You're Invited! Halloween Party after NEU Energy Conference

By Derek Newberry, Advocacy Fellow

The leaves across New England are changing colors, but Boston's buildings are as green as ever. Come learn about the advancements in energy efficiency and celebrate the industry's accomplishments at our USGBC Chapter's Annual Halloween Costume Party! This year, the festivities will follow the Northeastern University Energy Conference.

Buy event tickets here.

Please come dressed in a costume. We encourage all party-goers to combine their industry expertise and creative spirits by following the optional costume theme of TRENDS IN GREEN DESIGN.

Join the next generation of building energy engineers and accomplished panel speakers for Halloween festivities after the event.

  • WHO: Green Building Industry Professionals
  • WHAT: USGBC Halloween Party
  • WHEN: October 30th, 4:00-6:00 PM 
  • WHERE: 346 Huntington Ave. Boston, MA 02115

See you there!

Remember last year?




 

Day of Service – Madison Park

By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager


In celebration of Green Apple Day of Service, local NORESCO employees partnered with Boston Public Schools to bring energy conservation, appliance energy usage and building energy technologies to life with an engaging hands-on energy audit. It was a natural fit to conduct the walk through energy audit with Facilities Management students at Madison Park Vocational Technical High School. Noresco energy engineers worked with Phoebe Beierle, Sustainability Manager at BPS, and Perino Watson and Matt Zajak, teachers at Madison Park, to develop an appropriate energy curriculum for the students that was complete with an audit worksheet, solar mapping tool and high-tech diagnostic equipment.   

 


While the Facilities Management students already understood a lot about energy, to make a kill-a-watt-hour (our measurement of electricity) mean something, students used watt meters to measure electricity consumption of appliances and power tools in their classroom. It was eye opening for everyone when they saw how much energy a power sander or table saw requires! Using the data they collected on how much one projector or computer uses per hour, students can now estimate how much energy is being throughout the entire school and how much this costs each year!

 

Once the students had measured most of the appliances that had a plug, the group embarked on a more in-depth building audit, including stops at the boiler room, roof mechanical equipment, hallways and more. Students carried infrared cameras and temperature readers with them to evaluate the temperature of
different pipes, fans, pumps, etc. The students discovered that the insulated hot water pipes were warmer than the un insulated pipes in the basement. By looking around, asking questions about why things are designed certain ways and using diagnostic tools, the students got a taste of what it’s like to be a professional energy auditor. They also learned a lot about their building and where there are opportunities to save!

 

The energy investigation at Madison Park work won’t stop after Green Apple Day. The Facilities Management students will take what they learned and engage other students and staff in the building to save energy as part of the District’s Energy Conservation Challenge. During this challenge, Madison Park will strive to reduce electricity consumption by at least 5%, and in return earn 50% of the savings back! In addition, some seniors in the Facilities Management class will partner with BPS Facilities Management Department to inventory lighting systems and upgrade old lights to new, LED bulbs, further saving Madison Park money and making their school more sustainable for years to come.

Event Press Release: http://www.utc.com/News/News-Center/Pages/UTC-Employees-Lead-2015-Green-…


Arlington County, VA: A Leader for Energy Efficiency Incentives

By Derek Newberry, Advocacy Fellow


An article from the USGBC National site recently highlighted Arlington County, VA, for their commitment to improving their constructed environment. Arlington got a head start by updating their Green Building Incentive Program and adopting LEEDv4 a year before the “sunset date” for LEED 2009 project registration.

Starting on October 1, developers had to begin seeking certification under “v4,” the latest version of the LEED green building rating system. Arlington implemented these higher environmental standards because they align with the County's Community Energy Plan. Their framework has set a specific milestone for the energy performance of new buildings, which notably ensures that energy efficiency is an ongoing priority.

A business-friendly option

Arlington County moved to LEEDv4's baseline with the aim to incentivize higher levels of energy efficiency. Officials pointed to the importance of incentives in overcoming barriers, such as split incentives between developers and future tenants or owners.

“Arlington's voluntary green building incentive program is a business-friendly option designed to speed the transformation to green and energy efficient construction,” said Arlington’s Green Building Program Manager, Joan Kelsch. “Arlington’s move to LEED v4, with a specific focus on energy efficient design and performance, is the newest tool available to guide that transformation.”

These laudable green building benchmarks established by Arlington County raise the bar for energy efficiency expectations across the nation. Towns & cities in Massachusetts should follow Arlington's lead, and lead the charge of raising the green building standard for the US and the world.


Arrowstreet and their Day of Service

By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager

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Over the weekend, a team of Arrowstreet staff members brought along family and friends to participate in the Green Apple Day of Service. Like last year, the group volunteered at an Arrowstreet-designed school building — this time we served at the Kipp Academy in Lynn, a building completed in 2012. We were able to take advantage of the beautiful fall weather and prepared the grounds and landscaping for the coming winter by weeding and trimming, sweeping the parking surface, cleaning up trash, and moving the school’s raised garden beds.

The Green Apple Day of Service is a nationwide event in which community members take the opportunity to volunteer at their local schools and make them healthier, safer, and more productive learning environments. Learn more about how you can participate in next year’s Green Apple Day here.

 

Source: http://www.arrowstreet.com/2015/09/volunteering-with-gados-2015/

 

Day of Service – Dennis Haley School

By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager

 


Thanks to a mini grant from MassSave, Boston Nature Center educator, Kim Baker, was able to convene all 400 students and many parents of the Dennis Haley School for their annual Green Apple outdoor classroom Green-Up Day.

The school is now a fully enrolled kindergarten through eighth grade school and to accommodate the expanded student body, a large building expansion project was completed last year, taking up half of the school’s formerly spacious schoolyard. While everyone is excited about the classroom space, it was hard to lose much of the outdoor play space. In order to celebrate Green Apple Day, we wanted to find a way to involve the entire community in helping green-up the school yard.

This year we focused on small group clean up and gardening. The students in grades 6-8 took on leadership roles by overseeing their younger peers during the Green-Up event. Many of the garden beds needed to be replanted and the older students had learned how to do this in prior years. They supported the younger students in this process and helped them create a beautiful front area for the school. The fourth and fifth grade students worked together to compost a new garden bed in the back of the school and also used binoculars to observe the birds that utilize this more remote part of the schoolyard.


Parents were so excited to participate in the day, one example of this is how that they helped clear low hanging branches that had been hindering safe access to one of the sidewalks where many families walk and bike to school. Although it was a busy work day, we did make sure to have a lot of fun engaging in different science activities. Students explored the homes that animals had made under logs and learned about the size, shape and color of the fall leaves. In addition, our older students were exposed to information about how to save energy in their own homes and had discussions about how they could “Green-up” at home. Overall it was a wonderful day and as a community we all came together to celebrate the greening of our school and bring recognition to “where we learn matters.”

Structure Tone, Inc., A Sustainability-Oriented Chapter Sponsoring Partner

By Derek Newberry, Advocacy Fellow

The USGBC MA chapter is comprised of many of the best leaders in the green industry, and we are always excited to see what strides they have taken to advance the field. Our sponsors' ingenuity and tireless commitment to sustainability are what make this Chapter such a wonderful community of professionals. 

One of these sponsors is Structure Tone, a full-services construction services provider across the globe. Sustainability is central to their mission of providing innovative construction solutions through the entire building process. Since 1985, their New England hub has been located in downtown Boston, which is where the team completes most of their projects. Structure Tone helps their customers redevelop and expand, keeping green building practices in mind.

Working with diverse clientele, including banking institutions, law firms, universities, hotels, and hospitals, gives Structure Tone a comprehensive perspective of the opportunities and struggles faced by the green building industry.

One of their impressive recent projects was a 45,000 sf interior renovation project for Bank of America, one of the first LEED projects for B. of A. in the New England Region. In a very short 14 week timeframe, the office space was reconfigured for “My Work,” a voluntary program during which employees work from home when possible. The project was built using recycled construction materials, comprising 29% of the total material costs; regionally-sourced materials accounted for 78% of construction materials. The installation of ultra low-flow fixtures and waterless urinals also helped reduce water use by 37%.

Along with many other green-building components, these innovative constructon designs helped the project earn a LEED Gold certification from the USGBC.

Structure Tone's diligent work renovating the Bank of America helped them achieve Innovation & Design points for construction waste management, with an impressive 95% recycling rate. Moreover, deconstruction of this space enabled Structure Tone to donate their construction materials to a local architectural reuse center to benefit low-income housing residents. Structure Tone's efforts ensured that this project not only helped decrease environmental impact, but help develop the local community.

Check out photos of the Bank of America renovation and other projects on Structure Tone's site. We appreciate our long-standing connection to this awesome firm, and to Jennifer Taranto, Director of Sustainability, and former Board Chair of the USGBC MA, for her continuous service and connection-making on behalf of our organization. Thank you to Structure Tone, Inc. for being a sponsoring partner of our Chapter and helping to advance our mission!

Day of Service – Charles Sumner School

By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager


In celebration of Green Apple Day this year, five hundred Charles Sumner School students in grades kindergarten through 5th learned all about recycling and energy during two school wide assemblies. Thanks to National Grid, who proviced sponsorship funds to the Sumner School for this Day of Service, The National Theater for Children came to the school and taught students using theatre, props, costumes and various character profiles, all about energy usage, renewable energy alternatives, as well as measures the students can take in their school to save resources. The students (and adults) were entertained the whole way through! 


 

As an extension of the Sumner’s educational assemblies, the Sumner Green Team members went into classrooms and presented a short essay to the students about why it’s important to save energy. Did you know that one of the easiest ways is to simply turn off the lights when leaving a room!? The students talked about the benefits of using natural light in the classroom vs. artificial lights and 



then students took further action by installing “turn off the lights” stickers to switch plate covers throughout the building to promote energy conservation and the importance of taking green actions all day long. These stickers will serve as a gentle reminder to staff and students throughout the day. 

 


To ensure the lights are being monitored, the Green Team also left a calendar next to the light switch so students can tally how many days in the months of November and December they remembered to turn off the lights. A mark can be made on the calendar when someone from the class turns off the when leaving or when the class decided to use natural light.  The Green Team will revisit the classrooms in January and assess the students’ participation to make sure there is continual feedback and encouragement across the school community to promote the Sumner to be the greenest school in Boston!

Set the foundation… build a career

By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager


Join the thousands of LEED credential holders in Massachusetts with the LEED Green Associate. The Massachusetts Chapter is holding a one day preparation session for the exam.
The Green Associate Exam Preparation Course is designed to review the majority of the information which will be covered in the LEED Green Associate Exam.  Come join us for this session! We have only had positive feedback and success stories from previous classes.

We are holding one class next week, October 14th and another in December 9th. Please email your interest in the December session  here. More information is available by clicking the link below!


SIGN UP HERE!


Tell Your Colleagues!

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Let them know that the Green Associate is as easy as taking this course and signing up for the exam. 

More LEED practitioners will reflect well on your team and the projects produced.

 

Day of Service – Roosevelt Elementary School

By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager

On October 13, 2015 the Roosevelt Elementary School in Melrose, MA launched their first celebration of the Green Apple Day of Service. On belhalf of National Grid, the program was funded through a USGBC MA Green Apple Mini-Grant. The special events of the day included unveiling a Green Apple Tree of Ideas, initiating Energy Supervisors in the classrooms and hosting the first monthly lunchtime trivia game on topics of sustainability.

The Green Apple Tree of Ideas provided a process for connecting the whole family with efforts to reduce energy at the school. We conducted a school-wide idea share in which students and their parents talked together at home about ways to save energy and then submitted their ideas on a green paper apple. The green paper apples were collected and hung all together on a bulletin board next to the cafeteria in the main lobby of our school. When the students go to lunch every day, they can read another energy saving idea.
   

Next to the Green Apple Tree of Ideas is a section of the bulletin board devoted to showcasing an energy saving tip of the month. The tip posted will change monthly and serve as the focus for what behavior we want students to work on adopting that month. Examples of tips include powering down all electronic machines at the end of the day and closing doors in areas where heat needs to be contained.


 

This day also marked the start of each classroom installing an “Energy Supervisor” to monitor energy usage in the classroom. The role will rotate among students so that all students get a chance during the year to be the person in charge of monitoring. This person, whose name will be posted by the light switches, will be the one to make sure lights are turned off whenever the group leaves the room and that all electronics are powered down at the end of the day. They will also report any discrepancies or failures noticed in the automatic power down system for the computers.


The monthly trivia games held in the cafeteria during student lunch times are a further opportunity to share information with the children and for them to learn about the realities of how energy is used. Prizes purchased from proceeds of our recycling program are an inspiring reward for their participation and serve as reminders down the road for the ideas discussed. Two students per grade level play each month with a different student chosen every time.

The Green Apple Day of Service grant provided by the USGBC and National Grid is very supportive of our school. It encourages our efforts at greater energy use reduction and builds awareness and knowledge of this issue in our students. 

Have an Energy Efficient Commercial Property? DCAMM is Now Signing Tax Deduction Applications!

By Derek Newberry, Advocacy Fellow

Another day brings another incentive that's available for green buildings!

Do you have a DCAMM project that was completed since 2011, or is scheduled to be completed? Massachusetts' Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance (DCAMM) has announced that it will sign off on allocation applications for deductions under IRS Code §179D.

Contrary to their previous announcements, now the DCAMM will not seek any compensation, fees, sharing, deduction from design fee, etc. for granting this to the designer. Although the deduction is intended for the primary designer of the property (or the general contracter, for projects procured for c. 25A), if the primary designer doesn't seek the benefit and it is sought by another party, such as the subconsultant, the DCAMM will still consider these situations on a case-by-case basis.

Access the application here. 

A letter of intent is also available at the link. Designers should submit this if they want a commitment from DCAMM to allocate their deduction, before getting the required third-party certification that their property qualifies under §179D.  

The application clarifies that for this form's purpose, “property” refers to an “energy efficient commercial building property satisfying the requirements of 26 U.S. Code §179D, which has been installed in a Commonwealth building as part of a DCAMM project.”

DCAMM will prioritize the applications submitted for buildings put into service in 2011, considering that the final filing amendment deadline is quickly approaching. However, if your firm is facing another deadline, please let the agency know so that they can try to process your paperwork more quickly. In general, these applications will be considered in due course.

Please note that these specific forms are not required. If designers submit an application for allocation in any other form, it will still be consideredas long as it includes all the necessary information for §179D. Although DCAMM is now helping designers who are seeking this tax deduction, the agency will not be able process forms with extra paperwork, which includes more information than they need to allocate benefits to the designer (such as additional waivers, rights' reservations, indemnity provisions, etc.).

If you have any questions about this program, please contact Jack Keleher at Jack.Keleher@state.ma.us or Elizabeth Eromin at Elizabeth.Eromin@state.ma.us.

Thanks to our Advocacy Committee member Jerome Garciano, LLP with Robinson & Cole, for sharing this update!