Green Building Matters

Help to finance renewable energy projects arrives!

2010-04-01T16:41:00.000-05:00

Although many of us would love to incorporate renewable energy into our homes and make those energy efficiency improvements that will lower our utility bills, the upfront financing needed can be the roadblock that makes it seem impossible. Today marked a huge win for homeowners as the PACE legislation was signed into law, providing an opportunity for Minnesota homeowners to make those green

Free Neighborhood Sustainability Conference

2010-03-12T14:12:00.001-06:00

It's not often that a sustainability conference this good is offered for free. It's this weekend - take advantage of it!!2010 Twin Cities Neighborhood Sustainability Conference

Minnesota Appliance Rebate

2010-02-26T14:53:00.002-06:00

It's the moment we've all been waiting for... help buying those energy-efficient appliances!Starting this Monday, March 1st, at 8:00am, the Minnesota’s Office of Energy Security has $5 million available for Minnesotans buying energy-efficient appliances (clothes washers, dishwashers, refrigerators, and freezers). All you have to do is reserve a rebate (not until March 1st).The two primary goals

Become a GreenStep City

2010-02-16T07:53:00.003-06:00

Interested in taking steps to make your city greener, save energy, and help address climate change? Take a look at GreenStep Cities.GreenStep Cities is a voluntary system that helps recognize the actions your community has taken to improve sustainability and energy efficiency. It also offers a set of best practices to help guide your community to becoming even more sustainable.The Minnesota

Funding opportunities for Energy Improvements in Minnesota

2009-12-16T12:22:00.003-06:00

Lack of funding is the most common hurdle to incorporating energy improvements. Luckily, there are a lot of options in Minnesota to help. Thank you to CERTS-NE for keeping track of these updates!-A Request for Proposals (RFP) is posted for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) competitive funding; responses are being accepted through January 25, 2010. The RFP is available for

Lessons & Concepts for Advancing Community Wind

2009-12-15T14:14:00.014-06:00

Are you or your community interested in wind energy, but are looking for concrete examples of successful projects from which to learn before you begin?The Minnesota Project just released the report Lessons & Concepts for Advancing Community Wind, which seeks to advance the development of community-based wind projects in the United States. The report highlights keys to success and policy

The truth about Solar in Minnesota

2009-11-24T14:30:00.015-06:00

I recently returned from Greenbuild in Phoenix, where the Habitat for Humanity of Central Arizona built a LEED-Platinum Zero Energy Home! The Legacy Project, constructed in 5 days, was built for around $120,000 (including building materials and donated goods and labor), and used solar panels to offset the energy use in the home. After having a conversation with a good building contractor friend

Free Green House Plans

2009-11-23T16:54:00.004-06:00

Even though the housing industry is not booming right now, I still receive a number of requests for green house plans from people hoping to build green in the future. Other people call for information on tips for remodeling green.A while ago, I mentioned Free Green as a limited resource for free green plans. They have now updated their site to include more free and discounted plans, "making green

Minnesota Communities teach Swedes about farms, forests, and clean energy

2009-11-20T13:20:00.003-06:00

In an earlier post, I mentioned that Swedes were coming to Minnesota to learn about farms and forestry as part of a "green" education exchange. Many Minnesota communities and organizations participated and the exchange led to shared knowledge, new experiences, and happy memories for both the hosts and the visitors. Minnesota Communities teach Swedes about farms, forests, and clean energy

Made in Minnesota: sourcing local building materials

2009-11-16T09:36:00.008-06:00

I just returned from Greenbuild 2009, and the talk this year was focused on reducing carbon footprints and greenhouse gas emissions. So how do you do this in your community, workplace, home, or building project? One of the simplest ways to do this is to choose local building materials.I have talked about local in the past and thankfully, there are now even more resources to help you source local

Reality Check

2009-10-30T16:43:00.005-05:00

Trying to figure out how to make your existing house more eco-friendly while not compromising aesthetics? Don't know where to start and think you just can't afford it?Well the (extremely) nice folks over at Shelter Architecture are not only talented, but are offering a great deal called Reality Check. If you live in Minneapolis or Saint Paul, you can pay $400 for a two-hour on-site home

Minnesota Complete Streets Coalition

2009-10-26T22:36:00.003-05:00

When most people think about "green building", an image of a building or a house probably comes to mind first. But true green building also encompasses aspects of the surrounding environment, such as soil compaction of the site, how water is treated on-site or flows away from the site, and connection to the streets. Even considering the reflectivity of the sidewalks and how many trees provide

Project ReEnergize

2009-10-16T17:38:00.008-05:00

Now is a great time to make home energy improvements before the winter settles in Minnesota. As part of the American Recovery and Investment Act, funds are now available to cover portions of improvements that make your home more energy efficient via Project ReEnergize. A home qualifies if it was constructed prior to year 2000 and is 3,000 square feet or less. There are no income restrictions to

Swedes to Visit Minnesota Farms

2009-10-05T14:52:00.006-05:00

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The miracle floor plan

2007-07-18T15:05:00.000-05:00

I am calling this the miracle floor plan because of all of the amazing things packed into it at a miraculous 1,306 square feet (well below the asking median for LEED-H 3-bedroom criteria!). It meets everything the community is asking for, including "universal design" principles (design elements that can sustain many different ages and needs). Now... what will the price be to construct it?Here are

Credit ID 2.4, Third party durability inspection

2007-07-11T22:18:00.000-05:00

The LEED provider has given me a durability inspection checklist to complete prior to construction. The builder will complete the durability inspection checklist, which the provider will use to verify durable construction implementation. The LEED-H Provider is going to go over this durability checklist with me shortly. At first glance, it seems a little bit confusing but he assures me that

Credit ID 2.3, prerequisite, Quality management plan

2007-07-11T21:00:00.000-05:00

Prior to construction, the builder will have a quality management program in place to address durability issues.This quality management program will address any issues we find with the durability evaluation. I have added this quality management program into the architectural specs. I'll repost once the program is actually completed.

Credit ID 2.2, prerequisite, Indoor moisture control

2007-07-11T19:17:00.000-05:00

Incorporate the following for indoor moisture control for all wet rooms.Indoor moisture control specifications for this credit have been integrated into the construction plans through the following language: Use non-paper faced backer board on walls of shower, bathtub, and spa areas Use water resistant

Credit ID 2.1, prerequisite, Durability planning-Preconstruction.

2007-07-11T16:45:00.000-05:00

Complete durability evaluation to identify moderate to high risk durability issues, determine strategies to these challenges, incorporate these strategies into project documentation and implementation. I've included this as part of the pre-construction requirements in the architectural specs.

Credit ID 1.3, Design Charrette

2007-07-11T16:34:00.000-05:00

Conduct a full day design meeting, preferably in the preliminary design phase, with project team members, with a goal to optimize green performance of the building as a whole, drawing upon the expertise of the whole project team.I anticipate this to be both one of the most difficult and most fun parts of the LEED-H process. Sometimes people love it because their opinions are never asked, and

Credit ID 1.2, Integrated design team

2007-07-11T14:36:00.000-05:00

Assemble a design team to perform integrated functions.I have incorporated this credit into the construction specifics by using the following language: I. Meet with team members that fulfill at least three of the following expertise: -architectural/residential design -landscape design, civil

Credit ID 1.1, prerequisite, Preliminary rating

2007-07-11T10:38:00.000-05:00

Prior to construction, have a preliminary design meeting to discuss LEED ratings.This meeting is important, and mandatory. It has been included into the project specifications as a requirement prior to construction, as follows:A meeting will be conducted comprised of the entire design team, including LEED provider, energy rater, and LEED rater. Due to distance some may attend via phone.* The

Credit SS 2.1, prerequisite, Invasive plants

2007-07-10T17:36:00.000-05:00

No invasive plant species shall be integrated into the landscape. An invasive plant is a non-native species that was introduced into a habitat, usually by humans, and causes ecological or economic problems. Not all exotic or non-native species are harmful; some can even be beneficial, but it is important to not place something into an area that might potentially harm it later. Personally, I

Credit SS 1.2, Minimized site disturbance

2007-07-10T16:38:00.000-05:00

Minimize site disturbance with a plan.For this credit, during the construction phase, all workers must follow an outlined plan that specifically details what features where they can walk, where vehicles can park, and where on the site nothing should be disturbed. At least 40% of the site (not including the area beneath the house) must be undisturbed. This will minimize the impact to the site,

Credit SS 1.1, prerequisite, Erosion control

2007-07-10T13:53:00.000-05:00

Identify possible erosion or water problems before construction and develop a plan. During construction, follow the plan to minimize site impact. I don't have a landscape architect on hand (and I wouldn't expect any regular Joe to have one either), so using the LEED-H guidelines, I came up with a very basic plan for controlling erosion during construction.I looked into getting a site survey done

Writing project specs to incorporate LEED-H credits

2007-07-09T15:39:00.000-05:00

It's so exciting to have all of these green building ideas for your home, isn't it? It can often be a more frustrating story when it comes to the actual building process and ensuring the techniques are followed exactly.One way to facilitate this incorporation is to make it mandatory through the architectural/construction project specifications (the LEED provider will require a set of these specs

Designing for LEED-H

2007-07-07T17:14:00.000-05:00

When designing a green building, integrated design is extremely important. For this project distance is a challenge, so I am doing a lot of the legwork upfront, and trying to get input from the builder, subcontractors, and my project manager who is searching out local businesses and opportunities. It's possible that the design might change later to fit many of these needs. That is okay as long

Rater solution and Greenbush LEED® registration completion

2007-07-05T15:45:00.001-05:00

Today a compromise was reached about the LEED® rater, who will verify that the house is built to the proper standards and will deliver this data to the LEED® provider.I wanted to use someone local to the Greenbush project, but a LEED-trained rater is not available in the region (a common occurance in rural areas). Currently, there are only a few raters with LEED-H training (LEED has plans to add

Choosing sustainable materials

2007-06-29T23:53:00.000-05:00

What exactly is a sustainable building material, and how can you be sure you’re choosing the best one?A Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) can be used for balancing the environmental and economic performance of building products. LCAs calculate the total embodied energy of a product by considering harvesting, manufacturing, distribution and eventual disposal. There are many LCA resources

Art with a Consumption Conscience

2007-06-22T14:04:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder if that one plastic bag you throw away really makes a difference? Sometimes the numbers we hear don't really mean much. But what if you could see them?Artist Chris Jordan reflects on human consumption with his new exhibit, Running the Numbers: an American Self Portrait.You really must see these images to believe them. Make sure you scroll down to the plastic bags!

NAHB Green Building Guidelines

2007-06-19T14:46:00.000-05:00

I have been facing the real possibility that because a LEED®-trained data collector is not in the Greenbush area, LEED certification may not happen. The rater from the cities is still available, but the travel expenses may be too high to justify the certification. I have been looking into other green building programs for the Greenbush area.One alternative I've been researching is NAHB's green

Basics of a Green Home, and the Integrated Design Approach

2007-06-15T13:33:00.000-05:00

This is from the National Association of Home Builder's page. I love this image because it still looks like a typical house. Building green doesn't have to be scary. It doesn't mean tentacle tubes poking from walls or living in darkness to save energy. It simply means building a better building. There are many ways to build green, and it doesn't necessarily entail a full-blown overhaul of your

Finding a Local Energy Rater

2007-06-05T12:30:00.000-05:00

Now that LEED® registration is almost complete, it is time to choose an Energy Rater. The Greenbush project is taking the Energy Star path of the LEED Energy and Atmosphere category. This means the home design will be evaluated for meeting Energy Star requirments, and then will be tweaked to increase the level of energy efficiency beyond Energy Star standards. More points can be achieved by

Understanding Energy Star and LEED®

2007-06-04T14:23:00.000-05:00

The Energy and Atmosphere category of LEED® for Homes can be met through two different paths. One path consists of meeting LEED's own specific energy criteria. The other path is to follow Energy Star standards, increasing the level of energy efficiency beyond Energy Star standards to obtain more points.Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S.

Podcasts offered by Energy Star

2007-06-01T15:26:00.000-05:00

I like to think that by using an electronic calendar, I'm minimizing my paper use. But according to the EPA, most of us do not realize that even when not being used, these products can consume substantial amounts of energy. Energy Star is offering podcasts on how the many small gadgets and electronic appliances affect our energy conumption. They are also in written format. Click here to

Passing the LEED® AP Test

2007-05-21T20:00:00.001-05:00

Taking the LEED® AP test was very grueling. The room was cold, and the noise-muffling headphones sure didn’t muffle any noise. But I shouldn't be complaining. I passed! Here are a few things about 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

LEED® Project Registration for the Greenbush project

2007-05-17T23:22:00.000-05:00

Registration is the first step for LEED®. Most projects are registered directly through the USGBC’s website. LEED for Homes is still in the pilot phase, so it is registered through a LEED for Homes provider. Providers are chosen by the USGBC to verify that the homes are built to meet LEED standards. They also market LEED to builders, provide rating support, offer LEED training, and supervise

Becoming a LEED® Accredited Professional

2007-05-09T15:05:00.000-05:00

Many in the building sector are becoming LEED® Accredited Professionals (LEED APs). According to Building Design and Construction magazine, architecture giant Perkins + Will has increased their number of LEED APs by 66% in under one year, and currently 60% of their workforce (753 out of 1,200) are LEED Accredited. This is partly in response to a demand for more green buildings, but also because P

Introduction

2007-05-07T12:39:00.000-05:00

I am starting this blog because I am managing a project involving the construction of a LEED®-H building in Greenbush, Minnesota, a rural community of 793 people. The building process alone is an arduous one and the green building aspect is an additional layer of potential chaos.Or is it? Theoretically, green building should neither cost more nor be extremely difficult to do. The trick is to