The team here at buildingctgreen.com regularly tracks activities related to green building news in Connecticut.  Recently, we’ve noticed and up-swing in the number of green building stories. Maybe Connecticut’s inactive commercial real estate market is beginning to rebound.  Here are a few of the recent good stories.
 
State Tops on Global Green’s Affordable Housing List

For the fifth consecutive year, Global Green USA has conducted an analysis and ranking of the Qualified Allocation Plans (QAPs) for all 50 states. Connecticut tied for first place this year (2009) with Georgia. QAPs are typically established by state housing finance agencies and guide the annual distribution of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). The 2009 analysis further confirms the trend of states incorporating a steadily increasing number of green building requirements in their QAPs, particularly in the area of energy efficiency. Points are awarded in four categories and bonuses are provided to states that achieve points in multiple categories and to states that encourage projects to participate in a comprehensive third-party green building program, such as the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, Enterprise Community Partner’s Green Communities Initiative, or Southface Energy Institute’s EarthCraft green building program. Based on the total score, each state is then assigned a letter grade based on deviation from the mean score. The top ten states and their points: 1. Connecticut (50) / Georgia (50) 2. Maryland (48) 3. Washington (44) / New Jersey (44) 4. Massachusetts (43) 5. Minnesota (40) / New York (40)6. Vermont (39) 7. California (38)

Reckson Installs New Solar Roof

Greenwich, CT-based Reckson, a division of SL Green Realty Corp. based in New York, has installed a new 100 kilowatt photovoltaic solar panel system on the roof of 500 W. Putnam. The system is capable of delivering up to 50% of the building’s energy needs during peak performance, and it’s anticipated that it will provide approximately 5% of the property’s annual energy needs. The new solar paneled roof, installed by Mercury Solar systems in a little over four week’s time and partially financed with state and federal grants, aligns with LEED requirements. It provides onsite renewable energy both for the property and its tenants and it allows tenants seeking LEED Commercial Interior Certification to be eligible for points associated with its “Onsite Renewable Energy” category.

Reckson has embraced sustainability since 2007 when it launched its suburban sustainable program led by Jason Black, LEED AP, which involves expanding its recycling efforts to include carpet and ceiling tile, following efforts to recycle cardboard and scrap metal from all job sites. To date, Reckson has recycled over 350,000 s/f of each carpet and ceiling tile, totaling over 200 tons of debris diverted from landfills. In 2008, Reckson was recognized by BOMA Westchester with its “Best Green Initiative” Award for its sustainable program. And two months ago, the company completed its $1.2 million suburban office lighting retrofit program, which involved upgrading/replacing existing light fixtures within 20 of Reckson’s Westchester and Connecticut buildings’ core/common/garage areas with high efficiency fixtures.

Gateway Breaks Ground On New Downtown Green Campus

The state of Connecticut and Gateway Community College (GCC) held a groundbreaking ceremony Jan. 26 for GCC’s new $198 million campus in downtown New Haven, the largest construction project the state has ever undertaken and its first public building designed to be gold-certified in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The four-story, 358,000-square-foot campus is slated to be completed in 2012. At its peak, it is estimated that up to 350 workers will be working on the project, which is being built on 3.7 acres that formerly were home to a Macy’s and Edw. Malley Co. department store at 2-20 Church Street. It will include a 600-car parking garage, which adds another 200,000 square feet to the project. Another 700 parking spaces have been leased in the existing Temple Street Garage adjacent to the site. The campus will include 90 general purpose classrooms, 22 computer labs, 10 meeting spaces, a library, cafeteria, bookstore, small business center, culinary arts center, health center, early learning center, administrative offices and a variety of other features.

EOS Solar Project Could Aid Several Organizations

The seven entities — five of which are located in Berkshire County — have teamed with Hancock, MA-based EOS Ventures, Berkshire Bank, and Wilton, CT-based Alteris Renewables to have solar panels installed in a $4.5 million, 20-year project being called “the Berkshire Bundle” by EOS, a 2-year-old renewable energy development company.
The partnership also includes Brandeis University in Waltham, one of the country’s leading private research institutions, and the Wheeler School, a co-ed independent day school in Providence, R.I. Wheeler’s solar power facility was installed at the fieldhouse at the school’s secondary campus in Seekonk, a Massachusetts town on the Rhode Island border.

Nestle Waters To Move To New Green Headquarters

Nestle Waters North America, a producer of bottled water, has said that it will relocate its headquarters from Greenwich to Stamford, Connecticut, late in 2010. The company has 475 employees at its headquarters, which has been located in Greenwich since 1979. The company intends to add 25 jobs at the headquarters over the next three years. The company plans to renovate the Stamford location to meet the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for green buildings. Currently, the company has nine facilities built to LEED certification. The Department of Economic and Community Development is providing a $4 million, low-interest loan to equip the company’s new building. Nestle Waters also could be eligible for up to $5 million in tax credits.

Apartment Building is Green and Affordable

With its corner towers, columned wrap-around porch, and chorus of sloping roof lines, the building at 76 Governor Street in Ridgefield, CT seems a converted Victorian, like the neighboring police station. The new $3-million building, completed this fall, holds 16 two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments — five of them “affordable” under state guidelines; five of the 16 units have monthly rents range from $1,000 to $2,800.

The green attributes include a rain garden planted with native plants improves filtration of storm runoff; a “soil ring system” for emergency vehicles’ access reduces the amount of pavement and runoff; and outdoor lighting is “dark-sky compliant.” Inside, the building is insulated well beyond building code requirements and has energy efficient windows. With a gas line from East Ridge, all apartments have individual gas-fired heating systems and individual tankless hot water heaters; and ventilation includes a building-wide ERV (energy recovery system); all appliances are “Energy Star” units; no paints with “volatile organic compounds” where used inside.

Price Chopper’s To Open New Green Store

Price Chopper has plans to open a new store in Middletown, Conn., the family-owned supermarket chain recently announced. The 60,000 – sq.-ft. supermarket/pharmacy will be the eighth in Connecticut and the 120th in New England when it opens this summer, the company said. The company plans to “meet or exceed” the U.S. Green Building Council LEED standards to minimize the store’s effects on the local environment and natural resources.

Filed under: Energy, Green Buildings