The Dallin School Launches “Be Bright, Power Down” Campaign for Green Apple Day of Service

By Jennifer Devlin

 
 
The Dallin School Go-Green Club is so excited to be part of the Green Apple Day of Service (GADOS)!  For GADOS, the group launched our “Be Bright, Power Down” campaign.  September 26th was our first day of implementing what will be a yearlong campaign and the first of it's kind in an Arlington Public School.  We have read about campaigns in other schools and are inspired by the difference that changes in behavior can make in the amount of energy we consume as a school community.  We hope to run a great pilot that has lots of success and inspire other schools to “Be Bright and Power Down”.  We have many community members pitching in to help the campaign and have support from our town energy manager, club leaders including our town recycling coordinator, our new principal, PTO; and most importantly, Dallin teachers, staff and students.
 
For the GADOS campaign kick-off, the Go-Green club had a brainstorming session on ways to reduce consumption.  Ideas included using less lighting, plugging in to power strips that can be easily shut down over weekends and holidays, using less heat, and using solar as well as wind power that we create at school!  Some of these things can be done right now at Dallin and others we can work toward.  To show our help, we created a large banner to hang in the front entrance of our school to raise awareness of our new campaign and club members created artwork that shows the importance of energy conservation.  Also we plan to replicate this artwork and create signs around every light switch in school telling folks to “Be Bright, Power Down”.  Another helpful idea is that we are talking about energy consumption outside of school too and our Go-Green members are working with the PTO to promote the “International Walk to School Day”!  We appreciate the GADOS Mini-Grant from USGBC MA and NSTAR!  It will enable us to buy the supplies we need to implement our yearlong pilot!!
 


 

USGBC MA Chapter Provides Voting Guidance on MA Ballot Questions

By Grey Lee

2014 Voter Guide: Ballot Questions

On Tuesday November 4, 2014, Massachusetts voters will elect a governor and legislators for local, state, and national offices.  Additionally, voters will be asked to vote on four laws proposed by ballot initiative petitions.  This guide discusses two ballot questions that are of particular interest to the green building community and also provides summary information of potential legislative initiatives for the upcoming session.  We recommend these issues be brought to the attention of the candidates for public office and that you exercise your right to vote on November 4th.

Ballot Question 1: Eliminating Gas Tax Indexing

This proposed law would repeal House Bill 3847, enacted in 2013 which raised the fuel tax from 21.5 cents per gallon to 24 cents per gallon with an automatic adjustment every year based on changes in the Consumer Price Index.  Prior to 2013, the last adjustment to the tax was in 1991 and had reduced this revenue by 18% between 1991 and 2013 after inflation while nationwide fuel tax revenue has risen by 15%. 

We recommend a NO vote on Ballot question 1.  The current law provides stability to a revenue source that funds state transportation projects including repairs to roads and bridges as well as finances mass transit projects such as intra-city rail and the Green Line extension.

Ballot Question 2: Expanding the Beverage Container Deposit Law

The proposed law would expand the state’s beverage container deposit law (the Bottle Bill) to require deposits for all non-alcoholic/non-carbonated drinks, except dairy products, infant formula and FDA approved medicines.  The law also required the container deposit amount to be adjusted for inflation every five years to the nearest whole cent, but not less than five cents per bottle.  Other provisions of the proposed law provide increases to minimum handling fees, allows exemptions from accepting empty bottles for small retailers, and sets up a Clean Environment Fund to receive certain unclaimed container deposits. 

We recommend a YES vote on Ballot question 2.  The current law is outdated with inadequate handling fees and with no deposits required for water and sport drinks that have proliferated in recent years.  The proposed legislation will increase recycling rates and provide dedicated revenue for proper management of solid waste, water resource protection, parkland, air quality and climate protection. 

2014 Voters Guide: Talking with the Candidates

Where do the candidates stand on legislative issues related to the green building community?  Ask candidates if they support the following:

Updating the Stretch Energy Code 

As of July 2014, IECC 2012 went into effect in Massachusetts, with the result that the current Stretch Code is now essentially equivalent to the new base energy code in terms of energy efficiency.  The Green Communities Act requires that “Green Communities” set requirements to minimize life-cycle costs for new construction, which largely have been accomplished through the adoption of the Stretch Code (generally 20% better than the base code) by these municipalities.  We support legislative or regulatory changes to adopt an updated stretch code. 

Building Energy Benchmarking 

This is a regulatory process where owners & property managers report their buildings' energy & resource use into public databases.  These will be used to help improve energy efficiency and target outreach efforts and incentives.  Currently, Boston and Cambridge have adopted regulations to establish BEB for large buildings.  Across the United States, 8 other major cities and two states have enacted BEB requirements.  Research has shown that building owners who benchmark their buildings are more likely to make energy efficiency improvements.  A 2012 analysis of 35,000 benchmarked buildings, conducted by the EPA, found that the buildings reduced consumption by an average of 7 percent over three years. 

PACE – Property Assessed Clean Energy

We support a comprehensive PACE program in Massachusetts.  2014 legislation died in committee and we want our legislators to support it going forward.  PACE is a term used to describe a novel approach for funding energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

• Projects are 100% financed by an outside entity.

• Terms are generally longer than the useful life of the improvement, up to 20yrs, resulting in high ROI.

• Similar to a tax assessment, PACE repayments are an expense rather than part of the balance sheet.

• The assessment remains part of the property regardless of the changing of ownership.

Revenue-Neutral Carbon Tax

A carbon tax is a tax on the carbon content of fuels — effectively a tax on the carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels.  We anticipate that a proposal will be reintroduced in the next legislative session.  Other states, including Washington and California, are also considering this issue.  To learn more about carbon tax, we suggest the following web links:

http://www.carbontax.org/

http://carbonwa.org/

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/188/House/H2532

Net Zero Standard for Buildings

We support Senator Jamie Eldridge's S. 1587, a Net Zero Standard for building in Massachusetts.  The bill was based on the recommendations of Governor Patrick’s Zero Net Energy Buildings Task Force and would establish definitions of residential zero net-energy buildings and commercial zero net energy buildings.  In consultation with the Department of Energy Resources (DOER), creating regulations establishing a residential zero net energy building standard will take effect January 1st, 2020 and a commercial zero net energy building standard to take effect January 1st, 2030.
More on this bill is at the Senator's website.

 

AHA Consulting Engineers

By Grey Lee

AHA Consulting Engineers has been a USGBC MA Chapter Sponsoring Partner for 3 years as well as a regular participant in many Chapter activities including the MA LEED Project Showcase and Earth Day Gala.  We would like to thank AHA for their support and commitment to creating healthy, high performance buildings.

We'd also like to highlight AHA individual Chapter members for their efforts to support our work.

Robert Andrews – Partner/Department Manager has been the project administrator on 29 LEED projects in MA, totaling 6,424,537 gross square footage of LEED certified space.

Dan Whittet – Sustainability Consultant, has supported the Chapter in helping us develop a robust LEED education program as well as provided consultation on updating the Chapter website and database.

About AHA Consulting Engineers

Founded in 1991, AHA Consulting Engineers is a Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing design firm of over 130 employees with offices in Atlanta, Boston and Washington, D.C.  Their work is overseen by 5 principals who pursue the firm's philosophy of delivering an efficient design, coordinated with creative, interactive spaces, on time and on budget.

AHA provides consulting services in:

  • Mechanical
  • Electrical
  • Plumbing
  • Fire Protection
  • Building Commissioning
  • Sustainability Consulting
  • LEED Project Administration
  • MEP Design Documentation
  • Energy Modeling
  • Building Information Modeling
 

National Association of Realtors (NAR) Elects Chapter Member Craig Foley

By Grey Lee

Craig Foley has been a champion of green homes and a leader on both our Advocacy Committee and Residential Green Building Committee.  He has helped us support market transformation initiatives like greening the Multiple Listing Service and Senator Eldridge's S. 1587 – the “net zero mandate” for Massachusetts homes and commercial buildings.  Craig is the co-founder of inCharge Energy and a REALTOR with RE/MAX Leading Edge based in Somerville, MA.  Below, Craig writes of his recent selection into the NAR political elite:
 
 
 
“I have been asked to serve on the Land Use, Property Rights, and Environmental National Committee for NAR.  It's considered one of the most influential policy committees of the organization.  The committee is often referred to as the “Land Use and AntiEnvironment Committee”…however, this year it looks like myself, Laura Reedy Stukel from Chicago and John Rosshirt form Austin, Texas have all been placed on the committee – Laura and John are both personal friends and considered thought leaders in the real estate industry on sustainability and real estate.  Really good signs that my national trade organizations is committed to change!”

 

 
 
Congratulations Craig!
 
 

USGBC MA Chapter friend and Board member Chris Schaffner is a candidate for USGBC's Board of Directors

By Grey Lee

USGBC MA Chapter friend and Board member Chris Schaffner is a candidate for USGBC's Board of Directors. Chris has provided an overview of his intentions and reasons for seeking a seat designated for Sustainable Practice Leader: Engineer. Voting for the 2015 USGBC Board of Directors is ongoing, through October 30.

Via Chris Schaffner

Friends and Colleagues:

I'd appreciate your consideration when you fill your ballot. 

People ask: “Why are you running for the Board”.

 

 

Chris Schaffner
Image credit W. Marc Bernsau, Boston Business Journal

The USGBC has come along way in the last two decades. 20 years ago, the USGBC was in its infancy, and green building was seen as a niche, practiced by only a very few. Today, a market transformation is in progress, as witnessed here in Boston’s Seaport District, where every one of the new buildings recently finished or under construction will be LEED Certified. That’s the impact that we, the members of the USGBC have had.  We succeeded in beginning a market transformation, a transformation that has brought green building practices into the mainstream. We’ve communicated the message that green buildings are not only good for the environment, they’re also good business, good for communities, and good for people. 

But our work is not finished – it has really barely begun. What do the next 20 years and beyond look like?  That is the question before us.  I want to help us, the members of the USGBC, plan and lead the next 20 years. That is why I'm running. 

With our many accomplishments, we face a few challenges. 

1) We’ve succeeded in making green buildings a desirable object. How do we make sure that they are available to everyone, everywhere? 

2) With our growth and power come new challenges, organizations and individuals who are threatened by our mission. How do we face these challenges?   

3) Our growth has also created vested interests within the green building movement. How do we challenge our friends to raise the bar, to improve what is working, and fix what is not?  

4) And finally, we must remember that the USGBC is a 501(c)(3) charity –we’re not a professional organization, and we’re not lobbyists. How do we go beyond just advancing the interests of our current members, and become a force for good everywhere, for everyone?

These questions need answers. I hope to help answer them. 

 
Chris Schaffner, PE, LEED Fellow 
Principal and Founder
The Green Engineer, Inc.
Sustainable Design Consulting
54 Junction Square Dr.
Concord, MA 01742
 

The Green Engineer, Inc. is a Certified B Corporation and a Massachusetts Benefit Corporation – Employee Owned since 2014

YouthBuild Boston Partners with McKinley Middle School for Green Apple Day of Service

By Paul Rouhas

by Paul Rouhas

For YouthBuild Boston’s (YBB) Green Apple Day of Service, we elected to complete an energy-efficiency project at McKinley Middle School.  YBB has previously completed service events at McKinley Middle School for Martin Luther King Day (January 2014) and with John Hancock employees (June 2014).  After discussing the project with school administrators, we determined that the Science and Technology room would be our target area.  The project involved installing energy-efficient surge protectors to support the room’s 4 PCs and printer, as well as a laptop charging cart for the 7 Chrome Books used in classroom instruction.  Surge protectors feature control switches that allow all PCs and equipment on each power strip to be automatically turned on or off by a designated control unit.  Each strip also featured 4 automatic switch outlets, which cut power when equipment is not in use; this would be helpful in eliminating “phantom electricity”.  Kilowatt meters were also installed so that students can monitor energy consumption and incorporate energy efficiency into their curriculum.  All of the laptop charging station was designed and built with support from YBB’s The Designery, an after-school architecture/design/build program.  These charging stations create a central charging area and is also equipped with a smart surge protector to limit energy consumption.  We want to thank NSTAR and the USGBC MA Chapter for providing financial support to complete this project.



The mission of YouthBuild Boston is to empower and assist underserved young people from the Boston area with the essential social, vocational, academic and life skills necessary to navigate a positive pathway to self-sufficiency and neighborhood responsibility.  McKinley Middle School is a BPS facility that focuses on the emotional, behavioral, and learning needs of 5-8th grade students (10-16 years old).  95.5% of these students are enrolled in special education courses focusing on social and emotional needs, 89% are minorities and 79% are low income (2012-2013 BPS data).



The project involved 6 YouthBuild Boston students, 5 YouthBuild Boston Staff, and 3 staff from McKinley Middle School.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Curley K-8 involves many partners for Green Apple Day of Service

By Stephanie Selznick, Science Specialist

by Stephanie Selznick 

 

 

 

THANK YOU TO RE-STREAM FOR FUNDING THE
FOLLOWING GREEN APPLE DAY OF SERVICE PROJECT

The Curley K-8 School Green Apple Day of Service day was held on September 26th.  Our plan was to clean up the school grounds, plant bulbs, rake, and mulch our mini garden.  We had perfect weather for the day.  We started at 9AM and went to 2:20PM.  Volunteers came from Viridian, MASSCOSH, EPA, parents, students and teachers. 

 
We started by having 3rd grade students plant bulbs in the side and front of the school.  Each student dug a deep hole to put a bulb in, some students raked the outdoor classroom and some picked up the apples that fell on the ground.  Viridian volunteers and some students weeded the mini garden and raked. 
 
As the morning went on, more students came out and helped with the clean up.  Everyone wanted to rake, which was extremely surprising because the year before we did the Green Apple Day of Service, no one wanted to rake.  Students planted, dug holes, and even planted more bulbs.  The students were very serious about making the holes deep, which was nice that they really cared so much.  Our volunteers came for the entire morning and did plenty of work with the students.  In the end, tmini garden looked just as good as it did in the spring. I was very impressed and happy!
 
After lunch the teachers, parents, k-1 students, and autistic students grade 6 & 8 came out to help with the clean up and planting.  It was nice to see the middle school students helping the K-1 students with hole digging.  Everyone planted bulbs and raked the front and side yard of the school.  We planted over 400 bulbs, bagged over 20 bags of leaves and not one complaint by the students.  Every student had a smile on their face.  We really care for our school and it showed that day.
 

 

I can't wait till next year to do this again!

 

 
Stephanie Selznick 
Curley K-8 School
40 Pershing Rd.
Jamaica Plain, MA. 02130
Science Specialist
 
 
 
 
 
 

Blu® Homes Breezehouse Awarded First-Ever “2014 Dream Home of the Year”

By Grey Lee

Congratulations to USGBC MA Chapter Sponsor Blu Homes for being awarded the “2014 Dream Home of the Year” by Real Simple and This Old House!  The home, located in Southern California, was on display for the public each weekend in September and is highlighted in the September issues of Real Simple and This Old House magazines.

Click here to learn more about the award and the Breezehouse 

 

 

 

LBC Public Presentation on Nov 6th!

By Grey Lee

What is the LBC?

The Living Building Challenge (LBC) is a building certification program, an advocacy tool and philosophy that attempts to dramatically raise the bar from a paradigm of doing less harm, to one in which we view our role as steward and co-creator of a true Living Future.  The Challenge defines the most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment possible today and acts to rapidly diminish the gap between current limits and the end-game positive solutions we seek.  It is the world's most rigorous design and construction standard.

LBC’s goals overlap with the various leading industry groups out there, but also has its differences and benefits.  The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) recently released version 3.0 of the challenge. 

The local affiliate (the Boston Collaborative) is hosting an informational event on November 6th, 2014 at The USGBC MA’s new office at 50 Milk Street, 15th floor.  Mark your calendar!

The local Collaborative meets monthly.  Come join the conversation and don’t miss out by signing up for our distribution list here.
 

2014 Green Apple Day of Service

By Steve Muzzy

by Steve Muzzy

We are wrapping up the 2014 Green Apple Day of Service campaign and are excited to share that we had 60 projects this year in MA, exceeding last years total!  We also piloted a Green Apple Day of Service Mini-Grant program that awarded 14 grants to well deserving schools.  These schools will be submitting blogs to the Chapter soon.  In the meantime, please check out the following blogs for a sampling of this years projects:

I also want to recognize the efforts for the Bunker Hill Community College USGBC Student Group and specifically their President (and Chapter volunteer) Steven Fitzgerald.  Steven and his group have coordinated 10 projects ranging from collecting cell phones for veterans to LEED tours.
 

Boston Green Academy

 

 

The Center for Green Schools reports that Green Apple Day of Service 2014 brought together hundreds of thousands of volunteers participating in 3,760 service projects in all 50 states and in 42 countries throughout the world.  Thanks to everyone for making the 3rd Annual Green Apple Day of Service a success!

 

 

 

Thank you again to our generous Green Apple Day of Service Mini Grant sponsors and their support of healthy, sustainable schools.