"Toronto Buildings Going Green on Top, But Very Slowly"
"Roof Gardens at University to Reduce Energy Costs"
"'Green Roofs' Taking Root Across U.S."
"Logan's Terminal A Cited for Its Green Technology"
"Growing Greener"
"Solar-Powered Buildings Again Hot"
"Roofing Life-Cycle Costs Emerge"
"Sharp Solar Modules Power Largest Privately Owned Solar System in Northern California"
"Solar Power Installation Steps Up Solar Energy"
"Solar Subsidies Are Booming"
"Americans Seek Energy-Conscious Employers and Environmentally Friendly Office Buildings"
"As Power Bills Soar, Companies Embrace 'Green' Buildings"
"Commercial Demand for Green Development Grows, Says New Book"

Although Toronto's Green Roof Pilot Program is providing grants of up to $18,000 for building owners who plant grass and other vegetation on their roofs, the city has so far received no applications for the project. "The goal of it as a pilot project is to see what it would take to encourage more green roofs in the city," said Liora Zion Burton, a Toronto environmental planner. However, she added that the city cannot penalize developers for not putting green roofs on their buildings because of practical difficulties, including the suitability of buildings for a heavy garden and the ability to install and maintain the plants. Toronto is pushing buildings to use green roofs in order to reduce energy consumption. Studies have shown that plants and other vegetation help keep roofs cooler, which, in turn, helps keep building interiors cooler. Green roofs also help eliminate toxins from the air, reduce the heavy metals in rainwater, reduce water runoff by as much as 90 percent, and reduce levels of smog and ground-level ozone in the atmosphere. Although Toronto has yet to receive an application for a green roof under its Green Roof Pilot Program, the city does have 59 existing public and private green roofs, as well as 17 more in various stages of planning and development. However, Toronto's efforts to encourage the construction of green roofs lags behind places such as Germany, which penalizes those who build rooftops that cannot be green-adapted, as well as Chicago, where a green roof speeds the permitting process.
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A teacher and students involved in landscape architecture at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville will incorporate gardens on the rooftops of two campus buildings. The aim is to use the roofs to slash the buildings' energy costs, reduce stormwater flow and prolong the life of the roofs. The student/teacher group will soon commence the projects by installing a drainage layer, aluminum edging, lightweight soil and a path of pea-sized stones. Planting will be completed by autumn.
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Ford Motor Co., The Gap and the city of Chicago are leading the way in the use of so-called "green roofs" on their buildings. There are several economic benefits for companies and municipalities that use green roofs, which are usually planted with wildflowers or succulents. For example, green roofs have a longer life span than traditional roofs. Ford Motor Co., The Gap and the city of Chicago are leading the way in the use of so-called "green roofs" on their buildings. There are several economic benefits for companies and municipalities that use green roofs, which are usually planted with wildflowers or succulents. For example, green roofs have a longer life span than traditional roofs. Green roofs can also help reduce energy costs. The University of Texas found that traditional rooftop temperatures at the school measured 101 F while temperatures on green roofs measured 70 F. Green roofs can be environmentally friendly in other ways, as well. Unlike traditional roofs, green roofs do not contribute to the urban heat island effect, which results in the creation of ground-level ozone. Dark roofs, parking lots and asphalt can combine to raise temperatures anywhere from 2 degrees to 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Logan Airport's Terminal A in Boston is the first airport terminal in the country to obtain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The terminal features a heat-reflecting roof system, light-reflecting windows, lights that automatically dim in the presence of sunlight and drip irrigation systems for landscaping purposes. The terminal, which opened to Delta Air Lines customers in March 2005, will save nearly $300,000 annually in electric bills as well as 1.7 million gallons of water annually, according to Massport officials.
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In Missouri, AmerenUE and the regional chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council will offer $120,000 in grants to building owners and developers to encourage the construction of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design- (LEED-) certified buildings in St. Louis. With nine such buildings, St. Louis now ranks No. 7 among cities in the U.S.. In all, there were 515 LEED-certified buildings in the U.S. as of July 24. Factoring LEED-registered buildings, St. Louis boasted 43 green projects. By the end of next year, city officials expect that number to increase to 60. Another Midwestern city, Chicago, leads all U.S. cities with 92 LEED-certified or -registered projects. Local demand has trickled down to area construction and engineering firms tasked with implementing the plans of developers. Demand for green buildings has expanded from biotech and science companies to large corporations looking to boost their public image and cut their energy bills. Experts say that integrating green elements into building designs from the get-go will maximize savings. The worldwide market for green building reached $7 billion in 2005, 37 percent higher than the year prior. "Green buildings will [one day] become the norm," predicts Paul Todd Merrill, senior project engineer and LEED certification director at Clayco, an Overland, Mo.-based builder. "Building green will not be a big deal anymore; it will be a normal course of practice."
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Of the 1,004 Americans recently polled by Sharp Electronics, 67 percent of respondents said they would spend more to purchase solar-powered homes. Rising energy costs are making solar power more attractive to home buyers and commercial property owners alike. Homeowners are especially interested in products with building-integrated photovoltaics. With building-integrated photovoltaics, solar cells are embedded in windows, walls and roofs. This means that homeowners no longer need to install bulky, unattractive solar-power systems. Meanwhile, experts expect more states to follow in California's footsteps by launching solar incentive programs. In an effort to generate 3,000 megawatts of solar power by 2017, the California Public Utilities Commission has earmarked $3.2 billion to provide assistance to those interested in installing the technology.
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A 2005 poll by The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress, a separate but related organization of NRCA, of building owners found that the three biggest considerations for choosing a new roof are, in order of priority: installed cost, quality of installation and life-cycle costs. Researchers note that the growing sustainable building movement, which endorses energy-efficient and long-lasting roofs, is one of the main reasons for the emergence of life-cycle cost roofing analysis. Unlike installation costs, life-cycle cost analysis estimates include such future considerations as longevity and potential savings from energy efficiency. Although life-cycle costs estimates are inherently less precise, they have emerged as a useful guide to value over time. This is particularly evident with cool roofing where energy savings can make a substantial difference in the 20-year cost of a roof. Two years ago, a hypothetical, 20-year life-cycle cost comparison was conducted with the assistance of numerous independent roofing contractors in the Midwest. This hypothetical life-cycle cost comparison demonstrated the effect energy efficiency can have over time. Although installation costs were similar, the cool roof was proven to save the building owner an estimated $4,200 a year over traditional black roof.
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Tony's Fine Foods, a family-owned business in West Sacramento, Calif., that provides fresh and frozen foods to the retail grocery and food services industry throughout the West Coast, has installed a 1.2 megawatt rooftop and ground-mounted solar electric system at its frozen and refrigerated food distribution warehouse. The solar electric system is the result of a collaboration between a number of partners, including the Sharp Solar Energy Solutions Group; Solar Development Inc., which designed and installed the system; and Sun Link, the manufacturer of the mounting system. It covers an area the size of three football fields and is expected to generate 1.5 million kilowatt hours a year, which is more than 40 percent of Tony's Fine Foods energy needs. As a result, the company expects its electric bills to be $22,000 lower per month.
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In California, the Wine Service Co-operative (WSC) recently implemented solar power at its two Napa Valley locations as part of an energy-efficiency strategy. The two buildings serve as co-operative warehouses for 57 wineries spread throughout the region. WSC was spending an estimated $130,000 a year on energy for the two facilities. General manager Bob Holmes decided to take advantage of systems in place to cut those costs. He states, "Together, the California Public Utilities Commission and Pacific Gas & Electric Company were offering a rebate program that would refund 50 percent of installation costs for solar energy systems. We found that solar photovoltaic systems for both facilities would cost $3 million, and the CPUC/PG&E program would provide a rebate of $1.5 million." Federal and state energy tax credits have since further reduced the costs by about 20 percent. Holmes expects the system to pay for itself in less than a decade. For those companies considering going this route, Holmes advises the hiring of an energy consultant at the beginning of the research process and determining "if the ability to help the environment is practical within one's own business structure."
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A growing number of homeowners and businesses are considering solar energy because of double-digit jumps in fuel and natural gas prices during the past year or so. In 15 states, residents have access to incentives in the form of tax credits or rebates. Some are receiving compensation from utilities, which purchase customer-generated solar electricity and resell it as part of a plan to embrace renewable energy. Incentives from the federal government also are being offered through 2007. Businesses will receive a 30 percent tax credit for the purchase of solar photovoltaics and thermal systems. A 30 percent tax credit is also available to homeowners; but unlike commercial installations, residential systems are capped at $2,000. The residential tax credits will be repealed at the end of next year, and commercial credits will be lowered to 10 percent.
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A new Mortgage Lenders Network USA (MLN) poll shows that 94 percent of Americans prefer to work in a building that is designed to be ecologically sound and energy efficient. Women respondents showed more concern about their work surroundings than their male counterparts. According to the survey, 72 percent of working females have a strong preference for "green" employers compared with 64 percent of working men. Looking at the age breakdown, 74 percent of working Americans aged 45 to 54 preferred to work in an eco-friendly building versus 62 percent of workers between the ages of 25 and 34. The results come at a time when the U.S. Green Building Council has seen its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications for newly built structures increase a whopping 150 percent in just the last three years. LEED certification currently is the only national standard for developing sustainable, high-performance buildings. Even MLN is getting into act, building an eco-friendly headquarters in Wallingford, Conn. Jim Smith, senior director of real estate and facilities for the firm, states, "Energy independence is the first step toward financial independence. A greater reliance on sustainable resources will help pave the way."
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"Green" buildings, such as PNC Financial Services Group's recently built operations center in Pittsburgh, are becoming a hot topic among companies dealing with soaring power bills. PNC's corporate real estate head, Gary J. Saulson, was doubted by his project team five years ago when he said he wanted to make the partly constructed center into a green building. Today, the finished building spends 26 percent less per square foot on utilities than one of PNC's similar standard buildings. Buildings both small and towering are making use of green innovations, such as giant ice vats for storing energy overnight, compact fluorescent lighting and ceramic dots in windows to reflect the sun. Another green building idea is putting plants on the roof to lower the roof temperature, an idea recently embraced by architect Robert Fox's firm at its New York penthouse offices. Fox says black rooftops tend to squander energy and become excessively hot. In contrast, roofs that incorporate plants seldom exceed 100 F. Green techniques are taking hold not just in new construction, but also in renovations as owners of older buildings are also interested in saving energy. Akridge, which has 18 commercial structures in the Washington, D.C., area, has purchased a $9,000 infrared camera so it can monitor heat loss from its buildings and block any leaks.
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According to a new book published by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), more than 50 percent of the world's 500 biggest corporations issuing sustainability reports in 2005 said they are hoping to erect and occupy structures that reflect their values. Titled "Developing Green: Strategies for Success," the report is aimed at professionals currently engaged in financial, development and marketing projects with green features. NAIOP President Thomas J. Bisacquino states that the report provides developers with a "road map" that will help them navigate the ins and outs of green development, "providing a true insiders' look into best practices and presenting the case for building green. The book is an excellent tool for marketing and development professionals who want to effectively understand green development and the growing role it's playing in commercial development." According to author Jerry Yudelson, the market for green buildings for public agencies ranks among the largest single green markets in the U.S. and is growing by leaps and bounds. Yudelson is a national Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design faculty member for the U.S. Green Building Council.
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