LEED
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Vermont college named “greenest school”
Posted by admin2 on 22 Aug 2010 | Tagged as: Biomass, Conservation, LEED
The Sierra Club has named Poultney, Vermont’s Green Mountain College the country’s greenest school.
So, what does it take to be one of the nation’s green schools? A biomass plant might be a good place to start. Indeed, Sierra’s decision to give more weight to each school’s energy supply really shuffled the list. In fact, Green Mountain College was ranked 35th last year. No doubt, a large portion of this improvement can be attributed to the school’s new biomass plant, a $5.8 million plant opened on Earth Day of 2010. The school intends to be carbon neutral as early as next year, after reducing its carbon emissions by 50% upfront. The biomass heating plant allows GMC to heat its 155 acres of campus buildings by using green woodchips. In fact, the plant will burn an estimated 4,000 – 5,000 tons of locally sourced woodchips annually, shifting 85 percent of current fuel oil usage to biomass. While the plant supplies 20% of the school’s electricity, the school purchases an additional 54% of its electricity through Central Vermont Public Service’s Cow Power program. Such power helps support local dairy farmers by generating biogas from the methane of cow waste.
Saudi Arabia has world’s largest LEED Platinum project
Posted by admin2 on 29 Jun 2010 | Tagged as: LEED
The campus of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University Of Science and Technology is the first LEED certified project in the country, and the largest Platinum project in the world.
In order to assure that KAUST was awarded the LEED Platinum level, MEP contractor Drake & Scull International PJSC (DSI) had to alter conventionally used designs and installations, as well as employ several innovative engineering techniques and products. This included:
• Designing a system to sustain a lifecycle of 100 years;
• Maximising efficiency of installed systems and using specific special construction materials for the laboratory buildings;
• Adopting photovoltaic cells for generating power;
• Installing solar towers and solar water heaters;
• Using low-emission sealants;
• Minimising construction waste; and
• Using recyclable materials wherever possible.
LEED’s popularity continues to grow
Posted by admin2 on 04 Jun 2010 | Tagged as: LEED
The US Green Building Council’s LEED green building rating system is becoming more and more popular, with over 5000 certifications awarded to date.
USGBC now has more than 19,000 members, and in March, the USGBC announced that the 5,000th project had been certified. This number does not include new homes that have been certified. However, before a building is certified, it must be registered with the USGBC. USGBC’s website indicates that close to 20,000 projects have been registered.
Bank of America building gets LEED Platinum
Posted by admin2 on 21 May 2010 | Tagged as: LEED
The Bank of America Tower, New York City’s second tallest building, is the city’s first high-rise commercial building to be certified LEED Platinum.
The building also has a co-generation plant on the seventh floor that captures heat energy that would otherwise be wasted, and uses it to help reduce the building’s energy demands by nearly two-thirds. Meanwhile, massive chillers in the basement make ice in low-power-use evening hours that is then used to cool the building during the day when electricity use—and rates—are much higher.
Wisconsin monastery wins highest LEED rating ever
Posted by admin2 on 26 Apr 2010 | Tagged as: LEED
The Holy Wisdom monastery in Madison, Wisconsin, is the home of Benedictine nuns. It has received the highest LEED Platinum ever awarded by the US Green Building Council.
“There’s a long list of reasons this building is the greenest in the U.S. right now,” said company owner Paul Hoffman. “For one, the building is projected to save at least 60 percent on energy costs alone.”
That’s because the heating and cooling systems are powered by 39 geothermal wells, closed-loop wells sunk deep in the earth. Hoffman says the geothermal wells work so efficiently that on some days, the monastery actually sells energy to the utility, instead of buying it.
Indoor plants help lead to LEED
Posted by admin2 on 11 Apr 2010 | Tagged as: LEED
Tha Lancaster, NY Ecology and Environment headquarters earned a Platinum LEED certification partly because of its use of indoor plants.
The specific credit was for the Biophilic Connection to plant life found in this building, which supports the argument that human beings need to feel connected to the natural environment in order to enjoy a sense of psychological, physical and social well being. Key points cited in the submittal were live plant’s ability to filter volatile organic compounds VOCs), uptake carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and release fresh oxygen into the atmosphere.
Sweden gets first LEED shopping center in Europe
Posted by admin2 on 31 Mar 2010 | Tagged as: LEED
The Liljehomstorget Galleria in Stockholm, Sweden was awarded Europe’s first Platinum LEED certification for a shopping center.
Water facilities within the centre use around 40 per cent less water than standard solutions. Energy simulations reveal an energy saving of 18.9 per cent based on standard comparison values. In addition, each set of retail premises has its own electricity meter, while air conditioning is based on district cooling and the centre’s electricity is generated from wind power.
Nationals Park wins LEED certification
Posted by admin2 on 27 Mar 2010 | Tagged as: LEED
Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals baseball team, became the first major league ballpark to be awarded LEED certification.
Recycled materials were used in construction, and 5,500 tons of construction waste was recycled rather than dumped in a landfill. The park has a 6,300 square foot green roof, and other areas of the roof use highly reflective materials — both features minimize heat gain, which you’ll appreciate on a scorching hot August day at the park.
A unique water filtration system prevents debris and pollutants from entering the sewer system, which is good news for the Anacostia River. The stadium also earns green points for redeveloping a brownfield and being close to public transportation.
LEED expands from buildings to neighborhoods
Posted by admin2 on 12 Mar 2010 | Tagged as: LEED
The US Green Building Council introduced LEED-ND, designed to promote green neighborhoods.
Allen says the LEED-ND could work in redevelopments as well, such as abandoned industrial “brownfields,” where the cost of cleaning up pollution is a barrier to reuse of the land. Getting a LEED-ND label could enable a brownfield development project to attract more financing, Allen says.
First green 7-Eleven opens in Florida
Posted by admin2 on 01 Mar 2010 | Tagged as: LEED
A DeLand, Florida 7-Eleven store has applied for LEED certification.
Heat removed from the store coolers usually would be released through the roof. In this store, it will be captured and used to heat water.
“We have free hot water forever,” Pauls said. “As long as we’re in business.”
