is to divert construction and demolition debris from disposal in landfills and incinerators and redirect reusable materials to appropriate sites.  For this project, 83.9% of the construction debris was sent to a recycling location instead of a landfill.  The recycled construction debris included concrete, asphalt, metal, wood, cardboard, plastic, aluminum cans, and paper.  These materials were selected due to the availability of local recycling stations.  For each material, a separate container was provided for collection and storage until full.  The containers included 20-yard dumpsters, 2-yard dumpsters, and trash cans.  All containers were identified with signage to help workers with placing waste in the correct recycling container.  Once the containers were full, the appropriate recycling company was called to take the materials to the appropriate sites.

“Recycled Content” – The LEED intent is to increase demand for building products that incorporate recycled content materials, thereby reducing impacts resulting from extraction and processing of virgin materials.  For this project, the materials used in the building contain a total of 15.0% post-consumer recycled content and 21.9% pre-consumer recycled content.  These materials included concrete, rebar, structural steel, bar joists, metal deck, laminate, roof insulation, caulk, aluminum framing, hollow metal window frames, hollow metal door frames, wood doors, door hardware, glass, drywall, metal studs, wall insulation, sound insulation, ceiling grid, ceiling tile, carpet, floor tile, vinyl wall coverings, and toilet accessories.

“Regional Materials” – The LEED intent is to increase demand for building materials and products that are extracted and manufactured within the region, thereby supporting the use of indigenous resources and reducing the environmental impacts resulting from transportation.  For this project, 17.9% of the materials were manufactured and extracted within 500 miles of the site.  These materials included concrete, drywall, and landscaping.

“Certified Wood” – The LEED intent is to encourage environmentally responsible forest management.  For this project, 75.3% of the wood products used in the building are certified through the Forest Stewardship Council’s Principles and Criteria.  These wood products included mirror frames and solid core wood doors.

“Construction Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Management Plan” – The LEED intent is to reduce indoor air quality problems resulting from the construction process in order to help sustain the comfort and well-being of construction workers and building occupants.  For this project, a Construction IAQ Management Plan was created and implemented during construction to improve the indoor air quality.  The plan included using low-emitting materials, covering all HVAC openings with plastic, placing MERV 8 filters on return air openings, placing MERV 8 filters in HVAC units, using equipment to reduce airborne particulates, using equipment to reduce odors, and using dehumidifiers for moisture control.  The plan also did not allow food, drinks, or smoking in the building.  The plan paid off after construction – and immediately prior to occupancy – as a third party tested and confirmed the concentration levels were acceptable for formaldehyde, particulates (PM-10), total volatile organic compounds, and carbon monoxide.

“Low-Emitting Materials” – The LEED intent is to reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, irritating and/or harmful to the comfort and well-being of installers and occupants.  For this project, all adhesives, sealants, paints, and coatings used in the building met the requirements for VOC levels.  All carpets met the requirements for the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Green Label Plus program.  All composite wood and agrifiber products, such as particleboard, plywood, and door cores, used inside the building did not contain added urea-formaldehyde resins.

“LEED Accredited Professional” – The LEED intent is to support and encourage the design integration required by a LEED project and streamline the application and certification process.  For this project, the project manager for the general contractor was a LEED Accredited Professional.

 A letter from Tony Veal, CEO of Office Support Systems headquartered in Wilsonville, Oregon addressing ways for companies to save money and become a greener organization. If you are looking for ways to save money while  implementing  sustainable practices,  we have these solutions available  through your ink and toner needs.

 At Office Support Systems we are not just eco-talk, we are taking eco-action! When it comes to helping the environment, not only do we currently help hundreds of organizations recycle over 500,000 cartridges a year but we have gone one more step and created the Go Green Brand Print Cartridge. With this latest innovation we now combine Quality Recycled Products with Green Ideology along with a free recycling program that pays you to recycle your empties! Our Print Cartridges are up to 50% off the cost of manufacturers such as Hewlett Packard, Canon, Epson and Lexmark. Here’s the scoop…

For every green laser toner cartridge purchased we donate One Dollar to AmericanForests.org which in turn, plants one tree. For every green inkjet cartridge purchased we donate Fifty Cents  to  AmericanForests.org

Every dollar we donate plants a tree. Now how cool is that?

Green Rewards Program

Every Laser cartridge you send us earns a One Dollar credit toward future purchases. Every Ink Jet cartridge you send us earns Fifty Cents credit toward future purchases. We pay any and all FedEx freight charges to recycle your empties.

At OSS we are Eco Innovators. Not only does our Go Green Brand  ™  keep excess waste like used cartridges out of our planet’s landfills, but we take it to the next level and a tree is planted  for very cartridge used which creates a healthier and more sustainable environment for all of us.

Coupled with a free recycling program that rewards you is a win, win.

Interested In purchasing Green Cartridges for yourself or your organization? That’s wonderful news! Please Contact us at: www.gogreenbrand.com or 800.375.6816

This article note was written by Cristi with Fat Bottom Bags

Hi!

I saw your request on Twitter for articles or information of green businesses and I thought I’d write you a little note and let you know about what I’m doing to help the environment.

I make FatBottomBags!  They are reusable totes bags and backpacks that I make from “disposable” plastic bags and they were born from my desire to do something positive to help the environment. I was concerned about what to do with the plastic shopping bags that I had at home.

I wanted to find a way to put them to good use and keep them out of the waste stream.

I discovered a technique to use them for crochet projects and developed my own pattern for FatBottomBags!

I started small. First I made several bags for my own use. I got a lot of positive feedback about the bags I was using. People seemed excited by the idea that something useful could be created from this wasted resource!

By using my own reusable bags, I stopped collecting so many of those plastic ones so I began to gather them from friends and neighbors to recycle them. And now I am recycling bags for 15 different families!

I wanted to make a difference for the planet and I am! So far FatBottomBags has saved over 3500 plastic shopping bags from entering the waste stream or worse yet winding up in our oceans.

When we all do our small part we really can change the big picture!

Sincerely,

Christi

www.FatBottomBags.com

This article was written by Keith Johnson.

The HighTech Alternative to Traditional Sandbags

Easy and affordable – your best defense in flood control

• Dry weight 14.5 oz. each (sandless sandbag)
• Simply submerge in water for 3 to 5 minutes and bag will inflate to 35 lbs.
• 10 year shelf life
• Can be deployed in a fraction of the time of traditional sandbags.
• Each bag absorbs & contains over 4 gallons of water.

Environmentally Safe

• Biodegradable.  Requires no special disposal.
• Can be burned or buried after use.  Product dissolves naturally in the ground.

Efficient

• Eliminates the material cost, time and manpower required to construct traditional sandbags during a flooding emergency.
• Easy to ship and move.
• All bags weigh the same and are the same size, producing more efficient stacking, requiring less bags.
• The Polymer Gel contained in the bag is more flexible, resulting in a better seal between bags.
• Ready for rapid deployment in minutes, unlike traditional sandbags.
• The sandless sandbag is approximately 1/3 the cost of traditional sandbags.

Multiple uses - Residential Protection, Factory Protection, Critical Infrastructure, Construction Sites and Soil Erosion Protection for Landscaping, Underground Parking Protection, Water Diversion, Water Leaks

July 29, 2009:

LATICRETE has made specifying tile and stone installation materials for projects seeking LEED certification faster and easier than ever before with the launch of the LATICRETE LEED Project Certification Assistant, an innovative online tool that automatically generates all of the information required for LATICRETE products on a specific LEED project. This easy to use online tool quickly produces an Adobe Acrobat file for each LATICRETE product selected stating its VOC content, recycled content, manufacturing location, raw material sources, GREENGUARD for Children & Schools certification, technical data sheets, and a map showing the location of your project with a 500-mile radius circle depicting its relation to LATICRETE manufacturing facilities. The LATICRETE LEED Project Certification Assistant eliminates the time-consuming challenge of obtaining and quantifying the necessary data for LEED-compliant installation materials, producing detailed, accurate information in just a few moments. For LATICRETE product details, simply visit www.laticrete.com and click on “LEED Project Certification Assistant” on the homepage, or click on “Architects” and then “GREEN/LEED.”

“We recognized a need in the industry to provide this type of comprehensive information,” said Art Mintie, LATICRETE Director, Technical Services. “The data that’s provided is necessary for any project seeking LEED certification and we found it extremely time consuming to manually gather the required information. This was driven by a need in the industry as the green building movement continues to grow. Architects, specifiers, installers, distributors, anyone, can have this information in their hand in seconds instead of the weeks it might take otherwise. Having this type of information upfront aids all parties involved in projects seeking LEED certification.”

 LATICRETE International, Inc. is a family owned business dedicated to innovative, high quality tile and stone installation systems. Based in the USA, the 50-plus year old company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers in its field. It’s well known brands LATICRETE®, LATAPOXY® and SpectraLOCK® are manufactured and sold worldwide. USA /Canada: 1.800.243.4788, outside USA: +1.203.393.0010, www.laticrete.com.

Go Green Commercially is a blog filled with useful information on going green, LEED Certification and the USGBC.  Sustainable tips including how to save water, recycle and save money are thoughout this website.

I will post your go green articles!

If there is anything you feel should be included please let me know.

This article was written by Houston Neal with Software Advice.

Given the recent deadline for registering LEED v2.2 projects, we were reminded of a post we wanted to write: how construction project management software can be used to track LEED credits.

Tracking LEED credits requires software functionality similar to that required for more traditional construction project management. Consequently, a few leading vendors have re-purposed their technology to make this possible; others have customers who have developed their own work-arounds.

We expect to see a lot more software development as the number of annual LEED projects continues to grow. In the meantime, we’ve researched what’s available, how it works and how you can benefit from it. Here’s the scoop.

To Start, LEED Requires Strong Document Control

Tracking LEED credits is a document-intensive process. Just ask any experienced LEED Accredited Professional (AP). Submittal documentation includes drawings, receipts, product spec sheets, photos, commission plans and more. Adding to the clutter, numerous project members will access and edit these documents.

Project management software, especially web-based systems, act as a repository for the storage and retrieval of critical project documents. Simply upload a document into the system, then attach it to the appropriate LEED-credit log. From there you can track the history of a document, see every change that has been made and who made it.

EADOC is a web-based system that offers LEED tracking functionality. This example screenshot shows LEED credit details for Indoor Environmental Air Quality (IEQ) 7.1. The page includes information on what materials were used, the project location and status of approval. More importantly, notice the attached submittal and drawing documents. These files provide a paper trail for proof of compliance. Click the image for a closer view.

Tracking Credits with Reports by Category

Here’s another example from Procore, developers of web-based construction project management software. The example below is for Materials and Resources (MR) Credit 2, construction waste management. This credit requires contractors to recycle and/or salvage 50% to 75% of nonhazardous construction debris.

Procore’s LEED detail tracking page includes a brief description of the credit and a table with the requirements. Users can upload related documents (in this case a disposal ticket from the waste management company), then log specific details in each column (weight of material disposed).

Achieving a Single View of LEED Progress

We spoke with Tooey Courtemanche, CEO of Procore, to understand how his system allows users to track progress toward LEED qualification. Using his system, project managers can track credits on a per-project basis. After selecting which LEED version the project is working toward (e.g. v2.1, v2.2 or v3), the software returns a dashboard-view of all credits available.

From here, users can monitor the credits they’re applying for and the corresponding documents. Clicking on a link takes them to the detail tracking page for that credit. Submittals can be emailed, faxed or uploaded into the system, then attached to the credit. This is especially handy for LEED APs and construction managers that need to log files from the field.

When it comes time to apply, all files will be safe and secure in a single place. Users can then generate PDFs to submit to the LEED-Online system.

Additional Benefits

Aside from the aforementioned benefits, project management software can be used to schedule and coordinate important project dates (e.g. commissioning sessions), it can give you a competitive edge to win more LEED projects and it provides the document tracking required to get AP accreditation.

Finally, project management software mitigates risk. There are big financial ramifications if you fall from a gold to silver, or off the podium entirely. As Courtemanche explained to us, “Just as accounting software has become a ‘source of truth’ for financial reporting, project management software is a source of truth for LEED certification.”

Future Potential

In terms of development, we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg. There is great potential for software vendors to create advanced features and functionality to make LEED tracking a less complicated process. Maybe we’ll even see a “click to submit” function for companies to submit electronically to the USGBC.

In the meantime, here are a few of our ideas. Feel free to leave a comment if you have other suggestions.

• Executive dashboard – Shows up-to-date LEED scorecard and latest project activity
• Portfolio roll-up – Ability to look at a “portfolio” view of all past and current LEED projects
• Resource database – Share best practices and case studies with other APs and contractors
• ROI/IRR Analysis – Calculate internal rate of return for a building based on discounted cash flows and investment costs
• Submittal templates – Use templates to generate indoor air quality (IAQ) plans, construction waste management plans, credit interpretation requests (CIR) and other submittals

This article originally published on Software Advice, a website that reviews project management and construction estimating software. Visit: Track LEED v3 Credits in Project Management Software

The following link will direct you to a LEED Silver Certified (Core and Shell) Office Building that I manage in Temple Terrace, FL.

The Intellicenter is a 4 story, 200,000 square foot, brand new office building ready for lease or purchase.

Please click the following link to learn more about this awesome, energy efficient, Green building.

Intellicenter Tampa

http://www.bestgreenblogs.com

This GreenSource article titled above was written by Tristan Roberts and here are my thoughts -

The following quote (from article) makes me laugh:

“Even Britain has received blistering criticism for its slow adoption, which caused projected carbon savings for 2010 to drop by 80%.”!

Isn’t it ironic how British people sound sophisticated yet they are not taking responsibility to protect our environment?  What do all my British friends have to say about this?  Go Green…

The 100 North Tampa LEED team is days away from submitting our LEED (EBOM) application to the USGBC.  We are projected to save 10% ($140k) – 20% ($280k) in energy costs over the next 12 months.  This will also save on GreenHouse Gas emissions.  The following chart is a snap shot from Energy Star

12 Months Ending	Current Total Site Energy Use (kBtu)	Current Direct GHG Emissions (MtCO2e)	Current Indirect GHG Emissions (MtCO2e)	Current Total GHG Emissions (MtCO2e)	Baseline Total GHG Emissions (MtCO2e)	Change from Baseline: GHG Emissions (MtCO2e)
Select Date May 2009 April 2009     (Current) March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006     (Baseline) February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003	44,687,366.92	0.00	7,870.97	7,870.97	8,109.82	-238.85
Select Date May 2009 April 2009     (Current) March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006     (Baseline) February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003	44,969,824.24	0.00	7,920.72	7,920.72	8,109.82	-189.10
Change	282,457.32	0.00	49.75	49.75	0.00	N/A

The Editors of GreenSource discuss the World Business Council’s collaborative viewpoints on Sustainable Development.  the 2050 goal is to reduce building energy use by 77%!

Is that going to happen? – NOT Likely!

Why?  Drastic measures (i.e. – cap and trade, etc.) are essential to meet the goal.

Go Green and discuss your thoughts about this serious issue?

Please click the Go Green Facts link at the top of the website to learn about many interesting Go Green Facts that will help you save money and the earth.

Go Green!

Materials & Resources

MR pre-requisite 1:  Sustainable Purchasing Policy – 100 North Tampa created and implemented a sustainable purchasing policy encouraging tenants to purchase sustainable, environmentally-friendly products. Go Green

MR pre-requisite 2:  Solid Waste Management Policy – 100 North Tampa created and implemented a recycling program for ongoing consumables + durable goods, including:  paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, aluminum, toner cartridges, light bulbs, batteries, monitors, printers, tv’s, fax machines, furniture and metals!

During the performance period (3/1/09 – 5/31/09), the total amount of ongoing consumable waste generate was 311,165 pounds, 228,905 pounds (74%) was recycled:

• 86,074 pounds of paper
• 126,289 pounds of shredded paper
• 11,856 pounds of Cardboard
• 340 pounds of Aluminum
• 2,426 pounds of Glass
• 145 pounds of Plastic
• 1,775 pounds of toner cartridge

Go Green

MR Credit 3:  Sustainable Purchasing – Facility Alterations + Additions – 100 North Tampa purchases at least 50% sustainable materials for facility alterations and additions.  Management agrees with contractors to adhere and provide required documentation.

MR Credits 4.1-4.2:  Sustainable Purchasing – Reduced Mercury in Lamps - 100 North Tampa put a light bulb purchasing plan in place to phase out light bulbs with high mercury content.  CLW Real Estate Services Group (Property Management Co.) goal is to purchase longer lasting, less wattage, lower mercury containing light bulbs to reduce the negative affect on the environment. Go Green.

MR Credit 6: Solid Waste Management – Waste Stream Audit – 100 North Tampa audited ongoing consumable trash to understand the types of “waste” being thrown away.  CLW estimates 30% of “waste” is recyclable material.  CLW then walked individual workstations and wrote notes to those who were not recycling improperly.

MR Credit 7.1-7.2:  Solid Waste Management – Ongoing Consumables – 100 North Tampa’s goal is to recycle at least 50% of ongoing consumables.  Currently 100 North Tampa recycles about 74% of their ongoing consumables.

MR Credit 8:  Solid Waste Management – Durable Goods – 100 North Tampa recycles, reuses or donates every durable good our tenants no longer want/need.  This includes:  printers, monitors, TV’s, VCR’s, fax machines, tables, chairs, desks, etc.

MR Credit 9:  Solid Waste Management – Facility Alterations + Additions – 100 North Tampa’s goal is to recycle at least 70% of facility alterations and additions (build-out work).  This is agreed upon in the contract with whomever is conducting the work.

Go Green

Bryan Lauer, LEED AP

Sustainable Services

813.349.8550

With Barack Obama at the helm as the President of the United States, the American people are witnessing a change from where our energy comes from.  In a recent article Obama wants 25% of energy use coming from alternative energy by 2030.

The Washington Post article Obama Touts Energy Progress President Obama discussed his clean/renewable energy plan near Las Vegas at a military branch.  Our Nation’s goal is to reduce foreign oil use and greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions.

The article by William Branigin states that Nellis Air Force Base has a “collection of more than 72,000 (solar) panels built on 140 acres..$100 million to build, generating about a quarter of the electricity used on base (equivalent to $1 million per year).  

Horrible ROI? Yes

It will reduce “carbon pollution by 24,000 tons a year, the equivalent of removing 4,000 cars from the U.S. highways.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/27/AR2009052702458.html

There are many renewable energy options and the best idea right now is to wait until the technology is better perfected.

 <a href=”http://technorati.com/claim/xfvcfre9ev” rel=”me”>Technorati Profile</a>

xfvcfre9ev

100 North Tampa is hosting the Greater Florida LEGO Group with their replication of Downtown Tampa until Friday, May 29th, 2009.  Visitors are welcome and encouraged to bring kids.

Energy and Atmosphere (EA)

EA pre-requisite 1:  Energy Efficiency Best Management Practices – Planning, Documenting, and Opportunity Assessment - Consists of the ASHRAE Energy Level I Audit, Running Energy Efficient- Infancy, Building Operating Plan (BOP), Systems Narrative, and other valuable information which begins your trek towards sustainable practices and financial savings through LEED Certification.  Go Green!

EA pre-requisite 2:  Minimum Energy Performance – Energy Star rating or comparable method of analysis For further information- www.energystar.gov

EA pre-requisite 3:  Refrigerant Management – Ozone Protection – Measure Air Handling Units (AHUs) and adjust according to ASHRAE Standards.

EA Credit 1:  Optimize Energy Performance – Energy Star Rating or comparable analysis rating.  energystar.gov

EA Credit 2.1:  Existing Building Commissioning – Investigation & Analysis - ASHRAE Energy Level II Audit, Money Saving Ideas for Energy Efficiency- Adolescents.  Idea generating thoughts for energy efficiency are developed to save money, illustrated with cost/benefit analysis.

EA Credit 2.2:  Existing Building Commissioning – Implementation – Begin no cost/low cost building improvement, energy efficient, options.  The genesis of financial benefit realization. 100 North Tampa is estimated to save  3.3 – 8.7% reducing energy consumption equating to $50,000-$130,000 per year! Go Green, LEED Certify your building.

EA Credit 2.3:  Existing Building Commissioning – Ongoing Commissioning – Commissioning plan, commissioning cycle, commissioning task/documentation.  Test and document all building exhaust systems for proper functioning to optimum levels.

EA Credit 5:  Refrigerant Management – Understand, track and record CFC, HCFC type refrigerants and consider replacement with non-CFC/HCFC based refrigerants.

EA Credit 6:  Emission Reduction Reporting – use third party (Energy Star) to track and verify your greenhouse gas emissions and written summary of GHG savings.

I convert existing buildings to become LEED (EBOM) Certified, Save Money and Go Green!

-Bryan Lauer, LEED AP

More case studies here – http://www.GoGreenCommercially.com/?s=leed+case+study&x=0&y=0

The following LEED (EBOM) Case Study will briefly discuss the LEED pre-requisites and credits 100 North Tampa is attempting to submit to the USGBC.  The LEED case study will be broken down into the 6 LEED categories.  Currently we are at the end of our performance period tying up loose ends before application submission.  The LEED (EBOM) process has been a huge success and saving the building money.

Sustainable Sites (SS)

SS Credit 2:  Bldg. Exterior & Hardscape Management Plan - All exterior products used at 100 North Tampa are considered environmentally friendly.  This benefits the environment and reduces harmful chemicals brought on site.

SS Credit 3:  Integrated Pest Management, Erosion Control & Landscape Management – No chemicals are used in pest control and landscaping products.  All products are environmentally friendly benefiting the outdoor environment and reduces harmful chemicals brought on site.

SS Credit 7:  Heat Island Reduction – Non-Roof -100 North Tampa has 14 floors of parking garage space within the buildings site totaling 1.2 spaces per 1,000 square feet.

Water Efficiency (WE)

WE pre-requisite 1:  Minimum Indoor Plumbing Fixture & Fitting Efficiency – 100 North Tampa retrofit toilets, faucets and shower heads with high-efficiency, low-flow products creating an estimated water savings of 1.5Million Gallons per Year saving $12,000/year in water costs!

WE Credit 1.1:  Whole Building Metering – 100 North Tampa has 3 meters which total the entire water usage allowing Management to track water usage patterns. Go Green!

WE Credit 1.2:  Water Performance Measurement – 100 North Tampa has 5 submeters to hone in on how much water each end use is using allowing to develop strategies on ways to reduce the water usage.  1 of our meters tracks the amount of condensate water we capture in our cooling tower that is re-used back into the cooling tower saving an estimate 1.6 Million Gallons/Year!

WE Credits 2.1-2.3:  Indoor Plumbing Fixture & Fitting Efficiency- 10-30% Reduction – 100 North Tampa saves 38% of water compared to the LEED (EBOM) Baseline!  The plumbing fixture & fitting retrofit is how we did this. Go Green.

WE Credits 3.1-3.3:  Water Efficient Landscape – 50-100% Reduction – 100 North Tampa shut down our irrigation system because our landscape consists of native and adaptive plants which are well establish.

WE Credit 4.1:  Cooling Tower Water Management - 100 North Tampa collects condensate water (saving estimate of 1.6 Million Gallons/Year), uses water softener (saving an estimated 1.3 Million Gallons/year) and a TRASAR 3D system to monitor the water’s conductivity for optimal conditions.

Go Green!  Let me help you LEED Certify your building.  Bryan Lauer, LEED AP.  813.349.8550

Other categories to Come…

Below will outline sustainable facts on 100 North Tampa.  100 North Tampa is a LEED (EBOM) Registered Building in Tampa, FL.  100 North Tampa is a42-story,  550,000sf, Class “A” building.  The follow facts are generated from the LEED (EBOM) Certification process.  The LEED (EBOM) Certification process has tremendously helped 100 North Tampa be more sustainable.  Go Green!

Any questions ask Bryan Lauer – bblauer@clwrg.com 813-349-8550. Go Green!

100 North Tampa Facts

Paper

100 North Tampa recycles an average 8.06 tons (70,787 pounds) of paper per month.

Recycling 1 ton of paper saves:

o 17 mature trees

o 7,000 gallons of water

o 3 cubic yards of landfill space

o 2 barrels of oil

o 4,100kw hours of electricity (enough to power a home for 5 months)

· 100 North Tampa recycles an estimated 8.65 tons of ongoing consumables every week.

· 100 North Tampa sends 3.9 Tons of “waste” to the incinerator per month

Water

· 100 North Tampa will save an estimated 3.9 million gallons of water/year with the following strategies:

o Saving 1.5 million gallons of water/year with the recent retrofit of our plumbing fixtures and fittings to high-efficiency, low-flow fixtures.

o Recycling condensate water for the HVAC chiller system saves an estimated 1.3 million gallons of water/year.

o Water softener and a TRASAR 3D system reduce the amount of water needed for the HVAC system saving an estimated 1.1 million gallons of water/year!

· If all US residential homes installed water-efficient appliances, the country would save more than 3 trillion gallons of water & more than $18 billion dollars per year!  (Environmental Protection Agency website http://www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency/water/benefits.htm )

· Each employee uses an estimated 5.5 gallons/work day or 1,430 gallons/work year (260 days).

100 North Tampa Recycles:

· 28 pounds of aluminum/week

· 202 pounds of glass/week

· 12 pounds of plastic/week

Energy

· There are 22,457 light bulbs in our building.

· 100 North Tampa has the prestigious ENERGY STAR award.

· 100 North Tampa is in the top 25% of facilities in the country for energy performance.

· 100 North Tampa’s energy use is 30% less than the national average!

Misc.

· Average of 1,093 occupants and 325 visitors/day.

· The average American will throw away 600 times their weight (90,000lbs/47.5 Tons) in garbage over their lifetime.

· Glass can be recycled forever.

Hand Hygiene Tips

· Wash your hands at least 3 times/day for at least 20 seconds each time.

· Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

· Encourage others to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer.

· Clean your workspace often.

Reduce Pests Tips

1. Keep food service and break rooms thoroughly cleaned during the day. Our cleaning service will thoroughly clean after hours.
2. All food and waste should be kept in airtight containers.
3. Report dripping faucets or leaking pipes.
4. Rinse or isolate empty beverage containers to deter sugar-loving pests.
5. Clean all spills promptly.
6. Eliminate clutter to simplify cleaning and minimize hiding places for pests.

What are YOU going to do when one day you turn on the shower and no water comes out?  Or you turn on the kitchen sink and no water comes out?  Or you turn on your sprinklers and no water comes out?

This could happen in our lifetime if we don’t change the way we WASTE Water.  The average person uses 100 Gallons of Water per DAY!

Currently in Tampa, FL, the City of Tampa implemented stringent water restrictions due to the lack of water in our reservoirs.  We cannot water our lawn, wash our cars, buildings have to maintain higher temperatures (78) due to the massive amounts of water cooling towers use.  

I am all for these restrictions because I would rather drink water than water my lawn or flush a toilet.  Water keeps us alive.  We need water more than anything.  We all need to start being more conscious when using water.  

• Turn the water off when you brush your teeth.
  
• Don’t flush the toilet as much
• Retrofit to Low-Flow, High-Efficiency water fixtures
• Stop Wasting Water!
• Fix leaks
• Go Green
• LEED Certify your building to use less water & energy
• Challenge yourself to use less Water
• Hold yourself accountable
• Think Green

Americans waste more than any country in the world.  We are the leader yet we abuse mother nature like it doesn’t matter.  This is unacceptable behavior and it needs to change, NOW.

-Bryan Lauer, LEED AP

Please vote for myself, Cal Buikema and 100 North Tampa as being in the top 100 people, places, businesses for “Greening” Tampa Bay.

Go to:  www.CLTampa.com/Green – click Green 100, Green Vote

Scroll down to our names, check the box and click Vote.  Thank you!

The following LEED EB O&M case study demonstrates how 100 North Tampa reduced their water usage creating $9-$15,000/year in cost savings. The most efficient and effective way to facilitate/streamline the LEED (EB:  O&M) Certification is to hire a specialized LEED AP.

 -Bryan Lauer, LEED AP.  813.221.7196

100 North Tampa, LEED EB (O&M)- Water Usage & Cost Savings Case Study

Our LEED team started by creating a water use baseline and comparing that to actual water use.  100 North Tampa’s building fixtures (toilets, urinals, faucets, sinks, shower heads) used an estimated 3.1 Million Gallons of Water/Year compared to a 3.2 Million Baseline (160% of UPC Standards).  We upgraded/retrofit our building fixtures (toilets, shower heads, faucets) with high-efficiency, low-flow products, now having an actual water use of 1.7 Million Gallons, saving 1.5 Million Gallons of Water/Year!

• The project cost was $85k.
• In year 8 we recoup the $85k and save $9k, Yr. 9- $15k, Yr. 10- $15k, etc., in water costs.
• 100 North Tampa saves 1.5 Million Gallons of Potable Water/Year (48% water reduction from baseline)
• We exchanged 140 toilets, 173 faucets and 14 showerheads

100 North Tampa is a 42-story, 550,000sf office high-rise in downtown Tampa, managed by CLW Real Estate Services Group  (www.CLWrg.com).  

Built in 1993, 100 North Tampa is the newest, and prestigious, office high-rise in downtown Tampa.  The building is 96% leased and includes amenities such as:  YMCA, concierge, dry-cleaning, newsstand, superior views, superior management, parking garage and auto-detail shop.  

In 2008, 100 North Tampa achieved the well-known ENERGY STAR award and in the top 25% of facilities in the country for energy performance.  The building’s Energy Use is 30% below the national average!

Management’s goal is to reduce our Carbon Footprint as much as possible.  We do this by following the guidelines set forth in the LEED EB:  Operations & Maintenance.  Following these guidelines will not only reduce our Carbon Footprint but will reduce water usage, use environmentally friendly products and recycle more than just paper, plastic, cans and bottles.

Policies and procedures are put in place to be a leader in sustainable practice because we care about our World’s future.

LEED EB:  Operations and Maintenance, aka “LEED EBOM”, is the USGBC’s latest version of the Existing Building (EB) guidelines for LEED Certification.  LEED EBOM has more credits and less Pre-Requisites compared to the 2.0 Version making LEED “EBOM” easier to obtain LEED Certification.

Obtaining LEED EBOM Certification is a process that can take anywhere from 5 months to 1 year.  Hiring a LEED AP with LEED Existing Building experience is the best way to streamline the LEED Certification process.

I am currently undergoing LEED EBOM Certification for a 550,000sf office high-rise in Tampa, FL.  As of today, 3/30/09, we are well on our way of becoming LEED Certified.

To find out more about converting your building (office, industrial, residential, retail, school/university, hospital) into a LEED (EBOM) Certified, please contact Bryan Lauer, LEED AP, directly at 813.349.8550 or bblauer@clwrg.com

Check out the latest facts on my Green Facts Page:

Recycling Facts Sheet

 (http://www.oberlin.edu/recycle/facts.html)

Paper

·      Recycling 1 Ton of paper saves:

o    17 mature trees,

o   7,000 Gallons/Water

o   3 cubic yards of landfill space

o   2 barrels of oil, and

o   4,100 kw hours/electricicy (enough energy to power a home for 5 months)

·      More than 56% of paper consumed in the US in ’07 was recycled.  That equals 360/lbs for each person in the Country. http://www.paperrecycles.org/paper_environment/index.html

·      400 paper mills use recovered materials for their paper producing process

·      We each use roughly one 100ft tree by way of paper and wood products/year

Water

·      If all US residential homes installed water-efficient appliances, the country would save more than 3 Trillion Gallons of water and more than $18 Billion dollars per year!

·      If 1 out of every 100 residential homes converted to water-efficient fixtures, we would roughly save 100 Million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and 80,000 TONS of GHG (GreenHouse Gas Emissions).  That’s roughly taking 15,000 vehicles from the road for 1 year!

·      If your toilet is from 1992 or earlier you probably have an inefficient model using 3.5-6 Gallons/flush.  Now you can install 1.3 Gallons/flush OR Zero-Gallons/flush.

·      Faucets generally flow 2 Gallons/Minute. Save 8 Gallons/Day (240/month) by turning it off while brushing your teeth.

·      Americans use an average of 100 gallons of water each day

·      Surveys have showed 36 states anticipate water shortages by 2013

·      56 billion kilowatt-hours per year- the amount of electricity consumed by public water supplying and treating facilities

·      5 minutes of a running faucet equals roughly a 14 hour run time of a 60-watt light bulb

·      Bath= 70 Gallons/Water; Shower= up to 30 Gallons/Water (get a high-efficiency shower-head.

·      Outdated washing machines use about 40 Gallons/load; high-efficient models use less than 28 Gallons/load

Aluminum

·      Recycling aluminum saves roughly 95% of the energy needed to produce new aluminum from raw materials.  Energy saved by recycling 1 Ton equals the amount of energy the average American home consumes over a 10 year period! Keep America Beautiful

·      Americans throw away enough aluminum they could rebuild our commercial air fleet in 1 Month!

·      Recycling tin and steel saves 74% of energy used to produce virgin steel.

·      100 Million- Amount of cans used/day

·      Americans could supply the nation’s automakers on a continuous basis with the amount of iron and steel they throw out

·      More than 50% of cans are recycled

Glass

·      In 1994 if all glass bottles/jars were laid end to end it would reach the moon and half way back to earth.

·      Glass can be recycled forever.

General Garbage

·      The Average American will throw 600 times their weight (90,000 lbs/47.5 Tons of trash) in garbage over their lifetime.

The cover on the March issue of National Geographic has the headline “Energy Conservation, it starts at home”.  The article is a case study of a household’s goal to reduce their carbon footprint by 80%.  This article explains how households can Go Green and Save up to 60% of their electricity cost by using best practices.  

Some of the best practices used are:

• Make sure your house is not leaking air;
• Turn A/C off;
• Open windows to get fresh air;
• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs; and 
• Reduce car usage.

“The average US Household uses 150 pounds of CO2 per day… that’s more than twice the European average.”

You can view this article at:  http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/03/energy-conservation/miller-text

Do your part, Go Green, Save Money and Save the World. 

-Bryan Lauer, LEED AP

A LEED AP is a person who possesses the knowledge and skills necessary to pass the exam administered by the Green Building Council Institute (GBCI).  LEED AP’s can facilitate and streamline the LEED Certification process.  LEED AP has a universal meaning, however, you should be cautious when hiring a LEED AP.

Understanding the LEED AP’s experience and expertise is essential when hiring.  Hiring the right LEED AP to certify your building/project can be very beneficial.  LEED AP’s can facilitate and streamline the LEED Certification process.

I am a LEED AP and currently undergoing LEED Certification for a 550,000 square foot office high-rise in downtown Tampa.  To find out more about LEED Certification please view the LEED page at the top of the website or feel free to contact me at 813.363.0861.  

-Bryan Lauer, LEED AP

LEED is the national accepted benchmark for sustainable practices and a third party certification program.  LEED gives owners the tools necessary to measure your buildings performance.  To find out more go to the LEED page at the top of the site.

LEED is ever-growing today as there are many different projects striving to attain this relatively new designation.  There are 6 types of LEED projects:  LEED EB (Existing Buildings), LEED NC (New Construction), LEED CI (Commercial Interiors), LEED CS (Core & Shell), LEED for Schools, Retail & Healthcare and LEED for Homes/Neighborhood Development (in pilot).

Under the 6 LEED types, there are 6 categories:  Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation in Operations.

LEED and the USGBC are continuously growing and developing better sustainable practices to base their standards.  Please view the LEED page on this website, located at the top.

Watch the Video

Example - Use for yourself and Download the spreadsheet here: http://www.productdose.com/article.php?article_id=1142

                                                      Incandescent               CFL               LED

life span (in hours)  …………. 1500      ………….   10,000   ….. 60,000

Watts                                                60                                14                   6

Cost                ………….             $1.345      ………..    $2.98   …..   $54.95

KWh used over 60K hrs       3600                    840                360

Electricity Cost    ………..      $821.72   …….   $191.73  …..  $82.17

         Savings                                  0                         $629.99        $739.55

Bulbs for 60k hours usage ………  40          ……….        6       ……     1         

Equivalent bulb expense            $53.80                 $17.88            $54.95

60k hr. lighting spend  ……… $875.52    ……   $209.61  …..  $137.12

In my opinion, LED lights are #1, CFL #2, Incandescent = Out of business.

Go Green and Save Money by switching to LED bulbs and benefiting financially from improved technology.  There are so many benefits from switching it’s a blessing.  Go Green!