Watt Plaza Becomes First Building in Century City to Receive Platinum LEED

Watt Plaza is raising the bar for sustainable building operations in Century City. Watt Plaza announced today that the twin 23-story office tower earned LEED Platinum for Existing Buildings Operating and Maintenance from the U.S. Green Building Council. Watt Plaza has the distinction of being one of four high-rise office buildings in the City of Los Angeles to achieve this premier distinction, one of 46 in the state of California and one of 110 nationwide.

The U.S. Green Building Council LEED Certification system is the nation’s benchmark for the design, construction and operation of the world’s greenest, most energy efficient and high-performing buildings. LEED Certification of Watt Plaza was based on seven key categories of human and environmental health: Sustainable Site Development, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, Innovation in Operations and Regional Priority.

Realizing a reduction of over 35% in conventional transportation trips through an Alternative Commuting Transportation program, Watt Plaza is notably the first commercial office building in Century City to install electric vehicle charging stations in the parking facility to encourage the use of alternative fuels. The installation of a white roof to reduce the “heat island effect” was also part of its Sustainable Site Development measures.

The team at Watt Plaza has been very aggressive in their Water Efficiency Measures: Watt Plaza was the first Class A Office Building in Los Angeles to replace all traditional urinals with water-free fixtures. Low-flow faucet aerators and toilets were also installed throughout the building, resulting in a savings of millions of gallons of water each year and reducing the burden on potable water supply and wastewater systems.

Watt Plaza’s landscape palette focuses on a mixture of using drought-tolerant plant material, recycled ground covers and a web-based irrigation system. The recycled ground covers consist of color glass and rubber in various planting beds. These types of ground covers have a low water absorption rate, prevent weed growth, maintain soil moisture, safeguard against insect infestations, have extremely slow decomposition rates and are non-flammable. The web-based irrigation controller automatically adjusts the amount of water dispensed based on real time weather data, preventing over-watering and keeping the soil moisture content adequate for specific types of plants.

Watt Plaza has consistently achieved high Energy Star ratings (the benchmark of energy performance relative to similar buildings in similar climates) each year since 2004, thereby reducing the environmental impacts associated with excessive energy use.

In addition to e-waste, battery, bulb and ballast recycling programs, its implementation of a waste program that diverts over 60% of all building waste to a materials recovery facility has reduced 1,258 tons of GHG (Greenhouse Gas Emissions) to date, equal to removing 838 passenger cars from the roadways for a year.

As part of the Indoor Environmental Quality category, Occupancy Sensors were installed throughout offices, common areas corridors, stairwells and restrooms, realizing a drop in electrical consumption by 690,000 kWh and improving the environment with an annual reduction of 936,655 pounds of carbon dioxide, 6,849 pounds of sulfur and 3,624 pounds of nitrogen dioxide. Further, Watt Plaza takes great pride in their high performance cleaning program, consisting of green-certified products and equipment to reduce the environmental impacts of cleaning products, disposable janitorial paper products and trash bags.

Watt Plaza also demonstrated its commitment to renewable energy development by offsetting 100% of its annual energy consumption through the acquisition of renewable energy. This purchase ensures that the amount of energy consumed at Watt Plaza is replaced on the electric grid by renewable, responsible energy sources. Watt Plaza’s commitment to supporting renewable energy development and reduce carbon emissions has an impact similar to taking 1,817 passenger vehicles off of the road for a year, or planting 223,635 tree seedlings and growing them for ten years.

Watt Plaza thinks outside the box when it comes to being green: Building Management created an environmentally friendly dog run for those tenants and visitors with licensed therapy dogs. Decomposed, compacted granite replaced several inches of soil in an area at the back of the building and biodegradable doggie bags and a trash receptacle was installed. When properly disposed, waste is diverted from storm water runoff and landscaped areas, preventing significant water pollution and maintaining aesthetically pleasing landscaped areas.

“It’s an honor for Watt Plaza to receive the distinction as the first commercial office building in Century City to receive LEED Platinum certification,” said Nadine Watt, President of Watt Companies. “Watt Plaza serves as a leading example of how commercial developments in large cities can be environmentally sustainable while also providing a top quality experience to tenants.”

To achieve its LEED Platinum certification, Watt Plaza received assistance from Healthy Buildings, an environmental consulting company that works alongside developers, building owners and managers to implement measures that enhance a building’s sustainability.

Walmart Aims For LEED – This One Time

Walmart – a leader in solar power – is dipping its toe into LEED certification, but it doesn’t want to make a big deal out of it. Not because the company is shy, but because it doesn’t want anyone to expect other new buildings in the future to also try to meet U.S. Green Building Council standards.

Chris Schraeder told the reporter that Walmart doesn’t “want to open up a precedent that this is going to be a standard going forward, because it’s not.”

Indeed, what trumps all for Walmart, Schraeder told the Plain Dealer, is being able to sell stuff for minimal cost, and it doesn’t want the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program to get in the way of that. “Our whole approach is about everyday low cost, so in general, we wouldn’t pay a premium for certification,” Schraeder said.

So why is it going through the LEED process in Ohio? Because of an agreement by South Euclid and the property developer that buildings going up on what used to be a golf course had to meet the standard.

Still, Walmart says on its Green Room blog that the South Euclid store outside Cleveland “will serve as a model for environmentally-friendly design for our future stores.” The store uses 100 percent LED lighting, has electric vehicle charging stations in the parking lot and these other energy-efficient features, according to Walmart:

  • LED lighting in the parking lot that the company says will reduce energy consumption by 50 percent.
  • Skylights that will allow natural light into the store, “reducing energy to light the sales floor by an average of 25 percent.”
  • Re-use of the heat from on-site refrigerant equipment, which can supply up to 60 percent of in-store hot water needs.
  • A test of doors on cases that house perishable items, which the company believes could cut refrigeration energy use by 20 percent or more.
  • A white membrane roof that reflects light better than a darker roofing color, reducing overall building energy consumption.

Cut Energy Waste By Running Buildings Better – New Report

Most people know that new light fixtures can reduce energy waste in office buildings, but even the experts may be surprised to learn just how much energy can be saved by running office buildings better.

NRDC’s new report on Real Time Energy Management shows how one company reduced electricity expenses by about $220,000 in one year simply by catching “operational stray.” The Report provides a roadmap for owners and tenants to improve their buildings and save money with similar projects.

Large office buildings are complicated systems. Building equipment often will “stray” from optimum settings. For example:

  • Thermostats are adjusted for an evening meeting and not re-set to normal schedules, so the chiller runs at night for weeks.
  • A sensor breaks, causing fans or pumps to run full-speed when not needed.
  • A “bug” in software code causes an automated systems to start in the middle of the night.

These are normal events in the life of an office building. These problems must be expected to occur, even in the best buildings. The problem is not that “stray” occurs, but that it can persist undetected for months.

Catching “stray” quickly is the goal of real-time energy mangement. Doing so wastes less energy, saves money for owners and tenants, protects equipment from wear and tear, and makes for better buildings.

A case study in savings:

In our Report, we examine the project Tower Companies implemented in three large office buildings it owns and operates in downtown Washington, D.C.  Tower’s buildings were already high-performing buildings — two were Energy Star® buildings and the third was very close to receiving that rating before the project began!

In the first year of the project, Tower reduced electricity use by 23% in one building, 17% in another, and 7% in the third, for an average of 13% across all three buildings. Electricity expenses for these three buildings went down by about $220,000 in year.  All that in year 1 of the project.

These amounts probably understate the actual savings. The implemented measures will likely save energy beyond the study period we measured.  And Tower expects reduced maintenance expenses — that is, preventing a chiller from turning-on at night when it should stay off will lengthen the life of this expensive equipment, and running fans at lower speeds will reduce wear and tear on the machinery.

USG Manufacturing Plant in California Goes Solar

USG Corporation (NYS: USG) , a leading building products company, has entered into a Solar Energy Power Purchase and Sale Agreement (PPA) with Green Light Plaster City Solar 1 LLC (GLPCS1), a wholly owned subsidiary of Green Light Energy Corp. (“GLEC”), to install a solar facility at its Plaster City, Calif. manufacturing plant. The one megawatt photovoltaic (PV) system will provide USG with predictable cost for the portion of electricity supplied by the PV system for the next 20 years.

Through the PPA, GLPCS1 along with local engineering firm, ZGlobal, Inc. (“ZGlobal”), will install solar cells on eight acres of USG’s Plaster City’s site. Installation began in September and should be completed by December.

“We are always looking for opportunities for our plants to use solar energy, and it made a lot of sense to move forward with this renewable energy investment at our manufacturing plant in Plaster City,” said Al Zucco, senior director, Energy and Sustainability, USG. “This is an exciting project that demonstrates USG’s environmental stewardship and commitment to maintain environmentally-friendly operations.”

The GLPCS1 and ZGlobal solar project in Plaster City is part of an effort that the two companies are working on to provide renewable energy solutions throughout California and specifically the Imperial Valley. Currently the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) supports and provides all of the USG plant’s energy. IID rates are expected to increase, at an unknown rate, but with the PPA, USG will have predictable pricing for energy produced by the solar PV system.

“GLPCS1 is a firm believer in utilizing renewable energy resources and is proud to support USG in its effort towards building a sustainable renewable energy source for its Plaster City plant,” said Jeremy Vaa, President and CEO, GLEC.

“We at ZGlobal are delighted to be working with GLPCS1 and USG to bring this distributed generation solar project online,” said Ziad Alaywan, President, ZGlobal, Inc. “This project is an example of how well environmental sustainability balances with opportunities to reduce rising energy costs.”

In addition to improving the environmental profile of USG’s Plaster City plant, the project is expected to save the company more than $1MM over the 20-year life of the project through lowered electricity costs.

S&C to Design and Build 4.1-MW Solar Project in Massachusetts

 S&C Electric Company, a global leader in renewable energy integration, today announces a $9.7 million USD project with Green States Energy for construction of a 4.1-MW solar photovoltaic farm inSandwich, Mass. This project will help Massachusetts reach its larger goal of developing 400 MW of solar photovoltaic power in the Commonwealth.

In 2003, Massachusetts was one of the first states to adopt a renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS), which requires distribution utilities and competitive suppliers to obtain a percentage of their electricity from qualifying units. In 2010, the state issued new regulations that carved out a portion of the RPS to support the growth of in-state solar photovoltaic energy.

GSE’s Sandwich solar project qualifies to receive the Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SRECs) units issued through the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER). Utilities can purchase these SRECs to meet the state’s RPS goal. GSE’s goal is to start selling the SRECs by January 1, 2014, which required them to select a partner that could meet an aggressive three-month deadline for building the solar farm.

S&C recently completed construction on Green States Energy’s 2.5 MW solar farm in Roswell, N.M., a project under a turnkey, fixed-price contract,” says Stephen Clevett, CEO, Green States Energy. “Due to the success of that project, we were able to quickly transition the S&C project team to the Sandwich, Mass., site so that it could be completed by the end of the year.”

S&C was also chosen by GSE for its experience working with and conducting solar interconnection studies for the local utility serving the Sandwich, Mass., project. These studies are required when evaluating the feasibility of connecting large amounts of variable generation, like solar PV, to the grid.

“When building a solar farm, it’s important to understand utility interconnection requirements upfront, engineer a successful project and finish construction on time in order to maximize return on investment,” says Dan Girard, director, Business Development—Renewable Energy and Energy Storage, S&C. “S&C has a proven track record of being a dependable start-to-finish partner for these kinds of renewable projects, and we’re happy to have the opportunity to work with Green States Energy on another project.”

The project team will be led by S&C, which will provide engineering, procurement and project management services for both the AC and DC portions of the project. Charlotte, N.C.,-based Green Earth Developers LLC is providing physical construction services including installation of the racking systems, solar panels and construction management of the DC systems and AC interconnection.

Study highlights energy-efficient buildings in Minnesota

The Great Plains Institute has compiled a list of all the Energy Star certified buildings in Minnesota, hoping to set a baseline of information and look for the progress being made in Minnesota toward resource saving.

Buildings that are Energy Star certified use 35 percent less energy than a typical commercial building, according to the report. Overall, Energy Star buildings save $2 billion in energy costs nationwide in more than 300,000 buildings that are tracked with Energy Star’s Portfolio Manager.

There are 561 Energy Star buildings in Minnesota ranging from schools and office buildings to warehouses and commercial buildings such as retail shops, banks and senior care facilities. And those buildings cover a total of 105 million square feet of space.

Trevor Drake, of the Great Plains Institute and one of the report’s authors, said earning an Energy Star rating can be tough. “The candidates need to enter 12 months of energy usage into Portfolio Manager, the EPA’s tracking tool,” he said. “Then, they need to have a professional engineer look at their data and verify the results.”

A score of 75 means that a building is more efficient than 75 percent of the 300,000 surveyed buildings. But only 20,000 buildings nationwide have earned Energy Star certification.

In Rochester, there are eight Energy Star buildings, with Cottagewood Senior Community—formerly Sunrise Cottages—a senior living facility earning a perfect 100 score in 2012. It was the second certification for the building; it earned a 98 in 2011.

 

Utility Energy Storage Market Guide

utility-storage-coverThis Utility Energy Storage Market Guide report provides a comprehensive assessment of the state-of-the-art for energy storage technology and describes how the marketplace will likely evolve.  The electric utility energy storage market is projected to top $2.5 billion by 2015. Eight technologies will compete head-to-head in this market including batteries, compressed air storage, flywheels, hydrogen, superconducting magnetic energy storage, thermal energy storage, ultracapacitors, and vehicle-to-grid.

This Utility Energy Storage Market Guide report provides a comprehensive assessment of the state-of-the-art for energy storage technology and describes how the marketplace will likely evolve. Applicability and benefits are discussed for each storage technology, key players are profiled, and existing installations are identified. The report also provides an easy-to-use graphic comparison of competing technologies, allowing the match-up of product categories with specific applications.

Further, Utility Energy Storage analyzes the various benefits of storage installations for electric utilities, such as improved reliability and power quality, meeting needle peaks in electricity usage, reduced need for added generation capacity, deferred T&D upgrade investment, and reduction of CO2 emissions. Because of the intermittent nature of their power generation, storage is particularly applicable to utility-scale solar and wind farm installations.

This Utility Energy Storage Guide provides a comprehensive guide to opportunities for electric utilities, developers and suppliers of storage technologies, and engineering firms that design and construct installations. Read Table of Contents

Ecostore Building NZ’s 1st Net Zero Energy Commercial Building

The installation of 48 solar panels on the roof of the 1 Scotland Street building (home of ecostore retail shop and Lily & Louis PR) in Freeman’s Bay, marks a historical moment this week resulting in New Zealand’s first net zero energy commercial building. The building will run entirely on solar power from the highly efficient solar panels, designed to generate over 17,500 kWh a year, which is expected to be enough to power the entire building all of its electricity requirements.

ecostore’s not for profit arm, Fairground Foundation has been instrumental in this project coming to life.

“The Fairground Foundation has been set up to take on projects that have traditionally been seen as too hard, making them commercially viable and then passing the learnings back to the general community. This project fits in perfectly with Fairground’s mission creating a healthier, more sustainable world through on-the-ground action, hence the enthusiasm for coordinating this project which has taken over 14 months,” says Malcolm Rands, ecostore founder and owner.

Vector Limited (Vector) currently operates a solar pilot residential programme with a limited number of Auckland homeowners, one of which includes Rands.

“The idea is to bring smarter energy choices to all Aucklanders. We have taken the learnings from our early successes in the residential solar programme and are applying them in new areas,” says Simon Mackenzie, CEO of Vector.

The solar system allows solar power to be intelligently integrated into Vector’s electricity network. By combining solar panels with battery storage and a smart control system, the energy produced from the solar panels can be stored and used both when it is needed in the building and during times of peak network demand.

The batteries are a Lithium-ion battery pack, the same technology used in the car industry to power hybrid electric vehicles. The batteries also provide a measure of resilience with some backup in the unlikely event of a grid outage.

The tenants at 1 Scotland Street will not be required to change their electricity usage behaviour to achieve the net zero energy result.

UHBVN signs deal for energy-efficient building

The Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) for net zero energy building pilot project in India.

An official release said that the MoU was signed for the planned building of the nigam to be constructed at Sector 14, Panchkula. AK Grover, director, projects, UHBVN, and Sanjay Seth, energy economist, BEE, signed the MoU.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with the BEE has offered technical assistance to the UHBVN to achieve net zero energy status for the nigam’s corporate office.

Speaking on the occasion, Arora said that this would be the first net-zero energy building of Haryana state. The ministry of power had already approved net zero regulations for implementation in India. She said that a technical committee would be constituted to plan design, monitor periodic construction of the building and maximise energy efficiency. Solar photo-voltic plant would be installed in the building to generate the required electricity. The electricity will be transmitted to grid and the nigam will draw the required power.

The new office building is likely to be constructed by June 30, 2015 and the usage of solar energy would help decrease dependence on imported fuel, contribute to higher greenhouse gas emissions, and strain the country’s fossil fuel dependent infrastructure.

Van Rompuy flags two million buildings efficiency jobs by 2020

The president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, called on 9 October 2013 for a strategy to provide long-term emissions-cutting and money-saving deep renovations to Europe’s ageing building stock, saying that it could create two million jobs.

Van Rompuy used a video address to tell a conference organised by ‘Renovate Europe’, in Brussels that EU regulations obliging new properties to emit zero net carbon emissions by the next decade are not enough.

“Renovating existing buildings is also essential because 90% of them are here to stay,” he said.

“And deep renovation of existing buildings has also the potential to stimulate innovation, to improve health and to create about two million new direct jobs in the Union by 2020.”

The unusually forthright speech from an EU Council president known for his measured and unassuming approach, was hailed as “a strong statement by a strong player” by one former EU energy policy architect.

“For economies looking for a way to break this cycle of unemployment, this is a good place to start,” Randall Bowie, now an energy efficiency consultant with home insulation company Rockwool, told EurActiv. “They have a big building stock that needs to be renovated, the financing is now there, it is just a question of getting it mobilised.”

Europe’s building stock accounts for around 40% of EU primary energy consumption, and energy efficient ‘deep’ renovations for them could cut energy consumption by up to three quarters and slash bills by the same amount.