AIA/COTE Name Top 10 Green Buildings [read]

 

Hovnanian Testing the Waters for Green Building Plunge
 [read] 

Florida Real Estate - Existing Home Sales Improve in April [read]

Award also goes to GlenCarin Cottages in Dunedin

 

Congratulations to the City of Tamarac and GlenCarin Cottages for recently earning an FGBC Green Certification.

 

The City of Tamarac achieved the Silver level of the Florida Green Local Government Designation. Some key achievements for the city are:

 

The tools and techniques to tap into the green building movement are at your fingertips when you attend the joint 2008 FGBC GreenTrends/SEBC conference set for July 30-Aug 2 in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center. In partnership with the Southeast Building Conference (SEBC), the 1,000-exhibit exposition features a special section of GreenTrends booths displaying the products and services your "green" clients are demanding.

 

FGBC GreenTrends/SEBC is also offering two "green" professional designation courses: The two-day NAHB Green Building for Building Professionals course and the full-day FGBC Green Home Designation course for FGBC Certifying Agents. To register, go to www.sebcshow.com

 

In addition, some of the nation's leading green building experts will present seminars on such topics as:

 

The Brookings Institute recently released a study that quantifies transportation and residential carbon emissions for the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Seven Florida areas are included: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, Orlando, Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, and Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice. The study found that metropolitan area residents have smaller carbon footprints than the average American although metro footprints vary widely. See how Florida compares to other areas and to read the report.

Offers resources on eco-friendly vacations

 

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is encouraging Florida residents and guests to travel close, clean and green with the launch of a new green travel website and Florida Green Lodging Program locator map. The newly launched green travel website offers resources for families and travelers looking to get away without depleting their wallets, gas tanks or the environment. The new green travel website is a valuable resource that allows users to locate state parks within a 100-mile radius, track down Green Lodging facilities, and provides tips on how to conserve gasoline and exhibit environmental stewardship while on vacation. http://www.dep.state.fl.us/green/travel.htm
 

 

The Board of County Commissioners of Lee County, Florida is inviting Letters of Interest from consultants for a project know as "Development and Operation of a Biodiesel Production Facility" and/or Sale of Biodiesel Fuel. Before submitting Letters of interest, consultants must obtain a copy of the Letters of Interest package dated May 9, 2008. Download the package at www.lee-county.com/contracts under "Projects Bulletins." Letters of Interest are due on or before Monday, June 9, 2008 at 2 p.m.

Efforts provide green resources and education

 

Through two separate Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs), the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) announced newly created partnerships with the Treasure Coast Builders Association and the Polk County Builders Association.

 

While each organization is committed to promoting affordable green building, the MOUs allow Treasure Coast, Polk and FGBC to:

FGBC members will receive via email their 2008 Board of Directors election ballots. If you do not receive your ballot by June 15, please contact FGBC. Members have 30 days to complete and submit the ballots. Results will be announced just prior to the  FGBC GreenTrends Conference, which begins July 30.

 

Members are encouraged to register early for the conference at our co-location partner website: www.sebcshow.com and attend the FGBC annual General Membership meeting scheduled for Friday, August 1, 2008 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

 

Two decades from now Americans could get as much electricity from windmills as from nuclear power plants, according to a government report that lays out a possible plan for wind energy growth. The report, a collaboration between the Energy Department research labs and industry, concludes wind energy could generate 20 percent of the nation's electricity by 2030, about the same share now produced by nuclear reactors. Wind energy today accounts for only about 1 percent of the nation's electricity, although the industry has been on a growth binge with a 45 percent jump in production last year.

Such growth would pose a number of major challenges, but is achievable without the need of major new technological breakthroughs, said the report released Monday. 'The report indicates that we can do this nationally for less than half a cent per kilowatt hour if we have the vision,' said Andrew Karsner, an Energy Department assistant secretary. [more]

 

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) awarded its prestigious 'National Green Building' award to Del Sur, naming it 'Mixed Use Development of the Year.' Nationally recognized as a model for sustainability and environmental preservation, the Del Sur 'green' community features nearly 3,000 eco-friendly homes in San Diego, Calif.

 

'What makes Del Sur unique is the size and scale of the community and the affordability of the 'green' features Del Sur offers to homebuyers,' said Ray Tonjes, chairman of NAHB's green building subcommittee. When complete, Del Sur will include 2,500 market-rate homes, 469 low-income homes, business and commercial space, a transit center, fire station, two schools and more than 1,900 acres of dedicated open space shared with sister community Santaluz. www.delsurliving.com

 

A special award went to Ray Tonjes, a custom builder in Austin, Texas. Tonjes, who has led the NAHB Green Building Subcommittee almost since its inception, was honored as the Builder Advocate of the Decade.

For a list of all award recipients read more.

 

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Parade of Homes, the HBA of West Florida made green history with the showcase of one very special eco-friendly home. Constructed by HBA of West Florida member West Calhoun, the home is the first to be scored and certified green by the Florida Green Building Coalition in Northwest Florida. "The American Dream Home is a 'green' dream home," said Calhoun. "Our firm knew that the home needed to showcase new and innovative ideas, and there's no better way to accomplish that than to build a home that is certified by the Florida Green Building Coalition." Green features showcased in the home include a geothermal heating and cooling system and xeriscape landscaping that requires only limited water usage on plants indigenous to the area. [more]

 

A University of Florida chemistry professor has received a $20,000 grant to conduct research that aims to improve methods of capturing and converting solar energy.

David Micha, a professor emeritus of chemistry and physics who is now an adjunct professor at UF, has been named the 2008 Senior Scientist Mentor by the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. The grant will support undergraduate research, which will be guided by Micha. [more]