NEWS
Become a GBA Member - Don’t Miss the Year-End Deadline for Your
Tax Deduction!
Membership in GBA offers terrific
benefits, including: discounts on all GBA-organized programs
and annual Green$ense
Conference, invitations to member-only events, acknowledgement
on GBA's web site, a free copy of the Shades
of Green resource directory, and automatic subscriptions
to the organization's monthly and quarterly online and printed
publications. Plus, since GBA is a 501(c)3, membership dues
qualify as a charitable contribution for income tax purposes.
Join the growing contingent of Western Pennsylvania leaders
who support the local green building market and advocate for
related legislation through efforts such as the Green
Government Task Force. Membership applications are available
here.
[back to top]
USGBC Honors Green Building Alliance Board Member Gary Saulson
The U.S. Green Building Council recognized outstanding leaders
in green building during an event at the Greenbuild conference
earlier this month. Leadership Awards were presented to select
companies and individuals who demonstrated exceptional vision,
leadership and commitment to the evolution of green building
design and construction.
In the LEED category, one of the awards was given to Gary Saulson,
Director of Corporate Real Estate at PNC Financial Services
and a board member of the Green Building Alliance. He was recognized
for his efforts to advance the rating system by rolling out
a prototype program that that will result in more than 100 LEED
bank branches by 2007. Additional projects completed during
Saulson's tenure include the 650,000-sq.-ft. PNC Firstside Center
in Pittsburgh, one of the world's largest LEED certified buildings;
and the LEED Gold certified world headquarters building for
PFPC, PNC's mutual fund servicing company in Delaware.
The 2006
USGBC Leadership Awards additionally recognized:
Community:
Robert Fox, Jr., Cook + Fox
Education: Greg E. Franta, Rocky Mountain Institute; also
The Alliance for a Sustainable Colorado
Advocacy: Maria
Atkinson, Lend Lease; also California Department of General
Services
LEED: Liberty Property Trust
Organizational Excellence: HOK
[back to top]
New Design Initiative to Be Funded
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency announced
that $1 million is available under its Excellence in Design
Initiative, a new measure to encourage high architectural, engineering,
planning and construction standards in affordable housing developments.
The innovative effort will help elevate good design in an often
neglected area: housing for families of modest means.
Requests for Proposals for this initiative may
be viewed on the PHFA web site. Prospective
participants must attend a predevelopment seminar on Friday,
December 1, 2006, at the Agency's headquarters: 211 North
Front Street, Harrisburg. Those wishing to register may contact
Jennifer Gerace.
[back to top]
Late-Breaking
News from the Greenbuild Conference in Denver:
At the opening plenary, U.S. Green Building Council
President Rick Fedrizzi announced a series of proposals from
his board and the LEED®
Steering Committee to bring about "immediate and measurable"
carbon dioxide reduction and to advance the green building industry:
Beginning
in 2007 and subject to USGBC member approval, all new commercial
LEED projects will have to achieve at least two energy optimization
credits as a prerequisite in LEED, and will be required to reduce
carbon dioxide emissions by 50% compared with current emission
levels.
All LEED for New Construction and LEED Core and Shell certified
buildings will be automatically registered for LEED for Existing
Buildings, which focuses on ongoing building operations and
maintenance.
Buildings that achieved LEED Platinum certification will receive
rebates of their certification fees.
With a new alliance, USGBC
and Autodesk®,
the makers of AutoCAD®,
will work on integrating building performance modeling tools
with building design software.
[back to top]
Insurer Offers Special Coverage
for Green Buildings
Fireman's Fund®
Insurance Company, a major provider of property and casualty
insurance, announced new green building coverage plans last
month. The plans are available for owners of certified green
buildings, or property owners who want to add green features
when they rebuild to preexisting standards following a fire.
For buildings certified by the LEED Rating System or Green Globes,
the company will fund replacements for green features such as
non-toxic and low-odor paints and carpets, Energy Star-rated
appliances, green interior lighting systems, efficient plumbing
fixtures, and commissioning. LEED-certified buildings can also
qualify for discounted coverage due to lower risk factors.
[back to top]
Only
LEED Meets Its Needs, Says GSA
In a major boost to the U.S. Green Building
Council's system for rating the environmental performance of
buildings, the General Services Administration (GSA)--the landlord
of the federal government--has issued a report
that found the council's LEED system to be the most credible
among five systems evaluated.
That conclusion will likely have a major impact on the growing
green building market since the federal government is one of
the largest owners and operators of commercial buildings. The
government's endorsement of a particular ranking system could
establish a de facto standard for the industry. Read
more.
[back to top]
USGBC Commits to Homeowner Education
The USGBC, with support from national land developer Newland
Communities, has announced a commitment to the Clinton Global
Initiative (CGI), an organization dedicated to addressing global
issues through the commitments of individuals and organizations.
The USGBC is creating a one-year consumer education campaign
on its web site, which is visited by more than 300,000 people
each month. Valued at $250,000 by CGI, the site will educate
homeowners and builders about green building practices that
can help them save energy and thus lower their contribution
to global warming. It will also coincide with the launch of
USGBC's LEED for Homes Rating System, as well as the pilot period
for LEED for Neighborhood Development, which focuses on urban
development projects.
[back to top]
Are
you looking for ways to differentiate your properties in the
marketplace? Come hear keynote speaker Susan Eastridge and others
at 
