For more information on how to save money and LEED call Bryan Lauer at 813.363.0861.

• Office Buildings
• Hospitals
• Hotels
• High-rise apartments/condo’s
• Government Buildings
• Retail Buildings

Benefits:

• Reduce Operating Expenditures (Electric & Water), Increase NOI
• Increase Building Equipment Efficiency and Longevity
• Increase Marketability
• Increase Occupancy Rate (if applicable)
• Increase Rental Rates (if applicable)
• Increase Sales Price
• Implement best management practices
• Increase Recycling Program
• Improve Building Operations
• Improve Indoor Air Quality Environment
• Utilize “Green”, environmentally friendly products

Mission Statement – To service building owners in reducing operating expenses, increasing marketing efforts and improving indoor and outdoor environments creating a healthier/sustainable workplace through LEED Certification.

Vision Statement – Preserve the World, one building at a time.

The following office buildings are past and current LEED EB projects:

These projects represent over 2 million square feet of Class A office space!

We can work on a project anywhere in the World.  How?  Technology.  We only need to visit the site a couple times, if at all!

For more information on LEED Consulting Services for Existing Buildings, please call Bryan Lauer at 813.363.0861 or blauer123@hotmail.com

The average person uses 100 gallons of water every day!  Do your part – save, be sustainable, act green, go green!

I hope everyone takes a moment to reflect on Mother Earth and how you treat Her.

Please be environmentally sensitive.

COMMENT to this post AND TELL US WHAT YOU DO TO BE SUSTAINABLE!

“I help existing buildings implement sustainable practices that meet LEED standards throughout Florida.  I’m looking to expand my LEED Certification for Existing Building expertise in hopes of reducing the US office building carbon footprint saving building owners money and much, much more.”

- Bryan Lauer, LEED AP

bblauer@clwrg.com

813.349.8550

In the next ten to twenty years, “electrical contractor” will no longer be a suitable job title for electricians. They will transition into “energy contractors” to support the fast-growing green construction market.

We see this as a coming renaissance in electrical contracting. There has been a revival of interest in the electrical trade as home owners and corporations adopt alternative methods (e.g. solar, wind, etc) to power buildings. What’s driving this? Federal incentives, lower material costs and savings from reduced energy spending.

A study by the American Solar Energy Society projects renewable energy jobs for electricians to grow approximately 900% by 2030, just in the state of Colorado.

To take advantage of upcoming opportunities, electricians will need to “green” their skill-set and re-brand themselves. We’ll share more on this later. First, let’s take a look at the trends driving this change.

Green Construction is on the Rise
According to a 2009 Booz Allen Hamilton study, green construction will skyrocket over the next five years. The report projects green construction to generate $554 billion dollars in GDP, provide $396 billion in labor earnings and support or create over 7.9 million jobs from 2009 to 2013. These figures are way up from the previous 8-year period. From 2000-2008, GDP from green construction was just $173 billion, labor earnings was $123 billion and number of jobs created was 2.4 million.

This growth comes directly from increased demand for green buildings, which is largely driven by cost savings from reduced property operating expenses, and by new regulations from federal legislation (e.g. American Clean Energy and Security Act).

Clearly, environmentally friendly construction affects the architecture engineering construction (AEC) industry collectively. But how will this impact electricians?

Electricians are in High Demand
The growing green construction market will create new demand for electricians. And to keep up with demand, electricians will need to diversify their skill-set. We obviously expect to see electricians working on solar photovoltaic and wind turbine installations, but that’s just the beginning. They’ll work on building retrofits, mass transit and light rail projects, “smart” electrical grid transmission systems and more. Here are a few examples of the unique places we expect electricians to find work:

• Lighting system upgrades – There are an estimated 2.2 million commercial buildings in the U.S. that have antiquated lighting systems (old fixtures, ballasts, lamps and controls). Additionally, all federal buildings are required to switch to Energy Star lighting products by the end of 2013 (in accordance with the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007). Some of these upgrades can be handled by the local maintenance guy, but others will require the expertise and skill of electrical contractors.

• Parking lot electrical outlets – A state bill in Minnesota will require half of new parking facilities to include outlets to charge electric vehicles. Who will install these docking stations? Electricians of course. Members of the Minnesota Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 292 are already preparing to provide labor for these projects. If successful, we expect other states and cities to follow Minnesota’s example.

• Wind turbine manufacturing – According to a report from the American Solar Energy Society (ASES), a typical 250-person wind turbine manufacturing company has two electricians as employees. This isn’t a large number, but it’s an example of the variety of job opportunities available.

• Electric vehicle electricians – Jobs for electricians will also emerge in adjacent industries. For example, electricians will need to be trained in auto mechanics – or auto mechanics will need to be trained in electrical contracting – in order to meet demand for electric vehicle maintenance. And the career outlook is good: electric vehicle electricians make an average of $39-$59 thousand a year.

For additional information on green job opportunities for electricians, check out this article from the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA).

LEED Creates New Opportunities
Projects applying for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) status are growing just as fast as the rest of the green construction market. With many LEED credits being electric- and energy-related, electricians will have an opportunity to win work on these projects. However, they’ll need to get versed on credit requirements, and should even consider becoming a LEED accredited professional (AP). LEED projects get an extra point for having an AP on the job, which could be a selling-point when bidding on jobs.

Here’s a sample of credits that require the knowledge and skill of electricians.

Electricians Must Act Now
With so many opportunities on the horizon, contractors need to make sure they’re ready to win jobs. To get started, they must gain the skills and knowledge to take on green projects. Both the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) offer education programs for green electrical work.

Next, contractors should market and promote their new green credentials. Update your website and other marketing materials, syndicate a press release to trade magazines and local media, and get more exposure online by joining directories (e.g. CalFinder.com) or advertising in search engines.

Finally, update your bidding process to make sure you win those green electrical jobs. You’ll need to bid accurately to ensure job profitability, but competitively to make sure you win the job. This means having up-to-date pricing information on materials and labor. Good electrical estimating software will have specific capabilities to estimate solar panel installations and other types of renewable energy jobs.

Mother Nature is one of, if not the, most destructive force on the planet and this was never more apparent then on January 12th, 2010 when the small island nation of Haiti was leveled by destructive and crippling earthquake. It is of grave importance that we do our best to take care of the Earth that is home to us all or we may find ourselves with such great natural tragedies as the people of Haiti. This is why the Clinton Global Initiative has taken the necessary steps to ensure a better, safer, and cleaner Earth for all of us with one of their many green initiatives of reducing fleet emissions in San Francisco. Machine behind the initiative, Doug Band, has lead the CGI to the forefront of international aid and philanthropy since its inception in 2005.  Their sights are set on preventing global warming from becoming a complete natural disaster, and this starts in the San Francisco bay area.

The CGI realizes that CO2 emissions that are being discharged into the San Fran atmosphere could be considerably cut down by changing the current route method for San Fran vehicle fleets. Luckily, the CGI has came up with a solution that both makes public service and fuel consumption more efficient in the area. Route optimization can not only help organize work assignments into real street time rather than a grid system, but also can be enhanced to minimize CO2 emissions by suggesting an optimized stop sequence for the fleets rather than leaving it up to the driver alone. This, the CGI feels, will not only help cut emissions in the San Francisco area but will ensure that a place that is very familiar with natural disasters helps prevent an even graver one from occurring.  To learn more about the practice areas of the CGI, including all green efforts, click here

February 8th, 2010

The following go-green water-saving tips are taken from various sources including myself.  A couple great references are the US EPA and WaterPilgrim

• Fix leaks immediately!
• Only run dish washer when full
• Take showers not baths
• Buy a 0.5 gallon per minute (gpm) aerators ($5) to retrofit your faucets
• Buy 1.0 gpm shower heads
• Buy Energy Star Washer/Dryer and Dish Washer
• Take short showers and only when needed

Reduce your Carbon Footprint – don’t drive as much.

• Do not drive as much.  Only drive when necessary.  Turn your car off when waiting.
• Wait to run errands all at one time
• Ask your employer if you can work from home once or twice/week
• Carpool
• Begin purchasing Energy Efficient household items such as:  Light Bulbs, Washer/Dryer, Refrigerator, etc.
• Recycle
• Don’t purchase water bottles, use cups and reuse
• Don’t purchase as much to reduce your waste production

Currently the parts per million of CO2 is at record highs at 390 ppm.  The threshold (360ppm) was surpassed and if changes aren’t made soon it won’t be very good for any of us.

People always want what’s best for their loved ones. One of the best gifts to give is preserving the environment we live in for our loved ones.

i’m in love with the girl of my dreams.  I try my hardest to do what’s right, including preserving vital resources that are necessary for existence.  doing small tasks like recycling, using less water, not turning on lights, etc. all make a difference.  How? It takes a conscious effort and lifestyle changes that we all can do.

Help the people that won’t be born for another 100 years by doing your part now.  You can and will make a difference and every little bit helps.  For more information click here – http://www.GoGreenCommercially.com/2010-challenge/

Please let me know what you are doing in making this a better world for you and everyone else

For years, both commercial and residential property managers have adhered to a fixed set of job responsibilities – collecting rent, coordinating maintenance requests, renewing leases and attracting new residents.

One more job responsibility – managing and forecasting a building’s carbon footprint – should be added, according to Ross Sharman, director of Australia-based Knowledge Global and Oracle Magazine’s 2009 Green IT Architect of the Year.

Sharman and Knowledge Global, a sustainability consultancy, have created a comprehensive, automated environmental monitoring system for buildings called EMMA (Environmental Management Solution). The EMMA system is a solution for property owners and managers who want to measure, track and forecast exactly how much energy a building is using/losing, while simultaneously educating their tenants about their carbon output.

The EMMA system gathers environmental data from a variety of electronic monitors inside and outside of a building. This data is aggregated by a variety of software applications and displayed in a digital user interface. The information provides an ongoing snapshot of the “health” of the building.

Metrics the EMMA system measures and how they are tracked include:

• Gas, water, electricity use, waste and weather information through the monitoring of meters
• Human traffic through security systems and thermal imaging technology similar to what shopping centers use
• Occupant demographics through tenant profiling and human resources
• Building space through floor plans and tenant agreements
• Well-being of occupants through online surveys

There are a handful of services out there that monitor building energy use but none of them modify behavior like the EMMA system does.

The EMMA monitor in the lobby of buildings displays energy use by floor, room and even by tenant. This makes it easy to organize competitions that motivate tenants to reduce the amount of energy they are using.

EMMA’s wireless “eggs” are another visual incentive for reducing tenants’ carbon footprint.  These egg-shaped devices sit throughout a building – in common areas and on each floor, for example – and glow red or green as energy use fluctuates against the optimal forecast. This constant reminder about energy use encourages tenants to use less, or at least, makes them aware of energy use in areas they may have not even thought about before.

You can read more about EMMA here.

Chris Thorman contributed this post. He blogs at Software Advice.“

We need to preserve our planet for future generations.

How do you save water and energy?

How to save water:

• Invest in low-flow items or aerators (water-reducing devices – they are cheap) for:  faucets, shower-heads, toilets
• Turn shower off when scrubbing your body with soap.  If you do this every time you take a shower and you take an average of 1.25 showers/day you will save an estimated 1,003.74 gallons/year (2.2gpm flow rate * 1.25*365)! If 10% of America (30.8 million) committed to this challenge we would save thirty billion eight hundred ninety-two million four thousand
• Do not flush the toilet after you pee; wait 1 or 3 other times; this will save an estimated 803 – 2409 gallons/year.  If 10% of America committed to this challenge we would save twenty-four billion seven hundred thirty-two million four hundred thousand to seventy-four billion one hundred ninety-seven million two hundred thousand gallons of water/year.
• Combined water challenges would save $50-150/year for a combined total of one billion five hundred forty million to four billion six hundred twenty million dollars

How to save Energy

• Turn everything off, including A/C, and unplug appliances.  This could save 10% of your electric bill/year or 6.34205796 billion U.S. dollars if 10% of Americans took the 2010 Challenge d/b/a Project Preserve

• There is going to be an estimated 30,000 people in attendance
• Al Gore is the opening speaker
• Thousands of vendor booths on:  renewable energy, environmentally friendly products and so much more

The credit points now have the following scale:  Certified – 40 – 49, Silver – 50 – 59, Gold – 60 – 79, Platinum – 80 – 110.  Although there are more points to be had, to achieve certification requires achieving more points than the EBOM version (32).

There is also a new version of LEED Online.  I used it today for the first time registering a project in Coral Gables.  Although different, it seems to be more user friendly once used to the formatting.  The submittal templates are also modified from the previous version making it more cumbersome.

In conclusion I believe the USGBC and GBCI need to stick with the same version of LEEDOnline and the Submittal Templates in order for people to be efficient and effective.  Changing these every year or two makes it much more difficult for LEED AP’s to master.

What would you do if your home was slowly disappearing?

These natives have taken a valiant step by suing energy companies such as Exxon, Shell, BP and many others for their impact on Global Warming.

But why is it the energy companies are the ones at fault?  Isn’t every person who drives a car or uses oil/gas at fault?  When a person is shot and killed by a gun, the person’s family isn’t suing the gun maker, they are suing the person at fault.  Same should go with global warming – it’s the individuals, companies, governments who are consuming the oil/gas that should be at fault.

What are your thoughts???  Comment on this article…

To find out more about LEED 2009, please visit the GBCI website at www.gbci.org

The average person uses 100 Gallons of water every day!

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that 36 states anticipate some degree of water shortage by 2013!

a faucet with a leakage rate of 1 drip/second wastes around 3,000 gallons of water/year.

DO YOUR PART -

THINK GREEN.  ACT GREEN.  BE GREEN.  GO GREEN.

Now think about how much water and other essentials you waste everyday…

find captivating green facts here – http://www.GoGreenCommercially.com/go-green-facts/

Downtown Tampa’s tallest building just got “taller”

As a result of nearly a year-long team effort by staff personnel of CLW Real Estate Services Group and Sustainable Services, 100 North Tampa, the 42 story, 552,080 sq. ft. office tower in downtown Tampa was recently awarded the United States’ Green Building Council’s LEED-EB (Existing Building) Silver Certification designation.  This prestigious certification is awarded only to those properties that meet numerous, stringent prerequisites and credit requirements established by the non-profit USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification program.

As stated by the USGBC, “The LEED Green Building Rating System for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance is a set of performance standards for certifying the operations and maintenance of existing commercial or institutional buildings and high-rise residential buildings of all sizes, both public and private.  The intent is to promote high-performance, healthful, durable, affordable, and environmentally sound practices in existing buildings.”

Bryan Lauer, LEED AP and Project Manager for the project said, “This 12-month LEED certification process fine-tuned 100 North Tampa’s operations and maintenance, resulting in an even more effective and efficient building for existing and future tenants”.

Cal Buikema, Sr. Property Manager of 100 North Tampa and Project Team Administrator for this LEED certification process added, “We are ecstatic to have achieved this Silver certification designation, as it truly sets 100 North Tampa apart as a leader in practicing ‘green’ building initiatives. 100 North Tampa is now the first Class A office building in Tampa’s central business district to have achieved LEED certification”.

Mr. Buikema further stated, “Typically, LEED Certified buildings save energy, use less water, have better indoor air quality, have expanded material recycling programs, implement green cleaning programs, use more environmentally-friendly products and materials and conduct other innovative operational initiatives adding to enhanced occupant comfort levels. In achieving Silver certification status, 100 North Tampa has demonstrated its high level of participation in all of these practices”.

More detailed information on 100 North Tampa’s achievement can be found on Bryan Lauer’s blog at www.GoGreenCommercially.com and typing in 100 North Tampa in the search bar at the top.

CLW is a full service commercial real estate firm based in Tampa, FL.  To find out more about CLW, visit their website at www.CLWRG.com

Sustainable Services is a consulting firm specializing in LEED Certification for Existing Buildings.  For more information about Sustainable Services call Bryan Lauer at 813.349.8550.

think about that…

Think green, act green, be green

The following project was completed by Sustainable Services, a boutique LEED Certification company specializing in Existing Buildings.  To inquire on LEED Certifying your building, please contact Bryan Lauer at 813.349.8550 or bblauer@clwrg.com

Tampa’s tallest building just got “taller”

100 North Tampa recently received LEED Silver Certification from the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) on October 19, 2009!  The results come from a year long effort by the staff of CLW Real Estate Services Group, lead by Calvin Buikema, and Sustainable Services, lead by Bryan Lauer, LEED AP.

The LEED (Existing Building) Certification entails all aspects of building management, operations and maintenance.  The LEED process “fine-tuned” building operations and maintenance enabling a more effective and efficient building.

The following are the results of a 12-month process.

Major Highlights

• 9 pre-requisites to qualify for LEED (EBOM) Certification were attempted
• 48 out of 52 Credit points were achieved – a Silver Rating
  • 2 Sustainable Sites (SS)
  • 9 Water Efficiency (WE)
  • 13 Energy & Atmosphere (EA)
  • 7 Materials & Resources (MR)
  • 10 Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
  • 7 Innovation in Operation (IO)
• The LEED team implemented no-cost/low-cost energy efficient strategies with very significant projected savings.
• The LEED team has developed an energy-efficient capital improvement plan for lighting retrofits and HVAC improvements.
• With building owner approval, the LEED Team retrofit – 140 toilets, 173 faucets and 14 shower-heads.
• Management improved the cooling tower operation and resulted in saving an estimated 1.1 million gallons of water and $7,300 per year!  The project cost was $11,000.
• Management discontinued irrigating the landscape as the plants are well established and native.  This will save an estimated 26,728 gallons of water per year and average savings of $102 per year over 10 years.
• Increased the property’s recycling program and now track the amount of materials leaving the building (outlined below).  The site generated 311,165 pounds of ongoing consumable waste of which 228,905 pounds (74%) were recycled during our performance period (3/1/09-5/31/09).
• The LEED Team created the following policies/procedures to ensure best management practices and the use of sustainable products:
  • Building Exterior and Hardscape Management Policy
  • Integrated Pest Management, Erosion Control, and Landscape Management Policy
  • Sustainable Purchasing Policy (Facility Alterations & Additions)
  • Solid Waste Management Policy (Ongoing Consumables, Durable Goods and Facility Alterations & Additions)
  • Light-bulb Purchasing Policy – to reduce the amount of mercury-containing light bulbs onsite
  • Green Cleaning Policy
  • Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Management procedures
  • High Performance Cleaning policy
  • Indoor Integrated Pest Management policy
• Management now has the following tracked and documented:
  • Light bulb purchases – to verify our goal of averaging 70 picograms per lumen-hour (mercury) or less
  • Ongoing Consumables – to verify and compare the amounts going to the landfill and amounts being recycled
  • Durable Goods – to verify all durable goods leaving the site are properly disposed of
  • Facility Alterations & Additions – to verify our contractor’s purchase at least 50% sustainable products and divert at least 70% of waste generated during build-outs/improvements
  • Cleaning products – to verify our goal of purchasing at least 90% sustainable products
  • Cleaning Equipment – to verify our goal of purchasing sustainable equipment from now on.  Currently, over 30% of our cleaning equipment is sustainable
  • Pest Management products – to ensure environmentally-friendly products are used within the building
• The LEED Team conducted a Waste Stream Audit to better understand the buildings waste streams.  The results conclude that building occupants, for the most part, properly dispose of “waste”.  (this credit was not earned even though attempted).
• The LEED Team conducted a 10-question Occupant Comfort Survey.  334 building occupants (30.6%) filled out the survey with over 75% either “Neutral”, “Satisfied”, “Mostly Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” on all 10 questions.
• The LEED Team conducted a Custodial Effectiveness Assessment that audited:  office space, restrooms, corridors and lobby.  The average score was 1.18 – nearly perfect with 1 being the best and 5 being the lowest.

In conclusion, the LEED Certification process was a great success.

• The building is running efficiently and effectively
• The building occupants are satisfied
• Management implements best practices
• Vendors are utilizing environmentally-friendly products

For more detailed information, go to www.GoGreenCommercially.com and type in “100 North Tampa” in the websites search-bar at the top right of the site.

Our cost-effective process produces the following benefits for building owners:

• Reduce Operating Expenses
• Increase Marketability
• Increase Occupancy Rate
• Increase Rental Rate
• Increase Sales Price
• Increase Recycling
• Improve Building Operations
• Improve Indoor Air Quality
• Improve Occupant Comfort
• Utilize “Green”, environmentally-friendly products

The first project undertaken was a 42 story, 550,000 square foot office high-rise in downtown Tampa (100 North Tampa Street).  

For more information, please contact Bryan Lauer at 813.349.8550 or blauer123@hotmail.com

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.

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.

 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

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

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

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.