A nod of recognition to local commercial businesses leading he way in green building.

David E. Shambach, Architect, Inc. announces the new veterinary facilities for Central Animal Hospital, 4020 East Speedway Blvd., have received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) GOLD certification through the U.S. Green Building Council.

This LEED certification is one of the first awarded to a veterinary hospital in the United States. The building received 47 points out of 69 possible. The new facilities are the result of a major renovation of a 1980s-era auto parts store that was converted to a modern, state-of-the-art, energy- and water-efficient veterinary hospital. The project incorporates natural daylight, a high-efficiency heating- and air-conditioning system, automatic ambiance controls, solar energy generation and water harvesting designed to reduce energy consumption by 42 percent and water consumption by 30 percent. The indoor environment of the facility was designed and constructed to be healthier and less toxic for both humans and animals alike.

Central Animal Hospital is owned and operated by Michael Samuels, DVM and Judy Miller, DVM and was designed by the Tucson architecture firm, David E. Shambach, Architect, Inc., 1202 E. Broadway Blvd. in Tucson.

The Green Valley Fire District has the first LEED Silver certified fire station in the Green Valley and Sahuarita area. The District held a grand opening and public open house in April 2010 to show the station’s efficient features.

The new 14,000 square foot station, located at 250 N. La Canada Drive in Green Valley, replaces an older, smaller station and will allow the District to better serve residents and to prepare for future growth in the District. The building is certified with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) program. Some of the station’s efficient features include a unique building block designed to raise the insulation factor, solar heated water, additional windows to allow natural lighting and many other features, all of which will significantly reduce energy costs. Built by Lang Wyatt Construction, the station was designed by Welman Sperides Mickelberg Architects to be a part of the community’s critical infrastructure and accommodate long-term future growth.

The District also maximized efficiency and reduced taxpayer costs by designing and building the station in conjunction with another new station (Station 155 in the Quail Creek area). By simultaneously building two stations, the District reduced administrative and overhead costs in the design, engineering and construction phases.

“The new station is a win-win for the community because of the cost savings, preparation for expedient response times and reduced impact on the environment.” said Fire Chief Simon Davis.

Send new LEED certified commercial announcements to: editor @ tucsongreentimes.com.

Tucson Green Times – June 2010

Some of the biggest users of water – depending on what’s installed in your house – can be the biggest wasters of water. The toilet. The shower. Many of your faucets.

Today there are options to water-guzzling fixtures that make you feel you’re getting the same or even more water. Bowls flush and clean better and showers can feel more refreshing than ever, while taking a really large bite out of water use in our homes.

New toilets must meet a federal 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) standard, yet a variety of makes and models are available that perform equally well at less of a flow – 1.2 gpf for instance. There even are dual flush toilets that use 1.6 gpf for solids and 0.8 gpf for fluids.

Besides the 1.6 gpf standard for residential and commercial toilets, the Environmental Protection Agency also sets a standard of 1.0 gpf for urinals, 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) for showerheads at 80 pounds per square inch (psi), and 2.2 gpm at 60 psi for bath and kitchen faucets.

These standards are already saving millions of gallons daily and our creature comforts aren’t missing a beat.

A major factor in conserving water in homes is the EPA’s WaterSense partnership program, where products that carry the WaterSense label are generally 20 percent more water-efficient than similar products on the marketplace.

The average American family of four uses 400 gallons of water daily, depending on location. The EPA estimates the average home, retrofitted with WaterSense-labeled toilets and bathroom faucets or faucet accessories, can save more than 11,000 gallons a year.

John Smith, owner of Arizona Green Plumbers in Tucson, says the simplest way for people to save water is to change their habits and replace older fixtures with water-saving high efficiency toilets (HET) and showerheads.

When he services an older 3.5 gpm toilet in a home, he often recommends a HET replacement, such as the 1.28 gpf flapperless toilet made by Niagara.

“Or we might suggest a dual flush toilet,” he says, “depending on the customer’s needs.”

Smith, who’s a certified and licensed green plumber through Green Plumbers USA, recently installed dual flush 1.28/0.8-gpf toilets donated by Gerber to retrofit those at the Ronald McDonald House in Tucson.

“We also replaced the 2.5 gpm showerheads with 1.5 gpm showerheads donated by Delta, and kitchen faucets donated by Gerber,” he says.

Mark Sanders, product line manager for Sloan Valve Company of Franklin Park, Ill., calls the idea of using fresh water to flush a toilet wasteful. His company recently developed Aqus, a water reuse system for flushing a toilet, which uses a 5.5-gallon, 10-inch tall holding tank that is usually installed under a lavatory sink and gravity fed from the sink drain. Water in the holding tank is filtered and treated, and then pumped to a toilet to be used for flushing.

“This is a pretty simple idea that saves a significant amount of water,” Sanders says.

When low flow toilets were first developed, sometimes they were ineffective and often needed flushing twice in order to remove solids, according to Rob Zimmerman, senior staff engineer for the water conservation initiative at Kohler Co. in Wisconsin. But he notes that those problems were ironed out and low flow toilets became effective and reliable.

The high efficiency toilets (HET) being made today use only 1.2 gpf, or 20 percent less water than a standard 1.6 gpf toilet, Zimmerman says. Kohler currently has 40 HET models and expects all the toilets it makes by 2014 will be HET models.

He points out that the WaterSense program estimates there are between 80 and 100 million 3.5 gpf toilets still being used in the country. Current studies indicate residential water usage at between 40 and 50 gallons per day per person, with more than a quarter used to flush toilets.

Zimmerman thinks dual flush toilets are another solution to reducing residential water use.

Dawn Janowski, sales associate at Westar Kitchen and Bath in Marana, says her firm sells to homeowners, homebuilders and contractors, and many of them are moving toward more water-efficient fixtures.

“We carry Toto toilets and have been selling both their Eco model at 1.28 gpf and their dual flush model that flushes at 1.6 gpf for solids and 0.8 gpf for liquids,” Janowski says. “Both models work on the gravity flushing system and have a large water spot, which helps with the draining and cleanliness of the bowl.”

Mike Van Stelle, branch manager at Ferguson in Marana, says most people won’t notice the difference in switching to a low flow faucet compared to their old style 2.5 gpm fixture. Some people might notice the difference in a low flow showerhead, he notes, but with an increase in pressure behind the newer models and a tighter spray pattern, few people detect it.

“The water is aerated better because there’s more air mixed with the water so you don’t notice the difference in there being less water than before,” Van Stelle says.

Caroma, of Hillsboro, Ore., which makes a wide range of HET and dual flush toilets, also makes a Profile Smart toilet that integrates a sink into the top of the tank. The water used in the sink drains into another tank, and then is used in the next flushing cycle of the dual flush unit.

“So you’re using the sink water a second time,” says Derek Kirkpatrick, North American general manager. “People are gravitating toward this product, finding that it fits in many applications.”

American Standard makes Flowise shower heads in a range of styles and in both conventional and hand held heads, recently converting its bath line from the 2.2 gpm standard to 1.5 gpm.

“Consumers want products that save water, but give the same performance as standard fixtures,” says Uhl.

By visiting the many local plumbing fixture suppliers and finding the styles and performance you like, saving water can become more convenient and engaging than you ever thought it could be.

Author: Alan M. Petrillo is a local freelance writer.

By Pamela Portwood

Tucson Green Times – June 2010

Now that the summer sun is pummeling our windows with heat, desert dwellers will do just about anything to stay cool. One homeowner I know boarded up and dry walled over her west windows. That certainly will increase a home’s energy efficiency, but there are ways to deal with the desert sun without giving up the views and light from your windows.

If you are building a new home or have the funds to remodel your current home, installing energy-efficient windows is the best place to start. Selecting new windows can seem like a maze of statistics, acronyms and certifications: U-factor, solar heat gain coefficient, low emissivity and visible transmittance, not to mention double-paned windows filled with argon glass.

I’ll save the details for another column on windows and doors. Meanwhile, you can check the federal Energy Star website (www.energystar.gov) for information on window performance and details on the tax credits available through Dec. 31 for window replacement in existing homes. There also are tax credits for the installation of window film, heating and cooling systems, insulation and more.

I know you’ve heard this before, but if you’re not replacing your windows, start by caulking them. It’s cheap and it’s easy. If your windows aren’t well sealed, your heated or cooled air is just leaking out the windows.

Simply reducing the amount of light coming through windows will increase their energy efficiency. For new homes, the right size of roof overhang can heat and cool a home using passive solar design. Adding a patio or awning can create a similar effect in terms of heat reduction for an existing home.

New windows typically come with a solar reflective coating. Adding window film to your existing windows will decrease your heat gain in the summer and help protect your furniture and flooring from the fading caused by UV light. In selecting film, try to maximize the film’s energy efficiency while maintaining your view and avoiding highly reflective films that are more appropriate for commercial buildings than homes.

Energy-efficient window coverings are a great way to save energy and add to your home’s style. Drapes and curtains can be lined with blackout cloth and kept closed during the heat of the day.

Both louvered blinds and interior shutters can reduce heat in the summer, and their adjustable louvers allow you to control the light. Like other window coverings, the lighter their color, the better they reflect the light and reduce the heat. Unfortunately, neither interior blinds nor shutters retain much heat in the winter.

Double- and triple-cell designs for cellular or honeycomb shades are more energy efficient than single cells. Hanging cellular shades in between double-pane windows is a boon for allergy sufferers because the shades don’t accumulate dust like exposed window coverings do.

While we can’t change the orientation of an existing home without literally lifting the building and turning it onto an east-west axis, we can make our window coverings fit the homes we already have. Combining two energy-efficient window coverings, like window film and lined drapes, on your west and east windows can be a good solution. We need to save energy, but daylight is essential to human health and well-being.

Author: Pamela Portwood, Allied Member ASID, LEED AP ID+C, is the interior design principal for Greener Lives, LLC, a local interior design firm that specializes in healthy and eco-friendly interiors.

Tucson Green Times – June 2010

Not only is the City of Tucson’s Reid Park Zoo home to 500 exotic animals, it is also home to a rather rare and exotic building. Located near the southwest corner of the zoo grounds, the Lee H. Brown Family Conservation Learning Center is one of only six LEED Platinum buildings in the state and was the first for any zoo or aquarium.

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a building rating system that measures energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions, indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and materials. LEED is a points-based system and there are four levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. In most cases, reaching enough points to achieve a Platinum certification is an extremely challenging task.

Vivian VanPeenen, curator of education, was part of the building project team. “We are a conservation organization and having a LEED Platinum building was an opportunity, particularly because it’s an education building, to set an example not just to our community but to ourselves that we can really make conservation a priority,” she says.

Certified in 2008, the 10,000-square-foot facility is used for exhibit space, classrooms and offices. The building is a lesson in sustainable architecture. Graphics around the space talk about how it was built and how it is a responsible type of construction. The current ground floor exhibit focuses on sustainability and green design as compared to animal adaptations.

VanPeenen says the exhibit displays are loose interpretations but teach about both animals and green building. She refers to dragons as an example: “We have bearded dragons at the zoo and they will warm up on dark colored rocks during the day and cool off on light colored rocks,” she says. “We use that to talk about roof color and how – in Tucson – having a light roof helps reflect heat just like the bearded dragons.”

Perhaps the most obvious green feature are the roof-top solar panels donated by TEP. Because of building orientation, insulation and a design that maximizes daylight, the building uses 75 percent less energy compared to a building of typical quality construction of the same size. Forty-eight percent of the electricity used is generated by the grid-tied solar panels. The remaining power is purchased using green energy credits from TEP. Thanks to fundraising done by the zoo’s teen volunteers, VanPeenen says, “We prepaid with green credits, so we won’t be using any non-green power for the first five years.”

Susan Basford, the zoo administrator says, “We think of ourselves as a conservation organization and, as such, we wanted to put our money where our mouth is. We said, ‘Let’s walk the talk. Let’s be as conservation-minded as we possibly can with this building.’ We made a commitment to each other and to the architecture team that we would do everything we possibly could to ensure that we got the Platinum certification.”

Water conservation was very important to the project team. Aside from water used in washing machine, every drop of water is either perused or reused.

The butterfly-shaped roof captures all of the rainwater and delivers it to a giant cistern in front of the building. Along with two smaller cisterns, the building can store up 2,800 gallons at a time and any overflow feeds into the flamingo pond. Reclaimed water from the existing system in the park is used to flush toilets and hose down sidewalks. A graywater system captures water from hand washing sinks and water fountains and recharges the groundwater system. The parking lot was constructed with pervious concrete so any water that falls on it is also returned to the groundwater supply. The building uses only about half the amount of potable water of what a comparable building without the water conservation features would use.

The selection of building materials is also a component of the LEED rating system. Twenty-four percent of the building materials contain recycled content, seven percent were salvaged and 38 percent were locally sourced within a 500-mile radius.

“We harvested as many things locally as we could,” says VanPeenen. “Where the building stands now used to be a thick lush bamboo area. We cut that bamboo down, dried it, left it on the site for the year that the building was being constructed and ended up stringing it together to form the fences that are on site today.”

Just this year, the zoo’s café – Taste of the Wild – was remodeled with sustainability in mind as well. Owned and operated by an outside vendor, the Zoofari Market was converted from an outdoor walk-up window to an indoor dining hall with an expanded menu.

General Manager Jason Stover, says, “As a company, we have a new green mission in which we’re trying to perform our business in a more green fashion. When we started this project, we decided that it was going to be a starting point for us and play around with green features and, from this point on, when we do renovations in other zoos we can take this and build upon it.”

Recycled concrete and countertops, nontoxic plaster, rapidly renewable bamboo and recycled art are a few of the green features that were used in the café renovation. All of the café’s cutlery, plates and bowls are corn-based and compostable.

Infrastructure is certainly important, but the animals are the main attraction at the zoo and conservation of species is also a crucial component.

Reid Park Zoo is a member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). AZA members must meet rigorous professional standards for animal welfare, veterinary care, wildlife conservation, scientific research, education, expert staffing and safety.

According to Basford, out of about 1,500 zoos in the U.S. only 210 are accredited. She says accreditation “holds us to very high standards, not only to husbandry but to exhibitry, customer service, education and conservation.” Visiting AZA-accredited zoos is a good way to confirm the zoo’s commitment to great animal care and a conservation ethic.

The Species Survival Plan (SSP) is one of the programs in which all AZA-accredited zoos participate, including Reid Park Zoo. SSPs allow zoos and aquariums to work together to do what’s best for an entire species, and can determine which animals are good breeding matches, even if those animals are at different zoos. SSP can also restrict breeding if the captive population gets too large, or encourage breeding if the population gets too small.

“It really means that you agree you are going to work with your colleagues to do what’s best for the viability of that population throughout the country in terms of captive animals,” says Basford.

Reid Park Zoo is home to many SSP animals, such as the giant anteater and the warty pig. VanPeenen says conservation is not always the first reason why people visit the zoo. They come to spend time outside with their family in a safe environment to appreciate the animals, but she says the zoo shares the conservation message with zoo visitors, “so they can continue to improve their own actions to positively impact wildlife. The only way that people will conserve animals and care about them is if they’re exposed to them.”

School’s out, it’s a great time to visit the zoo and there are lots of summer events planned. Summer Safari Nights with activities and music for both children and adults takes place every Friday evening through July 9 and a Father’s Day barbeque is scheduled for June 20. On the weekends all summer long, zoo members are invited to enjoy the zoo before it opens to public non-members and while the zoo keepers are preparing for the day.

Author: Gretel Hakanson is a local freelance writer.

Tucson Green Times – May 2010

Right-sizing your HVAC equipment for an upgrade on an existing house or for a new house is the most important step in achieving energy efficiency.

Many older homes in Tucson have over-sized equipment based on old rule-of-thumb sizing strategies. Why is right-sizing important? One test on SEER 12 rated equipment found that a 25 percent over-sizing reduced the SEER to 11.5. This means that if you need a three-ton AC but were “sold” a four-ton, you will have a reduction in energy efficiency of almost five percent that will increase your electric bills for the next 15 to 20 years. Not to mention that you probably paid more for a high SEER unit and you should get the energy efficiency that you paid for.

The standard way to size HVAC is to use the Air Conditioning Contractors Association (ACCA) Manual J – LEED for Homes. Prerequisite EQ 6.1 requires a Manual J calculation. So does the building code (IRC M1401.3). Manual J has a 10 percent “safety” or oversize factor built into the calculations. This is important to keep in mind as you right-size.

Another thing to keep in mind is the weather at the location of the home. To properly size the AC unit, weather information for the location is needed.

There are several software tools to help air conditioning contractors right-size equipment.

These tools all get weather information from standard tables in the software. Examples of the data are:

• Heating and cooling outside dry bulb temperatures

• Wind speed
• Daily temperature range
• Cooling outside wet bulb temperature, etc.

You can modify these weather data inputs based on microclimate conditions. Pima County has a wide variety of micro-climates, and has amended the International Energy Conservation code to provide prescriptive input data.

You can find more specific data from a weather station near you: www.wrcc.dri.edu/summary/climsmaz.html

For a client building a house in Corona de Tucson in the foothills of the Santa Rita Mountains at 3,400 feet in elevation, in-town calculations would not be appropriate. So a performance-based approach based on local climate could provide better sizing. On the Arizona Climate Summaries map at the website referenced above, there are two stations that may be closer to the climate for this house.

With precise climate information, the designer can evaluate the best design conditions and hopefully better size the air condition system so the homeowner receives the benefit of their high SEER, energy saving air conditioner.

If the standard weather data Manual J calculation says that the cooling load is 34,000 btuh, or 2.83 tons, you may want to specify a unit that has 2.5 ton cooling capacity knowing that Manual J has a safety factor built in and that your design conditions are less than the standard weather tables. (Equipment sizing is done using Manual S and is a different article. For now, just know that nominal rating of equipment, e.g., 3 tons, is based on a humid environment at 95 degrees. Our climate is hotter and much dryer, so you need to know the equipment’s sensible capacity.)

When taking time to pay closer attention to the details for HVAC requirements, the energy and CO2 savings are significant – and dollar savings can add up into the thousands.

EDITOR”S NOTE:For installers seeking more detailed information, contact the author at 520-740-6490 or by email: Rich.Franz@dsd.pima.gov

Author: Richard Franz-Ünder is a near native Tucsonan, a registered architect in California and Arizona, a US Green Building Council LEED accredited professional, and a LEED for Homes Green Rater.  With over 13 years experience with green building, he initiated and oversaw the design and construction of the first LEED building in Arizona during his tenure as Director of Facilities Planning for Pima Community College. Currently, he is the Green Building Program Manager for Pima County Development Services and oversees the Regional Green Building Program and the LEED for Homes Program.

Tucson Green Times, May 2010

Central Animal Hospital Receives LEED Gold Certification

Central Animal Hospital, 4020 E. Speedway, has received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) GOLD certification, earning 47 out of 69 possible points. Their new facilities are the result of a major renovation of a 1980s-era auto parts store that was converted to a modern state-of-the-art energy and water-efficient veterinary hospital and designed to reduce energy consumption by 42 percent and water consumption by 30 percent. The indoor environment of the facility is expected to be healthier and less toxic for humans and animals. Owned and operated by Michael Samuels, DVM and Judy Miller, DVM, Central Animal Hospital was designed by Tucson architecture firm David E. Shambach, Architect, Inc.

Westin La Paloma Goes Green, Gets Certified

The Westin La Paloma has received Green Certified accreditation through the Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association’s (AzHLA) Green Lodging Program.

To be awarded the Green Certified distinction, applicants must meet a minimum of qualifications set by AzHLA. The Westin exceeded such guidelines and also has started an Employee Ride Share Program, a recycling program for front office and back of house operations, using environmentally responsible cleaning products and using reclaimed water to irrigate the golf course.

In an effort to further motivate environmental renewal at the resort, the Westin has introduced a new program, Make A Green Choice, to save energy, water and labor. Guests will have the opportunity to save money and earn Starpoints by declining housekeeping services during their stay. The Westin La Paloma, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., currently employs more than 400 people.

Local Businesses: Send your updates for this section to editor@tucsongreentimes.com

Tucson Green Times – April 2010

Tucson, Ariz. - Tucson builder Michael Ginsburg of La Mirada Homes is inviting the public to a viewing and walk-through of a first-of-its-kind prototype S.E.E.D. Home® during a strategic point in the construction process.  (SEED is an acronym for Super Energy Efficient Design.)

When asked how his home differs from other energy efficient homes, Ginsburg explains, “After attending a seminar a little over a year ago I felt something was missing in the way builders were going about making homes energy efficient,” Ginsburg says. “I decided right then and there that I was going to build the most cost effective, energy efficient home possible. First and foremost is the home’s superior thermal envelope.  I achieved this using a particular type of structural insulated panel (SIP).”

The 1935 sq. ft. design has no interior bearing walls, allowing for easy floor plan modification.  The innovative, completely insulated, colored concrete slab provides whole house thermal mass storage as well as solar generated hydronic radiant heating in cold weather and a unique hydronic cooling system for hot weather.  The house has total roof rain water collection for landscaping, grey water recycling, whole house water filtration, and whole house fresh air exchange.  The roof mounted electricity producing photovoltaic panels will be connected to the Tucson Electric Power grid system.

“What I am most excited about is the interest this house has generated,” says Ginsburg.  “It has been Department of Energy (DOE) E-scale certified at near Net Zero.  Another independent certified HERS rater arrived at the same conclusion.  This means zero or minimal utility costs, depending on habits of the occupants.  The S.E.E.D. Home® is being viewed by the Department of Energy’s Build America program as one of the most energy efficient designs for new home construction with the potential of realizing the DOE goal of reaching cost effective net zero energy homes a full ten years sooner than DOE’s expectation.”

DOE has expressed a desire to use the house as a Lab Model in which monitoring equipment will be installed to study the home’s performance, and may include leasing the house in order to study it for at least one year.  During the lease period the house will remain empty while monitoring equipment simulates conditions created by human occupants.

The three core structural elements comprising the thermal envelope; composed of a SIP roof, SIP exterior walls and the whole house thermal mass colored concrete floor will be available for viewing and walk-through.  The super high performing thermal envelope is being compared to a thermos.  This is a unique opportunity to see and understand what the all important thermal envelope of a home is all about.

The home, located at 2057 E. Greenlee, one block south east of Prince and Campbell, will be open to the public will be held at the site on April 24 & 25 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. To learn more about the S.E.E.D. Home® visit online: www.lamiradahomes.net.

By Gretel Hakanson

Tucson Green Times – March 2010

Many of us spend a lot of time, effort, and money making our homes places of respite and relaxation as well as healthy places to dwell. But your home could be host to a hidden health hazard. Often unseen by the homeowner, dangerous mold infestations are surprisingly common in Tucson homes, considering our dry climate.

John Setford is a certified mold inspector and owner of Arizona Mold Dog Services. It’s his business to know about mold. “Whether you are in Tucson, Chicago, Florida, Europe, England, or Russia, mold is in the air,” he says. “There are hundreds of molds in the air all the time. Nature did this to us. They’re out there floating around and they’re looking for a place to land so they can start growing and eating something.”

John Setford, a certified mold inspector in Tucson, has a private conversation with his canine partner, Rocky - a six-year-old beagle (and a rescue dog) who spent a year in training learning the science of mold detection. PHOTO: James Patrick.

The recipe for a mold problem in the home is water combined with a 40 percent or greater humidity level. Mold exists in two “states” – viable and nonviable. Viable mold is living, growing mold. If not completely removed, viable mold can eventually become dormant, or nonviable, if and when humidity levels decrease. Setford says that nonviable mold can continue to produce spores for up to eight years and it only takes a water leak or high humidity levels to convert it back into viable mold.

“Mold needs 40 percent humidity to grow, something wet like a pipe leak, the filter under your kitchen sink, the drain – mold is going to find it within 24 hours. Within 48 hours you’re going to see mold. Every day that goes by and the water remains, it will get worse and worse until you have a monster in your house,” says Setford.

Health Hazards of Mold

Of the 25 or so common varieties of mold found in Southern Arizona, only about five of them are toxic, according to Setford. However, nontoxic mold is a food source for the toxic mold varieties so it’s rare for one to exist without the other. Furthermore, mold affects different people differently, even people living in the same house.

Young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are the most adversely affected by mold. Symptoms are typically associated with the respiratory system: allergies, asthma, coughing, sinusitis, shortness of breath, burning in the lungs, and sore throat. Headaches, nausea, memory loss, and chronic fatigue symptoms could also be present. Most of time, people with a mold allergy or mold poisoning don’t realize that mold is the cause of their illness until after they have unsuccessfully tried other treatments.

Causes of Mold in the Home

J.P. Huestis president of Global Prevention Services specializes in mold remediation. He says, “Water is the key ingredient. How the water comes in the house happens in a bunch of different ways: You can have roof issues, plumbing issues, drain issues, windows that are faultily installed, or even grading issues.”

With the onset of warmer weather, many of us will be switching on our evaporative coolers, but be aware that they are a common culprit in mold problems. “We see some of the most horrendous mold damage with the improper use of swamp coolers,” says Huestis.

Proper use of a swamp cooler involves venting the house. To avoid excessive humidity, the house must be vented to allow dry air to enter and moist air to be expelled. Simply opening a window an inch or two will create a vent. Otherwise, the walls, furniture and other belongings can accumulate too much moisture, leading to mold-friendly humidity levels.

“We have seen entire homes blossom in mold – cabinetry, guitar cases, picture frames, couches, all sorts of clothing, shoes, speaker covers, just about everything,” Huestis says.

Many people have run their swamp coolers for years without a problem, however, Huestis cautions, “Even the smallest interior leak, such a tub or toilet overflow, if not dried up immediately, is enough to boost the humidity and moisture content of the house to the tipping point.”

Huestis recommends checking with your insurance company – especially tenants with renter’s insurance – to confirm that it covers damage and content loss due to water and mold.

In home inspections, Setford almost always finds mold in the bathroom. He calls this “maintenance mold” because it can typically be removed through proper cleaning. It can be found in the shower, tub, caulking, grout, ceiling, inside the toilet tank, and windows. It may be black, green, yellow, brown or light pink and it can grow on just about any material – wood, plastic, glass, metal, concrete. Cleaning the affected area with hydrogen peroxide will usually eliminate maintenance mold. But, Setford says, if the mold continues to reappear after using hydrogen peroxide, that means there’s mold somewhere else in the house. A plumbing leak, roof leak, or grading problem may have caused mold growth inside the walls, ceiling, floor, underneath baseboards or behind wallpaper.

It’s even possible to have mold in a brand new home. Setford cites an example where mold might be present in the building materials. “The wood used to build the home may have been contaminated with nonviable mold before the house was even built. If for some reason that wood gets wet – maybe there is a roof leak or a leak caused during the stucco installation – water will slowly saturate the wood. All of a sudden, the mold starts to grow again.” The homeowner may be completely unaware of the leak.

Detecting Mold in the Home

Sometimes mold is visible, but if it happens to be odorless and invisible, how do we detect it? We can turn to the other half of the Arizona Mold Dog Detection Services team – Setford’s canine partner, Rocky. Rocky is a six-year-old beagle (and a rescue dog) who spent a year in training learning the science of mold detection.

Rocky detects mold by scent. “If he detects mold, he sits, he stops and spends a second trying to figure out where it is,” Setford says. “Then he points to it with his paw. He will show me if it is at a baseboard, a windowsill, or even up high. If it’s up high, he gets up on his hind legs and points up with his paw.”

Huestis is familiar with Rocky’s work. “Rocky is actually very sensitive to mold. It is a good combination to have Rocky [in the detection process] because there may be areas you are completely unaware of that water may have affected in the past.”

In each area where Rocky shows his paw “alerts,” Setford takes an air sample. He sends the air samples to a lab to determine the type of molds and amount of spores in the air. The results are sent to the homeowner and it’s up to homeowner to remove the mold. Setford recommends having a professional remediation company remove the mold to ensure the mold has been properly removed from the house. After remediation, Rocky and Setford will do a final analysis to confirm that the mold has indeed been removed.

Preventing Mold

The first and most obvious aspect to prevention is good housekeeping.

“Normally with a dry house and regular cleaning habits – vacuuming and dusting – the bulk of any dry spores that have moved around and settled on surfaces will be removed,” Huestis says.

Fixing and drying water leaks as quickly as possible is crucial to preventing a mold outbreak. “After about two or three days you can see visible signs of mold colonization so you’ve got a very short window and that’s why insurance companies will pay to dry out your house,” says Huestis.  “If you have an emergency water leak, call your insurance company. They’ll put you in touch with a company like ours and we will dry out your structure, hopefully before it becomes a mold issue. Mold prevention starts with keeping a dry house.”

Most of us desert-dwellers have a special appreciation for water. Hungarian biochemist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi summed it up well when he said: “Water is life’s mater and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.”

There’s no mold without water either. Keeping your home dry is essential for a healthy, mold-free home.

Author: Gretel Hakanson is a local freelance writer.

It’s time to  have your home inspected for mold when:

• You can see or smell mold.
• There has been a leak or excessive moisture in your home.
• There is indication of water damage in the past or present.
• Unexplained health problems of anyone living in the home, combined with a previous history of water damage or moisture in the home.
• During the inspection process when purchasing a new home.

Health Conditions Attributed to Mold

• Allergy to mold.  Mold allergy has been well documented. Symptoms can include runny nose, itchy eyes, wheezing, and skin rashes. Allergic fungal sinusitis is also a form of mold allergy.
• Infections. Aspergillus is the most notable fungus to cause infection (aspergillosis), but others have been associated with infections also. Infection from mold usually occurs only in persons on chemotherapy or who have immune diseases which make them more susceptible to infection.  Skin, eyes, and lungs are often affected. Mold can irritate mucous membranes of the eyes and respiratory system.
• Trigeminal nerve effects have been associated with mold, and have been reported to cause decreased attention, disorientation, diminished reflex time, and dizziness.
• Volatile compounds (VOCS) produced by mold can cause headache, attention deficit, inability to concentrate, and dizziness.
• Some fungal molds produce toxins or poisons. Toxic molds can suppress the immune system, or damage intestines, skin, or lungs. They can increase susceptibility to cancer, and can cause blood vessels in the skin or lungs to rupture. Toxic molds are reported to cause nausea and diarrhea, depression, headaches, tremors, kidney problems, and infertility.
• Penicillium is a toxic mold which has been linked with kidney damage and has been shown to be carcinogenic (cancer-producing) in laboratory animals.
• Aspergillis is the most toxic mold according to some sources. Some of the toxins produced by aspergillis are reported to cause liver cancer and damage other vital organs.
• Stachybotrys is the mold usually thought of in “sick building syndrome.” It is being investigated as a cause of hemorrhage in the lungs of infants (acute pulmonary hemorrhage and hemosiderosis). It has been associated with runny nose, cough, flu-like symptoms, skin irritation in areas of heavy perspiration such as the armpits, headaches, hair loss, malaise, chronic fatigue, depression, yeast infections, and urinary tract infections. Stachybotrys is particularly difficult to test for, so is not usually available in commercial mold test kits.
• Fusarium is another mold known to produce toxins.
• Insomnia has been reported as a symptom related to mold.

Tucson Green Times – March 2010

Location. Orientation. Mass capacity.

These are some of the criteria that house designers consider, along with terrain and other features, to allow a building to best take advantage of its site and configuration to minimize heat gain in the summer and maximize heat retention in the winter, thus reducing the amount of work that heating and cooling systems have to do.

John Wesley Miller, owner of John Wesley Miller Companies in Tucson, says one of the most effective passive collectors that can be used in a house is a south facing window.

“In a direct gain, the sun shines on a south facing window and the heat comes into the room,” Miller says. “If you have anything dark nearby, you can feel how quickly it warms up.”

Miller notes he lives in a historical neighborhood and when he refurbished his house’s windows, he left the older steel sashes intact.

“I came inside of the original windows by two inches and put in a new layer of glass to create a dead air space,” Miller says. “It works extremely well and we actually don’t hear any street noise any more either.”

Miller points out that, while the south facing window concept works fine in heating a room during the winter, he has to use other measures to protect the window from the sun in the summer.

“In the summer we have an overhang that shades the window from full exposure,” he says. “The sun drops down in the sky in the winter, so we get the solar gain through the window without the overhang affecting things. In the summer, the sun is much higher in the sky, so the overhang is a practical solar defense by keeping the direct sun off the window and the air space behind it.”

Larry Liascos, owner of Local Design in Tucson, also is a firm believer in passive design for home construction.

“The passive design that you use in a house, especially the type of wall section, depends on the region you’re building in,” Liascos says. “In the tropics where humidity is high, lightweight construction works best, but in regions like Arizona, you want high mass on the outside walls with insulation. That’s what works best.”

Liascos points to a recent subdivision developed by Miller using high mass insulation.

“He used eight-inch wide concrete block with two inches of high density foam sheets on the outside that’s then covered with a facing of stucco,” Liascos says. “What that combination does is mimic three feet of dirt, which keeps cool all day and night.”

Liascos says in hotter climates such as Arizona, houses should be long and thin, without a lot of surfaces facing either to the west or the east.

“The sun gets really high in the sky during the summer, so the west facing is very hot, and the early morning east facing also can heat up as well,” he says. “So the orientation of a house is very important – you don’t want a lot of glass in the wall that faces to the west. And the south facing is also important, so you should consider shading it with projections like eaves, patios and ramadas.”

For walls that get a lot of sunlight penetration, Liascos recommends minimizing the window size and kicking up the R factor.

“A dual pane window will have an R factor of between two and 2.5,” he says, “while a triple pane window will be about a 3.5 R factor. Compare that to a regular frame wall section that has an R21 factor and a roof that has R38 or higher. Pretty much a window is a hole in the wall in terms of heat gain.”

Liascos points out that for houses built in the 1970s and earlier, approximately 30 percent of the heat gain is from infiltration – that is, air passing through cracks and crannies in the house by means of doors, windows, the siding and various outlets. But by more careful use of flashing around doors and windows, and better insulation of walls and roofs, houses built today only have a heat gain of between 10 and 15 percent.

Some folks believe that building basements help make a house cooler, but Liascos dispels that notion.

“The ground temperature in Tucson down to three meters (9+ feet) is 90 degrees in the middle of the summer, so building houses with basements doesn’t help all that much,” he points out. “You’d have to go to a depth of about 15 feet to get to a cool 78 degrees in Tucson in the summer.”

Liascos says the ideal house in Tucson would be a long, thin structure with a pool running down the inside center to act as a heat sink.

“I’d make it about 80 feet long overall with rooms arranged around a courtyard that had a long, thin pool in it,” he says. “The house could be heated by solar pipes off of the roof, and there should be a central room in the house where people could assemble and do things comfortably. I’d also design it with as few windows as possible – shaded in the summer, yet would allow the winter sun to penetrate the house.”

Miller believes passive siting of houses is difficult in metropolitan settings because that generally requires a much larger lot than usual.

“With the small and tight lots you find in the city and other metro areas, it’s pretty hard to do,” he says. “You often don’t have access to south facing because the house next door may be too close.”

That’s why it’s important to pay attention to all the other strategies you can use, Miller believes.

For instance, a house should be as heavily insulated as possible.

“If you have an attic space, blow in at least 14 inches of fiberglass,” Miller notes. “If you have engineered trusses, they should have a minimum of R38 fiberglass batting with foil on both sides. Add to that the R factor of your drywall, roof and roofing material, and you end up with about R45 for your total roof structure.”

Miller says it’s important that all ductwork be placed under the insulation so it’s in a conditioned space, instead of exposed to the elements. He also uses thermal mass storage in some of his home constructions.

“Primarily, these are exterior masonry walls, 8-by-8-by-16-inch concrete blocks with their cavities filled with concrete,” he says. “They act like a storage battery for heating and cooling.”

Over the outside of the block Miller uses polyisocyanurate to insulate it – 4-by-8-foot panels encased in aluminum foil to help reflect heat. Over the insulation he puts stucco netting and a precoating of stucco – a cosmetic insulation that continues down over the wall and into the ground so the solid concrete floor becomes a part of the thermal mass storage system.

“It stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer because we’ve insulated the foundation,” Miller observes.

The interior of the block walls are skim-coated for texture, like a regularly framed drywall, for aesthetics and further energy savings.

“We don’t want to create ugly solar systems for homeowners,” Miller notes. “We’ve learned how to blend and hide them appropriately.”

Miller also espouses the use and installation of solar hot water systems, such as a passive solar collector containing 40 gallons of water made out of 4-inch diameter copper pipe that lays against the roof and is tilted at the proper angle to catch the rays of the sun.

“We collaborate the solar collector with a demand water heater (tankless water heater) as a backup, which comes on only when there is no solar hot water left in the system,” Miller says.

Besides awnings and projections over east and west facing windows, Miller also recommends plantings on those sides of the house to shade windows and walls from the direct effects of the sun.

Author: Alan Petrillo is a local freelance writer.

Tucson Green Times – March 2010

Local Designers Work on Habitat Homes

When people hear “interior design,” they often think of expensive homes and high-ticket items, but interior designers do much more than luxury homes. Interior designers design just about everything that has an interior space from hospitals to prisons and auto showrooms to ships.

This spring I’m happy to be working on a project that challenges local interior designers to work with limited resources to do something important for the Tucson community. “ASID Interiors for Habitat” is all about designing safe, decent, affordable homes for low-income Tucsonans.

ASID Interiors for Habitat is a project of the American Society of Interior Designers Arizona South Chapter and Habitat for Humanity Tucson. Sixteen local ASID designers and 15 interior design students are doing the interior design for four Habitat houses currently under construction.

Habitat is a wonderful organization that is working to end poverty housing worldwide – one house at a time. Since 1980, Habitat has built 300 homes for Tucson families in need. Volunteers who learn construction methods on site build all of the houses.

New homeowners receive no-interest loans. They have to provide a small down payment as well as “sweat equity” by working at Habitat’s construction sites or offices.

Habitat broke ground for their current project in the Corazon Del Pueblo neighborhood on Sept. 11 last year. The ribbon cutting to open those four houses will be on June 4, and there’s a lot to be done before then.

The houses already have their stained concrete floors installed, and the drywall is going up as I write. The concrete floors are one of Habitat’s new green features. All of their homes use many construction methods to improve insulation, and they include energy-efficient windows, low-flow toilets and showerheads as well as drought tolerant landscaping.

Every year Habitat builds a house with an all women construction crew. With solar power, a solar hot-water heater and a graywater stub out for the washing machine, this year’s “Women Build” house will be Habitat’s greenest Tucson house ever. Habitat is working toward certifications from the City of Tucson Residential Green Building Rating System and from LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for the Women Build house.

I’m excited to be ASID’s team captain for the Women Built house’s interior design. This is definitely “Design on a Dime” time. My team is busy finishing up the furniture floor plans, and we’re looking for furniture and accessories. (Think Hannah Montana and pony theme bedrooms – among other things.)

All of the ASID teams need donations of furniture and home furnishings to make this project work, so if you have some things to spare, please donate them to ASID Interiors for Habitat. We need just about everything from sheets to sofas for four houses.

Details about how to donate and wish lists for the houses are online at www.asidtucson.org. Items must be appropriately labeled to be earmarked for this project, so be sure and read the guidelines for donating.

Part of what I love about Habitat for Humanity is that they have a lofty vision – to end poverty housing – but they do it in a very down-to-earth and personal way. I’m glad to be doing my small part in helping one family to lead a better, healthier life in a green home. After all, the core mission for ASID designers is to design safe interiors and to use the power of design to positively change people’s lives.

Author: Pamela Portwood, Allied Member ASID, LEED AP ID+C, is the interior design principal for Greener Lives, LLC, a local interior design firm that specializes in healthy and eco-friendly interiors.

Tucson, Ariz. – With assistance from Pima County, the Community Partnership of Southern Arizona (CPSA) and Habitat for Humanity Tucson have received grants from the US Green Building Council to help build Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified green homes.  CPSA received $3,688 to have the ten-unit Sonrisa Apartments LEED certified in response to a grant application submitted by its Housing Team.  Habitat for Humanity received $1,000 to have one Habitat home LEED certified. Habitat volunteers paid for the registration of the project with the US Green Building Council and took the lead in the submitting the grant request.

CPSA, a Tucson-based nonprofit organization, has overseen publicly funded behavioral health services for persons with mental illness or substance use disorders in five Southern Arizona counties for the past 15 years.  “This is wonderful news and recognition,” said Barbara Montrose, Director of CPSA Housing Services, “CPSA is proud to be a part of the LEED for Homes program and to promote green affordable housing in Pima County,” Montrose said.  Sonrisa Apartments will provide supportive housing for very-low-income young adults with a serious mental illness who are aging out of foster care. The apartments were designed with input from prospective residents to ensure the facility is customized to their needs.

LEED certification provides third-party assurance to homebuyers that their home complies with rigorous technical requirements for energy and water efficiency, indoor air quality, non-toxic materials, and environmental performance.  Homes that are certified through LEED complete a technically rigorous verification process that includes a Home Energy Rating and onsite inspections.

“We’re able to implement these kinds of green changes in our building program through our partnerships with local programs like Pima County,” said Michael McDonald, Executive Director of Habitat Tucson.  “We recognize the value these standards add not only to our homeowners with utility cost savings and sustainable housing, but to our environment and to our community,” continued McDonald.

“Affordability and Green go together,” said Rich Franz-Ünder, Pima County’s Green Building Program manager, “Green homes have lower utility bills which reduce the overall cost of home ownership, and healthier indoor environments which may also reduce healthcare costs.”

Pima County is a LEED for Homes Provider for all of Arizona, New Mexico and Southern California.  The Pima County is the only government jurisdiction authorized to review and inspect homes for LEED Certification. For more information about the County LEED certification program call (520) 740-6892.

About US Green Building Council

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. Since UGSBC’s founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 14,500 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED® green building rating systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 77 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups.  For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

About LEED® for Homes

LEED® for Homes is a third-party certification system for high-performance green homes.  Developed and administered by USGBC, LEED for Homes awards points to projects in seven categories of environmental performance: Location & Linkages, Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality, Energy & Atmosphere, Homeowner Awareness, and Innovation and Design.  To date, more than 2,500 homes have been LEED-certified, and over 13,000 have been registered and are under development.  Lower insurance rates, advantageous financing, and government incentives may be available for LEED-certified homes. For more information, visit www.thegreenhomeguide.org.

Tucson Green Times – February 2010

After about a year of planning, the City of Tucson Office of Conservation and Sustainable Development (OCSD) has developed a Green Business Certification program.

Devorie Brown of Goodmans Interior Structures, has a look at her company’s circuit box following an energy audit. Goodmans was one of the pilot businesses for the City’s new green business certification program. Photo by James Patrick.

In Tucson, the commercial and industrial sector energy use is responsible for 39 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Inventory of 2008.  Businesses use 35 percent of water distributed in Tucson.

The Green Business Certification promotes energy and water conservation, waste reduction and pollution prevention strategies for business operations. Nicole Urban-Lopez, program coordinator, says, “[Tucson] didn’t have a [sustainability-related] program that specifically targeted the business sector. We saw that gap in our outreach program and knew that other cities had just started business certification programs so we looked into it and thought that would be a good way to engage the business sector here in our community.”

The program focuses on four areas: water use, electricity use, waste reduction and pollution prevention. After the application process and an initial meeting with program staff, audits in each of the four program areas are performed to collect baseline data to determine the business’s current resource consumption.

The Office of Conservation and Sustainable Development partnered with other City departments and local organizations for the audits. Tucson Water performs the water audits and the existing WaterSmart Business program makes up the water component of the certification. The City’s Environmental Services Department does the waste audits. Local energy auditors in the community are contracted to do the energy audits and the Sonora Environmental Research Institute (SERI) is responsible for the pollution audits.

After the staff analyzes the results of the audits and the baseline data, they will present a summary report and a checklist of strategies for reductions. To become certified, a business has to implement five strategies for each program area. The strategies range in scope from behavioral changes to equipment updates and retrofits.

“There are a wide range of strategies and we designed it to be flexible because we don’t want to exclude businesses from participating that might not have the capital to invest in large improvements,” says Urban-Lopez.

Examples of strategies include: installing recycling bins; insulating hot water pipes, hot water heaters and storage tanks; offering flexible work schedules to avoid rush hour commutes; using low-toxic cleaners; purchasing recycled-content products (toilet paper, letterhead, boxes, etc.) and installing energy-efficient hand dryers in restrooms.

According to Urban-Lopez, it is possible to receive certification without spending any money. There are at least five checklist items for each component that involve behavioral changes and don’t require spending money.  For strategies that do require capital expenditures, the OCSD staff provides information about rebate and incentive programs to help offset the costs.

The new program is open to any business, large or small, located within City of Tucson limits, as well as nonprofits. Urban-Lopez says, “We wanted to be able to include small and locally-owned businesses also that may have to go for the behavioral changes or smaller investments at first but still give them credit for doing that because the goal is to get businesses thinking about sustainability, talking about it and doing something.”

Because of a three-year federal stimulus grant, there is currently no cost to participate in the program.

To test the program before formally launching it to the business community, OCSD has partnered with two businesses to assess the program. Goodmans Interior Structures, a commercial furniture dealership, was one of the pilot businesses.

Devorie Brown, design director at Goodmans, says the company was already sustainability-conscious and was thrilled be a part of the program. “We feel very strongly that we need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. For us, it’s very much a part of who we are as a company and what we represent.”

For the waste audit, a day’s worth of trash is collected and analyzed. Brown says, “We had a lot of fun with the guys that came through and evaluated what products we were getting rid of i.e. trash. They actually collected our trash one day to see what each of us was throwing away and how much of it was recyclable. We learned a lot from that experience.”

To allow for the unique operations of each business and to encourage innovation, there is a fill-in-the-blank “other” checklist item for each program area. As a result of the waste audit, Goodmans took advantage of this option. The company uses shrink-wrap to protect products from damage during transport. Although it’s one of their largest sources of waste, the shrink-wrap is essential to their business operations but has a short lifespan and then would be sent to the landfill.

Brown says that because of the warehouse walk-through during the waste audit, a creative solution was discovered. “We found out through this process that the shrink wrap we use when we’re delivering goods to sites is recyclable. We were able to get hooked up with a company that will take that from us and recycle it. [That] certainly would not have been an item on the checklist until [the auditor saw] what we’re doing.”

Most businesses should be able complete the certification process within a few months. There is a time commitment required but, according to Brown, “It’s a couple of hours here and there, going to a few meetings, gathering some data here and there and you’re done. Then it’s just the commitment of going in and doing what you learned that you can do.”

One year after certification is awarded, OSCD staff will benchmark the business again to determine the savings achieved as a result of the strategies implemented. Based on data from similar programs in other cities, Urban-Lopez estimates that 800 tons of CO2 equivalents per business per year could be saved as a result of the strategies implemented for certification.

Certified business will receive a window decal indentifying it as a Certified Green Business, a listing in the program directory online and identification as a Certified Green Business in Local First Arizona’s Tucson business directory. An awards luncheon and newspaper advertisements are also being considered.

The goal is certify 25 businesses per year and Urban-Lopez says there is already a lot of interest from the business community. “There are a lot of businesses that genuinely care about sustainability and want to make a contribution in that way to our community,” she says. “They want a credible system to be a part of to get recognition for taking those steps, operating more sustainability and showing that kind of leadership in the community.”

Businesses interested in participating in the Green Business Certification program can find information and application materials online www.tucsonaz.gov/greenbusiness or they can contact Nicole Urban-Lopez at 520-837-6934 or Nicole.Urban-Lopez@tucsonaz.gov.

Author: Gretel Haakanson is a local freelance writer.

Tucson Green Times – February 2010

“There is no mystery to green construction and remodeling. It is really just applied common sense.” – Hank Hrzysik, LEED AP

You don’t have to uproot your life to have a green home. Savvy consumers can reduce their carbon footprint, make a significant savings impact on energy costs and stay on budget with a “re-green” remodel of their existing home.

Curtiss Leroy of Certified Energy Audit checks a Tucson residence for air leaks with a special vacuum designed for that purpose. A full home energy audit can help save thousands of dollars over time. Photo by James Patrick.

Numerous studies now show that when new homes are built with modern “green” techniques and materials, not only do the inhabitants enjoy a healthier, less toxic living environment, the extra costs in buying sustainable materials today can save as much as $1 million in total costs over a 30-year mortgage term.

Home mortgage companies are savvy to this, and have opened many new doors for their customers to “green up” existing homes. For the homeowner, building green is a solid investment. For the nation, it’s a step toward energy security. And for everyone on earth, green homes mean less toxins in the air and water and conservation of rapidly diminishing natural resources.

If a full remodel is more than you’re planning this year, consider replacing toxic and energy wasting components in small steps throughout the next several years. If your remodel will involve more than replacing light bulbs and dishwashers, it might be time to call a professional. Tucson is home to numerous green remodeling and construction specialists, as well as eco-friendly interior design companies.

“Everybody’s house has got potential to be upgraded and be greener,” says Evan Brinton, a licensed general contractor who specializes in re-green-style remodels.

REGREEN, a brainchild of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), is a program that provides “a seamless compilation of green strategies and case studies for the homeowner, builder and design professional.”

According to Pamela Portwood, an allied member of ASID, buildings account for nearly 40 percent of energy use in this country. “Interior design, like building construction, can make a tremendous difference in the carbon footprint in our society,” she says.

With a blossoming range of eco-friendly products flooding the market, just knowing where to begin a green upgrade of your home can be confusing.  The REGREEN program suggests you start with an energy audit, which is a detailed inspection that helps homeowners identify potential energy savings areas.

“If you called me for an energy audit, I would send you a little homework,” says Curtis Leroy, an independent building analyst who runs the local company Certified Energy Audit. His homework consists of a two-page questionnaire on client energy-use habits. Leroy also provides educational resources. Helping Tucson homeowners find ways to reduce their overall energy consumption by 10-20 percent after analyzing their home’s audit report is Leroy‘s goal in conducting energy audits.

Audits also are tools for identifying potential safety issues in the home. “For example, are your hot water heaters burning properly, and properly ventilated?” asks Leroy, who also tests every area for carbon monoxide.

The audit involves a series of scientific tests inside your home, including running a blower door that forces air through the entire house to check for leaks in the structure and ventilation system.  ”Quite often, as much as 30 per cent of the heating or cooling cost in your home gets blown out of your house because of leaks in the building,” he says.

After an energy audit, homeowners are better equipped to move forward with their green remodel.

Portwood recommends starting with simple things, such as caulking around window frames to minimize the loss of heated and cooled air.

Upgrading, notes Leroy, could simply mean buying a programmable thermostat for your heater or air-conditioning unit so you can keep tabs on the temperature even when you’re not home.

Household appliances can be real energy hogs, especially washing machines, dryers, refrigerators and dish washers, says Hank Krzysik, a LEED Accredited Architect in Tucson. “Eighty percent of my projects right now are conscious green remodels, because of the benefits people can see by moving forward,” says Krzysik. “Green remodeling is truly an investment. So what you’re truly doing is putting an investment into your home and into tomorrow.”

“Buy Energy Star appliances” is a sentiment echoed by most all building and energy professionals. Energy Star is a program established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy that certifies eco-friendly and energy efficient appliances and products for home and office use.

“You typically will always see lowered utility costs by upgrading appliances,” says Krzysik. “You can also take a look at when you use the washing machine, because electric rates are different during different parts of the day.”  He recommends calling your utility company to learn more about their plans for energy savings. Most companies, he and his peers agree, will be happy to help you lower your energy bills.

If replacing appliances isn‘t in the budget, Krzysik has another suggestion: “Take a weekend and change all of your lights to compact fluorescent. That’s done, it’s over and you’ve made a step forward.”

According to the EPA, if every American home replaced just one light with an Energy Star light, we would save enough energy to light more than three million homes for a year – and prevent nine billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year.

Painting and flooring are two key aspects of a green remodel that provide not only a new look and feel to your home, but also have the potential to improve the health of the occupants. Portwood says standard paints and flooring materials generally off-gas Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), which the EPA warns “some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects.”

The EPA’s list of products containing VOC gases numbers in the thousands and includes paints, household cleaners, building materials, furniture, office equipment, and even permanent markers you may use in craft projects at home.

Fortunately, there is a wide array of healthier, eco-friendly alternatives to toxic products available today.

Evan Brinton’s Tucson construction company, Green Works, often uses The Human Friendly PaintJ. This non-toxic, hypo-allergenic paint contains no VOCs and is easier on the respiratory system, especially in people who suffer from allergies and asthma.

“What’s good for people is always good for the environment,” says Portwood.

Krzysik agrees, adding: “There will be value versus cost decisions that have to be made. You need to know where the most bang for your buck is going to be.”

To builders like Brinton, however, the green option is always worth the added cost in the end. Brinton’s company specializes in installing The Human Friendly Roof J. This eco-friendly material holds up under the harsh Tucson sun much better than standard roofing materials, boasting over 80 percent solar reflectance, according to Brinton.

In addition, a standard roof generally comes with a 2-year warranty, but The Human Friendly Roof J comes with a 15-year warranty from Brinton’s company. Plus, at the end of the year you benefit from another kind of green: up to $1,500 in tax rebates from the IRS.

Even with the economy not yet in full recovery, it’s still a good time to consider home improvements – and green renovation projects not only increase the value of your home, they enhance your health.

Author: Martine Mathewson is a local freelance writer.

REGREEN RESOURCES

RegreenProgram.org: Official website of the REGREEN program provides essential information, including green remodeling guidelines, checklists, and a “strategy generator” widget for calculating your first move.

USGBC.org: The U.S. Green Building Council’s official site, including links to educational courses for consumers and building pros alike, directories of LEED professionals in your area, and even a career center for locating green jobs.

TucsonElectric.com: Tucson Electric Power’s official site, providing customers with a stream of green-living links, including comprehensive news on renewable programs, energy-conserving tips, and a carbon footprint calculator.

TriCo.org: Nonrofit, member-owned corporation providing electric service in rural areas of Pima, Pinal and Santa Cruz counties in Arizona.

TucsonAZ.gov/water/online-account.htm: City of Tucson Water Department’s site has tips for water conservation, resources and information on rebate programs, tax incentives and WaterSmart workshops.

PHOTO: James Patrick

Curtiss Leroy of Certified Energy Audit covers up a potential leak coming through a residential lighting fixture before he tests the home for energy air leaks with a special vacuum designed for that purpose.

Sidebar:

GOLDEN RULES FOR HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Always buy the highest quality, longest lasting materials and systems you can find, right down to the caulking and paint. Making this a habit will save you hard cash on replacement because higher quality sustainable products last twice as long as the cheaper ones – so if you buy cheap to begin with, you always wind up paying more in the long run.

If it starts in liquid form, it traditionally contains more toxins and VOC’s than we could list here. Paint, caulk, sealants, adhesives, wall textures, cleaners, masonry grouts, and finishing products all can out-gas toxins for years and affect your health adversely. Read the labels and consult your supplier, architect, interior designer or contractor. There are many high-quality safe alternatives available today for all these materials.

Reuse building materials whenever you can. Recycled supplies are now showing up in the finest of design magazines (even though most of those publications are still printed on highly toxic varnished gloss paper), both as surface dressings and in the hidden structural components. Remember, you’re being hip with modern design style while helping reduce the waste-stream. Using new products creates 20 to 70 pounds of waste for each pound of new product. Most of that waste consists of non-renewable resources – a practice we cannot afford to continue for the sake of our children and the planet.

Energy savings gets all the attention in major building projects, but energy saving technology has found its way into many paints, coatings, wall textures, films, venting systems, roofing systems, floor systems and even landscape design supplies.  If you’re improving the obvious energy use/waste areas like the kitchen, air conditioning and water heating, your attention to details in the less obvious areas can reduce your energy use with a second layer of quantifiable results. Consult your energy auditor, architect or contractor for the latest in these products and how they fit with your individual home.

For the basic structural components of your remodel, look for locally sourced goods. They will make up the largest part of the job by weight, and reducing long distance transport helps cut down your carbon footprint. What about wood framing? Switch to metal. Most local building materials have recycled content, a lower shipping weight, are impervious to local termites and molds, and may save money on your homeowner’s insurance policy. The local part of metal framing is that a few months ago it may have been the worn out rake or ‘64 Rambler that your neighbor recycled.

Be aware of where are you disposing of the construction leftovers from your remodel project, such as lumber, bricks, and even landscape debris. Check with The Fairfax Companies recycling and landfills in Tucson before you dump your discards into the trash. The Fairfax Companies are the number one innovator for turning construction debris into usable products; if it can be recycled, repurposed or reused in any way, they will get it done.

The Earth Advantage Institute has released a list of the top ten “green” building trends in 2010 that range from energy “scores” for homes to web-based displays that track energy usage in real time.

The smart grid and connected home is expected to grow in 2010 as utilities continue to make upgrades to the grid for more effective generation, storage and distribution of power, and as smart-grid manufacturers develop custom and web-based display panels that show real-time home energy use, says the Earth Advantage Institute.

The same is true in the commercial sector. Case-in-point: Networking equipment giant Cisco rolled out the first Smart Connected Building solution in July last year, which will interconnect and enable building systems such as heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC), lighting, electrical, security, and renewables over the IP network.

Cisco also projects that the smart-grid communications infrastructure will reach $20 billion a year over the next five years.

The Earth Advantage Institute also predicts energy labeling for homes and office buildings. The non-profit organization says this will make it easier to perform a building-to-building or home-to-home comparison, but a publicly available score on the multiple listing service could push building owners to make needed energy improvements.

As an example, The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) released its prototype building energy labeling in June last year with the plan to implement a widespread launch of the full program in 2010.

Building information modeling (BIM) software is also expected to continue its expansion with new add-on tools with increasingly accurate algorithms for energy modeling and embedded energy properties for many materials and features. The Earth Advantage Institute expects BIM developers to soon offer more affordable packages aimed at smaller firms and individual builders.

Nearly half of the construction industry is currently using BIM or BIM-related tools, according to a new report from McGraw-Hill Construction.

-Source: Environmental Leader

Tucson Green Times – December 2009

The City of Tucson has completed Phase II of a new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold bus storage and maintenance facility, located at 3920 North Sun Tran Boulevard.

In 2006, Mayor Bob Walkup and the City Council adopted LEED Silver standards for all new City-owned buildings and renovations over 5,000 square feet. SunTran’s Northwest Facility is the third City-owned facility to be completed under that ordinance, using the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED specifications for green building.  LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the USGBC to focus on using less water, energy, and resources while creating less waste throughout the construction process.

L to R: Thomas Fisher, Kevin Faulkner and r. Bruce Woodruff. Photo by James Patrick.

“This new Northwest Facility will help operate Tucson’s transit system for 40 to 50 years into the future,” says Thomas Fisher, project manager of Tucson’s Department of Transportation and Transit Service Division.

Built with many energy-efficient features, this is a very impressive facility in design, function, and scale. Upon completion, the 25-acre facility, located near Prince Road and I-10, will include several buildings to maintain SunTran buses that run on B-20 bio-diesel. The Park Avenue facility could only operate and maintain 150 of the 230-bus fleet. The land was purchased in 1997 after a facilities needs assessment and alternative site analysis was conducted.

Phase I of the project, building the SunTran Boulevard and the Fueling Facility, was completed in October 2005.  The second phase saw the completion of the Operations/Maintenance building last month. This 50,000-square-foot building houses 17 bus bays, including an articulated bus bay, two levels of computerized parts storage, a lower-level work area, extensive use of natural light, and a dispatch center.

The final Phase III, expected to be completed by mid-2011, will focus on constructing the Maintenance and Administration buildings.  The Maintenance building will include an expanded body shop, major component rebuild, fuel storage, and a bus wash bay. The Administration building will provide a regional center for transit operations.

“Upon completion, the center will have the capacity to operate and maintain a fleet of 250 buses,” Fisher says.

The goal was to build a facility with less impact on the environment and offer a comfortable workplace for employees.  As a result, the facility’s features include:

• 68kw solar power generation
• Reclaimed water for irrigation and storm-water harvesting
• Construction waste recycling
• Low-flow plumbing (waterless urinals) and sensor faucets
• Natural lighting
• Roofing materials designed to help reduce interior and exterior temperature and energy costs
• Parking for low emission/fuel efficient vehicles and bicycle lockers for employees
• Building materials with post-industrial recycled content
• Furnishings and flooring featuring low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions for improved indoor air quality

The Northwest Transit Center is a result of a $4 million 1994 General Obligation bond approved by City voters and $8 million funded by the Federal Transportation Administration. The $32 million to complete the second phase was funded by the Regional Transit Authority and Federal Transit Administration. The final phase will be funded with $16 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus funds.

Author: Bonnie Lewis is a local freelance writer.

Tucson Green Times – November 2009

Encouraging green building, both in residential and commercial projects, is nothing new for the city of Scottsdale – its Green Building Program is the earliest formal municipal program in Arizona and the fifth oldest in the United States.

Established in 1998 to support environmentally responsible building in the city, the Scottsdale program has been used as a model for other municipalities in the country.

Anthony Floyd, Scottsdale’s Green Building Program manager, calls the effort part of the historic culture of Scottsdale.

“The city wanted to create somewhere special to live and work,” he says.

Before the program was begun, Scottsdale instituted a hillside ordinance, a native plant ordinance that established desert-sensitive design principles and created the McDowell Mountain Preserve.

“Citizens, architects, builders and elected officials all contributed to those efforts,” Floyd says, “and green building came out of all those things. It was a natural outgrowth for us.”

The program rates building projects in six environmental impact areas – site use, energy, indoor air quality, building materials, solid waste and water. A green building point rating system is used to qualify projects into the program. Flexibility of design is achieved by offering more than 150 green building options, yet still maintaining a whole building systems approach. Builders, designers and developers can enter any number of projects into Scottsdale’s voluntary program.

With regard to site use, Scottsdale’s program seeks to protect ecologically sensitive land and indigenous plants, minimize the size of a development’s footprint, integrate buildings with site topography and optimize opportunities for outdoor living (such as courtyards, porches and canopies), and avoid any ground treatments that might have toxic or hazardous constituents.

The energy impact area of the program seeks to incorporate passive solar design strategies by orienting the building and interior spaces for seasonal benefits, encouraging the use of a well-insulated building envelope and installation of high performance low-e windows, and consider active solar systems, such as water heating and photovoltaic-solar electrics.

Use of environmentally responsible materials is encouraged in buildings, as is the creation of a safe indoor air environment though avoiding materials and finishes with high volatile organic compounds (VOCs), providing for ventilation, and maximizing environmental control through operable windows and zoned temperature controls.

Efficient water use is recommended through low-flow plumbing fixtures and water-efficient appliances, improving the water delivery system using tankless and recirculating water heating systems, converting to xeriscape for landscaping, and considering graywater use and rainwater collection for outside irrigation.

Reducing the generation of solid waste can be accomplished, the program recommends, through sorting construction and demolition waste for recycling, purchasing building materials in required dimensions to minimize waste, reusing discarded materials wherever possible and donating reusable materials to local non-profit building supply companies or community groups.

“When we first began the program, we started working primarily with custom home builders, but later got involved with production home builders too,” Floyd notes. “At one point, when several major subdivisions were being built in the city in 2005 and 2006, about 50 percent of single family building permits were green permits. Now, because of the slowdown in production housing building, about 30 percent of our permits are green in residential building.”

Tom Norris, owner of Norris Architects in Scottsdale, is both an architect and licensed contractor who has participated in the program since its inception.

“I found the program extremely educational and it has changed my philosophy of building,” Norris says. “Scottsdale did a great job in setting up the training for those things that would make us better architects and builders in terms of sustainability.”

For example, he notes, the program encouraged builders to move insulation off the ceiling in residential structures and put it on the bottom of the roof deck, thus increasing the efficiency of air conditioning in the house.

“We may be insulating more cubic feet of space, but we’re not insulating against the 150-plus degree temperatures you can get in an attic,” Norris says, “so we’re keeping some of that heat out of the attic and allowing the air conditioning to work more efficiently.”

In addition, Norris points out, as time passed, Scottsdale did a good job in addressing builder concerns that arose and made the program a more streamlined process by integrating inspections with those required by other city departments.”

Floyd says that green building on the commercial side is less popular than residential, mostly because commercial projects also have to go through a developmental review board and get involved with the planning department.

“On the residential side, we’re usually the first interface with the builders,” he says, “so we have more influence on single family residential buildings.”

One of the incentives for builders to go through the Green Building Program, Floyd notes, is expedited plan review.

“Expedited plan review has been very popular with the builders because it usually means they get their building permit in about half the time as it generally takes,” he says. “That saves a lot of money for the builders.”

Builders participating in the program also are listed on the program’s website, are allowed to put up green building signage on the jobsite, can use the program’s logo on their marketing materials and are furnished with green promotional materials for distribution to potential customers.

“I think the program has been a shining star in Arizona and an example for other communities to follow,” Floyd says. “We plan to continue to keep working to get more people involved in the program and think we’re halfway to completely integrating the program and making it a standard way of construction in the city.”

Author: Alan Petrillo is a local freelance writer.

Tucson Green Times – November 2009

The U.S. Green Building Council has chosen to address global warming by creating a new pathway to progress – the LEED system for green buildings.

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is “about certifying that buildings are built to green standards,” says Stefanie Gerstle, chair of the Arizona chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

“You can buy an 89-cent box of animal crackers and can tell what’s in it,” she says, alluding to the mandatory ingredients list. “When you buy an 89 million dollar building, there must be some way to quantify the materials.”

The program measures energy savings, water efficiency and reductions of carbon dioxide emissions, among other environmental impacts of buildings.

Why focus on buildings? Buildings are responsible for 38 percent of the nation’s total carbon emissions, including 68 percent of electricity consumption, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“Sustainable building and sustainable energy use are inexorably bound together,” says Jason Laros, a governing council member of the USGBC Southern Arizona branch.

“Obviously, that’s an area that needs to be addressed strategically,” agrees Ron Proctor, a coordinator for Sustainable Tucson, a non-profit citizen group that launched an initiative in 2009 to reduce Tucson’s dependence on carbon-producing fuels such as oil and gas.

The City of Tucson adopted a law in 2006 that requires all city-owned buildings larger than 5,000 square feet to be built to LEED silver standards. This law also applies to renovations.

Higher standards

The LEED system grades a building on efficiency of energy use, material use, and resource and waste management.  For example, a building powered primarily by solar energy will receive significantly higher points than a structure run on standard electric power tapped from the city power supply. The silver is phase two of a four-level system.

The public interest in energy savings is one of the top motivators behind many builder’s choices to follow the LEED standards.

Those energy savings often don’t start paying back for up to a decade or more after the building is finished, says Bill Adler, a member of the Oro Valley Planning Commission. This might deter some who otherwise might have embraced the LEED standards for their project, he adds.

Last year, Adler invited a LEED architect to visit the Oro Valley Planning Commission and Town Council to discuss the impact of energy use and sustainable building methods on their community.

The meeting resulted in a resolution being passed stating that Oro Valley public buildings “will strive to achieve” LEED standards at the silver level. However, residential construction was not addressed in the resolution.

“We’re actually quite a distance from requiring homeowners to build to LEED standards,” says Adler.

As for commercial buildings, incentives given to LEED builders to encourage construction “are not so substantial as to make it that attractive yet,” says Adler. He notes that the current economic recession adds to the challenge.

“Even in normal times,” he says, “people get quite keen on being thrifty.”

Counting the cost

Indeed, the desire by the construction industry to build as inexpensively as possible is often a roadblock when it comes to commercial and residential structures. However, this apparent roadblock may be simply because they haven’t yet mastered the LEED process, according to Gerstle, a LEED Accredited Professional.

Certifying a LEED building may cost only an additional one to two percent, Gerstle says, adding that it depends on the project type and the level of certification the builder is seeking.

She points out that a recent Tucson project – a LEED-certified firehouse – came under the original budget while following energy-saving techniques that would save them money in the long run.

In a July 2007 study, international construction consulting firm Davis Langdon reported, “There is such a wide variation in cost per square foot between buildings on a regular basis, even without taking sustainable design into account,” that it’s challenging to make accurate cost comparisons. Even so, the group found “no significant difference in average cost for green buildings as compared to non-green buildings.”

Laros agrees that cost is not the main deterrent – availability of the technology, he says, is more of an issue at this time.

“Right now, efficient housing is still unique,” says Laros. “Since there are still relatively few buildings being created this way, even when one is built inexpensively the prices immediately go up because there is high demand, and little supply of such a product.”

Laros, co-author of the book Inside the Civano Project – a profile of a green community in Tucson – hopes for a different future with the LEED system and the communities that adopt it.

The more serious problems lie not in the practical obstacles, says Laros, but with individual thinking: “The real question becomes, can we change our behavior, thus intrinsically changing the types of technologies we will build and deploy?”

Author: Martha Mathewson is a journalism student at the University of Arizona.

RESOURCES

• Oro Valley goals for its LEED program www.orovalleyaz.gov/Town_Government/Town_Manager/Town_Manager_s_Performance_Goals.htm ]
• U.S. Green Building Council.  www.usgbc.org/
• Technicians For Sustainability SOLAR has image of Davidson-Elementary solar panels www.tfssolar.com/81/davidson-elementary-school

Phoenix, Ariz. – The 2009 Greenbuild Conference and Expo, produced by the U.S. Green Building Council, found fertile ground in Phoenix this month. More than 800 exhibitors, over 100 seminars and nearly 30,000 building professionals from around the world gathered to learn, present their latest innovations and – perhaps most importantly – to make clear that we are all living in a very different world from just a few years ago.

Many recognized names were represented at the event: Sanyo, Georgia-Pacific, McGraw-Hill, Weyerhaeuser and most all of the other building industry giants, each lending salient validity to the unending slogans and bullet points visible every step of the way through the over 300,000 square-foot exhibit and conference halls. Greener by design, natural, healthier, multi purpose, energy saving, water conserving, recycled, socially responsible – and on and on.

At first glance, the event appeared to be a mega-builders show with a shiny green smile, but after conversations with the many marketing representatives present, a larger and more pragmatic understanding emerged.

Commercial paper suppliers offering 100 percent recycled content stated that only 10 years ago these product lines didn’t exist. They couldn’t have sold the stuff back then if even if they’d had had. Today? “It’s the only thing people ask for,” they told me.

HVAC manufacturers are building dozens of innovations into every component of hardware, software, design and systems. Why? “If we don’t deliver sustainability principles in every last part of our business and offerings, we’re dead. It doesn’t matter how long our customers have been with us, they’ll just walk right past us to the company that does. It’s our end customers who are setting new rules.”

The confirmations were vociverous throughout the event. End buyers are leading a revolution that industry must conform too. The green future has arrived.

How long will it last? That’s a rhetorical question to this industry. Down to the last person, everyone I spoke with stated that “green” is the future.

LEED certification education was clearly a high priority at the event. Dozens of kiosks were set up to take applications for training at every level of the industry with LEED related seminars available throughout the four-day event.

The building industry is making every effort to train, educate, and quickly produce a ready work force to deliver on the anticipated $500 billion expected to be spent on Green building over the next four years.

Several organizations used the conference to announce new programs, standards, services and product launches. Among them, Building Design+Construction offered its annual white paper, “Green Buildings + Water Performance.” Key findings of the study indicate that almost every region of the U.S. and parts of most states will experience water shortages over the next 10 years, and about 15 to 20 percent of the nation’s water never makes it from the filtration plant to the property line due to decaying infrastructure.

In a push to promote healthier buildings, Perkins+Will has released its free Precautionary List of 25 chemicals that are listed by government agencies as potential health risks. The list provides data on where the chemicals may be used in building materials as well as available alternative building products.

Several organizations also released their new building and sustainability standards at the show. The International Living Building Institute (ILBI) released Version 2.0 of the Living Building Challenge that addresses local food production, unrestricted access to nature and social and economic issues.

Product offerings of note included manufacturers using fly ash as a raw material for construction product manufacture. Fly ash, the rarely discussed waste product of coal burning power plants, sits exposed in thousands of dumps in the U.S. and around the world. Largely unregulated, its open storage has fouled water and air for decades. Here is a case where innovation and investment are beginning to apply real marketable solutions to a hazardous problem even before any government regulation is applied.  Dozens of products were showcased by many exhibitors which use fly ash as a major component of their manufacturing. With decades worth of supply available, the future looks bright for cleaning up a large pollution problem with economically viable market solutions.

Only a few years ago, green roofs would have been a novelty at a builders show. However, green roofs and walls are now recognized as proven energy reduction systems as well as an aesthetic architectural treatment and carbon sink. Only one of the many suppliers present stated they had the bravado to take on large commercial installations in the harsh Phoenix climate. The results? The expected energy savings plus a productive way to use air conditioning waste water.

The impact of the event will linger for a long time, as well as two primary messages:  Simple systems meet massive change and Green is here to stay.

Tucson Green Times – November 2009

Once two Tucsonans started thinking outside the typical building box, it just got easier to think green.

Tucson builders Dave and Drew Lutz. Photo by James Patrick.

The recent changes to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED 2009 rating system make it more attractive and applicable to anyone with an interest in sustainability.  And building a home to LEED standards isn’t always more expensive, either. Many of the materials are less bulky, less labor-intensive, and some are even less costly.

That’s what Dave and Drew Lutz of Lutz Construction gradually discovered with the home they’re building on Blacklidge Drive in mid-town Tucson.  Over Halloween weekend, a crowd of 170 self-guided Tucsonans traipsed through the unfinished home on the Tucson Innovative Home Tour.

What’s the attraction? It’s one of Tucson’s soon-to-be LEED Platinum certified homes. This high energy father/son team volley thoughts back and forth about the home they’re building just as fast as they bounce up ideas about material choices and concepts that will contribute to making their house one of Tucson’s highest rated LEED homes.

“We didn’t start off even trying to obtain LEED certification,” explains Dave. “This home is just the latest iteration of our building techniques.”

A LEED certified green home must have elements or green measures that increase sustainability in six broad categories: locations and linkages; sustainable sites; water efficiency; energy efficiency; material and resource efficiency, and Indoor air quality. The Lutz home satisfies all of those elements.

“When we found out about the LEED for Homes process, we knew that this home would be a match,” says Drew.  “As the project progressed, we went from Silver to Gold. We now feel that Platinum will be the final rating on this home.”

Dave explains the reasoning for choosing the midtown location. “We felt that part of the home being green is its location in the City – close to work, shopping, dining. If you don’t have to travel far to do these things, you’ll spend less in gas, time in traffic, and will be able to spend more time at home.” LEED awards points for locations like this.

The ground floor will have scored and polished concrete floors, with sustainable hardwood floors upstairs. Low-VOC paint and stains will be used throughout, energy-saving Energy Star appliances will be installed as well as Pella low-E sliding glass doors and windows.

The home is constructed of Mikey Blocks. Manufactured in South Tucson, the blocks are made of expanded polystyrene foam (EPS). They are set in a grid pattern that is stronger, seismic-wise. If something breaks or cracks in one block, the damage is restricted to one small grid area that won’t compromise the entire structure, and making for easy repair.

The list goes on – to be a LEED Platinum home, you need over 90 points and Drew estimates this house will be well over that milestone.

Both of the Lutzes agree that building a home to LEED standards is critical.

“What we’re continually seeing is that green is highly valued by the consumer,” says Drew. “A green home translates to a healthier home but also a much more energy-efficient and cost-efficient home. All of these factors mean more dollars in the buyer’s pocket on the long-term.”

The future residents of the Lutz home will enjoy significant savings on utilities as well as less environmental impact and maintenance. An energy rater has estimated that total energy costs per year on the home will be around $400.

But the real bottom line is sustainability.

“[Our effort] proves to us – and to others – that this isn’t just an ordinary home,” says Drew. “This home has the future built in and the durability to last for generations.”

Author: Bonnie Lewis is a local freelance writer.

WHAT’S MORE

LEED building is still largely voluntary in the private building sector, though many state and federal agencies now require LEED Certified construction for all new building projects. So why should homeowners ask for LEED Certification with new homes, major remodels, and even smaller projects? Let’s start with savings. Because LEED Certified homes comply with green building standards they are far more energy efficient than traditionally built homes. That translates to substantially lower heating and cooling costs and lower utility bills. And since LEED building also utilizes many Energy Star rated building materials, from insulation to appliances to roofing materials, you can expect to get substantial tax breaks from a LEED approved home, as well.

Construction features that score high LEED points in the Lutz home are:

• Spray foam Insulation by Demilec Sealection 500
• 3.2Kw PV system with Tucson-made solar panels
• Seven Solartube skylights upstairs for natural lighting
• High efficiency HVAC that pulls in fresh air for constant air exchange
• Gas  tankless water heater with on-demand hot water recirculation (the last one the home owner will ever have to buy)
• Dual-flush toilets
• Plumbed for grey water on all, showers, tubs and dual-plumbed laundry
• Rainwater harvesting
• Reclaimed wood porch (constructed with materials from the building torn down to prepare the lot)
• Built-up reflective roof
• Motion-detection lighting
• Corrugated metal fence with lighted rock-cage pillars
• Perpetually vented garage
• Six rechargeable battery smoke detectors (battery change every 10-20 years)

Tucson Green Times – November 2009

Encouraging green building, both in residential and commercial projects, is nothing new for the city of Scottsdale – its Green Building Program is the earliest formal municipal program in Arizona and the fifth oldest in the United States.

Established in 1998 to support environmentally responsible building in the city, the Scottsdale program has been used as a model for other municipalities in the country.

Anthony Floyd, Scottsdale’s Green Building Program manager, calls the effort part of the historic culture of Scottsdale.

“The city wanted to create somewhere special to live and work,” he says.

Before the program was begun, Scottsdale instituted a hillside ordinance, a native plant ordinance that established desert-sensitive design principles and created the McDowell Mountain Preserve.

“Citizens, architects, builders and elected officials all contributed to those efforts,” Floyd says, “and green building came out of all those things. It was a natural outgrowth for us.”

The program rates building projects in six environmental impact areas – site use, energy, indoor air quality, building materials, solid waste and water. A green building point rating system is used to qualify projects into the program. Flexibility of design is achieved by offering more than 150 green building options, yet still maintaining a whole building systems approach. Builders, designers and developers can enter any number of projects into Scottsdale’s voluntary program.

With regard to site use, Scottsdale’s program seeks to protect ecologically sensitive land and indigenous plants, minimize the size of a development’s footprint, integrate buildings with site topography and optimize opportunities for outdoor living (such as courtyards, porches and canopies), and avoid any ground treatments that might have toxic or hazardous constituents.

The energy impact area of the program seeks to incorporate passive solar design strategies by orienting the building and interior spaces for seasonal benefits, encouraging the use of a well-insulated building envelope and installation of high performance low-e windows, and consider active solar systems, such as water heating and photovoltaic-solar electrics.

Use of environmentally responsible materials is encouraged in buildings, as is the creation of a safe indoor air environment though avoiding materials and finishes with high volatile organic compounds (VOCs), providing for ventilation, and maximizing environmental control through operable windows and zoned temperature controls.

Efficient water use is recommended through low-flow plumbing fixtures and water-efficient appliances, improving the water delivery system using tankless and recirculating water heating systems, converting to xeriscape for landscaping, and considering graywater use and rainwater collection for outside irrigation.

Reducing the generation of solid waste can be accomplished, the program recommends, through sorting construction and demolition waste for recycling, purchasing building materials in required dimensions to minimize waste, reusing discarded materials wherever possible and donating reusable materials to local non-profit building supply companies or community groups.

“When we first began the program, we started working primarily with custom home builders, but later got involved with production home builders too,” Floyd notes. “At one point, when several major subdivisions were being built in the city in 2005 and 2006, about 50 percent of single family building permits were green permits. Now, because of the slowdown in production housing building, about 30 percent of our permits are green in residential building.”

Tom Norris, owner of Norris Architects in Scottsdale, is both an architect and licensed contractor who has participated in the program since its inception.

“I found the program extremely educational and it has changed my philosophy of building,” Norris says. “Scottsdale did a great job in setting up the training for those things that would make us better architects and builders in terms of sustainability.”

For example, he notes, the program encouraged builders to move insulation off the ceiling in residential structures and put it on the bottom of the roof deck, thus increasing the efficiency of air conditioning in the house.

“We may be insulating more cubic feet of space, but we’re not insulating against the 150-plus degree temperatures you can get in an attic,” Norris says, “so we’re keeping some of that heat out of the attic and allowing the air conditioning to work more efficiently.”

In addition, Norris points out, as time passed, Scottsdale did a good job in addressing builder concerns that arose and made the program a more streamlined process by integrating inspections with those required by other city departments.”

Floyd says that green building on the commercial side is less popular than residential, mostly because commercial projects also have to go through a developmental review board and get involved with the planning department.

“On the residential side, we’re usually the first interface with the builders,” he says, “so we have more influence on single family residential buildings.”

One of the incentives for builders to go through the Green Building Program, Floyd notes, is expedited plan review.

“Expedited plan review has been very popular with the builders because it usually means they get their building permit in about half the time as it generally takes,” he says. “That saves a lot of money for the builders.”

Builders participating in the program also are listed on the program’s website, are allowed to put up green building signage on the jobsite, can use the program’s logo on their marketing materials and are furnished with green promotional materials for distribution to potential customers.

“I think the program has been a shining star in Arizona and an example for other communities to follow,” Floyd says. “We plan to continue to keep working to get more people involved in the program and think we’re halfway to completely integrating the program and making it a standard way of construction in the city.”

Author: Alan Petrillo is a local freelance writer.