The USGBC’s annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Washington, DC wrapped up last Friday and the question I have most been asked about Greenbuild is, “what was the highlight?” My response, Greenbuild is “the” target rich environment for green building people. The thousands of attendees represent more sustainability and green building business opportunities in … Continue Reading
People across the United States are seeking alternatives to conventional energy sources. Motivations vary from concerns over global warming to increasing energy independence, and hedging against rising fuel costs to because it is chic to be green. Advances in solar technology have made photovoltaics a much sought after energy alternative. But a 2008 study by … Continue Reading
It should give design professionals pause, now more than ever, that specifying new or untried materials and products (that are often the keystone of sustainable building) comes with unique risks; and in this case PolyClear 2000 was specified even before the emerging era of expanded liability arising from environmental product declarations and health product declarations.… Continue Reading
Last Friday, the International Code Council and ASHRAE announced that the new version of the International Green Construction Code (IgCC), .. scheduled to be released in 2018, .. will be powered by" ASHRAE Standard 189.1. .. Much of the early reaction has been nonplussed given that, today, there are only a handful of IgCC green buildings.… Continue Reading
It was widely reported that the first green building litigation in the country was the 2007 trial court case of Southern Builders, Inc. v. Shaw Development, LLC, .. In the spirit of Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story" radio program, last week I telephoned Jim Shaw, of Shaw Development, to follow up, ..… Continue Reading
This law firm is increasingly called upon to give legal opinions that a green building is LEED certified, certifiable or otherwise 'really' a green building. ... We also receive requests to give opinions of counsel that a project is ICC 700 'certifiable' or ASHRAE 189.1 compliant or complies with Enterprise Green Communities criteria; commonly associated with qualifying for governmental incentives. Committing that a project will be LEED certifiable versus certified by GBCI increases certainty and lowers risk.… Continue Reading
Between 365 and 988 million birds are killed annually by window collisions in the U.S. It is suggested that green building programs, like LEED, encourage using natural light to reduce energy use and encourage green views resulting in the use of more glass. And windows are no friends to birds as we all know from the popular Windex television ad.… Continue Reading
Surprising to some, there is one LEED credit that stands out, by far, as the least earned. .. Despite that the credit is almost never achieved, some have suggested it is important because materials credits play an ever increasing and controversial role in LEED v4.… Continue Reading
For all intents and purposes federally assisted housing must now be green. And while such is generally viewed as positive and as advancing green building (.. the big winner may be LEED), some worry about the implications for affordable housing and others about the homogenization of American housing by federal government efforts to save the planet.… Continue Reading
The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system dominates brand acceptance and market share in the business of green building and is a driver in the larger environmental industrial complex. So a review of LEED statistics can be telling, not only about the state of green building, but about trends and future opportunities.… Continue Reading
GBCI has changed its name to Green Business Certification Inc. .. Members of the environmental industrial complex and others that deal in matters of LEED should review their contracts and other documents and update them now.… Continue Reading
With over 132 million housing units in the U.S., and more than a million new housing units constructed each year, there is a robust opportunity for green building. The dramatic strength of the housing sector would be further fueled by property tax credits that incentivize green building.… Continue Reading
The LEED water reduction prerequisite and credits provide an ideal tool for reducing water use. Carefully drafted, LEED can provide the standards, in an ordinance, for restricting water use. More simply put, LEED can be the ideal liquidity strategy.… Continue Reading
Baltimore City adopted the International Green Construction Code ... effective April 1, 2015. And despite that the IgCC becomes mandatory on April Fools' Day, we are not playing a practical joke when we tell you that the effective date has "shifted."… Continue Reading
Fannie Mae's lower interest rates for green building may not be the "in" response to climate change dystopia, but green mortgage backed securities, getting a big boost by this initiative, will be a key source of financing for green building, that will save the planet.… Continue Reading
Georgia General Assembly House Bill 255 is proof that the "wood wars" surrounding the LEED green building rating system continue to be waged. That said, the specific bill is Much Ado About Nothing.… Continue Reading
The General Services Administration is seeking public input on its analysis of LEED v4 and other questions related to the Federal Government's use of LEED v4.… Continue Reading
Today, the U.S. Green Building Council released its annual List of the top 10 states for LEED certification in 2014. ... Among the extremely useful information is that green building is no longer only about erecting new buildings. In 2014, LEED for Existing Building Operations and Maintenance was once again the most popular rating system ...… Continue Reading
Indoor Marijuana Growing Accounts for Over 1% of all Electric Consumption in the U.S. ... Boulder, Colorado has responded with a regulatory requirement that each Medical Marijuana Optional Premises Cultivation ... must "directly offset 100% of the electricity consumption through a verified subscription in a Community Solar Garden, renewable energy generated on site, or equivalent."… Continue Reading
Pennsylvania is the first state to offer tax credits for low income Passive House building. ... the State of Pennsylvania may have singlehandedly moved Passive House from the radical fringe to mainstream green building.… Continue Reading
Dunkin' Donuts Green is an example of sustainability initiatives by an increasing number of U.S. companies. ... This law firm has worked with more than four score and seven organizations creating their own green building programs. And we regularly provide third party validation of green including "opinions of counsel" that specific projects are "certifiable" or otherwise in compliance with specific green building requirements.… Continue Reading
While hundreds of governments throughout the United States have adopted programs incentivizing green building, many tied to the LEED rating system, Arlington County, Virginia is the first to tie incentives specifically to the new LEED version 4.… Continue Reading
For those interested in green building, the most important tax provision extended in the bill is the 179D energy efficient commercial building deduction that had expired on December 31, 2013. The bill retroactively brings the deduction back to life ..… Continue Reading
While many have focused on the funding to fight the Islamic State terrorist group or the 1 percent boost in military pay, the National Defense Authorization Act for 2015 makes a major change in green building across this nation when it authorizes use of the ICC 700 National Green Building Standard.… Continue Reading
