Top News and Other Green Events
Get Connected – as a GBA Member!
Green Building Alliance Intern Openings
Pittsburgh OKs Density Incentive for LEED-Certified Buildings
Eaton Corporation
Plans $24 M LEED-Certified Expansion; 30 New Jobs Created
PNC Bank Extends
Leadership in Eco-Friendly Development with Trademark of "Green
Branch®" Term
Report: Green Building Market to Grow to $4.7 Billion by 2011
New Fund Supports Green
Housing Rehabilitation
New Credentialing Organization Launched for
Green Building Professionals
Call for New LEED for Homes Certification Providers
Extended Until December 5th
LEED for Healthcare
Public Comment Period Now Open
Mascaro Construction Company Accepting Resumes for a Director of Sustainability
TOP
NEWS AND OTHER GREEN EVENTS
Get
Connected – as a GBA Member!
Joining GBA as an individual or corporate member – or
taking advantage of a membership/sponsorship package – connects
you to engineers, architects, developers and other professionals
who are leading the green building movement in Western Pennsylvania.
Membership provides you with many benefits, including discounts
on education programs and conferences, a new quarterly legislative
update for members only, and special member events. Membership levels are designed to fit individuals, as
well as organizations of all sizes. Sign up now to enjoy a full
year of benefits--and to claim your tax-deduction. To learn more,
visit www.gbapgh.org/membership.asp.
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Green Building Alliance Intern Openings
The Green Building Alliance is a non-profit organization that
integrates environmentally responsible--and high performance--design,
construction and operating practices into the Western
PA market. GBA is currently seeking interns of varying backgrounds,
and full position descriptions can be found
by clicking on the links below:
Communications Intern
DASH Intern
Pittsburgh Climate Change Initiative Intern
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Pittsburgh OKs Density Incentive for LEED-Certified Buildings
Pittsburgh City Council has approved an incentive
(introduced by Council Member Bill Peduto) to allow structures
certified by the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system
to be 20% taller than others in their zoning districts. Various local organizations testified in support of the legislation, including the Soffer Organization, Sota Construction
Company, Astorino, The Rubinoff Company, Pittsburgh NAOIP, and
the Mayor's Office. The city
is also looking at requiring large city-owned building projects
to get a LEED Silver rating from the USGBC, as well as private
developments backed by any city-subsidized tax increment financing.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 20
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Eaton
Corporation Plans $24 M LEED-Certified Expansion; 30 New Jobs
Created
Cleveland-based Eaton
Corporation is planning a $24 million, 120,000-square-foot expansion
to its electrical division headquarters in Moon Township. The
addition will combine its tech center and corporate offices, creating
at least 30 new jobs within three years and retaining 756 existing
positions. The project will also showcase innovation in sustainable
building design. "Our customer briefing center will be a green
lab, a way to bring customers in to demonstrate the application
of our products," says John White, director of energy management
and environmental solutions for Eaton.
[Read More]
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PNC Bank Extends Leadership in Eco-Friendly Development with Trademark
of
"Green Branch®" Term
The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has
granted a trademark for the term "Green Branch®"
to Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., which
has more certified, environmentally friendly buildings than any
other company on earth.
"The trademark is affirmation of PNC's leadership in 'green'
business practices during the past decade," said Gary Saulson,
director, corporate real estate, PNC. "Our commitment to
significantly reduce our impact on the environment has enabled
us to lower costs and increase efficiency and productivity, as
well as enhance the communities where our customers and employees
live, work and play."
PNC, honored in Working Mother magazine's November issue
as one of the nation's "2007 Best Green Companies,"
is a nationally recognized leader in environmental sustainability.
The firm has more buildings (42) certified by the U.S. Green Building
Council (USGBC) than any other company, regardless of industry.
[More
Info]
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to top]
Report: Green Building Market to Grow to $4.7 Billion by 2011
A November report from Rockville, Md.-based market researcher
SBI finds that after posting an impressive compound annual growth
rate of 23% through 2006, the market for green, or environmentally
friendly, building materials is expected to continue growing from
almost $2.2 billion in 2006 to $4.7 billion in 2011, although
at a slightly slower rate of 17%. The report also explores the
market for green building materials, including lumber, siding,
flooring, insulation and millwork.
[Read More]
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New
Fund Supports Green
Housing Rehabilitation
Through its lending affiliate, the National
Housing Trust Community Development Fund, the National Housing
Trust recently created a loan fund to provide below-market predevelopment
and interim development loans for affordable housing rehabilitation
projects seeking to incorporate green building techniques. Under
the Green Affordable Housing Preservation Lending Initiative,
a portion of the loan will be forgiven when the developer demonstrates
that practical, environmentally friendly design elements have
been incorporated into a property's rehabilitation plan.
For more information on the initiative, which is supported by
the Home Depot Foundation, click
here or contact Keiva Dennis at (202) 333-8931 x26 or kdennis@nhtinc.org.
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New
Credentialing Organization Launched for Green Building Professionals
A newly incorporated entity,
the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), has been established
with the support of the U.S. Green Building Council to administer
credentialing programs aimed at improving green building practices
and standards.
GBCI will ensure that the LEED Accredited Professional program
will continue to be developed in accordance with best practices
for credentialing programs. To underscore this commitment, GBCI
will undergo the ANSI accreditation process for personnel certification
agencies, complying with ISO Standard 17024.
The recently launched GBCI website, www.gbci.org,
provides credential-related information for LEED Accredited Professionals
and interested candidates.
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to top]
Call
for New LEED for Homes Certification Providers Extended Until
December 5th
The Request
for Qualifications (RFQ) for LEED for Homes includes background
information on the program, submittal instructions for organizations
interested in applying to become a LEED for Homes Certification
Provider, and a six-page submittal form. The USGBC plans to establish
contractual relationships with approximately 20 new LEED for Homes
Certification Providers. These Providers will be the primary verification
and certification agents for the program, with the USGBC providing
quality assurance oversight. Each Provider organization will be
responsible for the selection, training, scheduling, and quality
assurance of a team of in-field inspectors and/or green raters.
Submittals are due to the USGBC by 5 p.m. EST on Wednesday, December
5, 2007. Incomplete submittals will be disqualified.
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LEED for Healthcare Public Comment
Period Now Open
The U.S. Green Building Council
invites the public to comment on its draft LEED for Healthcare
Rating System. The program was developed to meet the unique needs
of the healthcare market, including inpatient care facilities,
licensed outpatient care facilities and licensed long-term care
facilities. LEED for Healthcare may also be used for medical offices,
assisted living facilities, and medical education and research
centers. It addresses such issues as increased sensitivity to
chemicals and pollutants, traveling distances from parking facilities,
and access to natural spaces. It was developed based on LEED for
New Construction Version 2.2 and the Green Guide for Health Care.
Visit
the public
drafts page for more information or to participate. Please
contact leedinfo@usgbc.org
with any questions.
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Mascaro
Construction Company
Accepting Resumes for a Director of
Sustainability
Mascaro Construction Company,
L.P., ranked the 24th largest green building contractor in the
country by Engineering News Record and recently voted the
sixth best place to work in Pittsburgh according to the Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette, is currently accepting resumes for a Director
of Sustainability.
[Job Description]
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UPCOMING
GBA EVENTS
December 5 - Alliance Building Breakfast:
Annual GBA/USGBC Membership Update
In the final Alliance Building Breakfast
of 2007, join Green Building Alliance staff and board members
for an annual membership update. At this breakfast meeting, new
developments and initiatives happening nationally within the U.S.
Green Building Council and locally in Western Pennsylvania will
be shared.
Havard Yale Princeton (HYP) Club;
619 William Penn Place
Pittsburgh, PA
|
Wednesday
12/5/2007
Registration:
7:30 a.m.
Program:
8 - 9:30 a.m. |
Cost: $30 GBA Members; $40 Non-members
[REGISTER
HERE]
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