Residential Green Building Committee Meeting: 4/14/16

By Molly Cox

Residential Green Building Committee Meeting: 4/11/16

 

The Residential Green Building Committee gathered for a meeting on April 11th, 2016. We started out by discussing some upcoming events within the chapter, which include the Policy Podium: Auto Populating the MLS with EE and Solar PV Content on April 14th. Register HERE for this event, and listen to our very own Craig Foley speak further on this issue. He is working to populate the MLS with solar PV fields, which will expedite the process for realtors and their clients. We also have the Building Blueprint: WELL Building Standard on April 19th, which will explore the certification itself and the all encompassing advantages it has for both the environment and human health, register HERE. Last but certainly not least, the Building Tech Forum hosted by USGBC is on April 21st, register HERE for this event.

 

Our Committee continued to discuss policy announcements in MA, such as the recent raise in net metering caps for solar PV projects. The House agreed to raise the caps by 3% for private and public solar installations, and Governor Charlie Baker made it official by signing off on April 11th. While smaller private projects under 25kw and large municipal and commercial projects will continue to reap the benefits of net metering at full retail rate, private systems over 25kw will receive a cut of 40% from the retail rate. While this bill is a compromise for both utilities and solar users, we hope to see further net metering improvements, as this 3% increase may not be sustainable for long.

 

As we brainstormed ideas for events we would like to host as a Committee this year, we received an update on the Integrated Energy Efficiency Program, lead by Peter Sun, Mark Pignatelli and Brian Butler. Their goal is to streamline the permit-pulling process, by making visible all energy efficiency incentives to the developer or contractor pulling the permit. One of the challenges is understanding how to move this program along and finding the right people to implement it. Focusing on feedback from developers who have experience pulling permits will be beneficial in order to understand what they are lacking.

We also look forward to some speakers coming up in the near future, such as Garrett Anderson from the Cambridge Housing Authority, Declan Keefe from Placetailor, and more. Stay tuned!

 


Do Your Part: Our Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup

By Ryan Duffy, Communications Fellow


Join the EPMA's on April 30th, 2016 for our Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup! Over 3,000 volunteers around the Boston Area come together to pick up litter, remove invasive species and assist with park maintenance along the Charles River. This cleanup builds on a national effort as part of American Rivers' National River Cleanup, which to date has removed over 10.7 million pounds of trash from America's waterways! 

We will meet from 9:00AM-12:00PM at the Esplanade in Boston. A volunteer picnic will be held after our cleanup at 12:30 to celebrate our success! Suggested attire includes closed toe shoes or boots, flexible work clothes and weather appropriate layers.


Please RSVP in advance with your preferred T-shirt size for a free Charles River Cleanup Tee!

Read about how last year's service project went here!  Hopefully this year will be sunnier and drier. 

The exact meeting location is TBD but expect to meet at the Esplanade Hatch Shell. RSVP with us  and we will forward the list to the orgainzer. No need to register on the CWRA website.

 

Read about last year's program at Franklin Park (see more of that dog, Titus!) here.

 

Grey loves cleaning up his trash!


Call to Action time: The MA Green Budget needs your help NOW!

By Anthony Lucivero, Advocacy Fellow

Dear gentle USGBC MA readers, 

I bring urgent news to you.  The MA Green Budget needs your help to ensure just 1% of the state budget goes to environmental agencies and programs. We need speedy action on your part; the deadline is 2pm by Friday, April 15th! I urge you to visit this page, enter your contact information, and submit the pre-written letter to your State Representative.  It will take you 30 seconds maximum, and it's critical that your Representative hear from you.

From ELM's website:

“The Environmental League of Massachusetts and 75+ organizations are pushing for the state budget to include funding restorations for key environmental agencies and programs.  The Massachusetts House Committee on Ways & Means just released its budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2017.  Through amendments, the House will add funding to the budget.  We have until this Friday afternoon at 2pm to get as many State Representatives as possible signed on as co-sponsors to the top priority Green Budget amendments, to help increase funding for agencies that have experienced significant budget cuts in recent years.”

Again, click here to go to the petition!  Don't let funding for our crucial environmental protection work slip through the cracks. 

LBC: Kern Center Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

By Ryan Duffy, Communications Fellow


Join us on Friday, April 29th at Hampshire College for the school's ribbon-cutting ceremony in honor of its flagship newest building: the R.W. Kern Center. The Center is a living symbol of Hampshire’s values in practice and ideas in action. The college’s first new building in three decades, it was built with the goal of becoming only the ninth building certified under the world’s most rigorous green building standard, the Living Building Challenge (LBC): operating net-zero energy, water, and waste; built using materials mainly from local and regional sources; and avoiding toxic “red list” materials, right down to the duct tape allowed on site.

The Center will house the offices of admissions and financial aid, classrooms, student lounges and social areas, and a coffee bar. It was also built as a living laboratory for ongoing studies of the building and its systems.

The Kern Center is one of the major projects of Hampshire’s broad sustainability initiative. The college has committed to making campus operations carbon neutral by 2020, and is also planning for the campus to go 100 percent solar this year.

The building was constructed by Wright Builders – a Chapter Sponsoring Partner – and engaged many members of the Living Building Collaborative which works as part of the Chapter to advance buliding performance throughout the Commonwealth.

Read more about the Kern Center on Hampshire's website, and learn about their commitment to sustainability

This event will be on April 29th at Hampshire College (893 West Street, Amherst, MA 01002).

Photos taken from Hampshire's website. 


Learn More about WELL, the Newest Green Building Standard

By Ryan Duffy, Communications Fellow

We are excited to invite the thought leaders and practitioners from our region to join us next week, April 19th, from 8:30-10:30am for a concise introduction to this groundbreaking new building standard, followed by a roundtable discussion. We are excited to welcome professionals from all sectors of the building industry–owners, engineers, builders and occupants interested in the new standard. 

We will be watching a segment from the USGBC's Education platform to bring all in the room up to speed on WELL and then having a moderated discussion on the future, impact and evolution of the standard.

 

We produced this program in March and had an excellent conversation with owners' reps, architects, and contractors who are considering using the WELL building standard on an actual project – everyone benefited.

 

Come to this month's presentation to be a part of this exciting new development in the green building movement!

Below, find some information on the WELL content that will be convered: 

About


The Introduction to the WELL Building Standard presentation provides an overview of the WELL Building Standard ideology, structure, and certification process. The medical basis for the concept categories is introduced along with design and construction strategies to create healthy buildings. The time has come to elevate human health and comfort to the forefront of building practices and reinvent buildings that are not only better for the planet—but also for people. This presentation will introduce how to do this using the WELL Building Standard as the framework.

Objectives

  1. Articulate the financial, societal, and environmental benefits of WELL certification
  2. Identify the role of the International Well Building Institute and the WELL Building Standard
  3. Recognize the structure of the WELL Building Standard
  4. Explain the 7 concepts of the WELL Building standard, the strategies to achieve them, and the health impacts they address
  5. Summarize the certification process of the WELL Building Standard

The event will be at 50 Milk St, 15th Floor- “Aristotle” Room, Boston, MA 02109. Register here and find more about WELL here!

 

Policy Podium: Auto Populating the MLS with EE and Solar PV Content

By Grey Lee

Thursday morning in Boston: 

Come join Carolyn Goldthwaite and Craig Foley for a deep dive into the MLS!

Listen to these two luminaries: Senior Manager of Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) High-Performance Building Team Carolyn Goldthwaite and sustainable real estate consultant Craig Foley on two projects road mapping ways to “auto populate” third party verified data about home energy labels and solar PV into the multiple listing service (MLS).

Carolyn will present information, about the Home Energy Labelling Information eXchange (HELIX). The project’s ultimate goal is to make energy use transparent, as well as to expedite the creation of large-scale home energy labeling policies and programs that support the market valuation of energy efficiency in homes. 

HELIX is a multistate project which is working to make home energy labelling information easily accessible to the real estate industry and consumer at the point of sale. Home Energy Scores offer home owners, buyers, landlords, tenants, realtors and lenders consistent and reliable information about the energy performance of listed homes.  With a growing market demand for energy efficient homes and support for home energy rating through efficiency programs and services offered in the Northeast, HELIX will make these ratings accessible  and will enable the range of market interests to readily incorporate and value home energy performance in financial decisions.

Craig will present information, about Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s (LBNL) work to create a road map for multiple listing services to auto populate high-quality data about solar PV systems into the MLS.

The solar PV auto pop project has defined two pilot markets, San Diego and Massachusetts to look at project viability. The project is designed to support the goals of the SunShot Initiative announced in February 2011, by the U.S Department of Energy, which seeks to make solar energy cost-competitive with other forms of electricity by the end of the decade.

In January of 2015, LBNL released the most comprehensive analysis to-date finding PV systems consistently add value to homes when they are sold. In December of 2014, Fannie Mae released its Single Family Home Selling Guide, and in 2015 the FHA released its Single Family Housing Policy Handbook, both of which recognized PV as an asset that can add value and should be appropriately accounted for the sales process.

Meet Our Members: Ben Vila

By Ryan Duffy, Communications Fellow


Originally from Berwyn, PA, I studied International Relations at Brown University and currently live in Boston, MA where I work at CivicSolar, a solar energy design and distribution company. As an Account Manager my main responsibilities include supporting installers and developers across the country design solar photovoltaic systems, and supplying and distributing equipment for residential and commercial solar projects. Many of my co-workers and I have recently participated in several solar lobby days at the Statehouse to advocate for pro-solar legislation on behalf of a diverse coalition of solar advocates and those employed by the solar industry in the state of Massachusetts. I am very excited to continue advocating for policies that benefit the greater good of the people, environment, and economy of Massachusetts through USGBC’s Advocacy committee!

I’ve been interested in sustainability for most of my life, especially how it relates to the built environment, because climate change is, arguably, the single most pressing issue our society faces today. The challenge of sustainability requires us to not only think differently about our world, but to come up with innovative solutions to make it better for future generations to come. I hope that by joining and becoming a member of USGBC I’m able to do my small part to help make Massachusetts a leader in sustainability. 

If you would like to be featured in a member profile, please let us know by shooting us an email at communications@usgbcma.org

LEED Exam Prep – Join us!

By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager


Are you serious about your dedication to sustainable building? Come to our Green Associate course next week on Wednesday, April 13th, in our Boston office!

Anybody that's serious about sustainable building should definitely have their 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.

When: April 13th, 8:30 AM through 5:00 PM
Where: 50 Milk St, 17th floor, “Aristotle” room, Boston, MA- 02109.

Register here!

Innovators Are Signing up for the BTF Left and Right– Don't Miss Out!

By Ryan Duffy, Communications Fellow

Building Tech:

Sponsors and vendors have been signing up to attend the Building Tech Forum left and right, and space is quickly disappearing! Don't miss your chance to join colleagues in the real estate industry who are passionate about solving the problems of building performance!

 


 

Gold Sponsors Boston Properties will share how they connect to the tech scene in Massachusetts and how they incorporate innovations into their projects to drive improvements to building performance. Ben Myers, Sustainability Manager for Boston Properties, will keynote our event.

Wentworth Institute of Technology is our second Gold Sponsor – they have a longstanding commitment to innovation and sustainability.

 

The Building Tech Forum is also sponsored by the NECEC – Northeast Clean Energy Center and MassCEC – the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, and Fraunhofer, the non-profit building science R&D laboratory.

 

Kurt Roth of Fraunhofer will share his insight into trends and lines of research and development that he sees in building tech.

 

You may want to join our roster of sponsoring organizations! See here for details.

 

Come to our Building Tech Forum. Connect with firms who are leaders in innovation in real estate.

 

Agenda:

5:30 – Orienting Remarks

6:00 – First Program begins; Keynote & Industry Observations from Ben Myers and Kurt Roth
6:20 – First Program ends; games ensue
7:20 – Second Program begins: Panel with St Gobain, The Green Engineer, SMMA, and Ogletree Deakins
7:40 – Second Program ends
8:15 – Final Remarks and Appreciations
8:30 – End

Join us to:

  • meet people who will help you on your next high performance building project

  • encounter inspiring new technologies and solution strategies

  • hear from industry leaders about where things are going

  • connect your business to the innovations going on in the building sector

​The event will fill up quick, so register now!