|
Save the Date
July 30 - Aug 2, 2008
Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, FL
Featuring education programs presented by the
industry's leading experts, plus over 1,000 exhibits to keep you
ahead of the competition.
GreenTrends is a great opportunity to showcase
your green building products, services and resources to over
16,000 industry professionals - from residential to commercial
builders and developers, to designers. For exhibitor
information, contact Terri at 850-224-4316 or email
trea@fhba.com
Again this year we are co-locating with the
Southeast Building Conference.
|
Calendar
Upcoming Events of Interest
April 1, 2008
Residential
Photovoltaic Systems - Pracitical
Aspects
The A-Z of residential
solar systems, plus marketing tips, financing options
and incentive programs.
Contact: Cheryl
(239) 262-2696 x 266
April 5-8, 2008
Tallahassee, FL
FHBA Spring
Conference
The Florida Home Builders
Association annual legislative conference plays a key
role in grassroots efforts for affecting legislative
policy. Contact FHBA at 850-224-4316.
April
11-13, 2008
Tampa, FL
Renew Tampa Expo
Berriman-Morgan Cigar
Factory
The Renew Tampa
conference will promote a greener architectural heritage
by assisting participants in
shaping tomorrow's ideal
environment, built through architectural preservation
and design that is
environmentally
sensitive. For more information:
Renew Tampa
April 24-25, 2008
Palm Harbor, FL
FGBC Mid-Year Conference
The excitement is building for
the first FGBC Mid-Year Conference, scheduled for
April 24-25 at the beautiful Innisbrook Resort just
north of Tampa. Friday morning a special
presentation
on "Understanding the Role of Project Evaluator" is
scheduled.
Register
May 11-13, 2008
New Orleans, LA
NAHB Green
Building Conference
Network with designers
and suppliers, attend exceptional education sessions
and develop the skills you need for profitable green
building. For more information vist the
NAHB Green
Building Conference website.
|
|
| |
Senate Committee Approves Energy Reforms
FGBC Standards are included in amendments
Sweeping reforms to increase energy efficiency and the use
of renewable energy in Florida were approved by a Senate
committee [ Full
Story]
Of special interest to FGBC is that the committee amended
its Energy Bill (SB 1544) to specifically include the FGBC
Standards as qualifying criteria for new buildings.
Track the bill. The amendments relating to FGBC are
042014, 894954, and 876522.
|
|
Join Us for FGBC Mid-Year Conference
Hotel cut-off date is March 24 - so
call today!
Along with all the committee work and fun taking place
during FGBC's upcoming conference at the
Innisbrook Resort on April 24-25, a special
presentation "Understanding the Role of Project
Evaluator" is scheduled for Friday, April 25 at 8 a.m.
Anyone interested in becoming an FGBC project evaluator
is encouraged to attend, but you must be registered for
the conference.
Working committees will meet on Thursday, April 24,
starting at 2 p.m., followed by a welcome reception at 6
p.m. Friday morning come network during the eye-opener
breakfast before jumping into action at the 8 a.m.
committee meetings and general session at 10 a.m.
Register Now!
|
Orange County
Earns FGBC Certification
First local government to reach
Gold Level
Orange County is the first municipality to obtain Gold
level designation under the FGBC Green Local Government
Certification program.
They offered green products to the public, such as
reusable cotton bags for shopping and tire pressure gauges
to improve fuel efficiency. They instituted a green building
awards program that recognizes green projects, and have a
GIS system with sustainability indicators that assist in
community and environmental planning (they were part of the
Legacy program). They fulfilled many of the criteria in
fleet management, including the utilization of hydrogen
busses and electric vehicles (golf carts & Segways) at the
Orange County Convention Center. The Convention Center also
underwent a recommissioning project with the Florida Solar
Energy Center to invest in substantial energy savings that
amounted to nearly $2 million.
|
Bay County Hosts 30 Days of Green
Event unites community towards sustainability
A month long focus on "green" awareness for the Bay County
area has sparked interest from all aspects of the
community and helped people understand how to live more
sustainably.
The event kicked off in February with Karen
Childress, FGBC Past President, sharing her
experiences in green building. On March 20,
nationally-recognized building coach Sara Lamia presented
"Ride the Green Wave: How to Buy and Sell High Performance
Homes." This engaging seminar brought together Realtors,
builders and appraisers to understand how to market a
"high performance" home and the benefit it brings.
Bay County's event concluded March 24 with an expo that
offered participants an opportunity to view products and
services from local vendors unique to green building and
sustainability. FGBC was on hand to showcase its five
Standards.
|
|
DOE Sets New Energy Star Criteria
Washing machines and CFLs
affected
The Department of Energy (DOE) announced recently that
more stringent requirements are being put in place for
all washing machines under the Energy Star label. By
July 1, 2009, all qualifying Energy Star washing
machines will have to be at least 43 percent more
efficient than the current federal energy efficiency
standards and have a maximum water factor (WF) of 7.5;
that is, each load will use 7.5 gallons of water per
cubic foot of capacity. By January 1, 2011, all Energy
Star washing machines will be 59 percent more
efficient than mandated energy standards and will have
a maximum WF of 6.0. The 2011 criteria are expected to
save consumers $120 million on annual utility bills
while saving 11.2 billion gallons of water and 659
million kilowatt hours of electricity.
DOE also announced more stringent Energy Star
requirements for compact fluorescent light bulbs
(CFLs). As of November 2008, CFLs must be tested by an
independent third party, and as of December 2, 2008,
all Energy Star CFLs will be required to contain less
than 5 milligrams of mercury per bulb and to meet more
stringent lamp color requirements. CFLs with
reflectors, such as spotlights, will have to meet new
high-heat testing requirements. The criteria will also
be expanded to include CFLs with a smaller screw-in
base, called a "candelabra" base. See the
DOE press release and the Energy Star
clothes washer and
CFL revisions on the DOE website.
|
|
Capitalize on Mitigation Grants,
Rebates
Incentives provide
opportunities for builders, remodelers
Any Floridian who lives in a single-family, site-built
home is eligible for a free wind inspection through the
MySafeFlorida program (MSFH). Floridians can apply
on-line at
www.MySafeFloridaHome.com or by calling the program
toll-free at 866-513-6734. Homeowners who receive free
wind inspections through the MSFH program will get
detailed inspection reports, complete with additional
eligibility information on matching grants and estimated
insurance premium discounts, if the homeowner is
eligible.
Since the FGBC Green Home Standard includes disaster
mitigation criteria, FGBC Certifying Agents are
encouraged to learn about the program and work with FGBC
builders and remodelers to help homeowners qualify for
grants and insurance discounts available under the MSFH
program.
In order to be eligible for the program's matching grant
reimbursements of up to $5,000, the Legislature requires
that homeowners meet the following requirements: Have
received a completed wind inspection after May 1, 2007;
live in a single-family, site-built home built before
March 1, 2002; have a valid homestead exemption; have an
insured value of $300,000 or less; and be located in the
wind-borne debris region.
Additionally, while the free wind inspections cover
seven potential wind-resistance improvements, matching
grants may only be applied to opening protections,
including windows, exterior doors and garage doors, as
well as the bracing of gable ends.
|
USDA Offers $221M in Energy Grants
Targets agricultural producers and rural businesses
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will
accept $220.9 million in loan and grant applications under
the agency's Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency
Improvements Program. Loan guarantees and grants are
available to agricultural producers and rural small
businesses to purchase and install renewable energy systems
or to make energy efficiency improvements.
Eligible applicants may seek loan guarantees to cover up to
50 percent of a project's cost, not to exceed $10 million.
Grants are available for up to 25 percent of a project's
cost, not to exceed $250,000 for energy efficiency
improvements and $500,000 for renewable energy systems.
Grants will be awarded through two separate competitions,
with the deadline for the first being April 15. See the
USDA press release and the
program web page. |
'Low Carbon Diet' Book Earns Acclaim
30-Day guide shows how to reduce your CO2 output
Grounded in over two decades of environmental behavior
change research, this
illustrated workbook offers much more than a list of
eco-friendly actions. It walks you through every step of the
process, from calculating your current CO2 "footprint" to
tracking your progress.
By making simple changes to actions you take every day,
you'll learn how to reduce your annual household CO2 output
by at least 15 percent. And for those who are more
ambitious, you'll discover how you can help your workplace,
local schools, and community do the same.
|
|
NewsNotes
Bits and Pieces of Trivia
¨
Baby
Congrats to FGBC Member Stephanie Thomas-Rees.
Stephanie & Ryan Rees are proud parents of new son Ryder
Riversun Rees. Stephanie and Ryan also have a 2 ½ year old
daughter, Coral.
¨
Karen
Childress,
formerly the Environmental Stewardship Manager for WCI
Communities and the immediate past chair of Sustainable
Florida, has started her own consulting business and is
speaking throughout Florida as an expert green building
expert, promoting the Florida Green Building Coalition
standards.. Check out her website (www.greenhomelady.com)
and
blog for great green living tips.
¨
Eileen
Thornton,
formerly the sustainability director for Newland Communities,
is launching the Florida office for Williams Creek, an
ecological consulting and engineering firm that specializes in
water quality treatment.
(Got a NewsNote? Submit it to
FGBC.)
|
|
Suzanne B. Cook, CAE
Florida Green Building Coalition |
|
|
