So being a little curious about this company, I visited its web site to learn more and this concept of solar floss.  Sure enough Thornton promotes its solar power capacity and now I have no doubt about the notion of solar floss but I was a little disappointed that the company had no other green stories.  Nowhere on its web site does it mention any other green initiatives such as how it disposes of waste, the materials used or water usage in the manufacturing process. It’s great they have panels and can claim the floss is made using solar energy but how about the other stuff.  This is what I like to refer to as a “sort of” green product; one which is indirectly enhanced by a green factor but might not be holistically green. 

So how did I learn about this company?  I received a press announcement from Westport, CT based C Solar, LLC announcing they had been hired by Thornton to install six Honeywell wind turbines. Next up, wind floss.

By now, everyone has heard about going “green” and in some form or another, has taken steps to live a “greener” lifestyle, whether through recycling paper and household items, shopping with reusable grocery bags, installing renewable energy sources or driving a hybrid car.

Going green, as it relates to commercial real estate, has been defined as constructing a building, or space within a building, and implementing (and following) processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient from the earliest stages of siting, through design and construction and into the operation, maintenance, renovation and eventual deconstruction.

Landlords and tenants are beginning to realize that there are significant benefits from going green, including reduced maintenance and operating costs, increases in tenant retention rates and a general competitive advantage in today’s challenging and constantly changing marketplace.

According to the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), green commercial buildings consume less energy and fewer resources in comparison to the average commercial building; on average, 26 percent less energy; 13 percent lower maintenance costs; 27 percent higher occupant satisfaction and 33 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than conventional buildings.

However, green leases present a new array of unique issues to both landlords and tenants and while experienced landlords and tenants may be well versed in standard commercial leases, they may not be familiar with assessing the risks and challenges associated with a green lease. All parties must carefully examine how to incorporate the sustainable and environmentally responsible building elements and processes into the lease agreement and how these components could impact the value of the property, the use of the premises and the overall relationship between the landlord and tenant. Some important issues are:

• The Standard: A green lease is a typical commercial lease that incorporates sustainability and environmentally responsible concepts. In order to achieve a meaningful green lease, the parties need to have, and the green lease needs to reflect, a clear understanding of the specific “green objectives” (the practices and standards) to which the parties, the building and the uses must satisfy. The standard is the cornerstone of the lease and the point from which success or failure is to be measured. However, each party needs to understand that the standards cannot be too narrow or prescriptive, because they could become outdated or irrelevant during the term of the lease. If a specific certification, such as LEED, is to be obtained and maintained, the lease should spell this out clearly.

• The Fit Up: Inevitably, as part of a new lease, the tenant’s premises will need to be improved or fit-up. Regardless of whether the landlord or the tenant is performing the improvement work, each party will need to know and specify what level of “greening” the premises must satisfy. This should include specifying acceptable construction materials and finishes and whether or not the constructing party is to seek a LEED or other green certification for its premises.

• Default Triggers: Both the landlord and tenant will want to ensure that green certifications (if applicable) or green objectives are achieved and then prohibit the other from doing (or not doing) anything which would adversely affect them. Complex issues such as identifying the party responsible for the failure, determining whether the failure is capable of being remedied (and if so, then by whom), if either party has the right to impose fines or offset rent as a result and quantifying damages, all need to be considered early on and then addressed. While there is yet to be a case in Connecticut that has tested the nature or extent of liability related to failure to obtain and sustain a green certification or objective, as with all business ventures, the parties should evaluate the risks, clearly delineate responsibilities and include provisions for failure to obtain or maintain the objectives.

• Incentives/Credits: In connection with the construction and/or operation of a green building, the landlord and/or tenant may be eligible for various credits and incentives, such as income tax credits, renewable energy credits (Green Tags) and energy efficiency credits (White Tags). These credits are a few of the many incentives to building green and, depending on the type of lease and how operating and utility costs are shared (or not shared), which party gets the benefit of these credits is an important if not vital issue. Consideration should be given up front as to how any possible credits or incentives will be allocated between the parties, keeping in mind that some credits may be earned during the term (or construction), but payable later.

Green building will continue to grow and likely become the best practice in the construction and development industry, inevitably leading to more and more green leases. With increased focus on going green, it is imperative for landlords and tenants to understand the effects of and the issues arising from green leases, so that both parties can address and resolve the unique issues involved and foster a successful — and environmentally responsible — leasing relationship.

Brion J. Kirsch is an attorney in the real estate and green development practices at Pullman & Comley, LLC in Bridgeport; Brad N. Mondschein practices in the area of alternative energy and is chair of Pullman & Comley’s green development practice in Hartford. They can be reached at bkirsch@pullcom.com and bmondschein@pullcom.com.

So who takes the LEED Green Associate Exam? Anyone in the building industry and anyone interested in LEED can become a LEED Green Associate. This course is required for anyone who also wishes to be a LEED AP. The LEED Green Associate credential is intended for professionals who want to demonstrate green building expertise in non-technical fields of practice.

This session is ideal for facility owners, contractors, construction managers, architects, lawyers, builders, engineers, product representatives, accountants, facility managers, real estate brokers, students and anyone interested in understanding green building principles or looking for a new career path.

For questions or to RSVP, please email Keith Mitcheltree at the CTGBC EP at ct.sprout.education@gmail.com

General Motors claims the Volt will get 230 miles per gallon for the average city driver.

General Motors Chairman Ed Whitacre Jr announced last week in Austin, Texas, additions to the Chevy Volt rollout schedule. He confirmed that Austin and New York City would join California, Michigan and Washington, D.C., as initial markets for the extended range plug-in hybrid when sales begin in November. He added that the Volt also would be sold in Connecticut starting early next year. Other early 2011 markets are New Jersey and the parts of Texas and New York.

Why Connecticut?  Simple.  The Nutmeg State has a certain mystique as a test market for green products.  Even though the recession has hit the state’s economy hard, the general consensus ‘out there’ is that the state has residents that have disposable income.  If it costs a little more, they can swing it.  The other part of the mystique and maybe its more fact than fiction, is the notion that because of Connecticut’s high ranking in various green based surveys and categories related to energy, recycling and other, this writer believes that marketers are convinced, per capita, we have a bunch of residents that live hard core green lifestyles and would love to be driving the new Volt.

The grant was only one of 20 awarded nationwide in this highly competitive national solicitation for towns with populations under 35,000. The Governor said the partnership estimates the project will create and retain nearly 400 jobs, save nearly $150 million energy costs, while leveraging $4.70 for every federal dollar invested.

“Connecticut has a well-established blueprint for supporting and growing alternative energy industries and CCEF has been a strong partner in that development,” Governor Rell said. “These funds will further enhance the strides we have made and that have made Connecticut a leader in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency. It is an industry with unlimited potential, especially since the well-trained workforce it requires is already in place in Connecticut.”

In addition to CCEF, the partnership is composed of eight public, private, academic and nonprofit organizations and funds: AFC First Financial, Clean Water Fund, Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund, Earth Markets, Efficiency 2.0, MIT Field Intelligence Lab/Empower Devices, SmartPower, and the Student Conservation Association.

The partnership will undertake a collaborative project to help residents save energy and boost clean energy usage through a comprehensive portfolio of actions modeled after CCEF’s award-winning Connecticut Clean Energy Communities Program.

The actions will be implemented by a consortium of 14 rural, suburban and low-income communities throughout Connecticut, including Bethany, Cheshire, East Haddam, East Hampton, Glastonbury, Lebanon, Mansfield, Portland, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport, Wethersfield, Wilton and Windham. These towns are already Connecticut Clean Energy Communities and, under this project, will be strengthening their commitment to clean energy, energy efficiency and conservation.

The project aims to have at least 10 percent of households set specific, measurable goals of 20 percent energy savings and clean energy usage and provides support to help residents achieve these goals. The partnership estimates the project could reduce the production of nearly 250,000 metric tons of harmful carbon dioxide emissions.

Project initiatives shall include an innovative online platform involving energy advisors and leader boards for communities, an on-the-ground clean energy community corps, financing to assist homeowners with energy efficiency measures and clean energy installations, performance-based incentives to reward communities for meeting targets and a monitoring program to support both continuous program improvement and investment impact analysis.

“The collaborative efforts of all involved – including the initial partners, the participating communities and support from our Congressional delegation – helped contribute to a successful outcome for Connecticut,” said Lise Dondy, CCEF president. “We look forward to working with the entire project team to expand our community-based energy efficiency and clean energy efforts, help our residents benefit from significant energy cost savings, create green jobs and become a national model for increased adoption of clean energy.”

The energy grant was awarded by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through a competitive solicitation under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The DOE dedicated $60 million nationwide in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funding to help local governments, nonprofit groups and quasi-public agencies promote energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.

For more information on stimulus programs in Connecticut, visit the state’s official stimulus Web site at: www.ct.gov and click on the CT Recovery link. For more information on CCEF, go to: www.ctcleanenergy.com

Source: Governor Rell Press Release

Since your company is part of this sector or provides work that supports this sector, I hope that you will take a short 10 – 15 minute survey about your entry-level jobs that require only basic educational attainment – either high school completion or short-term educational certifications by clicking on this link:

http://cbia.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_a4S48iAnNVMnJBO

This survey is being conducted as part of a grant from Workforce Solutions Collaborative of Metro Hartford to the CEWDC to assess the workforce development needs of the growing energy sector with particular emphasis on entry-level jobs.  The survey results will be used to create a report to inform training providers of the required skills and competencies workers need to succeed in your company and to determine if the appropriate training is currently provided or needs to be developed.  The report will also identify those barriers that might prevent workers from gaining or retaining employment in the sector. 

On behalf of the CEWDC, I thank you for your time in answering the survey. You are helping to ensure that Connecticut will have a skilled energy workforce to meet the employment needs of today and tomorrow.

For questions about this survey, please contact either Judy Resnick or Sonya Richmond at the CBIA Education Foundation, 860-244-1900.

Thank you,

Auggie V

*About CEWDC

CEWDC was established in 2008 by private-sector employers in traditional and alternative energy sectors to develop collaborative approaches to address their need for skilled workers. Northeast Utilities (NU) and United Illuminating (UI), Connecticut’s two largest utilities, are leading this initiative, and includes private and public members from alternative energy, solar, nuclear, gas, fuel cell and manufacturing companies, labor unions, workforce investment boards, the CT Clean Energy Fund, technical high schools and colleges. Over 50 percent of the membership is made up of representatives from business and industry. The CBIA Education Foundation serves as the organization’s manager.

The study, released earlier this month by the Environment and Human Health, Inc., says that the voluntary rating system — the gold standard for green buildings everywhere — falsely presents its projects as bastions of health and safety, when it actually allows for all sorts of harmful stuff, whether pesticides in tap water or formaldehyde-laden particleboard. “Although the primary stated purposes of the Green Building Council are to promote both energy efficiency and human health,” says John Wargo, a professor of risk analysis and environmental policy at Yale and the study’s lead author, “even the Council’s most prestigious Platinum award does little to ensure that hazardous chemicals are kept out of the certified buildings.”

The report’s yet another blow to LEED and its nonprofit administrator the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which have become prime targets for environmental groups in recent years. The standard is seen as eco-lite and too industry-friendly. Some of the stiffest attacks come from energy conservationists, who say that LEED buildings don’t live up to their own benchmark — a criticism borne out by the USGBC’s internal research. A 2008 study found that one-fourth of freshly certified projects weren’t conserving as much energy as their LEED seals indicate, and most weren’t tracking energy consumption at all.

The Environment and Human Health report is focused less on energy performance than on the flesh and bones of the buildings themselves. It cites, for instance, substances common in building materials, like phthalates (used in floor and wall coverings); short-chain chlorinated paraffins (used in flame retardants); and perfluorinated chemicals (used in carpets and upholstery). All of these are listed as “chemicals of concern,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency — and all of them are fair game under LEED.

In the realm of a voluntary rating system, do these violations really matter? As the study’s authors point out, LEED is now law in many states and municipalities across the country, from San Francisco to Kentucky — which makes the program a public health issue. The report offers various suggestions for a healthier LEED like running tests for indoor air and water quality after people have moved in, docking credits for using hazardous substances, and filling the USGBC’s top ranks with more medical professionals. (At the moment, there’s just one formally trained doctor on the board of directors.) It also makes recommendations for the federal government to update its toxic materials database.

The USGBC’s response: “There’s validity in what these people are saying, and we want to work with them to improve LEED,” says Scot Horst, senior vice president for LEED. At the same time, he dismisses any drastic measures. “LEED could say there should be no chemicals in any building and no energy used and no water and every building should give back water and energy,” he tells us. “We could do all that, and no one would use the rating system. We can only take the market as far as it’s willing to go.” Sounds like those environmental groups are onto something, after all.

At the end of April, I stumbled upon another Earth Day story that had a little bids and bees theme to it and being that time of the year, I decided to mention it in this web site’s April eNewsletter.  The story was about a partnership that was formed between an eco-sexpert and author of the premier guide on the topic, a company that produces eco-friendly sex accessories and a co-founder of a luxury erotica boutique.

In early May, I found out that Stefanie Iris Weiss, the eco-sexpert I mentioned in the eNewsletter, was appearing at Super Green Drinks in Norwalk on June 2.  Funny how that works; I had never heard of her before April and then twice in two months.  A little curious about this concept, I reached out to the organizers of the event and asked if I could meet Stefanie for an interview.  I caught-up with Stefanie recently and the following is our discussion.

Auggie V: What was your inspiration to write the book?

I was inspired to bring this information to true greenies, those that have greened every arena of their lives but their sex lives. And what better than sex to bring the uninitiated into the green fold? I figured that a fun, sensual book like Eco-Sex could influence people who are otherwise unconcerned about the environment. Using sex as a lure, I hoped to create more awareness about issues that have long been important to me.

Auggie V: What is your background and how did you become involved with sustainability?

I’ve been a vegetarian since I read Francis Moore Lappe’s Diet for Small Planet when I was a teenager. Growing up in the suburbs (Long Island) I longed for a deeper connection to nature. When I gave up meat and understood the connection between fast food and resource depletion, it opened me up to a new world, and I’ve lived there ever since. I had understood the phrase “the personal is the political” purely in terms of my relationship to feminism and the pro-choice movement. When I was officially turned on to “being green”, this phrase took on an even deeper meaning for me. The choices I made every moment, from shopping to the food on my plate, had major implications for all life on earth. That was a major “wow” experience for me.

Auggie V: Please tell our site visitors about your recent partnership announcement with JimmyJane.com and Coco de Mer.

I’ve been lucky enough to work with Ethan Imboden, the founder off Jimmyjane.com, an online purveyor of sustainable sex toys, and Justine Roddick, daughter of Anita Roddick and the owner/founder of Coco de Mer, a sustainable, conscious sex shop in NYC, LA and London. We’ve created a three-way partnership to get the message out about sex and sustainability. Our vision is built around the idea that making your love life sustainable doesn’t mean you must live in a spirit of denial. In fact, moving your sex life into a sustainable space means just the opposite. It will be MORE sensual and more fulfilling.

4. Where can readers find your book?

Eco-Sex: Go Green Between the Sheets and Make Your Love Life Sustainable (Crown Publishing/Ten Speed Press) is available at all bookstores, including Barnes and Noble and Borders. It’s also available on Amazon and other online retailers, and you can get it for your Kindle!

5.  Red Sox or Yankees…. 

The Mets!

Auggie V’s notes:  To find out more about Stefanie and her book, visit her web site at ecosex.net.  Stefanie will be signing copies of her book at Super Green Drinks on June 2nd at Fat Cat Pie and Fat Cat Joe in Norwalk. Hope to see you there….Message to Stefanie: As a Phillies fan, if I had known you were a Mets fan, I’d of thought twice about posting this Q &A. But I’ll look past it because first, the Phillies are way greener than the Mets and second, they kicked our fannies last week.

The bottom line of running a successful business is to make all your dollars count. Cutting back on unnecessary energy use keeps hard-earned money in your pocket.

Here are many energy-saving ideas for any office this summer, from a home office to the company HQ. You should also check out the incentives and rebates available to you from your state and your local utility.

You can find out how to take an energy audit at www.solarday.com as well as explore additional energy options with electricity produced by a solar PV installation.

General Tips

- Whenever possible don’t use large equipment during the peak hours of 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

- Turn equipment and lights off after hours.

- Always choose ENERGY STAR® products whenever possible.

- Set energy-saving features on all your office equipment to put them into sleep mode when not in use.

- An energy audit might be the best investment you can make for your business.

Cooling and Ventilation Systems – Improve the Efficiency

- Set the thermostat in your workspace to 78 degrees during work hours, and raise the setting to 85 degrees when the space is unoccupied. The energy savings can be significant – as much as 2 percent of your air conditioning costs for each one degree that you raise the thermostat. By example: If all businesses in California set their thermostats to a higher temperature, the State would save 770 megawatts for every 2 degrees.

- Use a programmable thermostat and make it easy to adjust the settings as well as regulate the temperature when you are closed to avoid unnecessary cooling costs. Consider a locking cover over the thermostat to avoid having employees change temperature settings.

- Close window blinds to shade your rooms from direct sunlight.

- Allow your workers to wear comfortable clothing during hot weather. It makes little sense to keep a room cold enough that workers must wear suits and coats.

- To save energy, keep your exterior and freight doors closed as much as possible. Consumers frequently complain about retailers who run their air conditioning on high to keep their stores as cold as possible while leaving their doors wide open.

- Keep your cooling and ventilation systems tuned. Maintain a regular filter replacement and cleaning schedule. Don’t forget to check ducts and pipe insulation.

Install window film, solar screens or awning in south and west facing windows

- Solar control window films applied to existing glass in windows and doors is an effective method to reduce peak demand during hot months and conserve energy anytime air conditioning might be required. In addition to the energy management benefits, the use of these films can also reduce exposure to ultraviolet radiation and reduce glare. Visit the International Window Film Association for more information.

- Install ceiling fans – they make it feel at least four degrees cooler during the summer.

- When buying new cooling and ventilation units – choose ENERGY STAR. They are 20 to 30 percent more efficient than older models.

- Rewire restroom fans to operate when the lights are turned on.

- Install an air conditioning-economizer to bring in outside air when it’s cool.

- Insulate water heaters and supply pipes.

- If possible, install ceiling and wall insulation. You will save money on your monthly utility bills and your employees will be more comfortable.

- Install ENERGY STAR labeled reflected “Cool Roof” roofing materials.

Lighting – The Right Light for the Right Task

- Many offices, stores or factories can easily reduce lighting without affecting productivity. Turn off as many unnecessary lights as possible. Use task lighting instead of overhead lighting, and light only those areas that are needed at the time. Providing the right lighting can save up to 15 percent on your lighting bill.

- Again, make sure that equipment and lights are turned off after hours.

- Replace old fluorescent lights with newer, more efficient models with electronic ballasts (such as retrofit T12 lights with magnetic ballasts to T8 lights and electronic ballasts).

- Replace your high-use incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights. A compact fluorescent light uses 75 percent less electricity to produce the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb. The compact fluorescent will last about 10,000 hours as opposed to the 600 to 1,000 hour average life of an incandescent. By replacing a 100-watt incandescent with an equivalent 25-watt compact fluorescent, you can save more than $90 per bulb in electricity costs over the 10,000-hour lifetime of the compact fluorescent.

- Make sure that bulbs, fixtures, lenses, lamps and reflective surfaces are cleaned regularly. By removing grease, dust and other dirt, you can increase the output of your lights.

- Install automatic, occupancy sensor room-lighting controls to turn lights on or off depending on occupancy or time of day.

- Change out incandescent or fluorescent exit signs with LED exit signs.

Computers and Other Office Equipment

- Turn off your computers and any other office equipment when you’re not using them, especially overnight and weekends. This practice costs nothing and can potentially save as much as $44 per year, per computer, depending on what you pay per kilowatt-hour. “Smart” power strips are being marketed that sense the presence or absence of office workers and turn the attached equipment on and off accordingly.

- For computer protection during a power curtailment, your company might invest in “Uninterruptible Power Supplies,” (also known as UPS systems) which combine surge protectors and battery packs. These will run a computer for a short time to allow a worker to save files and prevent the loss of information when the power goes out.

- To be as energy efficient as possible, only buy office equipment that displays the ENERGYSTAR logo.

- Choose settings that automatically switch the computer monitor into sleep or “power-down” mode when it hasn’t been worked on for a preset amount of time. Shorten the delay time before your monitor automatically goes into sleep mode.

- Consider having employees use lap top computers since they use up to 90 percent less energy than a standard computer.

- If it works for your business, consider ink-jet printers which also use 90 percent less energy than laser printers.

- Purchase the proper sized copier for your business needs

- Choose a flat-panel computer monitor rather than a regular cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor. Some flat-panel liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors use considerably less electricity than comparably-sized CRT models, but the extra first cost is still much more than the lifetime energy savings. However, prices for LCD monitors have been dropping, so they may be cost effective. If you have to buy a CRT monitor, buy the smallest monitor that will meet your needs. The bigger the monitor, the more energy it uses. For example, a 17-inch monitor consumes 35 percent more electricity than a 14-inch monitor.

 
Addison Huegel is the Director of solarday.com. SolarDay is a national and international day of recognition of Solar Energy, Clean Technology, Energy Independence, Sustainability and Protection of the Planet. SolarDay 2010 will be held Saturday, June 19. For more info on SolarDay and more energy saving tips, visit www.solarday.com.

There aren’t too many conversations in my industry these days that don’t at some point make mention of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), green design, or some other LEED®-related topic. I recently completed my LEED Green Associate exam and would like to give you a brief overview of what went into the preparation for it.

First let me give you a little history. The USGBC is a non-profit organization, committed to building a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation. The Green Building Certification Institute manages the professional credentialing programs, including the LEED Green Associate and LEED AP BD+C credentials, which assess one’s knowledge of green building design and the LEED rating systems for new construction and building renovations.

The latest version of the LEED AP examination (version 3.0) requires you to pass two exams. The first exam is the LEED Green Associate, followed by a specialty exam. If you are reading this blog post, most likely your specialty exam will be Building Design and Construction. After successfully passing the building design and construction exam you would be considered a LEED AP BD+C.

When studying for the LEED Green Associate, you should go to the GBCI website and download the LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook. This PDF is roughly 30 pages in length and is the perfect tool to help you along the way. The document is updated frequently, so always be sure to download it directly from the website. The handbook covers such things as how to register, what to study and things you should know about the exam. The “preparing for your exam” section includes a list of primary and ancillary references with direct links to study material on the Internet, most of which is free.

In addition to the primary and ancillary references you can study from, many third-party companies have put together comprehensive study packages, ranging in price from $35 to $80. Some offer audio study guides in MP3 format, flash cards and even practice test questions.

It is important to be up on the latest trends in green building and green design. In 2008 BICSI created an alliance called the Green Building Technology Alliance. Members from BICSI, TIA, InfoComm and CABA are part of the alliance. Theya re working toward creating technology-related credits for the next version of LEED.

Felix Zayas is a technology designer for BVH Integrated Services Inc. , a multi-disciplined engineering firm based in Blooomfield, CT that provides MEP, civil, structural, sustainable design, commissioning and technology services to clients in the educational, health-care, corporate, governmental and research markets.

With more than seven years of telecommunications engineering experience, Felix has earned the Registered Communications Distribution Designer and Network Transport Systems designations from BICSI. He is a Certified Technology Specialist as designated by InfoComm and is licensed in the State of Connecticut as a Telecommunications Layout Technician. As he indicates in this blog post, he is also a LEED Green Associate as designated by the Green Building Certification Institute. He can be reached at felix@bvhis.com or 860-286-9171.

This article first appeared on the Cabling Blog.