Zero Energy Homes on Display in Minnesota

In Sweden, there was a lot of talk about zero-energy (and even energy-producing!) homes. But you don't have to travel overseas to learn what exactly a zero energy house looks like - in August and September two eco-friendly homes will be viewable right here in Minnesota.

2008 Eco Experience at the Minnesota State Fair, photo by Charles Bevier

One of the homes will be featured in the Progress Center at the fourth annual Eco Experience at the Minnesota State Fair August 27-September 7, 2009. The Eco Experience is put on by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and focuses on holistic sustainable living. The Eco Home is currently under construction and has a goal of being carbon-neutral. Some of the features include solar panels, stormwater management, geothermal heating and cooling, electric appliances, and a carport instead of a garage. Although the home will be 4-bedrooms and 2,200 sq.ft. and have a bigger footprint than previous years, it is being designed to be net-zero energy based on "typical" living practices and should fit on a typical 50' city lot. Besides the Eco Home, the Eco Experience will also display other green products and services, showcase the U of M's solar car that recently won a 850 mile race, and offer local healthy food options such as caprese salad on a stick!

Winner of 2007 Solar Decathlon, Technische Universität Darmstadt

The Solar Decathlon ICON House will be on display in August. The ICON house is being designed, engineered, and constructed by the University of Minnesota's Solar Decathlon Team to be Zero Energy and completely powered by the sun. It is currently under construction at the ReUse Center and was designed with architectural features that blend easily into a residential neighborhood. It is being designed using a whole systems design approach, life-cycle focused sustainability, and with the Minnesota climate in mind - see some of the solar components and design aspects here. In October, the ICON house will compete against 19 other Decathlon Teams in Washington, DC for the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar house. Images and plans of the house will be on display at the University of Minnesota's Exhibit at the State Fair on Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood street August 30th and 31st. The house will be on display at the East Bank of the University of Minnesota in August and near the Equine Center on the Saint Paul campus during the State Fair. Buses to the Equine Center and the Eco Experience are currently being arranged. Stay tuned for further updates!

Green Treated Lumber

I recently received an inquiry involving a viewer's concern over a home improvement show that built a children's play area/retaining wall using green treated lumber. The question was "what potential health hazards are there in using green treated lumber?"

While I am not an expert on this by any means, I found these links very helpful (provided to me by colleague Dr. Jim Bowyer). I hope they help.

What's In That Pressure Treated Wood?

CCA-Treated Wood for Residential Use

Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA): Questions & Answers: What You Need to Know About Wood Pressure Treated with Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA)

Greening the Heartland comes to Minneapolis in 2010

Greening the Heartland is coming in Minneapolis in 2010!

Greening the Heartland 2009 just wrapped up in Detroit (presentations are available online here), and now the Mississippi Headwaters Chapter and Minnesota Green Communities have begun planning for hosting the 7th annual conference in Minneapolis in 2010. Greening the Heartland is a regional green building conference centered around 14 chapters in the USGBC's "Heartland" Region. The conference typically promotes sustainable design and construction strategies in both private and public sectors, and has a regional and affordability focus. Greening the Heartland is intimate in scale (in comparison to a larger conference like Greenbuild) and offers continuing education credits for many programs.

The planning committee is open to suggestions - visit their blog here or leave a comment on this post if you have any ideas to help this be a great event!

Passing the new LEED® AP Test - Update

Taking the LEED® AP test can be very grueling. It requires hours of studying, memorization, and total concentration on test day. And now, things have changed a little bit with the new exam. Besides looking at the LEED v3 Standard, and what has changed from earlier versions of the standard, here are a few things about taking the test to keep in mind:

• Formulas. Do more than just memorization. Make sure you know how to apply the glazing factor formula to building design and the LEED credit, for example.
• Credit responsibility. I thought this would be common sense so I didn’t study it much. Make sure to know who signs off on a credit, and remember that it is different for each one.
• Credit relationships. Understand how changing stormwater management design may affect heat island affect, for example. A lot of questions focus on the integrated systems approach to design.
• Prerequisites and the different ASHRAE standards. Know these inside and out!
• The LEED registration process. If you can, try to register a project online before taking the test. It really helps in understanding how the registration process works.

There are many helpful resources for test preparation. Here are a few:

• Study Groups. Contact members of your local USGBC chapter and form a study group. For Minnesota, it’s here.
• LEED NC v2.2 Flashcards. These are great, and well worth the $35. If you're taking the new version of the exam, these will be helpful but there are some changes to be aware of. Making your own flashcards also really helps. If you're in a study group, you can quiz each other.
• LEEP AP Candidate Handbook 2. This is for the new LEED AP system. Very important information about registration, scheduling, exam preparation, test-day procedures, and more
• Project Certification Resources. For the new exam, this includes a short online demo of LEED v3, Credit Interpretation Rulings, and more.
• LEED Practices Tests. Stay tuned for LEED v3 tests to be included once test exams under the new system have begun.

For information on taking the old version of the LEED exam, click here.

More updates to the LEED® AP exam

As you know, the LEED® AP exam has changed. Here some updates. Please note that what was once announced to be the three tiers of LEED® AP, LEED® AP+, and LEED® Fellow has now changed to LEED® Green Associate, LEED® AP, and LEED® Fellow.

***The registration deadline for taking the test under the current LEED® standards has now passed. Exams must be taken no later than June 30, 2009 for the old system. Candidates are encouraged to take the exam as soon as possible as testing facilities are limited.***

LEED® Green Associate
The process for the new system is already underway. Applications and the handbook for the LEED® Green Associate are now available.

LEED® AP
The LEED® for New Construction exam credential will be replaced by the LEED® AP Building Design + Construction (BD+C) credential. This track tests knowledge of LEED® for New Commercial Construction and Major Renovations Rating System v2.2 and its application in practice. The cost of the exam is $300 for USGBC Members and $400 for non-members. Additional discounts may apply if your company is a member of the USGBC.

The LEED® for Commercial Interiors exam will be replaced by the LEED® AP Interior Design + Construction (ID+C) credential. This track will test knowledge of the LEED® for Commercial Interiors Rating System v2.0 and its application in practice.

The LEED® AP+ Homes track and Operations + Maintenance track examinations are currently available for application by logging into the GBCI website. Others will be available summer of 2009 or in 2010.

LEED® AP Fellow
LEED® AP Fellow is still under development. If you’d like to provide input, click here!

Study resources
Resources to study for the new exams are currently underway. In the meantime, some of the old tips for passing the last version of the exam can still be helpful in preparing.


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For more information on the new LEED® Accreditation, visit GBCI or email exam@gbci.org.

Bio-energy Education

I recently spent five weeks in Sweden studying sustainable eco-communities. Not only was I impressed with strategies they have already implemented, but their level of education is amazing as well. One green conference that is coming up in 2009 is worth mentioning, if you're going to be in western Sweden: The International Bioenergy Days, September 28-30.

This year the conference will cover three main topics in bio-energy:
-Biofuels for Vehicles
-Bioenergy for Heating and Cooling
-Politics and Society

If you would be interested in seeing these topics covered here in Minnesota, let me know by leaving a comment below; I'm currently planning some educational events around the state.

Stay tuned for a summary of things that I learned from Sweden, and how they could be implemented in communities right here in Minnesota.