ConstructionAdvisorToday

Healthcare Facilities Survey Indicates Growing Concerns about ‘Green Washing’

Concerns about “green washing” continue to impede the growth of more cost-efficient and sustainable healthcare facilities, according to a recent survey conducted by Corporate Realty, Design & Management Institute (CRD&MI) in partnership with IFMA (International Facility Management Association) Health Care Institute (HCI). The survey included a mix of architects, designers, engineers, hospital facilities managers, healthcare engineers, project managers, and contractors from 20 metropolitan areas across North America.

Of 1,251 professionals surveyed, about 85 percent of them believe that green washing by manufacturers and service is more prevalent now than two years ago. Less than 14 percent of respondents in any given surveyed city believe that green washing is less prevalent than two years ago. In no city did at least 36 percent of respondents express a belief that green washing is just as prevalent as it was two years ago.

Pennsylvania House Passes Bill Addressing High-Performance Buildings; GBI Profiles Recent Actions on Green Building Measures in Eight Other States

The Pennsylvania House last week passed a bill (H.B. 193) that would require all state building projects to achieve a federal Energy Star rating of at least 75. The High-Performance State Standards bill would apply to state–owned or state-leased buildings and state-owned construction projects where the building exceeds 20,000 gross square feet. In addition to Pennsylvania, legislators in at least eight other states have taken recent steps to promote green buildings.

Administration Urged to Broaden Its Program for Promoting Green Buildings

There are plenty of ways that the Obama administration can better promote green buildings without having to wait for Congress to pass new legislation, according to a new report that the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and other advocates released earlier this month. The report suggests nearly three dozen actions Obama should take through 23 executive agencies to bolster his program for sustainable structures.

CMRA Maintains Membership Base Amid Economic Storm

The Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA) recently declared that its membership base has been able to weather the economic storm of recent years. “Despite difficult economic times, [we have] managed to maintain most of [our] membership base, unlike many other trade associations,” according to CMRA. The group attributed the stability to the work it has been doing in serving construction and demolition (C&D) recyclers.

New Law Restricts the Use of DoD Funds for Obtaining LEED Gold or Platinum Certification; GBI Profiles Congressional Legislation

President Obama (D) has signed legislation (P.L. 112-81; H.R. 1540) preventing the use of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) funds for garnering Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold or Platinum certification except under certain circumstances. Specifically, no funds authorized to be appropriated by the new National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2012 (FY’12) or otherwise made available for DoD for FY’12 may be obligated or expended for achieving Gold or Platinum certification, the two highest designations in the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) suite of green building rating systems.

Global Green Building Industry to Continue Rebounding: Yudelson

Expect the global green building industry to continue rebounding in 2012 despite ongoing economic difficulties in most developed countries, according to green building consultant Jerry Yudelson. This is one of 10 green building “megatrends” that he foresees for this year.

DOE Unveils New Version of Building Energy Modeling Software

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released a new version of its building energy modeling (BEM) software for architects, engineers, researchers, and policymakers. DOE estimated that EnergyPlus v7.0 -- which can calculate the energy required to heat, cool, ventilate, and light a building -- is up to 40 percent faster than the previous version of the software. The software can model various types of residential and commercial buildings and HVAC system types, including passive building designs and low-energy systems.

New NIBS Report Considered a ‘First Step’ Toward Making High-Performance Buildings Commonplace Across America

Washington, D.C. -- The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) has taken what it considers a “first step” toward ensuring that high-performance buildings become the norm across the United States by releasing a report, entitled “Data Needs for Achieving High-Performance Buildings,” during its annual meeting, held here earlier this month in conjunction with the Ecobuild America conference.

Most Surveyed Construction Professionals Believe They Are at Least Somewhat Prepared for Green Building Disputes

About two-thirds of construction professionals participating in a new Green Building Insider (GBI) survey believe they are either “somewhat prepared” or “fully prepared” for any legal disputes they may encounter over the next year that involve their companies’/organizations’ green building work. A balanced representation of nearly 200 construction professionals -- including architects, engineers, consultants, construction managers, owners, contractors, and others -- over the last week responded to the survey’s 15 questions about the risks of building green as well as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and accreditation. Construction Advisor Today members can access a summary of the survey results by clicking on the following link:

New Agreement Expected to Boost Use of GreenFormat

ICC Evaluation Service LLC (ICC-ES) and the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that is expected to increase awareness and use of GreenFormat, a CSI format that allows manufacturers to organize and report the properties of their products that affect sustainability. Designers, contractors, and building operators use GreenFormat to find products with properties that help them achieve their green goals.