EcoBuilding Times

We've Moved!

2009-05-29T15:29:00.001-07:00

Check out our new blog on Wordpress at EcoBuilding Times!

“Living Buildings” Take Another Leap Forward

2009-05-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

The idea of a Living Building, a high-performance building that produces its own power and cleans and reuses all of its water, is gaining momentum around the world. In an effort to oversee the global development of Living Buildings, the International Living Building Institute (ILBI) has been established.

The Living Building Challenge began as a program of the Cascadia Region Green Building Council just three years ago. The idea has sparked the creative juices of design professionals around the globe, with more than 60 proposed Living Buildings now in some stage of design or construction in the US and Canada. A Living Building is a radical step forward in green building and comes at a time when there is growing consensus that the time for baby steps in green building is past.

The basic concept is that a building can work like a natural system; designed and constructed to function as elegantly and efficiently as a flower. A Living Building must meet sixteen performance measures within six categories (or petals) including site, energy, materials, water, indoor quality and beauty and inspiration.

Jason F. McLennan, author of the Living Building Challenge and CEO of Cascadia, says “We have been delighted to serve as the incubator for these projects. But Cascadia is a regional organization and the Living Building Challenge has now become an international phenomenon. So, the natural and logical progression is to create an international oversight body.”

For the time being, Cascadia will continue to oversee the Living Building Challenge. However the Institute is in the process of becoming a formal 501(c) (3) non-profit and will soon have its own Board of Directors.

Regional Board News

2009-05-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

We would like to welcome our two new members elected to the Regional Board of the Guild, Meror Krayenhoff and Matthew McCune. They bring solid business and green building knowledge to the group. They were ratified by the board at the quarterly board meeting on Saturday, May 9th, where new Officers were also elected. Fiona Douglas-Hamilton is the new President, Howard Thurston the new Vice President, Jonathan Campbell the new Secretary, and Tom Balderston the new Treasurer.
Congratulations to all!

The 2009 Green Pages are here! Be on the lookout for our beautiful new publication, this year printed on FSC certified paper. ESP has done an excellent job once again, and will soon be sending individual copies to all members and boxes to all chapters.

Thanks for All you Do!

Passive House Consultant Training

2009-04-21T13:07:00.000-07:00

The Passive House Institute is proud to announce that the Certified Passive House Consultant Training Series is coming to Seattle and Portland.

The program is designed as a series of three, three-day sessions. These sessions are meant for those architects and building system designers who want to learn how to successfully implement Passive House design principles in residential, commercial, and retrofit scenarios.

Completion of all three 3-day programs and passage of a Final Exam can qualify participants as Certified Passive House Consultants. Consultants and their qualifying projects will be featured on an upcoming database of projects on this website.

Portland Area Spring/Summer '09
McMenamins Edgefield
Troutdale, OR

Phase I - May 21-23
Phase II - June 22-24
Phase III - August 20-22

Seattle Spring/Summer '09
Integrated Design Lab
University of Washington

Phase I - May 26-28
Phase II - June 25-27
Phase III - August 17-19

Registration for West Coast programs: $650 per Phase
If you are interested in finding out more about upcoming trainings or would like to apply, please contact us at info@passivehouse.us,(Subject: "Consultants' Training")or visit Passive House Consultant Training.

Green Building: Jobs of the Future

2009-04-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

The WA State Department of Ecology views green building as a key player in addressing a number of our states priority environmental issues: mitigating climate change, reducing toxics in our environment, reducing waste (both solid and hazardous), managing storm-water run-off and more.

In an effort to describe the opportunities that exist in this fast growing market the Construction Center of Excellence and WIRED partnered with Department of Ecology and the Department of General Administration on a film project: Green Building: Jobs of the Future.

The film brings together local and national leaders in green building, climate change, manufacturing, and work-force development to make the case for green buildings capacity to create jobs and boost the economy while not further imposing on our environment. In these challenging times, opportunities abound!

Spokane Chapter Now On Facebook

2009-04-08T13:48:00.000-07:00

The Spokane chapter of the Northwest Ecobuilding Guild is the first chapter to take themselves online using the free social networking website Facebook.

Once a college student phenomenon, Facebook now has more than 200 million active users, with its fastest growing demographic those 35 years and older, and more than 100 million users logging on to Facebook at least once each day.

Facebook's applications include photo and video upload, event posting and content sharing (web links, blog posts, notes, news stories etc...)

To showcase its most recent addition of rich features, Facebook partnered with several world-renowned individuals and organizations:

• President Obama is rallying support for new U.S. policies and initiatives

• “The Oprah Winfrey Show” is giving viewers a new way to interact

• U2 is connecting with fans of their new album

• CNN is providing breaking developments to news junkies

• Stanford University is sharing its discoveries and knowledge

• The NBA’s star athletes are posting photos and video highlights from their games

• LIVESTRONG is empowering cancer survivors and advocates in the global fight against cancer and raising awareness about the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign

And, added to that list is, of course, the Spokane Chapter of the NWEBG, inviting all to join them in the Guild's mission to build local living economies, safeguard the ecological diversity of their bioregion and champion human health and community.

Visit the Spokane Chapter's Facebook group now, and stay tuned for updates on their success in using this platform.

Facebook has created step-by-step instructions for any public figure or organization wanting to create a presence on their site. In addition, Facebook offers best-practice suggestions for public figures, non-profits or other organizations, entertainers and bands. This can be found at Best Practices.

Call for Earth Day Events

2009-03-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

The WA Department of Ecology is planning to post on its website a listing of 2009 Earth Day/Week/Month activities around the state. If your organization is planning a special activity this year, please let me know so that we can add it to our list.

We want publicize as many ED events as possible, and hope to be live by April 1.

Thanks for your support!

Michael Bergman
Earth Day Coordinator
mber461@ECY.WA.GOV
360.407.6243

Columbia City Green

2009-03-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Despite all the doom and gloom about the real estate market and economy, Case Design + Project Management keeps on doing what they do best - building modern, green homes in South Seattle. In fact, they seem to be having a quite a bit of fun at it as well!

Coming to Light! is a time lapse video compiled over a couple of days of siding at the now under construction Columbia City Green project. Architect Tony Case has taken his signature rainscreen siding to an artful new level, and put it out there for the world to see. So, check it out and enjoy!

Here's also a still shot of what the siding looks like. It is CertainTeed fiber cement siding.

Thinking Small, HOPES 15, eco-design arts conference, April 2-5, 2009

2009-03-09T16:25:00.000-07:00

"Solving our ecological problems requires massive change. Yet, even as we think big, we must also remember to think small, considering the details and impacts of our actions. We must listen to the quiet voices, and accomplish our visions incrementally. Join us to contemplate the meaning of “local” and “appropriate”, to ponder the ripple effect, and to examine nanotechnology and microclimates. Help plant the tiny seeds to grow the revolutionary change."

This year's HOPES conference will be held April 2-5, 2009, in Lawrence Hall, on the University of Oregon campus. Get ready for some fantastic speakers and workshops!

The Keynote Speakers are: Bill Wilkinson, Anna Maria Orru, James Tuer, Stephen Kellert, and Antony Brown!

For more information, to register and for a pdf schedule visit Hopes Oregon.

Since its creation in 1995, the EDC's HOPES (Holistic Options for Planet Earth Sustainability) conference has remained the only ecological design conference developed and managed by students. Held every year in April, HOPES works to promote the deeper understanding and broader application of sustainable design principles.

Over the past ten years, the conference has brought such luminaries as Shigeru Ban, Sim Van der Ryn, Samuel Mockbee, James Hubbel, Angela Danadijieva, Michael Pyatok, Steve Badanes, Richard Register, David Orr, John Schaeffer and Clare Cooper Marcus to the University of Oregon campus.

HOPES Features:

Nationally recognized keynote speakers
Expert panel discussions
Hands-on workshops
Green business expo
24-hour design charrette
Environmental art
And more!

About the EDC

The relationship between the built and natural worlds must be sustainable. The Ecological Design Center believes designers should pioneer this relationship. The EDC seeks to educate and inspire University of Oregon design students to have the awareness, sensitivity, and expertise to lead the community toward sustainability. While the EDC's focus is in the design disciplines, we welcome interested students and community members of all fields.

The EDC's mission is to:

Advocate for an interdisciplinary ecological design curriculum for AAA students,

Cultivate networking opportunities for AAA students with professionals practicing sustainable design of the built environment,

Create a forum for ecological design dialogue through the HOPES conference, traditional and digital publications, and on-going events,

Advocate for and implement ecological planning and design on the University of Oregon campus and Eugene community.

Seven Green Trends To Watch In 2009

2009-02-28T12:20:00.000-08:00

While many of us may be focusing on the challenges we face in this down economy, namely how it will affect our bottom line, it's encouraging to look ahead at what working through those challenges might result in.

So, here's a sum up of Seven Green Trends To Watch in 2009:

1. Non-Green Will Not Survive
2. Change Leadership Will Thrive
3. Policy Activity Will Accelerate
4. Everything Will Shift
5. Efficiency & Energy Comes Into Focus
6. Legitimate Impact Labels May Develop
7. Beware of Green Fatigue and Words

All of these are explained in more detail and definitely worth reading here.

Number 7: Beware of Green Fatigue and Words reads more like a warning, one we all knew was coming! If terms like eco, green, sustainable and carbon neutral hit the "Eco-Black List", what if anything, will replace them?

Like any misused label, the result is skepticism. It won't draw the attention it did as a novelty item and we'll have to work harder to relay the intended message. Which ironically, is something most deep green builders and professionals have already been doing. So, maybe trend #7 should read - Real McCoys Emerge as Market Leaders! Wouldn't that be nice?

Regional Board Nominees - Calling All Chapters

2009-02-22T10:48:00.000-08:00

Current board members:

Fiona Douglas-Hamilton - S.E.E.C.
Acting Regional Co-Chair, Membership Chair, Education Committee, SPS Chapter

Ben Kaufman - GreenWorks Realty
Acting Regional Co-Chair, Treasurer/Interim Secretary, Communications/Marketing Committee, CPS Chapter

Terry Phelan - Living Shelter Design
Acting Regional Co-Chair, Retreat Committee, Communications/Marketing Committee
Central WA Chapter

Danielle Johnson - Infiniti Real Estate & Development
Communications/Marketing Co-Chair, CPS Chapter

Jonathan Campbell - Green Depot
Communications/Marketing Co-Chair, SPS Chapter

Tom Balderston - Conservation Services Group
Education Co-chair, Development/Grants Committee, CPS Chapter

Rachael Jamison - WA State Department of Ecology
Executive Committee, SPS Chapter

Chris van Daalen - Green Depot
Nomination Committee Chair, SPS Chapter President

And, we'd like to welcome our new board members:

Elly Bunzendahl of O'Brien and Company and Aaron Campbell of Campbell Energy, both from the CPS Chapter.

We are still looking to fill a number of board positions and are especially interested in representation from a broader range of chapters. We understand attending board meetings can be challenging from a distance, but if you are interested there may be ways we can help. If you'd like to observe our next board meeting in May, please contact Chris Van Daalan at chris@greendepotnw.com.

National Clean Energy Project Roundtable

2009-02-20T11:02:00.000-08:00

At the National Clean Energy Project Roundtable on Monday Feb. 23, leaders in the political, environmental, energy and business world will join together to develop a core set of recommendations for policies and strategies to build a national clean energy smart grid and expand the use of alternative transportation fuels.

You can watch a webcast of the event by clicking here.

This exciting event will begin at 10:15 am sharp EST and bring together leaders such as:

* President Bill Clinton
* Vice President Al Gore
* U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu
* U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar
* T. Boone Pickens, Chair, BP Capital Management
* John Podesta, President and CEO, Center for American Progress Action Fund
* Denise Bode, CEO, American Wind Energy Association
* Van Jones, Founder and President, Green For All
* Robert Kennedy, Jr., Chairman, Waterkeeper Alliance and Senior Attorney, NRDC
* Carl Pope, CEO, Sierra Club
* Andy Stern, President, Service Employees International Union
* John J. Sweeney, President, AFL-CIO
And many others.

There is a huge opportunity now to advance policies to convert clean energy ideas into reality. The National Clean Energy Project Roundtable will do just that.

Zerofootprint Building Re-Skinning Competition

2009-02-11T13:56:00.000-08:00

We know how to build new buildings with a low carbon footprint, but little attention has been paid to the thousands of existing structures worldwide which are extremely inefficient and have a massive carbon impact. In order to address the need to increase worldwide focus on retrofitting built spaces, Zerofootprint has announced the Zerofootprint Building Re-Skinning Competition.

In North America alone, pre-existing structures account for 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions. President Barack Obama has pledged to "rebuild and retrofit America", starting with 75% of federal buildings to save taxpayers more than $2 billion USD a year. Existing building re-skinning capabilities however are not enough to solve this problem.

Zerofootprint aims to focus the world's best architectural and technical minds on the issue, using the province of Ontario as a starting point. Ontario has been chosen as the basis of the competition due to the groundbreaking work already underway - including the City of Toronto Mayor's Tower Renewal Project. In addition, the province of Ontario experiences extreme climate conditions - from tropical weather in the summer months to arctic climates in the winter months. Due to these extreme weather variations, a re-skinning system developed and implemented in Ontario is replicable in any climate region of the world.

If you are interested in learning more about the Zerofootprint Building Re-Skinning Competition, please visit our website and do not hesitate to contact us at skinning@zerofootprint.net.

Best regards,

Deborah Kaplan
Executive Director

Online Construction Material Resource

2009-01-29T12:42:00.000-08:00

Construction Material Depot is a new online, Craig's List-style resource, for buying and selling excess construction material that Guild members may find useful.

It's no secret that construction projects routinely have to deal with excess. Many times, this excess is sold for scrap or discarded with little to no return. CMDepot can help you save on project costs by finding a buyer for your excess.

On the flip-side, if you're short of material on a job site, you can check CMDepot to see if anyone has excess. Instead of buying new, save money by seeing if you can buy used. Especially if the used material is coming from another project within your company. That's just smart!

CMDepot is free for individual use. Anyone can sign up using their personal email address and be posting material in seconds. We also offer a premium service to companies for a small fee. Our premium service is designed to help companies greatly reduce their material costs.

CMDepot can also assist your project by contributing to LEED Material & Resources (MR) credits - learn more at CMDepot & LEED MR credits.

National Teach-In Screenings

2009-01-27T18:19:00.000-08:00

Apologies to our Chapter Presidents for the rather late alert to this very important upcoming event on February 5th.

Whilst this is very last moment, we are including the link to this National Teach-In event, where there is a lot more information. You will find on it a list of participating institutions, who will be screening the web cast on February 5th. There is also information on an organizing call this Wednesday that you (or your education chair) may want to partake in.

Since it's probably too late for any chapter to organize their own screening, it makes sense to check out which institutions are hosting a screening in your local area and then to get the word out to our members with locations.

Having a visible Guild presence at this event might very well increase membership. Please do what you can within the short time frame allotted. Each chapter may also wish to adopt the First 100 Days Action Plan - this is grass roots at its best.

Let's get this information out!

All the best,
Your Regional Co-Chairs

Fiona Douglas-Hamilton
Terry K. Phelan
Ben Kaufman

Inauguration Day Inspiration

2009-01-20T23:48:00.000-08:00

The fact that the threat of climate change and how to tackle it played a role in Obama's speech today was very encouraging. He reaffirmed what we all believe when he said that

"Each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet".

Obama even hinted about his plans to invest in renewable energy, when he stated that

"We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories".

He also spoke of how his administration will

"work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the spectre of a warming planet".

All signs point towards a real gear-shift in America's position on climate change and technological progress.

So, what will it take to accomplish this?

"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."

Obama took it a step further when he described just what kind of people it takes to achieve progress and change. A characterization we can all identify with!

"Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor."

And, of course, "This is the journey we continue today."

Excerpts taken from President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address.

Regional Board Meeting

2009-01-15T11:55:00.000-08:00

Our next regional board meeting is scheduled for January 31st in Seattle. It will be held at Environmental Works in Capitol Hill, from 10am to 4pm. Both Terry Phelan and Ben Kaufman will be leaving the board in May, and there are a number of other positions now open. If you are interested in joining the board, or just want to learn more, we welcome your participation at this meeting. You can also email Terry Phelan at vicepres@ecobuilding.org for more information.

Living Building Outreach Director

2009-01-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

Attention Guild Members - Job Announcement!

The Cascadia Region Green Building Council (Cascadia) seeks a Living Building Outreach Director to join our Research Department. The Living Building Outreach Director is responsible for initiating and overseeing communication among all enthusiasts of the Living Building Challenge. The successful candidate will advance the program’s integrity through the infusion of expert knowledge and share critical program information with individuals pursuing Living Buildings. The position may be filled anywhere in our three major markets (Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC) and will involve considerable travel within the Pacific Northwest and occasionally beyond.

For more about the position visit Living Building Outreach Director.

The position will be open until filled, but they will begin reviewing resumes and setting up interviews after January 23rd. Send cover letter and resume via email (preferred) to joanna@cascadiagbc.org with the subject line of “Living Building Outreach Director”.

Happy New Year – Welcome to 2009!

2009-01-02T17:42:00.000-08:00

The Board of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild is optimistic that this will be a pivotal year in the green building and sustainable living communities. We are excited to play a part in that movement, and are gearing up for putting our Strategic Plan into action. Stay tuned for updates on our revamped website and announcements for new staff positions.

The Cascadia Region Green Building Council has announced their search for an Alaska State Director. This is a great opportunity for someone willing to relocate to the northernmost state and develop program strategies to accelerate the adoption of green building practices in Alaska.

Congratulations to Terry Phelan, our Guild Regional Co-chair, who is debuting her new live internet radio talk show – The Living Shelter Café - on Tuesday, January 6th at 9am Pacific time. The link for both the live program and archives of previous episodes can be found at The Living Shelter Café. The show’s focus is providing low-impact and earth-friendly options for building or remodeling a home, and exploring ideas about creating sustainable community. Robert Bolman of Eugene, Oregon is the inaugural episode’s guest and promises to dig deep into genuine, meaningful sustainability. Check the link above for upcoming shows and contact information.

Guild members...What have you got planned in 2009? We want to hear from you, so send your stories to ecobuildingtimes@ecobuilding.com

List Your Green Business with Sierra Club

2008-12-22T14:11:00.000-08:00

Sierra Club is putting together a website called Sierra Club Green Home to help Americans make their homes more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable. They do not want to get into selling products, but want to connect people with the businesses in their area who can help them. Applicable green businesses can sign up to have a listing for at least 6 months for free, if they sign up by December 31. The website will launch in January.

There is a place for businesses to write what makes their business green, as well as what organizations they belong to. It would be great if Guild members wanted to join, and list their EcoBuilding Guild membership.

The link to sign up is Sierra Club Green Home.

Ecological Light Industrial Zoning Controversy

2008-12-16T17:46:00.000-08:00

Here in Ellensburg, we have a controversy over how to fit "regional retail" into an area near an interchange. Lined up on one side is the company who wants to create commercial area. On the other side are quite a few members of the local planning committees AND most anyone with a background in ecologically-concerned land-use planning.

A sustained citizen effort has been made to support the ecological side, and a sympathetic city council was swept into office recently.

But, on the other side are the gears of large corporate interests and a local newspaper which, so far, isn't very concerned with ecobuilding, although they do have good relations with some eco-builders.

How's it an ECOBUILDING issue?

A major issue is the corporation's desire to rezone a "light industrial" area to "general commercial." But, of course, we need to invent some ecological light industry, and right beside the highway in that location is a very good place. Several reasons support keeping "light industrial" in that zone, but what we do not have yet is light industry that wants to relocate there.

We're doing great, but are we moving a little slowly to invent ecobuilding light industry!! We could sure use some investors who want to do ecological light industry!
We could sure use some moral support here!

Sincerely,
Mike Pearson
Central Washington Chapter
earthinspace@hotmail.com

BuildingGreen Resources

2008-12-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

In case you weren't aware, one of the many benefits of being a Guild member is the $30 discount BuildingGreen offers us on its Building Green Suite membership. BuildingGreen's committment "to providing accurate, unbiased, and timely information designed to help building-industry professionals and policy makers improve the environmental performance, and reduce the adverse impacts, of buildings" means the information they provide, in print and online, is very relevant to what Guild members are doing every day.

Most of us are already familiar with BuildingGreen's newsletter, Environmental Building News, the GreenSpec® Directory (over 2,000 green building product descriptions) and GreenSource Magazine.

But, BuildingGreen also has a LIVE blog! "The place for real-time event coverage, reviews, and our editors' unvarnished opinion on the latest news from all over the green building world!". With posts like Homebuilding: Not so much a system as a bad habit, Exploding Low-Flow Toilets and Jute Ceiling Tiles, Soon, its definitely hard to resist this quick & informative read.

Membership in BuildingGreen Suite membership gives you access to all of the product descriptions, articles, project case studies, and other content on BuildingGreen.com. Regular individual membership costs $199.00 per year, however many membership options are available. So, check it out!

2009 Green Pages Media Kit Now Available!

2008-12-06T12:59:00.000-08:00

The Green Pages, the Pacific Northwest’s only free-to-the-public directory for green building professionals, services, and products, stays on people’s shelves and are used to find you.

It appears that Green is the new black. It’s all over the media. New venues are popping up all the time.

The Green Pages has tradition, experience, and a qualified past to build on that continues to set us apart from the new-comers. People are looking for reliable sources and the Green Pages provides that and much more.

We are adapting to the changing times, our new offerings will make us more competitive and more focused, giving you the best value for your advertising dollar. Check out the 2009 Green Pages Advertising Kit.

The Kit is filled with all the information you need to:

~ Confirm your Green Pages listing information for print

~ Upgrade your membership to get more benefits

~ Purchase Display Ads to accentuate your listing

~ Select Additional Listing Options to make sure you get in front of your customers!

Deadline is January 15, 2009 for Display Ads and December 31, 2008 for membership.

Enjoy your holidays and start the New Year with the best value in advertising in this new green economy. “Yes We Can,” because we are the change everyone is seeking.

Your Green Pages Team

Cate and Sheldon O’dahl
greenpages@ecobuilding.org

Big Things to Be Thankful For

2008-11-26T20:01:00.000-08:00

Hello Guild Members,

We as EcoBuilders have some big things to be thankful for this year:

- Our nation is turning to an integrated sustainable energy grid as part of the new leadership's strategic plan for the future.

- Green knowledge is going deeper and wider, so both early adopters and those just learning can make a bigger difference.

- The Guild is almost finished with its 5 year strategic plan, which will facilitate funding for more programs and paid staff.

As we gather with family and friends this season, let's be sure to share our pride and joy for being part of the solution.

Thankful for all you do ~

Your Regional Board Co-Chairs - Terry, Fiona, & Ben

Seattle's First Permitted Straw Bale Project

2008-11-25T14:44:00.000-08:00

Take a truck load of straw wrap it in wire and Stucco add a roof, solar heat, windows and doors and voila! Seattle has it's first permitted straw bale project.

STRAW BALE PHASE II
STUCCO WORK PARTY
Nov 29th & 30th
6819 37th Ave. NE

Saturday Work Party 9-6
Stucco and Wire Mesh
Sunday Work Party 10-6
Lots More Stucco

INTERESTED?
stop by and help / take photos / just take a look at what we're up to
no rsvp req'd but if you know you're going to show up
please email blajbour@comcast.net AND sage@sagedesignsnw.biz
you'll be well fed and have fun knowing that we are working on
Seattle's First Permitted Straw Bale Project!

What better way to work off all those mashed potatoes and gravy?

Who's building this project anyway?

check out RA's Construction for more details.

Or, check out S.A.G.E. Designs NW's website for a direct link to
a slideshow.

Changes to LEED Accreditation in 2009

2008-11-24T12:56:00.000-08:00

With the new version of the the LEED Rating System (LEED 2009) being launched in March 2009, the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) has announced the changes it will be implementing for LEED AP accreditation. Here's a summary of what those changes will be and how they will affect current LEED Accredited Professionals.

New LEED APs:

The new LEED exams (yes, there will be multiple) will begin beta testing in February 2009.
At the same time, the GBCI's new multiple tier accreditation system will take effect.
These tiers will include LEED Green Associate, LEED Accredited Professional, LEED AP Fellow and the Legacy LEED AP, each with their own requirements & fees.
Visit the GBCI's LEED Credentialing Facts for more information.

Current LEED APs:

The current LEED AP exam will be phased out. The final opportunity to take this exam under the current rules will be May 2009.
After that all current LEED APs will become known as Legacy LEED APs.
Starting in June 2009, Legacy LEED APs have two years to opt in to the new system. Once you decide to opt in, you have another two years to complete the requirements. If you haven't updated your credential by then (a maximum of four years if you're deadline-driven), you can no longer use it and must start from square one.
Legacy LEED APs must sign on to a disciplinary policy, which is basically a code of ethics for LEED APs. There will also be credentialing maintenance (continuing education) requirements, which haven't been outlined yet, and a biannual "maintenance fee" of $50.

BuildingGreen.com's recent article Major changes announced for LEED AP credential program
also provides a great overview of these upcoming changes.

Welcome!

2008-11-20T14:22:00.000-08:00

You are now reading the very first post on the Guild’s new Ecobuilding Times blog. The decision to take our newsletter online is a sign of the times of course, but we are also interested in exploring new ways to engage our members. This blog does away with sporadic calls for newsletter submissions and their associated deadlines, and instead allows for the constant flow of information relevant to all our members. We believe communication at this level will be critical to the ongoing success of the Guild as we maneuver our way through changes to the website, Green Pages and formulate our strategic plan.

We expect this blog to evolve over the coming months, but the idea is to keep it simple in design and rich in content. This blog will be written by members, for members, so there’s no professional journalism required. If you are interested in contributing to the Ecobuilding Times on a regular basis, let us know and we’ll sign you up today. Otherwise email ideas and stories to ecobuildingtimes@ecobuilding.org. And please, no marketing or self-proclamations of greenness, that’s what the Green Pages are for.