Energy Star Rating for the Ausonio Building

We started out pursuing LEED Existing Building certification. Along the way we discovered the Energy Star rating. I was familiar with this rating for appliances and computers, but never realized there is a huge category for buildings. Energy Star rated buildings are not as popular in Castroville as they might be in New York City. We have been contacted by the CoStar group and will be included in their survey. Refer to my blog entry on the last CoStar study: http://ausoniogreen.blogspot.com/2008/04/business-week-green-buildings-do-boost.html

Last week I received the following notice in my inbox:

Dear Joe Piedimonte:
Congratulations! Your application has been approved and you have earned the prestigious ENERGY STAR for:
Ausonio Bldg
Ausonio Affiliates
11420 A Commercial Pkwy
Castroville, CA 95012
The ENERGY STAR is the mark of superior energy performance and identifies your building as one the most efficient buildings in the nation. By taking this important step along the path to energy efficiency, you are not only saving money – you are preventing the release of greenhouse gases and protecting the environment.
Within 2 business days, your facility will automatically be included on our website as part of our registry of buildings to earn the ENERGY STAR (www.energystar.gov/buildinglist).

The only bad news is that the program has apparently run out of plaques.

---

Update on the LEED registered Floating Building

Click the Document to read it.

---

Renewable Energy Credits

I was looking into REC's (Renewable Energy Credits) for a project and what I discovered was interesting. I had always thought that REC's were noble credits, but they were not cost effective. I think I have changed my mind.

I am working with a client that has done an incredible job of building a sustainable office. Their project was registered right at LEED Gold, but my concern was "what if the USGBC throws out a few of their credits?" This project had nothing extra to cover any lost points. This would cause their project to be Silver, despite their golden commitment.

The client was looking into adding more photovoltaic panels to their project, but this was something they preferred to do at a later time. Adding this 18kWh system would require a large capital outlay, but they were willing to do this earlier than scheduled to gain 3 LEED credits. They had already maxed out the Renewable credits, so this would be just to optimize the Optimize Energy credits.

The client had invested significant capital in a PV system, and wanted to conserve their next investment for a few years. Yet, three additional credits might mean the difference between Gold and Silver. Then it occurred to me that there might be another solution: REC's. REC's would allow them to pay a small premium to use green electricity for 70% of their buildings needs. For their building, the initial estimate is between $1000 to $2000 a year for two years. There would be two LEED credits available for using this approach. This is not too bad of an option when faced with a $100,000 - $200,000 additional investment in a photovoltaic array for three LEED credits.

---

Getting with the program

No posting since September! This is no reflection of activity. It's been busy, but I do not see things slowing down for a while. Thank you green economy. Since I do not see things slowing down, I need to find time to add to this Blog. This will be my new years resolution.

---

2008 Western Sustainability and Pollution Prevention Network Conference

The Western Sustainability and Pollution Prevention Network (WSPPN) will be holding its annual conference in Monterey from October 22-24. I was not familiar with the organization, and was asked to speak at their conference. WRPPN was established in 1997 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to improve communication and information dissemination among network members to maximize efficiency of P2 implementation. As I have discovered, "P2" stands for "pollution prevention." After researching their website at www.wsppn.org, I realized that they are a valuable resource for sustainable practices. For example, they have posted a study on Janitorial cleaners. I will be using their study to further develop green cleaning programs. As a communication extension of the EPA, they can provide valuable information on a regional basis.

---

Hartnell College Environmental Management & Sustainable Design Committee

As part of Hartnell College's Center for Sustainable Construction Program, I will be chairing an advisory group. The advisory group is titled "Environmental Management & Sustainable Design." The group will help guide the formation of a Sustainable Academy at Hartnell College. I am very excited about this undertaking, and I am enthused to have outstanding community members as part of this group. The vision we create will foster programs that embrace the new green economy. We will ultimately better prepare our local workforce, create certificate programs and help students on to 4 year degrees in a sustainable field.

---

A Floating LEED Project

I am very excited about a project I registered as LEED NC this week. It is a partnership between Forever Resorts and the National Park Service. It will be a 2000 square foot floating houseboat rental building in Cottonwood Cove, on beautiful Lake Mead, NV.

I was introduced to this project by fundraising guru Jan McAdams http://www.fundinggreenbuildings.com/ who believed this project could reach the level of LEED Gold. This will be possible with the help of architect Michael Carlson of Carlson Studio Architecture http://www.carlsonstudio.org/. Michael is considering a modular building for this project. Rod Taylor, from Forever Resorts http://www.foreverresorts.com/marina4.html, has indicated that the floating foundation on this project will be considered for a long lifecycle. This will definitely be a innovative credit for an innovative project. The most interesting part to me about this project is how landscaping will be waterscaping. Any ideas on how to interpret “Open spaces” or irrigation?

More to come….

---