Did you attend Greenbuild this year? It was recently held in Chicago’s sprawling McCormick Center, and was a colossal event that brought together people from various parts of the world. For us, our days there were packed with educational sessions, time on the expo hall, [...]]]> BuildingGreen’s Top 10 Green Building Products of 2010

Did you attend Greenbuild this year? It was recently held in Chicago’s sprawling McCormick Center, and was a colossal event that brought together people from various parts of the world. For us, our days there were packed with educational sessions, time on the expo hall, and meetings. I attended eight sessions total, but the one I most looked forward to was Alex Wilson’s. He presented BuildingGreen’s top 10 green building products of 2010.

His brief introduction explained that the products are selected from BuildingGreen’s GreenSpec database, a listing of materials screened via a criteria developed over 18 years of work. As with last year (read about 2009’s top 10 products here), the products were presented in no particular order, but I will number them here for ease of recognition.

1. Nyloboards’s NyloDeck – a decking material made from recycled carpet fibers.
2. FOAMGLAS Cellular Glass Insulation – an alternative to expanded and extruded polystyrene insulation.
3. ARNOLD GLAS’ Ornilux Bird Protection Glass – a bio-mimicry inspired insulated glass sheeting that uses an ultraviolet-reflective coating that is almost undetectable by human eyes but is clearly visible to birds, thus helping to minimize bird deaths due to collisions against glass windows.
4. Knoll Inc.’s FSC-Certified Wood Furniture – without a customer request, and except for a few products, Knoll makes its office systems, case goods, and tables using FSC-certified material at no surcharge and at standard lead times.
5. Bensonwood’s OBPlus Wall System – an alternative to standard tract home construction.
6. Niagra Conservation’s Stealth UHET (ultra-high efficiency toilet) – a 0.8 GPF (gallons per flush) unit that uses an air transfer system to pressurize the bowl’s trapway, essentially creating a vacuum that is quiet but effective upon flushing.
7. Wilo’s “Smart” ECM (electronically commutated motor) Pump – an alternative to oversized water circulation pumps, these pumps analyze water demands and adjust their speed accordingly, achieving a 70-90% reduction in water circulation energy.
8. Halton’s Heat Recovery Unit (HRU) – used in commercial kitchens, the HRU captures exhaust, cleans it of grease, and harnesses the heat for building reuse. Due to the immense energy savings, the unit’s payback period is between two to five years.
9. Xicato Spot Module – an LED alternative to halogen lighting that offers consistent color, a uniform beam, and a longer life than halogen in a size similar to an MR16 lamp.
10. Electec’s EZ-Wiring and EZ-Cabling Systems – a “plug and play” option to standard wiring designed for reusability and relocation created without the use of heavy metals or halogens (bromine, chlorine, or fluorine).

To see what BuildingGreen has to say about these products, please read their announcement here.

When arriving at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, a few miles west of Bentonville, it’s difficult to imagine that a facility with so few gates could ever become a portal to the future of environmentalism. But with Walmart’s recently aggressive sustainability initiatives, that’s precisely what is happening to this small airport. Will we look [...]]]>

When arriving at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, a few miles west of Bentonville, it’s difficult to imagine that a facility with so few gates could ever become a portal to the future of environmentalism. But with Walmart’s recently aggressive sustainability initiatives, that’s precisely what is happening to this small airport. Will we look back ten years from now with disbelief, or should we have anticipated the impact of their action?

I’ll be honest, as a retail designer, I’ve never been a fan of Walmart. Don’t even get me started on issues regarding treatment of employees or potential correlation between poverty rates in counties where Walmart stores are located. There’s a great deal to dislike about the world’s largest retailer and corporation. It has a long list of enemies, detractors, and opponents. But my opinion is beginning to shift.

With little fanfare or self promotion, Walmart is changing not only how they do business, but also how their suppliers operate, persuading them to rethink production processes in an effort to reduce costs and environmental impact. Walmart wields such economic leverage that manufacturers have little choice but to follow their lead. This, of course, will likely create a sizable ripple within the retail industry. Walmart competitors will be pressured to change just to keep pace. No single company on the planet has the same potential for deep and radical change.

In Bentonville, practically everyone I met is currently or was once employed by Walmart – the hotel night manager once worked there, the waiter’s day job is there, the bartender and his brother work there, an acquaintance I meet at dinner used to be a writer there, you get the picture. Some of the biggest buildings and parking lots are related to Walmart – corporate offices, distribution centers, and stores. Streets are named for founder Sam Walton. The original store on the town green is preserved as a museum and visitor center. It’s almost impossible to experience any aspect of the region that isn’t directly or indirectly connected to Walmart. It’s like visiting a military town such as San Diego, CA or Norfolk, VA, where the Navy presence is so dominant that you’re practically guaranteed to see a soldier or a ship.

By the way, none of this should be misunderstood as criticism. I point it out to highlight the incongruity or the irony of the circumstances I witness each time I visit. The dialogue regarding environmental impact and strategies for change are becoming louder and more emphatic. On my last two trips to Bentonville, I was there to discuss sustainable building design and learn best practices from Walmart and supplier initiatives.

These thoughts were on my mind when I landed last week for another green conference and expo. The NWA Green Expo was sponsored by Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Shell Oil, but this fact was completely downplayed and practically hidden. The two-day event was free to the public and offered a half day of speakers and panel sessions, film screenings, presentations, and two days of exhibits.

Event organizers Nancy Desler and Kyle Howell were able to pull in some interesting featured speakers and panelists. Too many events of similar size rely on a model that often leaves me discouraged by the lack of separation between event sponsorship and educational content. Far too often, speakers present nothing more than a thinly veiled marketing pitch for products they’re attempting to hawk on the exhibit floor. That was not the case here. Even though some of the speakers did have booths, they used them as venues for education and engagement.

For example, panelist George Orbelian, co-founder of the non-profit organization Project Kaisei, spoke about his organization’s fieldwork in the Northern Pacific Gyre and what they’ve learned from their research. He didn’t have a service or product to pitch, just knowledge. His time spent in his exhibit booth was focused on sharing knowledge.

The two keynote speakers were the CEO and co-founder of TerraCycle Tom Szaky, and IBM Chief Technology Officer Catherine Lasser. There were also two panel discussions. The first focused on environmental issues and included Michelle Harvey with the Environmental Defense Fund, Dr. Alan Hecht with the EPA, and Stanley Alpert who is an environmental attorney. The second panel focused on solutions and included Eric Jackson with the consulting firm Conservis, Andrew Nisker who wrote and directed the film Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home, Derrick Mains who is the CEO of GreenNurture.com, and George Orbelian with Project Kaisei. I was lucky to have access to most of the speakers and panelists for one-on-one conversations. I’ll post about my interviews and session educational content in follow-up posts.

There were approximately 90 exhibitors on the expo floor. Many events of this size are often overrun by companies that are loosely tangential to the event theme. At a recent show in Los Angeles I encountered an exhibitor showcasing beautiful clothing with no apparent link with sustainability. The best reason they could give me for their participation was that their product was made of cotton. That kind of experience leaves me wondering what possible selection criteria could expo organizers be using. Although there were one or two booths at the NWA Green Expo that had me scratching my head, this event had screened out any inappropriate exhibitors. Even better, most of the booths were showcasing local goods or services.

One exhibitor I liked was a gentleman by the name of Jason Quail. But he prefers to go by his eco hero persona, ECOGEECO. Several years ago he switched his daily transportation to the all electric vehicle pictured above and started driving to events, expos, festivals, and schools to teach kids about sustainability. On the second day of the expo he presented his one hour session, but I wasn’t able to attend due to a schedule conflict. I could easily tell from the ten minutes I spent with him that kids would probably find him very entertaining. By the way, his day job is IT with Walmart.

Many people will surely complain that Walmart’s motives are wrong, that their interest in sustainability is financial rather than environmental, that their dedication will be short-lived, and that they will return to environmentally unfavorable practices if those prove to be economically preferable. I for one am not terribly concerned with their motives. What I’ve seen so far suggests that the train has already left the station. They’re taking action now that’s beginning to have effect. I think the NWA Green Expo is another good example of how Walmart is striving to bring the community along with them on their sustainability journey.

Full disclosure: I have provided design services for Walmart in the past. In early 2009  I participated in a number of conceptual design projects while employed at a previous firm. I currently have no business relationship with the company or any of its suppliers or service providers.

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BrightTALK’s Green Building Summit continued on April 22, 2010 with What’s Good and What’s Next: The Future of Sustainable Materials, a panel discussion moderated by our very own Kevin O’Donnell. I won’t write more about the session here as Kevin will post on it later this week. Instead, I’ll [...]]]>

Image courtesy of BrightTALK webinar

BrightTALK’s Green Building Summit continued on April 22, 2010 with What’s Good and What’s Next: The Future of Sustainable Materials, a panel discussion moderated by our very own Kevin O’Donnell. I won’t write more about the session here as Kevin will post on it later this week. Instead, I’ll skip right to the day’s final session, titled Solving the Cost Hurdle for Green Retrofits: GreenFinanceSF. It was presented by Rich Chien with the San Francisco Department of the Environment.

The city of San Francisco not only promotes but actually mandates high-performance buildings. LEED Silver is the standard for new construction of all municipal, and most commercial and residential buildings. But, to date, there haven’t been many city programs aimed specifically at the residential sector. Enter GreenFinanceSF, the city’s newest PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) program. It promotes low cost – high savings residential building improvements.

In essence, the program lends people money so that they can immediately make money-saving “green” improvements to their properties. On a shamelessly skeletal level, here’s how it works:

• All retrofit projects must be related to energy efficiency (insulation, water heating, window replacement, etc.), renewable energy (solar panels), water (efficient fixtures), or “other” (greywater irrigation systems, rainwater harvesting, living roofs).
• The property must be within the City and County of San Francisco.
• The property must be current on all property tax and mortgage payments.
• The property owner voluntarily applies for financing, listing all planned retrofits and committing to performing them.
• The applicant must be listed as an owner on the property’s title.
• Applicant must agree to get energy audits or Water-Wise evaluations as outlined by the program.
• Applicant must participate in any applicable state and city rebate and incentive programs.
• If approved, the program will provide financing to the property owner to pay for the retrofits. Financing cannot exceed 10% of the property’s assessed value.
• The minimum financing per property is $5,000, and the maximum is $50,000.
• Once financing has been provided, the program places a lien on the property, and the owner begins to repay that financing, with a repayment period of up to 20 years.

As of right now, GreenFinanceSF, which was launched just this month on April 12, applies only to residential properties. In mid-May, the program will begin supporting higher incentives for Economically-Disadvantaged Populations (EDP), and in late May it will accept applications from commercial properties.

During the webinar, Chien provided a considerably more in-depth review of GreenFinanceSF, and he also quickly mentioned some other local programs and policies applicable to existing residential and commercial buildings. It is definitely worth hearing. Click here for the show.

Thanks for reading!

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The BrightTALK programming continued with Randy Knox’s presentation titled Adobe – LEED & Beyond. Knox is the Head of Environmental Programs at Adobe, and oversees their global real estate facilities and physical security operations. His was a very short presentation – it lasted only 28 minutes – but it [...]]]>

Image courtesy of BrightTALK webinar

The BrightTALK programming continued with Randy Knox’s presentation titled Adobe – LEED & Beyond. Knox is the Head of Environmental Programs at Adobe, and oversees their global real estate facilities and physical security operations. His was a very short presentation – it lasted only 28 minutes – but it was nevertheless a very informative look at Adobe’s internal sustainability initiatives.

In the United States, Adobe has already earned four LEED-EB Platinum certifications: three for their headquarters in San Jose, CA, and one for their offices in San Francisco, CA, which also happens to be the oldest building in the world with that level of certification. The shift at headquarters began during the energy crisis of 2001 with a concerted effort to reduce their electrical use. With just a few small and simple projects (like turning off lights and de-lamping certain areas of their building), they reduced their use by about 10%. This compelled them to commit to an additional 10% reduction, and installed real-time electrical meters to measure their progress.

Meters in place, they replaced incandescent bulbs with CFLs in some areas, installed watt stopper power strips in all of their 2,500 employee offices (which also allowed them to run other electrical devices via motion sensors), reduced the run time of their garage fans (without endangering human safety), and reduced the length of time that their outside lights were on at night. The projects cost $118,000 to implement. They received $79,000 in rebates from PG&E, their local utility, for a total out-of-pocket expense of $39,000. Knox reports that they are currently saving about $212,000 per year thanks to these changes.

But they didn’t stop there. Continuing with lighting, they replaced all of their garage high-pressure sodium lamps with CFLs. Currently, they are experimenting with LEDs, which are already installed in elevator lobbies and exit signage. They are working on transitioning their garages’ first floor to LEDs. So far, they have spent $400,000 on these lighting efforts, have received $70,000 in rebates from PG&E, and are saving $306,215 per year.

Moving beyond energy, they installed motion sensors on all sinks, toilets, soap dispensers, and towel dispensers, as well as waterless urinals in all the men’s rooms. These changes reduced their domestic water use by 22%. Outdoors, they used drought resistant plants watered through a drip irrigation system, and installed a system of evapo-transpirational controllers. The changes reduced their irrigation water use by 76%.

In operations, Knox’s favorite project is the aforementioned retrofit of their garage fans. The fans were running 24/7, but an air quality expert concluded that “we only needed to run our garage fans for 15 minutes an hour during the three hours of the morning commute, and 15 minutes an hour during the three hours of the evening commute, and our air quality would still be four times what OSHA said it needed to be,” explains Knox. At a cost of a mere $200, they reprogrammed the fans to meet those new requirements, and Adobe is reaping a whopping $98,818 in savings per year. Just in case, they also installed carbon monoxide sensors by the fans that will automatically turn them on in case air quality ever does approach hazardous levels.

Knox reviewed many other strategies, though still just a sampling of everything that Adobe has done. Hear him speak about the company’s impressive efforts here.

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Right at noon on April 22, 2010, BrightTALK presented the roundtable discussion Ghirardelli Goes Green. Moderated by Deanna Meredith, the Senior Marketing Manager for Willdan Energy Solutions, the panelists were Jane Echlin, the General Manager of Ghirardelli Square and the Developer Representative for Fairmont Heritage Place located in Ghirardelli [...]]]>

Image courtesy of BrightTALK webinar

Right at noon on April 22, 2010, BrightTALK presented the roundtable discussion Ghirardelli Goes Green. Moderated by Deanna Meredith, the Senior Marketing Manager for Willdan Energy Solutions, the panelists were Jane Echlin, the General Manager of Ghirardelli Square and the Developer Representative for Fairmont Heritage Place located in Ghirardelli Square, Darren Nix, the LodgingSavers Program Manager with Ecology Action, and Dr. Densen Cao, CEO of the CAO Group. The discussion was specifically centered on the transition of the historic Ghirardelli sign that sits atop Fairmont Heritage Place to an LED system.

“Ghirardelli Goes Green started last year with a focus on our trash and recycling program, but has morphed into us reviewing other areas here at the property … where we and our tenants can make an impact,” says Echlin. They have tracked gas and electricity use for each tenant through the ENERGY Star website. An assessment of the carbon monoxide emissions in their parking garage concluded they could turn off some fans. And then they organize an actual event – that coincides with Earth Day – attended by various participants who showcase ways that the public can reduce energy use.

Last year, Echlin and her team actively started looking at alternative, lower wattage lighting systems. The property had historically had problems with maintenance with the old type of bulb, which would be affected by the salty air and often go out. But when they started looking at the options “we were confused by the amount of product out on the market and knowing which were reliable products, which were going to last, etc.,” says Echlin. For professional advice, she reached out to Willdan Energy Solutions and PG&E.

The product that was ultimately chosen is called the Dynasty S14 LED Lamp. It is manufactured by the CAO Group, and was recommended by Willdan Energy Solutions. Ecology Action, a non-profit consulting firm located in Santa Cruz, CA, helped secure a $10,000 incentive (in rebates) to aid the Fairmont Heritage Place with the initial cost of the product. The system was installed just on Monday, April 19, 2010. Before the transition, the sign had been operating using an 11 watt incandescent lightbulb array, consisting of approximately 1,200 lamps. That’s just in the sign itself. There were an additional 600 11-watt bulbs located around the perimeter of the clock tower on the Fairmont Heritage building. Each of those 1,800 lamps were all running 24/7, 365 days a year. The Dynasty bulb has brought down energy use per lamp to 1.7 watts. Based on the operating hours, the new lighting system is expected to save 68,000 kWh annually, which translates into approximately $12,000 in savings on the complex’s electricity bill.

Already they have had some fun with the new system, turning the ‘G’ in the sign green for their public event. Echlin sees further opportunity for making a statement with the lighting of the sign by perhaps figuring out something different for 4th of July or St. Patrick’s Day.

To hear the team members speak about the project, please click here.

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