High-Profile Monthly: Green Pages 2009

December, 2009 1

www.high-profile.comGreen Development News

High-Profile: Green Facilities Development News

BLS Sustainble Roofscape Learning Lab

Also Featuring: Finding Green Building InformationWorking Together: Acoustics and Green DesignTransforming the Market From Practice to ProductsPitfalls of Simple Payback: Capital Budgeting Decisionsin Renewable and Energy-Efficiency ProjectsKEMA identifies energy end-use data problems

Plymouth Rock Studios Receives Certificate

2009 Leading by Example Awards

TK&A designs Life Science| Boston (CLSB) for BioMed Realty Trust,

Photo: Jeffrey Totaro

Nock Middle School project by Munro Electrical Distributing

Solectria Creates Green Jobs

Bringing Sustainable Design to a Historic Museum

MPA Creates its Own LEED Silver Certified Office

2009 Leading By Example Awards

BLS Sustainable Roofscape Learning Lab

Solectria Creates Green Jobs

Bringing Sustainable Design to a Historic Museum

Plymouth Rock Studios Receives Certificate

Bufftree Building Buzzards Bay Ctr

Tsoi Kobus & Associates Designs Life Science Boston

Also Featuring: • Finding Green Building Information• Working Together: Acoustics and Green Design• Transforming the Market From Practice to Products• Pitfalls of Simple Payback: Capital Budgeting Decisions in Renewable and Energy-Efficiency Projects• KEMA identifies energy end-use data problems

Inside This Issue...

Photo: Jeffrey Totaro

MPA Creates its Own LEED Silver Certified Office

http://www.high-profile.com

December, 20092

www.high-profile.com Green Development News


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December, 20094



by Allison Friedman In attempting to green my first proj-

ect, I have to admit I struggled to find the information I needed and pretty much fell flat on my face. I was eager for advice from people who had actually used green build-ing products and services. I wanted to know which items worked best in which applications and what my experience would be like once I pur-chased a product or commissioned a service.

Some products we used were fabulous. Others, well maybe those manufacturers needed a little critical feed-back. I just didn’t feel that information should be this hard to find. I also thought there should be a community for green builders where all are welcome and we could exchange ideas, and I spent some time looking for this resource assuming it had to exist already. This experience inspired me to create Rate It Green, an online green build-ing directory and community.

At its core, Rate It Green is a peer-review-based green building product and service directory. Companies create profiles and list their products and services for ev-eryone to see and for site members to rate/review. Our basic listings are and will al-ways be free, and individual membership is also free of charge (although those who wish to post content and reviews do com-plete a registration survey). We’re aiming to build the largest green building directory

out there, and a free level of offering should help us do just that.

Rate It Green is also a community. This is about information sharing and ex-change. If you have some expertise, I guarantee there is someone out there who can learn from you, and someone who can help you as well.

Every registration helps someone learn about what you do, and every review is appre-ciated by someone who has a particular project question or

just hasn’t used an item before. This isn’t a commercial tool or a resi-

dential tool - it’s all inclusive. Our next big plan is to add individual profiles as a com-munications center with forums and groups that people can join to communicate and network on any green building topic.

I decided at one point that it might be a good idea to map all the green building in-formation sources out there for my use, but also in case anyone else needed the infor-mation. I did not realize how ambitious this goal was. In 2008, Rate It Green published Green Building 101, a directory of more than 900 places where one can learn about green building. And there’s a ton of research left to do. For now, I’d be happy to share some of my New England and general fa-vorites. There are so many great tools out there, and many are free.

Finding Green Building Information A Quick Review of Selected Information Sources

Continued on page 11

Friedman

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by Michael BarnesPublisher, High-Profile Monthly

Welcome to our Annual Green Facilities Development Supple-ment. Different from our month-

ly Green News pages, the Annual Green Facilities Development is more extensive, appears at several major trade shows as a separate supplement all year, and anchors our green web pages at www.high-profile.com.

Sustainability has been the buzz word since the late 1980’s. U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) was formed in

1993. The first LEED Pi-lot Project Program, also referred to as LEED Ver-sion 1.0, was launched at the USGBC Membership Summit in August 1998

After extensive modifications, the LEED Green Building Rating System Version 2.0 was

released in March 2000. Since then there has been a fundamental change from being a “desirable” but costly benefit, to what is now widely considered a nec-essary and cost saving component of facilities renovation and construc-tion.

According to the Massachusetts Build-ing Congress (MBC)

“the current economic crisis and growing environmental awareness has fostered an unprecedented growth in efforts to reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emis-sions, and energy costs. Both government and private industry are using creative ways to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and minimize their carbon footprint, with a particular focus on building portfolios.”

High-Profile Monthly had the good fortune to attend a recent MBC breakfast presenting a panel of government and pri-vate sector professionals who spoke about some of the new legislation, policies, and programs that are designed to dramati-cally reduce energy consumption across the Commonwealth and achieve ZERO net energy buildings by the year 2030.

James W. Hunt, III, Chief of Envi-ronmental & Energy Services for the City of Boston served as moderator for the pan-el which included Eric Friedman, Direc-tor, Leading By Example, Mass. Dept. of Energy Resources; Teresa Civic, Manager, Utilities, Massport; and Kleo Taliadouros Senior Project Developer, Ameresco, Inc.

Getting in the GreenGreening Facilities More Than Compensates

Barnes

The information provided was too extensive to share here, but we hope that the following links will share insight into some of the programs, funding, and benefits available for those responsible for the built environment:

www.buildingcongress.orgwww.cityofboston.gov/environmentalandenergy/www.mass.gov/Eoeea/docs/eea/lbe/lbe__brochure.pdfwww.massport.com/business/pdf/Sustainable0609.pdfwww.ameresco.com

December, 2009 5



Plymouth, MA - The proposed Plym-outh Rock Studios project reached another significant environmental permitting mile-stone recently when it received a certificate on its Single Environmental Impact Report from the Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

“This decision demonstrates that the project will create jobs and establish a clean new industry in the Common-wealth. The Sec-retary’s certificate represents a com-prehensive review of the environmen-tal impacts related to the project,” said Plymouth Rock Real

Estate Investments, President and CEO, Bill Wynne. “This certificate not only allows us to move forward but also validates the measures we have taken to minimize en-vironmental impacts and go the extra step to provide regional environmental benefits through our low-impact design and off-site infrastructure improvements.”

In his decision Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles wrote, “The studio would represent a major step forward for the growing film industry in Massachusetts. The project has the potential to create an economic engine for the southeast region of Massachusetts by

generating over 3,160 full time equivalent jobs at full build-out and serving as a unique tourist attraction and educational resource for potential employees and students.”

Secretary Bowles also cited the envi-ronmental benefits of the proposal. “Nota-bly, the Single EIR outlines a commitment to design and build a state-of-the art, green and sustainable studio that will minimize the project’s environmental footprint and serve

as a model for developers in Massachusetts and studio heads in Hollywood,” he said.

The scheduled timeframe for the start of the project will be within the next 45 to 90 days. The Studio will have 14 soundstag-es and 10-acres of exterior sets, plus pro-duction offices, post-production facilities, a theater, hotel, and an amenity village, along with being the world’s first LEED-certified, environmentally friendly studio complex.

Plymouth Rock Studios Receives Certificate Lighthouse on Track at Arsenal

Watertown, MA – Light-house Electrical of Rockland is under way with the installation of a photovoltaic system at a Harvard University-owned office complex, The Arsenal on the Charles in Wa-tertown.

The 500-kW solar array, will cover nearly two-and-a-half foot-ball fields in length, and will be the largest institutional solar array in New England.

Funded in part by a $1.08 million grant from the Common-wealth solar rebate program, the project is scheduled to be complet-ed by the end of 2009.

Estimates are that the pho-tovoltaic installation will generate more than 635,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, about 7% of the electrical usage of the build-ing’s tenants.

The electrical output of the renewable system is enough to power more than 30 homes for a year. The Arsenal solar project is integral to Harvard’s broad sustain-able energy initiative to cut 30% of the University’s greenhouse gas emissions by by 2015.

Wynne

Since licensing the rights to the Hollywood sign, Plymouth Rock Studios has created several installations of a Hollywood East sign using natural materials, like autumn

leaves, snow and seashells, to reflect the diverse beauty of New England and the studio’s commitment to environmentalism. Photo credit Plymouth Rock Studios.

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December, 20096



by Kevin Dewhurst, Environments at Work

By putting off costly new LEED-certified buildings or renovations, and re-focusing on more modest projects that sup-port environmental initiatives, companies are continuing to take steps toward more efficient and healthier work environments while respecting the bottom line in today’s economy.

No longer limited to low-VOC fab-rics, green furniture selection comes un-der this “more mod-est” banner while offering a wide range of sustainable and environmental-ly friendly options.

In green fur-niture manufactur-ing, the first goal is to reduce the use of

non-sustainable materials, such as steel. Furniture parts that were once constructed of metal are frequently being reengineered from alternative materials such as recycled plastic. Packaging also has been rede-signed to minimize the amount of card-board and other materials used to securely deliver products.

Reusing furniture is one of the more

creative solutions to result from the green initiative. By repainting and reupholstering furniture panels, companies that specialize in refurbished office furniture can provide “like-new” products for less cost. The turn-around time is also much shorter, as the refurbishing is done locally rather than or-dering new furniture from a manufacturer cross-country. Companies can either select “new to them” products to purchase or re-quest their existing furniture be refurbished to create a new look. In addition to saving cost and delivery time, this approach can earn companies LEED points and prevent the used furniture from taking up space in landfills.

Major furniture manufacturers also offer a variety of styles produced using re-cycled or recyclable materials.

The life cycle of any product takes into consideration the impact of its manu-facture, its distribution, its use, and its dis-posal – how much energy is used in each step, and the waste created.

Cradle-to-cradle products are the optimal lifecycle solution—those that are produced almost completely from re-cycled materials and are fully (or nearly so) recyclable when the user is done with them. Once the product has arrived and is installed at the customer’s office, the life cycle continues. Selecting durable, flex-

ible furniture solutions that can change and grow to fit the user’s needs over time minimizes the cost and waste of tearing down and rebuilding office walls or replac-ing workstations as a company grows and

reorganizes. Demountable wall systems and raised flooring are significantly more sustainable than standard construction and are designed in a vast array of styles and finishes to support nearly any design aes-thetic. Products manufactured with materi-als such as recycled aluminum or recycled concrete further support the environmen-tally friendly nature of modular systems.

Many furniture manufacturers also provide programs that assist customers in recycling their furniture when they are finished using it, or transition it to a used furniture market for future reuse.

Less cost, less waste, less energy use—these are the beneficial results of considering the full life cycle of a furniture product from the onset. Although these strategies may be considered small steps in the green movement big picture, in today’s economy this thoughtful approach will help companies continue making strides toward a greener future and a stronger bot-tom line.

Kevin Dewhurst is the operations manager for Environments at Work, New England’s premier Haworth office furniture dealer. With more than 10 years of industry experience in both sales and operations, he oversees client installations and works closely with furniture manufacturers and sub-contractors.

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December, 2009 7



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Boston, MA - The 2009 Leading by Example Awards were presented recently by the Commonwealth of

Massachusetts.The awards recognize outstanding

efforts among Commonwealth agencies, public higher education institutions, and municipalities that have established and implemented policies and programs result-ing in significant and demonstrable envi-ronmental benefits.

The 2009 LBE award winners:State Agencies• The Mass. Dept. of Environmen-

tal Protection has taken several actions to improve energy efficiency and reduce waste agency wide, including installing efficient lighting and occupancy sensors; implementing computer management that powers down computers during inactive periods; recycling tons of paper, cardboard cans and bottles; reducing the agency’s ve-hicle fleet, which is currently comprised

of 20% hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles; and major renovation of a Wall Experiment Station, which is on track to achieve LEED Gold certification.

• The Massachusetts Trial Court is demonstrating energy efficiency leader-ship across the state by decreasing energy demand and saving money. In FY08, the Court reduced electricity consumption, natural gas, and water. Single-stream recy-cling has been instituted across all facilities and the Green Team works to promote en-vironmental and energy awareness among all employees.

Public Higher Education• Massachusetts Maritime Academy

achieved a LEED Gold certified dormitory and is on track to receive a LEED Silver rating for a new library/information com-mons now under construction. MMA is home to a 660-kW wind turbine, an 85-kW

Leading by Example Awards

Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles and Senate President Therese Murray presenting the LBE Award to the Mass. Trial Court – Chief Justice Robert Mul-

ligan and his staff.


Boston, MA - The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has approved National Grid’s plans to construct and deploy approximately 5 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaic power at five company-owned sites, marking the department’s second approval of utility company ownership and operation of so-lar energy installations under the Green Communities Act of 2008.

National Grid’s solar projects are planned for locations in Dorchester, Ev-erett, Haverhill, Revere, and on the Sut-ton/Northbridge border.

“Governor Patrick’s goal to in-crease installation of solar power in Mas-sachusetts to 250 megawatts by 2017 is ambitious, but achievable. Already, the Commonwealth is on pace for at least 40 megawatts by the end of 2010 – up from less than 4 MW when the Governor took office,” DPU Chairman Paul Hib-bard said. “The approved National Grid plan moves us closer to that goal, while

protecting ratepayers.” Designed to promote the develop-

ment of renewable energy and stimu-late the Commonwealth’s clean energy economy, the Green Communities Act gave utility companies the ability to own and operate solar electric installations up to 50 MW. Just as utilities bill custom-ers for the cost of fossil-fuel generated electricity, the cost of utility-owned so-lar power will be recouped through rate-payer revenues.

Once fully operational by the end of 2010, National Grid’s solar projects will contribute to the local supply of re-newable power, helping the Common-wealth meet its Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements. Estab-lished as part of the utility restructuring act in 1997, the RPS is designed to di-versify the state’s electricity supply port-folio and create market demand to spur the development of renewable power.

Second Solar Power Plan Approved

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December, 20098



Rising energy costs and cleaner

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December, 2009 9



by Jeffrey Fullerton, LEED AP, Acentech Inc.

Although the rewards of building green have been well documented, the acoustics of these projects are

not often as thoroughly considered. Green and acoustical design goals can comple-ment each other through the use of energy-efficient and quieter HVAC and elevator systems, improved thermal and acoustical isolation, and environmentally responsible acoustical materials. These synergies, and several conflicting objectives, are dis-cussed below.

Sustainable renovation projects often focus on reducing energy consumption of building systems, improving thermal loss-es of the existing building, and introducing recycled or rapidly renewable products in the process. Each of these three areas can benefit the acoustical conditions of the final occupied spaces.

Energy-efficient mechanical systems may also be quieter choices for a project. For example, projects that call for replac-ing a small- to moderate-sized air-cooled chiller or condenser may gain significant energy and acoustical benefits by using a geothermal system, which operates with lower sound levels and eliminates the noisy exterior equipment that might bother the top-floor building tenants or the neighbors. Another potential source of noise in a com-mercial office space is the elevator system. Today, new energy-efficient elevators us-ing direct drive motors are quieter replace-ments to the noisy hydraulic compressors and geared elevator systems of the past.

A key facet of reducing energy use is considering the thermal performance of el-ements of the building envelope. This typi-cally involves thicker insulation, compre-hensive air sealing, and upgraded window and door assemblies. Because sound trans-mits through air, the side benefit of these thermal upgrades is better sound isolation. Some energy-efficient buildings are even utilizing double-wall exterior façades to improve their thermal efficiency, with the additional benefit of extraordinary isola-tion from noisy exterior environments.

Designers can now choose from a range of green acoustical products. These include: batt insulation made from re-

cycled cotton fibers that can be used for improving the sound isolation of demis-ing walls between rooms; rapidly re-newable substrates and veneers used for ceiling panel prod-ucts where sound absorption is de-sired; and fiber-free

products that provide sound absorption without fiberglass materials.

Other sustainable products can pro-vide acoustical benefits, increase design flexibility, and minimize demolition waste. Demountable partitions are an excellent choice for laying out closed offices and rooms that require more acoustical separa-

tion than a typical open office area. These systems enable facility managers to signifi-cantly change the layout of spaces without the cost and waste associated with tradi-tional stud construction. Still, it may be im-portant to compensate for the demountable partitions’ lower privacy performance with electronically produced background noise.

Not all sustainable design ideas pro-vide acoustical benefits; in fact, several can conflict with acoustical design goals. Often, compromises or innovative, alter-native solutions for sustainable renovation projects can be found.

For example, passive ventilation can be an ideal way to save significantly on en-ergy while tempering the interior environ-ment. However, this approach should be considered with some caution, as an open window allows noise in as well. It would be appropriate to consider passive venti-lation designs in areas with quiet exterior sound levels or rooms that are less sensi-tive acoustically.

Another example is thermal insula-

tion. It is a misconception that all thermal insulation provides excellent acoustical performance. In reality, thermal insulation provides the benefit of sound absorption – and in turn noise reduction – only when it is porous. The fibrous structure of typical batt insulations, made of fiberglass, miner-al wool (or rock wool), recycled denim, or open cell foam, converts sound energy into heat. As a result, these porous insulations are very effective for sound absorption. On the other hand, closed cell foam insula-tions, which consist of small pockets of air, provide exceptional thermal insulation but prevent sound energy from being absorbed. For these reasons, exterior façades made with closed cell foams can be a concern for projects in high-noise areas.

Another misconception is that “tri-ple pane” windows – windows with glaz-

ing that is spaced within a total thickness of about one inch (25 mm) or less – have great sound isolation performance. Within that one-inch, there may be three layers of glass (and two air cavities), which have very good thermal performance. However, the thin air spaces do not effectively iso-

late the panes from each other, and thereby transmit sound and provide little sound isolation. Acoustical test data of triple pane windows have demonstrated that there is little acoustical benefit over a double pane insulated system.

Lastly, many commercial office occu-pants benefit from natural light and views, a green design approach that involves low-ering obstructions between people and the exterior windows. However, lowering or removing workstation barriers will limit the acoustical separation between occu-pants. A compromise could be to integrate office furniture that consists of worksta-tion barriers made of transparent materials, such as glass or plexiglass. These have the desired optical qualities, but are also able to block sound transmission by increasing the height of the barrier.

As with every other design decision on a project, balance the goals and allow compromises for sustainability to create a project that works for its intended purpose. With a little extra thought and attention, sustainable changes can improve occupant productivity and comfort through better acoustic conditions.

Jeff Fullerton is the director of archi-tectural acoustics at Acentech Inc., a multi-disciplinary acoustics, audiovisual systems design, and vibration consulting firm. He is a LEED accredited professional and con-tributed to the development of LEED for Commercial Interiors.

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Centennial, CO - GEI Consultants, Inc. of Woburn, Mass., has been select-ed by the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority and the La Plata Water Conservancy District to provide dam engineering services for the Long Hollow Dam and Reservoir, which is located about 22 miles south-west of Durango, Colo.

The Long Hollow Reservoir (LHR) Project will assist the State of Colorado in meeting its delivery obliga-tions under the La Plata River Compact by providing water to improve La Plata River flow delivery to New Mexico.

GEI will provide dam engineering services for the Long Hollow Dam and Reservoir project, including design of the dam, foundation, outlet works, and emergency spillway. The reservoir will provide up to 5,432 acre-feet of storage

capacity and includes a 300 acre-foot re-serve pool designated for release during low-flow river conditions to meet Com-pact requirements with New Mexico.

As conceptually proposed, the dam will be located on Long Hollow channel, approximately one-half mile upstream from its confluence with the La Plata River. The Long Hollow Dam and Reservoir will ultimately increase the beneficial use of water and will bet-ter enable the state to meet the La Plata River Compact requirements. The proj-ect will also provide supplemental water supply to existing irrigated lands within the La Plata Water Conservancy District (LPWCD).

GEI’s project team includes Davis Engineering Service of Pagosa Springs, Colo. for hydrologic engineering, site civil surveying, and permitting support.

Colorado Water Authority Taps GEI

Boston, MA - Located at the heart of Boston’s Longwood Medi-cal Area, the Center for Life Science| Boston (CLSB) is the first of its kind in the United States, a speculative, pri-vately owned, high-rise, multi-tenant lab building.

The facility, designed by Tsoi/Kobus & Associates of Cambridge and owned by BioMed Realty Trust, offers flexible, cutting-edge research space to some of the world’s premier academic and medical institutions—Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Cen-ter, Children’s Hospital Boston, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Immune Disease Institute, and Kowa Pharmaceuticals. The project recently was honored with an AIA New Eng-land Design Award.

Despite the speculative and energy-intensive nature of the build-ing, LEED certification was a goal of the developer, Lyme Properties, from the outset of the project. The Center for Life Science|Boston was one of the first buildings accepted to the US Green Build-ing Council’s LEED Core and Shell Pilot Project and has been certified Gold.

An integrated sustainable design ap-proach that considered the building as a whole and not just the sum of its parts al-lowed the design team to resolve multiple challenges with targeted solutions. For ex-ample, a water reclaim tank at the building base captures stormwater and lab-process reject water for reuse in the core toilets, saving more than a million gallons of water annually while also reducing impact on the dense neighborhood’s stormwater manage-ment system.

Other sustainable features include en-ergy-efficient glazing and insulation, smart lighting design, and high-efficiency boilers, chillers and motors. The building achieves

an overall 30% reduction in energy costs, saving 7,236 tons of CO2 annually.

An open green space across the street from the CLSB relieves the density of the building site, and more than 90% of build-ing occupants have access to views, pro-viding a healthy environment for workers. The design achieves the owner’s goals to respect and enhance the urban fabric, ac-commodate a full range of tenant needs, and project a confident image befitting the research conducted within.

“Creating a responsibly dense devel-opment that reduced environmental impact on the surrounding community and used resources in a sustainable way was a key goal of this project from the beginning,” says TK&A Senior Principal Rick Kobus. “We’re proud to have met the challenge with a building that is smart in every re-spect.”

Green and Gold: CLSB Designed by TK&A

The Center for Life Science|Boston.Photo by Jeffrey Totaro

http://www.rgb.net

http://www.nstarroofing.com

December, 2009 11



Boston, MA - Massport employs a number of environmental initiatives in its day-to-day operations, including an award-winning air-quality emissions reductions program, an innovative sustainability pro-gram, and progressive stewardship of its facilities.

Some examples are:• The Terminal B garage is under-

going a $55.7 million renovation that will include solar panels on the roof to gener-ate power and LED lighting in the garage that will reduce electricity consumption by 49%.

• Mass-port received a $400,000 grant from the US En-vironmental Pro-tection Agency (EPA) to install additional power stations at Boston Fish Pier so fish-ing boats and vis-iting vessels will be able to turn off their diesel engines and “plug in” for electricity while tied up.

• A cell phone lot was opened for Cruiseport Boston patrons picking up pas-sengers at Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, which will alleviate congestion on the streets around the cruise terminal.

• Massport has pioneered many envi-ronmentally friendly initiatives. Logan Air-port’s 27 shuttle buses have been powered by CNG since 1995 and are expected to log their 13th million “clean mile” this year.

• Currently, Logan Airport operates more than 70 vehicles powered by CNG or electricity. Logan Airport is also home to one of New England’s largest publicly ac-

cessible CNG filling stations.• Massport continues to encourage the

use of hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles in the taxi line at Logan Airport and works to promote the use of high-occupancy modes of travel to and from the Airport.

• In an effort to reduce vehicle emis-sions, Massport is planning to build a con-solidated rental car facility on-airport that will reduce the number of rental car shuttle bus trips and lessen terminal curbside con-gestion. Massport is currently examining clean vehicle options for the new fleet of rental car shuttle buses. Last year, Logan’s

cell phone wait-ing lot opened. It has proved popu-lar and has helped to further reduce congestion on airport roadways.

• In 2006, Logan Airport’s new Terminal A was the world’s

first airport terminal to win LEED certifi-cation for environmental sustainability de-sign and construction. The terminal blends sustainable building methods and technolo-gies, including alternative ground transpor-tation, storm water treatment, heat island reduction, water efficiency, daylighting for energy efficiency, sustainable material use, and improved indoor air quality.

• Massport purchased eight new rub-ber tired gantry cranes that are powered by hybrid engines. The engine runs on electricity generated by a low noise/low exhaust diesel that meet exhaust emissions standards. The engine is also fitted with a diesel oxidation catalyst to further reduce particulate matter.

Massport Employs Environmental Stewardship New York, NY - Green

Depot, a national leading inde-pendent green material suppli-er, and Greenmaker Industries, a furnishings manufacturer and importer, have jointly launched a new line of environmentally friendly, commercial cleaning products.

“Greenmaker concen-trates are manufactured with ingredients that are as safe as possible for people and the environment,” said Jenny Gitlitz, Green Depot’s director of environmental assessment. “Whenever possible, the deter-gents used are biodegradable, which means they will not harm aquatic ecosystems. Concentrated so-lutions have a lower carbon footprint than ready-to-use solutions. Fewer transport miles are logged with concentrates, and much less plastic and cardboard is used in packaging.”

She added that Greenmaker concen-trates are dye-free, and contain no petro-leum distillates, heavy metals, ammonia, chlorine bleach, phosphates, nonylphenol surfactants, 2-butoxyethanol, isopropanol, or formaldehyde.

Ori Sivan, Greenmaker Industries’ founder, emphasized the effectiveness

of the cleaners and how economical the concentrates can be. “When setting out to design a line of environmentally sensi-tive cleaners,” he said, “we wanted to bal-ance price with environmental quality–all without compromising the effectiveness of the cleaners. For pennies on the dollar, facilities managers and residential cleaning services can get incredible mileage out of these concentrates.”

Many of Greenmaker’s concentrates are certified under a Green Seal standard and four carry the US Environmental Pro-tection Agency’s Design for the Environ-ment label.

Green Cleaning Product Launched

Many of Greenmaker’s concentrates are certified under a Green Seal standard.

Boston, MA - Mayor Thomas M. Menino recently joined with developer Millennium Partners to welcome First Wind to its new 35,877sf headquarters at 179 Lincoln Street in downtown Boston. First Wind is the largest supplier of wind-generated electricity in New England, with working wind farms in Maine, New York, Hawaii and one in construction in Utah.

Mayor Menino said, “It is only fit-ting that this renewable energy company has come to Boston and selected an energy- efficient award-winning historic building to call home.”

Initially constructed at the end of the 19th century, 179 Lincoln Street occu-pies a full city block overlooking the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. It contains 220,000sf in its five stories and is situated approximately two blocks from South Sta-tion. Since being acquired by Millennium Partners-Boston in 2006, the building has undergone a dramatic transformation and is now equipped with modern interiors,

upgraded building systems, a new entrance and lobby, and below-grade parking.

In addition to having been awarded the LEED Silver rating, it was recently honored by the Boston Preservation Alli-ance with its 2009 Preservation Achieve-ment Award for the Best Adaptive Use of Historic Industrial Space.

“As the largest wind energy produc-er in New England, moving our corporate headquarters to Boston is a perfect fit,” said Paul Gaynor, CEO of First Wind.

“We are very pleased that First Wind has chosen 179 Lincoln Street as the base from which to continue its clean energy initiatives that are so important to our fu-ture,” said Anthony Pangaro, principal of Millennium Partners-Boston. “The build-ing stands as a symbol of historic preserva-tion, environmental innovation and energy efficiency, and is exemplary of the concept of transit-oriented development—a perfect fit for the mission of First Wind.”

First Wind Opens New HQ

cell phone waiting lot opened. It has proved popular and has helped to further reduce congestion on airport roadways.

Logan Airport’s new Terminal A was the world’s

In an effort to reduce vehicle emissions, Massport is planning to build a consolidated rental car fa-cility on-airport that will reduce the number of rental car shuttle bus trips and lessen terminal curbside congestion.

Finding Green Info

My goal is for everyone to have information within minutes it can take some people years to find. I firmly be-lieve that information-sharing is a critical tool to mainstream the sustainable design and construction. If you have a question, ask! If you can share your knowledge with people through our Web site or in some other way, please do!

Organizations The United States Green Building

Council (USGBC, www.usgbc.org) is a national green building organization with more than 20,000 member companies, which promulgates the LEED (Leader-ship in Energy and Efficient Design) building standard. It is hard to overstate the role of the USGBC in educating and training green building professionals and the transformation of the building indus-try. A list of several New England-based organizations follows. • The Apeiron Institute for Sustainable

Living (R.I.) www.apeiron.org• Boston Materials Resource Center

www.bostonbmrc.org• Connecticut Green Building Center

(Conn.) www.ctgbc.org• The Green Roundtable/NEXUS Green

Building Resource Center (Mass.)- www.nexusboston.com

• Northeast Sustainable Energy Associa-tion (NESEA) (Mass.)-www.nesea.org

• US Green Building Council (USGBC) (national)-www.usgbc.org

• Vermont Green Building Network-www.vgbn.org

Web Resources There are many green building

organizations and initiatives and great informational Web sites. Many feature thorough and informative Web sites, presenting unbiased and objective infor-mation on the subject. The following are good places to start learning about green building. A few are general resources, while others are directories/search tools.• BuildingGreen/Environmental Building

News/Greenspec (also a member orga-nization) - www.buildinggreen.com

• EPA - www.epa.gov/greenbuilding • Find Solar - www.findsolar.com • Green Building Advisorm - http://www.

greenbuildingadvisor.com/ • Rate It Green - www.rateitgreen.com • Sustainable Sources - www.greenbuild-

er.com • Whole Building Design Guide - www.

wbdg.org • Some top municipal sites: Austin, Tex-

as: www.austinenergy.com (find the green building subsection)

• Minnesota: www.pca.state.mn.us/oea/greenbuilding

Green Building Retailers Retailers are a great source of

green building information and most often serve both trade professionals and consumers. By visiting in person, one can make informed decisions based on seeing items in real life, comparing items

Continued from page 4


December, 200912



Munro Electrical Distributing has been supplying electrical con-tractors the latest electrical sup-

plies throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island for more than six decades. Over the past 20 however, it has diversified and transformed itself into a nationwide leader of energy-efficient solutions.

Its Special Projects Group is com-prised of the most experienced new con-struction lighting and distribution gear professionals, experts in implementing the latest energy-saving specification grade lighting fixtures, control systems, and switch gear.

Munro’s design and product expe-rience have contributed to many new fa-cilities being able to obtain LEED certifi-cations, but the company’s latest project represents the future of new construction. Munro provided more than $4 million worth of lighting and gear for FM Global’s new world headquarters located in John-ston, R.I.

The $60-million building is the largest LEED Gold pre-certified new con-struction in Rhode Island history and is the centerpiece of a $154-million campus that includes an 850-car garage and a heavily fortified data center. Munro provided more than one mile of the latest direct/indirect lighting, which is digitally controlled by Lutron dimming ballasts. These are the latest in energy control systems and can control the fixtures, occupancy sensors and the daylight sensing system. Sensors in the

fixtures automatically adjust the light lev-els based on the amount of daylight enter-ing the office space, thus lowering energy bills without any discernible decrease in the amount of light.

Munro is currently providing the electrical gear for the world-class inter-model transportation facility linking the T.F. Green Airport with Amtrak and MBTA commuter rail lines in Warwick R.I. When completed, the $267-million transportation hub will be the closest link to a major air-port terminal in the nation.

For the past several years Munro So-lar has been supplying solar components and consulting services to some of the larg-est systems in Massachusetts.

Its latest project was unveiled in a

ribboncutting ceremony on Oct. 14 in the city of Newburyport. Munro Solar collab-orated on design and supplied the neces-sary solar components for the largest mu-nicipality solar system in Massachusetts.

The 502 system is comprised of 2,184 230w panels and five 5 inverters. The system was constructed on the roofs of three buildings whose electric heating and cooling costs were constantly escalat-ing, the middle and elementary schools and the town DPW building. The photovoltaic system’s power output is equivalent to 70 homes per year and will offset 402 tons of carbon output annually.

Munro Solar also recently supplied the Massachusetts Department of Conser-vation & Recreation’s new maintenance

facility an off-the-grid 32kW PV system with a battery back-up. This product is unique due to the facility’s location on George’s Is-land in Boston harbor.

Munro’s Conservation Group has been the industry lead-er in providing energy-efficient lighting products and controls to commercial, municipal and facilities nationwide. Through utility company programs and ESCO contracts, Munro’s Con-servation Group can offer facil-ity managers and owners some of the most technologically ad-vanced lighting fixtures. Since lighting can contribute up to 35% of a facility’s total energy costs,

their knowledge of the latest LED and flu-orescent fixtures, coupled with occupancy sensors, can save any facility thousands in annual energy bills.

Working with various ESCOs they have recently supplied the latest retrofit products for the TD Banknorth Garden, Lindemann Center & Hurley Building, Iron Mountain Storage, Boston Water and Sewer, UMass Amherst, the City of Bos-ton’s public school system and VersaCold’s 10,000,000cu ft cold storage facility locat-ed in Taunton, Mass. Along with a branch in San Diego, the Conservation Group re-cently added branches to Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse, New York.

Munro Electrical Distributing

Nationwide Service 800-777-0172

Special Projects GroupNew Construction Lighting & Distribution Gear

Munro SolarSolar Component Supplier & System Integrator

Energy Conservation GroupEnergy Efficient Lighting Wholesaler www.munroelectric.com

Offices located in MA, RI, NY, and San Diego, CA

Wholesale Electrical Supplies

Proud supplier for the City of Newburyport’s Municipal Solar Project: the largest of its kind in Massachusetts.

Distributing Co.

FM Global’s new world headquarters. ©Gregg Shupe 2009 ShupeStudios.com

http://www.munroelectric.com

December, 2009 13



Specializing in all facets of landscape construction & maintenance:

Masonry

Planting

Irrigation

Sitework

Water Features

Lighting

Landscape A!"ans

W. Bridgewater, MA | Chatham, MA tel: 508.427.7707 fax: 508.427.7714 www.dschumacher.com

http://www.dschumacher.com

December, 200914



-by Barbra Batshalom, executive director of The

Green RoundtableThe process of mar-

ket transformation toward sustainability is a long one. It happens in fits and starts over many years, political administrations, economic situations and cultural shifts. Even during a recession, there are ongoing activities that are creating new models for business, new technolo-gies and new services. The sidebar gives an overview of six key aspects of market transformation and two ex-citing new programs that are helping our community to achieve that goal.

The Green Roundtable has been a leader in green market transformation for more than 10 years. Over this time, there have been tremendous shifts in the in-dustry – from regulatory re-quirements to new technol-ogy. From our perspective, true market transformation requires making impacts in the following

six categories: people, policy, planning, projects, practice and products.

Transforming the Market From Practice to Products

six categories: people, policy, planning,

People need to learn and connect. We provide events, training, and the USGBC chapter has many committees to participate in.

Policy needs to create incentives and require-ments to drive green development. We help create innovative policies in local governments, institutions and corporations

Planning needs to address complex issues of sustainability from microclimate to transportation. We work on large-scale redevelopment planning in universities, private schools, corporate campuses and cities.

Projects need to be built to high standards of efficiency and health. We have consulted to owners on hundreds of projects of all scales and types.

Practice: Design and construction profession-als need to learn new things and work in an inte-grative process. We have helped to create an ANSI standard for IDP and are now launching Green Firm Certification.

Products: We need to have good choices that meet our building performance standards. We provide the NEXUS Green Building Resource Center to give the community a year-round showroom, and we are now launching a Green Product Trade Association to further promote them.

The Six Key Aspects of Market Transformation

Lawrence, MA - Solectria Renew-ables, LLC, of Lawrence leads by example in providing green jobs in Massachusetts.

“We are very careful in planning our sustainable growth in the renewable tech-nology sector,” says Anita Worden, presi-dent of Solectria. “Our success will un-doubtedly come as a result of the talented workers we continue to hire from our own neighborhood. Knowing that we can build our commercial equipment locally as op-posed to sourcing it from afar is rewarding. We always encourage our customers to buy local!”

In one year, Solectria Renewables has contributed to green jobs by having in-creased its total number of employees by 80%; increased its professional staff by

60% inclusive of engineering; increased its customer service staff with technicians based in New Jersey and California and most importantly, increased its manufac-turing jobs by 120%.

“This announcement is more good news for our burgeoning clean energy in-dustry. The Commonwealth congratulates Solectria, which is reporting a 120 percent increase in its Massachusetts-based manu-facturing workforce,” DOER Commission-er Phil Giudice said.

Solectria Renewables, a leader in the development and manufacturing of a wide range of inverters for renewable power ap-plications, has a 20-year background in in-verters and other electronic power systems for harsh environments.

Solectria Creates Green JobsSolectria Renewables has increased its manufacturing jobs by 120%

Why keep a low profile? Ask Anastasia about Green News promotions and discounted monthly rates. Call 781-294-4530 or e-mail [email protected].

Why keep a low profile? Ask Anastasia about Green News promotions and discounted monthly rates. Call 781-294-4530 or e-mail [email protected].


December, 2009 15



- by Kevin Poulsen, CEO, LittleFoot Energy Corporation

While simple payback is a conven-tion that thrives in today’s re-newable energy conversations,

it does not represent an adequate financial indicator in the development of investment-

grade energy proj-ects. In many orga-nizations, financial officers arm manag-ers with a simplified payback criterion as the lone identifier of attractive energy projects worthy of development. The justification seems to be that simple payback is just that,

simple: so much so that anyone involved in the project is able to easily understand the basic cost-benefit relationship. While “simple payback” paints a decent picture of a project’s cost recovery schedule, it dramatically fails to paint the whole pic-ture.

Using discounted cash flow analysis, capital budgeting decision-makers are able to arrive at much more informed decisions regarding what capital investments look like in today’s dollars, accounting for time value of money and investment life. Tools

like IRR (Internal Rate of Return) and NPV (Net Present Value) do a much better job of factoring in future energy savings in today’s real terms. Taking into account that the capital structure of most organizations is complex, consisting normally of a mix

of debt and equity (and potentially other instruments), projects must be considered within the firm’s weighted average cost of capital (WACC), the blended rate at which they can access monies to finance projects. If the cost of funds for an organization to fund a new project is 7%, this is the target rate of return to capture a positive value addition to their balance sheet. A spread may be added to this WACC, to arrive at a minimum target return or discount rate. The discount rate becomes a key indicator for comparing alternative investments op-tions competing for funds. When the dis-count rate equals the IRR of a project, that project produces a NPV of zero. Positive cash flows generated from an investment beyond the discount rate yields additional positive NPV or excess return on invest-ment. The benefit of performing IRR and NPV analysis is that it brings to light key differences between alternative competing investments.

Let us look at some hypothetical project examples that demonstrate the im-portance of considering metrics beyond simple payback.

Consider Table 1. These two projects have the same simple payback period, same upfront investment, and same annual cash flow. Are we to assume that these projects each represent the same benefit to an orga-nization’s bottom line? As illustrated here, we can observe how the financial result for a project can be affected based on a single variable, in this case the system life. In fact the system life can have such a dramatic effect on the attractiveness of a project, it can cause a faster payback project to have a worse investment case.

Consider the two projects presented in Table 2. While Project D has a better

payback than Project C, the NPV, ROI and IRR are all less attractive than Project C. In fact, if an organization approved Proj-ect D, that organization would be booking negative value on its balance sheet, as the NPV demonstrates. Essentially, there are not enough annual cash flows beyond the capital recovery period to generate returns sufficient to meet the discount rate. In con-trast, projects A, B and C all post IRRs in excess of the discount rate and therefore add value to the balance sheet.

Additionally, IRR and NPV can de-termine the best choice when cash flows are highly variable or heavily concentrated toward the beginning or end of a project life cycle.

Now consider Table 3. Projects E and F are identical except that Project E has positive cash flows heavily weighted in the beginning of the system life, similar to the lucrative cash flows generated from incentives in renewable energy projects. (For a more detailed discussion on the safe investment characteristics of renewable energy projects, Internet search on Tax In-centives, Grants & Rebates: The Unique Investment Profile of Renewable Energy.) Because of the time value of money, the front-end loaded cash flows for Project E create a higher IRR and NPV and reveal its investment superiority.

Developing a thorough discounted cash flow model is the lynchpin in the fi-nancial case for developing investment grade energy projects. Simple payback may convince some managers, but will rarely stand up to the shrewd scrutiny of board members.

www.littlefootinc.com | 877.658.3758

Amidst a maze of options and complexity, LittleFoot Energy’s OnTrackSystem™ reliably delivers INVESTMENT GRADE ENERGY PROJECTS.

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Poulsen

Pitfalls of Simple Payback: Capital Budgeting Decisions in Renewable and Energy-Efficiency Projects

Project Payback YearsSystem Life

(yrs)NPV

Lifetime

ROIIRR

Investment

PriceColumn1

#REF!

Table 1.


(yrs)NPV

Lifetime

ROIIRR

Investment

PriceA 4 25 $115,387 625% 25% $100,000

B 4 6 $8,074 150% 13% $100,000

Table 2.


(yrs)NPV

Lifetime

ROIIRR

Investment

PriceC 6 25 $46,622 417% 16% $100,000

D 4 5 ($4,755) 125% 8% $100,000

Table 3.


(yrs)NPV

Lifetime

ROIIRR

Investment

PriceCash Flows

E 4 25 $125,283 625% 32% $100,000 Front-loadedF 4 25 $115,387 625% 25% $100,000 Straightline

http://www.littlefootinc.com

December, 200916



by Gail Sullivan, AIA, LEED AP The Youth Climate Action Network

at Boston Latin School (BLS Youth CAN), determined to reduce the school’s carbon footprint, asked Studio G Architects to de-sign a green roof at BLS, the oldest school in the US. The collaboration resulted in an integrated vision of a multi faceted sus-tainable roofscape which will reduce CO2emissions, provide renewable energy to the school, and serve as a learning laboratory for students and faculty. The sustainable roofscape has become a catalyst for new curriculum on sustainability and climate change, and will be a testing lab for green roof and renewable energy systems.

BLS Youth CAN was founded in 2007 as an after school club. Within four months BLS Youth CAN hosted a global climate change summit at MIT for 225 young people from 47 schools. The Youth Climate Action Network was born. It now has 16 Youth CAN member groups in Mas-

sachusetts. Studio G Architects worked with

BLS Youth CAN to create a design which is multi-level, filling several light courts visible from multiple floors with extensive green roof systems, to serve as a daily vi-sual reminder of sustainability. The design is multi-faceted, addressing the “rooftop rumble” of conflicting green roof agendas by integrating extensive vegetated roof ar-eas, intensively planted areas, and renew-able energy systems.

A rooftop greenhouse and culinary gardens will supply green roof salads and other fresh food to the cafeteria, and to community organizations in the summer. The greenhouse will be heated with solar thermal panels, and the gardens irrigated by storm water collected from the roof.

The large learning laboratory beyond the gardens is focused on science, envi-ronment and technology, with accessible photovoltaic and solar thermal panels, a

weather station, CO2 measur-ing devices, and other data collection equipment. The space can be divided into two or three classes, with movable furnishings and equipment allowing diverse activities. A storage room with roof-mounted wind tur-bines will house equipment and furnishings.

“Giverny at BLS,” is an art and contemplative

garden adjacent to the learning lab. It is bounded by a shallow pool on one side and a small sloping orchard on the other, which features local fruit trees and shrubs. A path curves through an intensively planted New England woodland garden back to the farm and the entry.

A New England meadow extends east to west along the length of the build-ing at the north side, beyond a high fence. Photovoltaic and solar thermal panels will be deployed along the south side of the building as well as on the gym roof.

The sustainable roofscape is a learn-ing laboratory: It will demonstrate differ-ent New England micro-environments such as the upland meadow, the shade gardens of the light courts, and the orchard. By encompassing different vegetated systems, including tray, extensive, and intensive plantings, it offers longitudinal study of the effectiveness of each. Students will be able to study the flora and fauna attracted

to the roof; they will compare the carbon exchange rates of black, and white, rub-ber roofing, as well as the various planting systems. They will learn firsthand from the accessible solar thermal panels, photovol-taics, wind turbines and renewable tech-nology. BLS faculty are developing new curriculum on sustainability and climate change in conjunction with the BLS Sus-tainable Roofscape Learning Lab.

The sustainable roofscape is an en-vironmental contribution: It will decrease energy demand, reduce the heat island ef-fect, and add oxygen to the area. When completed, it will be the most diversified green roof in the Boston area.

BLS Youth CAN students organized the first phase of the multi-phased project on October 24, when 350 vegetated trays were installed in one BLS light court at the culmination of a block party celebrating the International Day of Climate Action.

BLS Sustainable Roofscape Learning Lab

Rendering of the Science Lab

Final of the 350 vegetated trays that were installed.

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Finding Green Info

side by side, and asking questions of of-ten very knowledgeable and helpful staff members. Most retailers offer educational opportunities, from printed materials to classes and training sessions. Additional-ly, many of the retailers keep a list of local professionals experienced in green build-ing. You can find a more comprehensive listing of green building retailers on Rate It Green at www.rateitgreen.com.

Connecticut • Center for Green Building, 3380 Fair-

field Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06605, 203-382-0774

Massachusetts• Boston Building Materials Co-op, 100

Terrace Street, Boston, MA 02120, 617-442-2262

• Boston Green Building Inc, 218 Lincoln St., Allston, MA 02134, 617-202-3777

• F. D. Sterritt Lumber Co., 110 Arlington St., Watertown, MA 02472, 617-923-1480

• ‘g’ Green Design Center, North Market Street, Mashpee Commons, Mashpee, MA 02649, 508-477-7988

• ‘g’ Green Design Center, Green Depot, 100 Fallon Road, Stoneham, MA 02180, 781-914-3300

• r.k. Miles, Inc., 24 West Street - Route 5 South, West Hatfield, MA 01088, 413-247-8300

• r.k. Miles, Inc, 385 Cole Ave., William-stown, MA 01267, 800-670-7433

• Terrene Sustainable Building Supply, 530 West Street, Braintree, MA 02184, 781-843-6530

• Terrene Sustainable Building Supply, 107 Great Road, Acton, MA 01720, 978-263-8311

• Terrene Sustainable Building Sup-ply, 275 D Centre Street, Newton, MA 02458, 617-244-6200

New Hampshire• Your Home, Your World, 138 N. Main

St., Concord, N.H. 3301, 603-223-9867

Maine: F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Sup-

plies, 56 Main Street, The Showplace, Gallery 38-39, Brunswick, ME 18015, 207-729-4050

• Handy True Value Hardware, 9 Depot Square, Mechanic Falls, ME 04256, 207-345-2091

• Maine Green Building Supply, 111 Fox St., Portland, ME 04101, 207-780-1500

• The Green Store, 71 Main St, Belfast, ME 04915, 207-338-4045

Vermont • r.k. Miles, Inc., 618 Depot Street, P.O.

Box 1125, Manchester Center, VT 05255, 802-362-1952

• r.k. Miles, Inc. - 88 Exchange Street,




December, 2009 17



by Janet Morra, AIA, LEED AP, prin-cipal; and Christine Law, LEED AP,

associate; Margulies Perruzzi Architects Margulies Perruzzi Architects (MPA)

has designed many green and LEED certified projects over its 20-year his-tory. With this com-mitment to green building practices, it made perfect sense that when MPA needed new office space of its own, the firm thought a great deal about sustain-able design. For its own office renova-tion, MPA ultimate-ly earned LEED Silver certification under the LEED for Commercial Interi-ors rating system. More importantly, the firm’s design-ers gained valuable

insight into the choices and decisions that clients need to make throughout their own projects. Here, the firm outlines, by envi-ronmental category, the various sustain-able design strategies incorporated into the project.

Selecting a site in an existing urban neighborhood with established infrastruc-ture and public transportation has far less impact on the environment than locating a new building in a previously undeveloped area. For MPA’s office relocation, building location was a pivotal part of the decision-making process. MPA selected space on the fourth floor of the newly renovated Boston Children’s Museum Building overlooking the Fort Point Channel in Boston.

Certified as LEED Gold, the base building renovation featured a green roof and reduced storm water contamination and runoff through the use of on-site stor-age and reuse of storm water for landscape irrigation and toilet flushing. The building is within walking distance of a multitude of services, including restaurants, subway and commuter rails and boats, and multiple bus lines, and does not provide parking on the premises, encouraging a reduction in personal automobile use. The close prox-imity to mass transit and other urban ame-nities qualified the project for “exemplary performance.”

It is reported that 40% of the total solid waste in the United States is created by construction and demolition waste. During construction of MPA’s new offices, 80% of construction waste was recycled rather than sent to landfills.

During the design process, a con-scious effort was made to use products with recycled and recyclable content, such as drywall, furniture and carpet, as well as regional materials manufactured within

a 500-mile radius, which sup-ports the regional economy and reduces transportation costs and environmental impacts associated with delivery. MPA was able to specify that 25% of all materials had recycled content, and 79% of all materials were obtained within 500 miles. Half of the wood used in the construction process was produced in accordance with the Forest Stewardship Council’s principles and criteria for respon-sible forest management, and 70% of the furniture was reused from the firm’s previous space.

The US Department of Energy reports that commercial buildings consume 37% of the energy and 68% of the electricity produced in the United States ev-ery year. To optimize energy per-formance, more than 90% of the computers, kitchen appliances, and office equipment chosen for

the office was Energy Star rated, reduc-ing energy consumption significantly and resulting in less greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.

Before construction began on MPA’s new offices, the contractor, Structure Tone, developed an Indoor Air Quality manage-ment plan for the duration of construction. Strategies included HVAC protection and cleaning, temporary barriers to minimize contamination to other spaces, review of construction material toxicity levels, and construction sequencing to minimize con-tamination of materials. All of these strate-gies ensured the comfort and health of both the construction workers and the building tenants during the construction process.

When selecting materials and furni-ture during the design process, special con-sideration was given to choosing products with a reduced quantity of indoor air con-taminants. Low-emitting materials evalu-ated included carpets, paints, adhesives, sealants, and composite wood adhesives that have low or no VOCs, and furniture that is Green Guard certified. More than 90% of occupants were given task light-

ing to suit individual task needs and reduce overall required lighting, and a lighting control system was employed so that lights would be on only during business hours.

MPA earned innovation points for exemplary performance by going above and beyond the minimum standards in the categories of alternative transportation, re-gionally manufactured materials, and reuse of furniture systems and seating. At the

conclusion of the project the team created a brochure and a video presentation that is prominently featured on a plasma screen in the office lobby, providing visual tools to educate clients on green practices that result in a more sustainable, and perhaps LEED certified, space.

With an understanding of how green design can impact the environment and the bottom line, MPA approaches every proj-ect with the goal of incorporating some sustainable measures. After completing its own LEED Silver-certified office project, MPA has acquired first-hand knowledge and experience to better serve its clients, whether the client is interested in pursu-ing LEED certification or simply making upgrades to an existing building. MPA’s commitment to green building practices, dedicated recycling, and continuing educa-tion in sustainable design, has inspired its employees to operate in a more environ-mentally thoughtful manner.

Janet Morra, AIA, LEED AP, is a principal and Christine Law, LEED AP, is an associate at Boston-based Margulies Perruzzi Architects.

Practice What You PreachHow Margulies Perruzzi Architects Created its Own LEED Silver Certified Office

Law

Morra

Photos of the lobby, workstations, and open floor. Photo credits: Warren Patterson Photography

Guidetti GraphicsFor all your design and layout needs

• Periodicals• Ad Design• Logo Design• Web Site Design

• Brochures• Mailers• Business Cards• StationeryGG 76 S. Meadow Road, Plymouth, MA

Phone/Fax: 508-747-7754 • Cell: 508-989-1103E-mail: [email protected]

December, 200918



Plymouth, MA - Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Commissioner Mary Griffin joined local, state and fed-eral officials to kick off construction of the Eel River Headwaters Restoration Project, which will restore 40 acres of former cranberry bogs to a variety of native wetland types, including an Atlantic white cedar swamp and nearly two miles of cold water riverine habi-tat. Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles also announced that the Riverways and Wetland Res-toration programs at DFG and EEA’s Office of Coastal Zone Management have merged to create a new Division of Ecological Restoration at DFG.

“I’m pleased to announce the groundbreaking on this project, which will not only help restore 40 acres of critical wetland habitat, but also sup-port the local economy through con-struction and engineering jobs,” said Bowles. “The Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) is a first-in-the-nation state program established to holistically address aquatic habitat res-toration.”

“The Eel River restoration proj-ect will benefit the community not only through job creation, but also by creat-ing a beautiful environment for recre-ation and education while improving water quality and endangered species habitat,” State Representative Tom Calter said. “It will serve as a wonder-ful conservation model for the Com-monwealth.”

The project will remove the Sawmill Dam that currently blocks upstream fish passage. It will also re-move a series of water control struc-tures, replace two undersized culverts to facilitate wildlife passage, and re-store the Eel River stream channel and floodplain. DER and its partners will plant more than 17,000 Atlantic white cedar trees and 7,000 native shrubs and herbs, build a new footbridge over the former dam location, and improve trails to provide better public access for walking, trout fishing, and bird watch-ing. In addition, educational compo-nents such as permanent signage will be constructed.

First-in-the-Nation Restoration Program

Boston, MA - The Department of Energy Resources (DOER) announced its selection of the Manomet Center for Con-servation Services of Plymouth to lead a comprehensive study of issues related to biomass sustainability and carbon policy.

Launched at the direction of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secre-tary Ian Bowles, the six-month study will result in a “white paper” that brings the best science to bear as DOER prepares new

regulations to establish sustainability crite-ria biomass facilities must meet under the Massachusetts Renewable Portfolio Stan-dard.

“Biomass is an important renewable energy resource, but it must be developed in a way that is truly sustainable, maintain-ing our forests and protecting our environ-ment for future generations,” Secretary Bowles said.

DOER Study Launched

Boston, MA - Governor Deval Pat-rick recently signed an Executive Order di-recting all state agencies to procure goods and services that conserve natural resourc-es, reduce waste, protect public health and the environment, and promote the use of clean technologies, recycled materials, and less toxic products.

“The Commonwealth has an obliga-tion to lead by example,” said Governor Patrick. “We are already leading on energy conservation and renewable energy. Now, our state agencies will set the pace for buy-ing environmentally sound products and services from suppliers and vendors.”

The Commonwealth purchases an estimated $600 million of goods and non-construction services per year. This new policy requires all Commonwealth Execu-tive Departments to reduce their impact on the environment and enhance pub-lic health by procuring Environmentally Preferable Products and services (EPPs) whenever such products and services are readily available, perform to satisfactory

standards, and represent best value to the Commonwealth.

“The Commonwealth makes a state-ment with every product and service it buys,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles. “Now that statement will be: We want products that are less toxic, products that meet high ef-ficiency standards, products that can be re-cycled, and products that contain recycled content. And we hope others follow our lead.”

While implementing the use of green cleaning products and practices promises to save money for the Commonwealth, the greater benefits and innovations of this contract include stimulating local econo-mies throughout the five-state region, en-abling several states to comply with recent executive and legislative mandates and obtaining a wide selection of the greenest and top performing cleaning products by requiring third-party certified chemicals, which are better for public health and the environment.

Green Procurement Policy

Mass. Maritime Academy Solar Wind System

solar photovoltaic system, and a combined heat and power system for the Academy’s dorm complex. In addition, a range of wa-ter conservation measures have been insti-tuted.

• Salem State College has reused and adapted two buildings and restored a marsh. The campus has achieved Mass LEED-Plus for its Interim Library, installed a 68-kW solar array at its Central Residence Hall, and has utilized native plantings to de-crease the need for irrigation, pesticides, and herbicides. The College implemented energy efficiency measures and purchased 3.5 million kWh worth of Renewable En-ergy Certificates to offset campus carbon emissions.

MunicipalitiesThe City of Somerville is now on tar-

get to reduce municipal energy consump-tion by 20% from 2006 levels. The City has completed a GHG emissions inventory, establishing a baseline for the Somerville Climate Action Plan. Somerville’s fleet in-cludes four hybrid cars and several Smart Cars as well as a 5% biofuel blend for die-sel vehicles. The City installed two solar PV arrays (13-kW and 34-kW) on schools, with

three additional installations in the pipeline totaling 35-kW. Thirty BigBelly Solar trash collectors for waste and recycling have been installed in public areas. Somerville recently completed a citywide inventory of public trees in support of the Mayor’s goal to increase the City’s tree canopy.

• The Town of Plymouth developed a “2020 Plan” that calls for powering all municipal buildings with on-site renewable sources by 2020. Toward that end, the Town has awarded contracts for two 2-MW wind turbines to be installed and has approved a plan for a 1.5-MW solar field on capped landfill. Plymouth has benchmarked ener-gy use for all municipal buildings and has completed multiple building retrofits. The Plymouth School Department has reduced energy use, resulting in $2 million in sav-ings over the last two years.

• The Town of Dedham has com-mitted to comprehensive sustainability initiatives by conducting energy audits on municipal buildings, implementation of nu-merous energy-efficiency measures, com-pleting a GHG emissions baseline, and in-stituting single-stream recycling. Dedham Middle School is recognized as a model “green” school, and the Dexter School and Dedham High School have achieved EPA EnergyStar certification.


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December, 2009 19



Boston, MA - Bringing sustain-able design to the historic muse-um palace—and to a new Renzo

Piano-designed building it is preparing to construct—the Isabella Stewart Gardner

Museum has begun the excavation for the structure’s foundations and drilling of an energy-efficient system of geothermal wells to complement its heating and cool-ing systems. Designed by Mike Zimmer-

man, P.E. of Allied Consulting Engineering Service, and Buro Happold, the geothermal wells will allow the Gardner Museum to become more energy-efficient and minimize its carbon footprint on the environment.

Zimmerman said, “The mu-seum is making an investment to significantly reduce their carbon footprint by using a geothermal heat pump system, irrespective of fuel costs savings that they will enjoy. They made a moral decision beyond the payback that many people should take notice,” and added, “Buro Happold and ar-chitect Burt Hill, were a phenom-enally effective design team.”

This ‘green’ aspect of the project reflects the Gardner Mu-seum’s ongoing priorities and the importance of preservation as the driving force behind the new building design, as conceived by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano. By installing the

geothermal wells—one of the first steps in preparing for construction of the new proj-ect—the Gardner will eventually realize a 28% reduction in energy use compared with a standard building. Additional green aspects of the LEED-certified project in-clude daylight harvesting, water-efficient landscaping techniques and the use of lo-cal and regional materials (which reduce the environmental impact associated with transport).

Excavation work on the museum site began this past summer following the com-pletion of a two-year regulatory review and approvals process. The drilling of geother-mal wells began in August 2009 and is ex-pected to be completed in November The geothermal wells system will be online and

operational in the historic museum and the new building in late 2011.

The project will utilize a hybrid HVAC system, designed by Buro Happold, which combines geothermal wells with con-ventional HVAC heating and cooling tech-niques. The geothermal well system, de-signed by Allied Consulting, will optimize the operation of the new building’s heating and cooling systems and will work in tan-dem with an existing system to provide cooling for the historic museum palace.

The environmental benefits of the museum’s geothermal system, resulting from a reduction in carbon emissions, will equate to planting approximately 150 acres of woodland.

Isabella Stewart Gardner MuseumDesigned by Mike Zimmerman, Allied Consulting

Gardner Museum construction site as it appears currently

Geothermal wells being drilled. Photos by Ben Johnson, Shawmut Design and Construction.

We want to hear from you. E-mail [email protected] orcall Michael or Anastasia to discuss the greening of your property at 781-294-4530.

For Those Responsible for the Built Environment For Those Responsible for the Built Environment

When the Government Services Administation wanted to share the de-

tails on the successful restoration of their 22 story, 600,000sf, John W. McCormack Federal Building aim-ing for a LEED Gold Certification...

they sent us an e-mail.

We followed up with an in-terview including project managers from the Gen-

eral Contractor, Suffolk Construc-tion, Owners Rep, Tishman Con-struction, and the architect, Goody & Clancy to create a cover story for

the very next issue.

Why not share the story of your green project with a readership of those re-

sponsible for the built environment. If you have a project that is green in

the making...send us an e-mail.

What makes the owners of this garden proudest... is which roof its on.


December, 200920



The following are excerpts from a brochure sent to us by Mark Rasmussen, president of The Coalition for Buzzards Bay.

New Bedford, MA - The green rehabilitation of the historic Coggeshall Counting House in

New Bedford’s Waterfront Historic Dis-trict and National Park into the “Buzzards Bay Center” by The Coalition for Buz-zards Bay will expand regional aware-ness of the challenges facing the Bay and engage people in environmental issues.

From the recycling of a dilapidated city building all the way up to its green roof and solar panels, the Buzzard Bay Center will serve as a model and practi-cal demonstration of environmentally-sustainable renovation and reuse for all of southeastern Massachusetts.

Guided by historic photographs and records, the exterior façade will be restored to its former beauty.

Integrating Bay protection and green building design into the maritime history and fishing stories of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, the “Richard C. Wheeler Bay Learning Center” on the building’s ground floor will be open to the public and feature exhibits about Buzzards Bay and how everyone can participate in its stewardship.

The “David Emerson Riggs Lab” will provide water quality laboratory and workspace to support Baywide environ-mental monitoring programs and engage

volunteers directly in Bay and watershed science.

On the building’s top floor, meeting space for educational and community programs and a library containing scientific and historical information about Buz-zards Bay and its watershed will become a regional resource.

The “greenest” feature of the Buzzards Bay Center won’t be able to be seen by visitors.

• Dense closed-cell spray foam insulation separates the exterior brick and granite walls from the interior walls. Nearly eight inches of insulation will cap the building and is further complemented by the insulat-ing effect of the vegetated roof. All thermal and air barriers are continuous throughout the space, resulting in a super “tight” enve-

lope. • Offset-stud framing within the

densely insulated walls eliminates the “thermal bridge” created by attaching inte-rior walls to the exterior masonry walls.

• Double-glazed windows (argon-in-sulated, low emissivity) are used through-out the building, even though the windows selected are also historically accurate.

• Electric heating and air-condition-ing will be provided by highly efficient, air source heat pumps.

The end result is expected to be a building that requires only 65% of the elec-tricity used in a typical commercial build-ing. On the roof, hidden behind the restored cornice, a vegetated green roof will absorb up to 50% of the rain runoff during storms. Photovoltaic panels on the roof will con-vert sunlight to 3.6Kw, approximately 8% of the building’s total electricity needs.

Low-flow bathroom fixtures and wa-terless urinals remind us all about the im-portance of preserving and protecting wa-

ter. Fluorescent and LED lighting fixtures, occupancy lighting sensors, Energy Star appliances, and use of laptops instead of energy-intensive computer desktops will reduce electricity needs…and our carbon footprint.

Low VOC paints and finishes, LEED-certified carpeting, energy-recap-ture ventilation systems, and operable win-dows ensure fresh, clean air throughout the building.

All interior finish woodwork will be from sustainably-harvested forests in southeastern Massachusetts. Southern Yel-low Pine support beams removed from the basement will be remilled and reused in the building as hardwood flooring and ceiling boards. Behind the walls, framing studs are all harvested

The builder is Bufftree Building Co. The architect is Richard Renner, construc-tion manager is W.W. Reich, green design consultant is EnergySmiths.

The Buzzards Bay Center

New Bedford, MA - Nestled in the heart of the City of New Bedford’s Water-front Historic District and National Park, sits the latest Green project being con-structed by Bufftree Building Company, Inc. The Coalition for Buzzards Bay has enlisted the services of Bufftree for the rehabilitation of its new headquarters on Front Street.

The building, originally known as the Coggeshall Counting House, was built in 1832 housing a chandlery, count-ing rooms and sail and rigging lofts. His-torical features of the building will be replicated as close to its original charac-ter as possible.

The most exciting part of the proj-

ect will be the many environmentally friendly features. With conservation be-ing one of the major goals of the Coali-tion for Buzzards Bay, it makes sense that its new headquarters, The Buzzards Bay Center, incorporate as many green ele-ments as possible.

“Bufftree Building Company is thrilled to be a part of this project,” states Scott Costa, co-owner of Bufftree. “Something old will become new again. From recycling parts of the original build-ing to adding so many environmentally friendly components, the building will be one of the greenest in the area. Plus, it’s right here in New Bedford.”

Bufftree Building Buzzards Bay Ctr

The exterior façade will be restored to its former beauty.

The Buzzard Bay Center will serve as a model and practical demonstration of environmentally sustain-

able renovation and reuse.

New Bedford , Massachuset ts (508)997-5357

www.buff tree .com

The Architects’ Choice

p r e - c o n s t r u c t i o n • g e n e r a l c o n t r a c t i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n m a n a g e m e n t

d e s i g n / b u i l d

http://www.bufftree.com

December, 2009 21



Woburn, MA - Tocci Building Corporation announced that the award-winning Autodesk AEC headquarters has been certified LEED Platinum by the United States Green Building Council. LEED points earned on the 55,000 Class A Tenant Fit-up included green design and construction initiatives.

Building systems designed in by KlingStubbins include automated build-ing systems, automated lighting controls, daylighting controls, sound control sys-tems, use of FSC Certified Wood and use of low voc adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings and carpet.

During construction Tocci insti-

tuted a stringent air quality management program that included zoning select work areas for dust/particle-creating work.

Prior to occupancy the building un-derwent and passed air quality testing to assure uncompromised air. In addition, a full cleaning and recycling program was implemented that enabled recycling of more than 88% of the project’s construc-tion waste.

Achieving LEED Platinum was one of the key success criteria set forth in the Integrated Delivery Project IPD con-tract shared by Autodesk, KlingStubbins and Tocci Building Corporation.

Autodesk HQ Achieves Platinum

Roslindale, MA - The 19,300 ft. Staples store in Roslindale was designed to incorporate innovative green features following the US Green Building Coun-cil’s LEED New Construc-tion 2.2 standards. The store has achieved Gold rating in LEED for New Construc-tion.

Furthering its long standing commitment to sus-tainable business practices, Staples sought to minimize the store’s environmental im-pact.

This store will provide customers and

associates the opportunity to see sustain-able building strategies firsthand, including an innovative mirror-and-lens skylight sys-tem, no irrigation system for plantings, and a green housekeeping program.

Staples Gets Gold LEED Rating

Staples Employees receive LEED plaque.

Green Firm Certification

Commitment to Sustainability

Making a positive impact on the environment in the way weconstruct buildings and in the actual buildings we construct.

www.suffolkconstruction.com

Exceeding Expectations

Hebrew SeniorLife NewBridge on the CharlesPhotography Courtesy of Weisman Video

Green Round Table has launched the Sustainable Performance Institute, which is providing resources, training and a certification program that mea-sures and recognizes the capability of ar-chitecture, engineering and construction firms to deliver consistent, high-quality services. Certification makes a company eligible to receive a discount on their professional liability insurance.

The certification evaluates firms, and recognizes success in five catego-ries:

Strategy addresses activities relat-ed to leadership, management support, policies, infrastructure and metrics.

Production evaluates project spe-cific evidence throughout all phases of design, e.g., schematics, design devel-opment, construction documents, and incorporates quality control and internal standards for design, performance and specifications.

Support processes include aspects of company operations that are not spe-cifically project related, but underlie all activities in both operations and project execution.

Partnering is the category that relates to external relationships that are critical for delivering a project and de-fine the scope, roles, responsibilities and deliverables of different parties, e.g., proposals, contracts and change orders

for scope or fee.Outcome measures of actual per-

formance of built work (whether LEED, energy consumption, or other) and the company’s own environmental foot-print.

This certification will have a Pro-visional status for those who have sub-stantively complied with requirements and are on the path to measure policy implementation. Certified companies will also be required to do simple report-ing annually, and a full audit once every three years. This program will intention-ally focus on meaningful results, require minimal effort, enhance organizational performance, and provide industry feed-back.

For more information contact Tova Greenberg [email protected].

http://www.leekennedy.com

December, 200922



Burlintgon, MA - KEMA has iden-tified opportunities to address ex-isting gaps in and problems with

energy end-use data used to support utility energy efficiency programs, electric ca-pacity markets, and environmental policy. The findings are part of KEMA’s “End-Use Load Data Update Project” sponsored by the Northwest Power and Conserva-tion Council’s Regional Technical Forum (RTF) and the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership (NEEP) Evaluation Measure-ment and Verification (EM&V) Forum.

The KEMA project assessed and catalogued the more recently completed existing end-use and load shape data stud-ies that may be useful for the Northeast and Northwest regions of the US. The re-sulting study found that in recent decades, efforts to gather end-use load data appear to be scattered and minimal across the Pa-cific Northwest and East regions. Although a significant amount of data was gathered in the Pacific Northwest in the mid-1980s through the early 1990s, confidence in the data has waned.

One motivation for this study is to help utility energy efficiency program ad-ministrators devise the most cost-effective plans for updating and acquiring end-use load shape data to meet a variety of policy and program needs. The KEMA report in-cludes recommendations for various strat-egies to meet immediate and short-term information needs—including establishing a protocol for ancillary data collection to

facilitate data transferability and usability. The report also offers longer-term recom-mendations to leverage advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) as it evolves.

“Technologies change and consumer behavior evolves,” said Curt Puckett, se-nior vice president of Sustainable Market Strategies, KEMA. “We need to understand the changing consumer energy use profile. If we want to move customers towards making more energy efficient decisions we need much greater detail about how, how much and when consumers use energy.”

As the US makes the largest single investment in grid modernization in its his-tory, how well-equipped the nation is to further energy efficiency, reduce energy bills and strengthen system reliability de-pends, in part, on the quality of consumer end-use information.

While not directly addressed in the load data report, it is important to note that the promise of more accurate load data has been used to strengthen the case for util-ity smart grid projects. Smart meters and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) are needed to more accurately understand how and when energy is being consumed. AMI could dramatically change how end-use load research is conducted. Histori-cally, end-use projects have been costly and time consuming—involving installa-tion of monitoring devices on isolated cir-cuits associated with the desired end-use application.“AMI allows the load research cycle to be vastly improved, reducing the

lead time and costs associated with install-ing and collecting data on vast quantities of customers at the whole facility level,” said Puckett. “This will free up resources, allowing firms like KEMA to develop in-novative ways of breaking down the load and examining its various end-use compo-nents.”

Such detailed information is critical for Independent System Operators (ISOs) and grid operators in regions where energy efficiency has become an important re-source to meet peak demand periods. ISOs and grid operators need reliable data about the size and duration of demand that can re-spond to peak demand events and resource changes. Advanced meters, if properly configured, can provide the information to make energy efficiency an even more valu-able generation resource.

The KEMA End-Use Load Data Update Project final report is available for download at www.kema.com/LoadData.

Founded in 1927, KEMA is a global provider of business and technical consult-ing, operational support, measurement and inspection, testing and certification for the energy and utility industry. With world headquarters in Arnhem, the Netherlands, KEMA employs more than 1,400 profes-sionals globally and has offices in 20 coun-tries. KEMA’s US subsidiary, KEMA, Inc., is headquartered in Burlington, Massachu-setts and serves energy clients throughout the Americas and Caribbean.

Intelligent energy use for a sustainable utility future.

Experience you can trust.

The utility of the future lies as much with smart energy consumption

as it does with the smart grid. KEMA helps clients connect with and

empower customers to make more informed, responsible energy

use decisions at the heart of our sustainable energy future. A global

leader in AMI, demand side management and energy efficiency and

green building technologies and policies, KEMA’s solutions link generation

sources and the end user to deliver profitability, reliability and sustainability.

Learn more. Visit www.kema.com/utility_future

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Miscellaneous/Tools Following are a few Web tools you

might find helpful. There are plenty more out there!

Construction Carbon CalculatorsBuild Carbon Neutral: http://buildcar-

bonneutral.org Green Footstep: www.greenfootstep.

orgDatabase of State Incentives for Renew-

ables and Efficiency (DSIRE) www.dsireusa.orgReuse/Salvage Builder2builder.com:

http://builder2builder.com eCycling Central: http://www.ecycling-

central.comAllison Friedman is the founder

of Rate It Green (www.rateitgreen.com). To see a complete list of Allison Friedman’s sources for green informa-tion and products, log onto high-profile.com.

Finding Green InfoContinued from page 16

http://www.kema.com

http://www.esia.com

December, 2009 23



http://www.americancaptialenergy.com

December, 200924



http://www.stanleyroof.com

High-Profile Monthly: Green Pages 2009

Documents

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