Don't Miss Your Chance to Apply for the EBie Awards!

By Ryan Duffy, Communications Fellow


The EBie Awards are an annual opportunity for green building and sustainable pros from all over the nation.  The criteria for the competition are developing impressive sustainability solutions for existing buildings, from waste reduction and energy savings to improved water use and lighting efficiency.  Don't miss your chance to submit an innovative retrofit project before entries close on April 4, 2016!  


The EBie Mission

The EBies take a fresh approach to improving the sustainability of buildings across the country, celebrating the unsung heroes of the retrofit market.  The annual national juried competition recognizes improved environmental performance in existing buildings among building operators, facilities managers, owners, engineers, retro-commissioning agents and other professionals who conceived and implemented the work. Focus areas include energy, water, operations, materials use, lighting, portfolio-wide improvements, and tenant engagement.

Award Categories

1. THE ALL-ROUNDER: PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE IN MULTIPLE CATEGORIES– The most improved building across multiple sustainability categories. Key Metrics: Source Energy Intensity, potable water, storm water runoff, waste, materials, indoor environmental quality, and occupant engagement. Suggested Team Members: Owner, Operator.

2. ALL TOGETHER NOW: PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE ACROSS A PORTFOLIO– The most improved portfolio across multiple sustainability categories.  Addressing more categories improves the portfolio's chances of winning. Key Metrics: Energy, water, waste management, stormwater, materials use, indoor environmental quality, and tenant engagement. Suggested Team Members: Owner or Third-Party Manager, Director of Operations.

3. THE SMOOTH OPERATOR: OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE EXCELLENCE– The most improved building across multiple sustainability categories achieved solely through improved operations and maintenance and/or retrocommissioning. Key Metrics: Source Energy Intensity, potable water, waste, materials, and indoor environmental quality. Suggested Team Members: Operator and/or Retrocommissioning Agent, Owner.

4. POWER TO THE PEOPLE: EXCEPTIONAL ENERGY SAVINGS– The greatest percentage reduction in building energy use. Key Metrics: Source Energy Intensity.  Two awards will be considered in the category: one for greatest percentage reduction; and the other for a reduction of 30% or more where the project finishes with a Portfolio Manager Rating of 90 or above (or qualifies for LEED EBOM EA Credit 1 for 15 points). Suggested Team Members: Operator or Engineer, Owner, Operator.

5. SHINE A LIGHT ON ME: THE BEST LIGHTING RETROFIT– The greatest percentage reduction in building lighting energy consumption or lighting power density. Key Metrics: Lighting energy consumption, power density, and qualitySuggested Team Members: Lighting Designer, Owner.

6. TAKE ME TO THE RIVER: WINNING WATER SAVINGS– The greatest percentage reduction in indoor and outdoor potable water use. Key Metrics: Per capita potable water use. Suggested Team Members: Operator or Plumbing Engineer, Owner, Operator.

7. IT TAKES A VILLAGE: COMMERCIAL TENANT PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS– The most improved commercial tenant space across multiple sustainability categories. Key Metrics: Source Energy Intensity, waste, materials, indoor environmental quality, and employee engagementSuggested Team Members: Your Choice.

8. VERDANT BRAINIAC: GREEN RENOVATION INNOVATION– The most scalable green renovation project, particularly one that is innovative and overcame significant challenges.  Demonstration of scalability may include implementation across a portfolio of buildings. Key Metrics: Source Energy Intensity, potable water, storm water, and indoor environmental quality. Suggested Team Members: Your Choice.

The deadline for submission is next Monday, April 4th, so act swiftly!  Click here to learn more about the contest in general.  For rules, follow this linkFor info about the jury, click here. And finally, if you have questions– see the FAQs

From the BASG– Environmental Justice: Does access to safe drinking water depend on race and class?

By Ryan Duffy, Communications Fellow

This event is Brought to you by our friends at the BASG in celebration of Social Justice week. For more information and to signup, please visit this link. 

In the unfolding tragedy of the Flint, Michigan water crisis, social and environmental justice issues are once again a critical focus for American citizens, who are concerned about environmental health and safety as well as environmental justice.

In April, BASG member, Arnold Sapenter, will moderate a panel discussing environmental justice and related social issues as they apply to Boston and Massachusetts.  The panel will talk about programs that exist in greater Boston to address environmental justice issues and the challenges and opportunities that exist here. In addition, they'll explore the connection between environmental justice and sustainability and lead our follow-on discussion. 

Arnold Sapenter, MBA and LEED GRA, is the recent Director of Sustainability and past Director of Diversity and Program Monitoring for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. He has served on many advisory boards and committees including the Massachusetts Leading By Example Committee and the Advisory Committee for the Governor’s Diversity Initiative. As Director of Diversity and Program Monitoring Arnold Sapenter created and chaired the Cultural Diversity and Environmental Justice Committees for MassDEP from 1993 to 2003.

As a community leader and volunteer Mr. Sapenter serves as President of the National Council of Presidents for the National Forum of Black Public Administrators and has served over 12 years as President of the NFBPA Boston Chapter.   In addition, he is an active member of the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Board of Overseers and past co-chair of the Employment and Training Systems Committee for the Boston Private Industry Council, as well as past Board Vice President for The Fenway Health Center.  

Mr. Sapenter has served in Massachusetts state government since 1987 and retired in 2015 from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Sam Lipson is Director of Environmental Health for the Cambridge Public Health Department. He came to the CPHD in 1996 and established the Environmental Health Division in 1998. He has 20 years of experience in public health risk assessment, biological safety, environmental health policies and other environmental health sub-disciplines, and has served as a board member of the American Lung Association in Massachusetts, Mass. Public Health Association Leadership Board, and currently serves as a Commissioner for the Suffolk County Mosquito Control Commission and as the public health representative on the Toxic Use Reduction Advisory Committee (Mass. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs). Sam has organized Cambridge Biosafety Forums in 2002 and 2008 to train community members, biosafety professionals, and public health officials and co-organized the Risk Assessment for Nanomaterials: Current Developments and Trends in 2007 to educate occupational health and risk assessment professionals.  Sam has led community stakeholder processes that have helped CPHD to generate policies on West Nile virus response, nanomaterials health and safety, and an expansion of biosafety oversight authority held by the Cambridge Biosafety Committee.  

With cooperation from Harvard and MIT faculty and staff at the Museum of Science Sam has staged a series of local air quality studies in Cambridge that have utilized community volunteers and graduate students to examine pervasive air quality on a much smaller scale than offered by existing regulatory infrastructure. This has led to publications and grant awards to support further work. A primary goal of this research is the development of community-based air quality monitoring strategies capable of producing longitudinal, high quality data that will assist the municipality to generate health -sustaining policies for transportation and land-use.  The recently completed study of bicycle commuter routes has produced data that indicates the relative burden of vehicle pollution on cyclists.  Prior to coming to the CPHD, Sam was an analytical chemist in Massachusetts and California. He holds a B.S. from the University of California Berkeley and completed his M.S. coursework at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Rebecca Herst is Senior Climate Project Manager for UMass and the Boston Harbor Association. She will join us to talk about The Boston Harbor Association's work on climate resillance for highly vulnerable harbor communities. Her full profile is here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaherst

If your organization is interested in co-hosting this event or a future BASG event, please contact carolbaroudi[at]bostonareasustainability.org.

 

 

Social Equity in the Built Environment– A Timely and Relevant Chapter Event

By Ryan Duffy, Communications Fellow


This coming Monday, April 4th, we will be holding a special event focusing on the connections between green building, sustainability, and social equity.

Social Equity is typically conceptualized as the third–and least significant– component of the triple bottom line.  While LEED has equilibrated environmental concerns with economic ones, we are just at the beginning of developing tools that allow us to measure and examine social equity results in a similar fashion. 

New programs from the International Living Future Institute like the Living Building Challenge, and JUST Organizations label, as well as new Social Equity Pilot credits in LEED v4 are beginning to raise the discourse around social equity to allow us to examine the social equity impacts of our organizations, our work, and our communities.


We will have presentations from three panelists-  Francis Janes, director of the JUST Organizations labeling program for ILFI, Shawn Hesse, co-author of the new LEED Social Equity Pilot Credits, and Tony Ransom, Chair of the the Boston chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (BosNOMA).  These distinguished guests will be discussing the importance of a focus on social equity in design, construction, and operations of our buildings, communities, and our organizations.

The event will be on Monday, April 4th, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at 50 Milk St,15th Floor- “Aristotle” Conference Room, Boston 02109.

Read more about the event and register here!  

 

450 Kendall St. Building Tour Recap

By Jessie Miller, Outreach Committee Chair


On Thursday, March 24th, a group of green building enthusiasts toured 450 Kendall, a laboratory and office building, in Cambridge. This LEED Gold certified building joins the other five LEED certified buildings in BioMed Realty’s Kendall Square portfolio. 

Sponsored and facilitated by Arrowstreet, AHA Consulting Engineers, and BioMed Realty, the tour kicked off with an overview of 450 Kendall and the LEED Certification process. Some of the sustainable features of the building include faceted glass, which refracts the light of the sky and surroundings, and sunshade systems that limit solar heat gains while creating visual interest.


The building exemplifies Kendall Square’s energy, from the giant neuron sculpture in the plaza to the detailed synapse wall graphics in the common space. In particular, the Innovation Clock literally captures real time innovative thinking. This device tracks and highlights tweets related to innovation in the Kendall Square area and adjusts exterior lighting as the number tweets fluctuate in volume. The tour also showcased the building’s partnership with Art in Giving, an organization focused on funding pediatric cancer research through the lease and sale of art. 

The group toured the building from the penthouse down, observing tenant’s systems in the penthouse to the tenant spaces. After the tour, the group headed across the street to Commonwealth for drinks and appetizers organized by the USGBCMA Chapter Outreach Committee. It was a great evening of learning and networking!

If you'd like to learn more about our socializing activities, please email us at outreach@usgbcma.org – thank you!

USGBC National Report: World Green Building Trends in 2016: Motivators and Obstacles

By Heather Benjamin, Content Marketing Specialist (USGBC National)


Last month, USGBC announced the results of research by Dodge Data and Analytics, with which USGBC has partnered, in the World Green Building Trends 2016 SmartMarket Report. In a brief series, USGBC will highlight specific aspects of the report.

Motivators for green building


New data reveals that client demand is the top trigger for green building activity, having grown from 35 percent in 2012 to 40 percent in 2015. This shows that building owners recognize the benefits of green, and this recognition is a major driver of green market growth globally. In addition, environmental regulations also grew in importance from the previous data set, driven by a high response from a few regions, including India, Singapore and the U.K.

It should be noted, however, that priorities for building vary widely by region. In Saudi Arabia, for example, increasing worker productivity is a stronger motivator than encouraging sustainable business practices. Energy conservation is a major environmental reason for building green in most countries, but in a few, such as Brazil, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Australia and China, protecting natural resources is given as a priority by almost as many respondents.

Another interesting finding is that overall, the importance of “doing the right thing” as a motivator for green building has declined over time. The same is true of the similar factors of branding/public relations and internal corporate commitment. This may suggest that as the green building market has matured and become more visible and standard in many locations, market-driven factors have supplanted the early-adopter vision as a trigger for choosing to build green.

Obstacles to green building


As with the top triggers, the obstacles to green building vary by part of the world. Higher perceived initial cost was listed as one of the top three challenges in 11 of the 13 countries featured in the study—and was a particular problem for respondents in the United States and Colombia. 

Top obstacles in developing markets included lack of public awareness and lack of political support, as noted by Brazil, Colombia, India and Poland. 

In more established markets such as Australia and the U.K., proponents also have to fight the perception that green building is for only high-end projects. 

Next week, we will share what respondents worldwide pointed to as the business benefits of building green in their respective areas.

Boston Properties Sponsoring the Building Tech Forum

By Grey Lee

Our 2nd Annual Building Tech Forum

Join us as we welcome our keynote speaker: Ben Myers of Boston Properties. As Sustainability Manager for this major firm in the real estate industry, he has a great perspective on how good building projects come together. Boston Properties has built more green buildings than any other commercial operator in Massachusetts. He will speak about what their teams see as trends in building tech and how they embrace innovation to deliver the best buildings for their tenants.

 

Boston Properties is our Gold Sponsor and we are thrilled to host these leaders in the achievement of high-performance buildings. 

From Boston Properties:

“As a real estate company focused on high-performance buildings that provide healthy and productive spaces for living and working, we support the advancement of building tech and the synergy between the tech sector and thecommercial real estate industry. We are a real estate company that wants to be a technology company. We have a keen interest in innovation, and are frequently considering equipment, controls, building materials, and other measures that create better experiences. We are excited to sponsor the USGBC MA and the 2016 Building Tech Forum, and support the work of entrepreneurs to transform cities into more sustainable built environments.”

 

Buildings are fundamentally about technology. Innovation in the building sector is driving improvements in performance and enhancements to the user experience. Join us in less than a month, on Thursday, April 21st, for this exiciting investigation into the intersection of buildings and innovative technology! 

 

If you want to attend, please register here.  If you want to display your technologies, learn more here and email us.  If you want to sponsor the event Learn more here and email us

Building tech is the intersection of the innovation economy and real estate. The green building industry is right here in the middle of it – creating new ways to increase the value of real estate and improve the sustainability of our building stock and our communities in general. Buildings are responsible for 30% of greenhouse gases globally, and approximately 40% in the US. Recently, at the COP21 negotiations, the UN convened a “Buildings Day” to explore the ways the real estate sector can support improved environmental performance through better buildings. USGBC is committed to the creation of 5 billion square feet of certified green buildings in the next five years: this will require deployment of technology on a massive scale. The results will be better buildings, healthier occupants, more vibrant communities and a thriving industry connecting technology to real estate. 

Agenda:

5:30 – Orienting Remarks

6:00 – First Program begins; Keynote & Industry Observations

6:20 – First Program ends; games ensue

7:20 – Second Program begins: Panel

7:40 – Second Program ends

8:15 – Final Remarks and Appreciations

8:30 – End

The event is filling up quick, so register now!

COP21 unConference: Mission Successful!

By Anthony Lucivero, Advocacy Fellow


Yesterday marked another successful event for the Chapter with our COP21 Paris Climate Talks unConference!  The framing question of the day was “what can the USGBC MA and its community do going forward?” 

For the first half of the event, we broke into a circle and had a laser-focused group conversation, led by our discussion leaders Henrietta Davis, Josh Craft, Elizabeth Saunders & Alex Papali.  The high-level of conversation centered on public policy, building energy use disclosures, and energy efficiency solutions for low-income and under-represented communities.  This led to brainstorming possible local solutions to these issues.  The use of, and access to, building energy use data, and coming together as a coalition to ensure that happens, was the prevailing idea. 

The second half of the event was dedicated to our Paris Panelists, John Sterman, Michael Green & Christopher Mackey.  They relayed their Parisian experiences, the lessons they learned, what they thought of the results of COP21, and how we can move forward.


This was a wonderful morning that has given us a bevy of leads on how to proceed as a chapter, and as a community. Our intrepid leader, Grey, will be posting an in-depth review of the event soon.  

John Sterman, one of our Paris Panelists, Professor of Management at MIT, and Director of MIT's System Dynamics Group & Sloan Sustainability Initiative has some great resources available about COP21:

 

Don't miss our next string of events! Here's a quick summary of what's happening:

Be sure to check out our Events Calendar for the full scope of everything going on! 

 

Get More Involved with the Chapter

By Ryan Duffy, Communications Fellow

If you are passionate about sustainability, efficiency, and the environment, then consider coming aboard our volunteer squad.  We are looking for those of you that are familiar with green building and eager to make a difference in showing how the built environment affects all of us and the world.

Why wait? Sign up today and join us!  We have a variety of open positions with different responsibilities, qualifications, and time commitments, and all positions receive some kind of benefit!

With any of the volunteer positions, you will be an integral component of our operations and gain a greater understanding of our organization, its mission and its goals, and how we organize our events, advocate, and conduct outreach.


Volunteer assignments include LEED Study Jam Group Instructor, Webinar Proctor, Green Building Analyst/Reporter, USGBC Ambassador, Green Building Tour Coordinator, Outreach Committee Co-Chair, and Committee Leadership

Each position has its own details and specifics, but with any of these opportunities you will get to know the ins-and-outs of our organization, green building, and more!

If you're interested, you can learn more from our volunteer page or fill out our volunteering questionaire form.  We are very flexible with time commitment, the window of time in which you would want to volunteer, and prior experiences and qualifications.  

Volunteering with the Chapter will qualify for credential maintenance hours for GBCI – up to half of your required hours can be earned through volunteering with us. Usually this is much more engaging than sitting through a webinar late at night!

 

 

Become a Green Associate with Our LEED Exam Prep Course!

By Ryan Duffy, Communications Fellow


Are you serious about your dedication to sustainable building? Come to our Green Associate course 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!

Sponsor Spotlight: New England Lab

By Ryan Duffy, Communications Fellow


New England Lab, is a laboratory furniture specialist. Their products include lab casework, adaptable lab furniture, lab fume hoods, lab tables & carriers, lab storage & shelving, lab sinks & pegboards, lab work surfaces, lab services & fixtures, lab equipment, lab chairs & seating, lab accessories, and last but definitely not least, green products. Their portfolio includes biotech/medical research, food & beverage, government, pharmaceutical, private k-12, university research, university teaching, healthcare, and industrial work!

New England Lab's focus on quality, service and value to the client has been the foundation of their continuous growth. Taking the time to understand their client’s requirements, vision and budget allows them to provide the necessary support throughout the life of the project. As a result they are able to offer the correct product combined with seamless project coordination. Their internal manufacturing capabilities along with a strong network of manufacturing partners ensure that they meet specific project requirements and can respond quickly to their client’s needs when tight deadlines must be met.


New England Lab's commitment to sustainability is evident with one of their recent products: The Brightedge(TM) LED Light, an intelligent task light system for laboratories. This one of a kind product is available only through New England Lab. When forward thinking architects at Payette Associates approached NEL for a shelf -mounted LED task light solution that was smart enough to turn off its own motion sensor, there was nothing available on the market. That’s when New England Lab’s design team took over to create an intelligent, energy saving, adaptable, and bright task light solution.

Thank you, New England Lab, for joining us as a sponsoring partner at the bronze level. We appreciate your support and look forward to continuing to connect with you as we pursue our mission of more green buildings!

Read more about New England Lab on its website.