February 2016 Newsletter is here!

By Anthony Lucivero, Advocacy Fellow

It's that time again; newsletter time! We have an excellent edition this month, and it can be read here in our archives. Enjoy a preview below:


A 2016 Kick-off: Gearing up to Scale!

It's an exciting year for the Chapter: we have big plans in 2016 (and of course 2017 with Greenbuild hosted in Boston)!

It's also noteworthy to acknowledge USGBC's recognition of Massachusetts as having produced the third most certified green building space (per capita) in the US in 2015. That's right, we moved from #4 in 2014 to #3 this past year. This is a testament to the hard work that our green building pros (and especially LEED project admins) are doing to attain certifications. Nice work, people!

Coming up in 2016: The Building Tech Forum on 4/21/16 and a Resilience Expo in July. Let me know if you like the subjects and want to be involved. In just about a month there are two big gatherings for our green building pros: NESEA's “BuildingEnergy16” in the Seaport of Boston. If you need a deep dive on LEED v4 or to explore LEED ND – sessions are Tuesday, 3/8, for your educational needs. Also, hosted by our sponsoring partner National Grid, the Association of Energy Engineers' “GLOBALCON” in Boston's Back Bay.

We are providing more and more ways for your to support our advocacy work. Come out to our Policy Podium session on Net Metering on Thursday morning 2/25 to explore the intricacies of this issue.

We are growing our educational programming and collaborating with more of our peer organization friends to connect more people more meaningfully throughout our industry. Our committees and working groups are super-charged and we have a great new Board of Directors – as elected at our recent Annual General Meeting.

This is going to be a fun & productive year! Thank you to our many all-star volunteers for helping with our programming – it was a pleasure to recognize many of you at the ceremony in January.

Thank you, gentle reader, for supporting what we do to advance the cause of Green Buildings in Massachusetts. Look at everything we have going on below. I hope we see you soon at an upcoming program.

-Grey and the team (Maria, Ryan, Anthony and Celis as seen above) 

Again, this newsletter can be read in our archives, so click on over and check it out!

Meet our Members: Craig Foley

By Ryan Duffy, Communications Fellow


Craig Foley is the chief of energy solutions for RE/MAX Leading Edge, and founder of Sustainable Real Estate Consulting Services. Craig is a leading advocate for high-performance buildings in the Northeast.

Craig’s combination of real estate and energy management skills give him a unique perspective about sustainable energy solutions. He is the author of the first reports on high-performance home market in Massachusetts in 2012 and 2013. He was named by RE/MAX New England as the “Realtor of the Month” for March 2013. Craig was one of five people in the United States to receive the EverGreen Award by the National Association of REALTORS® Green REsource Council in 2013 for his advocacy of the green real estate industry in 2013.

He worked with the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (MA DOER) on an initiative to create a continuing education course for real estate agents called High-Performance, Green Homes in Residential Real Estate. It was approved as a continuing education course for Massachusetts real estate agents as RE86R14 in July, 2014. The course was also approved for CE credits in New Hampshire and Vermont. Other consulting work includes a project to implement “auto-pop” capabilities of solar PV information into the multiple listing service (MLS) with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and several projects with Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships to assist real estate market participants with energy efficiency training and resources, including the Home Energy Labelling Information Exchange (HELIX) initiative.

Craig is also a public speaker and has been engaged by organizations such as the nationally syndicated “Real Estate Today” Radio, National Association of Home Builders IBS 2016, Greenbuild 2015, Northeast Energy Efficiency Summit, Affordable Comfort, Inc, the U.S. Green Building Council, ISO New England, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, the Appraisal Institute, TEDxSomerville, and the National Association of Realtors®. He is also a Massachusetts certified real estate instructor.

Craig serves as the Advocacy Coordinator for the MA Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, for his work in 2013 the MA Chapter awarded him its “Advocacy Volunteer of the Year”. He led a group of stakeholders to recommend green data field updates for the region's predominant multiple listing service. The new data fields were implemented in January, 2015.

Craig serves as an Advisory Board member of the NAR Green REsource Council. He currently serves on NAR’s Land Use, Privacy Rights, and Environment Committee, as well as the Member Mobilization Task Force for the Massachusetts Association of Realtors® (MAR). He also served MAR as a participant on a subcommittee to rewrite the association’s energy policy.

For more information on Craig’s consulting projects please see his website

2016 Volunteer Appreciation

By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager

Congratulations to the many individuals who have consistently volunteered for the Chapter to help us move forward with our mission. Our volunteers are really making a difference in how we are able to deliver education, to create excellent networking opportunities, and to advocate for state and local policies that will benefit our industry. And – they appear to have a great time while working on these many fronts! 

We took a few minutes at the Annual General Meeting to recognize some of these folks. It was fun.

 

Shining Star of the Chapter: Phoebe Beierle

Phoebe lead the Green Schools committee through another successful and record making year. The Green Apple Day of Service supported over 4,000 students and their communities with Green Schools projects! 


 

Stepper-Uppers: Jessie Miller, Kimberly Le, Brice Hereford

Jessie Miller – Outreach Committee, Kimberly Le- Residential Green Building Committee, and Brice Hereford – West Branch, all stepped up to lead their teams in 2015. We are extremely happy to have them onboard and to work with them in 2017. Thank you!


 

 

New Hit Wonders: Colleen Brisport, Mark Pignatelli, Suzy O'Leary

Colleen, Mark and Suzy all worked hard this past year to bring programming and support to the Chapter. We appreciate their individual contruibution of time and service to our Chapter and are proud to have them and their continued efforts in 2016!


Special: John DiModica & Dan Whittet

John championed PACE+R with the Advocacy Committee. We were pleased to have him at the State House and here in our offices, enlightening us on the importance of this legislation, and conveying its merits to lawmakers. Dan has been a champion of green buildings and frequently works with us on educational presentations, advocacy, and our existing building community. 


Fundraiser Rockers: Ben Myers & Jim Newman

Ben and Jim have been working in the boiler room of the USGBC supporting us with the funds needed to make progress on our mission and to support our community. Thanks Ben and Jim for your work connecting us with the community of support!

 

Emerging Professionals of the Year: Vinoth Kumar Sekar & Rebecca Slocum

Rebecca has developed the Mentoring Program with EPMA group which is now underway for the 2016 cycle. Vinoth teamed with the USGBC and the Northeastern University to start the first annual Energy Conference. The conference was a total success and we look forward to supporting it next year. 

 

Noteworthy Mention: Stephanie MacNeil, Kristin Malyak, Matt Smith, Ryan Montoni, Marie Nolan, Alana Spencer, Mark Dunn, Laura Fitch, Aelan Tierney, Jared Gentilucci, Craig Foley, David Bliss, Bill Tobin, Kate Bubriski, Adrian Charest

Thank you to our family of volunteers who work tirelessly to support the mission of the USGBC Massachusetts Chapter. Without your support, we would not be the organization that we are. 

 

 

February 2nd: Buildings of the Future – How LEED and Living Buildings are Changing our Landscapes

By Ryan Duffy, Communications Fellow

Don't miss out on the Boston Area Sustainability Group's next presentation: Buildings of the Future- How LEED and Living Buildings are Changing our Landscapes next Thursday, February 2nd, from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM in Cambridge!  Click here to register. 

About the Evening:

From cool roofs to smart glass, architects, engineers, scientists, and industrial innovators have been pushing the envelope for over two decades to build healthier, more efficient, and environmentally sustainable buildings. Today, green construction and renovation continue to trend high as a pursuit of real estate owners and community planners, who recognize the social and economic advantages of utilizing materials and design elements that minimize energy, water, and toxin impacts, while maximizing renewable natural resources for lighting, HVAC, and fixtures.

The speakers representing these organizations will be Grey Lee, Executive Director of the USGBC Massachusetts Chapter and Shawn Hesse, emersion DESIGN lead and co-facilitator of the Living Building Challenge Boston Collaborative.

 

   

Grey Lee, Executive Director, LEED AP BD&C

Grey is the chief facilitator of the US Green Building Council community in Massachusetts, serving as executive director since October 2012. He manages the organization's daily activities and leads the Chapter in achieving its mission. He has a keen interest in helping the broader community of stakeholders recognize how green buildings support and resolve many environmental, social justice, and sustainability issues. By connecting more people to the benefits of green buildings, we will be able to see a groundswell of support to change policy and change market preferences toward better buildings and urban planning. Grey has a background in commercial brokerage, real estate finance, and community engagement. He serves on the boards of two other community organizations in the Boston area and is very active with the Green Catamount alumni network of the University of Vermont. He lives in Harvard Square, Cambridge.

Shawn Hesse, NCARB, LEED® AP BD+C, O+M, LFA, Regenerative Practitioner™

Shawn leads emersion DESIGN’s Cambridge office, and focuses his work on integrating sustainability into design, planning, and policy decisions for clients ranging from fortune 500 companies to universities, cultural, and civic institutions.  He has designed and consulted on some of the greenest buildings in the country including Net Zero energy projects, and LEED Platinum Certified projects.  He has consulted with universities, large corporations, and cities on sustainability and climate change planning efforts, and has crafted policies for cities and universities across the US to promote green building, green jobs, carbon reduction, and resiliency.

As the first USGBC Faculty in Ohio, and one of three in Massachusetts, Shawn is part of an elite group to be recognized and trained by the USGBC, and has educated more than 3,800 people about LEED and sustainability.  As a Living Building Challenge Ambassador and Facilitator for the Boston area, Shawn also provides training for organizations interested in pursuing the Living Building Challenge – the most stringent and ambitious sustainability rating system.   He is an active volunteer with the USGBC, serving on a LEED Technical Working Group to write social equity into future versions of LEED, and serves on the national board of Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility, working to improve social justice in the built environment.
 

Along with BASG, USGBC of Massachusetts and The Living Building Boston Collaborative will be co-hosting this enlightening and beautiful presentation of the spaces and places that comprise our future environments.

Last Chance for Hacking LEED V4: Innovation and Performance Earlybird Registration!

By Ryan Duffy, Communications Fellow

Register for Hacking LEED: v4 Innovation and Performance on Tuesday, March 8, 2016, from 10:00am to 1:00pm!  Hosted by MA USGBC, this course will cover how to use the updated and mandated LEED v4 to raise the bar on energy & environmental performance in buildings, how to transition from the current LEED 2009 system to the LEED v4, how pilot credits and innovation credits fit in, and how legacy projects registered in v2009 are subject to changing requirements even now.  This year, LEED v4 is here and you'll be using it, so learn from practitioners who are already waist-deep in the v4 waters. 

The best pricing for the BuildingEnery Boston ends today, so be sure to sign up ASAP! Don't forget to log in with your member credentials to get the best rate. You can register here:

https://nesea.org/civicrm/event/register?id=137&reset=1

While you're at it, book your room at the Seaport. NESEA has a block of rooms reserved at the Seaport Hotel at a special rate of $204 per night. The block is only being held until February 12th, and typically it sells out. To take advantage of it click below and reserve your room.

http://www.tripzero.info/buildingenergy-2016.html

Only 41 days until the event, hope to see you all there!

Cambridge Net Zero Green Breakfast!

By Anthony Lucivero, Advocacy Fellow

The USGBC MA Chapter was proud to present the City of Cambridge’s Net Zero Action Plan at one of our newly re-branded “Policy Podium” gathering this morning. We had a great turn out from our community members, and this meeting of minds is a sign of great things to come.  The presentation provoked excellent discussions between the audience and presenter Susanne Rasmussen, the Director of Environmental and Transportation Planning for the City of Cambridge.

Cambridge’s Net Zero Action Plan is grand in scope and ambition, with an Action Plan that spans the next 25 years.  A unique factor in Cambridge is that one-third of its built environment is laboratories, making it difficult to plan for building-mounted solar panel installation.  A key strategies, according to Ms. Rasmussen, was to design the Net Zero Action Plan as a ladder, allowing for incremental change that adds up to big improvements down the road.  Cambridge's Net Zero Task Force has made it a priority to engage stakeholders to ensure that this detailed plan is practical and agreeable to all parties.  Additionally, the Net Zero Action Plan has built-in review periods every five years, allowing for evaluation and rethinking strategies as new technologies and economic factors emerge.

Here are some photos from the event, and some slides from Susanne's presentation!


 



 


 


 


 


 


Click here to go to Cambridge Net Zero's official website to view documents and presentations about the Net Zero Action Plan, and click here to read press coverage!

Sponsor Spotlight: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc.

By Ryan Duffy, Communications Fellow


Picture of SGH's recent passive house project.  Photo rendering by Placetailor, Inc.

Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. (SGH) is a national engineering firm that designs, investigates, and rehabilitates structures, building enclosures, and materials. Their award-winning work encompasses building, energy, civil/infrastructure, and science/defense projects in the United States, Canada, and more than thirty additional countries. 

The group recently worked on the Passive House at 140 Centre Street, Roxbury, MA.  SGH, working in collaboration with Placetailor, designed the structure for this multifamily building that incorporates several passive strategies.  See more here.

SGH also recently self-funded a research project to evaluate energy usage before and after St. Paul's School replaced the windows in their schoolhouse building. During the winter, St. Paul's reguarly struggled to maintain daily temperatures in their 1936 schoolhouse. SGH worked in collaboration with St. Paul's and Honeywell. See more here

In an effort to use urban roofspace more productively, SGH recently evaluated existing structures to support new rooftop farms.  The project was done in collaboration with owners and Recover Green Roofs. See photos and more about the project here and here.

Tomorrow's Webinar: You Are What You Breathe: Taking Action on Chemicals of Concern

By Ryan Duffy, Communications Fellow

Tomorrow, January 28th, from 12:00 to 1:00 PM, we're partnering with Greenwash Action and the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) to bring you the Issues of Controversy in Green Building Policy  webinar series. You Are What You Breathe: Taking Action on Chemicals of Concern is the second installment. This is an online webinar series through ILFI and you can watch anywhere online or we will have an in-person viewing session here at 50 Milk Street with the opportunity for group discussion. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the most important trends in green building in recent years has been growing market demand for transparency and avoidance of toxic chemicals in building materials. This webinar will provide a primer on chemicals of concern in the built environment, an overview of the tools that are driving the development of healthier building materials and will contrast the approaches of Living Building Challenge, LEED and Green Globes to this important issue. We will also explore how webinar participants can play a role in inspiring increased uptake of healthy materials through specification, contracts and other advocacy tools.

Objectives

  1. Outline the history of political debate that surrounds ingredient disclosure of building materials and emerging trends of toxic chemical avoidance within the green building industry.
  2. Explain how various green building certifications are driving healthy material specification with a particular focus on LEED® and the Living Building Challenge, including its related Declare label.
  3. Identify techniques that practitioners can use to incorporate healthy materials into Living Building Challenge and other sustainable building projects.
  4. Discuss how participants can play a role in promoting market uptake of ingredient transparency through specification and other advocacy tools.

REGISTER HERE on the ILFI website and CONTACT US if you would like to join the in-person viewing.

New Communications Intern, Ryan Duffy

By Ryan Duffy, Communications Fellow


Hi all!  My name is Ryan and I am very happy to be joining the team for the spring as a Communications Fellow.  Though I was born in Boston, I have lived in Dallas, Texas my whole life until recently. I am in my third year at BC, where I study Political Science and Economics.  After graduation I hope to attend law school and eventually practice environmental law. I have always been passionate about climate change, since I think it is one of the most important issues of our time.

In the past I have worked on a political campaign, researched for a solar energy institute, and studied abroad in Parma, Italy and Dubai, United Arab Emirates (two very different places). In my free time I like traveling, volunteering, and running (I'm running my first marathon, the Boston Marathon, in 3 months for the Dana-Farber team). Sustainability, energy efficiency, and clean building are all topics that interest me, so I know that this position will be a great fit for me. I am looking forward to a great spring here!

New to LEED, join us for this Green Associate Prep Session!

By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager


Come to our Green Associate course on Thursday, 2/18/16 in Boston!

Are you serious about your dedication to sustainable building? Then you should definitely have your LEED Green Associate accreditation! And we'd be happy to help you prepare for your Green Associate Exam. In fact, we're hosting an exam preparation course which would be perfect for you next month! This is also the perfect opportunity because we will be transitioning to an updated version of LEED next year, and this will give you a better grasp of the updated certification information for the new version. 

Already a LEED Green Associate or Accredited Professional? Invite a friend or colleague who still needs their accreditation!

Register here!

 

The full day comprehensive course covers the following topics:

Chapter #1 – Introduction

This 1-hour chapter will explain the LEED Green Associate credentialing process and serve as an introduction to LEED, sustainability, the USGBC, the GBCI and the LEED rating system.

Chapter #2 – Location and Transportation / Sustainable Sites

This 1-hour chapter will focus on site issues such as connectivity, transportation, erosion, landscaping, and heat island effect.

Chapter #3 – Water Efficiency / Energy and Atmosphere

This 1-hour chapter will focus on water issues (plumbing efficiency, irrigation, process water, etc.) and energy and atmosphere issues (demand, efficiency, renewable energy, ozone depleting substances, etc.)

Chapter #4 – Materials and Resources

This 1-hour chapter will focus on procurement and waste diversion.

Chapter #5 – Indoor Environmental Quality

This 1-hour chapter will focus on indoor environmental quality issues such as indoor air quality, occupant comfort and green cleaning.

Chapter #6 – Innovation / Regional Priority / Certification Process

This 1-hour chapter will explain the LEED certification process and the Innovation and Regional Priority categories.

Chapter #7 – Exam Review

This 1-hour chapter will focus on exam format and registration and strategies to pass the exam.

Chapter #8 – Exam Review

This 1-hour chapter will focus on sample exam questions.