Point/Counterpoint on Requiring Upgrades When Buildings Undergo Major Renovation In an earlier post (Part One) I described the broad outlines of the new City of Seattle Energy Code that is under development. The new Seattle Energy Code seeks to go significantly beyond the newly approved 2012 Washington State Energy Code – which itself is light… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Green Building
Subscribe to Green Building RSS FeedThe Seattle 2012 Energy Code – Part 1
Posted in Energy Conservation, Green Building, Renewable EnergyGrinding Out the Ground Game of Energy Efficiency Back in October of 2011 the Seattle City Council passed a resolution “committing” the City to become a zero-net greenhouse gas emitter by 2050. Although individuals, cities, and governments or organizations in general seldom achieve lofty goals without first setting lofty goals, we all know that lofty… Continue Reading
Should Real Estate Appraisals Consider a Building’s Energy Efficiency? The U.S. Dept. of Energy Thinks They Should.
Posted in Department of Energy, Energy Conservation, Green Building, LEEDSo how much are those energy-efficient upgrades you paid extra to install on your commercial building really worth? Sure, they lower your monthly operating costs, but will “the market” ever recognize these savings and factor them into the value of your building? And what about the fact that your ahead-of-its-time building is more likely to… Continue Reading
Washington’s State Energy Strategy
Posted in Electric Vehicles, Energy Conservation, Fuel Efficiency, Green Building, LegislationPundits, at least pundits of a certain stripe, have long decried the fact that the United States has no energy strategy. Without a strategy, the argument goes, we are left at the whim of forces we cannot control and that will whipsaw the economy and the nation. And so, one has to be a bit… Continue Reading
The City of Seattle is a Microcosm of Why You Should and Why You May Not Build a LEED Building
Posted in Energy Conservation, Green Building, LEED, LegislationIn 2000 the City of Seattle became the first city in the country to require that all city buildings over 5,000 square feet achieve LEED silver rating. The City’s goal in doing that was to spur development of LEED buildings by demonstrating their value and increasing the familiarity of the local design professions and contractors… Continue Reading
October 1 Deadline for Seattle Building Owners to Complete Energy Benchmarking Reports
Posted in Energy Conservation, Green Building, LEED, LegislationThe City of Seattle has set a goal of reducing energy use by 20 percent over 2005 levels by 2020. To do that, it has to make major improvements in the half of all energy use which occurs in buildings. The City’s energy code for new buildings is state of the art. But that alone… Continue Reading
The “Greenest Building in the World” is Being Built Right Here in Seattle!
Posted in Green Building, Renewable Energy, Sustainable BusinessThe Bullitt Foundation broke ground on its new home/office building in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle yesterday. It is touted as the “Greenest Building in the World”—quite a claim. But people should take note of the attempt to be energy neutral, carbon neutral, harvest/reuse rain water in 50,000 gallon cisterns—that may be even used… Continue Reading
Oberlin, Ohio Joins the Ground Game of Carbon Neutrality
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Green Building, Renewable Energy, Sustainable BusinessI was asked last week to refer someone to a consultant who could help them evaluate a business selling carbon credits and renewable energy credits. While I could suggest a consultant to do that, I had to note that selling carbon credits just isn’t the same business as it would have been if the United… Continue Reading
Building Green with Net-Zero Energy Technologies
Posted in Green Building, LEED, TechnologyBy Cynthia Kennedy This spring, we reported on two buildings under construction in the Seattle area that are designed to use net-zero energy. The engineering team for the new commercial net-zero energy building, the Cascadia Center for Sustainable Design and Construction, recently released a report describing how they plan to accomplish this feat. The six-story… Continue Reading
Concept Designs Unveiled for Seattle’s Central Waterfront
Posted in Green Building, Natural Resources and Environment, Seattle Central Waterfront ProjectBy Cynthia Kennedy James Corner Field Operations unveiled exciting initial concept designs for Seattle’s Central Waterfront before another large and enthusiastic crowd at the Bell Harbor Convention Center last month. The initial designs focus on concepts for facilitating pedestrian connections across folds of green space down to the waterfront, and concepts for enticing people down… Continue Reading
Net Zero Energy Buildings Becoming a Reality
Posted in Green Building, LEED, Renewable EnergyBy Cynthia Kennedy As previously reported, local property owners and developers are taking up the “2030 Challenge” to reduce energy use, carbon emissions and water use in new and remodeled buildings. Local governments are also reviewing energy and building codes with those goals in mind. At the same time, recent LEED forums have been abuzz about… Continue Reading
Growth Board Decision A Good Reminder That Sustainable Development Is About Location, Not Just Design
Posted in Entrepreneurs, Green Building, RegulatoryThis past Monday, April 25th, the Central Puget Sound Growth Management Hearings Board issued a decision invalidating Snohomish County’s designation of Point Wells as an “Urban Center.” Point Wells is a 60+ acre tract of waterfront property in the very southwest corner of Snohomish County, adjacent to the Town of Woodway and the City of… Continue Reading
King County Joins the Seattle 2030 District
Posted in Green BuildingBy Cynthia Kennedy As we reported in January, a group of property owners in the City of Seattle are voluntary working together to collectively meet the Architecture 2030 Challenge for Planners across their “2030 District.” Now that group has been joined by King County. The King County Council voted unanimously to join the Seattle 2030… Continue Reading
Volcanoes and Earthquakes and Tsunamis, Oh My!
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Green Building, Natural Resources and EnvironmentLast week, I had the pleasure of vacationing in one of the most beautiful states in our great nation—Hawaii, land of palm trees, long sandy beaches and killer Mai Tais. Mother Nature has blessed Hawaii with beautiful flora and fauna, a gorgeous coastline and coral reefs that attract colorful fish and sea turtles. But two… Continue Reading
Seattle’s 2030 District Takes up the Carbon Neutral Challenge
Posted in Green Building, Natural Resources and Environment, RegulatoryBy Cynthia Kennedy Concerns about global climate change are inspiring many innovative approaches to reducing carbon footprints. One local example is the Seattle 2030 District. The 2030 District is a group of downtown property owners and managers who are voluntary working together to collectively meet the Architecture 2030 Challenge for Planners throughout their district. The… Continue Reading
Will 2011 Be a Greener Year?
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Capital and Funding, Climate Change, Entrepreneurs, Green Building, Intellectual Property, Legislation, Regulatory, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Business, TechnologyWill 2011 be a greener year? I think so. Here are my predictions for the coming year: 1. EV era has begun: While a single Nissan Leaf delivery to Seattle a week ago doesn’t signal the onslaught of an era, the first delivery and sprouting of EV charging stations around the Puget Sound area is… Continue Reading
Seattle’s New Priority Green Permitting
Posted in Green Building, RegulatoryBy Cynthia Kennedy The City of Seattle has further streamlined its permitting process for projects that are built green. Seattle’s new Priority Green program consolidates and reorganizes the City’s permitting incentives for sustainable development projects. Priority Green. All projects qualifying for Priority Green processing receive: Dedicated staff, Priority intake appointments, and A single point of… Continue Reading
It Will Take Focus and Money Just to Stay in the Game
Posted in Green Building, Legislation, Renewable EnergyThe hallmark of a consultant’s report is that when you read it, your first reaction is “I knew that.” The hallmark of a consultant’s report that was worth the money is that your second reaction is, “It’s about time someone said it out loud that clearly.” So it was with the release a little over… Continue Reading
The Simple Things
Posted in Green Building, Sustainable BusinessWe in America tend to focus our climate change policies on significant projects, such as wind/solar/biomass energy production and revamping the grid to bring the clean energy to the masses. We spend a lot of time debating stimulus tax incentives and cap and trade plans. But we seem to miss the little things that really… Continue Reading
Designing New Connections to Seattle’s Central Waterfront
Posted in Green Building, Natural Resources and EnvironmentBy Cynthia Kennedy Seattle has selected a design team for the City’s Central Waterfront Project. The James Corner Field Operations (JCFO) team introduced its vision for the Central Waterfront to a large and enthusiastic crowd at a recent public forum at Benaroya Hall. It was exciting to hear the team’s ideas for seizing the opportunities… Continue Reading
Low Impact Development (LID), Permeable Surfaces, and Bugs- Oh My!
Posted in Green Building, Natural Resources and Environment, TechnologyEverybody knows (or should know) that pollutants from cars (motor oil, car wash detergent, dirt, pesticides, etc.) tend to find their way into water runoffs and that such pollutants are generally the same as untreated sewage: they go directly into our rivers and streams and eventually into our main water bodies (here, Puget Sound). Parking… Continue Reading
King County’s “ToolKit2” Promotes Sustainable Cities
Posted in Green BuildingAt last week’s “GreenTools Government Confluence,” King County rolled out its latest “Toolkit” for sustainable cities. “Toolkit2” is a web-based network of tools, resources, examples and peer-to-peer support for cities, to help promote their green building and sustainable planning efforts. Toolkit2 includes a roadmap, developed by a coalition of King County jurisdictions, to help cities… Continue Reading
A Delicious Idea for Green Roofs
Posted in Green Building, LEEDBy Cynthia Kennedy The LEED rating system promotes green building and sustainable development techniques. One such technique encouraged by the LEED system is installing a “green roof.” Green roofs replace traditional heat-absorbing roofing materials with plant materials. Vegetated green roofs can reduce energy consumption by providing insulation benefits for the building and helping to reduce… Continue Reading
McKinstry Buys Energy Management Software from Itron
Posted in Green Building, TechnologyBy Rebecca Anderson As predicted in one of my earlier posts, the deep pockets are coming out to play as evidenced by McKinstry’s purchase of a “smart building” software from Itron. McKinstry, one of the nation’s leading energy efficiency companies, announced Tuesday that it acquired the Enterprise Energy Management Suite (EEM Suite) software from Itron,… Continue Reading