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2012 is going to be a great year! Just ask “the godfather of green” Jerry Yudelson. Builder magazine featured his 10 predictions for the next 12 (well, 11 now – where does the time go?) months.

Take a peek.

I’m particularly excited about #3 – LEED-EBOM (Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance) Will Gain Momentum.
“We’re going to see this move to other sectors,” he says, particularly among hotels with strong convention and meeting businesses who want to be able to market their eco-friendliness. Grocery stores, hospitals, and retail centers are moving in the same direction, with features such as solar panels on top of Walmarts or department stores. “Last month, President Obama and former President Clinton announced the Better Buildings Initiative. It’s only $4 billion, so it’s not huge. But still, this is stuff that moves markets. When you have two presidents pushing something, it does get people’s attention. More and more building owners are realizing that they don’t want to be late to the party.”

As I mentioned earlier this week in my post, Congrats to the LEEDing states!, around the IES offices, we’re hoping 2012 is the year of LEED-EB: O&M. Let’s reduce, reuse, recycle, repurpose…we’ve only got one Earth, and it’s getting pretty crowded.

What are your predictions for the rest of 2012?

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Tags:Building, Green, IES, LEED, LEED-EBOM, Obama, reuse

Earlier this month, the USGBC released its 2011 list of top 10 states for LEED-certified commercial and institutional green buildings per capita, based on the U.S. 2010 Census information.

Here’s the breakdown, courtesy of Buildings.

What I found most interesting in the article, though, was this fact.
In December 2011, USGBC announced that LEED-certified existing buildings outpaced their newly built counterparts by 15 million square feet on a cumulative basis. A focus on heightened building performance through green operations and maintenance is essential to cost-effectively driving improvements in the economy and the environment.

I had also stumbled across this article on TIME – LEED From Behind: Why We Should Focus on Greening Existing Buildings. The article states, “A study by the Preservation Green Lab of the National Trust for Historic Preservation shows building reuse almost always has fewer environmental impacts than new construction—which means we’d be smart to spend at least as much time renovating existing buildings as we do lionizing fancy new green construction.”

So while many new buildings are looking to go LEED at the onset of the project, I would like 2012 to be the year of LEED-EB: O&M. How can we as an industry put our knowledge and expertise towards making our world a more energy efficient place, using what we’ve already got?

It could be a sign of the times. The economy still isn’t great, so focusing on upgrading existing buildings rather than fronting cash for brand new buildings makes economic sense. And as USGBC gets ready to finalize the LEED 2012 standards, there is a chance there will be a revival in excitement for the rating system. What do you think? Can we make 2012 the year we focus on reusing buildings, so to speak?

In closing, I’ll leave you with the quote in the article that I think should be the mantra for 2012 building… “The greenest building is one that is already built.” -Carl Elefante

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Tags:Building, construction, energy, Existing Buildings, Green, LEED, Rating, USGBC

Another year, another blog about LEED

There’s never a shortage of opinions when you bring up the topic of LEED.

Last year, we blogged about whether or not LEED certification was working, questioning the goals of the program. We decided that if the goal is to increase awareness for better design and sustainability, regardless of whether or not a building ultimately achieves certification, then the program is succeeding. The way we see it, a better building is a better building, certification or not.

After reading a recent article in the Orlando Sentinel, the question of whether or not “going green” impacts a business was one I thought I’d weigh in on.

The Headquarter Honda dealership in Florida is LEED Platinum. Only nine other buildings in the state — all of them constructed for educational, military, aerospace or government purposes — share this rating. An exceptional accomplishment when you look at it comparatively. But as Kevin questions, “Does securing that mark of planet-friendly excellence help sell Accords, Civics and Odysseys?”

Maybe not. But for the owner of the dealership, the energy savings alone seem to be worth the certification. “According to estimates based on more than a year’s worth of utility bills, the 30 percent premium will be recouped in a decade, Esteve said, which in the long run will make the building cheaper to own than one with a more conventional design.”

I’m not going to tell you that LEED certification is a necessity for every building. But I do think you should consider the requirements as part of your building process. If nothing else, a focus on implementing various energy-saving technologies and being aware of factors such as daylighting and the like will ensure a building will be viable for many years to come. LEED Platinum or not, that’s something we can all appreciate.

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Tags:Add new tag, Building, daylighting, design, energy, Green, LEED, Platinum, Rating, Sustainability

IES sat down with 16 architects, engineers and contractors at the Denver Revit Users Group last Thursday for a roundtable discussion. The result? Some great conversation about how best to utilize Building Information Modeling, a sustainable building analysis tool.

IES worked with Colorado-based Ambient Energy, a building performance and sustainable design consulting company, to showcase some of BIM’s more practical uses. The relatively new technology doesn’t just spit out data and geometric designs anymore. More and more often, we are seeing BIM taking on a different role. The spatial relationships and geographic information can help architects and engineers out in a big way; from daylight penetration to average temperature and wind direction, analysis software is an integral part of sustainable design.

An IES and Ambient Energy project at Colorado State University in 2011 proved the point. Faced with the challenge of designing a more efficient atrium for the school’s Engineering II building, Ambient Energy consultants used IES’ VE-Pro software to test and verify their various energy efficiency concepts. Daylight and mixed mode ventilation analyses run early in the schematic redesign process determined which window and ventilation solutions would work best with maximized use of natural daylight. The end result was a more efficient atrium with a much smaller carbon output. You can view the video case study for this project on the IESVE YouTube page.

This type of integrated design process is something we expect to see a lot more of as sustainable design continues to work its way into the commercial space.

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Tags:Architects, BIM, Building, daylighting, design, Engineers, IES, Modeling, Revit, Sustainability, VE-Pro, YouTube

With 2011 officially in the books, the IES team thought it was time to take a look back at the hottest green technology and sustainability stories this year had to offer. Even with some of the fallout from the Solyndra and Beacon Power bankruptcies – assets are being sold off as you read this – 2011 served up some really interesting innovations. From the military and car manufacturers to solar and wind power, Earth Techling sheds a little natural daylight on the must-reads in its “2011 Green Technology Year in Review”.

What I find most interesting is that while wind and solar power definitely took their licks this year, they are far from being down for the count; just ask Walmart and Costco customers.

You may be surprised to find that [Walmart], which sells everything from shoes to shower curtains, also happens to offer a selection of renewable energy devices, including a 600-watt wind turbine. Costco members will soon be able to add solar power systems for clean energy solutions at home alongside power tools and pancake mix on their shopping lists.

The best part about these products is that they are cheap. For around $800, you can lower your electricity bill and increase energy efficiency for years. It will be interesting to see how the commercial market will react as the cost continues to drop for these types of technologies. If the residential market is any indication, solar and wind power might be more affordable than ever in the commercial sector. The sustainability goals and LEED certifications that many building owners and property managers seek might be a little easier to attain in 2012.

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Tags:2011, Building, energy, Green, IES, Renewables, Sustainability, technology

There has been a lot of negativity surrounding the state of the job market, new construction and business development in the United States. Sometimes it’s unavoidable. Turn on the television, read a newspaper or grab a magazine and you’re bound to see it. But if you’re in the green, clean or low-carbon sector, there appears to be a big light at the end of the tunnel.

A green jobs infographic released by JobVine highlights some promising statistics. Take a look at green construction, for example. In 2005, only $3 billion was spent on non-residential green construction in the United Sates. In 2010, that number skyrocketed to $54 billion. The best part? Non-residential green construction is predicted to be $145 billion by 2015. These are figures that anyone in this space can smile about. With President Obama continuing to push green tax incentives and loan programs, the future is looking good.

“As we recover from this recession, the transition to clean energy has the potential to grow our economy and create millions of jobs – but only if we accelerate the transition. Only if we seize the moment.” – President Obama

From the nationwide increase in green jobs to the projected growth of green construction, it seems the industry is indeed seizing the moment!

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Tags:construction, energy, Green, jobs, low carbon, Obama

If we’ve learned anything from recent headlines, it’s that energy efficiency and sustainable design companies have to spend big money if they hope to develop the next big green solution. With today’s rapidly advancing technologies, millions of dollars in government-backed loans and venture capital appear to be crucial. But is all of this really necessary?

One of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s latest endeavors, referenced in a recent International Business Times article, is taking a different approach. As part of its People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Program, the EPA has awarded 45 grants of $15,000 each to colleges and universities across the United States. Students will use the money to design solutions for everything from water, energy and agriculture to the built environment and chemical use. The program’s overall goal is to “improve quality of life, promote economic development and protect the environment.”

What I find exciting about this particular EPA program is that it is set up as a competition, which is helping to spark innovation and excellence.

After working on the project for eight months, the teams will take their designs to the 8th Annual National Sustainable Design Expo on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. At the expo, the projects will be judged by a panel of experts and a select few will be awarded P3 Awards and Phase II grants up to $90,000 for students to further their designs, implement them in the field, or move them to the marketplace.

When it comes to new sustainable technologies and solutions, perhaps the companies developing them should prove themselves first. Competing for funding, just as participants of the P3 program are doing, will not only be conducive to better products and services, but also safer investments when it’s time for investors to take out their checkbooks.

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Tags:competition, design, Environment, Green, students, Sustainability, technology

Zero net energy. It’s the buzzword for office buildings, residential developments, individual homes and schools. And a recent Los Angeles area design firm – The Swift Lee Office – is earning recognition for its public school building prototype.

A recent article in LiveGreen outlines some of the specifics for a school building design completed by the architecture firm, and the various elements the design incorporates in order to achieve a sustainable, zero net energy footprint. What I found most interesting from this article was the fact that Swift Lee considered the entire lifecycle of the building in their design.

A best practices approach will be applied to minimize the amount of waste during construction, the structure will achieve net zero energy while in operation and can be largely recycled once it is dismantled.

I think Swift Lee hit the nail on the head.  This holistic approach is the key to sustainable design. It’s not just about designing for today. Because if we’ve learned anything from the past, it’s that things change. The way we design and create buildings today, while leaps and bounds ahead of where we were even just a few years ago, will likely change again over the next decade. We’ll discover new technologies and ways of designing, and just that like, what was “revolutionary” in 2011 will be obsolete then. But we’ve been given the opportunity to design our buildings to be the complete package, and the ability to use technology to advance the entire design process.

I’m looking forward to following this story and to seeing the completed school projects in Los Angeles. My hope is that The Swift Lee Office model catches on, and that more designers look at the whole picture when designing, not just for today – but for the future.

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Tags:design, Modeling, Net Zero Energy, Schools, Sustainability

Is the dream of BIM and energy modeling not being fully realized?

Last week, our BDM Nathan Kegel participated in the panel discussion “How to better BIM to Energy Modeling Transitions, Issues and Discussions” at the USGBC CT-B Green School Symposium – a regional event in Central Texas for educators, administrators, facility managers, architects and contractors.

Along with fellow panellists, Nathan presented architects and engineers currently using BIM and energy models with examples of energy modeling tools, pointing to some real-life projects as examples.

It was a great session, and one we hope to participate again in next year. The greening of our schools is certainly a topic that isn’t going away. And it’s not just architects and engineers talking about it. A recent poll revealed that one in three Americans think U.S. schools are in “poor shape,” and there is support for federal investment in “green” schools.

According to the press release issued by the USGBC, our schools are bleeding money, specifically when it comes to the maintenance and upkeep of the buildings.

“Americans understand the importance of our nation’s school infrastructure and see the urgent need for significant investments,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. ―Too many of our schools are outdated, woefully energy inefficient, unhealthy and negatively affect our children’s ability to learn – and ultimately to compete in a global marketplace. In 2008 alone the U.S. deferred an estimated $254 billion in school facility maintenance and inadequate investment into maintaining our nation’s school infrastructure has led to a significant number of schools in need of major repair and replacement. That’s unacceptable.”

In closing, I thought I’d pose the question to those involved in schools and universities – how will you change the way we design, construct and operate our schools so that they are more energy efficient in the 21st century and beyond?

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Tags:Architects, BIM, Engineers, event, Schools, Texas, USGBC

If I was a betting woman…

I’d bet on clean energy.

Las Vegas hosted the National Clean Energy Summit 4.0 last month, and none other than Vice President Joe Biden himself was there to pledge allegiance to green cars, photovoltaics and wind turbines. He seemed sincerely passionate about the need for a renewable energy revolution. The event was held at the LEED Gold-certified Aria CityCenter, which looks like any other casino resort, but is far from it. What you can’t see is the waste heat co-generation facility, the water conservation efforts, the fresh air circulation or the electric vehicle charging station. Yes, at a casino. In Las Vegas. CityCenter’s commitment to the environment remarkably demonstrates that a community can be both beautiful and sustainable.

“Imagine if the U.S. was the first country able to make solar power that is cheaper than coal. Imagine lithium-ion batteries made here that are capable of carrying an electric car 300 miles or more. Imagine being able to capture waste power from factories and vehicles and convert it to electricity. I think we’re going to see stunning breakthroughs.”
-Joe Biden

These innovations will help the U.S. by spending less on imported oil from other nations, focusing our efforts to continue pushing the envelope when it comes to clean technologies.

There was also a panel presentation. Newly elected Nevada governor Brian Sandoval said that the state has made a commitment to use 20 percent renewable energy by 2020. If other states would piggy back off Nevada’s commitment, we would be on our way to a more sustainable America. (And well before the Architecture 2030 deadline, too!)

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Tags:Environment, event, Las Vegas, LEED, Renewables, Sustainability