LEED revisits 2009 revisions, proposes changes for 2010

The NY Times reports that Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or the LEED rating system is fleshing out the 2009 revision to include three new credit categories and a variety of reworked and new credits and prerequisites. The proposed changes have been laid out by USBGC’s technical advisory committees, and they touch upon each of the system’s sections: LEED for homes, design and construction, operations and maintenance. "I'm really excited to see what's in store for the future of LEED," said Tristan Roberts, editor of BuildingGreen.com, a publication that tracks green building information for professionals and policymakers.  
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E.W. Howell's Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center named Green Project of the Year

E.W. Howell, a Long Island General Contractor, has achieved the esteemed “Green Project of the Year” from NY Construction magazine’s Best for 2010, for their Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center (AERTC) at Stony Brook University. The judges were an independent jury of industry experts who had the pick of 180 nominated projects. 31 of the 180 were award winners; the entry criteria included project management and client service, safety, design and functionality.
The AERTC project included new construction of a two-story 43,000-sf lab building designed by Flad Architects. The building is devoted to research on alternative fuels and energy conservation. The state-of-the-art building will be the most energy efficient building in the state, and only one of 26 in the nation to get the top platinum rating from the USGBC.

“While many buildings nowadays are being built to receive LEED certifications, very few are built for LEED Platinum” says E.W. Howell’s project executive Bob Timperio.

A LEED platinum building is a great achievement, marked by maximum energy efficiency in 5 distinct categories: sustainable site, water efficiency, energy & atmosphere, material & resources and indoor air quality. In order to achieve this, systems for rain water collection for flush toilets and landscaping requiring no irrigation was used. . During construction, at least 75% of construction waste was diverted to recycling sites and 20% of recycled building materials were used. The champion of the building, however, must be the solar panels on the façade of the building. The panels help to harvest the energy from the sun to use for the buildings daily functions and offer designers the opportunity for distinctive architectural impact, while reducing solar heat gains. All of these features are projected to have energy cost savings of 25%. For more information go here.

Doing Business In A Transitional Economy

From soaring fuel costs to higher prices for materials we all face difficult times. To handle the many demands placed upon us it is essential to look inwardly at our operations and outwardly to understand our clients' challenges. The Advance Group is challenged with rapidly rising fuel costs. However, we are committed to doing everything we can to insulate our clients from having to pay more. We understand that they are also feeling the pinch and looking for solutions.

However, in trying to hold costs down, companies need to be wary of vendors operating below market value. These operations don't have the structure or assets to weather the economic storm. Such companies will cut corners indiscriminately and are a dangerous liability. Choose to work only with companies that are experienced and reputable and that have structure and assets.

Maintain relationships with detailed customer feedback. This information is the best means of identifying needs and finding relationship weaknesses. Customer service starts from the top down; CEOs and top executives must take part in the process with important clients, thanking them for business or asking for honest feedback, which can keep relationships strong during rocky economic times.

Today we must all focus closely on our current clients; the cost of keeping them is much lower than trying to find new ones, especially during a sluggish economy. Jim Molloy is the CEO and owner of The Advance Group, New York, N.Y.

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