Careers in Sustainability: Charging into a Career in Renewables

Panelists for the Careers in Sustainability Panel in the middle of a discussion
Panelists discuss how to aim for a career in sustainability.

Written by Andrew Breiter-Wu

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Last month, EPMA organized their annual panel discussion called Careers in Sustainability: Charging into a Career in Renewables. The event was moderated by Andrew Breiter-Wu, the President and Investment Manager of Breiter Planet Properties, who has a very extensive background and has experience with the renewable energy industry. 

The panelists included Alexandra Gadawski from HMFH, Emily Powers from DOER, and Kshitij Chopra from Breiter Planet Properties. 

The discussion interweaved the panelists’ personal and professional experiences across their careers while eloquently layering future trends across the renewable energy industry. 

The audience was very engaging and we were able to ensure the content of the panel catered to what everyone wanted. We thank all who attended and spent the evening speaking with us. 

The purpose of the Careers in Sustainability series is to educate everyone on the different career paths that one can take in the sustainability industry through the use of different people’s experiences and journeys across their careers. There is not one “right” path to take, but learning from other people’s failures and successes is the best way to efficiently chart your path towards a career in sustainability. 

Finally, we thank Boston University for accommodating us for the event and allowing such an important conversation to transpire on their campus.

For follow up questions about the event or about hosting a similar event on your own campus, email Andrew@breiterplanet.com.  

2019 EPMA Green Building Bike Tour

Written By Jill Pinsky, EPMA Treasurer

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The 2019 EPMA Green Building Bike Tour took off from the Roxbury Crossing station and covered over 9 miles of the woodsy, bike friendly, community-garden-covered neighborhood of Jamaica Plain.

Jamaica Plain is often referred to as the greenest neighborhood in Boston. “Green” in this case refers to the large area of parks and vegetation, including many emeralds in Boston’s Emerald Necklace. However, after the Green Building Bike Tour, one could argue that the “green” designation also refers to the high concentration of sustainable infrastructure projects and green buildings nestled throughout.

The bike tour followed the Southwest Corridor Park down Columbus Ave where we met with the Assistant Director of the Reuse Center at Boston Building Resources.

Up next we rode to the Roxbury Community College (RCC) solar parking lot and geothermal well field where the group got to meet with Kevin Hepner, VP of Admin and Finance at RCC. Tour attendees learned how the Roxbury Pudding Stone, the rock formation that lies under a large portion of Jamaica Plain, is an excellent conductor for geothermal.

Next the tour attendees were delighted when after climbing Fort Ave Hill on their bikes, Evan Smith and Jay from Placetailor Architects had cookies and water waiting for them and educated the group on the details of their Passive House design strategies. Afterwards, Evan (a Fort Hill resident and president of Placetailor Architects) and Jay joined on their bicycles and rode along with the tour while pointing out the many energy positive and Certified Passive House projects in the Fort Hill area.  

Afterwards the group continued down the Southwest Corridor and visited Bikes not Bombs and toured the bike shop and learned about the community programs offered to promote bicycling as a safe and sustainable mode of transportation.

Next the group rode over to the Hernandez Elementary School to learn about the school’s stormwater infiltration system that was designed to integrate into the landscape and play area as well as spark curiosity and serve as an educational tool for the students. Frank Stone, a bike tour attendee and a Hernandez School alum, provided the tour.

Around lunchtime the tour stopped by the City Feed and Supply on Boylston Street and got to speak with Noah Bondy who manages the “Mini” Feed.

Next the group took a self-guided tour of the Old Oak Dojo, New England’s first Living Building Challenge Certified project. Tour attendees got to sit peacefully in the community space (made entirely of salvaged and re-purposed materials) as well as ride a rope swing over the Dojo’s abundant permaculture garden.

The last stop on the tour was the JP Branch of the Boston Public Library. Utile Architects designed many of the sustainable features of the new addition. One of the highlights of the addition is the digitally printed ceramic frit pattern applied to the large front facade, the pattern was created using an analysis of the sun path across the façade in order to provide optimal daylight as well as shade. The group happily stumbled upon an ice cream fundraiser being held in the lower level. Tour attendees were happy to come away with free ice cream and library books.

The ice cream was a much-needed fuel to energize riders for the final few stops of the tour as we rode through the vibrant Arnold Arboretum on our way to Turtle Swamp Brewery where we ended.

Thanks to Blue Bikes for donating the adventure passes and to all those who contributed to make this year’s bike tour a huge success!

EPMA Summer Picnic 2019

Written By Kavita Karmarkar

EPMA members enjoy refreshments at SW Corridor Park.

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This past Thursday August 1st 2019, EPMA-ers gathered at the SW Corridor Park for an evening of good food and knowledge. Swapnil, one of our volunteers, did a fantastic job organizing the event complete with sumptuous food from Whole Heart Provisions and lawn games.

The highlight of the evening was getting to know the work done by David Meshoulam and his organization ‘Speak for the Trees’. David has been an educator for the past 15 years and is passionate about having new generations understand the deep links between science, culture, and nature. The main mission of Speak for the Trees is to improve the size and health of the urban tree canopy in the Greater Boston Area. They undertake various efforts for advocacy and outreach, but one of their main initiatives is to map, measure, and account for every street tree in the Boston area with the Tree Urban Teen Corps program (TUTC). For this, they properly train their “volun-trees” (that’s a good one) to identify and measure all attributes of the trees. They use their own software, ‘OpenTreeMap’, where anyone can see the street tree cover in their neighborhood, if it has been mapped. For anyone interested in participating in this and many other activities they do, please see their website https://www.sfttbos.org/. Two of our volunteers got a glimpse of the unique characteristics of the trees around us and how to correctly identify them. 

Thank you to David and all the people who made it to the event.

EPMA would like to say thank you to Pare Corporation who generously sponsored this event. Lindsey Machamer was representing Pare Corporation. Pare corporation understands the value of urban open space and trees from the substantial effect they can have on stormwater management. Pare is working with some local sewer authorities to plan green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) in available public open space. GSI can help to improve water quality by removing pollutants from stormwater, reducing flows into the combined sewer system, and mitigating flooding impacts.

EMPA September Meeting with Boston Resilient Design on 9/18/2017

By Julie Salvatoriello, Emerging Professional MA committee

The EPMA met on the third Monday of September for their monthly committee meeting. With Greenbuild just one more month away and the end of the year approaching fast, agenda items centered around networking opportunities, expo volunteer opportunities and holiday parties (and how the BMC rooftop garden tour at the Boston Medical Center had been sold out for weeks!).


Pictured Above: EPMA Committee Meeting Feature Presentation

 

The meet up landed mere days after hurricane Harvey hit the U.S. mainland. John Gravelin, Project Manager at Linnean Solutions, kicked off his presentation on “Resilient Design in Boston: Responding and Adapting to Climate Change” with an image of three new hurricanes. Katia, Irma, and Jose were all pictured together with the remnants of Harvey still visible in the satellite imaging. In his presentation, Gravelin described resilient design as preparing “buildings, cities and communities to respond to and adapt to the hazards of climate change.” The image of almost 4 hurricanes at once emphasized the real importance and necessity of intelligent resilient design.

One of the more poignant points Gravelin makes is how much of current resilient design applications that are found today are more focused on protecting buildings and infrastructure, and not, to his dismay, focused so much on the health and lives of people. Resilient design has a few uphill battles to climb, including the necessity for areas outside of flood zones to still have a resiliency plan as so many flood zones don’t take climate change into account or are based on models that just aren’t accurate enough. Even the focus on flood damage ignores that the type of disruption that causes the most deaths are heatwaves, which affects all infrastructure.


Gravelin emphasized the need for all communities to have resiliency plans and support services, and for those services to including supporting community gathering places and organizations. He emphasized that communities supporting each other have been found to be a perfect place to begin a resiliency strategy. It was a good reminder that, though we were brought to the meet up by green building, it’s people that we design and build for.

Join us next month for our October EPMA meeting on Monday, October 16th at 6pm for updates on our upcoming events, a feature presentation provided by Andrew Breiter-Wu and, of course, snacks!

 

 

August EPMA meeting recap – BERDO with Benjamin Silverman

By Nathan Kingery, EPMA Committee

Our August Emerging Professionals Committee meeting was brimming with activity! We welcomed new members, made progress with event planning for autumn, and enjoyed an enlightening presentation about the City of Boston’s continued efforts to improve building efficiency. We hope to see you soon at the Annual Bike Tour in Allston/Brighton this Saturday, and stay tuned for information about the Boston Medical Center Rooftop Farm Tour in September!


This week we were joined by City of Boston Program Manager Benjamin Silverman, who shared his work on the Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance, or BERDO. Enacted in 2013, BERDO requires all buildings of sufficient size to submit a report on their energy usage via their utilities information. Currently covering all residential buildings and non-residential buildings above 35,000+ sq ft, this accounts for 35% of all built space in Boston. Through a combination of education, outreach, and on-site visits, Ben and his team have managed a stunning 87.8% response rate across the city, with the goal of hitting 90% by October 1st. This program is not only helping individual building managers and owners track their energy usage, it’s also providing a previously unheard of amount of raw data to better understand our city’s building energy footprint. 

 

Having been in effect for four years, BERDO moves into its next stage in 2019. After a building has qualified for BERDO for five years, they are required to show either a 15% reduction in total energy usage, or perform an ASHRAE Level 2(or equivalent) energy audit. A defining feature of ASHRAE level 2 energy audit is a cost-benefit analysis addressing specific energy-use reducing behaviors, helping our Boston buildings save cash by going green! This second phase is hopefully going to help the push for the Boston Climate Action Plan’s goal of 25% energy use reduction by 2020.

The next EPMA meeting will be on September 18th at 6:00pm at 50 Milk Street. If you haven’t already, don’t forget to sign up to volunteer at Greenbuild, November 8-10!

 

The Annual Bike Tour Is Approaching!

By Rebecca Collins


Another year, another fantastic chance to tour some of Boston's most innovative and sustainable building projects by bike! This year's bike tour is scheduled for August 26, and participants will have the pleasure of touring green building projects in Allston and Brighton. Allston/Brighton is very much a place in transition with various climate exposure risks that need to be considered in the development process.  Come view how some projects are getting that right, and be prepared for a highly informative exploration of landscape architecture along our bike tour stops. You can sign up here.

Organized by the Emerging Professionals (EPMA) Committee, the annual bike tour is one of our most popular events. What's better than fresh air, exercise, and Green Buildings? 


Bring your helmet for safety, a bike lock for when you go in the buildings, water for hydration, and, as always, good vibes for this fun event. Sign up now and stay tuned for more updates!

Thank you to NB Development Group for their generous sponsorship of this event!


 

July 2017 EPMA Meeting; Earning and Maintaining LEED & WELL Credentials

By Manuel Esquivel

Whether you already have or are preparing to obtain LEED and WELL certifications, there are many easily-forgotten but key-to-remember details. During our July 2017 EPMA Meeting, Brian Fontaine presented on earning and maintaining LEED and WELL credentials.

There are two levels of LEED credentials which anyone can seek to attain, LEED Green Associate and LEED Accredited Professional with Specialty (AP Specialty). There is one WELL certification, WELL Accredited Professional. Although no prior practical experience is required to obtain the LEED Green Associate, it is highly recommended that you gain exposure to LEED and Green Building concepts through a combination of education, work experience, and volunteering. To obtain the LEED AP Specialty certificate no formal documentation of experience is required, but prior work on a LEED-registered or certified projected is directly assessed within the exam. The WELL Accredited Professional certification does not require prior experience.  

You can learn about LEED and WELL exam registration procedures and costs in Brian’s presentation. LEED exam premiums are lower for USGBC members, so check if your organization is a member before making your payment. There is a LEED Green Associate / LEED AP Specialty combined exam at a lower price than the added costs of the two separate exams. WELL exam premiums are lower for USGBC members, ASID members, and those with LEED certifications.   


There are both print and digital guides to help you prepare for the exams, which typically range from zero to $250. Popular resource for study guides, practice exams, and flashcards include Green Building Education Services (GBES), Poplar Network, and GreenStep.

Once you pass the exams make sure to maintain your credentials! This includes logging a certain number of Continuing Education hours and paying a maintenance fee every two years. There are many ways to obtain your Continuing Education hours, including hosting Lunch and Learns at your organization using USGBC approved presentations, attending EPMA meetings, and acquiring LEED and WELL project experience. You can find the specific number of hours needed for each certification, more options to fulfill the hours, and maintenance fees in Brian’s presentation.

If you need further support to prepare for your exam or have other creative ideas on how to earn Continuing Education hours, join us during the upcoming monthly EPMA meeting and share your thoughts.     

 

EPMA May Meeting with Presentation by Jasmine on Wood Construction

By Lindsey Machamer


On Monday, the ever-expanding emerging professionals (EP) committee convened for our monthly meeting. We dug right into the logistics of planning upcoming events and chapter programming. We are particularly excited about our “Kick It By Eliza” with Alicia Tremblay event coming up on June 14th!

After refueling on snacks halfway through our meeting, we were regaled by a presentation from Jasmine, Co-Chair of the EP committee. Her excitement about the environmental, structural, and aesthetic benefits of the wood construction was infectious. She walked us through the details of the Design Building at UMass Amherst building which opened in January of 2017 after extensive collaboration through design and construction between all stakeholders. The project had support and input from of the UMass students and faculty, the MA State Legislature, the design team lead by Leers Weinzapfel Associates, and the contractor, Suffolk Construction.

Set in the hills of Amherst, the wood construction ties together the rustic roots of the historically agricultural school with the innovative research of the Building and Construction Technology and Architecture programs. We found ourselves inspired by how many synergies are offered by wood construction. The Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) used for the floors, walls, and stairs is an engineered product which reduces structural irregularities in wood, creating a strong and predictable building material which meets and exceed the requirements of the Fire Code. Since the CLT components are prefabricated and shipped to the site, it reduces the required storage space onsite and speeds up the construction process by allowing for simple assembly. Not only that, but the 70,000 CF of wood used in the building is hiding 2,000 tons of carbon dioxide from returning to the atmosphere for the life of the building!

Ultimately, Jasmine accomplished her goal of helping us all appreciate how much happier and healthier we can be in a wood building.

See her presentation slides here.

The EPMA Took Over the Charles River Cleanup on April 29th!

By Max Silverman


On Saturday, April 29th, EPMA teamed up with over 3,000 volunteers along the banks of the Charles River for the 18th annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup.  The Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup builds on a national effort as part of American Rivers’ National River Cleanup, which to date, has removed over 20.7 million pounds of trash from America’s waterways! 

EPMA had a great volunteer turnout was blessed with one of the nicest days this spring – 70's and sunny!  We met at the Esplanade and got our T-shirts and cleanup equipment at the steps of the Hatch Shell.  We were joined at the Hatch Shell by groups from PWC, Boston University Engineering, and several other organizations.  There were also individuals and families ranging from young children to seniors. 

Through a little bit of sweat, a few laughs and plenty of smiles, the volunteers on the Esplanade were able to fill bag after bag with garbage and floating debris that gathered along the water's edge during the winter.  We removed bottles, food wrappers, lots of disintegrated Styrofoam cups and even some hazardous items.  Runners, bikers, and walkers stopped to say thanks!  For all who enjoyed the event and anyone who did not attend but would like to get involved, you can check out all of the great events that we have coming down the pipe here: https://usgbcma.org/events
 

EPMA Energy Mixer: Smart Homes Event Recap

By Jasmine Abdollahi


On Friday, April 14th, EPMA partnered with the Northeastern University Energy Systems Society to host local students for a night of learning and networking. We discussed opportunities and challenges that arise as internet connected household technologies become commonplace.

Emerging Professionals committee members May Dussadeevutikul and Oliver Bautista gave an informative presentation, covering how innovations in connected household products present opportunities to enhance the interaction between buildings and people.

Sensors, cameras, and connected products give users the power to monitor and control their homes for a highly personalized experience. A variety of modern gadgets can communicate with each other and their surroundings to create a seamless hi-tech home environment.

Students questioned the advantages to energy efficiency, accessibility, and security, as well as challenges that are likely to arise with emerging technologies. After the presentation, the conversation continued regarding expectations and predictions for the smart homes industry, and the potential impact of the Internet of Things on the environmental performance of buildings.

We hope to see some of our new friends again at the next Emerging Professionals committee meeting on April 24th.

Thank you to our event sponsor, Atlantic Toyota Dealership in Lynn, MA on the Lynnway!