GO GREEN

This article was written by Houston Neal

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.

First and foremost, happy New Year!  Now let’s make a change, starting now in January 2010.

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

This article was written by Chris Thorman.

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.“

LEED 2009 for Existing Buildings is the latest version the USGBC and GBCI have developed for existing buildings and is called Green Buildings Operations and Maintenance (GBOM).  The content within the reference guide is slightly different than the previous version – Existing Buildings Operation and Maintenance (EBOM), however, the credit points have changed significantly while the pre-requisites have stayed the same.

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 seems to be the first major casualty of Global Warming, Kivalina, the Alaskan island home to roughly 400, is loosing shoreline at an alarming rate.  Natives mount the seawall with sandbags as a last effort to save their home, and, unfortunately, this isn’t helping.

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…

LEED as we know it has been ever-changing.  In Dec. 2008 I passed the LEED EBv2, the LEED EBOM version came out in Aug. 2008, and now the latest version of Existing Buildings – Green Buildings:  Operations & Maintenance, is out to be used.  I would bet that an updated version comes out by Dec 2010.  Although this can be frustrating, the GBCI and USGBC are making the LEED process easier and improve the program(s).

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

Think about how your great great grandkids need water and other essentials to live. ..

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/

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.

Sustainable Services is an LLC specializing in converting Existing Buildings into LEED Certified buildings.  We are a boutique firm based out of Tampa, FL.  We have the capacity to work anywhere around the country.  We are relationship driven and treat each client as if there were our only client.

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

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

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?

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

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.

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

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.

LEED Certification is the process of converting or developing a structure into a sustainable, energy efficient building by implementing best practices when compared to the norm.  The LEED process entails the entire building operations and maintenance systems.   Policies and procedures are created to evaluate performance from a whole-building operations perspective over its lifetime enabling a standard for what a green building is.

There are 5 categories under LEED:  Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources and Environmental Quality.  Innovation in Operations is another category which builds off the 5 main categories.

Under the 5 LEED Categories are certain pre-requisites and credit requirements.  All pre-requisites must be completed and a minimum number of credits must also be completed in order to become LEED certified.  There are different levels of LEED Certification:  Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum.  To become LEED Certified you must obtain at least 34 points (up to 42), Silver 43-50, Gold 51-67 and Platinum is 68-92.

Benefits

LEED Certified structures significantly reduce environmental impacts through high-performance, market-leading design, construction, and operations practices.  Implementing LEED green building design has additional benefits such as reduced operating costs (energy and water use efficient), increased marketability, better indoor air quality which studies show to increase worker productivity levels, healthier environment and reduce potential liability.  LEED Certified buildings save 10-50% in electricity cost, use less water, and recycle more compared to the norm.  

LEED Certification is comprehensive in scope but simple once in-place.  To learn more go to the LEED page on this site.  If you have questions you can email me, Bryan Lauer, at blauer123@hotmail.com