March 2017 EPMA Meeting – All About Low-Impact Stormwater Management

By Alex Testa


Monday’s night EPMA meeting ended with a great discussion about our responsibility as emerging professionals and brought new perspectives to the table.

Lindsey Machamer gave a thought-provoking presentation on Low Impact Stormwater Management, highlighting her work at Plymouth South High School. The decentralized system she designed was triggered by a number of influences we can all relate to: MassDEP guidelines; Plymouth stormwater bylaw; USGBC/LEED. Lindsey navigated through each set of standards, demonstrating how engineering innovation and design can be applied to meet a variety of criteria (within a budget!). She also outlined the site conditions in Plymouth, which had sandy soil and a deep ground water table.

Making use of bioretention areas, water swales, separate discharge points, a turf field, and tree box filters, the final design is one that mimics the natural hydrology of southeastern Massachusetts and takes advantage of everything the site offers. Although not everyone was familiar with stormwater management, Lindsey’s case study opened our eyes to a different aspect of building design and how stormwater management factors into a green building. Lindsey’s presentation motivated a fascinating, open discussion with Boston city councilor Tito Jackson, who had dropped in the meeting, about green buildings and Boston’s future.

2017 Mayor's Greenovate Awards Deadline Extended to 4/2

By USGBC MA


Greenovate has extended the deadline to nominate a local green hero for the Mayor’s Greenovate Awards!

You now have until Sunday, April 2nd to share the story of a local business, organization, institution, or individual who works to make Boston a greener city.  Submit your nomination today! Then forward this email along to your family, friends, and neighbors who may know someone to nominate too.

This year, the awards process will include an online voting period where YOU and all Bostonians will be able to vote for nominees. Online voting will begin as soon as nominations close. Greenovate will send you a reminder closer to that date.

Save the date! Greenovate will be hosting an Earth Day party on the evening of April 19, 2017 to celebrate the Greenovate Award winners and allow you to connect with local environmental, climate, and sustainability leaders in Boston. We’re hosting the party a bit earlier this year because there’s a lot of great events going on in the city, and we didn’t want you to have to choose just one!

Reminder: LEED Green Associate Exam Prep Course Tomorrow!

By USGBC MA


Tomorrow, Thursday, March 23rd, is our next LEED Green Associate exam prep course! Join us for our all-day training session with an incredibly high success rate of getting people ready to take their exam.

The LEED Exam Prep Course is a comprehensive course which will prepare attendees for the Green Associate and other specialty exams. The day long curriculum is designed to cover the segments of the Green Associate Exam and to lightly cover the AP specialty exams. If you have specific questions regarding a specialty exam, feel free to bring these questions to class and have the instructor cover these identified areas.

Come join us for this session! We have only had positive feedback and success stories from previous classes.

This is a fast-paced class for real estate professionals, architects, engineers, students and anyone else interested in green building practices and LEED. The majority of attendees have little previous knowledge of the LEED rating system, green building operations, and green building construction. Upon completion of the class employees will be eligible to sit for the LEED Green Associate exam at a local testing center. Please note that the national office has lowered their student rate to 100 dollars, read more at usbgc.org. By passing the exam, employees will earn the LEED Green Associate credential. If interested in attending a LEED Green Associate Exam Prep class, please email celis@usgbcma.org, groups welcome.

Register here.

Thursday, March 23rd, 2017
8:30am-5:00pm
50 Milk St, 20th Floor, Anchor Room
Boston, MA, 02109

Tomorrow is Our Introduction to the Living Building Challenge Morning Session

By USGBC MA


Join us for an introductory session on the newest and most rigorous standard in high-performance buildings today. If you are new to the standard or have a few unanswered questions come visit this session. We will be briefly covering projects in the Commonwealth and will have mediated discussion after the comprehensive presentation. Breakfast will be provided.

Register here!

The Living Building Challenge is the built environment's most rigorous performance standard. It calls for the creation of building projects that operate as cleanly, beautifully and efficiently as nature's architecture. Participants will gain a basic understanding of the Living Building Challenge – a philosophy, advocacy tool, and certification program that addresses development at all scales. To be certified under the Challenge, projects must meet a series of ambitious performance requirements, including Net Zero Energy, Waste, and Water, over a minimum of 12 months of continuous occupancy. Participants will learn to describe the key components of the program and discuss the rationale for restorative design principles.

Learning objectives:

1. Understand the basic philosophy of the Living Building Challenge

2. Describe the key components of the program

3. Discuss the rationale for restorative design principles

4. Identify and locate the resources provided by the International Living Future Institute for deeper engagement

Wednesday, March 22nd, 2017
8:30am-10:00am
50 Milk St., 18th Floor
Hemingway Room
Boston, MA, 02109

Register here!

The End of ENERGY STAR?

By Derek Newberry, Advocacy Fellow


UPDATE 3/21/17: The National USGBC created a call to action for companies and organizations to support the ENERGY STAR, Safer Choice, and WaterSense programs. If you are part of an organization that supports this, please sign the letter here. USGBC MA has signed on and encourages all other organizations concerned about energy efficiency to sign on as well!

President Trump's federal budget proposal will eliminate a number of vital energy efficiency programs from ENERGY STAR to ARPA-E. ENERGY STAR, which was started in 1992 by the EPA and DOE, has had unprecedented success in reducing consumer energy use. The program has prevented 2.7 billion metric tons GHG emissions and saved Americans $430 billion on their utility bills since the program’s inception in 1992. It has seen continuous increases in energy savings, emission reductions, and has become a paragon of sustainable branding with almost 90% of people associating the label with energy efficiency and quality. The budget cuts will leave at least 18,000 American jobless and endanger the 1.9 million American workers that work for the federally supported energy efficiency industry. 

While the program may be transferred to a private company, with a transition cost of $5 million, removing the ENERGY STAR label from federal control could discredit program, will likely prevent true third-party evaluation and verification, and will reduce American prominence in the energy efficiency field around the world. It will also hinder net zero energy building and LEED compliance and expansion. 

ENERGY STAR will be one of 60 other programs and 19 agencies to lose discretionary funding. Other energy-related programs to be cut include the Clean Power Plan, the International climate change programs, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, the State Energy Program, and the Rural Business and Cooperative Service’s discretionary programs.

On the other hand, as military budgets increase (by $54 billion) they will have more opportunities to invest in renewable energy technologies. In the name of efficiency, safety, and security, the DoD doubled its renewable power generation from 2011 to 2015 to 10,534 billion BTU and supported hundreds of millions in solar power contracts. The military plans to continue investing in renewables and the National Defense Authorization Act of 2007 established the DoD’s voluntary goal of 25% renewable energy consumption by 2025. The military desires to expand renewables and hybrid technologies to increase security by reducing the threat of grid attacks and current dangers of explosive fuels instead of to reduce emissions and save the planet.

However, as the current Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, has repeatedly noted his support for weaning the military off its fossil fuel dependence for national security reasons the military will likely continue on its path to clean energy and national security. Still, Trumps budget cuts to the energy programs like ARPA-E will actively hinder the expansion of new safe energy systems for the military and prevent new advancements and improvements in military technology.

Overall, the loss of ENERGY STAR will seriously weaken US energy efficiency standards and slow progress to a safe and sustainable future. Some hope can be found in expanded military clean energy use but much progress will be lost unless this budget is amended and improved to protect the American people. If you think ENERGY STAR should be protected then contact your congressional representatives and tell them to stop these cuts. 

 

 

Grey Lee Departure Statement

By Grey Lee

Hello Volunteer Leader Colleagues of the Chapter,

Thank you again for your hard work to move our mission forward.
 


I have a special announcement. I have been accepted to a Master's in Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School, starting this summer.

I will be leaving USGBC MA at the end of May, after almost five years. 

The Board is managing a rapid transition process and seeks to find and install the next Executive Director of our organization in the early summer. Celis Brisbin will take on the acting director role as needed. You can read a statement from Andrea Love, our Board Chair's, describing the transition process here.

I am leaving only because of the opportunity to enhance my capacity to pursue our mission to transform the built environment toward sustainability. There is nothing else I would leave for.

I love what I do, I love our mission and I love our organization. I know it is in excellent shape financially and staffing-wise. We have an amazing community of volunteers and excellent goodwill in the industry. 

I know that we will continue on an excellent trajectory and new ideas and new leadership will help that. When I started, we were half the size and it was a one-man shop. Now we have five employees and five interns. Think of this like repotting a plant. It's going to thrive!

 

You can read our Board's statement with a link to the advertised position description here.

Thank you for your continued commitment to our progress. I look forward to working with you in the future and I know we will stay in touch.

Thank you again,
See you at the Greenbuild Night on the 30th,
Grey
 

PS: Grid Modernization – Tues 3/21 ///// Intro to the Living Building Challenge – Weds 3/22 ///// LEED Green Associate Exam Prep – Thurs 3/22

 

The Search for a New Executive Director

By Andrea Love, Chair of the Board


A Story of New Opportunities at USGBC MA

To Our Community in Green Building:

The US Green Building Council, MA Chapter, would like to announce our search for a new Executive Director.

Our current Executive Director, Grey Lee, has chosen to take an opportunity to pursue a mid-career Master’s in Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School. We are saddened to lose his leadership at the Chapter but know he will use this opportunity to step up to a new level of leadership, advocacy, and activism that will benefit us all. He is devoted to the transformation of real estate toward sustainability and our efforts for #MoreGreenBuildings!

Please join us in wishing Grey great success as he begins this new phase.

 

With Change Comes Energy

We are guided by our mission to “drive sustainable and regenerative design, construction, and operation of the built environment.” Our vision for “a thriving and diverse community, creating a built environment of net positive systems of water and energy, of financial and social equity, and of ecological and human health” compels us to action.

We convene a diverse community of practitioners working across industry sectors and at all levels of expertise. We work to advance the opportunities of our members and to maximize the positive impacts of our practices. Since our founding in 2009, and especially in the last three years, we have grown our Chapter and developed into the voice for the dynamic green building industry of our region. We continue to bring more and more people into the green building space and to galvanize our community for action. And this November, we plan to host the greatest Greenbuild conference ever, right here in Boston.

Today we launch our search for our next Executive Director. We seek an entrepreneurial and passionate professional to continue our momentum, to advance our net positive focus, and to lead the green building movement in Massachusetts. Please visit our Executive Director posting for additional information on the position and application process at: usgbcma.org/job-opportunities

 

Celis Brisbin, Director of Operations, to assist with the transition and fill in as Acting Director.
 

The Staff share the Board’s excitement and are committed to working with Grey over the coming months, and the new Executive Director upon hiring, to ensure our momentum continues to build as we advance our mission and vision and accelerate toward Greenbuild.

The Board of Directors, our members and partners, and all of our stakeholders take great pride in our accomplishments and ongoing growth. Our #1 ranking for LEED Certifications in 2016 is a reflection of the strength and commitment of our community and our collective efforts.

We look forward to a new phase in our journey and new leadership, new energy, and new successes. If you have questions or concerns, or you would like to share feedback, please send us a note at info@usbcma.org.

 

Thank you for your continued support as we move forward,

Andrea Love,

on behalf of the Board of Directors,

USGBC MA Chapter, Inc.

 

You can read Grey Lee's departure statement here.

March 13th Residential Meeting Recap – All About WELL!

By Molly Cox and Bill Womeldorf


The Residential Green Building Committee met on March 13th, 2017.  We had a guest presentation from Jennifer Taranto, the Director of Sustainability at Structure Tone, on the WELL Building Standard (see her presentation attached).

She began by explaining who benefits from WELL, and what the standard is intended to do. WELL gauges the impact buildings have on the people surrounding/in them. Essentially, WELL benefits the people, whereas LEED benefits the environment. While some may think LEED and WELL are similar standards, there is actually about a 20% overlap between LEED and WELL, mostly related to indoor air quality.

The WELL standard is a performance-based system in which a 3rd party (Green Business Certification Inc.) verifies compliance with the requirements. After three years, WELL requires a re-certification to confirm the compliance still remains. There are three levels of certification: Silver, Gold, and Platinum (similar to LEED rankings). And in March 2017, there were 12 certified WELL projects.

Cost Structure of WELL:

Often in a business, the people (workforce) contribute to the lionshare of costs, with a smaller percentage making up the overhead costs (such as energy bills). Jennifer mentioned that investing in a standard benefiting the people of a business, yields a higher return for the business itself. To register, there is a $5,500 fee, and the cost to certify is based on a square foot price. Jennifer said that in her WELL project, there was only a 2% cost increase to use the WELL standard (1.4% came from soft costs such as an acoustical consultant).

Seven Main Concepts of WELL:

  • Air: HVAC optimizing, healthy materials, low VOCs (similar to the Living Building Challenge's Red List), CO monitors
  • Water: Filtered water, access to water for occupants
  • Nourishment: Access to healthy food for occupants, low sugar food, etc.
  • Light: Circadian lighting (blue light in morning that switches to yellow light in the evening) daylighting, and task lighting control
  • Fitness: Inviting outdoor spaces, prioritizing staircases, sit and stand adjustable desks, along with subsidized bike shares, yoga, and gyms.
  • Comfort: Thermal comfort, acoustical comfort, ADA compliance, Ergonomics (occupant-adjustable workstations)
  • Mind: Stakeholder engagement, wellness library (information sharing), Altruism (example, 8 billable hours to any volunteering cause)

We enjoyed having Jennifer at our meeting this month, stay tuned for upcoming presenters at the RGBC meetings! Please join us at our next committee meeting on Monday, April 10th, at 5:45!

Become a Member Between Now and 3/30, Come to Our Greenbuild Networking Night for Free

By Alexander Landa


The title says it all – become a member between now and March 30th, and you will get a free ticket to our upcoming Greenbuild 2017 Networking Night! This is a members-only event, meaning you'll only be networking with some of the best in the green building business.

This goes for any ticket type. Chapter memberships are $95/year, emerging professionals are $39/year, Government officials are $39/year, and students are only $25/year.

We also have higher-level Chapter memberships, and these make a huge difference in our advocacy campaigns – all for a more sustainable Massachusetts. 

Become a member now!

5:30-6:00: Networking and drinks
6:00-6:30: Opening remarks, state of “The Road to Greenbuild,” and words from our sponsors.
6:30-7:30: Networking

Boston has embarked toward a defining moment in its green building story: Greenbuild 2017.

In 2008, Boston made history with the largest Greenbuild to date. We intend to make this 2017 Greenbuild the largest on record, outdoing ourselves from our 2008 showing.

Greenbuild is getting everyone excited. Students, architects, construction workers, sustainability managers, operators, anyone with a stake in green buildings from around the world will be coming to Boston this November. 

Join us on March 30th to meet other USGBC MA Chapter members, share excitement for Greenbuild, network with like-minded individuals, and most important, have fun and celebrate all things green building!

 

Upcoming USGBC MA Presinars

By USGBC MA


Do you need to maintain GBCI CE and/or LEED-NC credits to maintain accreditation? Do you just want to learn about new trends in sustainability and how to improve your designs? We offer a pretty simple way of doing this – you can attend one of our after work presinars in either Boston or Worcester.

Here's what's coming up in the near future:

 

April 12th: US Nippert Stadium Renovation Case Study
Sustainability Hub
912 Main St.
Worcester, MA, 01610

How can a building with nearly 60 percent glass on the exterior—one that is operated for only a few days per year and served by existing central plant systems—achieve LEED certification? The answer is: not easily.

April 19th: The Business Case for Sustainable Design
50 Milk St., 17th Floor, Hercules Room
Boston, MA, 02109

This lesson is intended to provide students with the foundational knowledge to understand and make the business argument for Sustainable Design and Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting. It covers the high-level effects of climate change on business, as well as decisions that individual organizations must consider.