Green Technology

Germantown Friends School’s (Philadelphia) new science center is very green.  The facility is energy efficient, has rainwater cisterns, a green roof, solar panels and a dashboard that provides real time data on water and power usage. 

Click HERE to see the current dashboard information and to learn more about this unique facility.

The building uses geothermal wells for heating and cooling to greatly reduce the energy costs.

The cisterns collect rainwater for use as gray water for flushing toilets leading to significant water savings.  The green roof absorbs rainwater that would otherwise have to be treated by the city sever system.

The facility will receive LEED certification.

Via:  Germantown Friends   LINK

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GE’s recently announced Platinum LEED data center in Kentucky is a rare breed.  It is GE’s first Platinum LEED data center and one of just a few in the world.

• Materials were over 50% locally sourced, approx. 30 % had recycled content and 80 plus % of construction waste was recycled and not landfilled.

Approx. 6% of LEED facilities in the world meet Platinum certification.

Here are some key highlights:

“ … reducing water consumption inside the building by 42 percent …”

“ … offset 35 percent of the data center’s predicted annual energy consumption through the purchase of off-site renewable energy … “

“… Outside … reducing water consumption by 100 …”

Via:  GE LINK

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Consultancy KPMG is committed to being green.  With their Living Green program they have made significant progress in key areas such as reducing carbon footprint and waste between 2007 and 2010.

Notable achievements include " ...reduce ... carbon footprint by 25 percent... reduce waste by 10 percent ... Achieve ... (LEED) certification with 100 percent of new construction ..."Increase alternative transportation by 5 percent

Via:  KPMG  LINK

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Churches seek sustainability in the design of their building.  …

…   “With the help of his team members, Doxey designed five new prototype buildings for the church that will receive LEED certification, three of which are completely solar powered.”   …

Via Brigham Young University: Building the Green Church.

Phoenix church deploys rooftop solar panels.

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Colorado State is recognized for its green performance by Princeton Review.  The university has implemented:

• 5.3-megawatt solar plant
• commercial-sized composting project on the Foothills Campus
• biomass boiler that burns wood chips claimed from forest fire or beetle kill mitigation
• gray-water testing in residence halls
• cumulative recycling rate of more than 52 percent of the total waste generated on campus
• two million seedlings annually to reduce carbon monoxide emissions
• education in sustainability in the School of Global Environmental Sustainability
• six LEED Gold buildings and five others pending certification

…   “the university has six LEED Gold buildings and five others pending certification. Princeton Review also mentioned Colorado State’s participation in the Talloires Declaration in 2001, the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2008 and the ongoing Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System or STARS, which is a self-reporting program created by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.”   …

Via Colorado State University: Green College.

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CB Richard Ellis has achieved LEED certifications for a number of its properties in the Oakland City Center.  The company expects its tenants to reap the benefits of higher energy efficiency and achieve synergy with client commitments to sustainability.  …

…   “499 14^th Street and 500 12^th Street have both earned a LEED silver certification.

1300 Clay Street and 505 14^th Street are now both certified as LEED gold buildings.

501 14^th Street has also received LEED certification.

These Class A properties join 555 12^th Street and 1111 Broadway, both previously LEED gold certified, in contributing to the availability of cleaner, healthier and more efficient office space in Oakland.”   …

Oakland City Center.

Northern California Chapter of the US Green Building Council.

Oakland’s toolkit for Sustainable Development (ppt).

The Ron Dellums Federal Building 9th Floor (Oakland, CA) is an example of a GSA sponsored LEED project.

Bay Area Green Buildings List, via M. Landman.

Oakland’s LEED platinum home:

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Burt's Bees is known for their environmentally friendly products.  They are also an environmentally friendly company.

" ... goal is to be the "greenest personal care company on earth." ... by 2020 ... be carbon free and operating on 100 percent renewable energy ... [no] waste to be deposited in landfills ... manufacturing facilities will have LEED certification. ..."

They plan on having a Platinum LEED green building by 2020 ... and recycle recycle wood, shrink wrap, and even waste water.

In addition to the usual paper and aluminum they recycle wood, corrugated cardboard, shrink wrap chipboard and fiberboard. Break rooms are equipped with composting bins and reusable / compostable utensils.

Via:  Burt's Bees  LINK

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IBM achieves its first LEED Gold certification for the company’s green data center in North Carolina, on the Research Triangle Park campus.  The facility is modular in design and capable of scaling addition capacity quickly without impact to the existing datacenter operations.  The sustainable design incorporates features, such as:

• Existing building reuse;
• Construction material recycling;
• Water management;
• Energy conservation;

This design surpasses energy efficiency performance across the global footprint of IBM data centers.  …

…   “The new facility, which is the company's most technologically advanced green data center, officially opened in February 2010 and is IBM's first LEED Gold certified data center.  IBM was awarded the LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) which certifies which facilities meet the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

A key factor in IBM's LEED recognition was the company's re-use of an existing building on its RTP campus.  The construction reused 95 percent of the original building's shell and in the process IBM recycled 90 percent of the materials from the original building and ensured 25 percent of newly purchased material came from recycled products. 

These factors helped reduce the carbon footprint associated with 100,000 square feet building by nearly 50 percent.  One of the unique features of the IBM facility is a rainwater collection system which generates non-potable water to be used in the facility. “   …

Via IBM: North Carolina Green Data Center (Link to Release).

LEED Gold certification.

IBM Research Triangle Park campus.

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Wisconsin lake house integrates cool, modern design with sustainable, LEED platinum capabilities.  The house deploys geothermal and solar photovoltaic systems.  …

…   “one of two homes in Wisconsin to gain platinum LEED certification for its green features … ”   …

Via New York Times: Modern Lake House (pic), (article).

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Intel's first GOLD LEED certified site is scheduled to open in June 2010 in Haifa, Israel.  The site is called is a design center called IDC-9 and is " ... first facility in Israel ... with a (LEED) certification. ... Intel’s first  ... has a Gold certification pending for its Octollio campus in Chandler, Ariz."

" ...natural lighting, ... available to about 75 percent of the “populated” areas of the building ... individually controlled lighting for a higher degree of energy efficiency"

Via:  ZDNet  LINK

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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

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Redmond, Washington creates a set of indicators to track trends in the community.  Urban development trends are tracked through the volume of LEED rated buildings.  …

… “To qualify for LEED certification, a development must earn a certain number of credits, each linked to a green building practice.  Eight buildings were LEED certified in Redmond during 2009.”   …

Via City of Redmond, Washington: Community Indicators 2010 (PDF).

Posted by Green Tech at 09:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Church group plans to pursue LEED certification with its new facility.  …

…   “The Mesa facility will save 20 percent in utility costs compared with the current church designs. It will use a solar photovoltaic system for its energy, and it will use water-conservation systems as well, with irrigation, low-water-use landscaping and low- flow toilets. “   …

Via AZ Central: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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Intel's new design center in Haifa, Israel is LEED Gold certified.  It opened in June.

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

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Folks in Sonoma, California are working to design and refine a Passive House ... but what exactly is a passive home?

" ... a building that has a minimal impact on its surroundings. ... as systems unto themselves. ... well-insulated — virtually airtight — ... most of the “heat” ... comes from the humans and appliances and other stuff running in them. Heat exchangers are used to circulate it. ... in the United States ... focus has been certifying according the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED framework ...."

Via:  SmartPlanet  LINK

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Movie theaters are embracing the the green movement including LEED.

" ... theaters are making an effort to help viewers go green ... including Georgia-based Carmike Cinemas ... built a LEED-certified theater in Chattanooga, Tenn., which opened in November ... "

" ... Environmentally conscious theater construction and design are growing trends ... Some theaters are installing solar panels ... and using recycled building materials for new theaters and existing facilities that are under renovation."

Via: FORBES LINK

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Darden Restaurants - owner of Red Lobster and other restaurant brands - is embracing the USGBC LEED Standards.

" ... launching a sustainable restaurant design initiative ... will require that all new restaurants be built to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED standards ... need to be built following the LEED Rating Systems code when feasible."

" ... launching with eight restaurants that have been built, or are in the process of being built, to achieve LEED certification."

Via: FORBES LINK

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There is a new Green building in NYC - at the southern tip of Manhattan in Battery Park City.  Read about the Visionaire - it is one very green building - though a very expensive place to live with pricing startling at just under $700,000 and going to a little over $6 million.

" ...  the Visionaire ... a testing ground for urban green architecture."

" ... saves an estimated 42 percent in energy costs against a base-line average. This is largely the result of efficient building systems and the building envelope ... goal was achieved through exhaustive attention to detail ... "

Via:  Greensource  LINK

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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

Posted by Green Dude at 05:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "To meet and exceed energy conservation guidelines, the 56th CES resource efficiency management office has written a base energy plan. The plan outlines new equipment being purchased and installed at Luke must be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certified, as well as meet the 30 percent reduction in energy consumption by federal agencies by 2015 relative to a 2005 baseline. One model for energy savings is the solar system on the roof of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service building, which produces more than 75 percent of the buildings electrical energy. The 56th CES has several energy savings projects in the works. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Omega Center for Sustainable Living in Rhinebeck, NY is " ... a state-of-the art education center and natural wastewater treatment facility. "

" ... is a pioneering project in the Living Building Challenge and is expected to be the first building in the United States to receive the Living Building designation in addition to receiving LEED Platinum certification."

" ... the Living Building Challenge requires buildings to be informed by their eco-region's characteristics; generate all of their own energy with renewable resources; capture and treat all of their water; operate efficiently; and be designed for maximum beauty. ... six performance areas—site, energy, materials, water, indoor quality, and beauty & inspiration—and certain criteria to be met in each category in order for a building to be designated a Living Building."

Via:  Omega Center for Sustainable Living  LINK

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A current trend in office space for smaller companies or those looking for a remote presence is to rent by the day.  the HUB offers "GREEN Meeting and Event Centers" on an as needed basis.

" ... only privately-held LEED Silver Rated Meeting and Event Facility in the U.S. ...[LEED is] ... nationally accepted standard for certifying high-performance green interiors that are healthy, ... less costly to operate and maintain, and reduce environmental footprint ...achieved a LEED-CI Silver rating at its Cira Centre location ..."

There are many GREEN design elements incorporated including use of recycled materials, reduced water usage, brownfield redevelopment, and use of local materials.

"... The Hub is 100% wind powered, ... aggressively recycles ... discontinued the use of plastic water bottles in all of its facilities  ... More than 15% of the new materials ... were recycled ... More than 20% of the materials ... are of local origin (manufactured within 500 miles of the location) ... constructed on a rehabilitated "brownfield" railyard ..."

Via:  the HUb  LINK

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... "Derive 50 percent of the energy used in company-operated stores from renewable sources by 2010; Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by making company-operated stores 25 percent more energy efficient by 2010; Achieve LEED certification for all new company-operated stores worldwide by late 2010; " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 09:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Located on the 110-acre campus of SAP North America and adjacent to its existing LEED-certified building, the new building features a floor-to-ceiling glass exterior and an open-space plan that takes maximum advantage of daylight. The green grass roofs, the use of native and regional vegetation species in landscaping and the maintenance of extensive open space highlight SAP's goal of integrating the building with the surrounding natural environment. The new building also incorporates numerous innovative features to reduce water use. Rainwater from the green roof and other areas is collected in a 50,000-gallon cistern, which supplies water for landscape irrigation and the flushing of toilets in some of the building's bathrooms. Additionally, low-flow bathroom fixtures will greatly reduce water usage, with an expected saving of over one million gallons of water per year. Energy-efficient features abound in the building. Geothermal wells use the constant ground temperature of the earth to both heat and cool areas of the building. Lighting systems based on the concept of daylight harvesting are controlled by sensors that dim the lighting levels and raise or lower window shades based on the level of sunlight coming through the triple-glazed glass exterior wall. A hybrid air conditioning system produces ice during the overnight hours when energy demands and electric rates are lowest, with the chilled water from the melting ice used to cool the building during the heat of the day. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 07:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "In addition to releasing the commitment statement, a crucial first step in evaluating the university’s sustainability was conducting Vanderbilt’s first greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory. This first inventory provides a baseline of detailed information to help stakeholders make informed decisions to determine reduction strategies and compare future changes in greenhouse gas emissions on campus, said Judson Newbern, deputy vice chancellor for facilities and environmental affairs. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 05:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "The program is expected to reduce energy consumption by up to 38 percent and will provide a replicable model for similar projects around the world. Work has already commenced, and building systems work is slated to be completed by year-end 2010. The balance of the work in tenant spaces should be concluded by end of 2013. Work that is scheduled to be completed within 18 months will result in over 50 percent of the projected energy savings. The balance will be an additional 36 months completed by 2013. The project will prove the viability for energy efficiency retrofit projects to dramatically increase building energy efficiency and reduce its overall carbon output with sensible payback periods and enhanced profitability. At the end of the project definition process, the team analyzed the steps to be taken in conjunction with other steps towards sustainability as part of the Empire State ReBuilding program within the framework of the existing USGBC LEED rating system. Internal calculations show that the Empire State Building will be able to qualify for GOLD certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Buildings ... " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 05:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Greenbuild365 expands USGBC's Greenbuild Conference to a year-round interactive green building learning portal. Educational opportunities ... are now available to anyone, anywhere. It is through green building education, outreach, and the sharing of best practices that USGBC's mission of a sustainable built environment within a generation will be achieved."

"Resources ... are organized into four primary categories, [ALSO] ...Course Catalog – Search for USGBC's core LEED offerings, ... Green Bytes – Download short videos, podcasts and articles to expand your knowledge even while you're on-the-go.  ... Greenbuild Expo Media Library – Watch videos of Greenbuild's keynote speakers ..."

Via:  USGBC  LINK

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Starbucks Shared Planet is " ...  commitment to doing business in ways that are good to the earth and to each other ... it's using our size for good....committed to minimizing our environmental footprint, tackling climate change, and inspiring others to do the same"

One shining example of this is their new (Feb 19th - 2009) South Carolina " ... state of the art roasting plant ... an example of the company's global commitment to green design and has been awarded LEED® Silver certification for New Construction by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)."

" ...20 percent – of building materials were from recycled content and over 75 percent of construction waste was recycled. ... drought tolerant landscape and a portion of the power used for operations will be green power supplied by wind energy."

Via:  Starbucks  Link

Continue reading "Starbucks Shared Planet" »

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... "The facility employs 100 full-time Starbucks partners (employees) and supplies coffee to the company’s southeastern U.S. stores. The facility is also is an example of the company’s global commitment to green design and has been awarded LEED Silver certification for New Construction by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Using green design components certified by a third-party organization is part of the company’s strategy to help achieve the Starbucks Shared Planet goal to significantly reduce its environmental footprint by 2015. Starbucks invested in a variety of green design elements to help reduce the energy and waste generated by both the construction and operation of the facility. A significant amount – 20 percent – of building materials were from recycled content and over 75 percent of construction waste was recycled. The facility features efficient, state of the art lighting and water fixtures, drought tolerant landscape and a portion of the power used for operations will be green power supplied by wind energy. " ...

Continue reading "Starbucks LEED Coffee Roasting Facility" »

Posted by Green Tech at 07:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Contessa's plant in Los Angeles, California was designed to minimize it's environmental impact ...

Read on for more >>>

" ... Contessa’s Green Cuisine plant  ... reduces its energy use and CO₂ (carbon dioxide) emissions by more than 65% daily ... the first environmentally responsible, LEED... is carbon neutral ...  uses recycled and recyclable materials in its packaging, and recycles paper, materials and equipment in its operations and offices."

Posted by Green Dude at 05:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Office Depot received the Gold Rating for the Company's Store Prototype as well as for its first Green retail store in Austin, Texas which opened during the summer of 2008. The Office Depot Austin store was the first location the Company constructed following its environmentally preferable prototype design or master set of drawings. The prototype, which will be utilized for future stores where Office Depot manages the new construction process from the ground up, has now been recognized with Gold Certification, obtaining one of the highest levels of environmental sustainability. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 05:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "The Lone Star campus, which is home to AMD’s business operations and the Austin design engineering center, was designed and constructed by a diverse team of internationally recognized architects, engineers, ecologists and sustainability experts. The site development plan for the 58-acre, 870,000 square foot campus was based on three key tenets: limit site impact, protect water quality, and use innovative sustainable design. " ...

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Honda has always been known for its fuel efficient and low emissions vehicles ... it is now known for its LEED cetrified data center in Longmont, Colo.

" ... 61,000-square-foot data center, ... certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system for green building construction. ... selected building materials based on proximity to the data center's location and ... recycled 73% of the construction waste ... left much of the site undeveloped and replanted trees and shrubs indigenous to the area."

" ... administrators were ... advised to decommission unused equipment quickly and to use management tools to ensure that servers are optimally provisioned...."

Via:  Informationweek.com  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 06:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, the baseball facility home to the Penn State team and the short-season Class A Spikes, has been certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as an environmentally friendly facility. " ...

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... "Doubled its commitments for LEED buildings from $1 billion to $2 billion; Increased the number of LEED buildings it has financed by 125 percent; Expanded its reach from financing LEED-certified buildings in 11 states and the District of Columbia to 19 states; Increased the type of LEED buildings financed to include a cold storage facility, data center and community center, in addition to office, mixed-use, industrial, retail, schools, multifamily; " ...

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