In This Issue:

Prince Georges County Goes Green

The Electrical Alliance Offers Contractors' Certification

Majority of LEED® Commercial Projects Built by Electrical Alliance Contractors

Prince Georges County Goes Green

Last fall, Prince Georges County became a leader among the metro Council of Governments in responding to its resolution calling for a green building standard in all local area jurisdictions. In a proclamation issued by county executive, Jack B. Johnson, Prince Georges County established a Green Building Executive Steering Committee and an Energy Efficiency Council within the Office of Central Services. It is headed by an energy czar to serve as the administrator of the Committee, with authority to implement a wide ranging plan that will affect all aspects of future building development in the county. Reports on progress are to be submitted to the county executive semi-annually. The program guide states, “To meet the goals of the County Executive’s Livable Communities Initiative, and the challenges of global warming, Prince George’s County is committed to making the strategic investment in launching its Green Building and Energy Efficiency Program.”

Among the goals of the program are the following:

1. Reduce 2007 energy consumption per square foot in all existing County buildings by 20% by the year 2015
2. Design and construct all new County buildings and public schools in accordance with the LEED Silver or equivalent rating under a comparable green building performance measure
3. Establish incentives for both new and existing private commercial buildings to achieve a LEED Silver or equivalent rating under a comparable green building performance measure
4. Establish a green building education and outreach program
5. Ensure that a sufficient number of development and permit review staff possesses LEED accreditation and are able to sign off on tax credits and certifications, and to adequately assist commercial developers or large-scale property owners in meeting performance measures.

Several green projects are listed in progress or completed under the new PG County program. They include:

• The University of Maryland Inn & Conference Center
• Bowie Corporate Center
• CASA de Maryland in Hyattsville
• Center for Business and Graduate Studies at Bowie State University
• Circle Café in Mount Rainier
• City of Bowie Parks and Grounds Service Facility
• Friends Community School in College Park
• Laurel-Beltsville Elementary School
• Three office buildings at M Square, College Park
• Mount Rainier Police Station
• NOAA office and laboratory at M Square in College Park
• Oxon Hill High School
• US Census Bureau Headquarters in Suitland

The county program also calls for hiring “Energy Services Contract Organizations” to conduct energy audits and recommend energy efficiency retrofit projects. Such projects include the Suitland Elementary School, Laurel/Beltsville Elementary School and Oxon Hill High School.

Contact phone number for the new PG office is 301.883.4750 in the Office of Central Services. [top]

The Electrical Alliance Offers
Contractors' Certification

The Electrical Alliance, the cooperative effort between NECA and the skilled electricians of the IBEW, Local 26, keeps contractors informed of the latest trends in green training programs, participating in green building associations and events, as well as in this quarterly e-newsletter on the latest green project and legislative news in the region.

“We think it is important to be leaders in this trend,” says Andrew Porter, executive director of the Washington, DC Chapter of NECA. “Sustainable power like solar and wind makes sense for the future of our climate and our economy.”

With that idea in mind, contractors have been introduced to the national certification program called, “Green Advantage.” This program differs from the LEED professional accreditation in that it focuses on the needs of field workers and supervisors on the job site. Certification of field workers on a project also provides an extra point in the LEED building certification rating. Building owners can receive the LEED innovation credit if 30% of the project’s building force, such as project managers, foremen and subforemen, are Green Advantage trained and certified. Contractors providing certified workers may have a competitive advantage in bidding green LEED projects.

Recently, the Electrical Alliance sponsored two Green Advantage training sessions for its members. Fifty-one people took part in these sessions which were developed by the Delaware Valley Green Building Council. Participants learned about green building materials, energy and water-efficient technologies; construction operations that reduce environmental impact, indoor environmental quality; and more. To become certified, they must pass an exam.

“Green building technologies are innovative, but they don’t have to blow the budget,” says Porter. “Knowledgeable contractors can provide solutions that are right for projects based on solid experience and training.” [top]

Majority of LEED^® Commercial Projects Built by Electrical Alliance Contractors

Over the past several months, The Electrical Alliance has been developing a database of Washington-area construction projects registered and certified by the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.

There were 209 certified or registered projects when the database was started at the beginning of the year. Of those, only 26 are certified (those that have completed construction and the certification process).

Of the 26 certified projects, the electrical contractor has been identified on 15. Ten of them, or 67%, are Electrical Alliance contractors. Of the 183 remaining projects—those that have been registered—the electrical contractor has been identified on 66. (Many of these projects are too early in the process to have selected specialty contractors). Of those 66 contractors, 38 of them, or 58%, are Electrical Alliance contractors. In all, about 60% of LEED projects in the Washington area were built, or are being built by, Electrical Alliance contractors.

Numbers were relatively consistent across the District, Maryland and Virginia. In Washington, 60% of LEED projects were or are being built by Electrical Alliance contractors. In Maryland, the number is 62% and in Virginia it is 55%. [top]