2012 DVGBC Greenprint [#042 Special]

Spotlighting innovative green design in the Delaware Valley

THE BARNES FOUNDATION

MORRIS ARBORETUM

LENFEST HALL

KARABOTS PAVILION

A City Transformed Philadelphia institutions embrace green building practices

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was produced by Grid and published by Red Flag Media 1032 Arch St., Third Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 Publisher Alex Mulcahy alex@gridphilly.com Managing Editor Liz Pacheco liz@gridphilly.com Art Director Jamie Leary jamie@gridphilly.com Designer Zachary Kutz zachary@gridphilly.com Writers Shaun Brady Kristen Dowd Samantha Wittchen

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HOW GREEN IS OUR REGION? MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER has pledged to make Philadelphia the greenest city in America. His administration, led by the Office of Sustainability, is on its way to meeting this goal through its Greenworks Philadelphia plan. In the meantime, our entire region will have an opportunity to proudly display our sustainability work when DVGBC and the U.S. Green Building Council host Greenbuild 2013 next November. This annual conference will bring 30,000 green building advocates to Philadelphia who will be eager to see why our region is a leader in the field.

At DVGBC, we’re using the conference as a deadline for our 2013 Challenge Pledge. We’re asking regional businesses, educational institutions, government agencies and nonprofits to make a written pledge to sustainability. So far, we have more than 75 high-impact pledges across sectors—from the City of Philadelphia to the Philadelphia Zoo—and plan to get many more in the coming months. For some examples, see page 4.

We’ll also be using the conference to highlight our policy accomplishments and the role green building partnerships have played in our region. We’ll talk about how Philadelphia is the sixth city in the nation to pass energy benchmarking and disclosure legislation. This legislation requires commercial buildings of a certain size to track, measure and report energy and water use. DVGBC played an important role in this accomplishment and we’ll continue working with the City, Energy Efficient Buildings (EEB) Hub and others to help building owners implement this new law.

Greenbuild will give us a chance to demonstrate our work on green schools as well.

We’re using the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools program to advocate for a holistic, three-pillared approach to creating green schools: achieving net-zero environmental impact; improving the health and performance of students and staff; and ensuring the

environmental and sustainability literacy of all graduates. This work includes training facility managers and students how to measure their buildings’ energy use by partnering with the Environmental Protection Agency and their Energy Star program, and developing a student-led conservation team pilot program with the School District of Philadelphia.

And, of course, we won’t just be talking about this work, we’ll also be showing it off with tours of the amazing building projects in our region so attendees have a chance to see this work firsthand.

We hope you’ll join us on the road to Greenbuild 2013. The journey begins this fall at our Annual Green Building Celebration, happening September 27 at the new (and soon-to-be LEED Platinum) Barnes Foundation. See you there!

Janet Milkman executive director delaware valley green building council

DELAWARE VALLEY GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL 2012 | GREENPRINT | 3

2013 CHALLENGE DVGBC PLEdge

WITH GREENBUILD 2013 approaching, the DVGBC has challenged its green building community and beyond to publicly declare their commitment to sustainability.

Some pledges are for initiatives already in place, others are new goals; all have a deadline of November 2013. Below are some examples of the more than 75 pledges already received.

To make your pledge, visit dvgbc.org/2013challenge

CERTAINTEED &

SAINT-GOBAIN WILL AVOID CONSUMING 10,000 GALLONS OF GAS BY REDUCING EMPLOYEE COMMUTING

PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY WILL PLANT MORE THAN

2 5 0, 0 0 0 TREES ACROSS THE REGION

LAFAYETTE COLLEGE WILL IMPLEMENT A CLIMATE ACTION PLAN TO REDUCE ITS CARBON FOOTPRINT BY 20%

ADVANCED

ENVIRO SYSTEMS WILL HELP DIVERT 1,000 TONS OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE FROM LANDFILLS AND INCINERATORS TO COMPOSTING & RECYCLING ALTERNATIVES

1K

PHILADELPHIA

GREENSAW

DESIGN & BUILD

UNIVERSITY WILL GRADUATE MORE THAN

150 STUDENTS FROM ITS SUSTAINABLE DESIGN PROGRAM

CPM HOUSING

GROUP 295

WILL USE RECLAIMED OR SALVAGED MATERIALS IN

100

OF THEIR BUILDING PROJECTS

HABITAT FOR

HUMANITY WILL BUILD TO LEED SILVER STANDARDS ON ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

URBAN

ECOFORMS WILL INSTALL 250,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETROFIT GREEN ROOFS

IN POSSE 2 WILL COMPLETE TWO NET-ZERO K–12 SCHOOLS

WILL DELIVER 296 UNITS OF GREEN, AFFORDABLE HOUSING

296 4 | GREENPRINT | DELAWARE VALLEY GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL 2012

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hile the Barnes Foundation is best known for its and a senior associate with New York firm Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. “The $150-million building on the Ben Franklin Parkway— ipê wood floor is there partially to warm the space up and its founding mission extended beyond the man-made make it feel more intimate, but it’s also an extremely hard wonders hanging on the walls to the natural beauty wood that’s very good for the kinds of activities that happen outside of them. The recent relocation has left most of the Barnes’ there. During the day there’s lots of groups passing into the horticultural program behind at its previous home in Merion, but collections gallery, and during the evening it hosts events, the new digs were designed and built using sustainable practices and the floor is developing a really nice patina as more fully in line with that original green vision. people walk on it and drop glasses on it.”

The design specified no- or “When we acquired this parcel of land, a porherringbone-patterned ipê wood floor reclaimed low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) products, tion of which was in Fairmount Park, we had a from the Coney Island boardwalks.

Forest Stewardship Council certified woods and “We very strongly believe in an aesthetic of recycled products. Ninety-eight percent of ponew mayor [Mayor Michael Nutter] who was promoting sustainable issues in both design and good design, not just an aesthetic of sustainable tentially reusable materials were reclaimed from construction,” says William McDowell, senior design,” says Philip Ryan, Barnes’ project manager the Youth Study Center, the juvenile detention building project director. “So, we did it to satisfy our obligations under our lease with the city, but it took on a life of its own... And we…think it resulted in a better building.”

In late August, the Barnes was awaiting confirmation of LEED Platinum certification—the highest rating granted by the U.S. Green Building Council. If granted, the museum would become the third museum in the country to achieve the rating. It was actually at the urging of the Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC) that the Barnes even sought LEED certification, explains McDowell.

“Early on, we felt that we were going to go ahead and do all these things anyway, but were debating whether or not it was worth it to formalize the process,” says McDowell. “The DVGBC convinced us that it was important for our project to be tracked officially both by them and by the national organization so that it becomes something that Philadelphia can promote itself with.”

Highlights of the Barnes’ sustainable design include a green roof on the L-shaped Pavilion building; a 40,000-gallon cistern that collects rainwater from that roof for landscape irrigation; 12,000 square feet of photovoltaic panels on the roof of the Light Canopy that provide eight percent of the building’s electricity; and a

W

priceless art collection—which now resides in a new

DELAWARE VALLEY GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL 2012 | GREENPRINT | 7

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center formerly on the Barnes site (asbestos and other toxins rendered certain elements of the 1950s-era building unusable).

Ryan credits the Barnes with “trying to weave the architectural process into their teaching about the collection in the building. We all look at these impressionist and post-impressionist paintings as very traditional, but the standards of current contemporary art at the time were incredibly avant-garde. Barnes was a very forward-looking individual and contemporary thinker in many ways.” The instructors and docents worked closely with the architecture team to see how sustainable design and architecture could — Philip Ryan, Barnes’ project manager be communicated to visitors. “I think that and senior associate with New York firm the Barnes is interested in setting an exTod Williams Billie Tsien Architects ample and weaving that into the narrative of education, says Ryan.”

The architects also worked closely with OLIN, Li described how the Barnes’ design also folthe project’s landscape architecture and urban lows the firm’s broader philosophy. “OLIN has design firm, which has offices in Philadelphia and been applying sustainable design principles since Los Angeles. The Barnes’ garden and terrace were the start of our practice. Our office’s tradition is planted with native and adapted plants to minito be sensitive to the environmental impact of what we do. We view sustainability as not only mize maintenance and water needs. The Barnes referring to the environment, but also to cultural, grounds in Merion were the primary inspiration, says Yue Li, an associate on OLIN’s project team. social and economic sustainability.”

Li cites the reaction of Henri Matisse, who creIn McDowell’s view, the use of sustainable ated the iconic mural “The Dance” for the Barnes design characterizes the Barnes’ aspiration to in Merion, when he first laid eyes on the original become one of the city’s major cultural instibuilding. Looking through its French windows, tutions. “The Barnes sees itself as a long-term Matisse said, “one sees only the lawn, only green institution on the Parkway,” he explains. “It will and flowers and bushes perhaps; one does not be a contributor to the arts community and an see the sky.” organization that wants to promote good and “We tried to recreate this scene of green lookresponsible design. We hope that we serve as ing out the main gallery windows,” says Li. “We a model and an encouragement for this effort to planted a lot of ground cover and densely planted continue.” shrubs that buffer the gallery from the urban traffic on the Parkway.”

For more, visit barnesfoundation.org

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8 | GREENPRINT | DELAWARE VALLEY GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL 2012

We all look at these impressionist and post-impressionist paintings as very traditional, but the standards of current contemporary art at the time were incredibly avant-garde.”

THE GREEN

ROOM LOCAL HOTELS RISE TO THE CHALLENGE OF GREENBUILD

By Samantha Wittchen

WHEN Greenbuild, the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual conference and expo, comes to Philadelphia in 2013, it will attract more than 30,000 sustainably-minded folks to the region, all of whom will need a place to stay. But for Greenbuild attendees, a clean room and comfy bed won’t be enough—they’ll expect the hotels they patronize to uphold the same environmental standards they’ll be discussing at the conference.

One local hospitality group working to meet these standards is Hersha Hospitality. “There’s so much you can get done just by making simple operational changes,” says Bennett Thomas, vice president of finance and sustainability. Hersha has developed EarthView, a program that provides a standardized approach to sustainability that is executable across their portfolio of hotel brands—in Philadelphia they work with the Rittenhouse Hotel as well as Hyatt, Marriott, Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn hotels.

EarthView will prepare Hersha for Greenbuild, but more importantly, also makes good sense for their business. In addition to reducing carbon emissions, water use and waste production (all Greenbuild goals), EarthView could have significant financial benefits. “We have forecast to save $8 to $10 million from the baseline year from Phase I of the program,” says Thomas. Phase I includes offering recycling in all guest rooms, retrofitting incandescent bulbs to CFLs or LEDs and tracking energy usage through EPA’s Portfolio Manager program.

For other hoteliers, USGBC has developed a system to ensure that the conference’s discerning clientele finds their accommodations up to snuff.

“Because green building sits at the forefront of the environmental and economic opportunities before us,” says Kate Hurst, USGBC’s Greenbuild and events director, “it’s essential that we in the Greenbuild community take the lead in greening the field of conferences and events.”

And take the lead they have. USGBC has developed a Green Venue Selection Guide that includes a comprehensive environmental questionnaire for hotel and conference center operators to

evaluate their energy use and performance, water efficiency, purchasing practices, waste management, occupant health and comfort, and transportation. The questions touch on aspects of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard that pertain to the hospitality industry, although USGBC doesn’t require a hotel to be LEED-certified in order to work with them.

Once the environmental practices of the hotel are established through the questionnaire, the USGBC develops a contract with the venue. Only contracted hotels will be listed as places to stay for Greenbuild. An audit process during the conference verifies that hotels are adhering to contract requirements. After every Greenbuild conference, USGBC puts together a comprehensive sustainability report on how well each hotel performed in achieving their greening goals.

USGBC hopes Greenbuild’s requirements will have a lasting affect, especially on Philadelphia’s older buildings. For the first time in Greenbuild history, the Host Committee—lead in Philadelphia

by DVGBC—will work with area hotel management to help them understand what steps would be required for their buildings to become LEEDcertified. Currently the only LEED-certified hotel in Philadelphia is the Hotel Palomar at 17th and Sansom Streets.

And, as sustainably-minded hospitality groups like Hersha become more prevalent, USGBC’s job is only getting easier, says Hurst. “The hospitality industry is changing and sustainability has been top of mind for a while now.” That’s good news for Greenbuild and Philadelphia.

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CULTURAL SHIFT PHILADELPHIA’S MAJOR INSTITUTIONS EMBRACE GREEN BUILDING PRACTICES

By Kristen Dowd

WALLS MADE FROM PLASTIC BOTTLES. Rainwater recycled to flush toilets. Electricity generated from the sun. Green building is on the rise across the nation, and institutions in the Philadelphia region are prime examples. While only some have official Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, all have a common mission: to reduce their carbon footprint and educate visitors about the benefits of sustainable design. Below are SIX institutions in and around the Philadelphia region leading this movement.

10 | GREENPRINT | DELAWARE VALLEY GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL 2012

MORRIS ARBORETUM THE MORRIS ARBORETUM Horticulture Center opened in 2010 as the hub for horticulture, public programming and facility staff. The 20,849-square-foot building in Chestnut Hill is LEED Platinum certified and received the 2012 American Architecture Award for top new projects in the country.

Designed to the highest green building standards, the Horticulture Center provides the space to manage the 167-acre property, while maintaining the Arboretum’s commitment to environmental stewardship and educating visitors about the importance of natural resource protection. The Center boasts geothermal wells, a green roof, solar energy, water cisterns and more.

Forty percent of the building materials were regionally sourced, recycled or salvaged, and the architecture takes full advantage of natural light.

As part of the University of Pennsylvania, the Horticulture Center is adding to an already robust portfolio of LEED buildings, which include the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, Franklin Field Pavilion Sports Complex, the Music Building and, most recently, the Law School building on Sansom Street.

315 CHESTNUT ST.

PROGRESS: • Completed Fall 2008 LEARN MORE: • chemicalheritage.org

FEATURES: • Energy monitoring • Motion sensitive lighting • “Recycled Restroom”

PHILADELPHIA ZOO IN SPRING 2013, the Philadelphia Zoo will introduce its biggest green building achievement to date: the Hamilton Family Children’s Zoo & Faris Family Education Center. Slated for LEED certification, the building will have green roof cisterns to recycle water, geothermal heating, energy efficient strategies and a stormwater management plan, among other features.

The center will be joining an already impressive list of green building achievements at the Zoo—including geothermal wells at the McNeil Avian Center and Zoo Shop, and the Wetland at the Zoo, a manmade habitat around historic Bird Lake that received the 2012 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence. Along with green building, the Zoo has also worked to reduce its water consumption by half, and continues to implement sustainabilityminded policies in energy use, waste management, horticultural care and purchasing.

100 E. NORTHWESTERN AVE.

PROGRESS: • Completed Fall 2010 LEARN MORE: • morrisarboretum.org

FEATURES: • Geothermal wells • Green roof • Water cisterns • LEED Platinum certified

CHEMICAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION FOUNDED IN 1982 as a partnership of the University of Pennsylvania, the American Chemical Society and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Chemical Heritage Foundation’s (CHF) mission is to foster an understanding of chemistry’s impact on society. But the $17 million green makeover at its Chestnut Street museum and conference center suggests that sustainability is also high on the CHF agenda.

The CHF building renovations, unveiled in October 2008, include the recycling of all demolition materials (a significant undertaking, largely because the building’s layers date back to at least 1912), energy monitoring, motion sensitive lighting and a “recycled restroom” on the second floor, featuring double-flush toilets, plastic bottle walls and soda can floors.

The organization includes sustainability in day-to-day work life, too, using exclusively recycled office paper and bathroom materials, and earth-friendly cleaning products. In 2002, energy control systems instituted at CHF reduced electricity usage by 65 percent. The largest green program at CHF is the Conference Center, which hosts 6,000 guests annually, but doesn’t use one-use paper products and plastic bottles. Instead, china, silverware and pitchers of water with glassware are used.

3400 W. GIRARD AVE.

PROGRESS: • Opening Spring 2013 LEARN MORE: • philadelphiazoo.org

FEATURES: • Green roof cisterns • Geothermal heating • Stormwater management plan • Slated for LEED certification

DELAWARE VALLEY GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL 2012 | GREENPRINT | 11

CURTIS INSTITUTE OF MUSIC CURTIS INSTITUTE OF MUSIC is one of the world’s leading conservatories. Founded in 1924, Curtis educates and trains musicians for careers as performing artists. Last fall, the Institute extended its Locust Street campus by opening the $65 million, LEED Gold certified Lenfest Hall.

“It seemed as natural to utilize LEED concepts in the building design as it did to consider the sophisticated acoustical elements,” said Elizabeth Warshawer, executive vice president. The state-of-the-art music education and student residence building uses an energy recovery ventilation unit to recover heat and moisture from exhausted air. The building’s overall water use was reduced by 40 percent thanks to a green roof stormwater retention system and low-flow water fixtures and showers.

“Curtis has a proud history, respects its heritage and maintains its traditions and historic buildings,” says Warshawer. “But Curtis also looks forward, respects the environment and wants to set the right example for our gifted young musicians and our entire school community.”

1 LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD WAY

PROGRESS: • To be completed in December 2012 LEARN MORE: • lincolnfinancialfield.com

FEATURES: • 14 micro wind turbines • 11,000 solar panels • 100 percent renewable energy for game days

1616 LOCUST ST.

PROGRESS: • Completed Fall 2011 LEARN MORE: • curtis.edu

LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD NINE YEARS AFTER launching their Go Green! campaign at Lincoln Financial Field, the Philadelphia Eagles are reaching another sustainability milestone: local clean energy. Through a partnership with New Jersey energy company NRG, 14 micro wind turbines and 11,000 solar panels will provide 100 percent of the energy needed for game days. Solar panels will be installed along 11th Street, the stadium’s south-facing façade and in the parking lot. The wind turbines will sit on the top of the stadium’s north and south sides. Aimed for completion in December 2012, the changes will make Lincoln Financial Field one of the greenest major sports facilities in the world.

These stadium renovations make sense for a team that’s been using environmentally friendly practices for nearly a decade. The Philadelphia Eagles headquarters and team facilities at the Novacare Complex are already outfitted with solar panels and green building elements.

Composting and recycling are also key at Lincoln Financial Field, where there is a 97 percent diversion of game day waste—meaning only three percent of those hot dog wrappers, soda cups and leftover French fries go to a landfill. Even the cooking grease gets new life at a biodiesel conversion facility.

“This is a chance to do the right thing,” says Rob Zeiger, senior vice president of communications. “It’s also a chance to show our fans how easy it is to make their lives greener than they were before.”

FRANKLIN INSTITUTE AFTER MORE THAN TWO DECADES without major renovations, the Franklin Institute officially broke ground in April on a new facility: the 53,000-square-foot Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion. Slated for LEED Silver certification, the building features sustainable elements including a rain garden, recycled and local materials, water efficient landscaping and Forest Stewardship Council certified wood. This state-of-the-art addition will house the permanent exhibit, “Your Brain,” as well as an expanded education center, modern conference center and climate-controlled traveling exhibition gallery.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2013.

While this is the first LEED building for The Franklin Institute, the museum is no stranger to sustainability. As a gold member of the Greater Philadelphia Green Business Program, the Institute has adopted green business practices internally to reduce the museum’s overall impact on the environment. This includes green printing practices, eliminating bottled water and offering a car pool message board for employees who drive. Education is an important part of the museum’s sustainability practices as well, and their website provides resources and book recommendations for the public on leading a more sustainable lifestyle.

12 | GREENPRINT | DELAWARE VALLEY GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL 2012

FEATURES: • Energy recovery ventilation unit • Green roof water retention system • Low-flow water fixtures & showers.

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PROGRESS: • Opening 2013 LEARN MORE: • fi.edu

FEATURES: • Rain garden • Recycled and local materials • Water efficient landscaping • Slated for LEED Silver certification

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GLOSSARY A SHORT GUIDE TO THE BASICS OF GREEN BUILDING Building Envelope The boundary separating a building’s interior environment from its exterior. The envelope usually includes the roof, doors, windows, foundation and walls.

Carbon Footprint A calculation of total greenhouse gases produced from commercial, industrial and individual activities.

Coalition for an Energy Efficient Philadelphia (CEEP) A broad coalition of businesses, institutions, citizens and organizations working to achieve a higher degree of energy efficiency in all Philadelphia buildings to stimulate economic growth, create jobs, save money for residents and businesses, and increase sustainability in all neighborhoods.

Daylighting Designing a building with windows or other openings that take advantage of natural light.

Energy audit An inspection performed by a certified auditor to determine a home or building’s level of energy efficiency. The process involves detailed data collection and an engineering analysis, resulting in a written report with recommendations and a cost/ savings analysis.

Energy Efficient Buildings (EEB) Hub Established in February 2001 by the U.S. Department of Energy to advance energy science and engineering from research to commercial use. Located at the Navy Yard, the EEB Hub is tasked with improving energy efficiency in buildings and promoting regional economic growth and job creation. Its goal is to reduce energy use in Philadelphia’s commercial buildings 20 percent by 2020.

Energy Star An international standard for household appliances and buildings that perform at specified levels of energy efficiency. The certification was established in 1992 by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy Greenbuild International Conference and Expo The world’s largest annual conference dedicated to green building.

Hosted by the U.S. Green Building Council, the conference features speakers, networking opportunities, industry showcases, LEED workshops and tours of the host city’s green buildings. Greenbuild 2013 will be in Philadelphia.

Green roof A rooftop covered with a vegetation growing system. This system is usually planted over a waterproofing membrane, drainage plane and water retention medium. Green roofs help control stormwater runoff, minimize urban water pollution and reduce surface temperatures, among other benefits.

Green wall/living wall Self-sufficient vertical gardens attached to the exterior or interior of a building. Rooted in a structural support attached to the actual wall, these systems can be used for air or water filtration.

Greywater system Wastewater from bathtubs, showers, sinks, washing machines and dishwashers that can be recycled for activities such as irrigation, toilets and exterior washing. These systems can be incorporated into plumbing, helping to seamlessly conserve water and save money.

Home Energy Rating System (HERS) A scoring system that provides a standardized evaluation of a home’s energy efficiency.

Established by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), HERS can be used on existing or new homes, and is based on an index of 100. Each one-point decrease in the HERS Index corresponds to a one percent reduction in energy consumption; a net zero energy home scores zero.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) A system for rating buildings designed, constructed and operated with sustainability as a top priority.

The comprehensive system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in 1998, is based on prerequisites and points that take into consideration community resources and public transit, site characteristics, water and energy efficiency, materials, indoor environmental quality and innovation, among others. There are four levels of certification: certified, silver, gold and platinum (the highest).

LEED Accredited Professional (AP) An individual with advanced knowledge in

green building practices. The AP credential is achieved through a two-part exam; the second part allows individuals to specialize in a specific LEED Rating System: building design and construction, home, interior design and construction, neighborhood development, or operations and maintenance.

LEED Green Associate (GA) An individual who has demonstrated non-technical knowledge of green design, construction and operations.

Living Building Challenge A program launched and operated by the Cascadia Region Green Building Council that’s intended to go beyond LEED standards.

This certification program is for buildings, neighborhoods, renovations or nonconditioned spaces that meet advanced measurements of sustainability in seven performance areas: site, water, energy, health, materials, equity and beauty.

Low-Flow Fixture Plumbing fixtures that combine efficiency and high performance to save water without affecting performance.

Low-flow toilets, faucets and shower heads are available; many carry the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense label.

Net Metering A policy that credits consumers who have installed a renewable energy source, such as wind turbines or solar panels, and produce excess energy.

Net-zero/carbon neutral Achieving netzero carbon emissions by balancing carbon released with an equal amount of sequestered, avoided or offset carbon.

Passive House Buildings that have extremely low energy needs. Passive houses consume less than a quarter of the energy required for a standard building.

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) A nonprofit founded in 1993 that’s dedicated to sustainable building, design and construction. USGBC developed the LEED rating system in 1998.

Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Organic chemicals emitted as gas from certain solids or liquids. VOCs can have a harmful effect on air quality, and are widely found in paints, carpets and adhesives.

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) An international nonprofit that supports responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC sets standards for environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable forestry practices. As part of these standards, FSC certifies landowners and companies selling timber or forest products to ensure the forestry is consistent with their mission.

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AIR BARRIERS

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WATERPROOFING

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INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

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CERTIFIED INSTALLERS

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BUILDING SCIENCE RESOURCE

COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL Superior moisture and air barriers.

800 Industrial Highway, Building A, Pottstown, PA 19464 P: 610.323.5170 E: info@northendbarriers.com NorthendBarriers.com

16 | GREENPRINT | DELAWARE VALLEY GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL 2012