Plymouth North High School: A Green Marvel!

By Grey Lee

Check out this article written by our friends at Wicked Local Plymouth about our recent tour of the LEED Gold-nominated Plymouth North High School in Plymouth, MA!
 

Photo credit: D G Jones

This innovative project includes impressive features such as a solar water heater, a green roof, rain gardens, bike paths, electric vehicle charging stations, as well as low flow and waterless plumbing just to name a few.

Read more about the project here.
 

A vital tool for managing Americas largest crop

By Grey Lee

If you ask anyone what the largest crop in America is, you would get quite a varied assortment of answers: corn, alfalfa, wheat, soybeans.  But in fact, the largest crop in America is turfgrass.  The amount of land under cultivation with turfgrass is more than three times the next most common crop. There are approximately 128,000 square kilometers of cultivated turfgrass in the United States, while the next largest crop is 43,000 square kilometers of corn.  Massachusetts has approximately 4,183 square kilometers of turfgrass under various levels of management.  

My initial reaction was one of shock with quickly morphed to concern. That is quite a lot of land to be managed or potentially mismanaged.   That amount of turfgrass makes quite a large environmental impact.  It naturally requires quite a large amount of water and could account for quite a lot of chemical input to the ecosystem.  However, conventional wisdom proves to be neither, but more on that later.

 

Data can save the day.

With turfgrass being such a major component of our nations landscape and asignificant agricultural industry, as well as a vital cover crop, there can be little doubt that the government plays a vital role. This role is most exemplified by the county extension services, agricultural schools with turfgrass science programs, and government backed academic research efforts.  If you have a project, such as a school or park, which may involve large areas of turfgrass, all of the above listed resources can be extremely helpful. 
 

One can go a long way to determining the success or failure of a project.  That is when the NTEP program comes in.  NTEP stands for the National Turf Grass Evaluation Program and is a University-based turfgrass evaluation program. It evaluates seventeen turfgrass species in as many as forty U.S. states and six Canadian provinces.   

Turfgrass is evaluated and cultivars are cross-compared for traits such as disease resistance, drought tolerance, traffic durability, plant density, color, heat/cold tolerance, and quality.  This data can be used to make environmentally-sound decisions by choosing the cultivar that meets a projects' particular needs.  You can use this data to choose a type of turf that might thrive without irrigation or perhaps might fare better in a drought prone area and fare better without pesticides.  There may be a project that will likely see severe compaction or traffic. The selection of the proper cultivar could prevent the strand of turfgrass from deteriorating and allow weeds to propagate or else surface erosion could occur.  One caution is due: too often people will look at NTEP data and just assume that the one that scores the highest is the “best”; this is not always the case.  What you need to do is carefully asses your needs, prioritize them, and then choose the cultivar or blend of cultivars that will meet as many of your concerns as possible. 

It is remarkable to me how many architects, designers, and even landscape architects are unaware of this resource. Too often a bid will spec “turfgrass” , “sod”, “kentucky blue grass blend”, or some other generic terminology.  It makes no sense to design a water-efficient landscape and not spec an appropriate turfgrass cultivar.  Also, it doesn't make sense to design a beautiful landscape and have it wash into a nearby stream.  What also doesn't make sense is to build a state-of-the-art recycled water system and have the grass die due to salt intolerance. A poor choice at the design phase leads to intensive maintenance issues and a failed design element.  In any event, both outcomes mean a higher environmental cost.

 

Why not just eliminate it?


At this point you may be thinking, “why not minimize the turf grass and reap the benefits?”.  This is where we get back to conventional wisdom being not so wise.  When the International Green Building Code was being developed, a debate occurred.  The idea was put forth that in order to be “green”, the turf area should be limited.  It seemed to make sense: less turf means less water use, less fertilizer and nutrient issues, and even less pesticides. The end result was that the conventional wisdom did not quite pan out and the turf limitation was removed with the consent of all parties, including the EPA.  It turns out that the research demonstrated that healthy turf grass actually reduced pollutant loads in surface waters. Healthy turf grass, even one that was regularly treated with fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, was actually significantly better for surface water quality than even untreated and poorly-maintained grass.  The ecosystem services that were all net positives included nitrogen capture, carbon sequestration, air and water filtration, oxygen generation, heat island mitigation, habitat, mico flora and fauna, storm water interception, and groundwater recharge. An area of turfgrass 50 square feet generates enough oxygen to meet the needs of a family of four and an acre can absorb hundreds of pounds of atmospheric Sulfur Dioxide, a primary driver of acid rain. The human centric benefits such as aesthetics, texture, functionality, fire control, erosion control, and ease of maintenance were also positive. The negatives could be addressed and mitigated by Best Management Practices, modern techniques, and proper plant selection.

Kevin Dufour is an Environmental Scientist with Viridis Advisors. He collaborates with Tom Irwin on creating greener greenscapes. The opinions expressed by member bloggers are their own and not necessarily those of the USGBC Massachusetts Chapter.

 

PACE for Green Buildings and Green Energy

By Grey Lee

We had an awesome program this morning with excellent speakers and an engaged audience!

We gathered to hear about Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. John Dalzell of the Boston Redevelopment Authority MC'd the event.
 

 

National Grid sponsored the event and it was great to see Mark Stafford, who manages the Architects & Engineers Program, chime in on the benefits of PACE finance. Thank you again, National Grid!

Senator Brian A. Joyce kicked off the program describing to us his Bill S.177 – Fueling Jobs through Energy Efficiency – which is essentially PACE enabling legislation for Massachusetts. We all have to get behind this bill to help move it through the Statehouse and help make more clean energy (and associated jobs) grow in Massachusetts. Thank you Senator, and your staff, for attending and helping MA stay a leader in cleantech, renewables, and energy efficiency.
 

 
 
 

Our Keynote speaker was Genevieve Sherman from Connecticut's Commercial and Industrial PACE at the state's Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA). She had a brilliant presentation describing the ins and outs of setting up a PACE financing entity or authority, as they have in CT, and what it means for investment parties and municipalities. PACE finance enables a property owner to create a debt instrument for an affixed asset or capital improvement, which will enhance the energy performance of the building.  The debt of which will reside in a place subordinate to municipal property leins, but superior to traditional commercial mortgage debt. The financing authority in CT enables projects that we will be posting in the presentation here soon.
 

 

We were at Atlantic Wharf – the Fort Point Room – with about 57 attendees from all ends of the green & clean energy sector. Many of our members such as John DiModica (NORESCO), Matt Shortsleeve (Mercury Solar), Suzanne Abbott (Chapter Sponsoring Partner: Vidaris), Martine Dion (Chapter Sponsoring Partner: SMMA), and Jennifer Taranto (Chapter Sponsoring Partner: Structure Tone). Many future members and sponsoring partners were also in attendance!

After Genvieve's great presentation, we turned to a panel of experts from the field. Ward Strosser from ConEdison Solutions moderated the group, which included Shawn Hesse (emersionDesign), Nalin Kulatilaka (BU School of Mgmt), Jeffery Lessard (Cushman & Wakefield) and Genevieve Sherman. Shawn described the opportunity to fund large projects as the instrument that enables long-term thinking, which could lead to aggressive Net Zero projects. Nalin described how PACE enables owners to spread out the risk in a project, which should be much more exciting to institutional investors. Jeff Lessard wanted us to make sure we promote this to large property management companies, like his and his competitors, who have millions of square feet under their responsibility.  This would help PACE financing create many new opportunities for cleantech and efficiency plays related to the business model and not just the real estate. Ward Strosser chimed in to stress the potential for these investments to help attract & retain younger talent who want to see their employers walking the talk on going green and sustainability in general.
 

 

This was a very informative program and we expect to follow up with more programming related to existing buildings and the economics of green buildings in the months to come.

 

The program was produced by Dennis Walsh in association with the Chapter and the City of Boston – BRA & Greenovate Boston – and couldn't have been possible without the participation of the many excellent speakers in attendance. See you next time!

Below: Grey Lee (USGBC MA), Brad Swing (City of Boston), Brian A. Joyce (MA State Senate – Avon), and John Dalzell (Boston Redevelopment Authority)
 

 

 

 Travis Sheehan (Ecodistricts Fellow, City of Boston), Genevieve Sherman (CT CEFIA), John DiModica (NORESCO), and Ward Strosser (ConEdison Solutions)
 

 
Neil Angus (MassDevelopment – Devens EC), Jennifer Taranto (Structure Tone), John Dalzell, Suzanne Abbott (Vidaris) and Mark Stafford (National Grid)

 

 
Boston Properties' LEED Platinum Atlantic Wharf – Boston's Green Skyscraper!

 

Meet Lilly, our Newest Communications Associate!

By Lilly

 

HI EVERYONE! 

My name is Lilly and I'm the new Communications Associate for USGBC MA! 

I guess I should tell you a little bit about myself… I'm currently a student at Tufts University where I study Environmental Science & Biopsychology with a minor in Chinese. That means on any given day, you're most likely to find me sipping on a chai latte in a comfy chair immersed in anything that has to do with animals, sustainability, or the environment…. or pictures of delicious food! I've also always had an appreciation for architecture, so that's how I ended up in the green building industry. 

I'm coming to USGBC with experience as a social media and outreach intern for my school's recycling organization. I'm SO excited to become a part of this vibrant industry at such a pivotal time and I can't wait to start spreading the word about all the latest and greatest news about green buildings!

… so stay tuned! I'll be in touch. 

🙂

–  Lilly

Cape Wind

By Carrie Havey

By Carrie Havey
 
Cape Wind Associates LLC is about to begin construction on

Image credit: wikipedia.org

 their wind farm in Nantucket Sound. Cape Wind has secured all its permits and is putting together financing for the project. Cape Wind plans to have 130 turbines, with a maximum production of 454 megawatts, that are 5.6 miles from Cotuit on Cape Cod. The average expected production will be 174 megawatts, which is almost 75% of the 230 megawatt average electricity demand for Cape Cod as well as the Islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

 
A second wind project is now on the scene. Deepwater Wind has won a competitive lease auction to develop two offshore wind energy sites. This was the first-ever auction held by the US Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for commercial offshore wind development. It will total more than 164,000 acres and will be located approximately 17 miles south of the Cape. Deepwater's sites will produce enough energy to power approximately 350,000 homes and displace over 1.7 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Most of Deepwater's turbines will be located 20 to 25 miles from land. 
 

To learn more, see http://www.capewind.org

 

 

 
 
(Excerpted from the USGBC MA August 2013 Newsletter)

Cape Cod Hurricane Category 3 Flood Model

By Grey Lee

By John Gravelin, Linnean Solution
 
Image Courtesy of  John Gravelin, Linnean Solutions
 
 
This image of Cape Cod represents a Category 3 Hurricane flood model under ‘perfect’ storm conditions during an average (mean) tide. The flood layer was obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hurricane Research Division Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory. The hurricane model is referred to as Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH).
 
The SLOSH models account for several variables of hurricanes such as the intensity of a storm, forward speed, storm trajectory, and initial tide levels based on observations from previous events. NOAA runs several hundred hurricane models over an area like New England and develops a ‘Maximum Envelope of Water’ or a baseline of flooding per hurricane category. NOAA also provides a flood model that represents “the worst case scenario for a given category of storm under ‘perfect’ storm conditions,” and takes the maximum of the variables above.
 
This image of Cape Cod represents the maximum flood damage possible under ‘perfect’ storm conditions. Areas in dark blue are most susceptible to flooding (particularly along the southeastern and northern shoreline of the Cape) and areas of light blue are least susceptible (seen around the southwestern part of the Cape towards Rhode Island). Even the least susceptible areas are vulnerable to flooding under certain storm conditions and proper planning should consider ways to mitigate damage.
 
For more on how the NOAA calculates hurricane flooding, see “How is storm surge forecast at NHC.” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hurricane Research Division Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory.http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/F7.html
 
For more on historic storms and paths see “Historical Hurricane Tracks.” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. http://csc.noaa.gov/hurricanes/

 

 

 

(Excerpted from the USGBC MA August 2013 Newsletter)

An Energy Committee strategy that seeks to maximize the solar power generation for the Town of Wellfleet

By Marcus Springer

By Marcus Springer of Linnean Solutions, Springer Architects, and Town of Wellfleet Energy Committee
 
The fundamental purpose of Wellfleet Solar is to drastically lower or eliminate Wellfleet’s carbon footprint.  Through maximizing the solar power generation in town, Wellfleet can realize a zero net energy future. This will serve to greatly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and our use of fossil fuels.  This in turn will have a positive effect on our shellfish economy, watershed and financial stability.
 
The strategy to maximize and expedite solar installation is to create a Solar Map of the town of Wellfleet. We are doing this through a privately funded project performed by Mapdwell (www.mapdwell.com). In conjunction with the obvious benefits of a totally solar powered town, the result will serve to educate and inform the residents, businesses and Town government of the benefits of renewable energy as well as the efficiencies that are created by its adoption ranging from the environmental to the economic. 
This is a LIDAR map of Wellfleet  illustrating the potential town roof structures. Image courtesy of Mapdwell.
We plan to have a Solar Map in place by the end of 2013 after which we will monitor and facilitate the installation of solar power on the rooftops of Wellfleet residential, commercial and Town owned structures. For installation, we will either go through the MA CEC “solarize” program or create a “solar challenge” similar to the Town of Stowe. These two procurement routes allow for greatly reduced pricing on a tiered system depending on how many installations we can sign up.  This, in combination with the newly funded SREC program (1600MW), the 30% Federal Tax credit (sunsets in 2017) and the accelerated depreciation for commercial owners, should make installation of Solar PV pretty attractive.

 

 

 

(Excerpted from the USGBC MA August 2013 Newsletter)

USGBC MA Cape & Islands Interest Group

By Grey Lee

by Adam Prince
 
Over the last year, the USGBC Cape & Islands Interest Group focused on core goals of education, networking, and experience as decided by its members. Keeping these goals in mind, the group's events are curated to offer significant value to attendees. 
 
Our next event is “A LEED for Homes Under-Construction Tour”. Come view a new house currently under construction in Brewster and review sections of the LEED checklist. Targeting LEED Gold, the home is weather-tight and nearing insulation installation. Designed by Jill Neubauer Architects and built by Cape Associates, staff from each will be on hand to discuss project challenges, the LEED checklist, and specific LEED credits.  Event sponsored by Jill Neubauer Architects. 
 
Date: September 24th at 5PM in Brewster, MA.  RSVPs are required. Please email aprince@zeroenergy.com and property address will be shared upon RSVP confirmation.  
 
PAST EVENTS
Passive House Tour. After a viewing one of the few certified Passive Houses in the US, architect Steve Baczek presented an overview the home's design, construction, and performance attributes. Event Partners – Green Drinks Cape Cod & Sotheby's International Realty.  Event Sponsor – Cape Cod Five.
 
Beyond Energy Audits. Cape Light Compact presented on the organizations' residential and commercial energy efficiency initiatives including energy monitoring, heat pump hot water heaters, and the newest incarnation of the deep energy retrofit program. Event Partner – BSA Cape & Islands Network. Event Sponsor – Cape Associates.
 
IFAW Tour.  A guided tour and presentation was provided by Boston-based designLAB architects of the LEED Gold certified International Foundation for Animal Welfare Headquarters Building. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment selected IFAW’s headquarters building as one of the 2009 top ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design. Event Partners – BSA Cape & Islands Network, and Green Drinks Cape Cod. Event Sponsor – A.W. Hastings.
 
FUTURE EVENTS

 

 

 

 

Event curation is in process for a winter event held in partnership with the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Cape Cod, as well as a future tour of a mixed use (residential & commercial) project seeking LEED-NC certification. If you have suggestions for future events for the USGBC Cape & Islands Interest Group, please email mhcole@capeassociates.com oraprince@zeroenergy.com.

 

 

 

(Excerpted from the USGBC MA August 2013 Newsletter)

 

How does water quality on Cape Cod relate to LEED?

By Grey Lee

-Paul Brown
 
Why is water quality particularly important on Cape Cod?  Groundwater is the only source of fresh water on the Cape and most areas of the Cape have no municipal sewage treatment or sewers. Most homes and many commercial properties treat their waste in on-site septic systems. If these systems are improperly designed, or poorly maintained or otherwise performing badly, then they risk pumping high levels of nitrates into the groundwater and even possibly other more dangerous bacterial contaminants.
 
The groundwater aquifer on Cape Cod is recharged solely by rainwater. It feeds the many freshwater ponds on the cape and ultimately flows to the sea. Nitrates can feed algae blooms in the water, which can consume the oxygen in the water and negatively impacting marine life.
 
What steps can individuals take to protect water quality on the Cape?
Homeowners are obligated to comply with system inspection requirements upon transfer of ownership of the property. In addition, homeowners should be careful to use and maintain the system correctly. Minimizing the volume of water put into the system, using environmentally friendly cleaning agents, and never disposing of oil-based products into the septic system are all basic. Designers should ensure that systems are properly designed for the specific soil and groundwater conditions on-site, without cutting any corners. 
 
How does LEED interact with the need to protect Water Quality on the Cape?
Basic LEED principals that are overlapping between various credit categories and specific credits emphasize the need to reduce levels of potable water consumption as much as possible to prevent excessive surface run-off, encourage proper aquifer recharge, and to prevent contaminants from leaching into groundwater.  Specifically, Credit WE 2 Innovative Wastewater Technologies Option 2 rewards treating 50% or more of wastewater on-site to tertiary standards, with onsite infiltration or re-use.
(Excerpted from the USGBC MA August 2013 Newsletter)
Sources:
LEED 2009 for New Construction and Major Renovations Rating System USGBC Member Approved November 2008 (Updated April 2013)

Green Schools Update from Steve Muzzy

By Grey Lee

 

Green Apple Day of Service is almost here. The Green Schools Committee has compiled a list of registered projects to help volunteers engage with events in their communities. Use the RSVP link in the compiled list to learn more about the event and to register and lend your support. Remember that it's not too late to organize an event. Green Apple Day of Service projects don't need to happen on September 28th – there is flexibility in choosing a day. With the new school year set to begin, now is the time to coordinate a Green Apple project.  Please contact me for support. To help with funding, you may be interested in the Center for Green Schools Visa gift card giveaway to support Green Apple activities through their Green Apple Day of Service Facebook Contest.

On July 30th, a number of Green School Committee members participated in the Department of Education's ‘Education Built to Last’ Facilities Best Practice Tour of Manchester Essex Regional Middle High School and Quincy High School, two MA Green Ribbon Award winners. For an overview of the tours and to learn more about these amazing green schools, head over to the USGBC MA blog. Green Ribbon Schools has teamed up with Green Apple Day of Service to outline a potential day of service project. Use the following link to learn more.

New Resource: U.S. Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools and the American Association of Community Colleges’ Sustainability Education and Economic Development (SEED) Center have released a new resource, Campus as a Living Lab: Using the Built Environment to Revitalize College Education. This guide is designed to help colleges that have greened their campuses or are thinking about greening their campuses to use those facilities as real-world teaching tools for students across an array of academic and technical programs.

Opportunity: Free USGBC membership for PreK-12 schools & districts. For a limited time, USGBC is offering schools and districts first time, one year free organizational membership. By becoming a USGBC member, schools and districts have the ability to connect to other member organizations and access a wide variety of resources and benefits.