Bank of America Tower Certified LEED Platinum

Bank of America's One Bryant Park in Manhattan NYC has achieved LEED Platinum certification.  This is a first for a US high rise commercial building - achieving LEED platinum.

" ...  glass curtain wall permits maximum sunlight ... under-floor air delivery system ... power comes from an on-site cogeneration plant, which works in concert with an ice storage system ..."

The building reuses most all rainwater and sink water saving millions of gallons of potable water yearly. 

Via:  Bank of America  LINK

Phila Pa Green Business Program

 Real Estate developers are seeing the value in being able to offer sustainable green buildings.

"Aegis Property Group ... integrating energy and environmental leadership principals and practices into its development management services capabilities. ...Corporate commitment to LEED program. ...an active leadership role ... in the Green Building Council ... continuing education in green principles and LEED ... Advocacy of green principles ... as appropriate in our client’s projects."

"Sustainable design, construction and operation ... is no longer a luxury - it is an absolute necessity."



Via:  AEGIS Property Group  LINK

Intel's First Green Building Get GOLD LEED Certification

In June Intel Intel opened a new design center in Haifa, Israel that is LEED Gold certified.  Some of the highlights ...

"...received LEED Gold certification ... for ... Intel Design Center – IDC 9 – ... in Haifa, Israel ..."

" ... Intel's first certified green facility, IDC 9 is the first building in Israel to receive LEED Gold-level recognition."

" ... was built on land previously occupied by a parking lot to not damage any natural resources. ... "

" ...  rooftop garden to enhance thermal insulation and prevent the building from retaining excessive heat ... A method for capturing and recycling condensate water from the air conditioning system for irrigation. ..."


Via:  Intel  LINK

Office Depot - LEED-CI for Retails Stores Starting June 2010

Office Depot is embracing green building and LEED Certification. 

" ... recently announced ... will be pursuing LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) certification for all of its new retail stores beginning in June 2010. ... news comes on the heels of the company's announcement that its LEED Gold certified Austin, Texas, store was able to reduce its carbon footprint by 23%."






Via: Forbes LINK

Green Prefab Homes for $100,000

" ... The number of affordable, energy-efficient modular homes continues to increase as Pennsylvania-based builder Excel Homes offers a new line aimed at first-time buyers ... targeted to be sold for under $100,000, and depending on region, for as low as $60,000. ..."

" ... Excel Homes ... has built 28,000 modular homes since its founding in 1984 ...  built in sections ... in Liverpool, Pa., and Marlboro, N.Y., and transported ... where they are assembled... come with the government's Energy Star label for energy efficiency ... prices do not include the cost of land...."

Via: USAToday LINK

Considerations for a Green Building - Video

Check out this VIDEO from Forbes on Green Buildings.

Things to consider are ... a better building envelope, better mechanical systems, geoexchange systems, etc.  Options might include alternative energy sources like solar panels and wind mills / turbines. 



Via: Forbes LINK

The GSA is renovating the 18 story federal building in Portland, Oregon.  Green features include a vertical green wall and reduced water usage with low flow fixtures and recycled roof water.

"... part of a $133 million renovation, the General Services Administration wants to grow “vegetated fins” on the western facade of the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building ... save energy year-round using one of Mother Nature’s own tools."

" ... will use 60 to 65 percent less energy than comparable buildings. That translates to an energy cost savings of $280,000 per year."

"Solar panels could also provide up to 15 percent of the building’s power needs. Energy use for lighting will be halved."

"... building in question was already slated for an energy efficiency upgrade, but funds from last year’s federal stimulus package stressed projects that were environmentally friendly."

Via:  SmartPlanet  LINK

NYC Community Preservation Corp - Money to Make Your Home Greener and Smarter with Energy

The Community Preservation Corp (NYC) is making significant funds ($1 billion) available for energy efficiency and sustainability improvement.

" ... the non-profit Community Preservation Corp. (CPC) in New York is doling out up to $1 billion in construction and mortgage loans for multifamily home owners (aka apartment building landlords) looking to complete energy efficiency or sustainability property improvement ... "

" ... funds are being backed by insurance from the State of New York Mortgage Agency."

" ... figures it can ... increase the energy efficiency in buildings it finances by 20 percent ... aiming to help support the retrofit of up to 15,000 apartments in “the next few years.”  Since being founded 35 years ago, CPC has financed more than 136,000 units. ..."


" ...CPC plans to monitor the impact of the building retrofits so that it can be used to help model and inform similar programs in other regions of the country. ... [green renovations including] ... Right-sizing the heating system ..more efficient heating and water controls ... better showerheads or low-flush toilets ...  New window, wall or roof installations ... Replacement of certain appliances with Energy Star models"

Via: SmartPlanet LINK

Iceland's GOLD LEED Data Center

... data center developer Verne Global ... announced it is constructing the first international data center in Iceland ... converting a former NATO command center into a data center."
" ... designed to take full advantage of Iceland's infrastructure and environment ... the data center, whose total footprint is about 430,600 square feet, will be designed around LEED Gold standards ... will deploy innovative practices of HVAC and adaptive reuse of the world-class facilities already in place."
" ... will benefit from the large amount of free cooling available in Iceland, as well as its renewable energy sources and constant power rates."
" ... Verne Global is breaking new ground in using Iceland's natural green resources to mitigate both increasing emissions and rising energy costs."

Via:  Web Host Industry Review  LINK


Via: xxx.yyy LINK

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PNC's "Green Wall" Featured in Its Green Building

 PNC is well known for their green projects ... one of their ads says they have more green buildings than any other bank ...

In addition to having green buildings - PNC now has a GREEN WALL.  " ... the largest green wall in North America ... 2,380 sq. ft., soil-based wall - similar in size to a doubles tennis court - features a variety of regional plants grown into living art on the south-facing wall of One PNC Plaza ... in downtown Pittsburgh."

" ... estimated that each of the 602 panels, with 24 plants in each 2x2 sq. ft. space, will offset the carbon footprint of one person. ... similar to a green roof, will help to cool the 30-story building ... wall is a fitting reminder that PNC is the world leader in green building ...".

" ... has more newly constructed buildings certified by the United States Green Building Council under its LEED® program than any other company in the world ... includes 64 trademark Green Branch® locations and two office buildings. About 20 environmentally friendly branches and two other major buildings are under construction or awaiting LEED certification."




Via: PRNewsWire LINK

Hallmark - Long History of Being Green

Hallmark, the maker of greeting cards and other products, has been green since before it was the "in thing".

" ... began recycling paper in the 1940s, have used recycled paper in products and packaging since the 1970s ... established a corporate-wide environmental conservation program in the 1990s...."

Other efforts include ... " ... sponsors e-waste events to collect and responsibly dispose of employees' discarded electronics ... actively participate in the Environmental Protection Agency's WasteWi$e and Energy Star Building programs ...Since the early 1990s we have reduced solid waste by 70 percent and hazardous waste by 90 percent ... waste-to-energy program at our distribution center in Enfield, Conn., has resulted in an ongoing zero percent waste program since 1998. Materials not recycled are used as electrical generator fuel."


Via: Hallmark LINK

ZigBee Alliance

 " ... ZigBee Alliance is an association of companies working together to enable reliable, cost-effective, low-power, wirelessly networked, monitoring and control products based on an open global standard."



"... goal ... is to provide the consumer with ultimate flexibility, mobility, and ease of use by building wireless intelligence and capabilities into everyday devices ... "

"ZigBee Smart Energy Certified Products ... represent solutions across the entire efficiency ecosystem – energy services portals, meters, displays, thermostats and load controllers. Each product may wear the ZigBee Certified logo and the green ZigBee Smart Energy icon so that they may be easily identified in the marketplace."


Via: ZigBee LINK

Efficiency Stickers for Buildings

Here is an interesting idea ... what if buildings came with carbon stickers .. much like cars that have mpg and emissions stickers.  Such a mechanism would allow for consumers to shop for the more environmentally friendly building.

" ... every car has a sticker that tells you its fuel consumption ...sticker is also an effective policy mechanism for controlling the overall fuel consumption of all cars, and hence their carbon emissions ... "

"Why don't we do the same for buildings? Buildings account for around 40% of total carbon emissions in North America, while SUVs account for just 3%. Imagine the impact if we could put an efficiency sticker on buildings and halve their emissions over 10 years. Cutting building emissions in half would save 1.14 billion tons of carbon in the U.S. in one year alone."

"We know very little about the energy efficiency of our buildings, and there is no overall benchmark for building performance. ... we don't have a policy lever to reduce building carbon emissions the way we can with cars."

Follow the link below to read the full story ... a very intersting and worthwhile copncept.

What do you think ?





Via: Forbes.com LINK

Green RV Manufacturing

"Evergreen’s ... has the passion to change the RV industry by developing new materials and technologies for the first all composite, environmentally friendly recreational vehicles. ...  utilizing COMPOSITEK™ engineered “green” materials to replace traditional industry building materials ... Our unique construction and design methods are innovative and environmentally friendly."

" .... COMPOSITEK™ ... eliminates the use of wood substrate ...  materials are recyclable, eco-friendly, formaldehyde and VOC free and most importantly made in America ... EverGreen eliminated some 50 sheets of lauan per trailer, replacing it with stronger, lighter ComposiTek™ ... also replaced three to four sheets of plywood with composites in the interior furnishings. "


Via: EverGreen Recreational Vehicles  LINK

Houston Dow Center Achieves LEED Gold Certification

Dow has been in the news alot lately with many offerings in the green space including BIPV roofing and a research agreement with Caltech.

Dow also has a LEED Certified building in Houston.  "... Houston Dow Center (HDC) ... has achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) GOLD level certification ... is one of three LEED GOLD commercial interiors projects in Houston, and the seventh in Texas to achieve this sought-after certification."

Green and environmentally friendly aspects of the renovated location include "... construction material was ...  least 90% recycled materials ... Reusable plastic crates ... were used to move all 1,200 employees ...  All appliances are Energy Star® rated ... housing the same number of people as before, ... reduced electricity use by 40% (2.1MM kwhr) ... enough electricity to power over 180 average households ..."

These changes – along with many others such as the addition of low flow toilets and faucets with water sensors were installed in bathrooms – have helped to reduce water consumption by over 70% from the previous building ..."



Via: The Dow Chemical Company LINK

Dow Launches Solar Array and Eduction Center in Midland, Michigan

Dow is a player in the green space with heat transfer fluids for thermal heating systems and BIPV (building integrated photo voltaic) roofing materials.  Now they are getting into the education game....

" ... new solar array and education center, and construction is under way at a new factory in Saginaw County to produce a key specialty gas for the solar energy industry ...The Dow Corning Corp. plant next to Hemlock Semiconductor’s polysilicon factory is expected to employ about 30 people initially, ...to be completed in 2011, it will manufacture high purity monosilane, used in the manufacture of thin-film solar cells and liquid crystal displays. ... also unveiled a new solar panel installation and solar education center at its corporate headquarters in Midland. ..."


" ... expand our feed stock offering and will further reinforce Dow Corning’s position as a material supplier across multiple solar technologies ...solar installation at Dow Corning headquarters features 136 solar panels and will produce approximately 30 kilowatt-hours of power — the amount of electricity consumed by approximately seven to 10 homes in a year. ...

Follow the link below for the full story ...


Via: MidlandIssues LINK

Gaia Hotel in Napa Valley Embraces Energy Savings and LEED

The Gaia Hotel in Napa Valley California is saving energy - and money - by using clean energy including PV solar panels and solar light tubes along with a white roof.

Hotels ..." generating large amounts of water and electricity to serve their customers. ... Wen Chang, founder of the Gaia Hotel in the Bay Area's Napa Valley ... believes hotel owners can do more to help the environment, without hurting the bottom line. ... the Gaia Hotel is saving $50,000 to 75,000 dollars a year on electricity by using clean energy to power 12% of its operations."







Via: SmartPlanet LINK

Serious Materials - Green Building Materials

Serious Materials produces a line of green environmentally friendly building products that help homeowners save energy ...


"... develops and manufactures sustainable green building materials that dramatically reduce the impact of the 'built environment' on the climate."

" ... aim for breakthroughs in product performance, without requiring changes in customer behavior or in how products are used – thus speeding market adoption."

" Serious Windows high-performance insulated windows and glass, which can reduce heating and cooling energy costs and emissions up to 40% ...QuietRock soundproof drywall & QuietHome Windows, which can reduce material use, GreenRock™, a green alternative to standard drywall ... uses 80% less energy to produce its core, resulting in 80% lower CO2 emissions. ... "

" ... manufacture products in ... Sunnyvale, California; Newark, California; Boulder, Colorado; Vandergrift, Pennsylvania. ... to create thousands of green collar jobs ... in the U.S. Products are widely available through building products dealers in the U.S. and Canada."

Via: Serious Materials LINK

Dilbert's Ultimate House (DUH) is Green

Dilbert's creater, Scott Adams, is building Dilbert's Ultimate House (DUH for short). This ahs some interesting GREEN features. In addition to eliminating wasted space like a large foyer or rarely used dining room there are the usual energy efficient design elements and appliances.

"... building the greenest home in the area ... for its size ... definition of green isn't about giving up what you want so much as finding the greenest way to do it ... energy-saving features include ... Solar panels ... Clay roof with lighter colors for best reflective properties ... Thermal barrier in roof ... Windows minimized and shaded on the hot West side ... Efficient lighting ... Energy Star appliances ..."

" ... goal was to get our use of AC use down to a few days per summer ... my current office ... I have to run the AC full-blast for about 9 months a year."

" ... back yard will be artificial turf. Water is a big issue in California. ..."

Via: Dilbert's Blog LINK

Benjamin Moore GREEN Paints

What determines that a paint is indeed GREEN?

How does the consumer make sense of this information?

In the paint "space" numerous groups " ... like the U. S. Green Building Council (LEED), Master Painter's Institute (MPI),
Greenguard, California's Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) and Green Seal ... are trying to define what green means for coatings as well as other consumer products."

"Some ... focus on what is in the paint while others ... are focused on what is emitted ... net result of so many competing standards is a confused and sometimes frustrated consumer."

" ... to make it easier for our customers ... to make sense of all these standards while also bringing clarity to our perspective on green ... introducing our Green Promise designation ... Benjamin Moore's assurance that its environmentally friendly coatings meet and exceed the strictest industry standards ..."

For more info on various 3rd party standards check out the links below"


* U.S Green Building Council (LEED) LINK
* Master Painter's Institute (MPI) LINK
* California Collaborative for High Performance Schools LINK
* Green Seal LINK
* Green Guard LINK




Via: Benjamin Moore LINK