Creative Contractors Achieves First LEED School in Florida

Gulf Trace Elementary School, built by Creative Contractors, Inc., has been certified as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver by the U.S. Green Building Council.  It is the first K-12 Public School in Florida to receive LEED certification. Gulf Trace Elementary School is located in Holiday, in Pasco County. It is a 90,000 sq. ft. school with a construction cost of $13,000,000.  Holmes Hepner and Associates Architects, Tampa, was the designer. Some of the LEED features of the building include:  

 

• 1,364,000 pounds of construction waste was recycled (80% of all waste)

• 40% of construction materials were extracted and manufactured within 500 miles

• 26% of construction materials were made of recycled content (the carpet even included old automobile windshields!)

• Preferred parking spaces for low-emitting and fuel efficient vehicles

• Use of dual flush toilets and water conserving fixtures reduced water use by 40%

• 52% of wood used in the building came from sustainably managed forests certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council

• All paints, adhesives, sealants, and carpets contained low or no VOCs (volatile organic compounds)

 

Broward's First Multi-Tenant LEED Office Building

Stiles Corporation is on track to complete the first LEED-certified multi-tenant office building in Broward County in May.  The Fort Lauderdale developer’s 130,000-square-foot Lake Shore Plaza II in Sunrise has been pre-certified to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) at completion. 

                 “While there are a handful of LEED registered projects in the pipeline for Broward, Lake Shore Plaza II will be the first LEED-designed multi-tenant office building we know of to be completed in the county,” according to environmental consultant Rob Hink, president of USGBC’s South Florida chapter, and principal of the Spinnaker Group, a sustainable design consulting firm in Weston.

             Tours of the building will be provided upon request. Stiles division Architecture 6400, Inc. designed the building to incorporate numerous “green” design features.

USAA  SOUTHEAST  Regional Office  Receives  U.S.G.B.C.  Distinction

USAA’s Southeast Regional Office, located in Tampa, has been awarded a Gold certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Buildings from the U.S. Green Building Council. The first existing building in Florida to receive this certification, USAA’s Tampa location is a seven-story, 523,558 square foot office building built in 1993 and features panoramic views of woodlands and wetlands. The 128-acre site includes a 22 acre man-made lake surrounded by a jogging trail.  The LEED for Existing Buildings Rating System is voluntary, and helps building owners and operators measure operations, improvements, and maintenance on a consistent scale. The goal is to maximize operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts. LEED for Existing Buildings addresses whole-building cleaning and maintenance issues, recycling programs, exterior maintenance programs, and systems upgrades.

                 

New Century Companies Goes Green at New Century Commons

New Century Companies is keeping with the Reuse, Renew and Recycle message at New Century Commons with 100% of the materials removed from the site having been recycled.  New Century Commons is being constructed on the former Costco site in East Delray Beach by New Century Companies.

               The five major steps used for the New Century Commons demolition process include:

 • Utilizing recycling facilities to sort the debris from the interior build out, in which the materials will be moved on to various stages of manufacturing to be reused for new products;

• All ferrous and non-ferrous metals were sorted and shipped back to the smelting plants to be recycled and remanufactured for new products;

• All the concrete is to be cleaned, processed and reused as crushed rock and loose fill;

• All of the electrical components are to be refurbished, recycled and reused.  The light bulbs were removed from the fixtures and are scheduled to be reused in other facilities or remained with the light fixtures for future use;

• Additionally, the roofing insulation was reclaimed and sent back to the manufacturer to be recycled.

  

G-8 Countries Agree on Greenhouse Gas Reduction

The Group of Eight (G-8) leading industrial nations - the U.S., Japan, Russia, Germany, France, Britain, Canada and Italy - have reached an agreement to reduce the world’s emissions of greenhouse gases by 50% by the year 2050.  However, leaders of mayor developing countries called on the G-8 to reduce emission of greenhouse gases by up to 45% by year 2012 and up to 95% by 2050.

 

Exploring Florida’s Sustainable Initiatives 

Voluntary, Non-regulatory Programs

Sustainable Initiatives in the State of Florida are voluntary, non-regulatory programs within the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that assist Florida industry and citizens in protecting Florida’s environment. Included in Sustainable Initiatives are the Clean Marina Program, the Florida Green Lodging Program and the Florida Pollution Prevention Program. The goal of the Sustainable Initiatives programs is to meet the needs of the present population without compromising the ability of future populations to meet its needs.

The Florida Clean Marina Programs are designed to bring awareness to marine facilities and boaters regarding environmentally friendly practices intended to protect and preserve Florida’s precious natural environment. Marinas, boatyards and marine retailers receive “clean” designations by demonstrating a commitment to prescribed Best Management Practices.

The Clean Vessel Act (CVA) of 1992 was signed into law to reduce pollution from vessel sewage discharges, prohibiting the discharge of raw sewage into fresh water or within coastal salt-water limits. The act established a federal grant program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which to date has awarded nearly $150 million for states to install thousands of sewage pumpout stations. The program, housed within DEP’s Office of Sustainable Initiatives, provides grants for construction and installation of sewage pumpout facilities and floating restrooms at marinas, purchase of pumpout boats and educational programs for boaters.

The Florida Green Lodging Program was established in 2004 by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) with the intent of recognizing and rewarding environmentally conscientious lodging facilities in the state. Through this rapidly growing program DEP encourages the lodging industry to conserve and protect Florida’s natural resources. The Florida Green Lodging Program is unique in that it covers an all-inclusive list of environmental initiatives that are specific to protecting and preserving Florida’s environment.

The Pollution Prevention (P2) Program is interested in identifying areas where industries can save money by eliminating or reducing pollution at the source, before it becomes waste to be managed. The P2 Program is designed to assist manufacturers, commercial businesses, government, military facilities, trade organizations or any organization in Florida to identify pollution prevention projects or ways to reduce environmental impact through the use of pollution prevention strategies.

  

Governor Crist Signs Energy Bill

Governor Charlie Crist celebrated the grand opening of the 2008 Serve to Preserve Florida Summit on Global Climate Change Green Technology Expo, inviting more than 700 summit attendees to explore information and technologies featured by more than 50 expo participants. Businesses and other organizations presented information and demonstrated projects that stimulate investment in renewable and alternative energy technologies and help increase energy efficiency. Prior to opening the business expo, Governor Crist signed House Bill 7135, a comprehensive energy and economic development package aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as encouraging investment in alternative and renewable energy technologies.  Last year, Governor Charlie Crist signed three executive orders to reduce Florida’s greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy efficiency, and remove market barriers for renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind energy.

 

AIA To Focus on Sustainable Design

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced that starting in January 2009, it will require its members to complete four hours per year of continuing education focused on sustainable design.  Additionally, the AIA is focusing its energy on promoting sustainability at the local, state and federal level by working together with stakeholders to promote green building.

 

Green Building No Longer A Buzz Word

Green building was for several years a novelty, an extra, a buzz word for marketing projects. But over the past several years, concerns about the environment and global warming have brought sustainable design and construction to the forefront of the construction industry.  Additionally, the availability of green products and materials, coupled with the sudden surge in fuel prices, Green Building is no longer a buzz word, but rather a cost-effective integrated sustainable approach to construction. 

 

Solar Energy in Florida’s Future

Florida Power & Light will install a total of 110 megawatts of solar energy, including a 25 megawatt solar photovoltaic facility in DeSoto County, one of the world’s largest, and a 10 megawatt solar photovoltaic installation in conjunction with NASA, near the Kennedy Space Station at Cape Canaveral. Additionally, the company is installing a 75 megawatt solar thermal facility at the existing Martin Power Station near Indiantown, the largest single solar thermal facility outside of California and the world’s first solar project connected to a natural gas-fired plant. Together, the three projects will prevent the release of nearly 3.5 million tons of greenhouses gases over the life of the projects, which is the equivalent of removing 25,000 cars from the road.