Sustainable Development Focus
Building Design + Construction - Jan 5 The global market for products and services related to achieving net zero energy (ZNE) in residential and commercial construction and renovation is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 44.5% between 2014 and 2035, and exceed $1.4 trillion in that last year, according to the latest estimates in a new Navigant Research report. Benjamin Freas, Navigant’s Principal Research Analyst in Washington, D.C., said that the regulatory climate, both in North America and worldwide, is leaning in directions that favor ZNE construction practices. He points specifically to California’s Title 24, which went into effect on January 1 and sets minimum energy saving requirements for new buildings and renovations. By 2030, all new commercial construction in California must be ZNE, meaning that those buildings produce at least as much energy onsite as they consume. The North American ZNE market will reach $127.1 billion in 2035, nearly 1,000 times larger than the $137.4 million market at 2014.
Solar Industry Magazine - Jan 10 Scott Wiener, a newly elected California state senator representing District 11, has introduced legislation to require the installation of solar power on new residential and commercial buildings throughout California. The statewide requirement would resemble a city mandate Wiener authored and helped pass last year as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. In April, the board unanimously approved a city ordinance requiring new small and midsize buildings in San Francisco to include solar. Smaller California cities, such as Lancaster, also have similar solar mandates. As with his San Francisco ordinance, Weiner’s new senate legislation would build on the current state law by mandating that solar actually be installed on the 15% of “solar ready” roof area of new small and midsize buildings in California. That can include either solar photovoltaic or solar water installations.
Facility Executive - Jan 5 In late December 2016, the Denver City Council unanimously passed an ordinance aimed at reducing energy use in the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions by requiring energy benchmarking and transparency in multi-family and commercial buildings. The new ordinance, the Energize Denver program, is a key component of the city’s efforts to achieve Denver’s 2020 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels by 2020 and by 80% by 2050. Denver is among 16 other large cities to pass similar ordinances in an effort to achieve climate goals, while realizing the economic benefits of long-term energy savings.
San Francisco Business Times - Jan 9 As their economic advantages become clearer, eco-friendly features matter more and more to the hospitality industry. Not only can these programs decrease building operating costs, but some studies also show that green features can boost revenue, too. Within the Bay Area, many hotels have accepted the demand to go green. A number have become LEED- or Energy Star-certified, and 66 hotels, or 27 percent, of the 230 San Francisco properties on online travel site TripAdvisor are included in its GreenLeaders program, which showcases facilities with green practices. Travelers today can search for “Green” hotels, highlighting that sustainability has become an important magnet for consumers. Only 15 percent of New York City hotels and 8 percent of Los Angeles hotels on TripAdvisor are designated GreenLeaders.
KPBS - Jan 9 Just over a year after the passage of San Diego's Climate Action Plan, the city's goal of dramatically shifting its residents' commuting habits away from cars and toward public transit is slipping further from reach. The Metropolitan Transit System, which operates buses and trolleys in most of San Diego County, logged 4 million fewer passenger trips in fiscal year 2016 compared to the previous year — a drop of about 4.3 percent. Ridership for the current fiscal year, which began last July, is also down. San Diego is far from alone: Low gas prices and increasing competition from ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft have put a damper on public transit ridership in nearly every city in the U.S. In addition, high employment and low interest rates have allowed more people to buy cars, and sky-high housing prices have forced many to live further from their jobs, making the convenience and speed of driving one's own vehicle all the more attractive.
CP Executive - Dec 30 Located at 3250 Helms Ave. in Culver City, California, the 2,822-square-foot Kohler Signature Store by Expressions Home Gallery retail space and headquarters is the first U.S. location and the eleventh project in the world to be certified under the LEED v4 Interior Design + Construction: Retail rating system by the U.S. Green Building Council. Kohler, Expressions Home Gallery, and Transwestern Sustainability Services made improvements including reducing the lighting power density while maintaining adequate lighting levels within the office space by installing no-mercury LED lamps and fixtures and retrofitting base building plumbing features to low-flow water closets, urinals, and automatic lavatory faucets, resulting in a 36 percent decrease in potable water usage.
