Chicago Among Top Five Greenest U.S. Cities
March 31, 2010 by Matt Baker · 2 Comments
Continuing a national appraisal begun last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ranked the top U.S. cities in terms of efficient buildings. Chicago moved to fifth overall, up one spot from the previous year. The ranking is based on number of building which garnered the EPA’s Energy Star rating, of which Chicago has 134.
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Chicago Announces Creation of Green Jobs Using Recovery Act Funds
March 15, 2010 by Matt Baker · Leave a Comment
The City has used $16 million received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment program to create more than 650 “green” jobs for formerly-incarcerated individuals, Mayor Richard M. Daley said last week.
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Chicagoland Roofing Council Green Roofs Update
March 12, 2010 by Matt Baker · Leave a Comment
By Bill McHugh, CRC Executive Director
What’s up with Green Roofs? The Chicagoland Roofing Council (CRC) is up, with a view from the top. Read on for where roofs are going in the future, and why proven methods from the past are needed to keep these new systems viable.
“Green roofs can be of the garden, reflective, ballast or photovoltaic variety,” said CRC President Rod Petrick. “The Chicagoland Roofing Council contractors understand these technologies, and know how to make these systems work.” They only work if the roof doesn’t leak. It’s not about the panels, the plants, the light colored coatings or ballast/pavers, it’s about what’s underneath that counts: the roof.
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Mad Scientists: The Crazy Ideas That Just Might Save the World
March 12, 2010 by Matt Baker · Leave a Comment
By Matt Baker
After the launch of Sputnik in 1957, the United States government believed that the Soviet Union had not only leapfrogged them technologically, but had become a grave threat. This resulted in the creation of a federal research and development arm—the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA, later DARPA). Defense research efforts under this agency resulted in the unmanned Predator drone currently at work in Afghanistan and Iraq, the F-117 stealth fighter and most notably, ARPANET, the predecessor to the Internet.
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Smart Grid 101
March 12, 2010 by Matt Baker · Leave a Comment
By Michael Munson, Metropolitan Energy and
Michael Cornicelli, BOMA/Chicago
What is Smart Grid? Smart grid is a term with varied meanings to different audiences. The multitude of perspectives makes it difficult for consumers and businesses to identify what it is, understand how it applies or grasp the potential benefits and costs associated. An interesting parallel may have occurred in the 1980′s as people attempted to define the “internet” or “cyberspace.” At that time, it was a tool used by the government and university researchers with rooms full of mainframe computers. Today, it’s something that we carry with us by way of the iPhone and Blackberry. Caveats aside, the term “smart grid” represents a technology vision to optimize efficient electricity information, transfer and use.
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Legislative Hurdles to Greening Chicago
March 11, 2010 by Matt Baker · Leave a Comment
By Danielle Wagner
It’s no secret that Mayor Daley has made it his mission to help Chicago earn the title of “greenest city in the nation.” And while some cities across the nation have followed Chicago’s lead in expedited green permitting processes, density bonuses, incentives, greening municipal buildings and fee reductions and waivers, is the City of Broad Shoulders still an innovator of the sustainable movement? Other city governments have begun to take green building to the next level by mandating it and adopting standards into their building codes. But how does Chicago fare on the national stage?
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Cold as Ice: How Downtown Chicago Keeps Cool
March 11, 2010 by Matt Baker · 2 Comments
By Matt Baker
Chicago has ice in its veins.
In truth, it’s not ice but 34° water coursing beneath the surface of downtown Chicago. One long stretch runs up LaSalle, another down Dearborn. A search of Lower Columbus might reveal pipes suspended over one’s head. Feeding this network, tucked away in different corners of the city, cooling plants deliver on-demand chilled water. Thermal Chicago is the company behind this district cooling network, and they may be one of the city’s best-kept energy secrets.
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The Green Lease: Considerations for Existing Buildings
March 11, 2010 by Matt Baker · Leave a Comment
By Robert Smith
Partner, Holland & Knight LLP
According to an April 2009 report by the U.S. Green Building Council, (USGBC), commercial and residential buildings account for almost 40% of all energy consumed in the U.S. and a full 72% of the nation’s electrical use. Read more
Life in the Lab: Experimenting With the Single-Family Home
March 11, 2010 by Matt Baker · Leave a Comment
By Matt Baker
It is early adopters that drive down the prices and stretch the capabilities of new technologies, whether it’s the first production automobiles or the latest smart phones. And with much of the green building industry only just emerging, it requires that willingness to try something new, to redefine what’s possible, if these technologies are to take root.
Even before Jim and Beth Masterson decided to refashion a former schoolhouse from the 1880′s into a green home for themselves and their five children, they had begun implementing a greener life. They eschewed the clothes dryer in favor of line drying and the family became avid recyclers and composters. It was an experiment in how environmentally conscious they could make their daily routines without disruption. Read more
