With LEED certified projects growing in popularity, green can be a major selling point to investors and tenants alike. These initiatives not only offer significant and measurable savings in terms of energy usage, but contribute to the health and well being of the people who live and work in your project, so green messaging is very important.
New technologies, feed-in tariffs, and tax credits are helping propel the small wind industry, especially in the United States. Once found mostly in rural areas, small wind installations are now starting to pop up on urban rooftops.
I’m not even talking about the energy savings, cost savings and environmental benefits though. I’m going to focus on tax credits. A number of places have mandated green roofs under certain circumstances; Toronto, Tokyo and Switzerland to name a few. Another approach that’s often more agreeable to building owners and developers is the voluntary opportunity to receive tax credits.
The green building studies and reports we spotlight cover the following topics: The potential financial benefits of green retrofits; the importance of overcoming the social and psychological barriers to green building; the use of impact fees to encourage green building; the use of mandates and incentives to promote sustainable construction; feedback from the construction industry on the risks that come with green building; global green building trends; green practices reported by facilities management professionals; and reshaping municipal and county laws to foster green building.
RecyGrow hopes to create 500 green jobs in WI. Culver Signs Wind Energy Bill to Bring 2,300 Green Jobs To Iowa. Oregon House Considers Green Jobs Legislation. Exelon and SunPower to Develop Nation’s Largest Urban Solar Power Plant Creating 200 Jobs in Chicago.
The American Real Estate Society, in cooperation with and funding by the CoStar Group, announces a call for papers for a special issue of the real estate monograph series on “green buildings and sustainable real estate” called “Journal of Sustainable Real Estate”. The best research paper published will receive a $15,000 honorarium. All papers accepted for publication will receive $1,000. Authors are encouraged to submit original research that can help investors, developers, appraisers, lenders, asset managers, elected government officials and land use regulators improve their strategies, decision-making and understanding of the impact of sustainable real estate practices.
The wind energy industry will brings badly needed jobs to Detroit. Local green jobs are rising as San Francisco solar and energy efficiency incentive programs expand. Terra Community College in Ohio will be offering a new wind power certificate. A new study shows that investment in solar generating facilities could bring thousand of jobs to Nevada. Green initiatives bring new jobs to Brooklyn Navy Yard. Planned ‘Solar City’ in Florida will bring 20,000 jobs to the region.