A recent American Institute of Architects (“AIA”) study highlights the national trend toward green building programs since 2007.  According to an AIA survery, more than one in five U.S. cities (with populations of more than 50,000) report having programs in place that promote green building.  This number represents a 50% increase in municipal green building programs over the last two years.  The Western and Mountain regions lead the nation in the number of green building programs per state.  Given the size of the cities with green building programs, the impact of these sustainability programs reach about 53 million people.

To find out more about these sustainability and green building initiatives throughout the nation, see the AIA’s new report, Green Building Policy in a Changing Economic Environment, which also contains policies and recommendations to assist policymakers in advancing sustainability and green building.  You’ll also find case studies that highlight the green building programs in several cities, including Boston, Philadelphia, LA and Grand Rapids.

In light of the economic downturn during the last two years, AIA Executive Vice President / CEO, Christine McEntee, finds the results of the AIA’s survey encouraging and a sign “that cities are recognizing the economic benefits of energy-efficient buildings.”  The AIA is a prominent adopter of the 2030 Challenge and has committed to a goal of carbon neutral (zero energy) buildings by 2030, in addition to its goal that “all design projects will be sustainable as a matter of course.”

Populus is a full service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus guides architects and builders through the requirements of mandatory green building codes and optional green home certification programs, providing HERS rating, LEED for Homes Green Rater services and municipal energy code consulting.  In addition, Populus offers an Energy Code Workshop for architects and municipalities, as well as LEED for Homes training.  Visit Populus at www.popboulder.com.

What impact does window selection have on energy efficiency and sustainability?  What factors influence the energy performance of windows?  Populus Sustainable Design Consulting and SolarGlass Window & Door presented on these issues at last year’s USGBC Colorado Sustainability Conference.  Here is a description of that presentation:

The session will explain the implication of the DOE’s pending 2009 Energy Star changes for high altitude markets and review the product design responses planned by leading manufacturers.  Additionally, the session will discuss the interplay of the following factors on building envelop efficiency, sustainability, and occupant comfort: glazing to floor area ratios, dispersion of windows by elevation, glazing alternatives, frame materials, the often overlooked importance of quality installation

Attendees will come away with an understanding of what design elements should be given priority when developing a window solution for a given project, as well as the trade-offs associated with aesthetic, performance, and price considerations.

Included in the presentation will be an overview of the growing importance of performance-based measurements of building envelop efficiency (e.g.; Resnet’s Home Energy Rater modeling software) and how windows impact the HERS score.

USGBC Colorado has recently posted Populus & SolarGlass’s “Sustainable Window Selection” presentation on its website.  Of particular interest, on page 11 of the presentation, you will find a graph which demonstrates the specific concerns and trade-offs related to window selection for various ranges of desired HERS Index Scores.  Pages 13-18 contain a case study which analyzes the interaction of window selection and mechanical systems as it relates to home energy performance.

Populus is a full service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus guides architects and builders through the requirements of mandatory green building codes and optional green home certification programs, providing HERS rating, LEED for Homes Green Rater services and LEED for Homes training.  Visit Populus at www.popboulder.com.

The Department of Energy Building Technologies Program is hosting a free webinar on green home building and Greensburg, Kansas:

DOE Webinar November 23—Greensburg: America’s Model Green Community in Their Own Words

November 12, 2009

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Technologies Program is offering a webinar on Monday, November 23, 2009, from 1:00-2:30 p.m. EST titled “Greensburg: America’s Model Green Community in Their Own Words.”

This webinar will provide an overview of how Greensburg, Kansas, a town that was nearly destroyed by the largest tornado on record, found new life and purpose rebuilding as “America’s model green community.” Hear from city and government leaders how decisions were made to rebuild with the largest concentration of LEED^® certified buildings in the world, and where the town is headed today.

This webinar is geared toward federal agencies, state energy offices, renewable energy and energy efficiency associations, architects, residential and commercial builders, planning firms, and homeowners. The presenters will include:

• Bob Dixson, Mayor, City of Greensburg
• Kelly Estes, President, BTI-Greensburg John Deere Dealership
• Darin Headrick, Superintendant, Greensburg Schools District USD 422
• Daniel Wallach, Executive Director, Greensburg GreenTown

This webinar is free of charge, but you must register in advance to obtain a URL for the presentation and call-in phone number. Learn more about the webinar.

Visit the Building Technologies Program Web site for information about research and development of technologies and practices to achieve the goal of marketable net-zero energy commercial and residential buildings.

Want to learn more about the LEED for Homes green home certification program? Populus Sustainable Design Consulting has just scheduled a new Boulder, Colorado LEED for Homes Intensive Training in January 2010 (with a discount for BGBG members!).  If you were unable to attend our previous two-day intensive classes for scheduling reasons, there’s good news!  We’ve spread the intensive class over three evening sessions in January.

New! Monday Evening LEED for Homes Class in January

January 11th, 18th and 25th, 4 p.m to 8 p.m., Populus, 1727 Fifteenth Street, Suite 200, Boulder, CO 80302

Registration Fee: $230 (only $199 for BGBG Members)

For those of you who couldn’t take time off for our previous two-day intensive training classes, Populus’ January LEED for Homes Intensive Training takes place over three sessions on Monday evenings in January. Registration is limited, so sign up early!

To enroll in a training class please email laura@popboulder.com or call Populus at 303-325-7650. We will contact you to confirm your registration and to process credit card payment by telephone.

Included in the Registration Fee: LEED for Homes Intensive Training class and Populus’ LEED for Homes outline.

Who Should Attend

The class is geared toward green building professionals (especially architects and builders) interested in learning more about the USGBC’s LEED for Homes program, those interested in learning green building and building science principles (especially as it relates to durability issues, indoor air quality and energy efficiency), real estate professionals who seek to understand and market green homes, as well as product manufacturers and salespeople who want to better understand how their products interact with green building certification programs.

While the class is an intensive introduction to green building and building science principles, it is also designed for those interested in studying for GBCI’s (the “Green Building Certification Institute”) LEED for Homes AP (or “Accredited Professional”) exam.

Populus’ LEED for Homes classes are taught by David Neiger, Principal at Populus Sustainable Design Consulting:

• B.S. Architecture, Penn State University
• RESNET Home Energy Rater
• USGBC Green Rater
• LEED AP Homes
• Served as a Subject Matter Expert to the USGBC

Featuring

• Hands-on learning experiences that emphasize project team roles and credit requirements
• Green Rater demonstrations
• In-depth coverage of building science, including air leakage, moisture control, ventilation strategies and durability management
• Overview of RESNET’s Home Energy Rating System (or “HERS rating”), including key energy efficiency strategies
• Comprehensive coverage of green building, including materials and resources, water efficiency, indoor air quality, energy efficiency, sustainable sites and landscaping
• Introduction to complimentary green building certification programs, including EPA’s Indoor airPLUS and ENERGY STAR for New Homes program

Populus continues to reach out to markets across the United States to increase education and awareness regarding high performance green homes.   In the future, some of the posts from Populus’ High Performance Home Blog will be republished at  Green Building Inspector.  You can also follow Laura Hutchings’ blog posts on the Huffington Post.

Populus is a full service sustainable design consulting firm that focuses on high performance, net-zero and near-net-zero custom residential and multi-family projects.  Populus guides architects and builders through the requirements of mandatory green building codes and optional green home certification programs, providing HERS rating, LEED for Homes Green Rater services and LEED for Homes training.  Visit Populus at www.popboulder.com.