We are happy to provide you with the Green Building Alliance 2006 Calendar of Events: A wide range of formats and topics are being offered this year to match the interests of various audiences. GBA is particularly excited about its partnership with the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) to produce Green$ense, a two-day conference geared to the development and real estate community. That event, which includes an awards luncheon, will be held on April 20th and 21st.

Throughout the year, national professional training workshops from the U.S. Green Building Council, Green Advantage, and Paladino & Company will be hosted by GBA in Pittsburgh. Also, to illustrate green building in action, tours of four recently completed exceptional green buildings will be organized. Two lunchtime lectures featuring local "green celebrities" will address larger issues of sustainability, health and green development, while two Alliance Building Breakfasts will cover topics of interest to the local community. One of the latter events will include a local government panel discussing the creation of a green product industry and the second will provide updates on LEED, USGBC and GBA activities.

We encourage you to visit GBA’s website at www.gbapgh.org for full program details, including dates, times, locations and fees.

GBA Presents: Case Study Tour - K2/Clearview Center: Save the date - March 31st
This tour features a building with a multitude of green features: ground source heat pumps provide heating and cooling to 6,400 square feet of space using horizontal “slinky” piping; lighting systems are controllable relative to available daylight; the non-roof site is 100% pervious; and roof water is collected in cisterns for washing and watering. To register for this tour, please click here.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Receives Grant for Alternative Energy Technology: The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania awarded a $150,000 grant to Phipps for the installation and operation of a demonstration Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) system. This green technology will produce total energy savings of more than 60 percent, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 57 percent on a per-kilowatt basis. This will be the first installation of a SOFC system in Pennsylvania that is accessible to the public. To read the complete press statement, click here.

Nominations Sought Environmental Awards: The Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Dominion Energy announced that they are accepting nominations for the 2006 Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards Program. Community groups, schools, volunteers, businesses, government officials, projects, organizations, individuals or programs are eligible to receive an award for their efforts to enhance the environment of this area. A total of five awards will be presented in the areas of community, education, and business. For more information, please visit here.

"Concrete Takes the LEED": Learn how concrete, a "green" building product, can help your project acquire LEED points. An upcoming full-day continuing education seminar will focus on the use of concrete and its role in sustainable construction. For details, click here.

2006 Commonwealth Design Awards: 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania is seeking innovative development and design projects from around the state to be considered for these annual awards. The deadline for submissions is fast-approaching--March 3. For more information, please visit here.

Local Contractors Honored: The Master Builders Association (MBA) acknowledged local construction teams during its annual meeting on Friday, January 20, 2006. Building Excellence Awards are given to member contractors and their project teams for exemplary work performed on a construction project. The Green Building Alliance congratulates all of the winners, but especially the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh Expansion, a LEED-NC Silver project. More information can be found in the press release.