USGBC: The United States Green Building Council
The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a 501 c3 non-profit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.. With a community comprising 78 local affiliates, more than 18,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 140,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students.
Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.
About the U.S. Green Building Council from U.S. Green Building Council on Vimeo.
USGBC’s Mission To transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life. USGBC’s Vision Buildings and communities will regenerate and sustain the health and vitality of all life within a generation.
USGBC’s Guiding Principles USGBC’s Board of Directors has articulated “guiding principles” that will help us all with the decisions we make every day about USGBC and its programs. In an industry predicated on innovation, the principles provide us with clarity and continuity, while also giving us the flexibility to grow and respond to a rapidly changing market. Learn more about USGBC’s Guiding Principles. USGBC’s Headquarters USGBC’s headquarters are located in downtown Washington, DC. To schedule a tour of our LEED Platinum office, please contact hqtours@usgbc.org. USGBC Programs The annual U.S. market in green building products and services was more than $7 billion in 2005, $12 billion in 2007 and projected to increase to $60 billion by 2010. USGBC supports this effort with the following programs: LEED® Green Building Rating System™ The LEED green building certification system is the preeminent program for rating the design, construction and operation of green buildings. 35,000 projects are currently participating in the LEED system, comprising over 4.5 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 91 countries. By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.
Education USGBC provides top quality educational programs on green design, construction, and operations for professionals from all sectors of the building industry. Thousands of designers, builders, suppliers, and managers have attended USGBC educational programs to gain practical knowledge, explore new business opportunities, and learn how to create healthier, more productive and more efficient places to live and work. USGBC also hosts Greenbuild, the largest international conference and expo focused on green building. Greenbuild International Conference & Expo Greenbuild is the world’s largest conference and exposition dedicated to green building. Launched in 2002, it has quickly become the can’t-miss event for the green building industry. Each year, tens of thousands of professionals from all over the world are drawn to Greenbuild by outstanding educational sessions and speakers, green building tours, special seminars and networking events, and a huge exhibit hall featuring the newest products and technologies.
Advocacy
At every level of government, USGBC is advancing the powerful mission of green buildings for all within a generation. Through talented volunteer corps of green building advocates and seasoned national staff, USGBC is providing policymakers and community leaders with the tools, strategies and resources they need to take leadership positions, foster innovation, and inspire action. From signature national advocacy programs promoting green schools to policy engagement with decision makers in the White House, the U.S. Congress and state houses and city halls across the country, USGBC is accelerating the uptake of policies and initiatives that enable and encourage market transformation toward a sustainable built environment.
Chapter Programs There are 78 regional USGBC chapters nationwide providing green building resources, education, and networking opportunities in their communities.
Emerging Professionals USGBC’s Emerging Professionals program provides educational opportunities and resources to young professionals with the goal of integrating these future leaders into the green building movement.
Top 10 Green Building Trends for 2010
Green buildings are more energy efficient and provide greater value then traditional homes. The appeal of sustainable housing was highlighted in the 2009 McGraw Hill Construction report on the Green Home Consumer, which shows that green homes are generally secure from price erosion. Although 2009 was a slow year, green building bucked the trend by posting substantial growth.
At the beginning of the year, the Earth Advantage Institute, a leading nonprofit green building resource that has certified more than 11,000 sustainable homes, published its top ten green building trends in 2010.
1. Custom and web-based display panels that show real-time home energy use, and even real-time energy use by individual appliances.
2. More accurate energy rating systems for homes and office spaces has caught the attention of energy agencies and legislators around the country.
3. Building information modeling (BIM) software, (the continued evolution of CAD software for building design) has produced new add-on tools with increasingly accurate algorithms for energy modeling as well as embedded energy properties for many materials and features. This will prove instrumental in predicting building performance. BIM developers will soon be offering more affordable packages aimed at smaller firms and individual builders.
4. Lenders and insurers have come to see green homes and buildings as better for their bottom line and are working to get new reduced-rate loan products, insurance packages, and metrics into place. Lenders and insurers are realizing green home and building owners are more responsible, place higher value on maintenance and lower operating costs, and are less likely to default.
5. “Rightsizing” of homes due to the understanding that a larger home no longer translates into greater equity. Energy prices are expected to rise over time and this makes smaller more energy efficient homes a better value.
6. Eco-districts that encourage the creation of low-impact communities where residents have access to most services and supplies within walking or biking distance.
7. Water conservation to reduce residential water use which accounts for more than half of the publicly supplied water in the US. The EPA’s voluntary WaterSense specification for new homes reduces water use by about 20 percent compared to a conventional new home. Water is an essential resource and water scarcity is a growing problem.
8. Documenting, measuring, and reducing greenhouse gas creation in building materials and processes. Carbon Calculation for buildings that can help homeowners reduce their carbon emissions (homes account for approximately half of the carbon emitted into the atmosphere).
9. Net zero buildings generate more energy than it uses over the course of a year, as a result of relatively small size, extreme efficiencies and onsite renewable energy sources.
10. Sustainable building education will supply new learning opportunities, not just for designers and builders, but for the entire chain of professionals involved in the building industry, from real estate to finance, and insurance.
Sound Isolation Company To Exhibit At BuildingsNY – Green BuildingsNY 2010
Sound Isolation Company has been directly involved with hundreds of successfully completed projects in the Northeast and enjoyed yearly growth in the NYC metro area.
Noise Control in New York Buildings
BuildingsNY/GreenBuildingsNY 2010 is the largest building event for the New York region. Discover and source the latest, broadest range of traditional and green products and solutions for the retrofit, renovation, restoration and maintenance of existing commercial and residential buildings. Over 500 attendees visited the Sound Isolation Company booth in 2009, each looking for effective and proven solutions to various soundproofing problems in New York buildings. The show will offer another opportunity to discuss challenges that are present in facilities with the experts from Sound Isolation Company.
Soundproofing in NYC
“We’ve had great experiences with BuildingsNY and have found the attendees to be decision makers at their respective companies. In the New York City-area the demands for privacy in the home and office continue to be a market issue. There is no question that a soundproofed apartment will sell for more than one that is inefficient regarding noise. As a landlord the cost of unhappy tenants can be 10 times the cost of a reliable soundproofing solution,” said Jody Cook, President of Sound Isolation Company. “As veterans with this event, we know what builders look for when they attend. We’re excited to display new noise control options that will simplify construction projects. The need for retrofit solutions, that don’t require demolition, is the fastest growing segment of the market.”
Largest NY Building Event
BuildingsNY/Green BuildingsNY 2010 is the largest building event in the NY and New England area. BuildingsNY showcases companies that feature the most modern and effective building industry practices for renovation, restoration and maintenance. Professionals throughout construction trades attend the event to learn about the newest valuable methods and products from today’s experts. Sound Isolation Company’s booth will be open to visitors from 10AM-5PM on June 16th and 10AM-4PM on June 17th.
About Sound Isolation Company Sound Isolation Company is a leader in soundproofing solutions with over a decade of industry experience. Specializing in simple, reliable products to create privacy between spaces the uses for their products are many; single and multi-family construction, urban re-development, luxury home theaters and recording studios. More than just products, Sound Isolation Company provides design, education and hands-on experience on the consumer, commercial and industrial levels. Sound Isolation Company is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina with multiple distribution locations in New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, Florida, Texas, California, Tennessee, New Jersey and Georgia, as well as Toronto and Western Canada.
Eco-Friendly Compass Star Montessori Opens All-Green Building for Tours
Compass Star Montessori is the first all green environmentally sound building in Wichita, Kansas, and also teaches students to take good care of the planet as part of its curriculum.
Compass Star Montessori, Wichita’s first energy efficient, all-green school, invites all community members to take a free school tour. The school will be open to the public from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. April 19-23 for a weeklong celebration of Earth Day, which is Thursday, April 22.
Currently in its first year of operation, CSM is not only housed in an environmentally sound building, but also teaches students to take good care of the planet as part of its curriculum. Recycling and responsible environmental habits are part of the everyday experience in the CSM classroom, while the Garden to Table project gives students a chance to grow their own food.
The building is equipped with geothermal climate control, and is constructed from natural materials, including an Agriboard panel and roof system, Eco-tile flooring and wall tiles, American clay on ceilings and walls and much more. “Our vision for Compass Star Montessori is to give our students a great education, while also preparing them to be responsible citizens of our planet. Our curriculum, and even our building itself help us to do that,” says Kathryn Mahoney, founder and director of CSM.
CSM is a traditional Montessori program for children 6-12 years old. Private tours are always available upon request. To learn more about Compass Star Montessori visit:www.csmontessoriwichita.com
Zachary Pannier Appointed President of San Diego’s U.S. Green Building Council Chapter
Pannier will oversee the organization and serve as the chapter’s spokesperson.
Zachary Pannier of DPR Construction (DPR) has been appointed president of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), San Diego Chapter. For the past two years, he served as secretary on the USGBC’s board of directors.
In Pannier’s new role, he will oversee the 600-member non-profit organization and serve as the chapter’s spokesperson, as well as facilitate consensus with the board on local green issues.
“I’m honored to be a part of the USGBC and its vision to help make San Diego even more sustainable,” said Pannier. “As part of San Diego’s building industry for nearly eight years, I’ve seen first-hand how we can be part of the solution to build environmentally responsible structures that will decrease our carbon footprint and make our city a better place for future generations.”
Pannier, a LEED accredited professional (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), has worked at DPR since 2002 and currently serves as the project manager of the Scripps Research Institute, one of the country’s largest private, non-profit biomedical science research organizations located in La Jolla, Calif. Additionally, he is part of a select group of DPR staff members to serve on the company’s national sustainability leadership team.
Over the years, DPR San Diego has built some of San Diego’s most prestigious LEED-certified projects including the tenant improvements for the Intuit campus and is currently working on the UCSD Sulpizio Family Cardiovascular Center and Palomar Pomerado PMC West hospital projects, which will both pursue certification.
“What started as a grassroots effort has grown considerably as companies experience the proven benefits of high-performance green buildings,” continued Pannier noting that DPR San Diego has 47 LEED accredited professionals. “Added benefits of building with the environment include greater employee productivity, long-term cost benefits and greater marketability,” he added.
About DPR Construction DPR Construction, recently named by FORTUNE as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For,” is a forward-thinking national general contractor and construction manager specializing in technically complex and sustainable projects. A privately held, employee-owned company, DPR has grown to more than $1 billion in annual revenue, making it one of the largest general contractors in the nation. DPR’s San Diego office is located at 6333 Greenwich Dr. For more information about DPR, visit www.dpr.com.