July 28, 2009
by Environmental Building Strategies
in Green Building, LEED, Uncategorized
Tags: Green Building, LEED 2009, LEED AP, LEED AP exam
The following is from a Buildinggreen.com article written about Matt’s experience writing the new LEED AP exam:
New LEED AP Exam Writer Tells All
Editor’s Note: When Matt Macko, a principal at Environmental Building Strategies, told me that he was the only energy expert in the room when the new LEED AP BD+C exam was written, I asked him to write the story of his experience for BuildingGreen.com. Here’s what he told us. If you have questions for Matt, please leave them in the comments section, and he offered to answer them. The details of the new LEED AP credentialing program were also announced today. – Tristan Roberts, LEED AP
To see the rest of the article go to http://www.buildinggreen.com/live/index.cfm/2009/7/28/New-LEED-AP-Exam-Writer-Tells-All
–The EBS Team–
July 28, 2009
by Environmental Building Strategies
in Energy, Green Building, Uncategorized
Tags: Cap and Trade, Government Mandates, Green Building
HR 2454 or the Waxman-Markey bill, named after its two major supporters Henry A. Waxman and Edward J. Markey of the Energy and Commerce Committee, was passed in the US House of Representatives on June 27. Its major mandate is a cap and trade system though it does have other green practices scattered throughout. There has been a lot of talk recently, because of this bill, of the viability of a cap and trade system in the US. To evaluate the government’s ability to implement this new system we have to first understand it.
The basics of a cap and trade are fairly simple. It is a way to limit emissions through a credit system. Every business acquires a certain amount of credits; depending on the type of system these credits are either auctioned off or given away by the government. These credits represent the amount of carbon that businesses can emit. If the business cannot adhere to the limit of emissions their credits allow, they must buy credits from companies who are below their cap. Thus the companies who are responsible and limit their emissions are rewarded and those who are not as environmentally friendly are punished.
With this particular cap and trade system only 28% of the credits would be auctioned off over the next ten years. The other 72% will be given away for free, especially to heavy users of coal and other fossil fuels to help them cope with the change. The auctioning of the 28% will generate an estimated 276 billion dollars, which will be distributed to a range of places. Low and middle income families will receive money to help them deal with the increases prices passed down as a result. Big carbon emitters will also receive money on top of getting a good chunk of the free credits.
Where the trouble begins
The specifics of the cap and trade system embedded in HR 2454 are a little troubling. Understand that many businesses with currently high carbon emissions are going to have a hard time adjusting to meet the new standards, but giving them free credits is not the way to go. Auctioning off all the credits would generate government revenue – money that could be distributed to more of the people hardest hit from the resulting increase in prices of energy and goods. Maybe this increase in rebates would quell some of the opposition to the bill.
Besides implementing a cap and trade policy, the bill mandates a 17 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and an 87% reduction by 2050. Considering the mandates being implemented in California and 21 other states (for instance, buildings will use net zero energy or have net zero carbon emissions by 2030), these reductions do not seem extreme.
The public response to this bill has not been good. Googling the bill generated several articles: almost all were in opposition. Sadly, people tote it as another method Obama has found to increase taxes. They claim it is an unnecessary step to solve a group of alarmists’ wild and false theory, Global Warming. Without arguing the validity of Global Warming, one friend put it to me this way:
“If the believers are wrong and Global Warming is not true then we have implemented changes that will improve our environment and the Earth, if the naysayers are wrong and Global Warming does exist and we do nothing, our cities are underwater.”
The United States is the economic leader of the free world and the most powerful nation on the globe, but we have never been a leader on sustainability. We haven’t signed on to the Kyoto Protocol, we have very few “Green” standards in place, and per capita we emit the most carbon out of any country in the world (19.6 metric tons/person/year compared to 3.7 tons/person/ year from second place China).
Many people claim we are alone in this ever-growing crusade to save the Earth. Interestingly, they claim Europe has given up on sustainability because it is not feasible and unnecessary. Amazing how facts can become so skewed. Not only has the EU accepted the Kyoto Protocol, they have also implemented strict green building standards, emissions limits for cars and many European Countries already have an existing cap and trade system in place. Interestingly, they implemented all of these environment-saving standards with their economies intact…
The US has always lagged behind Europe and other developed nations when it comes to environmental conservation measures. Though this bill is flawed it is a positive step forward in its intent and its power to reduce emissions. Nation-wide opinions need to change on the role of sustainability in our society and hopefully the success of this bill can be the catalyst.
–The EBS Team–
July 20, 2009
by Environmental Building Strategies
in LEED
The 11th Step in ‘The 12 Steps to a Successful LEED Project’ is:
Bring Commissioning on Early
Commissioning is similar to energy modeling in that it is a necessity on a LEED New Construction Project. Basic Commissioning is required as is some type of energy model showing an improvement in the buildings baseline energy performance. That being said, commissioning is a strategy that should be addressed early in the process as it will help avoid extra costs, change outs and scheduling issues. There is nothing worse than a mechanical contractor getting to the site and having to work around the piping that the plumber just finished up with. These issues can be avoided with a commissioning agent on the team early.
Commissioning also helps identify potentially problematic appliances and systems, improves the synergy of the systems, and highlights design flaws that should be changed. Discovering these issues early saves time and money.
–The EBS Team–
July 17, 2009
by Environmental Building Strategies
in Energy, Green Building
Tags: energy, Green Building, Modular Homes
I am not sure how many of you read the recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle about a net zero modular multi-tenant townhouse being built by a bay area company. I am very glad that this article made the front page especially on a day when Michelle Obama visited San Francisco. It just goes to show you the importance of green building in the bay area.
This article made it seem that modular homes were an unusual medium for energy efficient building. If you look at the facts, modular homes are just as easy if not easier to make efficient compared to regular construction. The same measures that are devised to make a typical residential home energy efficient are similarly implemented in modular homes. These include, but are not limited to, using high grade insulation, high efficiency appliances, utilization of active and passive solar solutions for heating, energy production, and natural lighting, as well as innovative strategies to employ existing conditions within a house to improve energy efficiency. This last category is where I saw the most unique and creative measure utilized by the company in the article. They implemented a wastewater heat recovery system that preheats shower water.
What makes modular homes a great form for sustainable building is the construction process. Having a standard prefabricated design cuts down on waste and the energy used during construction. It also allows designers to implement the same energy efficient solutions to each house quickly and easily.
The process for making any home energy efficient can seem daunting and complicated but two easy steps can be taken to get you started.
Maybe the most important is energy efficient appliances. When you are constructing a new home make sure you look for ENERGY STAR rated appliances. The initial cost may be slightly higher for these appliances, but they can save you significant energy costs and have substantial rebates attached with them. Considering that kitchen and laundry appliances account for a third of a house’s energy load with central air-conditioning adding another 15 percent, conserving even a small amount of energy with energy efficient appliances can result in huge savings.
Another important aspect to consider is the geometric placement of your house. The sun’s rays penetrate the most from the south. As the sun rises in the east and sets in the west it is seen in the southern part of the sky at high noon. In the summer when cooling loads are very high energy costs are also more expensive. To solve this catch 22 you can do several things.
First, make sure the windows on the southern exposure have low U-value glass. U value is the amount of heat the window transmits; lower U-values mean less heat is transferred. One of the best types of glass that has come out recently is spectrally-selective glass. This glass lets only certain wavelengths of light in cutting down on heat gain while not sacrificing the amount of natural light coming into your building.
Secondly, shade the south facing windows with plants, artificial shading, or for the best results solar panels. Shading windows will cut out, almost entirely, heat gain during the summer, and if done right will still let in sunlight and its heat in when its needed, during the winter.
Solar cells provide shading for windows or help keep roofs cool while also generating electricity for the house. Though expensive, Photovoltaic cells are a key aspect in trying to make your home net zero. PV cells should come farther down the line in the process as energy efficient measures should be implemented first.
With these easy steps, you can be on your way to making your modular home or regular home as energy efficient as possible. This will help you comply with the new mandates and save you a ton of money. Being ahead of the game is very important, especially down the road when the 2020 deadline for making all residential buildings net zero comes along.
This is a green modular home designed by MOD-ECO Architecture.
–The EBS Team–
July 15, 2009
by Environmental Building Strategies
in LEED
This is crucial because of the technicalities associated with LEED. If you don’t involve extra points and commit to achieving just the minimum threshold to obtain a certain certification level you are setting yourself up for failure. Always build in 2-4 extra points that you think are possible and document them as you would any credit. The idea is based on the fact that you never know how a reviewer will see the credit and whether they’ll agree with you that you’ve satisfied the intent of the credit.
Along the same lines, make sure to go above the minimum for credits that involve percentages. (i.e. waste diverted, water efficiency, etc.) Something small could throw your initial calculations off and disqualify you from achieving a credit. This is especially important with the prerequisites, like energy and water efficiency, which if you don’t meet you project cannot get certified at all.
A solution to the above issue as well as the first problem is to shoot for exemplary points. Focus on the credits where you can reach the mandated levels fairly easily and cheaply. Look at your changes carefully and find ways to go a little farther to qualify for exemplary points.
–The EBS Team–
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