From http://www.1011now.com: Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson was in Norfolk where he heard about a new Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce and Madison County Visitor Center that will be a LEED certified “green” building, only the 3rd LEED certified Chamber facility in the United States. He also toured the Nebraska Public Power District’s Norfolk Operations Center that is LEED certified, meaning it used environmentally-friendly building practices and is energy-efficient.
“Green energy is the future and I am thrilled that Nebraska and Norfolk, in particular, are taking a lead role in its development,” Senator Nelson said at the NPPD facility. “Norfolk has been working hard for the past year and-a-half to lay the foundation to build a community which will attract green businesses to town, which is essential toward the building of a ‘green’ economy.
“This initiative is a source of great pride for many involved with the community’s economic development and for a number of active citizens,” Nelson added. “By using energy wisely, Norfolk can be a model for communities across our state, which also is developing ‘green energy’ from the wind, the sun and our crops. (Read More...)
Monday, January 17, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Free GBCI CE Hours: 2011 Educational Webcast Series for Members
USGBC's third-party Education Providers offer LEED Professionals a unique opportunity to round out their professional development and are a great supplement to USGBC's core LEED curriculum. National USGBC is currently offering all employees of USGBC member organizations a series of Education Provider webcasts, free of charge. All are qualified for GBCI Continuing Education (CE) hours toward your LEED Professional Credential maintenance. Visit USGBC Webcasts & Podcasts to register for these and other members-only webcasts.
Jan. 20, 3-4:30 p.m. ET: Material Strategies that Work for LEED presented by Green Ideas
Feb. 17, 3-4:30 p.m. ET: LEED Credits in Energy and Atmosphere presented by RedVector.com, Inc.
March 15, 3-4 p.m. ET: Advanced Building Envelope Solutions presented by Environmental Design & Construction Magazine
May 19, 3-4 p.m. ET: Integrated Project Collaboration Software. The Missing Link for IPD presented by Submittal Exchange
June 21, 3-4 p.m. ET: Electric Radiant Heat presented by InfoSpec, Inc, an affiliate of Ron Blank & Assoc., Inc.
July 21, 3-4 p.m. ET: Energy Systems Introduction presented by Energy Onion
Aug. 18, 3-4 p.m. ET: Light Control for Energy Savings presented by Lutron Electronics Co, Inc.
Sept. 22, 3-4 p.m. ET: Case Study: Selective Demolition and Dismantling presented by Green Path Corp.
Oct. 20, 3-4 p.m. ET: Cost-Effective Energy Savings with Drain Water Heat Recovery presented by RenewABILITY Energy Inc.
Nov. 17, 3-4:30 p.m. ET: Case Study: What's Your Score? Benchmarking Energy Use through ENERGY STAR® presented by Facility Engineering Associates PC
Dec. 13, 3-4:30 p.m. ET: Exemplary Performance Opportunities for LEED NC Projects presented by Green Education Services
Each webcast is eligible for at least 1 GBCI CE hour, and because these webcasts have been reviewed by USGBC, a GBCI-approved Education Reviewing Body, they may be reported to GBCI under the unrestricted "professional development" activity type for LEED Professional Credential maintenance. Visit USGBC Webcasts & Podcasts to register for these and other members-only webcasts.
Jan. 20, 3-4:30 p.m. ET: Material Strategies that Work for LEED presented by Green Ideas
Feb. 17, 3-4:30 p.m. ET: LEED Credits in Energy and Atmosphere presented by RedVector.com, Inc.
March 15, 3-4 p.m. ET: Advanced Building Envelope Solutions presented by Environmental Design & Construction Magazine
May 19, 3-4 p.m. ET: Integrated Project Collaboration Software. The Missing Link for IPD presented by Submittal Exchange
June 21, 3-4 p.m. ET: Electric Radiant Heat presented by InfoSpec, Inc, an affiliate of Ron Blank & Assoc., Inc.
July 21, 3-4 p.m. ET: Energy Systems Introduction presented by Energy Onion
Aug. 18, 3-4 p.m. ET: Light Control for Energy Savings presented by Lutron Electronics Co, Inc.
Sept. 22, 3-4 p.m. ET: Case Study: Selective Demolition and Dismantling presented by Green Path Corp.
Oct. 20, 3-4 p.m. ET: Cost-Effective Energy Savings with Drain Water Heat Recovery presented by RenewABILITY Energy Inc.
Nov. 17, 3-4:30 p.m. ET: Case Study: What's Your Score? Benchmarking Energy Use through ENERGY STAR® presented by Facility Engineering Associates PC
Dec. 13, 3-4:30 p.m. ET: Exemplary Performance Opportunities for LEED NC Projects presented by Green Education Services
Each webcast is eligible for at least 1 GBCI CE hour, and because these webcasts have been reviewed by USGBC, a GBCI-approved Education Reviewing Body, they may be reported to GBCI under the unrestricted "professional development" activity type for LEED Professional Credential maintenance. Visit USGBC Webcasts & Podcasts to register for these and other members-only webcasts.
Linear Regression Analysis w Degree Days.net
Anyone who has to answer questions like, "why did our utility bill go up last month?" should already be familiar with the website www.degreedays.net. If you're not, though, get ready for a crash-course in this fantastic resource... The information below are just several small examples of what you'll find on the site.
There's more to degree days than many people realize... And understanding them well is the key to using them effectively... Because in addition to being very helpful in data analysis for energy professionals, degree days can be uncommonly good at leading the best intentioned energy-saving efforts in the wrong direction!
For the professional energy manager or consultant:
If you take the time to read their "Degree Days - Handle with Care!" article, we believe that you will gain a level of understanding that will put you head and shoulders above the majority of your peers. It's long, and it's pretty heavy going, but we're confident that you will find it a worthwhile investment of your time.
Quite likely you will also find our article on regression analysis useful. It explains a little-known, but highly-effective technique for determining the base temperature of a building.
For the beginner:
We've written an easy-going introductory guide to degree days - it explains exactly what degree days are, where they come from, and why people typically use them. You're already here getting data so you probably know why you want to use them, but if you're uncertain about the rest you should find the article pretty helpful.
There's more to degree days than many people realize... And understanding them well is the key to using them effectively... Because in addition to being very helpful in data analysis for energy professionals, degree days can be uncommonly good at leading the best intentioned energy-saving efforts in the wrong direction!
For the professional energy manager or consultant:
If you take the time to read their "Degree Days - Handle with Care!" article, we believe that you will gain a level of understanding that will put you head and shoulders above the majority of your peers. It's long, and it's pretty heavy going, but we're confident that you will find it a worthwhile investment of your time.
Quite likely you will also find our article on regression analysis useful. It explains a little-known, but highly-effective technique for determining the base temperature of a building.
For the beginner:
We've written an easy-going introductory guide to degree days - it explains exactly what degree days are, where they come from, and why people typically use them. You're already here getting data so you probably know why you want to use them, but if you're uncertain about the rest you should find the article pretty helpful.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
LEED Next Version 1st Public Comment - Final Week to Submit Comments
LEED Next Version (estimated 2012) 1st Public Comment Period Closing January 14th, 2011
In early November, the first public comment period for the next update to the LEED (estimated 2012) green building rating systems opened. This public comment period includes all LEED rating systems, including the BD+C, ID+C and O+M rating system groups, LEED for Neighborhood Development, and LEED for Homes.
The public comment period is an important phase of the consensus-driven LEED development process. It's during this phase that USGBC relies on the users and stakeholders to give input on the direction of the proposed rating systems. LEED will continue to evolve, improve, and move forward as the industry benchmark for green buildings, and as it does so, it is imperative that we receive industry-wide input through public comment.
Step 1:
LEED Rating System Development Page
Visit the LEED Rating System Development Page for information on the
schedule and to download public comment-specific documents.
Step 2:
LEED Public Comment Page
Visit the LEED Public Comment Page. This page includes a description
of the comment process. At the bottom of this page you will find the
rating system drafts. You will
be asked to sign in to your USGBC user account to comment.
Step 3:
Once you are signed in, you will have the ability to navigate through
the credit categories and comment on specific measures.
Thanks to DLR Group
Thanks to DLR Group, the newest Silver sponsor of the USGBC Nebraska Flatwater Chapter! DLR Group is an integrated design firm providing architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design. Their promise is to elivate the human experience through design. This promise inspires sustainable design for corporate, higher education, justice, K-12 education, and sports clients across the country.
DLR’s new 3 story 39,000 square foot building at 6457 Frances Street in the middle of the Aksarben Development in Omaha is pursuing LEED Gold certification. The building will provide employees with outdoor workspaces, a green roof, and landscaping using native plants.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Mammel Hall Becomes First Gold LEED Building at NU
2011.01.04 > For Immediate Releasecontact: Wendy Townley - University Relationsphone: 402.554.2762 - email: wtownley@unomaha.edu
Omaha - Mammel Hall, the new home to the College of Business Administration at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), has become the first building within the University of Nebraska system to earn LEED gold certification for its green and energy saving features.
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification system. LEED provides third-party verification on construction projects that are built using strategies aimed at energy savings, water efficiency, carbon dioxide emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.
Ground broke on the 120,000-square-foot Mammel Hall construction project, located at 67th and Pine Streets, in June 2008. The $34 million facility opened to UNO students, faculty and staff in August 2010.
Mammel Hall received LEED certification in 2010 based on the following features:
Development Density and Community Connectivity
The building’s design works to support connectivity between UNO and the adjacent Aksarben Village development.
Alternative Transportation: Public Transportation Access
Mammel Hall is located within a quarter-mile of one existing campus bus route and two existing city bus routes, thus promoting the use of public transportation and reducing pollution and land development impacts from automobile use.
Daylight and Views, Daylighting 75 Percent of Spaces
Daylight fills nearly 75 percent of the offices, conference rooms, open work areas, workstations, administrative areas and the dean’s suite. This feature provides students, faculty and staff a connection between indoor spaces and the outdoors, which, according to LEED standards, promotes productivity, comfort and wellbeing.
Water Reduction
The unique plant species used in the outdoor landscape design will reduce water consumed for irrigation by 52 percent.
Construction Waste Management
More than 97 percent of construction waste from Mammel Hall was diverted from landfills.
Thermographic Imaging
Infrared thermographic analysis of the exterior building’s envelope was conducted to insure the maximum thermal integrity.
Low Mercury and Energy Efficient Lamps
Mammel Hall construction crews established and maintained a toxic material source-reduction program to reduce the amount of mercury brought onto the building site and removed from the site in waste through the lamping of low mercury, energy efficient luminaires.
Optimize Energy Performance
Energy efficient light fixtures are used throughout Mammel Hall. Overall energy consumption has been reduced to 30 percent below the standard to reduce environmental impacts associated with excessive energy use.
Stormwater Management
About 20 percent of the rainwater that falls on and around Mammel Hall is fed to basins and allowed to percolate below ground to recharge the aquifer and reduce the demand on storm sewers.
“Many businesses have and are making the change to be more green, and many businesses are being created to provide green services and products,” said Rick Yoder of the Pollution Prevention Regional Information Center and the Nebraska Business Development Center at UNO. “What I think most of us are happiest about is that Mammel Hall – and the evolving initiative in sustainability – is representative of what can be accomplished through the great work of a team of many people from across the campus and the community. As nice as it is to be working in a great facility, it’s even nicer to have the collective efforts of campus and community working for future improvements.”
Among those community partners is Holland Basham Architects, who designed Mammel Hall.
“Mammel Hall not only serves as an iconic getaway to UNO’s Pacific Street campus, but also demonstrates a leadership attitude of doing ‘the right thing’ in terms of sustainability and positioning itself as a leader among peer institutions,” said Curt Witzenburg of Holland Basham Architects in Omaha. “With the College of Business Administration and Mammel Hall adopting a sustainable philosophy, the facility not only generates an increased level of interest within the community, but also has the potential to aid in student and faculty recruitment, as these groups become more aware of the positive effects these concepts have.”
Witzenburg added that designing buildings with an eye toward total “life cycle costs” makes good fiscal sense.
“A large percent of construction materials used on Mammel Hall were produced within a 500-mile radius, encouraging job growth while reducing transportation costs,” Witzenburg said. “Through creative daylighting strategies, innovating design of the building’s heating, cooling and lighting system, Mammel Hall is expected to see energy savings that result in less cost to taxpayers for the duration of the building.”
It is important to note that UNO is a campus that preserves its facilities. The oldest building at UNO – Arts and Sciences Hall, the university’s first building dedicated on Nov. 4, 1938 – is 73 years old.
College of Business Administration Dean Louis Pol said he anticipates Mammel Hall to continue serving students for the next 50 to 75 years, following the precedent set by older facilities on the UNO campus that are renovated and made anew for years to come.
Omaha - Mammel Hall, the new home to the College of Business Administration at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), has become the first building within the University of Nebraska system to earn LEED gold certification for its green and energy saving features.
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification system. LEED provides third-party verification on construction projects that are built using strategies aimed at energy savings, water efficiency, carbon dioxide emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.
Ground broke on the 120,000-square-foot Mammel Hall construction project, located at 67th and Pine Streets, in June 2008. The $34 million facility opened to UNO students, faculty and staff in August 2010.
Mammel Hall received LEED certification in 2010 based on the following features:
Development Density and Community Connectivity
The building’s design works to support connectivity between UNO and the adjacent Aksarben Village development.
Alternative Transportation: Public Transportation Access
Mammel Hall is located within a quarter-mile of one existing campus bus route and two existing city bus routes, thus promoting the use of public transportation and reducing pollution and land development impacts from automobile use.
Daylight and Views, Daylighting 75 Percent of Spaces
Daylight fills nearly 75 percent of the offices, conference rooms, open work areas, workstations, administrative areas and the dean’s suite. This feature provides students, faculty and staff a connection between indoor spaces and the outdoors, which, according to LEED standards, promotes productivity, comfort and wellbeing.
Water Reduction
The unique plant species used in the outdoor landscape design will reduce water consumed for irrigation by 52 percent.
Construction Waste Management
More than 97 percent of construction waste from Mammel Hall was diverted from landfills.
Thermographic Imaging
Infrared thermographic analysis of the exterior building’s envelope was conducted to insure the maximum thermal integrity.
Low Mercury and Energy Efficient Lamps
Mammel Hall construction crews established and maintained a toxic material source-reduction program to reduce the amount of mercury brought onto the building site and removed from the site in waste through the lamping of low mercury, energy efficient luminaires.
Optimize Energy Performance
Energy efficient light fixtures are used throughout Mammel Hall. Overall energy consumption has been reduced to 30 percent below the standard to reduce environmental impacts associated with excessive energy use.
Stormwater Management
About 20 percent of the rainwater that falls on and around Mammel Hall is fed to basins and allowed to percolate below ground to recharge the aquifer and reduce the demand on storm sewers.
“Many businesses have and are making the change to be more green, and many businesses are being created to provide green services and products,” said Rick Yoder of the Pollution Prevention Regional Information Center and the Nebraska Business Development Center at UNO. “What I think most of us are happiest about is that Mammel Hall – and the evolving initiative in sustainability – is representative of what can be accomplished through the great work of a team of many people from across the campus and the community. As nice as it is to be working in a great facility, it’s even nicer to have the collective efforts of campus and community working for future improvements.”
Among those community partners is Holland Basham Architects, who designed Mammel Hall.
“Mammel Hall not only serves as an iconic getaway to UNO’s Pacific Street campus, but also demonstrates a leadership attitude of doing ‘the right thing’ in terms of sustainability and positioning itself as a leader among peer institutions,” said Curt Witzenburg of Holland Basham Architects in Omaha. “With the College of Business Administration and Mammel Hall adopting a sustainable philosophy, the facility not only generates an increased level of interest within the community, but also has the potential to aid in student and faculty recruitment, as these groups become more aware of the positive effects these concepts have.”
Witzenburg added that designing buildings with an eye toward total “life cycle costs” makes good fiscal sense.
“A large percent of construction materials used on Mammel Hall were produced within a 500-mile radius, encouraging job growth while reducing transportation costs,” Witzenburg said. “Through creative daylighting strategies, innovating design of the building’s heating, cooling and lighting system, Mammel Hall is expected to see energy savings that result in less cost to taxpayers for the duration of the building.”
It is important to note that UNO is a campus that preserves its facilities. The oldest building at UNO – Arts and Sciences Hall, the university’s first building dedicated on Nov. 4, 1938 – is 73 years old.
College of Business Administration Dean Louis Pol said he anticipates Mammel Hall to continue serving students for the next 50 to 75 years, following the precedent set by older facilities on the UNO campus that are renovated and made anew for years to come.
BOD Election Results
The 2011 USGBC Nebraska Flatwater Board of Directors has been chosen. It was a very close election, and we're excited that those who wern't selected for the two available spots have committed to staying involved and helping lead the chapter within our various committees.
Congratulations to Shawn Parmley and Chad Johansen who will be joining the Board of Directors in 2011!
Thanks to our other candidates, and we look forward to working with you all in the coming year. Make sure to stop by our Holiday Sweater party at Noodle Zoo next Wednesday to congratulate the new board members and meet the other candidates.
Congratulations to Shawn Parmley and Chad Johansen who will be joining the Board of Directors in 2011!
Thanks to our other candidates, and we look forward to working with you all in the coming year. Make sure to stop by our Holiday Sweater party at Noodle Zoo next Wednesday to congratulate the new board members and meet the other candidates.
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