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There are 231,400 homes in Seattle built prior to the advent of a mandatory state energy code. This means that if un-renovated, these homes are likely to have little or no insulation in their walls and attics, outdated heating equipment, and air leakage equivalent to having 5x5ft hole in one of their walls. Homes built today under the increasingly stringent energy code are not exempt for similar performance defects. Poorly installed insulation is the norm, missing draft stops abound, and the average amount of conditioned air lost through leakage in duct work is in the 30% range.

Traditionally, home efficiency improvements and incentives have focused on individual elements, high efficiency furnaces, Energy Star appliances, insulation, and of course windows. Focus on these products has caused widespread consumer belief that these stand alone items can serve as a silver bullet to make their home more efficient, but the facts don’t back it up.  What good is a 95% efficient furnace if the distribution system is sucking 30% of its air through leaks in an unconditioned crawl space, or how about installing R-38 fiberglass in an attic over unsealed can lights that effectively turns insulation into an air filter. The solution these and other home efficiency and comfort problems lies in a whole house systems approach to home efficiency, health, comfort, and durability through diagnostic testing and verification that produces real world results.

The residential branch of building science is called Home Performance, and while veterans of the industry have thought a windfall of consumer acceptance was just around the corner for years, the current climate crisis and economic collapse have lead homeowners as well as legislators to recognize the need to make significant and measurable reductions in residential energy use.  The industry is also receiving much needed support from the recently for formed national Home Performance trade association Efficiency First, and at a local level Home Performance Washington. These organizations along with national professional certifications from the Building Performance Institute and RESNET, are lending credibility and quality assurance to home performance contracts and providing a means of separating the building scientists from the snake oil salesmen.

On October 19th, Vice President Biden released a report titled “Recovery Through Retrofit” on the creation of green jobs and energy savings for the middle class. This report outlines a means of creating a thriving and long lasting Home Performance retrofitting industry. So if you haven’t heard of us yet, you soon will, and if you are about to spend all your savings of windows that claim to cut your utility bills in half,  consider calling a Home Performance specialist first, and let us help you prioritize how to make the biggest impact on your families comfort, health, and wallet.
 

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Now, as “they” say, “the greenest building is the one that has yet to be built.”  What a nice thought, although slightly unrealistic.  Construction in the United States has slowed in response to the economic recession.  However, China, where despite the economic crisis, engineers are completing four more tower blocks every day – almost all fitted with air conditioning, heating, lighting and lifts that will run on coal-powered electricity.

As opposed to the United States, China is in the middle of the greatest building boom in human history. Six of the world's ten tallest buildings completed last year were in China.  Each new building that is erected imposes a negative effect on the environment which is why incorporating Green Building Practices into these structures is the only way to alleviate some of the irreparable damage.

The Pearl River Tower, now being built in Guangzhou, China is being promoted as the most energy efficient skyscraper ever built.  With four wind turbines, solar panels, ­sun-shields, smart lighting, water-cooled ceilings and state-of-the-art insulation, the tower is designed to use half the energy of most buildings of its size and set a new global benchmark for self-sufficiency among the planet's high rises.

Engineers say the tower could even be enhanced to create surplus electricity, with micro-turbines that could sell electricity back to the grid at night.   Unfortunately, the local power firm opposed this proposal as a caution to protect its monopoly over energy generation.  With this approach to the construction of new structures, cities all over the world can lessen the impact they have on the environment.  The new buildings can be utilized as an energy source, as oppose to the leader in energy consumption.

Although the incorporation of Green Building Practices costs more upfront, it will take approximately five years to earn back the cost and thus begin saving on energy consumption.  The future of buildings seemed bleak, but now with Green Building Practices and examples around the world of successful implementation, maybe there is hope after all.
 

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Green Building encompasses the progressive mindset and overall awareness of the construction industry today.  Who’s to say that the Green Building Practices cannot be  incorporated into preserving historic structures of “yesterday”?

Historic buildings throughout the United States are prime candidates for rehabilitation that were built for a purpose that no longer exists or has changed and often lags behind today’s performance standards. The Gerding Theater, the former Oregon National Guard Armory, built in 1891, became the first building on the National Register of Historic Places to earn LEED Platinum certification following a major renovation completed in 2006.

A need for renovations or rehabilitation is an opportunity to include Green Building Practices and will prolong the life of the building.  Replacing single-pane windows with double-pane windows, installing solar panels and/or fabricating systems that recycle rain water for use in restrooms and kitchens are all ways to incorporate Green Building Practices into historical structures.

Trinity Church in Boston is an international architectural landmark built in 1877. A major rehabilitation of the building employing both historic rehabilitation and green building practices was completed in 2005 under the leadership of Goody Clancy, a national architecture firm.

Although there are many proven benefits of Green Building Practices, there remains a conflict between those who advocate for Green Building and those who advocate for the preservation of history.  The question begs, does the incorporation of Green Building Practices jeopardize the integrity of the historical structure?

Of course it does!  Historical buildings provide today’s cultures with insight into the time period in which it was built.  Minute details of the structure can be an indication of the materials that were available for use, certain ideologies and other historical circumstances.  Altering the building’s characteristics will in turn diminish the historical facts that were apparent prior to the incorporation of Green Building Practices.

On the other hand (as there are two sides to every story) rehabilitation standards generally encourage the preservation of existing materials or replacement of them with similar materials that don’t disrupt a building’s character- defining appearance. Recycled-content and otherwise green products that are increasingly available for roofing, cladding, and decking are unlikely to be approved under current rehabilitation standards.  So there are people and organizations with this in mind, protecting the integrity of the buildings.

It is important for “greenists” and historians to band together and project long term plans for the sake of the historical structures.  If Green Building Practices are the answer to the preservation of these buildings, then think of history as the new green!  For more information about Green Building Practices and the incorporation of Green Building Practices into preserving and/or renovating historical buildings, please visit BuildingGreen.com.






 

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The construction industry has the opportunity to work toward an Earth where the climate isn’t increasing, where species of animals aren’t going extinct and where people live for the planet, instead of the planet living for them.

The Building Sector (i.e. industry, commercial, residential, transportation, etc) is responsible for the largest consumption of fossil fuels and natural resources in the world today.  48% of the world's Green House Gas  Emissions is directly correlated to buildings and is the leading cause of global warming.

As we all know, the future effects of climate change/global warming (if we continue at the current rate) have the potential to be catastrophic.  Seattle is a unique city, built on the Puget Sound, surrounded by mountain ranges and various other bodies of water.  If the climate continues to increase, sea levels will rise.  If the Puget Sound’s water level increased by just 3 meters, a large portion of downtown Seattle would be underwater.

Click here to view a picture of what Seattle would look like if sea levels were to rise.

Architecture 2030 has issued "The 2030 Challenge" asking the global architecture and building community to adopt the following targets:

    * All new buildings, developments and major renovations shall be designed to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or country) average for that building type.

    * At a minimum, an equal amount of existing building area shall be renovated annually to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or country) average for that building type.

This is a unique concept, providing individual homeowners and construction professionals with information about global warming, ways to redirect building projects to help the climate crisis and access to a community of other individuals and businesses dedicated to finding alternate building methods in order to save the planet.

For more information about 2030 Architecture and to adopt the challenge visit www.architecture2030.org.

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With a weak economy, no jobs in sight and an incessant media frenzy, the White House has gone GREEN! Wouldn’t that make it a Green House? President Obama’s stimulus package aims to put about 20 billion dollars into greening the economy.

“Greening the economy” sounds like the US government is trimming hedges, planting bulbs and whacking weeds.  In all seriousness, the focus is on improving the current economic situation while simultaneously reversing the damage done to the environment. Genius! Obama’s goal is to create 2.5 million new jobs in the green sector of the economy by 2011.

Obama’s green stimulus package will also likely include tax breaks for clean tech projects like solar panels, wind farms, biofuels, and carbon capture and sequestration.  Therefore employment opportunities that are categorized as “green- collard jobs” such as green building, LEED certified construction professionals, wind turbine mechanics and jobs pertaining to energy efficiency and production will be in high demand.

All over the world from London to Hong Kong, governments are coming to the realization that “going green” is a necessity for creating jobs and saving the economy. You can read more about the world wide efforts to “go green” at the UN News Centre.

Right here in the the United States of America, states are adopting laws that provide individuals and developers with tax incentives to incorporate Green Building standards into their homes and/or commercial properties. The more emphasis placed on Green Building in the near future, construction professionals with knowledge and certification in Green Building will find themselves at the forefront of an upturned economy.

There are many opportunities for former construction workers in the green sector. In fact, the number of jobs in “renewable or energy efficient” industries is climbing at a fast rate and government support is only going to boost the speed!  Going green on a construction job encompasses using both renewable resources and energy efficient methods. Wolfe Law Group published a series of blog articles relating to Green Building for contractors. To read the Green Building article series click here.


 

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