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In This Issue:
MetroCOG Issues LEED Green Building Standards MetroCOG Issues LEED Green Building Standards 
On December 12, 2007, The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Board of Directors approved regional green building standards for the construction of new government and commercial structures that they hope will be adopted by all local jurisdictions. The standards were set by the U.S. Green Building Council and establish a four-level point system for rating new construction based on the use of environmentally friendly designs that are energy efficient, control storm-water runoff and reduce construction-related waste. The standards, called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) were developed to reduce the environmental impact of buildings. "We want to reduce the environmental impact of our buildings so they sit more lightly on the land," said Joan Kelsch, chair of COG's Intergovernmental Green Building Group and an environmental planner for Arlington County. "Buildings are responsible for 70 percent of our electricity use, 38 percent of our carbon dioxide emission and 12 percent of our potable water use." Although green buildings were once thought to be too expensive and unattractive, the report presented to the COG board dispelled those ideas. Items specified include highly efficient heating and cooling systems, the use of renewable energy, efficient lighting and automatic water faucets and toilets. Green building also promotes attractive, healthy work environments by using more natural light, open office space and non-toxic building materials. The COG action applies to most new government buildings, excluding schools, and to new commercial properties. Several local jurisdictions already have adopted green building standards. [top] Green Product Technology Emerges 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been sponsoring development of energy efficient appliances through its Energy Star program for several years. As a result, many of the electrical products on its list are showing up in project specifications as LEED becomes a standard. The push to LEED certified buildings will stimulate more breakthrough developments. Lighting is a central issue in sustainable designs and several new innovations are appearing, including LED luminaires. One innovation may be a product from Sweden that combines daylighting and fiber optics to bring sunlight into closed spaces. This technology is called Fiber Optic Solar Lighting. Here is how it works: Sunlight is collected by Parans Solar Panels outdoors. It is then brought into the building through the Parans Optical Cables. Indoors, the sunlight flows out through Parans Luminaires designed to recreate the feeling of sunlight. The Parans Solar Panel can be mounted on roofs or facades and uses an array of optical lenses to collect and concentrate incoming sunlight. It is easily installed and integrated with building surfaces to allow for architectural integrity. The Parans Optical Cable is made of several thin, fexible fiber optic strands. Thanks to the high light transmission, sunlight can efficiently reach many locations far into buildings. A line of luminaires is available to match the outline, purpose and aesthetic of the room that is illuminated with sunlight. Find details at www.parans.com. Photos courtesy of Parans. [top] First Zero Energy Office Building Under Construction 
A Falls Church, VA company has designed and is currently building what it claims is the first zero energy office building in the world. The building promises total energy independence from the energy grid for the first time. According to owner and developer, EMO Energy Solutions, Inc., the combination of design and renewable energy sources will enable the building to generate more energy than it consumes from the electric power grid. Innovations include solar panels producing 6300 kWh of annual usage and a geothermal ground source heat pump with 3.5 ton capacity heating and cooling the 1560 square-foot, two-story building. All interior lighting fixtures use compact fluorescents under automatic control of a central building energy management system. These and other innovations will qualify the building for the highest platinum status in the new LEED certification program of the U.S. Green Building Council. See a video clip at www.emoenergy.com. [top] Electrical Alliance Compiling LEED Projects In its efforts to keep members informed, the EA is working up a database of LEED projects in the metro area. This painstaking job requires many phone calls to find the project leaders in order to get the necessary information, so we need your help. If you are working on a LEED certified project or have completed one, please send us an e-mail with the project name and general contractor/project manager. Also, further education plans require that we identify troublesome areas in LEED projects that could be managed better. Send your input with any suggestions to kmiller@frostmiller.com. We thank you. [top] |
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