Over the last eight years, green construction has created 2.4 million jobs and contributed $173 billion to the US economy. It is estimated that in the next four years, despite an unstable economy, both numbers will more than triple, according to a new study from the U.S. Green Building Council and Booz Allen Hamilton.

The study reports that green building will support 7.9 million U.S. jobs, adding $554 billion into the American economy, including $396 billion in wages.

“The study demonstrates that investing in green buildings contributes significantly to our nation’s wealth while creating jobs in a range of occupations, from carpenters to cost estimators,” said Gary Rahl, Officer, Global Government Market, Booz Allen Hamilton.

The report was released this week at USGBC’s annual GreenBuild International Conference & Expo. “Our goal is for the phrase ‘green building’ to become obsolete, by making all building and retrofits green – and transforming every job in our industry into a green job,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chairman of USGBC in a statement. “This study validates the work that the 25,000 people gathered here at Greenbuild, and every member of our movement, do every day.”

The report factored in everyone involved in green construction from the design architects, to the laborers, and even the truck drivers that deliver the materials.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

PHOENIX — When the Greenbuild Expo 2009 landed in Phoenix Nov. 9 with 30,000 participants, the circus came to town for Mick Dalrymple. He runs the a.k.a. Green Eco-Friendly Building Center, the Phoenix area’s first store of its kind.

Phoenix Convention Center

Dalrymple also sits on the national board of the U.S. Green Building Council, the organizer of Greenbuild Expo and International Conference, which this year (its eighth) has packed 1,800 exhibitors into the recently expanded Phoenix Convention Center.

An electrical engineer, former Hollywood filmmaker and graduate of the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Dalrymple first came to green building as a way out of an oil-based U.S. national security policy. He would give talks on how green building could lead to energy independence, and when people complained they couldn’t find where to buy these mysterious carbon-neutral products, he opened a store.

Dalrymple has enthusiasm and some concern for the abundant new green technologies and materials on hand.

Just as former Vice President Al Gore cautioned the green builders at an opening celebration Wednesday night, Dalrymple warned against “greenwashing” – selling something as green that isn’t.

“The business has become more mainstream and a lot of the traditional channels are starting to be populated with ‘light’ green materials. They may be better, but nowhere near what is possible, or they may use toxins or child labor to produce it,” Dalrymple said, noting that the maze of certifications in the industry sometimes can lead to more, rather than less confusion. He also mentions the small percentage of recycled materials in some so-called recycled products: “Why not recycle more? I want to see more things recycled—pecan shells or pistachio shells—stuff people normally think of as waste. Why is it waste?”

Dalrymple also has some idea of where the wild things are at the jam-packed Greenbuild Expo 2009.

• LED residential lighting
  

“I’ve been waiting five years for the next step in LED. I think this will be the year of the LED. I have a background in film and I just love lights,” Dalrymple said.

Cree's Indoor Recessed Light

He may be right. LEDs (light-emitting diodes), traditionally the light on your clock radio—use less energy, live eons longer, dosn’t emit heat, work with a dimmer switch and don’t contain the mercury of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Until now, LED fixtures have been too expensive and didn’t look “warm” enough for household use. New technology has improved the products and brought the price down. The life of an LED can be 50,000 hours (or more than 5 years if you left it on around the clock).

Cree LED Lighting, a growing green company based in North Carolina, is working to improve the quality and price of LEDs. Cree offers “Cree True White Technology,” to deliver warm color and very high efficiency. Its LR6 LED uses 12 watts to deliver the equivalent of a 65watt incandescent. LR6 and other fixtures can be retrofitted into existing recessed lighting hook-ups, last about 12 years in homes and cost under $100.

RAB Lighting’s outdoor LPack, made for over garage doors and pathway lighting, uses about 13 Watts to light the equivalent of a 55 watt  incandescent for 50,000 hours; at $140, it comes in a cool aluminum housing that looks sort of like an over-sized Blackberry.

• Composite Flooring.

“Shredded bamboo is now made into flooring that has patterns and looks fabulous. And the popularity of cork flooring is growing, almost replacing bamboo,” Dalrymple said.

A fast-growing grass, bamboo is a renewable resource, but for optimal environmental imprint, it shouldn’t be harvested before 5.5 years and should come from the hardy moso species. Ask questions when shopping.  Some manufacturers use formaldehyde for bonding—but they don’t have to.

Teragren Flooring doesn’t use formaldehyde and offers an array of Floorscore-certified  (a third-party certification by Scientific Certification Systems) bamboo flooring; this year Teregren sells water and bacteria-resistant countertops, in addition to flooring.

Sustainable Flooring's shower cork

Cork flooring isn’t exactly new – Frank Lloyd Wright used it in his 1936 masterpiece Fallingwater with good reason.  It’s a natural insulator, is silent and reduces jostling of the joints and spine when you walk on it. The best cork comes from the Mediterranean. A softer version grows in China, but the durable stuff is firm and a by-product of the wine-cork industry in Portugal and Italy.

Both Expanko and Sustainable Flooring show gorgeous samples of Mediterranean cork tile and mosaic cork tile. Expanko provided the new floors when Fallingwater was restored.

With flooring, comes the danger that what adheres it may be manufactured with formaldehyde and other toxins. A new product from Smith & Fong Plyboo, SoyBond, is formaldehyde-free, made from soybeans for use with bamboo. Plyboo also makes a line of nontoxic plywood.

• Certification and label help.

With the mainstreaming of green building, new green labels abound at Greenbuild Expo — and at every home improvement store. But which ones mean anything? Dalrymple says keep in mind that a third-party rating, like Green Seal for paints, cleaners and other products, is likely to be more dependable than the “green this or green that” labels created in the marketing departments of home improvement companies. A growing legion of online help is available to sift out the scientific from the marketing messages.

Ecolabelling is a tool for anyone. It’s a nonprofit that tries to compile data on every green label in the world and tells you what the label is worth.

The so-called “Amazon.com of green building products,” Buildingease helps designers, contractors and others search for certified green products. Click on “3″ to find legitimate third-party green product ratings. It’s a one-stop portal for researching, rating and buying green building products at the lowest price.

Mick Dalyrmple, owner a.k.a. Green

The newest entry in online aid is GreenKonnect, a search engine built for the green building industry. The Beta version bowed at Greenbuild Expo.  Watch for the actual launch. Utilizing a database of LEED-certified building projects and green products used in LEED buildings, site organizers hope to become a first stop for architects, engineers and contractors planning projects for LEED certification or other types. It will be free to everyone at first. Later, manufacturers will pay, based on product sales.

Thousand of products and so little time. A solid two day’s of looking is on display at Greenbuild Expo. For detailed listings, visit the Greenbuild website.

Then, if you plan to transition into a green home, start small, says Dalrymple. “Buy a few low energy bulbs. See how you like it. Pretty soon you’ll be opening a green products store and wondering: why did I do that?”

(Kate Nolan writes about the environment and health in Phoenix. She worked formerly as areporter for The Arizona Republic; managing editor at Phoenix New Times and editor at Playboy.)

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Where there’s a need, there’s a way. Turns out that the biggest number of ENERGY STAR homes are being built in steamy Sunbelt locations where keeping the AC under control is an urgent need.

The top market, with the most ENERGY STAR-qualified homes built since the program begin in 1995, is Houston, with 144,000 homes.

The next top cities with the most homes built to these guidelines include Dallas, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Los Angeles, according to a list released by the EPA, which announced today that there are now 1 million ENERGY STAR-qualified homes in the US.

The ENERGY STAR program requires that buildings take extra steps to conserve energy by using sufficient insulation, a tight building envelop, high-rated windows and efficient heating and cooling systems, making them 15 to 30 percent more energy efficient than homes built to standard code.

Along with passing the 1 million mark, the ENERGY STAR “label” for homes is growing in popularity, said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.

“This is an amazing achievement for the Energy Star program – but the real winners are the 1 million American families who have the chance to save money and keep harmful pollution out of the air. That’s great news for anyone who wants to cut costs and protect our planet,” Jackson said. “We’re going to keep the number of Energy Star homes growing, because every new Energy Star home is a step towards lower costs, cleaner air, and communities that are environmentally and economically sustainable. We’re giving everyday American homebuyers the power to lower their bills and join the fight against climate change.”

The EPA, which oversees ENERGY STAR, estimates that the existing ES-rated homes will save their owners, collectively, $270 million on their electric bills this year, while cutting greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to operating 370,000 cars for the year.

The cities with the most Energy Star-qualified homes:

• Houston, TX (144,000)

• Dallas-Fort Worth, TX (103,000)

• Las Vegas, NV (80,000)

• Phoenix, AZ (73,000)

• Greater Los Angeles, CA (57,000)

• Greater New York, NY (25,000)

• Tucson, AZ (19,000)

• San Antonio, TX (19,000)

• Sacramento, CA (18,000)

• San Diego, CA (18,000)

• Columbus, OH (17,000)

• Des Moines, IA (16,000)

• Indianapolis, IN (14,000)

• Austin, TX (13,000)

• Greater Philadelphia, PA/Wilmington, DE (12,000)

• San Francisco-Oakland, CA (11,000)

• Boston, MA (10,000)

• Denver, CO (7,800)

• Orlando, FL (7,600)

• Oklahoma City, OK (7,500)

Want to know more? You can take a virtual tour of an ENERGY STAR home at the program’s website. You also can find an ENERGY STAR builder in your home state or city, using the website’s builder finder.

Owens Corning today announced that it is launching a new program that simplifies recycling asphalt shingles
for its preferred roofing contractors. The company said it will be the first roofing manufacturer to connect contractors with convenient recycling facilities through a national strategic alliance.

Based on a pilot conducted in Indiana, Owens Corning plans to will roll out the program nationally, starting in the Midwest. Contractors will pledge to recycle their shingle tear-offs.

Owens Corning is working with Heritage Environmental Services, the largest privately-held environmental services company in the United States. Heritage will provide dedicated, convenient drop-off centers that will recycle and process shingle tear-offs.

“Millions of tons of asphalt roofing shingles are sent to landfills every year, wasting valuable resources such as asphalt and aggregate,” Bill McDaniel, president and chief executive officer of Heritage, said in a statement. “With the combined efforts of Heritage and Owens Corning, material that would have been wasted will now be reused and made into roads.”

Owens Corning said that recycling glass-based asphalt shingles is a cost-effective alternative to producing new asphalt and helps preserve resources. Last year the Asphalt Institute estimated that the asphalt from recycled shingles has a potential value of more than $1 billion, which is variable upon the price of asphalt.

The town of Greensburg, Kansas was destroyed after a tornado ripped through their community in May of 2007, but it is not only coming back stronger than before, but much greener.

One project currently taking place in Greensburg is the Chain of Eco-Homes. When completed, 12 homes will serve as a “living laboratory” for unique environmental building. Two Eco-Homes already exist, Silo Eco-Home, equipped with a vegetable garden green roof, and Solar Eco-Home, the winner of the 2005 Solar Decathlon Competition and donation from the University of Colorado.

Greensburg GreenTown and FreeGreen.com invited designers and architects from all over to submit sustainable designs for the next three homes in the Chain of Eco-Homes Design Competition. There were more than 230 entries submitted.

“This Chain of Eco-Homes contest is a great way to show how the concept of crowd sourcing can help advance green residential design.  With over 439 participants in this contest, Greensburg, Kansas was able to gain access to the world’s best green designers,” said David Wax in a statement, FreeGreen’s CEO and founder.

Steven Learner, Mike Stevens, and their team at New York-based Steven Learner Studio submitted the winning design, Meadowlark House. Their modern style home is 1450 square feet with three bedrooms and two baths. While their design will be featured as one of the houses in the Chain of Eco-Homes, the first place winners also receive the grand prize of $10,000.

There are many environmental components to the Meadowlark House. Perhaps the most unique aspect of the design is the use of an HIB modular wall system. HIB consists of recyclable wood blocks made from sustainable resources that stack together like LEGOs. They provide a high level of insulation, reducing energy costs, and are designed to resist the forces of strong winds, and all without the use of any chemicals.

“The home is planned to be 50% more energy efficient than a typical code built home.  We would like it to be net-zero energy, but are waiting to hear back from a number of renewable energy companies which we have solicited for donations on that,” said David Andrew Goldman, Global Communications Director for Expansion Media.

Other sustainable elements include:

• Building is oriented along an east – west axis, maximizing southern exposure
• Evergreen landscaping along the north side of the site deflects cold winter winds
• Roof drainage ties into an underground cistern for reuse in site irrigation
• Deep roof overhangs to the south and west reduce summertime solar glare, while allowing winter sun to provide light and warmth
• A whole house ducted energy recovery ventilator (ERV) provides fresh air while recycling the home’s temperature
• High thermal mass floor receives and absorbs solar radiation during the day and re-radiates it at night
• Low-E triple glazed, operable windows allow ventilation while minimizing heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer

“Our goal was to design a house to meet the needs of the people of Greensburg.  We wanted to provide a sustainable, comfortable home that can be built quickly and affordably, with flexibility to accommodate many families’ different needs,” said first place winner, Steven Learner.

The winning design is estimated to cost “$154,000 to $200,000 without Renewable Energy Systems (i.e. with the home saving 50% vs. a typical code built home),” said Goldman.

Stuttio Workshop’s Root/Breathe/Endure Design came in second place winning the Enviro-Ment Masonry Unit (EMU) category. Their EMU wall system is a lime-based masonry block that naturally absorbs carbon dioxide from the air.

Daniel Day, an architechture and design studio in Dallas, placed third overall with its design Linear Villa, which won the Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) category. Second and third place winners each receive $1,000.

Construction for all three houses is planned to begin early next month.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

West Coast Green, a gathering that‘s part expo, part trade show and part thought conference, will be showcasing leading edge green projects when it opens at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco this coming weekend.

One of the largest conferences devoted to the “built environment,” the event attracts speakers with architectural, design and construction expertise from around the nation.

Visitors to the 2009 conference, Oct. 1-3, will be able to see demos of hundreds of products, as well as examples of green design, such as a large hanging garden constructed on a bamboo framework that will be suspended over the bay. The installation aims to show how green can be beautiful and useful, using vegetation to mitigate heat, sequester carbon and improve water and air quality.

The SFH40, an off-grid building for emergency use (Photo: West Coast Green.)

Another demonstration will feature a self-sustaining, off-the-grid building called the SHF40 that could be used during medical or weather emergencies or as temporary housing.

Some 300 exhibitors will be showing green and non-toxic building products; solar, wind and waste reduction technology.

But West Coast Green is also about envisioning what could be, and this year offers several “leadership summits” where participants can learn about retrofitting residential buildings, clean tech and green business opportunities – so they can go forth and pave — or, er, permeable rock path — the way in these arenas. There will also be a “design slam,” a brainstorming session among designers to help green a renovation of a Pier at Fort Mason.

Many notable sustainability experts will be speak, including keynoters:

• Bill Reed, president of the Integrative Design Collaborative based in Massachusetts and New Mexico

• Andrew Winston, founder of Ecostrategies.

• Rebecca Costa, futurist and author, The Watchman’s Rattle

• Cameron Sinclair, co-founder of Architecture for Humanity, author of Design Like You Give  Damn

• Peter Darbee, CEO of PG&E, a sponsor of the event and among the companies leaving the US Chamber of Commerce over the chamber’s opposition to climate legislation.

• Ray Anderson, chair and founder of Interface Inc.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom also will address the gathering at the opening Thursday morning. Dozens of other speakers will conduct workshops at the conference, which is in its fourth year.

Another green building conference is fast approaching. The annual GreenBuild event hosted by the US Green Building Council (which administers the LEED certification program). GreenBuild xpects to showcase up to 1,800 products at the Phoenix event Nov. 11-13.

The US Green Building Council has pronounced New Orleans home to the biggest green neighborhood in the world, thanks to the efforts of Brad Pitt and the group Make It Right who have built 13 LEED Platinum certified, storm-resistant homes and are planning another 150 more in the Lower 9th Ward .

Home at 1631 Tennessee (Photo: Concordia)

The neighborhood, already impoverished, was among those hardest hit by post-Katrina flooding when New Orleans levees failed after the 2005 hurricane.

Pitt and Make It Right Executive Director Tom Darden accepted an award for their rebuilding accomplishments at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York on Thursday.

“In transforming the Lower 9th Ward, Make It Right is showing us how we can transform those parts of our nation that have fallen behind the most, whether through neglect, poverty or disaster,” said President Clinton.

“Make It Right offers a blueprint for how to build homes that instill pride and combine to form communities of hope and opportunity. By following the Make It Right model, we can generate the green collar jobs our economy needs to move forward and advance building practices that reduce carbon emissions…”

Home at 1744 Tennessee (Photo: Kieran Timberlake)

Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council, said the Make It Right project “proved that green building can be both affordable and high performing.”

“In facing our nation’s unprecedented economic and environmental crises, we must change the way the places in which we live, work, learn and play are built and operated. What we’re seeing with green building goes beyond energy-efficiency to a transformation of entire communities – and the lives of the people who live there,” he said.

Fedrizzi presented the award, a LEED plaque to Pitt, Darden and Make It Right resident and Katrina-survivor Deidre Taylor, noting that Platinum certifications achieved in the neighborhood are the highest possible.

Make It Right is a collaboration between actor Brad Pitt, Steve Bing, Graft Architects, Cherokee Gives Back and William McDonough + Partners. Make it Right plans to have 50 homes up and running by December and 150 by December 2010.

Home at 1843 Tennessee (Photo: Billes Designs, New Orleans)

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

By Melissa Segrest
Green Right Now

They’ve been around for hundreds of years, but when you think of a metal roof, energy efficiency and attractive, colorful design may not be the first thing that comes to mind.

Forget about the tin roof on Grandpa’s farmhouse. In recent decades, the industry has evolved to the point that metal roofs make up about 10 percent of the residential market share – compared to less than 2 percent in the 1990s.

It is the fastest growing roof product in the residential market, according to Scott Kriner of the Metal Construction Association.

Today metal roofs can be formed to look like shingles, or wood shakes, or even slate and terra cotta tiles. They come in a variety of colors, with infrared-reflective pigments, coatings and textures that offer a rainbow of looks while increasing the roof’s ability to reflect solar heat.

Homeowners have reported saving an average 25 percent on cooling bills with a metal roof, as opposed to asphalt shingles, Kriner said. The savings amount can be  higher in hotter parts of the country. The EPA’s Energy Star program says that cool-metal roofs can reduce peak cooling demand by 10 to 15 percent.

The Energy Star program has guidelines for the types of roofing materials that provide enough energy savings and heat reduction to get their seal of approval. They answer questions about those roofs, and point out that metal roofs and roof-coating products will be more likely to have the Energy Star stamp.

Energy Star says about $40 billion is spent every year in the U.S. to air-condition buildings – which is one-sixth of all electricity generated in a year. In addition to lowered cooling bills, the EPA program’s website points out that a reflective roof may allow a homeowner to buy a smaller and less expensive air-conditioning system. All of that energy savings means fewer fossil fuels are burned.

Another energy-saving aspect of cool metal roofing is created when roofers leave a narrow bit of air space between the roofing panel and roof deck, said Jim Bush, chairman of the roofing council of the Metal Construction Association.

“That space creates a natural airflow which further aids in keeping a home cool, reducing energy needs in the summer months and increasing insulation in the winter,” Bush said. That added dimension to a metal roof makes the roof more energy efficient for northern climates as well as the warmer South.

A study of homes in Florida (conducted by Florida’s Solar Energy Center, and both Lawrence Berkeley and Oak Ridge national laboratories) compared energy efficiency of six identical houses, side-by-side each with different roof materials. White metal reflected 66 to 77 percent of the sun’s energy. The coated, or cool-metal roof, saved 35 percent or more on cooling bills.

In addition to lowering cooling bills, these cool-metal roofs can reduce the “heat-island effect” (particularly in urban areas) that causes air temperatures to remain warmer than they should into the evening, because buildings – especially roofs —  retain heat. Cool metal roofs are efficient not only at reflecting the sun’s heat, but at emitting infrared rays to keep air temperatures cooler.

Beyond energy savings, metal roofers point to a laundry list of advantages:

Metal is lightweight, can be made of recycled material – and can be recycled at the end of its life.

That life, however, is very long. “Typically, most metal roofs carry a 50-year warranty on residences,” said Bush, who is also vice president of sales at ATAS, a large metal roofing and wall systems manufacturer. “We always tell people that this is the last roof they’re ever going to put on their home” especially those homeowners in their late 40s and 50s who have settled into what they hope will be their final home.

Today’s metal roofs don’t corrode, and can withstand hailstorms without a dent, or hurricane force winds. The newer solid sheathing can dampen the noise of pelting rain. Also, metal roofs are good in wildfire-prone parts of the country, because they won’t burn.

All of those advantages mean metal roofs are generally more expensive then their competitors, but, industry insiders point out, their longevity easily makes up the price difference.

And there are federal tax credits (as well as potential state or city rebates) for installing an energy efficient roof – be it metal or not. According to Kriner, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (along with more recent bills) offer a homeowner a 30 percent tax credit, up to $1,500, for installing a pre-painted cool metal roof with an Energy Star label.

You can learn about some case studies of metal roofs from the Metal Initiative Web site, said Greg Crawford, the executive director of the Cool Metal Roofing Coalition. And, he adds, the Cool Roof Rating Council has information on other state, city or utility district rebates.

For the uninitiated, the most striking difference in today’s metal roofs is the look. With different shapes and colors, they’re difficult to tell from other roofing materials.  The infrared reflective pigments in the paints mean that even dark colors can reflect almost as much as light colors, Crawford said.

“I can be walking down the street and I can tell people, ‘That’s a metal roof,’ and they would never have known it,” Bush said.

For more information on metal roof sustainability and energy efficiency, the Cool Metal Roofing organization has a detailed brochure.

PHOTOS: Courtesy ATAS photo gallery

Copyright © 2008 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

While people scurry to devise new green components for homes, Don Blalock is in the enviable position of launching one that he’s been nursing along for the last six years.

His Aeonian brick will build houses that are significantly more energy efficient than conventional homes; help them qualify for LEED platinum certification and withstand hurricane force winds up to 240 mph. They’ll also resist heat, mold, mildew and termites, says Blalock, whose goal is to build “the most structurally sound house that’s livable (and) that will last for a very long time.”

Blalock, a onetime music teacher and 35-year veteran of the construction business, knows he sounds like someone peddling a secret sauce on an infomerical – “But wait! There’s more! We’ll throw in termite and fire protection with your durable new home!”

But he explains that he simply set out to build a better brick, one that would repel the water damage he repeatedly saw while overseeing reconstruction of houses for State Farm Insurance. Seven out of 10 homeowner claims involved water damage, from an array of sources including leaky pipes. Water damage led to mold “explosions” inside walls on receptive drywall and wood supports, compounding the damage and the indoor air quality.

Experimenting with brick, he says he developed a chemical process that tinkered with the molecular properties of clay to make it intrinsically more water resistant — creating a product able to leap over concrete block as a useful building base (and compete with sealed brick as a viable exterior).

The idea attracted enough private investment that the company broke ground on its first model home outside Charleston, S.C., on Monday. It’s expected to be done by November and will serve as a demonstration building and offices for Aeonian Brick Homes, which will sell whole-house plans that can be built with the brick.

A Charleston builder, Jessco Homes, also plans to build a house from Aeonian brick as a prototype of a net zero energy home.

“We ran across the technology a couple months back and decided we’ll build a home out of this material and couple it with some other features to try to build a zero energy home,” said Jessco CEO Jeff Stahl. The Jessco model, a one-story, will use high-efficiency heating and cooling systems and new lighting installations to cut energy use. The Aeonian brick will play a major role in reducing energy needs, acting as a heat barrier.

“In a normal stick home, you don’t get the thermal energy mass you do with this,” said Stahl, whose company is launching a green building incubator program called Eco Sustainable Systems.com. Aeonian Brick, he says, has “huge potential” to protect homeowners from escalating electrical bills — as well as hurricanes and termites.

Can Brick Be Green?

Brick has been known to last for the ages. In desert climates, ancient ruins made of bricks have largely survived. But in wet areas, fired clay bricks erode and can absorb water that can nurture mold and mildew issues in a home.

Aeonian brick homes will keep mold out, Blalock says, and be revolutionary in other ways, too, starting with how they’re built. The smooth, 8×8x4-inch bricks are made from compressed clay that’s been precision-molded and fit seamlessly together, like Legos. The bricks form the house’s exterior surface and serve as frame, insulation and drywall. Electrical wiring and plumbing are embedded during construction. The result is a nearly airtight, water-resistant structure that Blalock hopes to see embraced by builders in hot, humid and hurricane-prone areas.

The key is the material and their tight fit. “This material is so precise I can make a brick today and I can make a brick next year, both will be within 1/100 of an inch,” Blalock says.

Even though the bricks use regular clay, which takes resources from the earth, the process is greener than traditional brick production. Regular bricks must be fired at high temperatures over an extended period of time (many days) whereas Aeonian brick is molded and steam cured, replicating ancient processes and using far less electricity.

It also claims green points for removing the need for stick framing, saving trees. More green savings accrue by subtracting the drywall. The price for all this? About the same as for conventional building, Blalock estimates, because the savings in multiple materials make up for the costs of the unique new brick.

The bricks are formed like compressed earth products, but perform better because the clay is altered with a chemical that makes the clay water resistant. The catalyst is derived from oil slag, but Blalock swears it’s non-toxic (and claims competitive privilege in concealing the formula). The petroleum byproduct involved has been tested in other uses and proven to be safe, he says, noting that the Aeonian process makes use of waste material.

“This is the essence of recycling. This is recycling something you want to get rid of that the companies
are having a hard time getting rid of.”

The houses can be scored, molded and painted to blend in completely with an existing neighborhood. The paint bonds to the material, inside and out, and will not require repainting, he promises. These houses won’t look weird, Blalock says, and can be made to look “exactly” like other homes in the area. (Which may or may not be a good thing.)

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

If anyone knows about energy-efficient, environmentally responsible buildings, it’s the U.S. Green Building Council. The booming non-profit wrote the book when it comes to guiding and recognizing those who create the world’s greenest buildings.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the council’s new headquarters in Washington, D.C., has received their own highest rating for environmentally smart buildings – platinum.

Before you assume they’re tooting their own horn, a look at all of the green elements of the council’s new 75,000-square-foot office may allay suspicions. (Besides, if they didn’t build the most energy-efficient and environmentally sound building possible, more than a few fingers would wag.)

The building includes:

• 100 percent underground parking (thus, no heat-island effect) and proximity to public transportation.
• A two-story water feature in the airy, open lobby to bring the outdoors inside.  Floor-to-ceiling glass windows offer every office and cubicle daylight and a view outdoors. The windows’ electronic shades reduce glare and automatically adjust based on exterior light.
• An elevator lobby, reception and conference areas covered in 500-year-old gumwood that was, according to a release from the council, salvaged from the Tennessee River. A two-story portion of the gumwood contains the USGBC logo.
• Water use was decreased by 40 percent with the help of low-flow faucets and shower heads, two-way flushing systems on toilets and waterless urinals.
• Zoning controls that employees can use to control temperature provide energy savings, as do sensors that turn lights off when offices are empty (or dim and turn off when daylight is bright).
• Furnishings and finishes are all green: wall panels made of recycled polyesters, carpet tile that is 60 percent recycled, countertops of 100 percent recycled glass. Paint, flooring and furnishings do not add chemicals to the air, and there are CO2 sensors.
• An impressive 95 percent of the construction and demolition debris from the construction was reconstituted, never nearing a landfill.
• A dashboard system that provides constant feedback on the building’s energy use.
• A “learning pathway” explains the green design techniques of the building. A “material wall” shows every material used in the offices, including where it came from and how it’s used.
• A “performance dashboard” – a flat-panel TV – shows how the building works, and its efficiency.
• The “progress wall” explains and outlines the council’s function and its LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficiency & Design) certification system, which recognizes buildings for their green design, operations, location and maintenance. The building also has an “environmental” timeline showing centuries of green milestones.
• The “Knowledge Center” replaces the conventional library. It’s a “smart room” chock full of examples of and reading material about green technology.
• The council’s employees moved into their new building in March. They needed more space, their statement says, because of more than 35,000 projects participating in their LEED system (which adds up to more than 5.6 billion square feet of construction in every U.S. state and 91 countries).

The green building industry, the council says, is expected to grow to $60 billion by next year.

The council brings together builders and environmentalists, elected officials, corporations and others to help make buildings – new or retrofitted — more cost-efficient and environmentally sound. They provide green guidance and recognition for everything from houses and commercial buildings, neighborhoods and schools, retail and healthcare facilities. Buildings in the U.S. suck up a lot of energy – some estimates put the carbon footprint of buildings at about 40 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions –so LEED certification can help reduce carbon footprints.

In April, the council launched a new version of its LEED program, with expanded “credit points” for various design elements, and in some cases, stricter requirements.

Photos courtesy United States Green Building Council

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

The Sears Tower is undergoing a renovation of massive proportions. As the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, the Sears Tower is already relatively eco-friendly, meeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria. But now it is aiming to be even greener.

American Landmark Properties, owner of the Sears Tower, has partnered with Chicago-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture to design substantial green renovations. The five-year project, estimated to cost $350 million and create 3,600 jobs, aims to turn the iconic tower a green leader whose example can be emulated by skyscrapers around the world, according to a website created to detail the changes.

The renovations focus on reducing energy use and carbon dioxide emissions. Water usage by 24 million gallons per year and electricity usage will be cut by 80%, for a total energy savings of 68 million kWh per year, according to a press release.

The 1,450 foot tall Sears Tower, at 233 S. Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago, will undergo renovations in every area of the building from the ground up:

• All 16,000 single-pane windows will be replaced with new glazed windows that will reduce heating costs. The 104 elevators and 15 escalators will be modernized to require less energy to power.
• Lighting systems will be improved through daylight harvesting, a method that automatically dims lighting based on the amount of sunlight coming into the room.
• Water savings will include an upgrade in restroom features, a condensation recovery system, and water efficient landscaping.
• The buildings gas boilers also will be upgraded to new systems that use fuel cell technologies.
• Solar panels, that will heat the buildings water, will be installed on the roofs. The roof also will be covered by 30,000 – 35,000 square feet of gardens. Wind turbines will be placed atop the building as an alternative energy source.

The 36-year-old Sears Tower is not only blazing a new, greener trail, its managers are trying to educate the public as well. The renovations include plans for a Sustainable Technology Learning Center. This will be open everyone, and is intended help people learn about importance of saving energy and money, and how to do it.

The renovations, beginning immediately, also include a luxury green 500-room hotel that will be located next to the Sears Tower.

(Photo credit: Sears Tower.com.)

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Photo: Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas

Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas in Austin was the first hospital to receive the LEED Platinum award

For too long, hospitals have been less than healthy – inside and out.

They burn massive amounts of medical waste that spew the carcinogen dioxin into the air. They are energy gluttons, operating 24/7 – creating untold amounts of greenhouse gases and leaving massive carbon footprints. They traditionally have used about twice as much energy as regular office space.  From toxins in lab chemicals to dangerous elements that leach from IVs and catheters made of vinyl plastic tubing, the place you go to heal may not always be good for you.

That is changing, thanks to powerful non-profit groups, architects with green expertise and some of the nation’s largest hospital systems.

The massive Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston removed vinyl composition tile floors and is replacing them with a renewable rubber product that doesn’t need strong chemicals to stay clean.

The new University Medical Center at Princeton will let natural light into rooms, and sensors will lower artificial light as needed, saving energy.

From using old, cotton jeans for insulation to biodegradable bed pans, innovations are appearing in health care systems. Large hospital groups, such as Kaiser Permanente, Catholic Health Care West, the Veterans Administration and the City of Chicago are turning to sustainable and renewable hospital operations and designs, in no small part due to the tremendous cost-savings of reduced electricity and water consumption.