As someone who believes in sustainability and “green” efforts, I occasionally find myself being goaded by someone who believes that Global Warming (now more commonly known as Global Climate Change) is fiction. I easily dodge the anticipated argument by simply stating that it really doesn’t matter whether you believe Global Warming is fact or fiction. At the end of the day, which one of us does not want to save money? Show of hands please? Saving energy, water, resources, and the environment are all ways to do just that. So, in the end, being sustainable or “green” is a win-win for everyone. People save money and conserve resources for their children and grandchildren and the environment is sustained and regenerated to become a healthier place for all living things. If someone can explain to me how anyone loses in this situation, I will turn in my tree hugging card tomorrow.

What are the basics of being green, you may ask:

Energy Conservation

- anything you can do to save energy helps, even turning off a light or disconnecting your cell phone plug when not charging your phone

Water Conservation

- turn off the faucet when you are brushing your teeth, install a shower handle that allows you to turn off the water while you soap up

Resource Conservation:

- always print double-sided (easier than you think), when drying your hands use one paper towel instead of two, buy recycled materials, recycle your used materials, resist impulse shopping, try to get more life out of your electronics, use rechargeable batteries, use reusable shopping bags, use mass transit whenever possible

- try to come up with your own innovations for helping to sustain our planet for future generations – your children and grandchildren will remember us as the generation that thought of their future, not just our own

How have I personally made efforts to conserve?

- Installed a dual-flush toilet in my home during a recent renovation. This toilet uses only 0.8 gallons for the “Number 1” flush and 1.6 gallons for the “Number 2” flush – and, you all know what these numbers mean, so please don’t ask me to explain.
- Installed a new Kohler low-flow showerhead along with separate controls for pressure and temperature. This allows me to turn off the water when I need to soap up, and turn it back on at the exact same temperature when I’m ready to rinse off.
- As light bulbs burn out, I am installing compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) or extra long-life bulbs where CFLs are not practical.
- My commute vehicle gets 30 mpg and I have been trying for four years to get a carpool going (looking forward to telling you I have takers for the carpool).
- Installed programmable thermostats in my home to reduce the need for heating and cooling when I am at work or when I am sleeping. I avoid altogether heating or cooling rooms that are seldom used.
- When traveling for business, I use mass transit like Amtrak or Megabus.
- Always, always, always, I print double-sided. (did I mention “always”?)
- At hotels, I hang up towels for the duration of my stay so that they are not washed every day.
- Instead of using disposable coffee cups, I use my travel mug.

The little things really do add up.

Looking for more ideas? Then check this out (your tax dollars paid for these tips, so use them!): http://www.hss.energy.gov/nuclearsafety/env/greening_tips.pdf  http://www.hss.energy.gov/pp/epp/resources.html

So, you are starting a new project and want to use some newfangled sustainable product? How do you know it’s actually sustainable?

With all the new terms floating around, how do you know which actually hold up to their claims?  How do you evaluate sustainable products? What questions do you ask vendors/product reps? How do you hear about new products?

Here are just a few resources I have found helpful for determining product sustainability:

http://www.greenguard.org/en/index.aspx – The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) is an industry-independent, not-for-profit organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification programs. As an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer, GEI establishes acceptable product standards for building materials, interior furnishings, cleaners, electronics and children’s products.

http://www.greenseal.org/ – Founded in 1989, Green Seal provides science-based environmental certification standards that are credible, transparent, and essential in an increasingly educated and competitive marketplace. Our industry knowledge and standards help manufacturers, purchasers, and end users alike make responsible choices that positively impact business behavior and improve quality of life.

http://www.energystar.gov/ – ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.

http://www.greenfloors.com/HP_What%20Makes%20A%20Green%20Floor.htm – This website provides a list of “What Makes a Green Floor”

http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Publications/GreenBuilding/43303017.pdf – Article from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) regarding Bamboo Flooring

http://www.green.ca.gov/EPP/default.htm – Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) is the procurement of goods and services that have a reduced impact on human health and the environment as compared to other goods and services serving the same purpose.

Renewable energy is energy that comes from sources that are naturally replenished. The types of energy that follow this definition are:

- Wind
- Solar
- Geothermal
- Hydro
- Biofuels

Worldwide renewable energy accounts for just 19% of the energy consumption with the following breakdown:

Wind

The wind can be used to run wind turbines. Modern wind turbines can produce from 600 kW to 5 MW or power. The amount of power the wind turbines can produce is a result of the amount of wind available. As the speed of the wind increases the power output increases. Hence, the more constant the available wind the more constant the wind turbines can be used for a power source. Areas that are preferred for wind farms include offshore and high altitude sites.

Solar

Solar energy can be utilized in many ways and is characterized as either passive or active.

Examples of passive solar energy utilization are:

- Building orientation
- Material selection
- Daylighting
- Space heating through solar architecture

Examples of active solar energy utilization are:

- Photovoltaics
- Heating hot water

Solar energy collection works most efficiently in areas were sunlight is constant.

Geothermal

Geothermal energy can be utilized by tapping the heat of the earth. The types of geothermal currently used are dry steam, flash and binary. Dry steam plants take steam out of the ground and use it directly to drive a turbine. Flash plants take water out of the ground at temperatures in excess of 200°C. As it comes to the surface it begins to boil. The steam generated is used to drive a turbine. Binary plants use hot water from the ground through heat exchangers and boil an organic fluid. The organic fluid is used to spin a turbine.

Geothermal energy is best utilized in areas where the crust is relatively thin. The deeper the heat is the more difficult it is to utilize it.

Hydo

Hydro energy takes advantage of the kinetic energy associated with water.

The various forms of utilization are:

- Hydroelectric dams
- Micro hydro systems
- Damless hydro
- Ocean energy

Hydroelectric dams are generally associated with very large scale installations such as the Hoover Dam. Micro hydro systems are a smaller scale version of the hydroelectric dams. Damless hydro utilizes the energy from moving water such as rivers and oceans. Ocean energy is an umbrella term for all energy harvested from the oceans, such as ocean currents, thermal energy conversion and tidal power.

Biofuels

Biofuels are fuels made from plant and animal products. They come in two forms:

- Bioethanol
- Biodiesel

Bioethanol is an alcohol made from fermenting sugar components of plant materials, most commonly sugar and starch crops (simple sugars). As the technology advances the fuel can be made from more complex sugars such as trees and grass. Bioethanol is used as an additive to gasoline, for example E85.

Biodiesel is made from vegetable oils and animal fats. It is usually used as an additive to diesel to reduce particulate levels, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions.

Which renewable energy source is the most promising?

The last five years has seen a consistent increase amount of renewable energy construction and investment in the development of renewable energy. While all forms of renewable energy are expected to continue this growth trend, solar energy and wind energy seem to be the most prominent. They are the most developed technologically and have proven their effectiveness. Some of the largest construction efforts in renewable energy center around solar or wind farms. The Topaz solar farm in California is one such project. However, as funding continues to increase and the public continues to become more aware, renewable energy regardless of form will increasingly be a part of our lives.

As far as sustainable site design is concerned, the criteria for LEED certification covers quite a broad range of areas for consideration.  Some projects are ideal candidates for implementation of sustainable elements, while others may be more difficult.  However, implementing the appropriate measures for the various credits is largely up to the owner and end-users of the facility. 

When it comes to LEED certification, many of the sustainable site elements are a function of the site location, development footprint and connectivity to the local community.  However, probably the most challenging design elements are going to be those addressing stormwater controls for quality, quantity and total volume.  With the increasing emphasis on environmental controls, as well as additional regulations that are being implemented locally, many product suppliers are busy presenting their proprietary systems to help designers and owners meet these requirements. 

Additionally, since this can be relatively new territory for the regulating and inspection agencies, there is some uncertainty as to what an acceptable design may look like, especially if it seems to be implementing all the popular items.

Ultimately, when good design is performed you get a system that will function well in the environment it’s implemented.

Unfortunately, sometimes good intentions don’t always work the way they were intended.  Good Design can go Bad when Owner’s don’t understand the Operation and Maintenance requirements that come with these relatively new systems.  Filter systems need regular inspection.  Outlets that control flows need to be cleaned to prevent clogging.  Even non-mechanical design elements require regular maintenance.  For example, Bioswales need to be weeded to remove invasive species, possibly controlled burning or brush hogged bi-annually.  Riparian filter or buffer strips also need controlled vegetation.  

 After the owner takes possession of the new facility, these systems may begin to fail, sometimes without notice and eventually may become a nuisance or cause damage through flooding or washouts, or deterioration of pavement or building systems.  If the owner isn’t prepared and understand the potential cause, the logical solution may include by-passing the storm water systems in an effort to restore facility operations and completely defeating the design intent.  The designer will need to work with the owner to help them prepare and incorporate Operation and Maintenance plans, make sure maintenance people have this in their program, and job descriptions as appropriate as well as understanding the consequences.

Occasionally, regulators, or even designers will be presented with implementing certain stormwater controls as being the “silver bullet” to address the project stormwater quality and control requirements.  We’ve all heard about permeable pavement systems, green pavement systems, rain gardens, bioswales, etc.  But these systems shouldn’t be thrown into a design hap-hazardly.  The specific site conditions, including geology, hydrology, climate and function of the facility need to be considered before selection of the final systems. 

As a result, what everyone may have thought of as Good Design can become UGLY when the system installed functions so poorly for the site conditions that it actually defeats the purposes for which it was installed.  Bioswales that are underdrained so efficiently that they provide little filtering and the vegetation in them dies without ever being able to establish itself.  Rain Gardens that get wash outs, and transport organic-laden materials into the storm systems because the plantings won’t have enough root structure to withstand the higher rain events, or the design didn’t consider it.  Permeable pavement systems that so efficiently collect rainwater and discharge to the storm network that it may as well have been a standard impervious pavement system.

As with anything else, it’s the spirit of the requirements that should be upheld. 

 After all, the true objective shouldn’t be simply obtaining the certification, but an energy efficient and environmentally friendly facility.

As the design professional we need to be conscious of the site specific application of every system we incorporate.