Annual Sustainable Dinner

By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager

Please join the USGBC on Thursday February 11th @6:30pm for our Annual Sustainable Dinner hosted by the Commonwealth Restaurant.

We will enjoy a delicious & sustainable meal with the freshest locally sourced ingredients created by Chef Nookie along with an educational presentation on artificial lighting by our sponsor Jane Slade, RAB Lighting https://www.rabweb.com/:  

Light & Health – Starving for Darkness

Since the industrial revolution and the invention of the electric lightbulb, we spend more and more time bathed in artificial light. How do the artificial light and lack of darkness impact our bodies, and how does the illumination of our exterior environment impact wildlife? 

 

REGISTER HERE

When:  February 11th, 2016 6:30 PM   through   8:00 PM
Location:  11 Broad Canal Way, Cambridge, MA 02142

Chapter Members $ 40.00
Non-Members $ 55.00

 

Don't miss the 5th Annual Sustainable Dinner

By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager

Please join the USGBC on Thursday November 12th for the 6th Annual Sustainable Dinner! Eat, drink and meet other members in the green building industry. Learn how we can be more colaborative as an industry to make green buildings the standard. The dinner will be hosted by the Commonwealth Restaurant, Cambridge with a fantastic menu created by Chef Nookie.  This year’s event will focus on healthy living in buildings. 

A delicious meal with the freshest locally sourced ingredients is always a good place to start, but did you know that the lighting around you can affect your health as well?  Event sponsor, Jane Slade, RAB Lighting https://www.rabweb.com/ will speak to the group about how proper lighting can affect your circadian rhythm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REGISTER HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When:  February 11th, 2016 6:00 PM   through   8:00 PM
Location:  11 Broad Canal Way, Cambridge, MA 02142

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Members $ 40.00
Non-Members $ 55.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advocacy Breakfast: Net-Metering and a Clean Energy Future

By Allison Maynard, Communications Associate


Our Advocacy Breakfast series continues this November–this time about the hot-button legislative issue of net-metering caps, and the Acadia Center's plans for increased energy efficiency and use of renewables. Let's dive in so our community can come up with the best advocacy strategy to advance this key legislation for the solar industry–a cornerstone of the green building industry!

Join us with special presenter Tyler Soleau from the Acadia Center to learn more about these important issues, and how you can join the coalition to advocate for the lifting of the net-metering caps.

Tyler Soleau will discuss his organization's Next Generation Solar Policy Framework, which the USGBC MA Board endorsed this summer. A former Beacon Hill staffer and lawyer, Mr. Soleau will share his inside views on how to best approach the legislation and lift these caps–and what other policy areas should be targeted.

Register for the breakfast here!

East Village Exploration

By Allison Maynard, Communications Associate

Last week the Emerging Professionals Committee organized a tour of The East Village at Northeastern University along with representatives from Northeastern and the architectural firm DiMella Shaffer.

The East Village is the newest residence hall at Northeastern University. Standing at 17 floors, it is the second tallest building on campus. It was developed on a Brownfield site, which was cleaned up and will provide a better environment for the area. The building can house over 700 students, and contains suites and apartment style rooms for the students. The building also contains a bike room, classrooms and an event space on the top floor. One of the main features of the building is the destination dispatch elevators.

Thanks very much to Suffolk Construction for sponsoring the tour!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

People, Our Planet, & Water Green Breakfast

By Allison Maynard, Communications Associate


Next week join us for free breakfast and a conversation about water efficiency and the role of sustainable plumbing! We’ll also discuss testing and standards, environmental technologies, product transparency, and contributions to LEED certification.

Objectives:

  • Define water efficiency
  • Explain why additional testing may be needed beyond that required to meet the WaterSense specification for toilets
  • Distinguish between reducing the volume of water used in a building and reducing flow rates
  • Select technologies for use in designing bathrooms which contribute toward LEED points and meet long-term sustainability goals.

This is a LEED CE course, GBCI: 0920001630

Register here to join!

 

A Positively Electric Energy Conference!

By Allison Maynard, Communications Associate



Last Friday the USGBC MA Chapter co-sponsored the Northeastern University Energy Conference with the Northeastern University Energy System Society (NU-ESS). Following several stellar tracks of workshops and panels throughout the day, including some of Boston's best and most accomplished energy, engineering and design professionals, the USGBC MA Annual Halloween Party thrown by the Emerging Professionals committee was a huge hit with conference goers. The President of NU-ESS, Vinoth Sekar, donned a green Hulk mask. Joe Ranahan, the Energy Manager for Northeastern University's campus spoke extensively on a panel about the great strides the campus has achieved in their efforts to reduce energy consumption on campus. In the last decade, the energy consumption has risen only slightly even though the square footage of conditioned space is up 3.5 million square feet.

Professor Kowalski, Director of the Masters program in Energy Systems said, “These guys did a great job putting this conference together” and distributed certificates to the organizers.

The turnout was over the anticipated amount at 250+. Conference coordinators from NU Energy Systems Society are aiming to accommodate three times as many attendees next year following the success of their​ first annual conference.

 

 

Northeastern Energy Conference – This Friday!

By Allison Maynard, Communications Associate


Join the Northeastern University Energy Systems Society (NU-ESS) for a conference that will address the current and future scenario in clean power, entrepreneurship, energy efficiency opportunities in our built environment, the grid of the future, and energy policies in an interdisciplinary manner. Registration includes keynote and panel discussions, showcase area, breakfast, lunch, and a late afternoon networking event.

Register for the conference here!

Included in the fee for the conference is the fee for the Halloween Party. If you would like to attend the annual USGBC MA Chapter Halloween Party separately, you can purchase a ticket for just that event here!
 


Please come dressed in a costume; the optional theme is TRENDS IN GREEN DESIGN. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Healthy Food and Healthy Living

By Allison Maynard, Communications Associate


Join our Chapter next month for the 6th Annual Sustainable Dinner! This year it will be hosted by the Commonwealth Restaurant in Cambridge with a fantastic menu created by Chef Nookie. Commonwealth Cambridge is a restaurant-market hybrid fulfilling community needs while providing a great dining experience. They feature local produce, New England cheeses, farm fresh eggs and dairy, house-made specialties, daily meal selections and all things delicious that change seasonally.

Jane Slade from RAB Lighting will speak to the group about how proper lighting can affect your circadian rhythm.

To attend please register on the event page!

Halloween Party and Northeastern Energy Conference

By Allison Maynard, Communications Associate


Coming up just before Halloween we have Northeastern University Energy System Society's (NU-ESS) Energy Conference, which will address the current and future scenario in clean power, entrepreneurship, energy efficiency opportunities in our built environment, the grid of the future and energy policies in an interdisciplinary manner. Registration includes keynote and panel discussions, showcase area, breakfast, lunch, and a late afternoon Halloween Party.

The Annual USGBC Halloween Party 2015 will be held following the Northeastern University Energy Conference, tickets sold separately via this link. Please come dressed in a costume; the optional theme is TRENDS IN GREEN DESIGN. Come celebrate Halloween and network with the next generation of building energy engineers and accomplished panel speakers following this event.

Sustain Yourself: A Night of Sustainable, Upscale Dining & Networking

By Derek Newberry, Advocacy Fellow

What could be better than talking about green buildings? Talking about green buildings while eating a delicious (and sustainably-sourced) dinner!

Join us in Cambridge on Thursday, November 12 for our 6th Annual Sustainable Dinner. Hosted by the highly-rated Commonwealth Restaurant, this trendy market serves upscale, locally-sourced American fare. Participants will be treated to a sampling of these dishes from the fantastic menu created by Chef Nookie, as we discuss healthy living in buildings–the theme of this year's event.


Eating sustainably grown food is an important part of leading a green, healthy lifestyle. But our indoor environment also has a major effect on our wellbeing. Making our indoor environment greener and healthier is especially important at this time of year, as we spending increasingly more time inside as the days get colder. Jane Slade of RAB Lighting will speak to our group about one aspect of a healthier indoor environment–how proper lighting can affect your circadian rhythm. That means simply improving your lighting might be the key to feeling rested as you head to work on these dark winter mornings!

Founded nearly 70 years ago, our event sponsor RAB Lighting designs energy-efficient LED lighting and controls. Their high-quality, affordable designs ease the process from distribution to installation to in-home use, which helps more people save energy–and money. Thank you to RAB Lighting for your commitment to the green building movement, and for sponsoring our event.

Please register here for this fun night of great food and green conversations. We're excited to see you there!

  • What: USGBC MA Chapter's 6th Annual Sustainable Dinner
  • When: Thursday, November 12, 6:00-8:00PM
  • Where: Commonwealth Restaurant | 11 Broad Canal Way | Cambridge, MA 02142

Here is the group at last year's Sustainable Dinner: