"South Florida Buildings Promote Green Wave"
"Environmentalists Urge Tampa to Go Green"
"Council Passes 'Green' Tax Credit"
"Million Solar Roof Initiative Receives Bipartisan Support on Assembly Floor"
"State Releases How-to Guide for 'Green Building'"
"Largest Green Roof in Bronx Installed by Tecta America Corp."
"More Power-Generating Roofs Installed on San Diego Schools in Project by Solar-Powered Integrated and GE Energy Financial Services"
"Hummer Dealership to Go Solar"
"Study Finds Big Energy Savings for Businesses"
"'Green Buildings' Generate New Energy for Office"
"'Green' Building Movement Gains Even More Momentum"
"Raising the Roof"
"Roof Gardens Planned for Top of Mall"
"Solar Integrated Wins Contract With Toyota to Supply Solar Roof in New Jersey"
"Why Green Building Makes Financial Sense--Pacific Security Capital Delivers Keynote Presentation at Land Development Breakthroughs Conference"

The nearly complete, $90 million Clinical Research Institute at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine was constructed with a number of environmentally friendly features, including a roof made of a reflective white material and double-pane windows that contain insulating gas--both of which repel the sun's heat. In addition, the lights in the building's room shut themselves off when no one is inside. These features and a host of others make the 15-story UM building "the greenest building in Miami at this point," said Broward County-based green-building consultant Rob Hink, though it is not likely to keep that distinction for long. Both private developers and local governments in South Florida are planning a number of other "green" construction projects. Miami-Dade County, for example, is planning a new green children's courthouse and a new green library in Palmetto Bay, according to Miami-Dade Commissioner Katy Sorenson. These buildings will be built to adhere to the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria, a strict set of rules that has become the national standard in green construction. Although adhering to the LEED standard makes construction marginally more expensive, the features pay for themselves by reducing energy use and other costs, said George Valcarcel, project manager on the new UM clinical building for the national architecture firm Perkins + Will.
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The Green Ribbon Coalition, a group of Florida-based environmentalists, is urging the city of Tampa to construct buildings more efficiently in order to save money on soaring energy costs. City officials have expressed a willingness to at least listen, and some are even taking action. Tampa City Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena continues to push hard for a green roof to be installed on the Tampa Convention Center. The current roof is leaky and in dire need of repair. Saul-Sena is now trying to secure grant money for her proposed energy-efficient roof. The Green Ribbon Coalition, meanwhile, is urging the city to adopt an ordinance that would provide developers with incentives to build in an environmentally sensitive fashion. Such incentives could range from fast-track permitting to density bonuses that allow developers to build more units than zoning laws currently in place allow.
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Under legislation newly approved by the Baltimore County Council, owners of commercial buildings that meet a standard for energy efficiency will receive a tax credit. The tax credit applies to "green" buildings and would be for up to 100 percent of a property tax bill. To qualify for the credit, a commercial property must achieve a "Silver" rating by the U.S. Green Building Council. A Baltimore County auditor estimates that this credit will cost the local government $130,000 in 2007 and $7.5 million over the next decade. The credits would be issued on a first-come, first-served basis and would provide up to $1 million total in credits annually. The goal is to encourage the construction of more green buildings, which historically have proven more expensive to build. County Councilman Stephen G. Samuel Moxley comments, "Every bit that we can help save, it's better for the environment and it makes us less dependent on foreign fuels."
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In late June, California legislators voted in favor of the Million Solar Roofs Initiative. The legislation, co-authored by Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis), aims to make solar power more accessible and affordable statewide. Senate Bill 1 is designed to make the installation of solar systems cost-effective for commercial businesses and homeowners alike by: requiring utility companies to buy back up to 2.5 percent of surplus electricity generated by customers' rooftop solar systems and providing a series of rebates to slash upfront costs. As of presstime, SB 1 was headed to the state Senate for concurrence on amendments.
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In Colorado in June, the Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation (OEMC) issued a guide on how best to construct energy-efficient buildings statewide. The literature, titled "Using LEED-NC in Colorado: Tips, Resources & Examples," is now available on the OEMC's Web site. It shows how to erect energy-efficient structures using the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED system that will save money over time by reducing energy bills. The guide also offers several examples of green structures recently built in Colorado.
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New York City's Bronx County Building now has the largest green roof in the city's Bronx borough and one of the largest green roofs in the entire city. The 10,000-square-foot roof was installed by Tecta America's Magco Inc., Jessup, Md., and J.P. Patti Co., Saddle Brook, N.J., divisions. Magco will be responsible for maintaining the roof, which was designed by Green Roof Service, Forest Hill, Md. The Bronx County Building becomes the first building owned by the city to install a green roof. Magco President Mark Gaulin, who also serves as NRCA president, expressed excitement at being involved in the project. He stated, "It's a tremendous honor-and opportunity-to be involved in such a forward-thinking initiative as this, and we are delighted to be a part of this exciting green roof installation." The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation, a proponent of green roofs, bankrolled the project. "I hope that this demonstration green roof project will inspire the city to install green roofs on other city-owned buildings," said Borough President Adolfo Carrion. Green roofs offer numerous advantages, including reducing energy costs by up to 15 percent, reducing noise by at least 10 decibels, retaining stormwater, filtering air and reducing the amount of heat in urban locations.
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Broadening its state-of-the-art solar roof investment program, integrated photovoltaic roof systems provider Solar Integrated Technologies Inc. announced in late June that it has finished the implementation of solar panels doubling as roofs on five more schools in San Diego. Overall, 19 area schools currently have solar roofs produced, built and implemented by Solar Integrated since the program with GE Energy Financial Services started a year ago April. Because of Solar Integrated, the school system has been able to acquire good replacement roofs for no or substantially beneath market cost. This, in turn, has permitted the system to use its restricted financing assets for other facilities-associated projects. William Dos Santos, San Diego City Schools director of maintenance and operations, adds that a second advantage of manufacturing clean solar power at schools is the important opportunity to instruct the students about energy conservation. GE has the right of initial refusal on as much as $500 million to finance Solar Integrated solar roofing projects, $25 million of which has been exercised so far.
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A Hummer dealership in Mahwah, N.J., has contacted Solar Integrated Technologies Inc. to express its interest in the Los Angeles-based company's building integrated photovoltaic roof system. Larry Blum of Hummer of Mahwah recently stated, "We wanted to be the first dealer in the area to show how this can work and hope that many others follow our example. We were looking to build an energy-efficient roof and a dealership that was friendly to the environment." New Jersey has been one of the most active markets for photovoltaic products thanks to its rebate incentives. Systems up to 1 megawatt in capacity are eligible under current guidelines with incentives paid for the first 700 kilowatts of capacity.
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According to a new study sponsored by Metro Denver Economic Development Corp., offices and retail stores in the Denver metro area could save almost $2 billion during the next 20 years if they implement more energy-efficient features and practices. The analysis chronicled approximately 50 percent of the office and retail structures in the nine-county metro market. It found that the financial effect would be dramatic if, during the next two decades, just half of these existing buildings installed such fixtures as energy-efficient lights and if 80 percent of the new buildings employed energy-efficient building designs. Patrick Keegan, author of the study, remarks, "We picked the most common buildings and the most common type of measures while making the assessment about potential savings. That made a little easier analysis and assured us that the finding was a conservative estimate and we weren't overly aggressive in trying to show too much savings." The study concluded that it is easier for businesses to decide on energy-efficient measures when they are either renovating an older structure, leasing new space or building fresh. At that point, they can get an estimate of their future costs and potential savings.
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The U.S. Department of Energy reports that the number of energy-efficient office properties is on the rise nationwide. The agency's "Annual 2006 Outlook" report found that commercial users accounted for an average 18 percent of energy consumption, primarily electricity and natural gas. Researchers stated that as more energy-efficient equipment and features are adopted, energy intensity for major commercial end uses declines. In 2005, so-called "green buildings" accounted for $10 billion of the $200 billion investment market. Now, the push is on for energy efficiency to be a characteristic that building owners and investors consider when valuing a property. Eric Bowles, director of global research at CoreNet Global, reports, "In many cases, they are going to have a positive return very quickly. . . . Energy is one of the things likely to be the next step in the evolution of a Class-A building, so a building that is not energy efficient would have a hard time being considered Class A." In a separate study, Cushman & Wakefield agrees, adding that a less efficient building will require higher rents to cover energy costs than one that is more energy efficient."
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The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) hopes that in the future, buildings can be customized according to regional and climatic conditions. The organization is developing a third version of its LEED rating system for buildings that will feature not only climate change but will also include assessments for the life cycles of parts as well as transportation concerns for six climates in the U.S. USGBC launched the revamping process via a "visioning" session in Washington, D.C., in late June. Meanwhile, the Green Building Initiative (GBI) based in Portland, Ore., anticipates the approval of an America National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for green buildings by the end of 2007, according to GBI Executive Director Ward Hubbell. The standard is being based on a ratings system by GBI's Green Globes, a LEED competitor. Similarly, ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) presented a standard for the design of high-performance green buildings (excluding low-rise residential buildings) at its annual meeting in Quebec City on June 26.
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The use of "green roofs" can cut monthly energy bills, protect the environment, reduce pollution and enhance work places. Green roofs are covered with vegetation that is placed on top of a thin layer of permeable material. Virginia Russell, associate professor of landscape architecture and leadership in energy and design at the University of Cincinnati, notes green roofs should be professionally installed because engineered soil is required to protect the vegetation from bugs and keep upkeep to a minimum. Rain and other precipitation can meet the water needs of some green roofs. The first step in evaluating whether a building is a candidate for a green roof is to assess the structure's strength. Project designers then choose how to develop the green roof and select materials to minimize care. The cost of green roofs range in price from $14 per square foot to $40 per square foot, as reported by www.greenroofs.com.
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A new building at a shopping mall in Natick, Mass., will be capped by a 1.5-acre roof garden that will serve as an amenity for the residents of a condominium complex to be added to the mall. The roof garden is to be situated between the Natick Mall's skylight corridor and a pair of condominium towers that are being built. The garden will be six stories above the ground and connected to the condo towers. It will feature trees, flowers, fountains, seating, a pair of circular putting greens and a 600-foot-long boardwalk. Executives from General Growth Properties, the owner of the mall, said that the roof garden will serve as an oasis-like amenity for the condo residents. Aaron Bartels, senior development director for General Growth, notes, "This will be the largest green roof of the New England area." Mall shoppers will not have access to the roof garden.
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Solar Integrated Technologies has announced that it will provide a 700 kW building-integrated photovoltaic roof system for a Toyota Motor Sales' distribution center in West Caldwell, N.J. Financial terms of the contract were not released. Solar Integrated Technologies believes the roof installation project may be the world's largest on record of its kind.
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Pacific Security Capital recently announced that Theddi Wright Chappell, managing director of its Commercial Real Estate Advisory Services business division, will be the keynote speaker at the Land Development Breakthroughs Conference July 10 through July 12 in Chicago. A LEED-certified professional, Chappell has years of expertise in the sustainable real estate development sector and will present a keynote speech on "How Sustainable Developments Make Greater Financial Sense." Chappell comments, "Many people are skeptical about investing in green buildings. It is easy to be deterred by upfront costs without considering the great return on investment down the road." Sustainable developments should be regarded as good investment opportunities because of their limited upkeep and long-term monetary savings due to water conservation; lower utility bills; improved air quality; energy efficiency; lower maintenance expenses; and lengthened property life cycle. Recently, Pacific Security Capital teamed with sustainable development industry expert Scott Muldavin to create the Green Building Finance Consortium, which brings together some of the brightest minds in the real estate finance sector. The consortium's objective is to make design evaluation tools and best practices needed for the investment market to truly determine the economic worth of sustainable development.
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