Tag Archives: LEED/green design

Ski Lift Cables–Treasure, Not Trash? One Architect’s Design (news note)

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Recently I was contacted by the folks at repurposedMATERIALS, who shared with me some photos featuring a unique design:  ski lift cables were installed as hand-rails for a housing project.  Check out these pictures:

ski lift cable hand rail design of architect     hand rail architectural design

According to company representatives, re-purposing has both economic and environmental benefits that far outweigh that of traditional recycling:

Re-purposing is creative re-use. It is NOT recycling that has gotten all the buzz since the 1970s.  Remember, recycling requires huge amounts of energy to melt, grind, chip, or shred a waste stream into a useable raw material to manufacture something new.  With “re-purposing”, we deal with byproducts and waste that get a second life because they have value “as is”.

Other examples of re-purposing include using used rubber roofing membranes as pond liners and retired wine barrels as re-purposed trash cans.

Have you had occasion to use re-purposed materials?  Simply think the handrails above are uber-cool?  Share in the comments section of the blog!

Solar Energy in North Carolina- an A plus! (news note)

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You may be aware that back in 2007, North Carolina adopted a renewable energy portfolio standard (REPS), the first of its kind in the Southeast.

As part of the state’s commitment to clean energy and sustainability, required utilities to produce a portion of their electricity from renewable resources such as solar energy, wind, or organic waste. This portfolio standard created a new market for many North Carolina based clean energy companies. Coupled with generous corporate tax credits (30% from the federal government, 35% from the state), North Carolina has provided a fertile ground for these new businesses to grow and thrive.

north-carolina-solar-summary

 

Currently, North Carolina ranks eighth in the nation in solar photovoltaic capacity. Over 1,200 photovoltaic systems are registered with the N.C. Utilities Commission and of those registered systems, over 250 are of commercial size.

SunEnergy1 is an example of a success story in the state’s nascent solar energy industry. The company launched in 2009 with two employees. Today, it has a total workforce of 130 (including contract labor) and projected 2012 revenues of $135 million. Founder and CEO Kenny Habul had decades of experience in construction back in his native Toronto. However, green construction and was only an auxiliary part of his business. The recession prompted Habul to turn them into the core of his business. The incentives provided by the state encouraged him to grow his new business here.

This short (1.11) video is a cool time-lapse footage of a SunEnergy1 2.5 MW solar system installation in Plymouth, NC. The project took 17 days and required four Schneider Electric GT-500 inverters and 9,800 Bosch 245-watt solar panels. The system produces enough energy to power over 300 homes.

According to Kabul, North Carolina could provide even more incentives to grow the solar energy industry. One controversial suggestion would be to allow companies such as SunEnergy1 to sell electricity directly to consumers rather than use public utilities as middlemen. Current law mandates that only utilities may sell power to consumers.

Even without direct sales of solar energy, NC is still a leader in the solar movement.

Between the federal solar tax credit, the state solar tax credit, and energy bill savings, North Carolina, according to SolarPowerRocks.com, has one of the shortest payback timeframes “worthy of an “A” in everyone’s book”.  You can’t beat that testimonial!

Thoughts, comments, or questions?  Do you think your clients are ready for solar power?  Share your experiences in the comment section, below.

Video courtesy SunEnergy1.  NC Solar Summary chart courtesy SolarPowerRocks.com. 

Should You Guaranty Performance on a Green Project? (Law note)

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guarantee sealBy now, I hope you know me well enough to know that I’d never, ever say you should make a guaranty of performance, period, let alone guaranty the green performance for a new building.  However, sometimes caution has to be thrown to the wind to get the job– at least in the case of a recent GSA design-build project in Seattle.

There, the design-build team agreed that the GSA could withhold 0.5% of the original contract amount, or $330,000, pending the achievement of energy goals.  As writer Suzanne H. Harness, J.D., AIA, noted recently:

The GSA’s approach is diametrically opposed to the recommendations of the American Institute of Architects, which advises both architects and contractors not to guarantee or warrant the achievement of a sustainability goal.  The AIA’s 2011 Sustainability Guide explains the obvious:  contractors and architects can design and construct a building, but the owner operates it, and the owner’s actions are beyond the control of the design and construction team. If the owner operates the building differently from the assumptions used during design, performance goals will likely not be met, even if the building is perfectly constructed. [Emphasis added].

Ms. Harness also correctly noted that professional liability insurance would not cover such a guarantee of performance.  So beware to the design team who takes such a project on: they can be held contractually liable, but there will not be insurance to cushion the fall out from any lawsuit.

Just DON’T do it!

 

 

Why Modular Construction can help Your Jobsite Become More “Green” (guest post)

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modular construction processToday, a new guest post, by the team at ModSpace, a nationwide vendor of modular buildings which offers mobile office and prefab office solutions.  [And yes, I realize that ModSpace has a vested interest in this subject, but the article is interesting nonetheless!]

As our country turns more attention to global warming and environmental awareness, more citizens, businesses, and industries are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and lessen their impact on the environment.  Modular construction is becoming a vital player in a world of green industries. It’s also quickly growing in popularity among American companies and individuals.

Modular construction has revolutionized the way we approach large-scale construction projects while still minimizing environmental impact. In previous years, when conventional on-site construction methods appeared to be customers’ only option, creating large amounts of material waste and airborne contaminants was an unavoidable result of the building process.

According to the National Science and Technology Council, conventional methods of onsite construction are responsible for placing approximately 135 million tons of waste (roughly the same weight of 14,647 fully-loaded Arleigh Burkeclass US Navy Destroyers) into landfills every year. This huge amount of trash can be attributed to construction material packaging, unused or scrap building materials, and related waste.

Modular buildings, which are fabricated off-site in a protected factory setting by a team of design specialists, have the potential to reduce construction waste by up to 90%.  Modular Construction can be “greener” due to a variety of factors, including:

  1. limited use of packaging;
  2. built in protection of materials from weather damage and project vandalism;
  3. assembly-line efficiencies; and
  4. the ability to store leftover materials in the factory facility to be used either for other projects or to be recycled.

In addition to reducing environmental impact during the manufacturing process, modular construction also causes significantly less site disruption, which translates to a diminished need for heavy machinery that can emit large amounts of greenhouse gasses over the course of a construction project.

Because modular homes and businesses are built to endure the stresses of transportation from the factory to the foundation site, structures have a long service life. And as a result of simply assembling the structure in sections, if the building ever needs to be relocated or repurposed, it can be disassembled and transported with minimal hassle or cost. In that way, modular buildings become reusable and recyclable, even further reducing the impact on our environment in the future.

Due to significant advancements in green modular construction technology and engineering efficiency, the modular construction method is becoming a viable, cost-effective option for those customers seeking to build or expand while minimizing their carbon footprint.

Editor’s Note:  Do you have any questions or comments about modular construction and its potential to be more “green” than traditional construction?  Share in the comments section, below.   And remember, Tuesday there is a Construction Contracts CLE webinar.  Two free tickets are still available– email me asap if you want to claim one.

Green Construction with Governor Perdue (Tue Tip)

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NC Green Building Triangle Chapter LogoAct now to get early bird tickets to the USGBC NC Triangle Chapter’s spring Luncheon, featuring NC Governor Bev Perdue and others on the topic of the Green Business Fund, which was created to “make environmental innovation investments in alternative fuels, green construction, and other clean energy technologies – positioning North Carolina to become a national leader in environmental technology and in high-wage green collar jobs.”

Be sure and arrive at early so you can enjoy the exhibit hall featuring the region’s top green builders and suppliers and network with other committed professionals. 

When:  Thursday, March 24th

Time:  11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Where: Radisson Hotel RTP, 150 Park Drive, Durham NC 27709

How:  Register here by Friday, May 18th for early bird pricing.

Registration:
Members of the Triangle Chapter – $35 ($45 after May 18)
Non-Members – $45 (55 after May 18)
Students – $25 ($35 after May 18)

Are you planning on attending?  Let me know and we can meet up!