GreenClips

Issue No. 271 | Aug 31, 2005

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GREEN LEASES FOR GREENER BUILDINGS

While there have been several examples of tenant-driven environmental initiatives in recent years, examples of landlords driving their tenants to make improvements are rare. Could green leases help tenants and owners better share the load of more environmentally friendly buildings? Queensland, Australia, University of Technology (QUT) is one of several research organizations and industry groups examining imbalances in the tenancy/landlord split of environmental responsibility because, to the public, there is no distinction between the environmental performance of tenants and that of the buildings they occupy—both need improvement. To be effective and beneficial for both tenant and owner, green leases must include: 1) Appeal for both parties. Appeal for tenants is a key feature distinguishing green leases from tenant-initiated conditions, many of which can be very hard for building owners to satisfy. 2) An atmosphere of trust and confidence. Consenting to unusual requirements that oblige them to cut their environmental impacts is a bit scary for both parties. 3) Shared obligation. While some green leases impose obligations on the tenant, it tends to be only the landlord who has exposure to financial penalties even though tenants directly account for about 40 percent of energy use and almost all of the landfill waste generated in a typical commercial building. 4) Enforceability. They must have the same legal standing as other requirements. 5) Specified damage for noncompliance. If a lease is to appeal to tenants, a breach must carry a punishment that fits the crime.
Urban Land, Jun 05, p. 70, by Craig Roussac.

HOW ARE ECO-INDUSTRIAL PARKS EVOLVING?

Interest in eco-industrial park (EIP) projects has grown over the past 10 years. But we still have a ways to go to come up with real changes in how industrial parks are managed. When we look at the definition commonly used for EIPs, we find two key ingredients: the community of companies that are working together on resource environmental and social issues. The bottleneck in applying industrial ecology is the difficulty in disseminating tools and methods to the majority of companies. The awareness is often there, but effective structures for continuous assistance, especially to small and mid-size companies, are lacking. What we need are communication agents who guide companies to the right information and technology suitable to their needs. Integrated waste management systems at the industrial park level, water recycling systems and eco-centers for environmental services are being developed, along with the search for by-project exchanges. But in some ways this is still end-of-pipe thinking. Park management needs to change its role from infrastructure provider to information and service provider, making it easier for tenants to do business. We have to move EIPs beyond waste issues, identifying other opportunities for resource efficiency, such as shared canteens, transportation services, storage areas and health services.

Journal of Industrial Ecology, 2005, Vol 9, No. 3, p 12, by Andrew Koenig.

LEED TIPS FOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

LEED-accredited landscape architects can secure more jobs and protect the environment by following a few simple tips. First, remember to find ways to connect every solution to the bottom line , so you can choose solutions based on value and return. "A developer might initially balk at giving up a few lots for a swale or greenway but in the end may pay a large sum for a focused artificial stormwater treatment box and nitration system that is very expensive to build and maintain," says Jeff Stevens, ASLA, of the Planning Center, a firm in Costa Mesa, CA. "We must demonstrate the value that the swales and natural systems provide." Second, provide quantifiable comparative cost analyses for your decisions and design solutions. The architecture and engineering professions have developed ways to quantify and measure the performance and value of their choices, but few landscape architects are doing so. Third, don't lose sight of the goal just to get the next point. For example, by avoiding development near a wetland, you might comply with site strategy SS-1, but may not be doing much for the betterment of the site in terms of site disturbance, stormwater management and water efficiency (strategies SS-3, SS-6 and WE-1). Conversely, if you need to infringe on the 100-foot setback from wetlands on a site, make sure that you manage the stormwater so there isn't a net increase in runoff to the wetland. Fourth, remember that the strategies in LEED do not replace good, creative design thinking. "LEED is a proxy system and a good tool, but it's not the only guideline out there," says Peter MacDonagh, Kestral Design Group, Minnesota. "We should also look at NPDES Phase 1 and 2 (National Pollution Discharge Elimination System) protocols, the Wetland Conservation Act and the low-impact development guidelines of Prince George's County, Maryland."
Landscape Architecture, Aug 05, p 54, by Kevin Flynn .

GREEN RETAIL MOVES MAINSTREAM

During its effort to lead market transformation and integrate new building industry sectors into the LEED process, the USGBC has found the retail volume construction market to present a particularly difficult challenge. Each year, 21,300 new stores are built in the U.S., representing 23 percent of all new structures. Retail volume building is perhaps the most extreme case of a new market that demands a revised program. Retail construction necessitates green measurements that consider a prototype in relation to an entire building portfolio and multiple sites. PNC Financial Group has worked closely with the USGBC's retail development committee (RDC) to build out and certify bank branches using a green prototype as a test case for a streamlined approval system. While the first six branches of the PNC rollout will follow the traditional building-by-building LEED registration process, PNC and the RDC have proposed that the USGBC evaluate and certify the bank's prototype design to guide the building of all the PNC branches, eliminating the need for PNC to file documentation for every branch it seeks to certify. USGBC may undertake random audits of the branches. This summer, the USGBC launched a pilot program for the LEED retail application guide, a tool designed specifically to help retail outlets interpret LEED standards. Retail certification is expected to be in place by the first quarter of 2006.
Urban Land, Jun 05, p 60, by Douglas Gensler and Eric Brill.

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