Contents:

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With the dramatic increase in activity and interest in green building and energy efficieny, I had accumulated so many new links to information on these topics that I thought I would put them together for you in this special Alert issue.

The regular BC Building Info newsletter covering all industry topics will come your way in a couple of weeks as usual. Hope you find at least a wee bit of value here somewhere.

Have a "Top Drawer" day.
Ken Farrish
:o)


You will finds hundreds more links to online info and resources on green building and energy efficiency in these Directory sections of the BC Building Info site...

Green Building: General Info

Green Building Types

Green Products

Energy Efficiency: General Info

Energy Efficiency: Audits & Tools

Energy Efficiency: Buildings

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1. Industry Issues, Forecasts & Trends

US Survey Shows Green Building A Plus For Builders
US National Association of Home Builders summarizes a 2008 McGraw Hill survey showing advances in green building are providing a notable shot in the arm for builders. It also highlights builder responses to most popular products & procedures, issues, costs, and other factors to consider.

Results Of Surveys Of Consumer Opinions On Green Products
US EcoPinion surveys provide further evidence of a green gap between willingness to adopt or purchase green products, services and technologies, and consumer value perceptions around those offerings. While concern for the environment is at an all time high, consumers think that many forms of green technology are cost prohibitive, difficult to understand and maintain, and aesthetically unappealing. Free registration to download reports.

Job Board For Green Jobs In BC & Cascadia Regions
Cascadia Region Green Building Council offers online job board for green building related positions located within Cascadia bioregion of Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon.

Legal Issues Of Green Building & Business
Green Buildings NYC explores legal issues and green business, with emphasis on the LEED green building rating system and sustainable construction. It mostly profiles green projects in New York City in order to discuss green building issues generally, but also presents legal and business implications for sustainable business, ranging from green building regulatory schemes to clean energy regulations.

Audio Seminar On Green Building As Good Business
US National Association of Home Builders presents an online audio seminar on June 11 as three experts on various aspects of green building will discuss the opportunities, challenges and benefits of green building. Registration will be $145 per company, with no limit to the number of people dialing into the seminar.

RS Means: Purchasable Book On Green Project Planning & Estimating
RS Means sells the book Green Building: Project the Planning & Estimating, that covers the latest in green building technologies, design concepts, standards, and costs. It also includes Means Green Building CostWorks CD. $130 USD

Is Green Building Too Expensive?
Fine Homebuilding article about green home building discusses how green is becoming a bad word, there is no such thing as a green house, expensive does not mean unaffordable, and value as the other half of the equation.

Online Videos On Designing A Sustainable House
American Institute of Architects online videos show how an experienced AIA architect helps her client define what she wants in a new house, and incorporate Kyoto Protocol standards into a modern Minnesota home.

How Green Can a Huge House Be?
New York Times article describes how a 7,000 sq. ft. house is being built to LEED For Homes standards, and discusses whether or not it should be considered green.

Demonstration Home With Energy Efficient Retrofits
US Building Performance Institute and Affordable Comfort Home Performance Conference sponsored Home Revival, a national demonstration retrofit project in Pittsburgh. The renovation project features system solutions that could work in the tens of millions of older homes across the country that need home performance upgrades.

California Apartment Project Proves Green Can Be Affordable
NAHB article describes the Jamboree Housing Corporation Laurel Crest apartments in California that prove that it is not only easy being green, but affordable as well.

New BC Green Building Code Effective September 2008
On April 15, 2008 the BC Government announced that new BC Building Code requirements to increase energy and water efficiency would come into effect on September 5, 2008. These include Energy Efficiency Requirements for Single Family Houses & Smaller Multi-Family Residential, Commercial, and Industrial Buildings; Energy Efficiency Requirements for High-Rise Multi-Family Residential Buildings and Larger Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional Buildings; plus Water-Efficiency Requirements.

2008 BC Regional Seminars On Greening The Building Code
BC homeowner Protection Office seminar will examine new green requirements in the BC Building Code and the impact that they will have on the various regions throughout the province. The seminar covers information for builders, designers and other industry professionals on different options that will be available to comply with new requirements for both small and large structures.

BC Window Association Invites Door Manufacturers To Develop Energy Standards
Window & Door Manufacturers Association of BC has asked the door pre-hangers and wood exterior door manufacturers to participate in developing a BC Energy Efficient Wood Door Specification standard and related marketing and certification program. 2008 (PDF)

Canadian EnerGuide Rating Service For Homes
Natural Resources Canada describes the EnerGuide Home Energy Rating service, how it works, EnerGuide rating service energy advisors, where EnerGuide rating service applies, and difference between an EnerGuide rating system evaluation and a home inspection.

Is ICC In The Fray Or In The Way On Green Building Codes?
HGTV Pro writer questions whether or not the International Code Council should be developing a certification program called the Green Building Professional Certification that will be a tool to help communities and code officials ensure that green building programs can play nice with the established International Codes.

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Overview Of Residential Green Roof Systems
US National Association of Home Builders technical bulletin on residential green roofs describes summary, installation, warranty, benefits, costs, attributes, ease of implementation, field evaluations, manufacturers, and more resources.

BC Centre For Advancement Of Green Roof Technology
BC Institute of Technology Centre for Advancement of Green Roof Technology was established to: conduct applied research; inventory performance of green roofs; develop roofing evaluation module; support technology innovation; provide training opportunities; and improve public awareness.

Balancing Benefits & Risks Of Green Roofs In BC
HPO provides Planning Institute of BC newsletter article by Ken Cameron, CEO of the Homeowner Protection Office, discusses the need to balance benefits and risks of green roofs and homeowner protection. 2008 (PDF)

Performance Testing Of Drainwater Heat Recovery
CMHC research highlight provides test results from drainwater heat recovery devices that recover waste heat from showers to preheat domestic hot water. Several models were tested, and a link to an energy savings calculator is provided to calculate which brand of device is best suited to a household. (PDF)

Canadian Resources On Healthy Housing
CMHC resources on healthy housing include Five Essentials of Healthy Housing, Healthy Housing Fact Sheets, Healthy House in Toronto, and its EQuilibrium Sustainable Housing Initiative.

BC Directory Of Environmentally Preferred Products & Services
Metro Vancouver has searchable SmartSteps directory of environmentally preferred products & services, organized by groupings, that carry either a third party certification based on the life-cycle impacts of the product or service, or a self-declared environmental claim provided by the manufacturer, distributor or supplier. All products listed in the Directory are available in the Lower Mainland.

Top 10 Green & Energy Efficient Technologies For Remodeling
US Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing describes technologies with the most promise for making our existing homes more durable, stronger and more resource efficient. These include air sealing, ventilation control system, right-sized HVAC, high efficiency toilets, compact fluorescent lighting, high performance windows & storm windows, wireless controls, solar hot water, recycled & renewable flooring, and tubular skylights.

Green Format For Standard Reporting Of Green Construction Products
Construction Specifications Institute is developing Green Format, which will provide a standardized format for reporting information about sustainable attributes of construction products. This information will be stored in a Web-accessible database that allows users to sort and view the data in various ways to best suit project needs. The database will offer an additional benefit to manufacturers: a way to present clear, consistent, and concise information on the lifecycle qualities of products to Specifiers.

Resource Site On Vehicle Fuels & Use
US Department of Energy site provides information, tips and resources on gas mileage, safety, and air pollution & greenhouse gas emissions for new and used cars & trucks.

Free Online Magazine On Optimizing Fuel Use
Fuel Advantage site and online magazine for fleet administrators offers strategies for reducing fuel consumption and costs, industry news, videos, buyers guide, forums, events, US Grants & subsidies, and more.

Residential Industry Magazine On Green Building
Green Builder magazine provides the residential industry with recommendations on products and practices, guidance on green design and news, updates on legal and legislative issues, profiles of green builders, reviews of recent and classic construction practices books, and business and marketing advice on how to sell themselves as green builders.

Free Green Builder Newsletter
Cascadia Region Green Building Council produces a free monthly Green Builder newsletter that contains news, events, resources, jobs, and more.

Resource Site For US National Green Building Program
US National Association of Home Builders site for The National Green Building Program offers resources and tools to help builders, remodelers, home building associations, and homeowners learn how to build green homes.

Presentations From Past Building Performance Conferences
Residential Energy Services Network, the trade association for the residential building performance industry, has online slide shows and documents from presentations made at all their industry conferences held since 2001.

List Of BC & Canadian Green Building Events & Courses
Metro Vancouver BuildSmart lists green building events and courses in BC and Canada with links to more information on each, plus links to other sites that offer event listings.

Online Conference On Green & Renewable Energy
Virtual Energy Forum free online conference (June 10 - 11, 2008) offers keynote speakers. cases in corporate sustainability, green IT, putting renewable energies to work, investing in green energy, and exhibitor booths where you can chat live with providers of clean energy products and solutions.

Canadian Listing Of Upcoming Solar & Renewable Energy Events
Canadian Solar Industries Association lists local, national, and global events focused on solar, renewable energy, green building, and environmental topics.

Online Courses For Living Building Leader Program
Cascadia Region Green Building Counci online courses for the Living Building Leader program consist of advanced sessions, taught by experts, covering green building topics including site, energy, materials, water, indoor quality, and beauty & inspiration

BC Course On Green Roof Concepts, Systems & Incentives
BC Institute of Technology course on Green Roofs, GROW 0001 Green Roofs Concepts, Systems and Incentives, covers the basics of green roofs, definitions of the different types of green roof systems and materials, and appropriate vegetation for intensive, semi-intensive and extensive green roofs.

BC Workshops On Energy Modelling
Light House Sustainable Building Centre is offering two energy modelling workshops throughout BC. These workshops will assist building industry members to comply with green building code changes. The courses are 1) Introduction to energy modelling for ASHRAE 90.1 (2004) for building officials, consultants and developers, and 2) Building energy simulation software training using EE4 Version 1.70.

Canadian Workshops & Courses On Solar Energy
Education / Canadian Solar Industries Association offers workshops and courses on solar energy systems, design, installation and more.

US Certified Green Professional Designation For Builders & Remodelers
US National Association of Home Builders is offering a new professional designation program, the Certified Green Professional (CGP), that will provide home buyers with additional assurance that the builder or remodeler they have chosen is authentically green.

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Overall Home Energy Savings Of CFL Lighting
CMHC research evaluated the overall energy impact of compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) on total house energy consumption. It showed energy efficient lighting systems do affect pace-conditioning requirements as during the heating season they increase spaceheating energy use, and during cooling season they reduce space cooling demand and energy requirements. 2008 (PDF)

Online Calculator For Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies
US Environmental Protection Agency online calculator for Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies translates terms related to GHG emissions into more common language. It will help communicate GHG-reduction strategy, reduction targets and other initiatives in more easy-to-understand terms.

Study Confirms Energy Savings In LEED Green Buildings
US Green Building Council and New Buildings Institute study analyzes measured energy performance for 121 LEED New Construction buildings, providing a critical information link between intention and outcome for LEED projects. The results show that projects certified by the USGBC LEED program average substantial energy performance improvement over non-LEED building stock. 2008 (PDF)

LiveSmart BC Efficiency Incentive Program For Homeowners
BC Ministry of Energy Mines & Petroleum Resources offers LiveSmartBC, an efficiency incentive program that gives homeowners access to rebates for audits and energy efficiency incentives.

BC Tax Incentives For Energy Efficiency & Climate Action
BC Government Smart Choices site lists both new and existing tax incentives for energy efficiency and climate action including Home Smart Savings, Green Transport, Fuel Savings, Energy Savings, and Business Savings.

Power Smart Residential Coupons, Rebates & Incentives
BC Hydro Power Smart describes their various rebates for energy efficient products including thermostats, timers, appliances, windows, fridges, and Power Smart New Homes.

Solar BC Looking For Communities To Participate In 2008 BC Solar Project
SolarBC Program is asking for submissions and selecting five Solar Communities that will receive $10,000 - $20,000 to be used for solar hot water related initiatives. Applications are due July 11, 2008.

Ditty For Today

We are not primarily put on this earth to see through one another, but to see one another through.
- Peter De Vries

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ISSN: 1703-5597 - National Library of Canada