Bryn Nelson, green building - Covering the Green Economy
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Brown Roofs, Blue Dorms and Platinum Condos: emerging Trends in Green Building. Bryn Nelson is a freelance science writer and editor with a special interest in technology, biomedicine, and ecology. Formerly an award-winning science writer for Newsday and a weekly columnist for MSNBC.com. Nelson spoke at Covering the Green Economy in June 2010.
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Bryn Nelson, green building - Covering the Green Economy
- 1. Brown Roofs, Blue Dorms and Platinum Condos: Emerging Trends in Green Building Bryn Nelson [email_address] Twitter: @SeattleBryn
- 2. I. Put a “Green” Lid on It: What green (and brown) roofs can teach us II. Follow the LEED-er: Labels as a departure point, not the destination III. Forever in Blue Jeans ? Insulation wars & other adventures in building materials IV. Extreme “Green” Makeovers: Where do we go from here?
- 4. California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco Photo credit: Green Roofs for Healthy Cities ( www.greenroofs.org ) and Rana Creek Living Architecture Green Roof Posterchild: Innovation, Conservation, Education & Tourism
- 12. Can a White Roof Be “ Green ”? Metal Roofs CLAIM: Durability = more environmentally friendly CLAIM: Made from 95% recycled aluminum CLAIM: Reflective pigments = attic heat by up to 34%; energy savings by 20% or more Source: Classic Metal Roofing Systems; www.classicmetalroofingsystems.com White Roofs ( 2000 Florida Solar Energy Center Study) CONCLUSION: White, highly reflective roofs cooling energy savings by 18-26% (white flat ceramic tile, white S-shaped tiles, white metal) CONCLUSION: “White metal had the best cooling related performance” in South Florida Sources: www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/publications/html/fsec-cr-1220-00 ; “White roofs back on agenda,” keynews.com, Jan. 12, 2010, http://keysnews.com/node/19948 BUT: Battle over historic preservation vs. energy conservation in Key West; Historic Architectural Review Commission denied homeowner’s request to paint his metal roof white to save energy BUT: More expensive
- 14. “ Put simply, a building’s LEED rating is more like a snapshot taken at its opening, not a promise of performance. Unless local, state and federal agencies do their part to ensure long-term compliance with the program’s ideals, it could end up putting a shiny green stamp on a generation of unsustainable buildings.” -Alec Apelbaum, “Don’t LEED Us Astray,” NYT May 19, 2010 LEED: A Point of Departure, No Longer the Destination
- 17. Virtual Tools of the Trade Pharos : “Offers green building professionals the most comprehensive view of the environmental health impacts of specific products available anywhere.” www.healthybuilding.net Athena Institute’s Impact Estimator for buildings: www.athenasmi.org/tools/impactEstimator/index.html The Natural Step’s Sustainability Life Cycle Assessment: www.thenaturalstep.org/en/sustainability-life-cycle-assessment-slca GreenBlue’s Green2Green comparison of green building products: www.green2green.org Amicus Green Building Center : An “online green hardware store” for the Baltimore-DC region www.amicusgreen.com G2N Smart Energy Suite: “Provides the ability to track, manage, and reduce Energy consumption for medium to large buildings http://green20now.com
- 18. Names, Names, Names Credit: word cloud created with Wordl
- 19. [Green arrow up; Sprecken zie Greenish? Photo Credit: dangoat, via Flickr Creative Commons HUH? I’m installing a photovoltaic system AHA! The sun will generate electricity for you HUH? I’m installing a geothermal pump AHA! The ground’s stored warmth will help heat your home in winter HUH? Your building envelope is inefficient AHA! Your walls, roof, doors, & windows are leaking energy HUH? I’m installing a variable frequency drive AHA! This will ensure you’re only cooling the areas of the building that you need to Spreckenzie Greenish?
- 25. Insulation Wars! “ Among all the choices out there for insulation, cellulose is by far the most environmentally-responsible.” YES! 83% recycled materials YES! 40% in energy costs (when installed properly) Source: Natalie Hoch, National Fiber www.nationalfiber.com NO! Insulating value similar to fiberglass (less than other new materials) Photo credits: Bryn Nelson
- 26. Spray foam insulation NO! Petroleum-based product YES! Inert once applied, tight seal provides great air-sealing properties Soy-based insulation YES! More environmentally-friendly NO! Not always locally available, in WI must be shipped from 3 states away Photo credit: Kanko* via Flickr Creative Commons Photo credit: resourcerobin.com
- 27. Photo credits: jeans courtesy of jerryonlife via Flickr Creative Commons; insulation courtesy of resourcerobin.com Recycled denim insulation YES! 85-90% recycled content, easy to work with NO! Insulating value to similar to fiberglass (less than other new materials)
- 29. Eco-Eucalyptus? BUT: Lyptus is grown in Brazil (3,200 miles from WI) CLAIM: Lyptus looks like cherry or mahogany; 10 to 40% cheaper CLAIM: Forests grow rapidly, 11x more productive than temperate forest CLAIM: Lyptus forests = 30x more lumber than unmanaged temperate forest “ Beautiful. Exotic. Eco-Aware.” Source: Weyerhaeuser www.lyptus.com Photo credits: Lyptus.com
- 30. Rice to the Rescue? GeoDeck: Major type of composite wood alternative Source: Green Bay Decking www.geodeck.com CLAIM: Less fading, low-maintenance, low H 2 O absorption, long-lasting BUT: Reports of “crumbling & bowing” on DIY forums; unclear if = to hi- density wood in performance CLAIM: 25+% recycled rice hulls; 25+% reclaimed paper waste, & “ prime virgin polymer” Source: www.xomreviews.com/geodeck.com Photo credit: Green Bay Decking (www.geodeck.com)
- 32. “ As the green building industry matures, people are starting to realize that there’s no perfect product and there’s no perfect solution. What’s right for one client and one project isn’t necessarily right for the next one.” -Robin Pharo www.resourcerobin.com In other words, ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL, BUT... “ There are very few absolutely wrong choices. If you’re putting any basic thought into, ‘Let’s make this a more sustainable choice,’ you’ve taken a good first step.” -Robin Pharo How to Choose?
- 34. Federal Government Example: U.S. Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria REQUIREMENTS: After 1998 bombings of African embassies, new compounds demanded more security Credit: U.S. Department of State
- 36. Nonprofit Sector Example: National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kauai, Hawaii REQUIREMENTS: Bug-proof, humidity- controlled “ clean” lab; can withstand Category 5 hurricane (155 mph winds) Photo credit: Bryn Nelson
- 41. Net-Zero High: LA Unified School District South Region High School #15 (San Pedro neighborhood) Credit: CO Architects www.coarchitects.com
- 43. Building Healthier Hospitals “ How can we consider designing a sick building for a medical facility where people are seeking to get healthy?” - D. Dawnia Bell, www.dailygreendiva.com Health Care Without Harm www.noharm.org Practice Greenhealth www.practicegreenhealth.org
- 44. Credit: CO Architects www.coarchitects.com Palomar Medical Center West North San Diego County
- 48. APPRAISALS: Real estate appraisals haven’t caught up to consumer demand for green add-ons. For many green products, no agreed-upon market value, forcing consumers to pay cash upfront. INSURANCE: Some net-zero homes = trouble w/ insurance (“No external heat source?”) One owner lied & said he had oil heat. Not Everyone Is Up To Speed Photo credit: Bryn Nelson
- 49. Montgomery County, MD: "RainScapes Rewards” offers max. subsidy of $1,200 for converting driveway from impermeable to permeable www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dectmpl.asp?url=/content/dep/water/rainscapes.asp New Jersey: New Jersey Clean Energy offers financial incentives, programs & services www.njcleanenergy.com California: California Solar Initiative, via PG&E, offers variable incentives for installing solar panels. www.pge.com/myhome/saveenergymoney/solarenergy/csi/index.shtml Photo credit: Robert Couse-Baker via Flickr Creative Commons BUT: States and cities struggling financially; temp. measures can create “boom and bust” cycles
- 50. Philadelphia: Passed new stormwater requirements, w/ impending stormwater tax. Result: More green roofs Source: B. Brian Phillips, Interface Studio Architects LLC ( [email_address] ) Austin: New mandate requires energy audit before home is sold Result: Boon for energy auditors, boom in energy efficiency Source: Jon Boggiano, www.everblueenergy.com San Francisco: New legislation (Green Landscaping Ordinance) requires 50% of surface area in new front yards to be permeable Result: Less runoff? Source: Jill Phillips, www.fishmanpr.com Photo credit: Victoria Williams via Flickr Creative Commons
- 51. LIGHTS: Installing a dimmer can output by 5% and savings, especially for commercial buildings. THERMOSTAT: Adjustable thermostat could keep you from getting overheated by the bill WINDOWS: Opening your windows can lessen the need for A/C and improve indoor air quality What Consumers Need: More Gain “ If you design a building without air conditioning and operable windows, how can you be sure occupants will do the right thing?” - Marti Mueller, Stantec www.stantec.com
- 52. What Consumers Want: Less Pain Saving energy requires awareness, understanding, and investment – NOT necessarily scratchy briefs (but hang onto them; they could make great insulation) Photo credit: resourcerobin.com
Editor's Notes
- For organizations like Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, early advocacy literally required translating data from German – the vast majority of studies on the benefits of green roofs at the times were in German
- Main purposes: to decrease energy costs, especially in warmer environments, to alleviate the heat sink effect in urban areas, and to lessen rainwater runoff (permeable surface). But green roofs are branching out – literally. Modular trays are a new innovation in green roofs (BioTray® plant trays); helps with larger surface area projects; Roof slopes mimic terrain of SF
- Extensive roofs, because of the shallower growing depth, are better for pre-existing buildings that don’t require significant retrofitting of the roof to carry more weight. Limitation: good for drought-resistant grasses, but not for a full garden. Also, public access can create a fire hazard if people smoke
- Brown roofs are meant to mimic “brownfield" sites, critical habitat for many species since World War II that have been redeveloped, ironically threatening London’s biodiversity; "brown roofs" made from recycled crushed concrete and brick aggregate for the rare and protected black redstart (source: www.urbanhabitats.org); Primer: www.brownroofs.co.uk
- A pilot project for the Urban Farming Food Chain, consisting of four locations in downtown LA. The project is now being expanded to include New York, Rochester, Detroit, and Las Vegas.
- Educational and rec programs focus on health and nutrition, performing arts, technology, physical fitness, civic engagement and leadership development. Plants: vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs and grasses (comprehensive educational program developed by the center’s garden manager). Learning process: seed-to-harvest cycle, environmental issues, the green roof, botany, cooking, and gardening. Question: can green roofs promote community in a way that boosts inner city neighborhoods? What are the limits? Costs?
- Green roofs can add considerable value to residential and commercial properties, like this two-tiered green roof condo building in South Boston. An additional bonus: limiting rainwater runoff (with permeable paving stones in entry court) Slanted roof = visible model for neighborhood? But these roofs can also raise questions: a lap pool may be good for attracting tenants, but what’s the trade-off (perhaps a compromise solution from a full-sized pool?). Also, accessible roofs mean additional maintenance and safety precautions, including no smoking regulations for some.
- An example of combination structures: this one combines green roof, water catchment systems and photovoltaic panels. So is it a technological advance? Experts might say yes. But is playing bocce ball on this green roof really green? That gets into more of the psychology of it. Same vein: City Center in Las Vegas, 1 Bryant Park in NYC; skyscraper in Santiago – huge buildings, so argument is: why not make them green?
- Argument from Key West homeowner: white roof is a “solar device.” Therefore, should be allowed. Historic Architectural Review Commission disagreed; now formed: Key West White Roof Initiative PAC
- LEED includes context of the building in its scale, but not every rating system does, leading to grumbling that some “green” buildings aren’t in pedestrian-friendly or sustainable locations
- Appliance people will tell you that almost everything gets an ENERGY STAR rating now; so does it mean anything?
- Plus: no shortage of organizations or companies jumping into this; Minus: how do you decide who’s both unbiased and experienced enough to make the call for consumers?
- Terms you’ll be hearing far more of in the future; probably good to get acquainted with them now.
- Psychology of green building: consumers need to understand in plain terms what they’ll be getting out of green add-ons. One question: how well are private and public programs actually explaining the benefits of different green systems? Journalists may need to prod some officials to get past their jargon-heavy “greenish.”
- Ex: Cleveland-based Pro Energy Consultants (founded in 2008, now 54 franchises) www.proenergyconsultants.com Silver Star program will provide up-front rebates for the installation of specific energy-saving technologies, including insulation, duct sealing, windows and doors, air sealing, and water heaters (up to $3,000 in rebates). Gold Star program rewards homeowners who conduct a comprehensive energy audit and implement a full complement of measures to reduce energy use throughout the home ($3,000, or half the cost, for measures that reduce energy use by 20%, and can receive up to $8,000 when additional energy savings are achieved). Scams: Audits as marketing tools for window, door and solar companies; false claims about potential energy savings of specific products; misleading information about rebates and tax credits; solar panels sold for homes that are ill-suited for it (shadows, poor orientation to the sun)
- New York-based Ecological (Co-founder & board member: former NY Gov. George Pataki); Kimberly Phipps-Nichol is based in Nevada
- Many other growth industries can be found by visiting a local green expo – most of these will have ample representation from the building industry (Twitter is a great source for finding recent or upcoming ones)
- Solar panels and geothermal-based heating systems for homes can be a great solution, but many consultants say homes can be green without them.
- Settling, how effective it is at creating a tight vapor barriers, toxicity, potential for rodent infestation, cost, geographical source of materials: all are considerations for insulation
- Air-sealing qualities are really important, because air will find the weakest point and escape. A high-quality bucket is useless if it has a big hole in it. For Robin Pharo, the key in green building is to have this conversation.
- UltraTouch from Bonded Logic made in Chandler, Arizona
- Technically, bamboo is a grass, it readily re-grows and doesn’t require pesticides. Also, some suggestions that other forested areas are being cleared to plant more bamboo. Traditionally, most bamboo flooring companies lacked certification, but this is changing; also, as the formaldehyde issue gains more press, many companies touting lower levels; LEED gives points for sourcing building materials within 500 mile; (hickory, oak, maple)
- Questions: Can an “eco-aware” wood source help with reforestation? Weyerhaeuser: Plantations include eucalyptus hybrids + native tropical trees on former agricultural and grazing lands (reforestation); Eucalyptus are also very susceptible to fires – is that a concern? Not a lot of independent reporting on Lyptu; wood is heavy and durable, darkens with age
- Early predecessor made from soy protein and fibers from recycled newspapers; claim is that hulls and paper waste would otherwise have been discarded; (Other examples: TimberTech, Fiberon, Trex, Azek); rice hulls = outer husks of rice grains; Another claim: “As compared to wood decking, all composite decking products are much more eco-friendly and sustainable.”
- OK, sward is a stretch, but it fits (sod, turf); Example shown here is porphyry (natural store) and an aggregate, turf, and spreading thyme in the joints; Green cement is also a HUGE endeavor right now, with multiple companies in the mix. California-based Calera makes cement by transforming carbon dioxide from power plants into carbonate. Other companies use calcium magnesium particles; some claim eye-popping abilities to actually absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. More examples here: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18885-green-machine-cementing-greener-construction.html
- Other features: Former brownfield site, accessible by public transportation Brownfield site is an abandoned commercial or industrial space; U.S. Department of State has come up with a 184-page “Green Guide for Embassy and Consulate Operations” OBO Green Team www.state.gov/obo/c29962.htm
- Juliet Rice Wichman Botanical Research Center Other features: Permeable sidewalks, water-efficient endemic plants for landscaping 2008 blog on building’s features: http://ntbgfellows.wordpress.com/scientific-research-and-education
- The inclusion of “eco-reps” is critical. One criticism of LEED standards is that they don’t address what happens in an occupied building. But these students do, and peer-pressure can be powerful psychology. Also signifies the growing use of Energy STAR for commercial buildings (label is seen as desirable)
- Blog about Unity House: http://livinggreeninunityhouse.blogspot.com
- 1 st net-zero high school in U.S.
- All building products from Green Depot ( www.greendepot.com ); Interior features from reclaimed/ reused items (recycled glass flooring, service line, oven); Gray water bathroom system (sink water used for toilets)
- Another example: The Collective Café in Manhattan; interior design all from reclaimed items.
- Montgomery County: up to $5,000 for commercial property; PG&E = Pacific Gas and Electric Company; If All Politics Is Local, What’s the Impact on Green Building?
- All politics is local, right? But with the right combination of sticks and carrots, some cities, states, etc. are convinced they can become far greener; one big reason: it’s widely believed that most buildings now are wildly inefficient. A 25-30% improvement then, is very feasible (see white roofs)
- “ Smart Grids” and LEDs can reduce energy consumption, BUT so can dimmers; 5% drop is an amount imperceptible to the eye; Energy dashboards can provide real-time information on energy use, but an adjustable thermostat could keep you from getting overheated by the bill; triple-pane windows and solar reflective films are great, but opening your windows can lessen the need for A/C and improve indoor air quality; Consumers want to do the right thing, but sometimes “smart” grids aren’t so smart. Consumers don’t like on-again, off-again dryers that result in wrinkled clothes