Green Building

Five “Green” Retrofits Electricians Should Be Pitching to Drive Business

Five “Green” Retrofits Electricians Should Be Pitching to Drive Business

Here we present five green retrofits electricians should pitch to drive business: energy management systems and monitoring devices, relamping, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and wind turbines, daylight harvesting, and HVAC retrofits.

Integrated Project Delivery Management Practices: A Growing Trend in the Construction Industry

Integrated Project Delivery Management Practices: A Growing Trend in the Construction Industry

Developers and facilities owners nationwide are spearheading the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) movement in the design and construction management industry. Due to long-term ownership and aggressive goals of high performing buildings at lower costs toward energy and potable water expenditures, an increasing number of building owners are constantly seeking new avenues to streamline risk and opportunities associated with standard contractual relationships such as Construction Manager-At Risk, Owner-Architect Agreement (AIA-B141), and Owner-Contractor Agreement (AIA-A101).

Green Building and The Coming Renaissance of Electrical Contracting

Green Building and The Coming Renaissance of Electrical Contracting

In the coming years, electrical contractors will transition into “energy contractors” to support the fast-growing green construction market. There has been a revival of interest in the electrical trade as home owners and corporations adopt alternative methods (e.g. solar, wind, etc) to power buildings. What’s driving this? Federal incentives, lower material costs and savings from reduced energy spending.

Green MBA Success: Meet Adam D. Granz, Energy Efficiency Program Manager at Willdan Energy Solutions

Green MBA Success: Meet Adam D. Granz, Energy Efficiency Program Manager at Willdan Energy Solutions

Meet Adam D Granz. Before getting into energy efficiency, Adam D. Ganz worked in real estate. He is a former real estate broker, property Manager and escrow officer. In this capacity, he represented clients in the buying, selling, and leasing of commercial and residential property, managed over 2 million square feet of commercial and residential property and conducted residential sales transactions and refinances totaling over $55 Million for 80 clients. Since getting his MBA, Adam has taken on the role of Energy Efficiency Program Manager at Willdan Energy Solutions. Read about how he changed his career path to a green one with an MBA in sustainability. Don’t forget to check out our entire Green MBA series.

Did You Know You Can Challenge LEED Certification?

Did You Know You Can Challenge LEED Certification?

I am going to be honest with you, I have been sitting on some LEEDigation-related stories. I sat on these stories because I wanted to understand the implications before writing about them.

Green Building is for Conservatives: A Financial Case

Green Building is for Conservatives: A Financial Case

Our buildings are central to our lives, and we put a tremendous amount of our wealth and skills into making them. The modern green building movement is a highly tuned, intensive, and measured approach to building that values efficiency, health and durability.The success of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has not been based on their radical agenda but on the practical results of the types of building they have helped shape. The improvement in productivity in LEED commercial buildings alone can pay for the entire building. These large projects have demonstrated the value gained by investing in green building principles

Green Building Law – Is Your Lawyer Ready?

Green Building Law – Is Your Lawyer Ready?

The wave of green litigation has arrived. This means more third party challenges, mushrooming building interest group litigation, and private litigation with a green tinge. These suits will involve not only knowledge of LEED and green building, but also the energy codes and other ancillary regulations.

How Sustainable is “Green Building”?

How Sustainable is “Green Building”?

While the terms green and sustainable are often used interchangeably, not all green building techniques are sustainable. Green building encourages the reduction of harmful impacts that buildings have on the environment and their occupants while focusing on environmental sustainability, but does not necessitate truly sustainable practices. While sustainable strategies stipulate the conservation, or preservation, of resources and require the reconciliation of all economic, social, and environmental demands.
There is a need for the establishment of a framework that encourages economic, social, and environmental sustainability for green buildings.

Return on Investment for Green / LEED Projects

Return on Investment for Green / LEED Projects

Green buildings provide long-term savings and solid returns on investments. they also command much more than similar non-LEED buildings due to the economic benefits they offer. Soon Class A office buildings that do not attain LEED certification will see their property value decline as LEED becomes the de facto benchmark in measuring quality in construction.