Anything, and everything, there is to say about green buildings in Kansas City and the region.

7/2/2008

AIA Study Reveals Most Attractive Green Building Incentives

The types of green building incentives currently in place are varied and spread across the national, state and local level, partially what is needed to keep support of green building alive, according to a new report.

"Local Leaders in Sustainability - Green Incentives" gives an overview of the types of incentives being offered, explaining the plusses and minuses of them and recommending which ones government should focus on.

The American Institute of Architects, the author of the report, says tax incentives, density bonuses and speedy permitting are the strongest methods of supporting green building.

Other incentives the report analyzes, with examples from cities, counties and states, include grants, loans, award programs, technical and design assistance, net metering, leasing assistance, permit and zone fee reductions, rebates, subsidized green premiums and discounts on Energy Star appliances.

For more information, go to Most Attractive Green Building Incentives

Source: GreenerBuildings, July 2, 2008

6/24/2008

BeGreen Announces Carbon Calculator For Green Builders

A carbon calculator unveiled by BeGreen, is designed to help designers and builders meet green standards, The Dallas Morning News reports.

Based on the USGBC’s LEED program, the calculator joins a handful of others tailored to the green building industry.

Once a company provides information, such as a building’s size and the amount of carbon emissions it wants to offset, BeGreen, the carbon offset division of Austin-based Green Mountain Energy, provides a contract and a purchase certificate for renewable energy credits.

For more information, go to Carbon Calculator For Green Builders

Source: Environmental Leader, June 24, 2008

6/6/2008

In a first for Kansas, Studio 804 earns LEED Platinum rating for Greensburg arts center

The U.S. Green Building Council has certified as LEED Platinum the arts center for Greensburg that was conceived and constructed by 22 University of Kansas architecture students in the Studio 804 graduate design/build program. It is the first LEED Platinum building designed and constructed by students.

The Studio 804 building, known as the 5.4.7 Arts Center, also is the first LEED Platinum certified structure in the state of Kansas.

Studio 804’s building earned the LEED Platinum certification through its use of wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, geothermal climate control, recycled building materials and a host of other ecologically minded features.

For more information, go to 5.4.7 Arts Center

Source: KU News Release

5/29/2008

Carbon Footprints Of Top 100 Metro Areas

Kansas City is 84th out of 100

Large metro areas offer greater energy and carbon efficiency than nonmetropolitan areas, and metro areas have development patterns that show promise for reducing carbon emissions, according to a new report (PDF) from The Brookings Institution. The report quantifies transportation and residential carbon emissions for the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas carbon profiles of the 100 here), finding that metro area residents have smaller carbon footprints than the average American, although metro footprints vary widely.

Analysis of the partial carbon footprints (the footprints do not include emissions from commercial buildings, industry, or non-highway transportation) reveals five major findings:

• Large metropolitan areas offer greater energy and carbon efficiency than non metropolitan areas
• Carbon emissions increased more slowly in metropolitan America than in the rest of the country between 2000 and 2005
• Per capita emissions vary substantially by metro area
• Development patterns and rail transit play an important role in determining carbon emissions
• Other factors are important, such as the fuels used to generate electricity, electricity prices, and weather

In the Brookings study, Kansas City, MO-KS ranked 84th with a Per Capita Carbon Footprint (metric tons) of 2.97. Ranking 1st is Honolulu, HI at 1.36; Lexington-Fayette, KY is last, #100 at 3.46.

For more information, go to Shrinking the Carbon Footprint of Metropolitan America

Source: Environmental Leader, May 29, 2008

5/27/2008

Green Building Sector Surviving U.S. Housing Slump

The green building industry saw an estimated $12 billion in revenues last year and could top $42 billion by 2015, Venture Beat reports.

The building industry is indeed going green and, despite some potential short-term challenges such as up-front costs of becoming LEED certified, LEED-registered projects could soon account for almost 25 percent of all new construction in the U.S., according to a new report from Frost & Sullivan.

For more information, go to Green Survives Housing Slump

Source: Environmental Leader, May 27, 2008

5/12/2008

Green Home Building Market Has “Tipped” and is Expected to Double by 2012

McGraw-Hill Construction presents research data at the National Association of Home Builders’ Green Building Conference

McGraw-Hill Construction today presented the findings of its latest market research investigating “green” home building, focusing on changes in green building activity between 2001 and 2007, the impact of the down market on green home building, opinions and preferences of builders for green materials and processes, and triggers and obstacles affecting green building expansion.

The major findings of the survey, which is co-sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), include:

• The residential green building market is expected to be worth $12 billion to $20 billion (6% to 10% of the market) this year.
• In five years (2012), the market is expected to double to 12% to 20% market share or $40 billion to $70 billion.
• 40% of builders think green building helps them market their homes in a down market.
• Quality has emerged in this down market as the most important reason for building green. Previously, builders were motivated by energy cost savings of green homes and doing the right thing, which still came in #2 this year. This is likely due to green home marketing and how it improves quality of life.

For more information, go to Tipping Point

Source: Construction.com

5/10/2008

Kansas City Habitat for Humanity LEED Home

2008 Parade of Homes Tour

Kansas City Habitat for Humanity is proud to include its “Green Build” house on the 2008 Parade of Homes tour, which is pending Energy Star and LEED certification. Located at 3635 Highland, the house may be toured 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, May 4 thru May 18.

Sponsored by KC ReStore, the house includes:

• Rain garden, rain barrel and low water demand grass and shrubs
• Insulated and sealed HVAC (heating ventilation and cooling) duct work
• Use of reclaimed lumber
• Radon ventilation
• Exhaust fans in garages and kitchens that are vented to the exterior for improved interior air quality
• Improved waste management techniques such as separating lumber scrap for chipping

For more information, go to KC Habitat "Green Build"

Source: Spring Homes Tour

5/8/2008

Local Architects Design "City of the Future"

By: Carolyn Szczepanski

Architecture firm BNIM, which includes green-building visionary Bob Berkebile, took home a prize this week from The History Channel as part of the network's “City of the Future” challenge. The national competition asked architects to create visionary models for what urban centers could look like in the year 2108.

BNIM, on a design team along with Atlanta-based Praxis, revamped Georgia’s capital city. The group had seven days to come up with a concept, which they presented to a jury of experts.

Their vision was decidedly green. In their submission, the BNIM team turned the Atlanta metropolis, with 1,900 miles of wastewater and sewer pipes, into “The City in the Trees,” where swaths of forests and wetlands cleanse and store the city’s water – not to mention purify the air and beautify the region.

For more information, go to City of the Future

Source: The Pitch, May 7, 2008

5/1/2008

Tragedy To Triumph: Greensburg Rising

The Early Show Helps Rebuild Kansas Town Decimated By Huge Twister

A massive tornado ravaged Greensburg, Kan., crippling the Midwestern city. But, as Harry Smith reports, the citizens have decided to rebuild Greensburg as the greenest city in America.

For more information, go to Early Show in Greensburg

Source: CBS News Early Show, May 1, 2008

4/28/2008

The American Institute of Architects Announces the 2008 COTE Top Ten Green Projects

Projects showcase excellence in sustainable design principles and reduced energy consumption

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) have selected the top ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment. The projects will be honored at the AIA 2008 National Convention and Design Exposition in Boston.

The 2008 COTE Top Ten Green Projects program celebrates projects that are the result of a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems and technology. They make a positive contribution to their communities, improve comfort for building occupants and reduce environmental impacts through strategies such as reuse of existing structures, connection to transit systems, low-impact and regenerative site development, energy and water conservation, use of sustainable or renewable construction materials, and design that improves indoor air quality.

Honorable Mention 2008 Top Ten Green Project:

Internal Revenue Service - Kansas City Service Center
BNIM / 360 Inc., Kansas City, MO
Natural light and open views of the surrounding urban fabric were salient sustainable design features for this project. Through architectural techniques, including clerestories, skylights, atrium, and building orientation, an unprecedented 80 percent of workspaces are served by natural light. Internal courtyards provide views of vegetated environments that also serve as workday respites. From inside the IRS processing Center one gets a sense of being part of a bigger whole; one that represents equilibrium between nature and the build environment, public and private, community and government.

For more information, go to 2008 COTE Top Ten Green

Source: AIA Committee on the Environment, April 22, 2008

4/24/2008

Kansas City builder creates HEALTH HOME®

Surpasses ENERGY STAR® , earns American Lung Association certification

Just in time for peak allergy and asthma season, Kansas City’s H&S Covenant Homes opens a state-of-the-art, model home designed specifically for asthma and allergy sufferers. Accredited by the American Lung Association® (ALA) and featuring Pella® windows, KC Health Home blends medical science with building science to create a healthier, energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly home.

Located in the Woods at Colton Lake in Overland Park, Kan., KC Health Home demonstrates the benefits of a home designed to specifically combat the growing problem of allergies and asthma aggravated by indoor air pollutants. According to the ALA, 6.8 million children in the United States under the age of 18 have asthma. The chronic lung condition is the third-leading cause of hospitalization among children under age 15.

For more information, go to Health Home

Source: CSRwire.com, April 23, 2008

4/20/2008

KSU architecture students help town rebuild eco-friendly

By: Elise Podhajsky

The small town of Greensburg, Kan., was devastated by an F5 tornado - the largest and most dangerous kind - on May 4, 2007. Now, almost a year later, the city has begun the rebuilding process in an unconventional way, and the K-State Department of Architecture is lending a helping hand.

Aaron Vanderpool, fifth-year student in architecture, said Greensburg is working to make its town the first green community in the nation. Architecture students are assisting by developing complexes to help educate community members on ways to create sustainable and environmentally friendly homes, offices and facilities as they rebuild.

The project is called Greensburg Cubed, and the complexes are just that - 10-by-10-by-10 foot mobile cubes. Each cube, or pavilion, provides information on a different aspect of sustainable living - which includes what green building materials are available, how to use them and where to purchase them - and will be on display in various areas in Greensburg, Vanderpool said.

For more information, go to Greensburg Cubed

Source: Kansas State Collegian, April 15, 2008

4/18/2008

SundanceChannel.com to Launch Original Webseries "The Good Fight"

Focus on Greensburg

Sundance Channel will launch the original web series, "THE GOOD FIGHT," hosted and created by award-winning environmental journalist Simran Sethi on April 22, , 2008

"THE GOOD FIGHT" will feature webisodes exploring issues of environment justice such as the rebuilding of Greensburg, Kansas as a green town, in-depth interviews with leaders in the environmental justice field, an area for blog posts discussing themes raised in the series and discussion boards available on www.sundancechannel.com/thegoodfight.

For more information, go to The Good Fight

Source: sundancechannel.com

4/14/2008

Kansas City planting thousands of trees

By: Matt Campbell

Kansas City is in the process of planting more than 2,800 trees of about 30 species all around town. The project, funded with $500,000 in bond funds, is part of the city’s climate protection plan, said Forest Decker, head of forestry operations for the city’s parks department.

For more information, go to Trees

Source: The Kansas City Star, April 13, 2008

4/8/2008

Green-building trend picking up steam in KC

Business

By: Alan Goforth

Not so long ago, the term “green building” probably referred to the choice of paint colors. Today, however, green building is creating significant new possibilities for cost savings and environmental responsibility.

“There has been a big change in awareness in just the past 18 months,” said Mike Gillaspie, senior project manager for Zimmer Real Estate Services in Kansas City.

“Interest among business owners is growing quickly.”

Gillaspie discussed green building in late March as part of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Business Brain Food series, presented by the Bloch School of Business and Public Administration at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

For more information, go to Green-building trend

Source: The Kansas City Star, April 7, 2008

4/8/2008

GreenTown, Realized

The Reinvention of Greensburg

By: Frank Tankard

One week after the small town was destroyed, Daniel Wallach, who lived 35 miles northeast of town and had founded a number of nonprofit organizations over the years, presented to city leaders a concept paper he’d scrapped together and offered to help lead a rebuilding project focused on environmental sustainability.

Wallach, now the director of Greensburg GreenTown, is amazed at how the city has progressed in close to a year. “What’s been accomplished in a year,” he says, “is really nothing short of remarkable.”

The national spotlight, instead of fading after the story had been told and the president’s helicopter had flown in and flown out, has not left, but rather shifted its focus from a tale of destruction to one of building what’s been called a “model green community,” almost from scratch.

Last week, one day before talking with lawrence.com, Wallach was interviewed by the London Observer, CNBC and Agence France-Presse (the French AP). The New York Times Magazine is soon publishing a story and Time did one recently, as did NPR.

For more information, go to Reinvention of Greensburg

Source: lawrence.com

3/31/2008

Washington Nationals Score First U.S. LEED-Certified Ballpark

The Washington Nationals' new ballpark has earned LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making it the first major stadium in the United States to achieve LEED certification.

The new ballpark was designed by architectural firm HOK, which is currently working on a LEED-eligible arena for basketball's Orlando Magic. The firm is also working with the USGBC to create a LEED certification system specific to sports facilities.

Credit: HOK/Devrouax and Purnell

For more information, go to First U.S. LEED-Certified Ballpark

Source: Sustainable Business News, March 31, 2008

3/28/2008

Coal v. Climate in Kansas

By: Bruce Gellerman & Jeff Young

Kansas is on the frontlines in a fight over coal-fired power and climate change. We’ll hear from the Kansas official who took a stand against coal and its greenhouse gas emissions as Living on Earth’s Jeff Young tells us what’s behind the battle and what it might mean for the rest of the country.

For more information, go to Coal-fired power in Kansas

Source: Living on Earth

3/28/2008

Mid-America Wades in the Water

By: Bruce Gellerman

Torrential rains and overflowing rivers and levees have devastated many areas of the country, including Arkansas. Sandra Patterson of the Office of Emergency Management in Des Ark, Arkansas tells host Bruce Gellerman about the toll the floods are taking in her county. We then turn to Tim Kusky, professor of natural sciences at St. Louis University, who says that levees and climate change have made the 100 year flood a misnomer.

For more information, go to Flood emergency

Source: Living on Earth

3/26/2008

KCK unveils green master plan

By: Mark Wiebe

After more than a year of meetings with residents, the Unified Government unveiled a proposed citywide master plan Monday that addresses a host of issues – from transportation to controlling new development.

That’s to be expected.

What distinguishes this master plan is its call for Kansas City, Kan., to go green. Whether the plan is addressing transportation, redeveloping old neighborhoods or creating a mixed-use corridor on State Avenue, its message is clear: the city should go about the business of controlling growth with an eye toward encouraging environmentally sustainable practices.

To that end, the proposed plan contains numerous recommendations, including:

• Create a list of incentives available to encourage green building, including tax credits, grants and rebates.
• Use a group of commercial building “stakeholders” to establish green building standards and adopt a code to reflect those standards.
• Create an ordinance that would require buildings larger than 5,000 square feet that are built or subsidized by the Unified Government to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’s (LEED) Silver Standard.
• Partner with local schools and universities to promote building green campuses.

For more information, go to Kansas City, Kansas Green Plan

Source: The Kansas City Star, March 25, 2008

3/16/2008

'Green' bills get states' attention

By: Jason Noble and David Klepper

Kansas and Missouri lawmakers are trying to go green this year but, so far anyway, it looks to be a pretty pale shade.

In Missouri, lawmakers have introduced nearly 20 bills promoting energy-efficient technologies and encouraging environment-friendly development – mostly through tax incentives aimed at consumers.

Similar proposals are under consideration in Kansas, although critics say they’re little more than concessions to calm opponents of a controversial power plant expansion.

For more information, go to Green bills

Source: The Kansas City Star, March 16, 2008

3/10/2008

Bartle Hall ballroom receives green building council's silver rating

The Kansas City Convention Center's new ballroom received the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certification, the third highest distinction.

"From an environmental standpoint, this is one of the most significant and important designations that can be bestowed upon a piece of architecture," said Eric Bosch, manager of architecture for the Capital Improvements Management Office. "The team that worked on this project went to great lengths to ensure that the construction – and existence – of the Bartle Hall ballroom would make as little impact on the environment as possible."

The Capital Improvements Management Office managed the $150 million project, which included several innovative "green" solutions that make the 46,000-square-foot ballroom environmentally friendly and energy efficient. HNTB Architecture, Junk Architects, International Architects Atelier and Henderson Engineers led the design team that incorporated sophisticated day-lighting, lighting control and energy management solutions to help achieve the certification.

The use of natural daylight throughout the ballroom is one of the most substantial contributors to the silver rating. The design incorporates skylights, large glass walls with overhangs, existing sunscreens and operable interior shades to control direct sunlight while still allowing views of the city. Environmentally-friendly building materials were used to construct the ballroom, including more than 20 percent recycled content. Water use in the ballroom was reduced in the building by more than 30 percent and more than 75 percent of construction waste was kept out of landfills through recycling.

For more information, go to Bartle Hall Ballroom

Source: City of Kansas City, Missouri

2/28/2008

Smoky Hills I Wind Farm Open

Lincoln, Kansas

Enel SpA, through its subsidiary Enel North America, Inc., has announced the completion of a 101-megawatt (MW) wind farm in Kansas. The Smoky Hills Phase I project will produce energy sufficient to power more than 37,000 average Kansas homes annually and it is the largest operating wind project ever set up by Enel.

The Smoky Hills I project, located 140 miles west of Topeka, uses 56 Vestas V80 1.8-MW wind turbines. The project, developed by TradeWind Energy LLC, is owned by Smoky Hills Wind Farm, LLC which became a subsidiary of Enel in 2007, is now delivering wind power to three local utilities: Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, Midwest Energy, Inc., and the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities.

For more information, go to Smoky Hills I Wind Farm

Source: RenewableEnergyWorld.com, February 27, 2008

2/25/2008

A tornado-wracked Kansas town leaps into the future as it rebuilds under the camera’s eye

Greener Living

By: Aaron Barnhart

I knew that this town, 100 miles west of Wichita on U.S. 54, was picked clean last May by an F5 tornado that killed 10 people.

With more than 90 percent of buildings damaged beyond repair – the high school ripped open, remains of structures found 50 miles away – Greensburg was literally wiped off the map, its Google satellite images replaced with error messages.

I’d also heard that some or most of the 1,700 inhabitants of greater Greensburg wanted to rebuild their town in an eco-friendly manner. The “greening of Greensburg,” endorsed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and city leaders, calls for transforming a denuded, windswept ag town into a shiny, fuel-sipping showplace of 21st-century design.

On this day more than 300 people have packed into the USD 422 gym – a three-story steel building with a hardwood floor that went up after the storm – to see the first renderings of the proposed business incubator and other buildings in the master plan.

Seven months after the perfect storm, the City Council committed Greensburg to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Platinum standard for use of energy efficiency, water reuse and more. The city hired BNIM Architects of Kansas City to draw up a master plan that includes the first LEED Platinum building in the state of Kansas. (Nationwide, 63 buildings meet the stringent LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Platinum guidelines.)

Before the presentation, I ask BNIM’s Stephen Hardy, who will dazzle the crowd with a 3-D “flyover” animation of the new downtown, just how far he and his colleagues intend to push Greensburg.

For more information, go to Greensburg on TV

Source: The Kansas City Star, February 25, 2008

2/23/2008

Building codes slowly knit green movement into fabric

Going Green: Policy

By: Rebecca Logan

Drew Rimmer wonders how long it is going to take before building codes catch up with the green movement. "This is important because we don't want the building codes to become a roadblock to the sustainable design approach," Rimmer said in an e-mail. Rimmer is vice president of Henderson Engineers Inc. and chairman of the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

The American Institute of Architects wants to get green standards incorporated into building codes.

"Although this goal will take time and great effort, we are working with other national associations in the design and construction industry to make this a reality," the AIA said in its 2007 Local Leaders in Sustainability report.

For more information, go to Building codes

Source: Kansas City Business Journal, February 22, 2008

2/22/2008

Walking the green walk

Going Green: Introduction

By: Jonna Lorenz

Kansas City-area businesses have embraced the green movement.

Recognizing the financial, environmental and social benefits of going green, scores have made public pledges to improve the way they touch the environment.

That's the easy part.

The challenge lies in upholding that oath.

In this section, we look at some of the first steps area companies have taken to turn promises into reality.

The influence of people can be seen at companies such as HOK Sport Venue Event, where a newly created position will help guide the company as it incorporates new sustainable practices. At UMB Bank, environmental sustainability is promoted by the company's most passionate employees, who came together to form a "Green Team."

For more information, go to Walking

Source: Kansas City Business Journal, February 22, 2008

2/22/2008

Lenexa's lessons: City green-lights environmental stewardship

Going Green: Policy

By: Jim Davis

Stop-and-go traffic in Lenexa leans toward the latter, thanks to Operation Green Light.

The regional air-quality initiative coordinates traffic signal light timing to smooth traffic flow. Lenexa officials figure the program saves thousands of gallons of gas a year while reducing congestion and vehicle emissions.

Other cities on both sides of the state line also participate. As motorists travel through the area, however, they'll be hard-pressed to find a municipality with a more attuned sense of environmental responsibility than Lenexa's

Steve McDowell, a principal with BNIM Architects in Kansas City, said the city's stewardship is exemplified by its Rain to Recreation program.

The wastewater management plan earned national recognition in November, when it received a municipal excellence award from the National League of Cities. Introduced 10 years ago, Rain to Recreation is financed with a sales tax that voters have approved twice.

For more information, go to Operation Green Light

Source: Kansas City Business Journal, February 22, 2008

2/18/2008

KU architecture students at work on Greensburg's first 'green' site

Greensburg Tornado

By: Deb Gruver

A group of graduate architecture students at the University of Kansas is building what Greensburg leaders hope will be an example of "green" design and construction.

The KU design and build program is constructing the sustainable prototype using materials salvaged from an ammunition plant, wind turbines and a geothermal heat pump, among other Earth-friendly systems and designs.

The students, in the Studio 804 class, hope to unveil the building in Greensburg on May 4, the one-year anniversary of the EF5 tornado that tore through the town, leaving little intact.

For more information, go to KU design/build sustainable prototype

Source: The Wichita Eagle, February 18, 2008

2/11/2008

'Green' homes to go up in Greensburg

Twelve Earth-friendly demonstration homes will be rented out to residents and tourists on a first-come, first-served basis.

By: Associated Press

A nonprofit group charged with leading tornado-damaged Greensburg's environment-friendly initiatives has announced plans for a dozen "green" demonstration homes.

The homes, which will be built using environment-friendly techniques, such as insulated concrete forms, solar energy and wind-generated power, will cost $200,000 to $300,000 to build. They will be rented out to visitors or residents on a first-come, first-served basis and will be the centerpiece of the town's ecotourism concept, allowing visitors to spend the night in a green home.

"There's no science museum in the country that allows you to come stay overnight, but this one will," said Greensburg GreenTown executive director Daniel Wallach.

Wallach said the project is unique.

"Nothing like this exists in the world that we are aware of. This has piqued a lot of interest all over the world -- and that's what we were hoping for," he said.

For more information, go to Green demonstration homes

Source: The Kansas City Star, February 11, 2008

1/31/2008

EPA picks KC for environmental initiative

By: Jerry LaMartina

The Environmental Protection Agency has chosen Kansas City as the second city to participate in a pilot program called the Sustainable Skylines Initiative and designed to reduce air emissions and promote sustainability in urban environments.

The EPA gave $125,000 to its Region 7 office in Kansas City, Kan., late last year to help finance the initiative, Becky Weber, Region 7's air and waste division director, said Wednesday. Region 7 plans to contribute $100,000 to the initiative, she said.

Weber said the initiative's local partners have met in the past six months to identify projects. In a release, the EPA said the partner entities identified the following projects for the initiative:

• Be Water Wi$e involves water conservation and native landscaping projects with parks and homeowners associations to use less water and promote native species.
• Parking Lots to Parks is designed to stanch the urban heat island effect and reduce storm-water runoff through sustainable parking lot design.
• Solar City involves demonstration projects at schools and city-owned buildings to promote renewable, clean energy.

For more information, go to Sustainable Skylines Initiative

Source: Kansas City Business Journal, January 30, 2008

1/31/2008

Kansas bill would set CO2 standards but allow coal-fired plants

By: John Hanna

The state would impose its first limits on carbon dioxide emissions but allow two new, coal-fired power plants in southwest Kansas under bills legislators were introducing Wednesday.

The CO2 standards would apply to new electric generating plants and would make Kansas among a growing number of states attempting to address global warming, linked by many scientists to greenhouse gas emissions.

Kansas legislators said their bills propose what would be the first state laws to tackle emissions by utilities. Their CO2 standards would apply to new plants no matter what kind of fuel they burned.

Utilities could offset their carbon emissions by investing in renewable resources, conservation programs or technology to capture and store CO2 emissions. A utility that didn't reduce CO2 emissions would start paying a $3-per-ton tax.

The bills also would set energy efficiency standards for new state and public school buildings and state vehicles; require utilities to allow customers to reduce their bills by using solar power; and set up a new commission to study issues surrounding electric generation.

For more information, go to First limits on CO2 emissions

Source: Associated Press, January 30, 2008

1/29/2008

A tornado-razed community is coming back as the “Greenest Town in America

From hospital to power plant, Greensburg, Kansas residents are building the model of the future.

By: Eric Mack

Monday night Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius delivered the Democratic response to President Bush's final State of the Union address. In her rebuttal, she pointed to Greensburg, Kansas - a town leveled by a tornado nine months ago and now rebuilding green – as a national call to environmental action. Plenty reporter Eric Mack visited Greensburg this month to take stock of its eco-comeback.

Last May, some 123 tornadoes were spawned from a sprawling storm over the country’s midsection in a matter of just three days. The most powerful spanned a monstrous 1.7 miles wide and blew at more than 205 miles per hour. When it touched the ground on the evening of May 4, it spun right down Main Street in Greensburg, Kansas, killing 11 and all but destroying the town that is home to 1,400.

Some eight months after the storm, what remains is block after block of crumbling porch steps leading to nothing but empty foundations, the hundred-year old houses now piles of debris. There’s a bus flipped on its side, a flattened water heater, mounds of branches stripped from the twisted trunks of trees that somehow remained rooted during the gale.

Despite the near total devastation of the town, it became apparent during my stay there this January that Greensburg is not the sad, grieving place you would expect. A wealth of energy and optimism has arisen here along with many residents’ hopes to rebuild as the “Greenest Town in America” - an energy-efficient, low carbon-emitting, sustainable phoenix, powered, at least in part, by the forces of nature that once reduced it to rubble.

For more information, go to Greenest Town in America

Source: Plenty Magazine, January 2008

1/22/2008

Leading the Kansas City region to a green future

Leadership Series: Promoting essential principles for leadership in a changing world

The business, nonprofit and government leaders of the Kansas City region help our communities to thrive. They create the places we want to be. But, are they designing the kinds of places we might want to be 10, 50 or 100 years from now? The only way to ensure that our region remains the destination it is – and continues to become more fully each day – is to consider how to make our communities sustainable.

The Academy for Sustainable Communities invites you, as a leader of the Kansas City region, to become an integral partner in the development of sustainable communities and participate in the academy’s 2008 Leadership Series. Attendees will get the opportunity to meet in an intimate, small-group setting with some of the nation’s most renowned sustainability experts. This year-long experience will enable you to formulate how you can best contribute to the improvement of the region’s environment.

For more information, go to Academy For Sustainable Communities

Source: Mid-America Regional Council (MARC)

1/16/2008

JE Dunn starts building $40.5M HQ

JE Dunn Construction on Tuesday announced it has begun building a new headquarters that will anchor the East Village redevelopment east of City Hall in Kansas City.

Groundbreaking on the $40.5 million building began Monday. About 520 JE Dunn employees will work in the five-story structure southeast of 10th and Locust streets. Occupancy is planned for mid-2009.

JE Dunn said its headquarters is the first in Kansas City designed for LEED Gold certification. This designation requires the company to recycle or divert at least three-quarters of construction waste from landfills; and extract, process and manufacture at least 10 percent of building materials within 500 miles of Kansas City.

For more information, go to J.E. Dunn

Source: Kansas City Business Journal, January 15, 2008

1/14/2008

Applebee's opens $49M HQ

By: Suzanna Stagemeyer

Applebee's International Inc. held a grand opening for its $49 million headquarters Friday.

The 178,000-square-foot wooden and metal building is expected to receive a LEED Silver certification, the third-highest in the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system.

That allows Applebee's to build on its neighborhood concept, CEO Julia Stewart said.

"We hope it will impact and influence franchisees and others," she said. "We want to be a good neighbor in Lenexa and elsewhere -- for our associates, guests and franchisees."

The sustainable features are expected to reduce energy use by 68 percent compared with older office buildings nearby.

For more information, go to Applebee's

Source: Kansas City Business Journal, January 14, 2008

1/2/2008

Greensburg approves highest building standard to rebuild tornado-damaged city buildings

By: Ashley Katz

The U.S. Green Building Council announces that the city of Greensburg, Kansas has passed a resolution to certify all city-owned buildings LEED® Platinum, making it the first city in the U.S. to pass such a resolution. LEED Platinum is the highest rating a building can achieve under the USGBC’s LEED Green Building Rating System. LEED is a voluntary, consensus-based program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

Greensburg, devastated by a massive tornado on May 4, 2007, has focused its recovery on rebuilding as a model green community. On December 17, 2007, the City Council adopted a resolution that all city buildings greater than 4,000 square feet will be certified LEED Platinum and be required to reduce energy use by 42 percent over current building code requirements.

"The city of Greensburg has taken the extraordinary step of committing to rebuild their community to a new vision, not settling for simply recreating what had gone before," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "By committing to a recovery plan based on green building, the community’s leadership has set a path that will result in a healthier, more livable city for its citizens, turning a crisis into an opportunity that is an example for us all."

Following the Council’s historic vote, City Administrator Steve Hewitt said, "I am so excited about being the first city in the U.S. to adopt this system for a town. I am ecstatic about this commitment and what it is telling the world about our town’s character and where we are headed."

Mayor John Janssen said, "This is just another important step in our recovery and our intentions to come back as one of the greenest towns in America."

For more information, go to Greensburg Platinum

Source: The Kansas City Star, January 1, 2008

12/28/2007

Kansas Town's Green Dreams Could Save Its Future

By: Frank Morris

Greensburg, a tiny town on the vast, flat prairie of western Kansas, is at the center of a grand experiment. In May, a tornado obliterated nearly every house, tree and business.

The twister — among the strongest on record — killed 10 people and displaced almost 1,400 residents. The community had been in steep decline before the storm, but city leaders quickly saw opportunity in the disaster. Perhaps they could revive Greensburg and sustain it for generations to come by making it the greenest town in America.

For more information, go to Green Dreams

Source: All Things Considered, December 27, 2007

12/19/2007

Greensburg: Council takes the LEED with new building

By: Mark Anderson

Greensburg’s City Council made official Monday night its intention of having the first LEED Platinum building in Kansas finished and open for business by mid-summer by passing a resolution requiring municipal structures to be constructed to those standards (LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

That building—a small business incubator that will house as many as 15 businesses—is being built by the City with a $2 million grant from USDA Rural Development on the first block of south Main.

City Administrator Steve Hewitt has been a strong proponent of the resolution, receiving support for its adoption from BNIM Architects, the firm designing Greensburg’s Master Plan as well as the new USD 422 school campus. BNIM planner Steve Hardy, in fact, had left the council a model resolution for their consideration at the December 12 City Work Session.

For more information, go to Council takes the LEED

Source: Kiowa County Signal, December 19, 2007

12/19/2007

Highway Connector

A public-art project aims to reunite two sections of Kansas City that are divided by an interstate.

By: Randi Greenberg

“It’s the great irony of all American cities,” says Josh Shelton, a principal at the architecture firm El Dorado. “When interstates plowed through the middle of them, it didn’t make the downtowns more vibrant, it killed them.” Kansas City, Missouri, where El Dorado is located, was no exception. As the winner of a 2006 competition with local design studio MK12, the team had an opportunity to help remedy the local highway divide.

The scheme, Landscaped Edge, restores native Missouri vegetation—or at least an abstract facsimile of it – to a spot otherwise dominated by Interstate 670. El Dorado designed a modular guardrail for Wyandotte Bridge composed of alternating panels of laser-printed Plexiglas and stainless-steel mesh, while MK12 created the botanical imagery. Because each decorative panel has its own fluorescent light, the guardrail provides a safe walkway for pedestrians at night and offers engaging peeks at the urban scenery along the way.

Sponsored by the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the Downtown Council of Kansas City, the public-art project is a gateway between new developments in the business district – including the Convention Center ballroom expansion and the Sprint Center arena—and the Crossroads neighborhood, a bustling cultural hub. “A project like Landscaped Edge creates a handshake between downtown and grassroots investment,” Shelton says.

For more information, go to Public Art

Source: Metropolis Magazine, December 19, 2007

12/15/2007

The Unintended Consequences of Building Green

By: Sam Lubell

With all the hype surrounding sustainable building techniques, the decision to go green seems like a no-brainer. But the decision is more complicated than most realize. Each new green element, from daylight maximization to passive cooling, can affect other systems, often forcing changes that were never anticipated. As more green elements are added, more time and money must be spent on making adjustments, and more potential conflicts can arise. Light baffles and vents can cause headaches for acousticians; operable windows can cause headaches for fire experts, and so on.

AN sat down to discuss this issue with six architects and engineers from a firm with plenty of experience in the field: ARUP. The employees of the firm’s San Francisco office shared their enthusiasm for sustainability, but were honest about its realities, which often mean difficult compromises between members of a building team, whether lighting experts, acoustics experts, architects, or engineers. In building green, they pointed out, not everyone can be made happy.

For more information, go to Unintended Consequences

Source: The Architects Newspaper, December 12, 2007

12/14/2007

Unity Village Hotel and Conference Center Earns LEED Silver

The Unity Village Hotel and Conference Center, opened January 2007, recently received LEED Silver certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The hotel is the first lodging property in the Midwest to receive LEED certification and the sixth in the United States.

“Unity sought LEED certification for the Unity Village Hotel and Conference Center to reflect our deep concern for the environment as well as the well-being and comfort of our guests,” said Charlotte Shelton, Unity president and CEO. “Unity believes in being a good steward of all of our resources, including the beautiful natural setting we enjoy here at Unity Village. We also believe in being a good servant to all of those who come here for rest and renewal.”

For more information, go to Unity Village

Source: Green Lodging News, December 13, 2007

12/13/2007

U.S. sees renewable energy use doubling by 2030

By: Tom Doggett

The United States will still rely on oil, natural gas and coal for its main energy supplies through 2030, but ethanol and other renewable energy sources will double during the period, the government's top energy forecasting agency said on Wednesday.

"The higher level of renewable energy consumption is partially a result of higher energy prices...but it also reflects a revised presentation of state renewable portfolio standards," the Energy Information Administration said in its annual long-term forecast.

For more information, go to Renewable Energy Use Doubling

Source: Reuters, December 12, 2007

12/12/2007

The Greenest House in the City

Three years of hard-core planning led to this Weatherby Lake home leaving a light footprint on the planet.

By: Andrea Darr

When Shauna Zahner set out to build a new home for herself and her husband, Mike, she hit the mark on a number of major trends popping up in home design. As a designer and sales representative for Stitt Energy Systems, a company that specializes in the design and building of super energy-efficient homes, Shauna knows how to build a ‘green’ home inside and out. But she also included elements of the “Not-So-Big” phenomenon, universal design, working from home and multigenerational living.

Engaged in so many philosophies, her home is arguably one of the most ‘thoughtful’ in the city. But it’s her dedication to improving the planet through better building practices that makes her home so unique. “Being green doesn’t just mean adding one thing, like a heat pump; it’s changing your whole thought process, your whole approach to design,” Shauna explains.

For more information, go to Green Living

Source: KCH&G, December 2007

12/7/2007

Greener buildings easy, but barriers remain

Building greener homes and office towers and installing energy-efficient lighting could slash planet-warming carbon emissions, U.N. and industry officials said at climate talks in Bali on Friday.

They said the technology already existed to dramatically cut electricity use for very little cost, and yet it was puzzling that governments, industries and home-owners weren't cashing in on the energy-saving ideas.

"About 40 percent of all energy is consumed in buildings and in construction. This is the incredible fact most people don't realise," said Kaarin Taipale, of the U.N.'s Marrakesh Task Force on Sustainable Buildings and Construction.

The trick was to install greener lighting, ventilation, heating and cooling systems, said Sylvie Lemmet, director of the United Nations Environment Programme's Division of Technology, Industry and Economics.

She said it was also possible to cut power consumption by using better insulating materials in walls, windows, flooring and doors, and changing people's behaviour, such as switching off the lights as office-workers leave for the day.

For more information, go to Bali: Greener buildings easy

Source: Reuters InterActive Carbon Markets Community, December 7, 2007

12/3/2007

Energy efficiency fails to cut consumption--study

American consumers are driving bigger gas-guzzling cars and buying more air conditioners and refrigerators as the overall energy efficiency of such products improves, a report released on Tuesday found.

In what the study calls "the efficiency paradox," consumers have taken money saved from greater energy efficiency and spent it on more and bigger appliances and vehicles, consuming even more energy in the process.

"While seemingly perverse, improvements in energy efficiency result in more of the good being consumed -- not less," said Jeff Rubin, chief economist and chief strategist at CIBC World Markets, which conducted the study.

The study concludes that stricter energy efficiency regulations aren't the answer to concerns over climate change and the depletion of oil supplies.

For more information, go to Consumption

Source: Reuters InterActive Carbon Markets Community, November 27, 2007

11/27/2007

Sustainable Design Heats Up

By: Parke M. Chapman

Spiraling energy costs are a major factor driving demand to build and occupy sustainable green buildings, based on a recent survey of architects.

Last week, Autodesk Inc. and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) unveiled their 2007 Green Index. Roughly 70% of the respondents indicated that client demand for reduced operating costs is the leading motivation behind green building. Architects are responding by incorporating sustainable elements such as high-efficiency HVAC systems and recycled building materials into their designs.

“The results of the survey are encouraging,” says Christine McEntee, executive vice president and CEO for the AIA. “But there needs to be a greater sense of urgency to make sustainable design the norm in the profession.”

For more information, go to 2007 Green Index

Source: National Real Estate Investor, November 13, 2007

11/26/2007

BuildingGreen's Top 10 Green Products Announced

By: Stephani L. Miller

BuildingGreen Inc., publisher of the GreenSpec Directory, has named its Top 10 Green Building Products for 2007. The list, announced at the Greenbuild Conference and Expo on Nov. 8, recognizes the most exciting products added to the directory over the past year and covered in Environmental Building News.

Featured on the list are products that save energy and water, are made from recycled or recovered materials, avoid hazardous processes or disposal of materials during manufacture, and aid in the siting of solar energy systems. "Most of the top 10 products this year have multiple environmental attributes," Alex Wilson, co-editor of GreenSpec and BuildingGreen's president, said in a statement.

For more information, go to Top 10 Green Products

Source: ARCHITECT Magazine, November 26, 2007

11/23/2007

"Restoring Our Buildings, Restoring Our Health, Restoring the Earth"

Excerpt from Sustainable Healthcare Architecture, Robin Guenther and Gail Vittori, Editors

By: Bob Berkebile, FAIA

The vital connection between human health and the built environment, between our human behavior and the health of the planet, has been studied and documented for decades. While still an architecture student more than forty years ago, I took on a research project at the famous Menninger Clinic, then located in Topeka, Kansas. During that semester, I studied how varying a patient’s physical environment can affect his or her mental, emotional, and physical well-being. The variables we used were simple – color, temperature, daylight, humidity, and acoustic levels. Nor were our measurements particularly sophisticated. Yet we were able to observe how patients responded to changes in color (red made them more agitated and “eye-ease” green, more calm) as well as the effects of light and temperature on their appetites. It was obvious to me even then that the environment we create for people can dramatically affect their health, heart rate – even their ability to feel good about themselves.

For more information, go to Living Buildings

Source: Sustainable Healthcare Architecture, November 2007

11/14/2007

A National Green Building Research Agenda

The United States Green Building Council announced its research recommendations for areas of green building that are in need of more data.

CHICAGO — The United States Green Building Council announced its research recommendations for areas of green building that are in need of more data.

The council's research committee released the National Green Building Research Agenda at the 2007 Greenbuild conference. It focuses on research most needed by green building practitioners in design, engineering construction and development fields.

“This new research agenda is a call to action for the entire industry,” says Rick Fedrizzi, USGBC president. “In keeping with our goal to be both a resource for existing knowledge and a driver of relevant research, USGBC has created this living document to illustrate the breadth of research that is critically needed to transition to a sustainable built environment.”

Of the $193 million a year spent by the federal government for research between 2002 and 2004, 0.2 percent was spend on green building research, according to the USGBC.

“The national green building research agenda challenges government, foundation, industrial, academic and other sectors to devote the resources commensurate with the scale of the environmental, economic and social opportunities we face as a planet,” says Gail Brager, USGBC research committee chair.

For more information, go to Green Building Research Agenda

Source: Green Building News, November 13, 2007

11/10/2007

Welcome to Greensburg GreenTown

New Website for Greensburg

Welcome to Greensburg GreenTown: Your source for everything Green in Greensburg

Greensburg GreenTown is a nonprofit organization established to provide the residents of Greensburg, Kansas with the resources, information and support they need to rebuild Greensburg as a model green community following the May 2007 tornado.

For more information, go to GreenTown

Source: www.greensburggreentown.org

11/7/2007

KC Chamber program urges businesses to ‘go green’

By: Greg Hack

A partnership urging area businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was announced this morning by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber officials told the editorial board of The Kansas City Star that they already had signed up more than 30 businesses as founding members of the Climate Protection Partnership, patterned after an initiative they observed on a recent visit to Seattle.

As the price of energy has gone up, the chamber officials said, measures that conserve energy and reduce pollution also make increased economic sense.

For more information, go to KC Chamber: 'go green'

Source: The Kansas City Star, November 7, 2007

11/2/2007

Landscape Architects' Report Offers Hundreds of Tips for Sustainable Sites

The American Society of Landscape Architects yesterday released a comprehensive report giving a snapshot of the many ways that architects, designers and facility managers can enhance how well their sites fit into surrounding ecosystems, provide cleaner air and water, and reduce the impact of climate change.

The report, a standards and guidelines report from the Sustainable Sites Initiative, lists more than 200 ways to improve the ecosystem services that landscapes of all sizes and in all regions of the country can provide.

For more information, go to Tips for Sustainable Sites

Source: GreenerBuildings.com, November 2, 2007

10/28/2007

New Online Resource Targets Green Contractors

At the Mechanical Contractors Association of America's Green Opportunities Conference in Milwaukee this week, the group announced a new project aimed at bringing more green to the group's workers.

A new website, GreenContractors.us, offers the latest news, resources and education materials to building professionals seeking to learn more about green building practices as well as giving even more resources to those working in the green building field already.

For more information, go to Green Contractors

Source: GreenerBuildings.com, October 27, 2007

10/27/2007

Growth In CO2 Emissions Highest Since 1959

Human activities are releasing carbon dioxide faster than ever, while the natural processes that normally slow its build up in the atmosphere appear to be weakening. These conclusions are drawn in a new study in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, October 22-26. The report states that “together, these effects characterize a carbon cycle that is generating stronger-than-expected climate forcing sooner than expected.”

Between 2000 to 2006, human activities such as burning fossil fuels, manufacturing cement, and tropical deforestation contributed an average of 4.1 billion metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere each year, yielding an annual growth rate for atmospheric carbon dioxide of 1.93 parts per million (ppm). “This is the highest since the beginning of continuous monitoring in 1959,” states the report. The growth rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide is significantly larger than those for the 1980s and 1990s, which were 1.58 and 1.49 ppm per year, respectively. The present atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide is 381 ppm, the largest concentration in the last 650,000 years, and probably in the last 20 million years.

While the worldwide acceleration in carbon dioxide emissions had been previously noted, the current analysis provides insights into its causes. “The new twist here is the demonstration that weakening land and ocean sinks are contributing to the accelerating growth of atmospheric CO2,” says co-author Chris Field, director of the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global Ecology.

For more information, go to Growth In CO2 Emissions

Source: CarbonFree, October 26, 2007

10/26/2007

The Future of Green Building is Here

Podcast

By: Stephen Lacey

The participants and organizers of the Solar Decathlon are working toward one goal: Educate the public about the viability and importance of green building practices. The hundreds of students who built the 20 green houses on the National Mall in Washington, DC are proving that sustainable design and renewable energy are here, they are cost-effective and they will soon transform the building industry.

In this podcast, Producer and Host Stephen Lacey and News Editor Jennifer Runyon present a story about their experience at the Solar Decathlon and what it means for the industry

For more information, go to Future of Green Building

Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com, October 25, 2007

10/22/2007

Power Plant Rejected Over Carbon Dioxide For First Time

By: Steven Mufson

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment yesterday became the first government agency in the United States to cite carbon dioxide emissions as the reason for rejecting an air permit for a proposed coal-fired electricity generating plant, saying that the greenhouse gas threatens public health and the environment.

The decision marks a victory for environmental groups that are fighting proposals for new coal-fired plants around the country. It may be the first of a series of similar state actions inspired by a Supreme Court decision in April that asserted that greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide should be considered pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

In the past, air permits, which are required before construction of combustion facilities, have been denied over emissions such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and mercury. But Roderick L. Bremby, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said yesterday that "it would be irresponsible to ignore emerging information about the contribution of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to climate change and the potential harm to our environment and health if we do nothing."

For more information, go to Kansas denies permit

Source: Washingtonton Post, October 19, 2007

10/9/2007

BNIM wins contract to plan Greensburg's revival

Kansas City-based BNIM Architects won a contract to design a plan to rebuild tornado-ravaged Greensburg, Kan.

The six- to seven-month process will create a comprehensive master plan for the southwest Kansas city, which a tornado leveled on May 4.

The Greensburg City Council approved a $156,000 contract to engage BNIM's help with the rebuilding process on Oct. 1, BNIM city planner Stephen Hardy said Tuesday.

The first part of the process will focus on the city's downtown, getting businesses back up and running. The overall project will address layout and land use for the city, which has a population of about 1,900.

BNIM, at the state's request, has been involved with Greensburg since the tornado, including helping the Federal Emergency Management Agency and speaking at community meetings, Hardy said. BNIM also has supported the nonprofit Greensburg GreenTown, which was formed to help the city's residents rebuild Greensburg as a "model green community," according to the GreenTown Web site.

For more information, go to BNIM, Greenburg's revival

Source: Kansas City Business Journal, October 9, 2007

10/4/2007

New Partners Named to the Blue Skyways Collaborative

Cleaner air is on the horizon in Missouri and across the nation's Heartland as 15 new partners and communities are welcomed into the Blue Skyways Collaborative, which spans 10 Midwestern states. The projects of these new partners will reduce yearly air pollution by 900 tons and greenhouse gases by 1,768 tons. These figures will contribute to the total collaborative emissions reductions of 40,840 tons of pollutants and 535,070 tons of greenhouse gases, along with 22 million gallons in fuel savings.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrators John Askew, Region 7, and Richard Greene, Region 6, presented the partnership awards during the collaborative's biannual meeting at the Drury Plaza Hotel in downtown St. Louis. The theme of the meeting is "Making Energy Connections."

Askew said, "We're pleased to recognize our new partners and to spend time sharing information with all our Blue Skyways participants this week. The kind of interaction we're having here is important to advancing the goals of cleaner air for all of us."

"Blue Skyways is working to bring cleaner air and healthier lives to the 50 million people who make up America’s heartland," said Greene. "With a growing list of committed partners and pollution control technologies, we are saving millions of gallons of fuel and cutting tons of harmful emissions each year."

For more information, go to Blue Skyways Collaborative

Source: U.S. EPA Region 7, October 3, 2007

10/3/2007

Westar will build three Kansas wind farms

Westar Energy Inc. has reached tentative agreements with three developers that will build three wind farms in Kansas with combined electricity generation capacity of 300 megawatts.

In a release late Monday, Westar said the wind farms are expected to be operational by late 2008.

The planned wind farm sites are:

• Central Plains Wind Farm is a 99-megawatt project in Wichita County between Leoti and Scott City. The developer is RES America Developments Inc. Westar will own the generation at this wind farm.
• Westar will buy 96 megawatts from the Meridian Way Wind Farm in Cloud County. Horizon Wind Energy, owned by Energias de Portugal, will own and operate the 201-megawatt wind farm.
• The Flat Ridge Wind Farm is a 100-megawatt project in Barber County. BP Alternative Energy North America Inc. is developing the project through its Flat Ridge Wind Energy LLC subsidiary. Westar will own 50 megawatts of power generation and will buy the remaining 50 megawatts through a power purchase agreement.

For more information, go to Kansas wind farms

Source: Kansas City Business Journal, October 2, 2007

10/2/2007

Wal-Mart hits 100-million mark for energy-saving bulbs

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. reached an annual target of selling 100 million energy-efficient light bulbs ahead of schedule after heavily marketing them as a way for consumers to save money and fight global warming, the retailer said today.

The world’s largest retailer set the target, which roughly doubled its previous annual sales, late last year as part of a series of green policies. It expanded shelf space, cut prices and ran ads for the swirly compact fluorescent bulbs, or CFLs.

Environmentalists and manufacturers said Wal-Mart’s push has helped boost national demand for the efficient bulbs.

For more information, go to Energy-Saving Bulbs

Source: The Kansas City Star, October 2, 2007

9/28/2007

K-State Students Win ASLA Residential Design Award of Excellence

"Prairie Roots: Site Design for Solar Decathlon Project Solar Home"

Mark Ruzicka, Student ASLA, and Celine Andersen, Student ASLA, of Kansas State University received top honors in the 2007 Student Awards from the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Project Statement:
"Our charge was to design the site the for a university entry into the 2007 Solar Decathlon using sustainable site elements to symbolically represent Kansas. The success of the design relies on a dichotomy of elements that satisfy the site on the Washington National Mall and the Kansas landscape. The project unites sustainable landscape systems with the site, the home, and the people they impact.

The project site is 67’ x 82’ temporary plot located on the Washington National Mall and will be located there during the Solar Decathlon Competition in October. The Solar Home will be placed in a rural Kansas landscape yet to be determined after the competition is finished.

Our concept was to integrate house to site by celebrating the Kansas landscape.

The design takes the following six sustainable elements and integrates them with the site and house.

• Greenroof
• Native plants
• Greywater harvesting
• Rainwater harvesting
• Kitchen garden
• Sustainable Agriculture

For more information, go to ASLA 2007 Student Awards

Source: American Society of Landscape Architects

9/27/2007

Great Plains joins energy initiative

Great Plains Energy is among eight U.S. utilities that will pursue regulatory reforms and approvals to invest an additional $500 million combined annually in energy efficiency, for a combined annual investment of $1.5 billion.

The investment, expected to be fully implemented in 10 years, will decrease carbon dioxide emissions by about 30 million tons, which is equal to taking 6 million cars off the road, the Clinton Global Initiative said in a release Thursday. The measure also would remove the need to build 50 500-megawatt coal power plants throughout the country.

Kansas City-based Great Plains (NYSE: GXP) is joined by Con Edison, Duke Energy, Edison International, Pepco Holdings, PNM Resources, Sierra Pacific Resources and Xcel Energy. The utilities represent almost 20 million customers in 22 states.

The group also will form a national institute for energy efficiency, which would develop regulatory models and organize supporting conferences for power companies.

For more information, go to Energy Initiative

Source: Kansas City Business Journal, September 27, 2007

9/22/2007

EPA Announces Green Building Design Contest Winners in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced winners of the inaugural Lifecycle Building Challenge competition today. Three of the winners were from the EPA Region 7 states of Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska.

Award winners were recognized for their cutting-edge green building ideas that aim to reduce unwanted environmental and energy effects of buildings.

Aaron Tvrdy, a student at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, won for his project that foresees waste materials gathered in bulk, refurbished, and stored in regional design centers where designers can create components out of former waste. More about this project can be found at: http://www.lifecyclebuilding.org/gallery-detail.php?EntryID=56

Dan Rockhill of Lawrence, Kan., received an honorable mention for his single-family home with movable walls. This two-bedroom, one-bath house has 1,200 square feet of living space composed of six modules.

The proportions of the house have been tailored to the dimensions of a standard city lot. A movable storage wall permits splitting an area such as a single bedroom into a separate office and storage space as the homeowner might desire. Learn more about this project at: http://www.lifecyclebuilding.org/gallery-detail.php?EntryID=74

Another honorable mention went to Iowa State University student Thomas Hagarty of Muscatine, Iowa. His project examined the question: "Why aren’t buildings already designed to be disassembled?" More about this project is at: http://www.lifecyclebuilding.org/gallery-detail.php?EntryID=63

For more information, go to Green Building Design Contest Winners

Source: U.S. EPA Region 7, September 20, 2007

9/20/2007

Building Green Can Provide an Edge in a Tough Market, Report Finds

As the housing market cools down in both the U.K. and the United States, building and renovating green homes and facilities can make property more desirable, according to a new report from CarbonFree.

The report, Zero And Low Emission Buildings, looks at energy-saving building technologies ranging from new materials to low-power appliances, and examines a green building market that, as the number of housing starts continues to fall, is shifting towards the retrofitting of low emission solutions into existing buildings.

For more information, go to Building Green Can Provide an Edge

Source: GreenerBuildings.com, September 13, 2007

9/14/2007

U.S. must cut electricity use, KC energy forum told

By: Steve Everly

Not curbing consumption of electricity in the U.S. is no longer acceptable and must change, about 500 people at an energy-efficiency forum in Kansas City were told this morning.

The Kansas City Energy Efficiency Forum, which drew speakers from around the country, focused on more-efficient use of electricity – a topic that has been discussed for years as a sensible route to helping manage the country’s energy needs.

But the U.S. is currently ranked last among industrialized countries in making investments for more efficient use of energy, and the Midwest, with its relatively cheap power, is even lower than the U.S. average in making such investments.

That has to change, said several speakers, especially with growing concerns about global warming, which is widely seen as being contributed to by coal-fired power plants.

“We have no choice but to act on the agenda of energy efficiency,” said David Warm, executive director of the Mid-America Regional Council.

For more information, go to Energy Efficiency Forum

Source: The Kansas City Star, September 14, 2007

9/12/2007

Westar Energy Releases Climate Change Policy

Westar Energy, the largest electric utility in Kansas, has released its Westar Energy Climate Change Policy, which the company says provides a framework within which it will make decisions that affect the environment. Accompanying the policy is a set of principles that outline actions Westar Energy will take regarding climate change, including efforts reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, educating the public about climate change and energy efficiency and supporting constructive public policies and initiatives.

“We are ready to participate in sound efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Bill Moore, president and chief executive officer. “While some areas such as public policy and technology are still developing, we can take action by incorporating, where sensible, proven renewable energy resources and by educating our customers about energy efficiency and its role in reducing environmental impact.”

For more information, go to Westar Energy Climate Change Policy

Source: Environmental Leader, September 11, 2007

9/8/2007

Conversations on the Environment: Ray Anderson

A year-long series of community conversations

Ray Anderson, Interface, Inc.
Author of Mid-Course Correction
Unity Temple on the Plaza, Kansas City
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
5:00 – 6:30 pm

Mr. Anderson has turned into perhaps the leading corporate evangelist for sustainability. He can make the case effectively, he said, because his Interface experience teaches that sustainability “doesn’t cost, it pays” – in customer loyalty, employee spirit and hard cash. He says Interface sustainability efforts have saved the company more than $336 million since 1995… Mr. Anderson is a “a model of creative thinking about sustainable business practices.”

For more information, go to Ray Anderson

Source: 10,000 Rain Gardens

9/1/2007

Fitter. Happier. Better. Greener.

Science shows sustainable design does more than help the Earth; it makes you feel better, too.

By: Zach Mortice

As an architecture student in 1961 at the University of Kansas, Bob Berkebile, FAIA, began examining how color, humidity, temperature, and other environmental factors affected patients at a local mental health clinic. This study was his attempt to figure out how and why different places made him feel differently; why awe and reverence washed over him in a cathedral, or perhaps why a greenhouse bathed in sunlight leaves people feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Berkebile learned a few things about how the built environment works on people’s psyche, and these revelations were on his mind when he helped found the AIA’s Committee on the Environment (COTE) and the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

This work is now supported by an emerging body of research that reveals how elements common to green and sustainable building, like natural ventilation and day lighting, can improve workplace productivity, elevate student test scores, and reduce worker absenteeism. But, as Berkebile says, more scientists and architects need to finish what he started. “We’re only beginning to understand what all the issues are,” he says.

For more information, go to Fitter. Happier. Better. Greener.

Source: AIArchitect This Week, August 24, 2007

8/30/2007

Nation takes notice of a changing Kansas City

By: Kevin Collison

Kansas City’s reputation for having no reputation may be yesterday’s news, much to the delight of those toiling in the economic development vineyard.

The rave national reviews that accompanied the new Bloch Building at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art earlier this summer hit a crescendo Aug. 17. That’s when USA Today published a story that not only cited the Bloch addition, but also provided a glowing roundup of the major downtown redevelopment initiatives.

For more information, go to Nation takes notice

Source: The Kansas City Star, August 27, 2007

8/27/2007

Has U.S. Reached Green Turning Point? Depends Which Survey You Read

Eighty-seven percent of consumers are seriously concerned about the environment, according to the 2007 GfK Roper Green Gauge. The survey is interesting on a number of fronts, not least of which is how many of the findings seem to contradict a recent survey released by Yankelovich.

“Consumers are not drinking the Kool-Aid when it comes to green,” said J. Walker Smith, president of Yankelovich. “While they’re highly aware of environmental issues due to the glut of media attention, the simple fact is that ‘going green’ in their everyday life is simply not a big concern or a high priority.”

Yankelovich illustrates a similar finding (with different results) by measuring the degree to which all consumers - from “Green-less” to “Green-Enthusiasts” - are currently likely to buy a product based on its green features.

• Green-less (29 percent) Unmoved by environmental issues and alarms.
• Green-bits (19 percent) Don’t care but doing a few things.
• Green-steps (25 percent) Aware, concerned taking steps.
• Green-speaks (15 percent) Talk the talk more than walk the walk.
• Green-thusiasts (13 percent) Environment is a passionate concern.

For more information, go to Green Turning Point?

Source: Environmental Leader, August 23, 2007

8/25/2007

GREENspaces

By: Alex Schubert

It’s becoming cool to care, and hip developers are holding themselves to a higher standard – even as new green-friendly LEED developments spring up across the metropolitan area.

For more information, go to GREENspaces

Source: Urban Times Magazine, August 2007

8/23/2007

15 Green Buildings

"15 Green" List

Green building has grown up, from a tiny movement of hands-on idealists to an increasingly mainstream business sector that erects office towers and research centers. Sure, the structures on this list aren't as low-impact as yurts or straw-bale homes, but they represent green building on a broader, more public scale – where energy efficiency and sustainably sourced materials come together to touch the lives of the many rather than the few.

4
Lewis and Clark State Office Building, Jefferson City, Mo., U.S.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources takes great pride in its award-winning green edifice. Nearly 75 percent of the materials used to build it came from within a 500-mile radius, and 50 percent of the construction waste was recycled. The facility collects rainwater and uses it in toilets, and solar photovoltaic cells on the roof provide a portion of its power needs. "This building ... was designed and built to serve the people of Missouri," says Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder. "In other words, it's not a show pony; it's a workhorse – an incredibly efficient workhorse."

10
Alberici Corporate Headquarters, St. Louis, Mo., U.S.
This global construction company put its money where its business is in 2004, turning a metal-fabrication building into a shiny new headquarters. With a wind turbine generating 20 percent of the facility's energy and rainwater catchment saving 500,000 gallons of water a year, the project earned one of the highest ratings ever doled out by the U.S. Green Building Council.

For more information, go to 15 Green Buildings

Source: Grist.org, August 10, 2007

8/22/2007

Global Survey Shows "Green" Construction Costs Dramatically Lower Than Believed

Survey finds green costs overestimated by 300% and a need to foster zero net energy construction. Key players in real estate and construction misjudge the costs and benefits of "green" buildings, creating a major barrier to more energy efficiency in the building sector, a new study by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) reports.

Respondents to a 1400 person global survey estimated the additional cost of building green at 17 percent above conventional construction, more than triple the true cost difference of about 5 percent. At the same time, survey respondents put greenhouse gas emissions by buildings at 19 percent of world total, while the actual number of 40 percent is double this.

The findings are disclosed in a new report titled Energy Efficiency in Buildings: Business Realities and Opportunities, which summarizes