Excel Dryer Leads The Way In Global Environmental Product Declarations

By Rebecca Collins

 


USGBC MA is proud to have such a diverse set of sponsoring partners committed to sustainability and transforming the green building industry. Excel Dryer, creator of the high-speed, energy-efficient hand dryer category, is one such partner. In August of last year, Excel Dryer published the industry’s first dry time and energy use results in compliance with the first global Product Category Rule (PCR) published by UL Environment (a business division of Underwriters’ Laboratories). This was the first step toward the development of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), type III, independently verified ecolabels that govern one or more product categories. Standardized evaluation guidelines and reporting such as this allows buyers to conduct a more ‘apples-to-apples’ comparison of hand dryers, and ultimately make a more informed decision, based on credible third-party testing and not false claims. 

 

The publication of the global hand dryer PCR was the culmination of more than a year long, data-driven and science-backed process and was the first testing method for hand dryers established through industry consensus. SGS, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, was selected by Excel Dryer to test the XLERATOR Hand Dryer models.  The original, patented, high-speed, energy-efficient XLERATOR® Hand Dryer recorded an 8 second dry time and 3.7 Wh of energy per use, while the XLERATOReco® Hand Dryer recorded 10 seconds, 1.7 Wh, respectively, making them the first-published in the industry. 

 

“We are proud to have initiated the development of the first-ever global PCR published by UL Environment,” said Vice President of Marketing at Excel Dryer, William Gagnon, who also served as Chairman of the PCR Project. “Excel Dryer recognized the need to standardize the way products are evaluated by the hand dryer industry on a global scale. This PCR includes testing guidelines established through industry consensus that specify how a hand dryer’s performance is tested for energy use and dry times, both key components to properly reporting their environmental impact. Third-party testing to these guidelines levels the playing field and ushers the hand dryer industry into a new ‘age of transparency.’”

 

“If we say something, we can back it up,” said Excel Dryer President, Denis Gagnon. “I’m proud to be an American manufacturer of quality products people enjoy using and can depend on. The publication of the first-ever global PCR allows companies to create EPDs which help people compare hand dryers accurately to make a better decision. We make the best hand dryers in the industry and these results prove it.”

 

The hand dryer market, like so many others, is inundated with knockoff products and manufacturers making unsubstantiated claims. Architects and specifiers may approve ‘or equal’ products that are not true equivalents. The same is true for buyers looking to compare and purchase the best product for their facilities. All products need to be evaluated by the same set of rules and reporting guidelines — for hand dryers, that rule is the new, global PCR from UL Environment.

 

For more information about Excel Dryer or its product line, visit exceldryer.com. To learn more about the new, global PCR visit exceldryer.com/pcr.

Meet Our Members: Blake Jackson

By Blake Jackson


I have been a chapter member since 2011, and over that time, I have been a regular participant in various networking events, the mentorship program, and have shown projects within the annual Green Building Showcase. In 2013, I attended GreenBuild – Philadelphia, and after attending their first a day-long summit on Healthy Materials, I was inspired to return and create a regional event in Boston on the same topic – pertinent given our critical mass of healthcare, research, and education institutions, as well as the pool of experts interested in pushing this ethos.

In 2014, I led our inaugural Healthy Materials Summit at Google – Cambridge. This event brought together all stakeholders (interiors, architects, owners, manufacturers, contractors, etc.) under one roof to discuss how each discipline could elevate their share of the materials procurement process within the built environment to better promote health, transparency, and sustainability. I am proud this has become an annual event and one of the chapter’s major fundraisers.

I also help the chapter through supporting professional education. I was one of the first WELL AP’s in MA and am a WELL Faculty, meaning I am a brand ambassador for the system. As such, I have led several WELL Exam Prep workshops where I blend in my personal experience from having worked on a WELL registered and certifying project to illustrate concepts within individual WELL Features.

I continue to endeavor in breaking down artificial barriers between organizations of similar focus, such as the Boston Society of Architects (BSA), in order to create shared events which promote all of our interests to broader, more diverse audiences. This is not only useful in work but is also a great outlet for making professional life fun!

I am an Associate with Stantec, where my title is Sustainability Design Leader. I am a shared northeast regional resource for projects where sustainability, wellness, and/or resiliency are paramount. Additionally, I am a prolific national speaker and author, am active within the BSA as co-chair of COTE and as VP of Advocacy, and I am an adjunct faculty at the Boston Architectural College (BAC) and at Mount Ida College. I am continually inspired by the density of passionate individuals who value sustainability, I am diligently preparing the next generation for more sustainable careers, and I am energized by the potential my new role holds within such a vast organization! To learn more, please refer to www.stantec.com for more information.

More Green For The Home Of The Boston Red Sox

By USGBC MA Communications


It’s not just the hot dogs you’ll be smelling at Fenway this season…

The Boston Globe just spread the word on the new green practices Fenway Park is applying to their stadium!

When you enter Fenway Park, green dominates, from the Green Monster to the luxuriously manicured grass in the field. The home of the Red Sox is bathed in the springtime color.

This year something new — even more green — has become part of the ballpark. Fenway Farms is the new rooftop garden, where ingredients for salads and other dishes will be grown and used on menu items at the EMC Club, operated by Aramark Corp., which oversees the food concessions in the park. A small patch of roof above Yawkey Way behind the Fenway Park sign has been converted to a versatile growing area, which will turn out a variety of herbs and vegetables ranging from arugula to spinach.

Standing in the garden, even during a home game, you’d never know the park downstairs is crowded with cheering fans, aside from the aroma of sausages and onions from the street below. The sunbathed spot must be Fenway’s quietest, and it’s almost comically out of place. Fans in an upper level keep stopping to peek at what’s going on, take pictures, and ask questions about the project.

Adding something to a 1912 building can’t happen without serious planning. “We spent the last year exploring the opportunity,” says Chris Knight, manager of facilities, services, and planning. “We were trying to determine the best location, where would get the most sunlight, and our structural engineer had to determine if the roof could take the weight of the garden.”

According to Knight, it took a little over a month to put the project together after the location was finalized. Produce is grown in dozens of milk crates arranged by crop and watered with a piping system. Knight says two Somerville companies are integral to the project. Recover Green Roofs oversaw the garden’s design and construction; Green City Growers handles the planting and maintenance of the vegetables and herbs. Green City Growers visits the garden twice a week and will be there on May 1 for the first harvest.

Even after Boston’s brutal winter, some plants were shooting out of the soil just a week after the garden opened, and that has Ron Abell, Fenway Park executive chef, very excited. Abell says he changes his menu in the EMC Club with each series, so he’s looking forward to using the organic produce in a variety of ways. “I want to showcase the radishes, pea shoots, and young lettuces, and we’ll do kale salads and braised collard greens in the spring,” says the chef. The bulk of his fresh produce comes from Ward’s Berry Farm in Sharon, and that relationship will continue, but there are advantages to growing ingredients next to the kitchen. “The less miles [produce] has to travel, the less hands it has to go through, the better,” Abell says.

When picturing Fenway, it’s easy to imagine standard ballpark fare, and, says Abell, “We definitely have people that come in and eat sausage and hot dogs.” But the EMC Club features upscale cuisine like bouillabaisse and lobster rolls. “I like to cook as if people are coming for the food and not the game,” says Abell.

“Fans have responded very positively,” says Red Sox executive vice president of business affairs Jonathan Gilula. The Red Sox are owned by John Henry, who also owns the Globe.

The new garden will also serve as a teaching tool for area youth to learn about the benefits of sustainability and healthy eating. To that end, Knight has already received numerous requests from local schools.

Gilula explains that although Fenway Park is historic, management strives to improve it. Turning a previously vacant space into a productive garden is part of that plan. “We’re constantly looking for ways to make the building more fan friendly, sustainable, and operationally efficient,” he says.

Abell consulted with Green City Growers about what they would be planting, and he can’t wait for May 1, when he’ll begin using Fenway-grown ingredients. The space will harvest produce in spring, summer, and fall.

It’s that last season that Abell is most looking forward to. “I’ve already started planning my World Series menu,” he says.

 

The R. W. Kern Center receives AIA and the Committee on the Environment’s (COTE) Top Ten Awards

By Emily Kingston


AIA and the Committee on the Environment (COTE) announced this year’s recipients of the COTE Top Ten Awards, the industry’s premier program celebrating sustainable design excellence. Now in their 21st year, the Top Ten Awards highlight projects that exemplify the integration of great design and great performance. Submissions are required to demonstrate how the project aligns with COTE’s rigorous criteria for social, economic, and ecological value.
(Excerpted from AIA.org)

It was recently announced that the R. W. Kern Center has received AIA and the Committee on the Environment’s (COTE) Top Ten Awards. The R. W. Kern Center was designed by Bruner/Cott Architects of Boston, with construction management by Wright Builders. Congratulations to all.

Residential Green Building Committee: 5/8/2017 Recap – All About Net-Zero Design!

By Molly Cox


The Residential Green Building Committee (RGBC) met on May 8th, 2017. We had a guest presentation from Stephanie Horowitz, Managing Director of ZeroEnergy Design. ZED is a green architecture and energy consulting firm, working in the fields of architecture, mechanical engineering, and finance.

With a strong 7 person team, ZED is committed to designing homes and buildings that use 50% less energy than building code requires. Stephanie explained that most of their project makeup consists of single-family homes, compared to multi-family homes. They are also on track for the 2030 Challenge, which they started tracking in 2010 for their own projects.

When designing for most energy efficiency for a building, ZED prioritizes the building envelope first, followed by systems, and then renewables. ZED uses PHPP (Passive House Planning Package) for energy modeling of their custom home projects, but not all projects are expected to earn Passive House certification. The Energy Use Intensity (EUI) values for ZED’s completed projects are published on their website.

Stephanie showcased a Net Positive, LEED Platinum Certified four bedroom home in Lincoln, MA. This home has an impressive score of 0.27 ACH50 (Air changes per hour), which is a 90% reduction from code. ZED implemented systems such as air source heat pumps and renewables with a 13.1 kw solar PV array. She emphasized the importance of the direction the solar PV array faced, as that can hugely impact the EUI (south facing solar array is the best). It was impressive to see how closely aligned the monthly PV array predicted usage (performed by PV Watts) was with the actual usage. The homeowners are taking advantage of net metering in MA, to use the credits from the array’s overproduction in the warmer months, for the winter months when PV production is low.

In other news, the USGBC MA Chapter has a building tour of the Martin Luther King Jr. School on May 17th (register HERE), and a tour of Fort Hill on June 7th (register HERE). Come join us for our next RGBC meeting on June 12th!

See Stephanie's presentation slides here.

Sterritt’s Small Talk: “Is Boston Ugly?”

By USGBC MA Communications


Driving through Harvard square you can’t help but be taken back by the sights. You know the bulky Harvard campus buildings and the reminiscent of the Marriott hotel crumbling after its decades of maroon chipped paint and dull design. Sure some glass catches your eye and the smells strolling past Pinocchio’s Pizza make you peek into buildings and side streets til your hunger is cured. More appealing than staring at the blank face ally ways on the brink of dull and boring.

When Boston comes to mind we can’t help but not imagine the blue glass and blue sea is all there is around the Seaport and Waterfront districts. As if mirroring images of more brown and warned down red weren’t enough, now it’s being carried from street to street by our skyline’s reflection. The never ending construction zone signs and public parking becomes near impossible. I mean you really think a Ford 500 can parallel park between a dump truck and a back hoe? That’s not the point here.

I ask you to actually take a moment, and take notice of what you see. Not just the people, the food, the culture, but the physical entities stacked throughout the entire city. The buildings that hold the people and the dirty truth is that…. the city’s architecture is just plain “BLAH.”

Recently, Boston Magazine released an article called “Why is Boston So Ugly?” I asked around and most of my colleagues disagree. I don’t think Boston is ugly. I think there is just a melting pot of contemporary architecture mixed with timeless historical architecture. It’s not ugly, it’s just diverse, and maybe in need of a little imagination.

With a whole lot of man power, these buildings that take up to years of planning, you begin to wonder where the vision began. From start to finish the process can be timely and messy from rearranging layouts, building codes, laying frame after frame…time to complete a building is scorched by deadlines and high risk analysis. But, do architects really give themselves time to create? Where is the time to design and how long do we need to take to get it right?

We are all so into this fast paced money maker squeeze as-many-as-we-can in a time where the baby boomers reign, we think we can meet their demand… yeah, think again. Technology and innovation are terms thrown throughout the building industry. That for years, these two words are the two life lines to redefine Boston’s architecture. But what does it matter if no one is willing to push the boundaries? When will there be an architect who will use their imagination to reinvent how we see our world?

Funny thing is, for years, we have had these kinds of innovators at our feet. With four superb architecture schools within 5 miles of one another, we have a major roster list of innovative designers. Many of whom stick around after their education—alas, most of them stick around to teach, not to build. I am all for education, but to teach and not create seems to me a bit of fearful living. Maybe that is what we see here in Boston the decline of risk-taking. Boston is now home to a handful of world-class architecture firms—companies employing between 20 and 50 people—that are designing beautiful, exciting buildings. And they’re getting built, too. Just not in Boston.

Recently, taking a trip myself to New York City you can’t help but be taken back by the buildings. I am not just saying the big ones you see from Brooklyn Bridge or the Statue of Liberty. I am talking about getting lost on a random street and you’ll most likely find yourself staring at buildings that just make you say “how did they do it? Who thought of this?” Everywhere from the Natural History Museum to any theater, the list goes on and on about creative and innovative design. So why is it Boston can’t seem to take these risks? We have the sources and the people but we cannot implement anything original in years!

Mayor Marty Walsh returned from his New York trip (architecture adventure), and in a speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce in December, he passionately advocated for better, more-compelling architecture. “Too often, in recent decades, new buildings have been merely functional,” he said. “I believe Boston can do better. We should aim for world-class design. Our historic buildings reflect our unique past. New buildings should project the values and aspirations of our growing city. We can balance the old and new. And we can do it with imagination.”

These are just words and hopes for a better future. From city hall to the construction site, the people who build these skyscrapers need to branch out and reach out for reliable resources. An idea is only an idea until it is put down on paper and action takes place. But coming up with good ideas with the right people isn’t even half the battle here. The imagination may lack but there is something else that needs to be addressed. Conflicts of interest is what is stopping innovation. The forward-thinking developers are silenced by the current system and the glare of another blue glass building design. Throw out the existing bureaucracy (and any existing plans that yet again mimic the Hynes Convention Center) and build oversight into the system.

 

The EPMA Took Over the Charles River Cleanup on April 29th!

By Max Silverman


On Saturday, April 29th, EPMA teamed up with over 3,000 volunteers along the banks of the Charles River for the 18th annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup.  The Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup builds on a national effort as part of American Rivers’ National River Cleanup, which to date, has removed over 20.7 million pounds of trash from America’s waterways! 

EPMA had a great volunteer turnout was blessed with one of the nicest days this spring – 70's and sunny!  We met at the Esplanade and got our T-shirts and cleanup equipment at the steps of the Hatch Shell.  We were joined at the Hatch Shell by groups from PWC, Boston University Engineering, and several other organizations.  There were also individuals and families ranging from young children to seniors. 

Through a little bit of sweat, a few laughs and plenty of smiles, the volunteers on the Esplanade were able to fill bag after bag with garbage and floating debris that gathered along the water's edge during the winter.  We removed bottles, food wrappers, lots of disintegrated Styrofoam cups and even some hazardous items.  Runners, bikers, and walkers stopped to say thanks!  For all who enjoyed the event and anyone who did not attend but would like to get involved, you can check out all of the great events that we have coming down the pipe here: https://usgbcma.org/events
 

May 2017 Newsletter – Grey is Moving on, But the Mission is Going Strong!

By USGBC MA


See the full newsletter here!

What can I say? We're #1! We have #MoreGreenBuildings! We have more members, more sponsors, more volunteers and more engagement across the spectrum. It has been an honor to work for this community of practitioners who share my passion for transforming the building industry. I have only been a steward, standing on the shoulders of giants, helping cultivate the next generation of green building leaders in our organization's purview. I am happy for the opportunity to serve and looking forward to coming out as a volunteer to help with programs and advocacy. I know we will meet again.

I hope you are able to come to some of the great things we have planned this month! Check out the service project in JP, the gender bias program, or the tour of the MLK School. Definitely plan on being at the Green Building Showcase on 6/15! That is going to be awesome.

Take care and thank you for participating in our mission and supporting our essential work. It's exciting to think about what will come next. 
Thank you,
Grey
 

Dear World: Drive Less

By Zipcar

Dear World,

Drive less.

We know, we know—it’s odd to hear that from a car sharing company. But hear us out.

Human activity is accelerating climate change at a dangerous rate, and the transportation industry is the second-largest and fastest-growing contributor. In fact, passenger cars are the largest source of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. These aren’t our personal beliefs or anything. They’re just facts.

But trust us, we have personal beliefs on the subject, too. We believe in enabling simple and responsible urban living. We believe in a future in which car sharers outnumber car owners. We believe that car sharing programs should and will be a requisite part of how our cities grow and develop.

These beliefs have kept us going for 17 years and have brought us one million members sharing 12,000 cars in 500 cities and towns around the world. So far, these members have prevented 1.6 billion pounds of CO2 emissions, and together, we’ve kept almost 415,000 personally owned vehicles off the road.

We’re pretty proud of that, but it’s not enough. So this Earth Day—and every day, really—we’re asking everyone to fight climate change by simply driving less. Lace up those kicks. Dust off that bike seat. Carpool with a neighbor or coworker. And show us how you’re making these (and other environmentally friendly) tweaks to your routine with #DearWorld.

Because let’s face it: Right now is when the Earth needs saving the most—and no action is too small. That’s just fact.

Zipcar

AHA Consulting Engineers is a Silver Sponsors of the USGBC MA!

By USGBC MA


AHA Consulting Engineers has been a true ally in our mission of sustainability for over five years, and we're happy to say that they are a Silver Sponsor of our organization. Their work always impresses us and the surrounding community, and we're incredibly proud to continue working with them for #MoreGreenBuildings!

The group has been serving its clients for over 20 years across the country and internationally, with an expertise in mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection design as well as LEED administration, commissioning and energy modeling. With over 130 professionals, AHA is committed to the creation of environments of enduring quality and value.

If you're happy to have more seating options at Fenway Park to see the Red Sox knock it out of the park, you can thank AHA for that one. In late 2016, AHA's unique engineering approach led to 258 more seats available at Fenway, with 222 in the right-field pavilion, or the 36-person Infiniti Suite, where AHA's mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire alarm design experience is on display. AHA has been involved with Fenway upgrades, renovations, and expansions since 2009, such as the Royal Rooters visitors' clubhouse and concession stand expansions.

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

 

Thanks again to AHA! Learn more about them on their website or our blog.