In Depth Analysis of the Cost of LEED Buildings

Kema Green Building Consulting of California recently worked on a report for the State of California on how to manage the cost of green buildings. They looked at 4 building types: libraries, schools, laboratories, and multi-family affordable housing. The report also shows average costs for obtaining LEED in all commercial building types. The findings were: Certified: 0 – 2.5% Silver: 0 – 3.3% Gold: 0.3 – 5.0% Platinum: 4.5 – 8.5% The report was done in parallel to the Greg Kats study released last year as well (Kats study available on the USGBC website). The report was highlighted at last year’s GreenBuild, and a brief was included in EBN’s “Best of” publication. The full report is available as a pdf file by following the link below to the Kema Green Website.
weblink: Report on the Cost of LEEDfrom: Kema Greenin detail XlnkS673 XlnkC18FE

Oil and Gas in British Columbia 10 Steps to Responsible Development

In April 2004 West Coast Environmental Law coordinated the release of a report on the booming oil and gas sector in British Columbia. The report examines ways to ehance sustainable development of BC’s Oil and Gas reserves. Follow the link below to view it.
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Suncor Wins International Sustainability Reporting Award

(Source: World Business Council for Sustainable Developement, Geneva, April 27, 2004) Suncor Energy Inc. won a prestigious sustainability reporting award, toping a list of 32 applicants. The North America Awards for Sustainability Reporting were presented by the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) to encourage best practices in sustainability reporting from North American corporations. “Best Sustainability Report” winner Suncor is an integrated energy company focused on mining oil sands in Northern Alberta, Canada and producing natural gas. “Getting this award affirms our commitment to open, honest and thorough communication on our progress and challenges, said Rick George, President and CEO of the company. The judges emphasized that Suncor Energy’s report illustrated a solid understanding of the importance of sustainability in today’s corporate environment, and provided an excellent example of a report prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Guidelines. Dofasco Inc. out of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada won a Commendation for Innovative Reporting
from: CERES – The Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economiesin detail XlnkS671 XlnkC17F7

Comprehensive Evaluation of Rail Transit Benefits

A new study released today by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute shows that rail transit systems can significantly improve transportation system performance. “Comprehensive Evaluation of Rail Transit Benefits” by Todd Litman analyzed the impacts of different types of transit on urban transportation patterns. The study found that cities with large rail transit systems have on average: · 400% higher per capita transit ridership. · 390% higher transit commute mode split. · 36% lower per-capita traffic fatalities. · 14% lower per capita consumer transportation expenditures. · 19% smaller portion of household budgets devoted to transportation. · 21% less per capita motor vehicle mileage. · 33% lower transit operating costs per passenger-mile. · 58% higher transit service cost recovery. The study calculates that the additional costs of rail transit systems are repaid several times over by economic savings provided to governments, businesses and consumers from reduced road and parking facility costs, vehicle cost savings, reduced traffic accident costs, and congestion cost savings. This study critiques ‘Great Rail Disasters,’ a report published earlier this year by Randal O’Toole of the Center for the American Dream, which claimed that rail transit investments are not cost effective. According to ‘Comprehensive Evaluation of Rail Transit Benefits’ O’Toole’s report failed to correctly categorize transit systems and violated other basic evaluation principles. To read the full report, follow the link below to Victoria Transport Policy Institute
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Wind Power Overview for Canada

(Source: Diane Bailey, Wind Power Monthly V20 N3 March 2004) While Canadian wind power developers installed a record 90 MW of new capacity in 2003, perhaps the best indicator of the industry’s vitality lies in what is yet to come. By the end of the year, signs were strong that wind may finally be entering the period of sustained growth producers have been waiting for. “I think the prospects look very good, says Robert Hornung, president of the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA). “We’ve had a record year this past year, but I’m quite confident that 2004 will break that record and the year following will break it again.” A scan of the political landscape shows that Hornung has grounds for optimism. Ontario, one of North America’s largest power markets, is looking for 300 MW of renewable energy to be in service as soonn as possible, the first step in its plan to have 10% of all generating capacity come from renewables by 2010. Bids in Hydro-Quebec’s massive 1000 MW wind power request for proposals are due in June, while in Saskatchewan, the government-owned utility plans to meet all new load growth to 2010 with clean energy technologies, including 150 MW of wind. Next door, Manitoba Hydro utility has allocated 250 MW, nearly 5% of its current generating capacity, to wind development and is studying how much additional wind can feasibly be added to its hydro-dominated grid. In British Columbia, the government has decreed that half of all new power is to come from clean sources. Several provinces are also considering a renewables portfolio standard (RPS) in their electricity marketplaces. An RPS is regulation for a standard minimum amount of renewable energy in power supply portfolios, facilitated by a flexible system of tradable renewable energy credits. In Nova Scotia, the provincial government recently accepted the recommendation of a stakeholder task force calling for a target of 5% renewables by 2010, while Prince Edward Island has set a goal of at least 10% over the same time period. Alberta is aiming for 3.5% by 2008 and a larger, longer-term objective after that. New Brunswick says it will enact an RPS when it restructures its power market in the spring, but in the meantime New Brunswick Power has set its own target of 100 MW of wind by 2010. While Newfoundland’s isolated grid has more than enough supply to meet demand until the end of the decade, the government is still planning to move ahead with a 25 MW wind demonstration project. Up north, Nunavut Power is in discussion with two groups about a long term wind development program for the northern territory.
weblink: Wind Power Monthlyfrom: Wind Power Monthlyin detail XlnkS66D XlnkC18FB

Hydrogen Highway for British Columbia

(From Natural Resources Canada) On April 2, 2004, approximately $1.1 million in funding for the BC Hydrogen Highway” was announced. The BC Hydrogen Highway is a coordinated, large-scale demonstration and deployment program intended to accelerate the commercialization of hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies. The $1.1 million in funding is being provided through Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) Canadian Transportation Fuel Cell Alliance (CTFCA) and includes $632,000 (over 3.5 years) for the BC Hydrogen Highway project manager as well as $485,500 in support of three projects. The objective of this demonstration and deployment project is to form a consortium of organizations to design, build, operate, test and evaluate a hydrogen fuelling infrastructure or “BC Hydrogen Highway” along a corridor between Vancouver and Whistler, with an extension to Victoria. The project will demonstrate a wide variety of transportation, stationary, portable and micropower applications that can utilize the hydrogen fuelling infrastructure. It will also demonstrate the operational, economic, environmental and social feasibility of a hydrogen fuelling infrastructure that utilizes different hydrogen production and delivery pathways. In this way, the project is a “highway” leading to the future hydrogen economy – one that will play an integral role in removing barriers for hydrogen and fuel-cell commercialization. Targeted for full implementation by the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler, the project will be a showcase of sustainable transportation, creating a hydrogen highway that will allow visitors to travel between the Vancouver Airport and Whistler for the 2010 Olympics. Seven initial hydrogen fuelling demonstration sites are currently planned: the Vancouver International Airport, Powertech Labs in Surrey, the National Research Council’s (NRC) Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation, the Finnings Lands/Athletics Village, Sacré-Davey in North Vancouver, the Whistler Village and the University of Victoria/BC Transit. The BC Hydrogen Highway is being managed by a Steering Committee, which is chaired and championed by Firoz Rasul, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ballard Power Systems. Members of the Steering Committee include Richard Fry, NRCan; Bruce Sampson, BC Hydro; Maja Veljkovic, NRC; Dennis Connor, QuestAir; Mark Grist, Methanex; Chris Sacré, Sacré-Davey; Steve Kukucha, Ballard Power Systems; Ron Britton, Fuel Cells Canada; and Ned Djilali, University of Victoria. BC Hydrogen Highway Projects Announced at Globe 2004 Preliminary Engineering for Fuelling Station Sacré-Davey Engineering will be performing preliminary engineering to develop a fuelling station located in North Vancouver based on a waste hydrogen stream. This work is a component of an Integrated Waste Hydrogen Utilization Project (IWHUP), defined as a multi-faceted, multi-member project designed to harness a large waste stream of hydrogen and stimulate the use of hydrogen in the transportation market. Sacré-Davey Engineering is based in North Vancouver. The company provides civil, structural and mechanical engineering and project management services to industrial, process and manufacturing customers located in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Funding: $96,000 Sacré-Davey Engineering will match that contribution. Total project cost is $192,000. Electrolyser Upgrade Powertech Labs has upgraded the existing Stuart Energy Systems electrolyser at the Compressed Hydrogen Infrastructure Program (CH2IP) station in Surrey, British Columbia. The original electrolyzer, supplied by Stuart Energy Systems, was a prototype package and has operated more than 10,000 hours at Powertech producing hydrogen for the testing program. The new unit will be more reliable and will consume less power. Powertech Labs, based in Surrey, B.C. provides testing, consulting and research services to the electric and natural gas industries, their customers and their suppliers. Funding: $265,000 BC Hydro/Powertech will match that contribution . Total project cost is $530,000. Development of Hydrogen Dispenser Fueling Technologies Inc. has delivered a 10,000-psi (700-bar) hydrogen dispenser to Powertech Labs. The hydrogen industry has been working for years to increase the amount of energy that is available through fuel cells. This has included better technologies for creating, and then storing, hydrogen gas. Currently, the vast majority of hydrogen dispensing systems operate at approximately 5,000 psi (350 bar) pressure. Moving to 10,000 psi (700 bar) will permit fuel-cell vehicles with 10,000-psi storage tanks to operate over greater ranges between fuelling. Increasing the range of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles is a major step forward in bringing about the commercialization of hydrogen fuel-cell technology (a stated goal of both government and industry participants). Fueling Technologies Inc. is an ISO9001:2000 certified company based near Toronto, Ontario. The company has more than ten years of experience in building hydrogen and compressed natural gas dispensers. Its hydrogen dispensing systems are used in dozens of demonstration projects with more than a dozen partners on three continents. Its industry firsts include the world’s first CE and ATEX certified dispensers (installed in Europe) and Japan’s first mobile hydrogen fuelling dispensers (fully KHK certified). This project is part of Powertech’s CH2IP (noted above). Funding: $124,500 Fueling Technologies Inc.will match that contribution. Total project cost is $249,000.
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Sustainability Project Coordinator Wanted

The Sustainable Condo exhibit, created by EcoSmart, generated tremendous public and media interest at the last Globe 2004 trade show and conference. EcoSmart is looking for a Sustainability Project Coordinator to help expand the Sustainable Condo initiative and work on related activities. This position represents a unique opportunity to collaborate with leading edge sustainability professionals on a very challenging but rewarding project.
weblink: sustainable condo web sitefrom: EcoSmartdocument: Sustainable Condo Job Offerin detail XlnkS66B XlnkC1812

New President and CEO of US Green Building Council

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) Rick Fedrizzi, founder and president of Green-Think, Inc., and the founding chairman of U.S. Green Building Council, has been named acting president and chief executive officer of the Council, replacing Christine Ervin, the Council’s first president and CEO. The change is part of the organization’s planned transition to a management team based in the organization’s Washington, D.C. headquarters. Ervin announced plans to step down from the leadership post effective April 30, 2004, to remain in Oregon. “While I have relished the Board’s flexibility in this cross-country arrangement, it is time for full-time leadership in Washington, D.C., as we move into the next phase of our growth and development.” said Ervin, who lives in Portland. “Rick is the perfect person to take that on.” “Under Christine’s leadership, the USGBC and LEED have become major forces in the transformation of our industry, said Fedrizzi, who had recruited Ervin for the CEO position in 1999. “With the support of the Council’s exceptional staff, she helped us translate our original vision into the national and international force we are today.” “Christine paved the way for new thinking about environmental leadership, said USGBC Chairman Jim Hartzfeld, vice president, sustainable strategy, Interface Floorcoverings. “She helped forge the path-breaking work we have underway, and we’re very confident that Rick will provide that kind of leadership going forward, continued Kevin Hydes, USGBC’s vice-chairman and president of Keen Engineering. Fedrizzi’s appointment occurs as the Council’s board is moving into the next cycle of its three-year strategic plan. Implementation of that plan will focus on five key strategies that are designed to continue to build the staff infrastructure of the rapidly growing organization, enhance and expand its ground-breaking LEED programs into all phases of building, further develop local chapter programs, and broaden financial development. Fedrizzis background demonstrates he is up to the task. A native of Syracuse, New York, he served as in-house environmental consultant with Carrier Corporation for more than 25 years, helping to lead that organization to its iconic status as an innovator in green building, before founding Green-Think. He currently serves as principal of the Global Environment & Technology Foundation and member of the Board of Directors of the New York Indoor Environmental Quality Center. About the U.S. Green Building Council The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation’s leading coalition of corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations working together to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Since its founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 4,000 member companies and organizations, a 40-person professional staff, a broad portfolio of LEED® products and services, the industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, and a network of 67 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups.
weblink: US Green Building Councilfrom: USGBC – US Green Building Councilin detail XlnkS66A XlnkC180B

Aside

The hell of life is that everyone has his reasons.– Jean Renoir