GreenClips.162 02.28.01 GREENPEACE WALKS THE TALK IN NEW HEADQUARTERS OFFICE Greenpeace USA proudly boasts that its new headquarters office in Washington, DC, "is a prototype of both ideals and practice with the Earth in mind . . . an example of their commitment to a green today and better tomorrow." Designed by Envision Design, the 15,000-square-foot renovation project includes pantry countertops made from recycled yogurt containers and rubber flooring made from recycled tires. All woods used are FSC-certified as sustainable, including the wood in the lounge chairs made especially for this project by Knoll. Greenpeace wrote into its lease that the base buildingnot just its own spacewould be PVC-free except for the electrical wiring, for which no viable alternative exists. Daylighting and light sensors reduce energy consumption, and rooftop solar panels provide electricity and heat water. By going with an open floor plan rather than private offices, the project realized a 45 percent savings in drywall not used; a 61 percent savings in unused doors; a 39 percent reduction in lighting energy consumption; and a 65 percent increase in the number of workspaces, from 57 to 94. A large sliding wall and oversized pivot doors, both made from wheatboard panels, separate the main conference room from the reception area and provide flexibility for many types of gatherings. Interiors & Sources, Jan-Feb 01, by Penny Bonda. [Full text: http://www.isdesignet.com/Magazine/J_F'01/tree.html.] PORTLAND LAUNCHES GREEN BUILDING STANDARDS AND INCENTIVES The City of Portland, Oregon's new Office of Sustainable Development has formulated a series of initiatives aimed at greening both municipal and private-sector buildings. The new office combines the City's Energy Office with its Solid Waste and Recycling Division and adds a Green Building Division. In January 2001, the City adopted a "Green Building Standard and Policy," which applies to city facilities, city-funded projects, and infrastructure. It requires that all municipal buildings be certified under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Rating System, with some additional Portland-specific requirements. And in February 2001, the G/Rated Incentive Program was launched, with separate tracks for commercial and residential buildings. It offers up to $20,000 per commercial project to cover the cost of services such as energy modeling, green design consulting, and LEED certification. The Green Building Division will also coordinate charrettes on green design. Residential incentives of up to $3,000 are available for homes that adopt specified measures. G/Rated homes within Portland General Electric's (PGE) service territory should also qualify as PGE Earth Smart Homes, and benefit from that program's technical and marketing support. More: http://www.green-rated.org. Environmental Building News, Feb 2001, p 4, by Nadav Malin. NEW HOMES OFFER SOLAR POWER AS STANDARD FEATURE In San Diego, Shea Homes is building the largest development of solar-powered, energy-efficient houses in the country. One hundred houses will have 12 solar panels as a standard feature, providing 1,500 kilowatt hours of solar-generated energy a year, in addition to conventional electricity. An additional 160 homes offer the panels as an option. The panels add about $6,000 to the cost of the homes, which are valued between $400,000 and $600,000. Shea had been considering including solar panels in a development but couldn't do so until last year, when it found technology that would cost buyers about 1 percent of their total home cost. Sun Systems of Scottsdale, Arizona is supplying a leak-resistant panel that sits flush with the roof, so as not to disrupt the upscale neighborhood's style. Until recently, Sun Systems found it hard to persuade home buyers to invest in the technology. "It's so much easier to sell them upgraded carpets or counter tops," said company president Tom Bohner. "But this energy crunch is going to change attitudes." The homes' efficiency features include a reflective coating under the roof tile to repel heat, "smart" window glass that blocks infrared and ultraviolet rays, extra-efficient ductwork to reduce air-conditioning leakage, and solar-powered water heaters to cut the need for natural gas. The solar-panel system will cut the homes' electricity costs up to 80 percent, while the other efficiency features alone would cut bills by 30 percent. Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb 01, by Michelle Morgante. GREEN UNIVERSITY FACILITY A FIRST FOR ONTARIO York University's Computing Centre in Toronto, which may be Ontario's first "green" university building, demonstrates that green design is valid even in cold climates. The 9,500-square-meter building, designed by Busby + Associates Architects with Van Nostrand di Castri Architects, is organized around three functional components. A two-level lecture block is located just inside the building. Computer laboratories are placed on the north facade, which is fully glazed with a curtain wall, to capture efficiencies in energy consumption and communications systems. Faculty and research areas are stacked in a flexible wing that parallels the main circulation space. The lecture hall's south facade is fully glazed, with moveable wooden louvers providing blackout capacity. "Saw toothed" patterns on the east and west exposures redirect incident solar to the southeast and northwest, reducing cooling loads. An atrium supplies daylight, and is an active part of the ventilation system and energy supply strategy. Natural ventilation is used during spring and autumn to reduce energy consumption. In natural ventilation mode, the building is controlled by a combination of direct digital control (DDC) logic and user control over operable windows. Other features include a planted roof, the use of reclaimed brick from an adjacent building, and concrete containing 50 percent fly ash. Sustainable Building, 1-2001, p 32. NEW PHOTOVOLTAIC DESIGN TOOL AVAILABLE IN UK In the UK, Construction Resources has released two versions of PV*Sol, a computer program for designing, planning and simulating photovoltaic (PV) systems. PV*Sol 2.1 can be used to design stand-alone and grid-connected systems, while PV*Sol-N is solely for grid-connected systems. With the program's "quick design" feature, users select from a drop-down list of available options for weather, location, PV module and inverter type. The user also enters the required output, orientation and tilt angle of the units (usually the roof angle). The program includes a large database of options; user-defined data can also be added. The program then calculates the actual output, number of PV modules and inverters required, surface area of the PV array, and number of modules per string. The simulation's final results include a system diagram, a list of the design's most important values, such as the percentage system efficiency and performance ratio, and an economic efficiency calculation, which provides electricity production and annual cost information. PV*Sol 2.1 is available for L320 + vat; PV*Sol-N costs L230 + vat. Free demonstration versions are available. [For more information email: info@ecoconstruct.com.] Building Services Journal, Jan 01, p 11, by Alison Luke. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GreenClips is free of charge thanks to individual members and these sponsors: COLLINS & AIKMAN FLOORING We choose not to just make carpet but to also make a difference. http://www.powerbond.com ENVIRONDESIGN5 www.environdesign.com. EnvironDesign5, set for April 25 to 27 in Atlanta, GA, is the premier conference showcasing all that is revolutionary about placing environmental stewardship front and center into mainstream America. It has grown from a small, intimate gathering of the passionate and the curious into an event where you need to be if you're a player in the sustainability movement. Scheduled are keynote speakers, workshops, site tours and a Product Learning Center featuring 75 suppliers. Faculty includes pioneers who are changing the environmental landscape in the 21st century. Keynoters include: John Elkington, Janine Benyus, William McDonough, Michael Braungart, David Orr and Michael Ray. A Business Leaders Forum will feature top level executives from U.S. corporations sharing their hopes for the future. In addition, McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry will hold a pre-conference training session prior to the opening night keynote, and the U.S. Green Building Council will launch its LEED Commercial Interiors Training Workshop on the Saturday after the conference concludes. ED5 is sponsored by Interiors & Sources and green@work magazines. For information, call 561-627-3393; www.environdesign.com. EPA'S ENVIRONMENTALLY-PREFERABLE PURCHASING PROGRAM Greening the government, one purchase at a time. http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp INTERFACE, INC. More than a carpet company. Much more. http://www.interfaceinc.com WSU ENERGY PROGRAM http://www.energy.wsu.edu Providing objective research, information and solutions. Washington State University Cooperative Extension Energy Program in Olympia, Washington. 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