Day of Service – Quincy High School

By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager

Green School Environmental Treasures Tour of Quincy High School

 


Saturday, October 24, 2015 marked the Green School Environmental Treasures Tour of Quincy High School, a collaborative effort sponsored by the City’s Park Dept.'s Environmental Treasures Program, Planning & Public Buildings Depts. and Quincy Public Schools. There were forty-six attendees, including members of the general public and Quincy Climate Action Network, the school’s Principal, teachers, and members of the student Green Team, the Superintendent of Schools, the City's Energy and Sustainability Director, and representatives of the Park and Planning Departments. The project was made possible by the support of Eversource Energy. 

 


Led by Alex Pitkin and Matt Rice of Symmes Maini, and McKee, two of the architects who designed the building, the tour featured the school’s green design features, including the building’s rooftop photovoltaic array, which spurred discussion of the growing potential for solar as a renewable home-energy source. The school's sustainability club – The Green Team QHS – shared their efforts to obtain a hydration system for use by both students and staff to drastically reduce the use of plastic water bottles. (Please see attached proposal.) Participants also toured the Arts wing, featuring displays of student eco-design projects, such as an upcycled bottle cap dress, and the STEM wing’s green
house, one component of the school’s aim to develop a closed loop system in which Culinary students recycle food waste from the cafeteria and open-to-the public cafe to make compost for the greenhouse. 

 

Built in 2010, many attendees had never toured the school and were amazed by the beauty and thoughtfulness of the building’s design aimed at enhancing a collaborative cross-disciplinary curriculum, innovative green features, and life cycle analysis the architects used in selecting sustainable materials. Participants were particularly impressed that freshman students are encouraged to try out each of the technical programs before deciding on a major and several commented that they wished they could go back to high school!

 

Day of Service – Wentworth Institute of Technology

By Allison Maynard, Communications Associate


On Oct. 13, 2015, Andrew Breiter-Wu, Wentworth’s assistant sustainability coordinator hosted an “Energy Wheel of Fortune” event at the Flanagan Campus Center. Students were engaged by asking them one of five questions related to campus sustainability and energy conservation. Some of the questions included, “What is the most energy efficient building at Wentworth?” and “Energy vampires such as cell phone chargers or HDTVs in standby mode are responsible for what percentage of household electricity use?” Those who answered a question correctly were rewarded by spinning the Energy Wheel of Fortune. Prizes included a solar-powered lantern, smart power strip, solar-powered model car kits, and plenty of “power” bars to help students maintain their own personal focus and energy. Thanks to Eversource for their support with this project. 

The event drew a crowd through their curiosity over the trivia questions, the enthusiasm of those spinning the prize wheel, and the spread of fun energy-themed prizes. Overall, the event engaged the students, faculty, and staff while educating them about the various energy conservation efforts at Wentworth. Results were also recorded to inform future sustainability marketing campaigns on campus.

For additional photos of the Energy Wheel of Fortune and other Wentworth Environmental Collaborative Events, visit their Facebook page.



 

 

 

 

 

 

Day of Service – Northeastern University

By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager


Northeastern University Energy Systems Society (NU-ESS) organized a seminar on “Energy Modeling Unveiled” to support the objectives of the Green Apple Day of Service. Thank you to Eversource for funding this program through a mini grant sponsorship.

The attendees were mostly Graduate students across various disciplines interested in energy issues and sustainability. The objective of the workshop was to emphasis the importance of energy models and how they help inform decisions. The presenter discussed the following key points during his presentation.

  • The energy model metrics such as energy use intensity used for benchmarking and comparing buildings of similar use type
  • The significant role played by energy models in planning approval, building design optimization, life cycle cost analysis, utility incentives, obtaining LEED credits, measurement and verification
  • The priority of energy conservation measures ranked based on the goals of the project, location andclimate, load reduction, integrated passive design, renewables and occupant comfort
  • The comparison of a proposed building model to a baseline case satisfying the energy code requirements (such as ASHRAE 90.1) and local zoning ordinance 
  • Quantifying the amount of energy saved by the improved design in the proposed model compared to a base case
  • How baselines and reference points are becoming more stringent over time and pushing the market towards energy efficiency by setting the bar high
  • The importance given by the state to improve energy efficiency and incentives given by the utilities through the MASS-Save program to support the incremental cost of purchasing energy efficient equipment

The presenter also presented case studies from his projects and explained how energy model helps to make data driven decisions. He listed the various energy conservation techniques that can be implemented through modeling and walked through the various phases of a building project. 

This seminar helped the attendees to understand the drivers of energy consumption in various building types and how energy model can help to understand the benefits of various energy conservation measures. NU-ESS welcomes involvement from everyone in the Northeastern community interested in taking a more active role relating to energy, sustainability and environmental issues. The group's leadership will work to organize events, discussions, educational forums and other activities to give the student body an opportunity to extend their learning and experience outside of the class-room. The group also serves as a valuable networking tool to industry throughout Boston, New England, and beyond.

Day of Service – Lee Academy

By Carolyn Silva Sanchez, Teacher

20151007_112938

Contributed by Carolyn Silva Sanchez, Teacher

On October 7, 2015, my kindergarten class was fortunate to have participated in an energy efficiency project thanks to the generous mini-grant from Eversource that we received through the Massachusetts Chapter’s Green Apple Day of Service.  My project focused on teaching students what electricity was, why we need to strive each day to use less, and what we could do to help in the classroom. Being new to school, many of my students did not have an understanding of what electricity was and how much we use it each day. When I helped them to make connections that things like lights, computers, and televisions all use electricity they realized how much they use electricity at school and at home. One student even said, “wow, it is in everything.

My lesson contained three parts. Pulling from the Magic School Bus Jumping into Electricity Curriculum, I read them a book that talked about what electricity was and then we put together our very own mini circuit board where students could watch a small light bulb light up. Reading the story allowed children to understand the concept of electricity as simply as possible. They took away understandings of what types of things use electricity, and also why it is not safe to touch things that have an electrical current. They also started to understand that electricity is generated in one central location and then runs out to different places like our school.

20151007_112716

After reading, I wanted to make this concept come alive. My students all benefit from content that is hands-on, so we used the materials in the kit to make a small circuit board. Students had the chance to connect wires to a battery and to a very small light bulb. They saw what happened when the activated wires touched the light bulb. They were amazed! We were in a circle, taking turns connecting the wires and students had trouble staying seated because of their pure excitement. When we finished the project I told them to look at all the wires we needed just to turn on one little light bulb. Then I asked them to imagine how many wires are needed to turn on the light bulbs in our classroom. Students began to look up at the ceiling and say, “oh there must be a lot of wires to get electricity to the lights.” I told them that the plants we read about in the book, where the electricity is made, isn’t so good for the environment – they don’t help our trees grow big and strong. I said that it was our job to help the environment by using less electricity.

20151007_112931

Over the next few days we generated a list of things we could do at school and at home to save electricity. Even today we continue to talk about saving electricity. When we leave the classroom one student is in charge of turning the lights off. Students take pride in their ability to “help the trees grown big and strong.” 

The Slides of the Showcase

By Grey Lee


At our 2015 Green Building Showcase, we were able to share a lot of information with the assembled guests.


Our Sponsors were able to talk with folks about their various solutions to the challenges of green buildings. Thank you, again, to Kim Cullinane and Eversource for serving as our Platinum Sponsor, and to Joel McKellar of Harvard Green Building Services for being our Venue Sponsor.



We saw all sorts of projects through their display boards and many of those project principals were able to explain the details.

I was able to present a comprehensive overview of the Chapter – click here for the full presentation

Scroll down to read more from some of the most intriguing slides.

Thank you again, one and all, for attending the 2015 Green Building Showcase!








 

Day of Service – Boston University

By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager

The Massachusetts Chapter would like to say a big thank you to Eversource for their support with the following project. If you would like to see more on Eversource's commitment to community and schools, check out our blog!

Upcoming Events: Link to recent email

By Grey Lee

You can read our most recent Events Note here. This links to articles about all of our upcoming events.

Greetings,
We want your project to shine at the Showcase! Register your green building to show off at this event on 10/1/15 at Harvard. You could win an award! The “early bird registration” ends tomorrow:  Sign up for the event at this link. This is our biggest event of the year and always an incredible mix of professions, all passionate about building performance. 

We are excited for the participation of our Showcase Sponsors: Harvard University Green Building Services, National Grid, Suffolk Construction, Skanska, View Glass, SemaConnect, Touloukian Touloukian, The Green Engineer, Chapman Construction, Tsoi/Kobus, Prellwitz Chilinski, Arrowstreet, RDK Engineering. (And how about your firm?)

Consider entering your awesome project in our Green Building Awards: for Innovation in Green Design and Exemplary Building Performance.

Starting later this month is our series of school-based service projects in theGreen Apple Day of Service. Thank you to our generous mini-grant sponsors: National Grid, Eversource, Boston Properties, NORESCO, Triumph Modular, TOTO, Re-Stream, ICF & HMFH! You can find a project and sign up to volunteer at the My Green Apple website – enter your zip code to search. 

Please explore our events and gatherings opportunities below. These will help grow your professional network and are always time well spent.
As we transform the real estate market for improved environmental performance, we help bring our communities closer to sustainability.

Thank you,
Grey

Eversource Supports Local Education and Literacy

By Allison Maynard, Communications Associate


Eversource, energy provider for New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, has partnered with the City of Boston to complete 42 projects in 25 of the Boston Public Library’s (BPL) locations since 2009. This has generated over 1.6 million in annual kWh savings for the BPL and an estimated 27 percent reduction in electrical energy consumption. In addition to these impressive changes the aesthetics of the renovated Central Library, especially the Children’s Library, have been greatly improved. Since its opening earlier this year, over 10,000 children have participated in library programs and even more visit just to read and use the space.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Eversource is also a proud participant in the Green Apple Day of Service Mini-Grant Program. The program allows them to sponsor local schools to accomplish a project such as a recycling assembly, garden planting, waste free lunch, clutter cleanout, etc.

Their sponsored projects will be taking place in the upcoming weeks. We will share these projects on the blog as they take place. Thank you Eversource for your continuing support in the Green Building sector and your commitment to the communities that you serve. 

Eversource commits to support 2015 Green Apple Day of Service

By Celis Brisbin, Programs Manager



 
 
 
 
We are pleased to announce that our friends at Eversource are committing to support our 2015 Green Apple Day of Service. Eversource has a longstanding relationship with communities in the Commonwealth and we are proud to be partnering with them again this year after their strong support in 2014.

Green Apple Day of Service 2015

One quarter of Americans pass through a school on a given school day. Here at the the USGBC MA we are committed to green buildings and the savings, health and financial benefits which come with green design. The Green Apple Day of Service, Sept. 26, 2015, will bring together thousands of students, teachers, parents and community leaders from around the globe to improve our school environments through service projects, education, community events and more. Our vast network of champions will demonstrate the strength and breadth of our movement, leaving a meaningful and lasting local impact on our world’s schools.

 

 


Past Projects Sponsored by Eversource (2014)

Last year the Chapter coordinated with 38 schools for the Day of Service. Of these schools, Eversource sponsored the following six schools allowing them to be most effective with their projects. Read below to see the impact!

Alighieri Montessori School- Constructed and planted a new garden to teach students how they can positively impact climate change by demonstrating the connection between farming locally in urban environments and the reduction of CO2 emissions and heat island effect.
Boston Green Academy- Insulated, installed water aerators and gardening taught these student how to care for the environment
Boston Latin School – Discussed international smog issues and how to implement energy efficiency and environmentally friendly products to help solve the global issue.
Manning Elementary School – Conducted a lighting and energy audit to determine places at the Manning school where we could use more efficient lighting (e.g., LEDs) or use daylighting more effectively. 
McKinley Middle School – Evaluated the school's current lighting usage, determine which areas had the highest impact when converted to more energy efficient lightly methods and implement new more energy efficient bulbs, as well as posted small signs next to light switches to encourage energy conservation.

Dallin School – Created an energy efficiency campaign for the Dallin School.

 

If your organization would like to join Eversource in supporting the Day of Service, please find more information here and email celis@usgbcma.org.

If you are interested in participating in the program, please find more information here and email celis@usgbcma.org.

 

 

 

 

 

A Building Tech Forum is Born

By Grey Lee

What a great gathering! We had a full house last night for our innaugural Building Tech Forum.


Over 100 people gathered in the event space at MassChallenge in Boston to connect building professionals with building tech innovators. Here we have building scientists Ale Menchaca and Andrea Love with Jim Newman, Sec. Beaton, and Grey Lee.


We heard from the Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs, Matt Beaton, about green builidng and energy policy in Massachusetts. It was his fifth speech on a very busy Earth Day – so we thank him sincerely for taking the time to come out to the Innovation District with us. We will certainly take him up on his offer that his office work with us to advance our mission of green buildings for everyone within a generation. The USGBC MA looks forward to supporting the Secretary's work to protect and improve the environment of Massachusetts for all citizens of the Commonwealth.



Kimberly Cullinane of Eversource highlighted the support that the energy utilities in the state are willing to provide to help support innovation in the design and the energy systems of new buidings. Kim noted that Eversource is committed to supporting the energy of the future – that they will be “the battery” for all of our distributed renewable generation that we're putting on buildings.

 


Thank you to the many folks from Eversource who attended, and their Champion-level sponsorship of the event. Thank you also to the companion Champion Sponsor, National Grid. Take a look at their awesome video about all the money they offer to design teams to incorporate energy savings in the early stages of their projects.

 


On hand to impart so wisdom earned from the field was Dan Teague from WegoWise – an energy management software company that started in Boston and is now international in scope. It was great to hear how a wonderful idea can catch on, expand into a growing business, and help people improve their buildings' energy performace – way to go Wegowise!

Jim Newman, of Linnean Solutions, and Chair of our Board, made the connection of how green building has always been part of the innovation economy, and how “we're gonna keep doing that!”


The dozens of guests enjoyed a seriously good spread of food & drink, and were able to interact with a dozen displaying firms selected to represent a cross-section of product and service types, all innovations that connect to the building sector. It was a serious building technology geek-schmooze-fest!

Our Building Tech Forum concluded with a lively panel answering the questions of: What innovation here has helped you to think newly about a problem you confront on one of your projects? And what can we do to help this building tech sector continue to innovate to help improve buildings? Thank you representatives from each of our Leadership Sponsors to Steven Burke of SMMA, Dan Teague of WegoWise, Abby Charest of Wentworth Institute of Technology, Chris Crowell of SemaConnect, Kim Cullinane of Eversource and Chris Schaffner of The Green Engineer.


Some of the answers were quite intriguing, such as “Become a B-Corporation” “Net Zero is not enough” and “Collaborate with your competition” – and we thank all who attended and were able to share their know-how.





Thank you to those who could attend, and especially our displaying sponsors:

Embue
EnerScore
TOTO
SolaBlock
Ecovent
MassSave
SGH
Sustainable Minds
Advanced Energy Intelligence
Schock

We look forward to continuing this conversation about innovation in building technology, and certainly to producing another Building Tech Forum in the coming years. Thank you to MassChallenge for providing the space! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to write us and we can try to re-connect you with that conversation from the event. 

Happy Earth Day, everyone, everyday!


PS: Thank you to the organizing team: Tiffany King (Commodore Builders), Ethan Lay-Sleeper (MIT), and Alana Spencer (Vanderweil). I'm not sure what we were making faces about but it was toward the end of the evening!