Exploring the Pharos Research Process

Where does the data on building products in the Pharos Building Product Library come from?  How are products chosen for inclusion?  What steps are taken to engage with manufacturers, or ensure the accuracy of product information?  

Participants will get a thorough walk-through of the research process that underpins the Pharos Project, including answers to these key questions.

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/186181753

Note: Beginning with this webinar, participants will have the option of connecting to the audio using their computer microphone and speakers in addition to the telephone option.

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

 

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP, 2003 Server or 2000

 

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer

 

More Upcoming Webinars (Details and Registration Coming Soon):

• Wednesday, July 21 @ 2:00p ET – Engaging the Pharos Product Queue

• Wednesday, August 4 @ 2:00p ET – Using the Pharos User Home

• Wednesday, August 11 @ 2:00p ET – Employing Pharos at Every Stage of Your Project

The Other 99%

There are 4.9 million commercial buildings in the US.

In 2009, more than 275 projects achieved LEED-EBOM certification. Compare that with only 12 certified projects in 2004, 11 in 2005, 17 in 2006, and 27 in 2007. (Stats taken from the Center for Sustainable Systems) For me it’s very hard to hold those numbers in my head at the same time. And while I know it’s not really a fair comparison to pit the entire commercial building stock of the US against a program that’s only 6 years old, I hope I’m trying to make is clear. Existing buildings are the key to sustainability, if we are to achieve it in this country.

But this is a challenge so large, how shall we meet it? With the literally billions of square feet that need to be retrofitted throughout the country how can we possibly come up with a strategy to handle it all. When it comes to scaling sustainability I believe there are two core principles that our industry must utilize in order to do our part to solve the national energy crisis.

Stress what matters to most clients…ROI

When discussing scaling green building, there is often a discussion around education. The argument goes if building/business owners simply understood sustainability more clearly they would of course embrace it en mass and we’d rapidly grow a market that achieves wide scale. Sadly, I believe in our day and age everything is politicized and “green” is seen as something only some folks will be interested in. The job of greening America’s building stock is a big one, and we cannot afford to make green building something only folks in blue states are interested in. We simply cannot afford to align the green building as a movement, liberal (i.e. Al Gore), or otherwise. Doing so will marginalize 49% of Americans and immediately inhibits scale. The scalable market for sustainable measures isn’t found in the passionate few who think about sustainability every day. It’s found in the greater population of business and property owners who don’t. If we want green to scale to those folks we have to make the simplest most compelling argument possible. ROI – simple return on investment. There is a very real link between sustainable retrofit/renovation and cost savings. Exploiting that link and making green building not simply something that is done for altruism and prestige, but in the pursuit of profit is the only way to grow the market.

I know this strategy is limiting. By focusing our efforts only on those measures that are most profitable we limit the scope of what a green retrofit can be. However, given the enormity of the task at hand…we must get to work now…

Profitability is also the “gateway drug” to larger sustainability efforts by property owners and managers. Once business and property owners begin to see the benefits of simple efforts toward greener operations, the doors will open to a wider world of possibilities. We didn’t get to this lousy building stock overnight…we can’t expect to correct it overnight.

The Perfect Cannot be the Enemy of the Good. (Or, Incremental Change is OK)

When it comes to the greening our existing building stock we have to recognize as an industry that every building won’t be able to employ every measure of sustainability in our tool kit. That doesn’t mean we do nothing. It means that we attack the problems we can with every client every, every time. Affordability, return on investment and durability of retrofits are key selling points. At this point the most compelling argument for this kind of retrofit is being made in lighting technology. Lighting currently consumes about 25% of energy in commercial buildings. But promising new LED sources/fixtures along with improved lighting controls are becoming proven technologies that can be widely deployed at relatively little cost. We can right now, reduce the impact of lighting in the commercial buildings of the United States by incredible sums. I recognize that simply retrofitting a lighting system doesn’t turn a brown building green, but if it makes a dent, we should take a swing.

One last thought…incremental change to system as large as the US commericial building stock is probably preferable to wide scale change anyway. Imagine if you could have waved a wand in 2005 and put the best CFL replacement lamp in every single building in America. Later this year we’d be disposing of them in favor of even better LED alternatives.

It is a testament to the brightest thinkers of the green building community that they want to design and build structures with a minimum or a net positive effect on the planet. I applaud those efforts and want to see them continued. But unless as an industry we can go after the other 99% of buildings in the US, we will not have solved our energy problem, we will only have some examples of buildings and technologies that could.

 

Build2Sustain is dedicated to sharing information about sustainable renovation and retrofit, particularly in commercial spaces.  We look to foster conversation and appeal to business owners with transparent processes and a realistic focus on ROI.

Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

CSR Minute: Eastman Kodak’s Eco “Natralock” Packaging; Leonardo Academy’s LEED Seminar

Corporate Social Responsibility News: Eastman Kodak’s Eco “Natralock” Packaging; Leonardo Academy’s LEED Seminar at Green Energy and Building Expo.

CSR Minute: LEED’s Status in China Construction; Home Deport Foundation Award to SC

Corporate Social Responsibility News: LEED’s Status in China Construction; Home Depot Foundation + Sustainability Institute of South Carolina’s Sustainability Award to North Charleston.

CSR Minute: UL Laboratories Certifies LG Electronics; GRIHA’s First National Conference and Exhibition on Green Building in New Delhi

Corporate Social Responsibility News: UL Laboratories Certifies LG Electronics; GRIHA’s First National Conference and Exhibition on Green Building in New Delhi

Molly Meyer LLC: Live Webinars on Green Roofs and Sustainable Building Topics

On November 5 at 12:00 PM Central, Molly Meyer LLC will be hosting our first live webinar! Molly will be presenting on “Vegetated Roofs: German & U.S. Markets.” The presentation provides a detailed history of the development of the German vegetated roofing industry, including the political and financial motivations for vegetated roofs’ widespread presence in today’s mainstream German construction practices. Comparisons are drawn to the vegetated roofing market in the U.S., and implications on the current and future development of the U.S. vegetated roof market are discussed. (AIA/CES credit available.) Sign up for our first live webinar here! http://www.mollymeyer.com/seminar-1

Molly Meyer LLC is a vegetated green roofing consulting company, advising architects, contractors and property owners on best practices for design, installation, and maintenance. Located in Chicago, we advise on projects nationwide. Our mission is to provide long-lasting green roofs at reasonable budgets. We have worked on green roofs for every imaginable design goal, including extensive, intensive, vegetable gardens, terraces, steep-sloped roofs, inverted roofs, and native systems.

Molly Meyer LLC is a certified Female Business Enterprise with the State of Illinois, an AIA/CES registered provider, a LA CES registered provider, a member of the Chicago Sustainable Business Alliance, and a member of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.

Molly Meyer, M.Sc., GRP, is a vegetated green roof consultant and founded Molly Meyer LLC in 2009. In 2007, she received a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship to work in the vegetated green roofing industry in Germany. She installed all varieties of green roofs (including steep sloped, single-course extensive, multi-course extensive, intensive, and inverted roofs), analyzed hundreds of existing green roofs for maintenance issues, and executed technical design for basic to advanced green roof systems including wind uplift, drainage, irrigation, and sloped applications. The experience has given her a solid understanding of the mature green roofing industry in Germany, and she is bringing this unique and rich advisory perspective to the young green roofing industry in the U.S. Molly’s love for work in the construction industry began when she worked as an apprentice carpenter for Seattle-area general contractor Edifice Construction from 2005 to 2007. She earned her B.S. and M.S. in Earth Systems, with a focus on soil research, from Stanford University. She is originally from Indianapolis.

via 3blmedia.com

 

Ontario Helps Local Cabinet Manufacturer Go Green: McGuinty Government Supports Innovation, Job Creation In Guelph

Ontario Helps Local Cabinet Manufacturer Go Green: McGuinty Government Supports Innovation, Job Creation In Guelph

Green Building and the Triple Bottom Line

When a business calls itself green, what does that mean?  The answer may vary from energy-efficient to local or even socially responsible.  According to business schools and thought leaders, the definition is boiling down to a new bottom line: the triple bottom line.

This triad can be described in several ways: people, planet and prosperity; economy, environment and equity; or, economic, ecological and social responsibility.  Regardless of terminology, the successful businesses of tomorrow are embracing sustainability as a fundamental element.  It should not be separate from business strategy and operations; it is about integrating social and environmental concerns into business strategy and operations.

The benefits of a more sustainable approach for a business range from lower operating costs to increased sales, more productive workers, improved brand image and even lower risk.

In a comparison of trash and recycling rates for businesses in the City of Boise, a 3 cubic yard recycling dumpster costs $49.60 per month versus $68.31 for the same size trash container.  This equates to paying 38% more for trash.  Reducing waste in a business has solid economic benefits, conserves resources and preserves land.

Energy-efficiency improvements can also lower operating costs as well as qualify for a range of incentives and often have hidden benefits of health, safety and thermal comfort.  Leaky ductwork and heating equipment not only wastes significant energy, but can draw contaminants into the indoor air we breathe.  Inefficient lighting wastes electricity and produces unwanted heat yet could be qualifying for incentives from Idaho Power.  Their “Easy Upgrades” such as light bulbs, fixtures and sensors as well as a wide range of building retrofits can result in payouts of up to $100,000 per year.  Combine these incentives with federal ENERGY STAR tax deductions and lower utility costs and the ROI just gets better and better.

Walmart and other retailers have found that simply adding daylight in stores increases sales and lowers electricity consumption.  The benefits of daylight are further supported by studies such as the 1999 report by the Heschong Mahone Group of the Capistrano school district, which showed that students with the most daylighting in their classrooms progressed 20% faster on math tests and 26% on reading tests.

Further reasons to integrate sustainability into business are brand image and lower risk.  More and more consumers are making purchase decisions based on the social and environmental responsibility of a business.  According to the EcoPulse study released in June of this year by The Shelton Group, 60% of the population says they’re seeking out green products and 66% say they’re either spending more or as much on green products as they were before the economy tanked.

Going green now lowers business risk in the future.  Consider the risks of changing carbon regulations, mold, radon and carbon monoxide.  Fireman’s Fund was the first insurance company to offer green insurance to commercial policyholders in 2006 and has since expanded their green offerings to hybrid upgrade auto insurance and a 5% discount on yearly premiums for owners of LEED-certified homes.  Why offer a discount?  One reason is that LEED Certified Homes are required to incorporate indoor moisture control measures into construction.  This mitigates risk of mold.  According to an April, 2009 article in the Wall street Journal, almost two dozen insurers offer premium credits and discounts for owners of green commercial and residential buildings.

In 2007, the United Nations and ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) ratified the Triple Bottom Line standard for urban and community accounting in the public sector.  In the private sector, social and sustainability reporting is becoming commonplace in Europe and with organizations such as HP, Starbucks, McDonald’s, Ford, Intel, Proctor and Gamble, Nike and Pacific Lumber.  Locally, citizens are demanding this sort of reporting.  In May, Idaho Power shareholders passed a resolution directing the Company to develop a plan for reducing its emissions of greenhouse gasses.  Although the resolution was advisory in nature, Company management agreed to be bound by it and will have its greenhouse gas reduction strategy report prepared by September 30, 2009.

Can you afford to wait until shareholders demand sustainability?  A few years ago, Dupont CFO Gary Pfeiffer observed that “Dupont has reduced its environmental footprint by 60%, and increased in shareholder value by 340%.  Can I prove that those two facts are correlated?  No.  Do I have any doubt they’re correlated?  No.”

Adopting a triple bottom line approach now sets a business apart as a leader in consumer’s eyes and results in economic, environmental and social benefits that contribute towards a more sustainable future for all of us.

Sharon Patterson, LEED AP, is Chair of the US Green Building Council Idaho Chapter and a Grow Smart Award winner. Her work has been covered by a range of media including “Professional Remodeler Magazine” and “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Building and Remodeling.” Patterson owns Eco Edge, a sustainability and green building consulting firm in Boise.

via newwest.net