www.snoedc.org/ssc/
January 2007 Volume II Issue 7
In this Issue:

Events

  • Built Green Orientation, Friday, February 9, 2007
  • Built Green Conference & Tour in Everett, Tuesday & Wednesday, March 13 & 14, 2007


    • News
  • Comparison Metrics Study
  • TAGs


    • Feature Article
  • Applying Sustainability to Your Commercial Building


    • Events

    GREEN IS THE COLOR OF SUCCESS IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY!

    Built Green Orientation scheduled for February – 1st time in Snohomish County

    Introduction to Built Green™

    Location: Legion Hall, Everett     (145 Alverson Blvd. Everett, WA 98201)

    Time: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., Brown Bag

    Program: for new Built Green™ members and potential new members. Sustainable Development Task Force presents the Built Green™ Orientation for the first time in Snohomish County. If you are a new Built Green™ member or you want to find out more about the green building rating system, this is your opportunity. To register, e-mail Terri Hooper, or call 425-783-8275
    .
    2007 Built Green™ Conference & Expo, March 13th at the Everett Events Center

    Easy Low Impact Development Alternatives Bus Tour, March 14th
    Transportation provided from South Snohomish County location to TBD

    The Northwest's premier green building conference for industry professionals will feature a keynote speech from Hunter Lovins, president of Natural Capitalism, Inc. and one of the world's most renowned advisors on sustainable business. Lovins is a nationally acclaimed author and champion of sustainable development for over 30 years. She has created several companies, advised numerous governments, corporations and citizens groups, taught at major universities, and managed international non-profits.

    A plenary speech by Joseph Lstiburek, is guaranteed to be informative, if not entertaining. Joseph Lstiburek, B.A.Sc., M.Eng., Ph.D., P.Eng., is a principal of Building Science Corporation. He is a building scientist who investigates building failures and is internationally recognized as an authority on moisture related building problems and indoor air quality. Dr. Lstiburek has written numerous books and technical papers on building construction. He is the best selling author of the Builder Guides and is an acclaimed public speaker and lecturer in building science.

    This year's conference will also include an expo of the latest green products and services, as well as numerous educational workshops on green building, design, marketing, real estate and more!

    Many Sustainable Development Task Force members are organizing and sponsoring this year's event, including Snohomish County Solid Waste Division, Snohomish County PUD, Perteet Inc., Triad Associates, and Frog on a Log. The taskforce is co-sponsoring the low impact and green house site tour with CottageWerks Company. Watch this site for more details.

    Sponsorship opportunities are available! For information on how to sponsor the Built Green Conference, please e-mail MBA Sales & Marketing Director Cecil Stewart or call 425-460-8217.

    Stay tuned to Elements and the Built Green™ Newsletter as details about exhibitors and break-out sessions develop.
    The second day bus tour on Wednesday, March 14th, is open to a limited number of participants – so sign up early!

    You'll visit one Snohomish County building site that is effectively using Low Impact Development strategies to manage storm water and protect trees. Talk to project builders, designers, engineers, and product specialists to find out how you can adopt strategies to get the best value for your property while maintaining the integrity of the site. A comprehensive approach to site hydrology yields the best results, but there are a number of strategies that offer site protection and stabilization to protect against storm events and seasonal changes on any site.

    Chris Chase of Cottage Werks will give a tour his Mukilteo short plat development where he has incorporated many LID site techniques including below grade detention system, tree retention, rain gardens and previous pavement and pavers. He'll talk about the overall site design and retrofit opportunities for any site.

    Other specialists will be on hand to compare the different home building rating systems, Built Green™, LEED for Homes, Energy Star®, and American Lung Association, Health House – how they rate on energy conservation, water conservation, indoor air quality among other comparison metrics.
    Seating is limited – Register early – contact Terri Hooper by email.

    Program Note
    The Sustainable Development Task Force of Snohomish County will follow up the Bus Tour with a Low-Impact Development half-day seminar for builders and designers to learn more about how to incorporate LID into Snohomish County projects. The seminar is scheduled for the spring; stay tuned to Elements and the Built Green News for more details. The seminar will feature:
    • Planning & Development Services to walk you through the NEW Snohomish County Ordinance 06-044
    • Product specialists to showcase the latest in sustainable alternative paving surfaces, porous pavement, and more
    • SDTF will review local case studies with details on how the sites endured the winter storms
    • Specialists to define individual sustainable development techniques, from the low-hanging fruit to the comprehensive approach

    Photo: Courtesy of Dirty Dog Produstions, 2006

    News

    SDTF Comparison Metrics Study

    SDTF has commissioned a study to develop comparison metrics to determine the market value of various green building techniques. Alistair Jackson, of O'Brien and Company has used the Cottage Werks project in Mukilteo to determine a base line certification for the good work the builder is already doing. Based on the outcome of the certification levels for Energy Star, Built Green, Health House, and LEED for Homes, the next house built in this project will incorporate some changes. We will track those changes, work through the certification checklists again to determine the change in certification levels and then determine if there is a change in value to the builder, homeowner, and permitting agency.

    SDTF TAGs

    The Task Force is creating volunteer Technical Advisory Groups to help the Task Force meets its sustainability goals. TAGs have been formed to cover
    Marketing & Outreach, Paul Crane, Executive Committee Leader
    Projects TAG – Craig Young, Executive Committee Leader
    Events TAG – Deanna Carveth, Executive Committee Leader
    The first TAG meetings are scheduled for Friday, January 12, 2006. Contact the Executive Committee Leader for more information or participation.

    SDTF Advisory Committee Resources

    The Sustainable Development Task Force is available to help you with your green building project. We are also interested in helping you with your technical presentation. Contact us at SDTFGreenBuild@aol.com to request assistance.
    Feature Article

    Applying sustainability to your building
    By Robert Kuchcinski, P.E., LEED® AP

    More than 300,000 people and 100,000 jobs are expected to make Snohomish County their new home in the next 10 years. Lynnwood's proposed high-rise zoning ordinance and Everett's projected growth will make homes and office space a significant portion Snohomish County's new construction. Choices made today by each developer, contractor, building owner, and City regarding design, review, and construction of these buildings will have a huge potential impact on future energy and water consumption. With sustainability guiding every step of development, each building is an opportunity to establish a better way of doing things. To help with this some businesses are using the LEED® building rating program to measure and guide sustainable choices in new and remodeled building projects.

    What is LEED®?
    Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) is a rating system developed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED® is the most comprehensive and widely used sustainable rating system. It identifies components of sustainable options in building construction such as:
    • appropriate site selection for development /redevelopment
    • reducing water use
    • reducing energy use
    • using recycled or renewable materials
    • improving indoor environment and air quality
    All these considerations impact the quality of the work environment for employees and tenants. They also impact the quality of the natural environment. LEED® offers different levels of performance ratings and many ways to achieve them for most building types such as:
    • New Construction (NC)
    • Commercial Interiors (CI)
    • Core and Shell (CS)
    • Existing Buildings (EB)
    • Homes
    • Neighborhood Developments
    • Multiple Building Campuses
    A key feature of LEED® that distinguishes it from other ratings programs is that professional engineers and architects must verify performance measurements.

    Where are the opportunities?
    In the past, lighting has accounted for approximately 50% of a building's energy costs. Mechanical systems have accounted for about 30%, primarily from fans and pumps that circulate air and water through ducts and pipes to keep occupants comfortable. Since energy use reductions lower building operating costs, it makes sense to make these systems as efficient as possible. New lighting technologies being developed can use 90% less energy. However, the greatest opportunity for energy savings is not in system efficiency, but in reducing the need to use the systems in the first place.

    In LEED®, the highest energy savings do not come from "plugging-in" something efficient, it comes from not needing to "plug" it in at all, or in using something smaller. Many LEED® strategies are holistic. For example, investing in quality building exteriors. With better insulation and correctly designed building elements, natural exterior light can be "harvested" for indirect lighting while reducing power requirements for lighting, heating, and cooling.

    Sustainability saves energy
    Energy savings also lower utility bills, which can recover some of the up-front investment of constructing a more efficient building and continues "paying" an owner for the life of the building. For owners occupying their own buildings, more efficient power use means lower utility bills and lower overhead. For owners leasing to tenants, the potential lease profit is increased. This is particularly true when energy prices increase as they have recently, and is one reason why owners need to keep energy efficiency as a high priority in their building projects. As construction costs increase, it can be tempting to disregard energy efficiency measures. However, these need to be viewed as part of an investment strategy with a rate of return, possibly viewed as part of the lease rate. The best bankers realize the potential of the changing market and familiarize themselves with impacts of future water and energy use on demand for development. They are retaining third-party validation firms to correctly interpret and assess the added value of these measures when they are incorporated in buildings.

    Who encourages energy savings?
    There are many catalysts for energy savings. In Snohomish County, the Washington State Energy Code mandates minimum energy efficiency for buildings. The City of Everett offers tax incentives to public and private buildings meeting LEED® rating levels. Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD) offers rebates and incentives for measures that save energy, and the Sustainable Development Task Force offers advice to anyone interested in learning how to incorporate sustainability into their project.

    By law, professional engineers and architects are tasked with providing building system designs that meet the energy code and specify lighting design, controls, HVAC, windows, skylights, and other elements that contribute to meeting the energy code. Contract documents prepared on behalf of building owners set minimum energy performance criteria for a construction contractor. As a result, engineers and architects help ensure that building projects comply with local codes, ensure safety and comfort, and meet requested programming needs.

    A sustainable office-building project
    CDi Engineers (CDi), a 50-person mechanical consulting and energy engineering firm located in Lynnwood, outgrew their former office space and had the opportunity to move to another. Since CDi incorporates sustainable design strategies into every project they engineer, they thought their new office space would be the perfect opportunity to "practice what they preach."

    CDi Engineers' experience
    CDi moved into the former REI building on 194th Street in Lynnwood in October 2005. The renovation of this existing facility created an opportunity to improve the quality of CDi's office space and use architectural and engineering elements that CDi clients' value in their own buildings. When the staff heard about plans for the new facility, they were excited and shared their desire for sustainability to be the focus of the project. They set a goal of incorporating as many sustainable strategies and recommendations from the LEED®-CI (Commercial Interiors) reference guide as feasibly possible. Although, ultimately CDi did not actually pursue LEED® certification, they would likely have received a LEED® Certified rating for their efforts.

    Some of the sustainable concepts and components CDi was able to incorporate into their new space included:
    • Installation of additional perimeter windows and skylights to maximize natural lighting and views, and to minimize the use of powered lighting.
    • Energy-efficient lighting controls were used that consume less energy
    • Office furniture and flooring materials with a high recycled-content
    • An open office space concept was used with low-walled cubicle partitions and no private offices to capitalize on the natural lighting and encourage collaboration between employees
    • Paints and adhesives had low VOC emissions
    • The contractor recycled construction demolition waste
    • Mechanical systems used refrigerants that are not harmful to the environment
    • All trash is recycled
    • Waterless urinals and water-saving dual-flush toilets were installed
    • All contractors and suppliers on the project were local companies; even the office furniture was manufactured locally
    The results are that CDi's employees enjoy:
    • A warm space with exposed natural wood ceilings and beams, with lots of natural light, and mountain views
    • Office interiors and furnishings that are beautiful and efficient
    • An open space that invites collaboration and camaraderie
    • A location that is within close walking distance to public transportation and many local amenities
    CDi's office renovation project was a tremendous success. They have occupied their space for more than a year and in that time have been able to show off the sustainable features of the beautiful, comfortable, and welcoming interiors to current and potential clients. Their office has also served as a showcase tour for a recent International Facilities Management Association (IFMA) Sustainable Building Conference held at the nearby Lynnwood Convention Center, another building project engineered by CDi.

    How you can implement sustainability on your project
    • Contact the Sustainable Development Task Force to ask for ideas and professional design contacts with experience in sustainable design
    • Hire a professional architect and engineer to evaluate and design your building systems for sustainable intent
    • Choose a sustainable rating program that includes measurement AND verification protocols such as LEED® Make sure this is part of the architect, engineer, and contractor's scope
    • Identify the stakeholders and people in charge of various aspects of the project. Involve them in the budget and decision-making process. Even "small" projects need a budget and a project manager to ensure successful completion
    • Early in the project, even before decisions are made on materials, layout, and intent, identify how various choices can save owners money and/or improve profits. There's no better advocate than the one making the investment
    • Be sure the contractor understands the process for a LEED® project and will support this. Sit down early to review cost-saving strategies in the project to show how this type of construction project may not cost more, and may actually improve their bottom line by materials reuse, improved construction environment, and lower landfill charges and energy savings
    • Meet early with your municipality to ask for their input regarding energy and water use issues, plans submittals, and review process
    • Have your design team produce specifications that describe specific requirements of items to be used on your building
    • Include your design team in reviewing submittals for products the contractor is planning to use on your building to be certain they meet the requirements of the specifications
    Robert Kuchcinski, P.E., LEED® AP, is a mechanical engineer with CDi Engineers. CDi is an energetic company of talented and creative people who provide practical, energy-saving heating and cooling designs. Please visit their web site at www.cdiengineers.com.


    Sustainable components of CDi Engineers' office space in Lynnwood provide a working environment that is comfortable and offers warm feeling with exposed natural wood ceilings and beams, lots of natural light, and open spaces that invite employee collaboration and camaraderie.
    If you would like to join the Sustainable Development Taskforce of Snohomish County or wish to request our assistance in any way, please contact Terri Hooper, at 425-783-8275 or Terri Hooper
    sustainabledevelop@snoedc.org •  Sustainable Development Task Force