Residential Green Building: 12/12/16

By Molly Cox


The Residential Green Building Committee met on January 9th, 2017. We had a presentation from our own Bill Womeldorf, who works at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. He started us off by presenting the idea that earth is not only our house, but also our home. There are no other houses to move into once we trash the one we currently live in. This set the stage for the perspective he shared on the importance of energy efficient buildings.  

Bill continued to display some of the case studies he worked on, and showed us the before and after values of the building. The buildings had impressive returns on investment, and one of the buildings showed a drastic decrease in the EUI (Energy Use Intensity) after the energy retrofit, from 150 down to 58.8. Another home exhibited changes such as installing new LED lighting, attic venting, and adding a solar PV system. Bill recommends retrofitting in stages, to get closer to a zero carbon building. With smaller steps, these alterations appear more manageable as long as the phases are planned out.  

Bill spoke further about Greenhouse Gas emissions, and how buildings are not the sole generator of these emissions. GHG emissions derive both from the building level and the grid level. Some ways to address the grid level emissions include upgrading the pump storage facility, demand management, and on-site renewables, and for buildings we can increase the number of electrical appliances. Bill sparked a great conversation amongst the committee after his presentation, regarding barriers building owners face when they try to increase energy efficiency in their homes, workplaces, etc. To learn more, come join us at our next Residential Green Building Committee!

Some upcoming events include: Leadership Development with Barbra Batshalom – Leading Organizational Change from Within on January 19th (Register here), Introduction: Living Building Challenge on Jan 25th (Register here). Annual General Meeting on Jan 26th (Register here).

 

Building Tech Forum 2017 Partner Announcement – Siemens

By Alexander Landa


Today we're excited announce that Siemens has become a sponsoring partner of our upcoming Building Tech Forum to be held February 16th! This unique event will talk smart cities – aka the combination of technology, architecture, and sustainability. You don't want to miss out on hearing from industry leaders about this innovative new trend!

Siemens Corporation is an international leader in electrification, automation, and digitalization. As one of the world's largest creators of energy-efficient and resource-saving technologies, this group is at the forefront of supplying systems for power generation and transmission as well as medical diagnosis.

There are some leaders in production that will turn a blind eye to sustainability and environmental awareness – but not Siemens. As a leader in the energy industry, such as by supplying energy efficiency solutions to control energy prices and increase the reliability and performance of power supplies – they still make it their goal to have minimal environmental impact. They are devoted to factoring in the wider community and protecting the environment,  they sustain the natural resources we all need to live, properly balance concerns of the economy, environmental protection, and social responsibility, and aim to educate everyone they interact with on why we need to aim for a more sustainable future.

Thank you for working with us on the Building Tech Forum – can't wait to see you there!

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Boston's green building market transformation

By City of Boston / John Dalzell


As green building practices began to emerge as a viable tool for reducing the environmental impacts of buildings, Boston made an unprecedented commitment to urban sustainability by enacting Zoning Article 37. Making it the first city in the nation to require private developers to adhere to the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, Boston set out not only to drive green building practices but to transform the local building industry.

The zoning regulations promulgated by Article 37 require all building projects over 50,000 square feet to demonstrate their sustainability strategies using the most appropriate LEED rating system. Prior to issuance of a building permit, the City’s Inter-agency Green Building Committee determines if a project has fulfilled all the necessary LEED prerequisites and has earned enough points to meet the “certified” level. During the permitting and review process, and through additional development requirements, many projects increase their LEED green building commitment to Silver, Gold, and even Platinum.  While certification is not required, almost two-thirds of all projects subject to Article 37 seek the market benefits of building green certification through USGBC / GBCI.​

“I am proud that 10 years after Article 37 was enacted, Boston is still leading the nation in meeting the energy, environmental and climate change challenges of today and tomorrow,” commented Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “Our innovative leadership in green buildings is only possible because of all the stakeholders, building owners, workers and businesses working together to build a better Boston. While we know that the work continues, we look forward to celebrating these and so many other achievements with the green building community when we welcome Greenbuild to Boston later this year.”

Ten years after the enaction of Article 37, through the work of the Boston Planning and Development Agency and the department of Environment, Energy and Open Space, Boston is known as an innovation leader and is home to an impressive portfolio of green buildings. With growing demand for green and healthy work spaces, many of Boston’s existing Class A office buildings have responded by seeking LEED for Existing Buildings (now LEED v4 for Building Operations and Maintenance) certification: a certification program designed to implement and validate sustainability measures—water, energy, waste, and transportation—for owners and managers of existing buildings.  

In 2013, the owners of One Boston Place, led by their team at CB Richard Ellis, achieved LEED Gold for Existing Buildings. With a projected $213,000 annual savings and an investment payback period of approximately 1.3 years, the project has documented the following annual savings:

  • 18,000,000 kWk of energy (electricity and steam)
  • 3,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions
  • 12,000,000 gallons of potable water
  • 182,000 pounds of trash

(Source: CB Richard Ellis)

Grey Lee, executive director USGBC Massachusetts, reflected on this important milestone. “USGBC Massachusetts is proud to celebrate Boston's leadership and 10 years of achievement with Zoning Article 37 Green Building,” he said. “Our building professional practitioners have implemented and are operating green buildings that enable net positive outcomes for our community, and our world.”

Building on the success of Article 37, the city launched the Boston E+ (energy positive) Green Building program, to pilot the next generation of high-performance LEED Platinum buildings. With six units completed, four in construction and another 60 in permitting status, Boston is proving cities are at the forefront of sustainable practices. Today, with the city’s Climate Action Plan and a wide range of programs and initiatives, Boston has been twice ranked the most energy-efficient city in the nation

To learn more, visit the websites for the Boston Planning and Development Agency and the Article 37 Green Building and Climate Resiliency Guidelines.

Read the original article on the USGBC site here.

USGBC Online Education: The Greenest Schools: LEEDv4 New Construction for Schools

By Alexander Landa


Did you know that we provide online education resources through the USGBC to help you maintain LEED Accreditation? Instead of (or in addition to) going to in-person workshops, these online resources allow you to maintain accreditation from anywhere, anytime, at your own comfort. 

Register for the presentation here.

Steven Burke and Martine Dion of SMMA | Symmes Maini & McKee Associates present on LEED v4 For Schools, which is a rating system for new school projects in Massachusetts pursuing state reimbursement funding. This course will enable you and your teammates to have confidence knowing what to expect in approaching LEED v4 school projects. You will learn the essential differences related to prerequisites and the new credits that are changing the game for green buildings. 

Objectives

  1. Describe and identify the major differences between LEED 2009 for Schools and LEED v4 for Schools, including the new concepts, terminology and the new credit categories and credits.
  2. Help identify how the new and updated LEED v4 referenced standards may influence new schools design projects, including a discussion around potential for altered design process and outcome when comparing LEED v4 for schools to LEED v3 Schools projects.
  3. Outline some specific impacts for the various members of the project team in reaching LEEDv4 for Schools advanced sustainability goals, as well as highlight how the new LEED v4 for Schools credits will require changes to a schools project’s specifications and construction administration.
  4. Help attendees learn about the new materials transparency credits addressing EPDs (environmental product declarations) and HPDs (Health Product Declaration).

City of Boston Achieves Energy Efficiency Gains with Capital Improvements to its Iconic Buildings

By USGBC MA


The following is an article by the City of Boston's Office of Public Facilities. Read the original here.

BOSTON – Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced recent capital improvements to three of its iconic buildings completed by City of Boston Public Facilities Department will yield nearly $50,000 in annual utility savings for the lifetime of the installed improvements at the Central Library in Copley Square, City Hall and 26 Court Street. The project will also eliminate over 140 tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year, which is equivalent to removing more than 40 cars from the road for a year.

“I am proud Boston is leading by example in pursuing environmentally-friendly, sustainable and cost-saving options for our improvement projects,” said Mayor Walsh. “These improvements are a win-win effort, and I look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts with utility partners to continue making progress towards becoming a more energy efficient city.”

Boston's Public Facilities Department partnered with Eversource on the comprehensive building infrastructure and energy efficiency upgrade projects, with Eversource providing technical expertise and helping the City secure Mass Save program incentives to offset the overall cost of the upgrades to the three buildings.

“Eversource has been working closely with the City of Boston on innovative projects to make the City more energy efficient for many years,” said Tilak Subrahmanian, Vice President of Energy Efficiency at Eversource. “We commend Mayor Walsh and city leaders for demonstrating Boston's commitment to energy efficiency, and providing cities and towns across the country with a model they can follow.”

Last year, Mayor Walsh and the City's Public Facilities Department unveiled new high-efficiency LED exterior lighting on Boston's City Hall. The new fixtures wash the building in a warm white light, and also have the capability of projecting a wide-range of color options, which allows the City to light the building to acknowledge a variety of civic and celebratory events. The Public Facilities Department saved $30,000 on the installation through a Mass Save utility efficiency incentive, and expects to achieve $12,000 in energy savings annually.

During 2016, the Walsh Administration and Eversource also completed energy efficiency projects at the Central Library's Johnson Building, and additional projects at 26 Court Street. The energy efficiency upgrades installed in the Central Library's Johnson Building qualified to receive a $57,000 Mass Save incentive. Those improvements to the building's interior lighting and HVAC controls are expected to save the City $22,000 annually in reduced energy costs. The installation of five high-efficiency condensing boilers at 26 Court Street received a $50,000 Mass Save energy efficiency incentive. The five boilers are expected to reduce the cost of heating the building by $13,000 annually.

“Continuing to make this building more energy efficient through the Central Library Renovation Project was a major priority, and Mayor Walsh's continued commitment to the library and energy efficiency in the Capital Plan enables all of our buildings to offer great spaces on a sustainable basis now and into the future,” said David Leonard, President of the Boston Public Library.

Boston's large buildings and institutions contribute approximately 50 percent of the City's greenhouse gas emissions. The City's updated Climate Action Plan provides the framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. As a key means of reaching the greenhouse gas reduction goals stated in the Climate Action Plan, the City is leading by example by reducing the energy intensity of its own municipal buildings and working with its utilities to incentivize energy efficiency upgrades.

Greenbuild 2017 Session Proposals are Due THIS FRIDAY!

By Alexander Landa


This Friday, January 13th, proposals for Greenbuild 2017 educational sessions will be due. This is a really exciting opportunity for anyone interested in getting more involved with green building, as over 20,000 people attend the conference every year. If you're involved in sustainable design, construction, and operations practices for buildings and communities – and their impact on the environment, people, and the economy – then you this is a great time to get involved. This is the world's largest green building conference and expo – and it's coming to Boston! Don't miss out on this opportunity. To make matters more exciting, Greenbuild will be co-locating with ABX next year!

Interested individuals can go HERE to submit a proposal and learn more.

When you consider a proposal, the Greenbuild website lists a few format styles, such as flash charrette, rapid fire, structured discussion, debate, and a lecture.

Recently, the steering committee for the conference identified two new important priorities:

·        Academic Study: Greenbuild has a firm commitment to the role of academic studies in advancing the mission of transforming the built environment. We are seeking proposals that highlight ongoing or recent research that impacts the built environment, the health of building occupants, our communications about it, or human behaviors that relate to it.

·        New Voices: Greenbuild is a place for industry leaders, novices, and a new generation of leaders alike to gather. We are seeking to provide opportunities for new voices to share their experiences, thinking and work with the Greenbuild audience.

The subject areas of focus are: 

  • Health and Well Being
  • Existing Buildings, with a focus on Historic Preservation
  • Innovation in Energy
  • Resilience
  • Social Responsibility, Community Action & Engagement

We're pretty stoked for Greenbuild coming to Boston this year. To celebrate it, we created the “Road to Greenbuild” where we will be holding many related events between now and then. Check it out here.

Reminder! Meet Eric Corey Freed this Wednesday and Talk His XPRIZE for Healthy Buildings

By Alexander Landa


Before the new year really picks up and you're still decompressing from a busy holiday season, enjoy a morning away from the office and meet Eric Corey Freed as he discusses the power of exponential thinking when designing healthy buildings.

Register here!

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017
8:30am-10:15am
50 Milk St., 18th Floor, Hemingway Room
Boston, MA, 02109

Full details:

The way buildings are built today has remained relatively unchanged for nearly two hundred years. The $9 trillion a year global construction industry is responsible for nearly 60% of climate change emissions, a third of landfill waste and a shocking array of negative health effects.

Even the most advanced construction projects in the world continue to use ancient techniques of modular assembly, relying on painstaking human effort to construct dead & ancient materials of wood, steel, and concrete. Construction is driven by standards and codes to ensure economy and safety, but in the process fail to protect people from larger risks.

In 2016, the XPRIZE Foundation set out to establish a “moonshot” for construction by creating the XPRIZE for Healthy Buildings. In this talk, you’ll learn how the team approached this unique opportunity to develop a way to (literally) grow buildings by fusing synthetic biology, genomics, parametric modeling and 3D printing to create a disruption and paradigm shift that could switch us from a PETRO-chemical world, to a BIO-chemical one.

Eric Corey Freed: 

Named as one of the Top 10 “Most Influential Green Architects” in the world, Eric is an architect, author, and speaker, as well as a frequent guest on CNN, Fox News, PBS and HGTV. He’s published 11 books, and has dedicated his career to helping people create sustainable and healthy buildings. In addition to being an award-winning architect, he advises manufacturers, developers, and Fortune 500 companies on how to improve the health, energy, and water impacts of their products, portfolio and systems.

Licensed Architect; LEED Fellow, US Green Building Council; Voted “Best Green Architect” by San Francisco Magazine

Healthy Materials Sponsor Profile: Bergmeyer

By Alexander Landa


The Healthy Materials Summit on October 26th was an awesome event! We couldn't have put everything together without the help of a hosting committee, the volunteers, and especially our sponsors. An extra big thank you goes to Bergmeyer for really helping to make the Summit happen.

Bergmeyer is an architectural firm devoted to meeting every single one of their clients' needs, while going above-and-beyond their expectations. They don't just aim for a building – they create an entire environment that meet their clients' vision and visual desires, and factoring in concerns of durability, functionality, budget, and schedule.

We appreciate their devotion to sustainability, as they make it one of their primary goals and services when working on new designs. As of writing, they have been recognized by the GBCI as a LEED Proven Provider within the Interior Design and Construction rating system, with over 50 certified projects, and with 50 percent of their technical staff being LEED Accredited.

Thank you for helping with the Healthy Materials Summit – we look forward to working with you more in the future!

Network Drive Burlington Campus Achieves Seven LEED EBOM Gold

By Daniel Whittet


Network Drive is a commercial office center located in Burlington, Massachusetts originally developed as a campus for the computer software company Sun Microsystems in 1997. Currently owned by Network Drive Owner LLC, there are now seven office buildings sharing close to 1 million sf of office and research space supporting high-tech companies with a combined central utility plant centered on 114 acres of land.

The LEED project boundary encompasses 80 acres of landscaped grounds and hardscape close to the buildings creating the campus, which is surrounded by 34 acres of native conservation land. Originally conceived by Sun Microsystems in the late ’90s to have the look and feel of a university campus, the project was a natural fit for the LEED Campus approach to certification. This method allows buildings to take credit for shared attributes on a site and achieves separate LEED certification for each project, building space, or group.

As part of the LEED attempt, Network Drive management worked with AHA Consulting Engineers to benchmark and initiate several innovative approaches to improving the campus environment while reducing energy and resource consumption. A completely new front end to the original building operation system was completed with a recommissioning and upgrade of controls. Parking lot lighting was converted to LEDs with a Zigbee Mesh Network control system that allows pinpoint management of site lighting to reduce energy consumption and light pollution while improving safety. Water use was reduced 30% in buildings and 75% on the landscape irrigation. Transportation options were implemented that included a bike-sharing service and regular shuttle initiatives to reduce conventional commuting trips by 31%.

The connected landscape and walkways of the site allowed the project to receive credit for sustainable food purchases at the centrally located Sebastian's café. The spacious dining facility uses organic local produce and seafood from Reds Best, a local networked seafood provider. A project with Green City Growers also allows tenants to get fresh produce from raised-bed gardens onsite, which contributed to a LEED Pilot credit, and the waste diversion policy includes composting of all food waste at an offsite location.

The LEED project team was able to use the building automation system upgrade to initiate a monitoring-based ongoing commissioning plan that includes fault testing algorithms and system optimization. A flat plate heat exchanger in the central plant provides free cooling for intensive data center spaces during winter months.

The comprehensive LEED EBOM rating system involves a performance period during which project team members initiate plans, policies, benchmarking, and recommissioning of building assets to upgrade properties and the environment around them. “LEED for Existing Buildings Operation and Maintenance (EBOM) is a challenging and time-consuming process,” stated Patrick O’Neill, assistant vice president of Nordblom Management Company. “We feel the outstanding success of the Network Drive certifications is a testament to the quality of the original design and the commitment of the management team to continuous improvement.”

All the buildings have been awarded LEED EBOM Gold with Energy Star scores above 80.

Daniel Whittet, LEED AP, is a sustainability consultant at AHA Consulting Engineers.

USGBC Online Education: Social Equity Credits and LEED

By Alexander Landa


Did you know that we provide online education resources through the USGBC to help you maintain LEED Accreditation? Instead of (or in addition to) going to in-person workshops, these online resources allow you to maintain accreditation from anywhere, anytime, at your own comfort.

We're proud to show Shawn Hesse's – USGBC MA Board President & architect at emersion DESIGN – presentation on Social Equity Credits and LEED. The USGBC  gives credits for social equity, meaning you have another checkbox you can hit when designing a project, or looking to retrofit an existing one. These credits are Social Equity in the Project, Social Equity in the Community, and Social Equity in the Supply Chain.

Shawn's presentation is a primer to social equity in the built environment, discusses potential problems with social equity, and introduces each of the three LEED credits, their intentions, and documentation requirements.

You can register for this presentation here.