News

The NH Chapter kicked off the new year with a roundtable event hosted by Chapman Construction/Design in Manchester, NH. The event brought together like-minded green building professionals to discuss current trends in the industry, share ideas and network. Much of the discussion focused on reducing embodied carbon which accounts for a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the construction industry. Embodied carbon looks at the lifecycle of construction materials from extraction to disposal and is quantified as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) units. Examples of materials include asphalt, concrete, steel and insulation. Potential impacts are conveyed through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) which can be used when selecting materials. EPDs also include information such as global warming potential, eutrophication impacts, and manufacturing processes.

In addition to reviewing EPDs to make informed decisions, attendees discussed Building Green’s Contractor's Commitment where contractor’s can pledge to reduce the environmental impact of their project. Categories include carbon reduction, jobsite wellness, waste management, water management, and material selection. As part of the process, contractors implement planning and track various metrics to showcase their improvement over the course of the project.

Based on the great topics of discussion and attendance last week, we’re hoping to schedule more roundtable events in the future.  Please let us know if you have ideas for future discussions, sign up for our emails and check website to learn more.

This year was the 30^th year of USGBC and GreenBuild was located in the place where the organization was created. Once again there was a big push in embodied carbon, electrification, and resiliency.

This year I attended a few sessions on the WELL rating system which is a rating system for the interiors of buildings. There was a specific session where each table had to discuss what makes their work environment comfortable and enjoyable. It was great to see that daylighting & views, food options, and indoor air quality were all at the top qualities that our table wanted in a work space. 

Another interesting fact was that Boston College installed geothermal in their newest building with the boreholes at a 1500 feet depth, where normally a borehole is 500-800 feet deep. With the Inflation Reduction Act, there has been a lot of buzz with future tax credits that are waiting to be used. https://www.rewiringamerica.org/app/ira-calculator  a website that was shared during a session to help determine what tax incentives can be used for an individual.

The EPA and GSA also announced new funding for Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) research and creation which is some of the best news for the manufacturing industry.

Manufacturers are also asking for more clear and concise information from the market, as in using the same wording and rating systems universally so they can continue to provide greener products.

Cannot wait to see what is in store for next year as the conference is planned for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

As a resident of New Hampshire with a house built in the 1950s, the winters in New Hampshire were always a concern when it came to heating my house. My oil furnace felt like it was running constantly to keep the temperature up to 67 degrees in the few hours I was home after work and when it did turn off, I found that my house felt cold. After three years of ordering heating oil up to four times per calendar year, I was informed of the NH Saves program. The NH Saves Program is a collaboration of multiple electric and gas utilities in New Hampshire offering rebates to homeowners for improving their homes.

To get started, I completed the online form (https://nhsaves.com/residential/weatherization/) requiring my heating usage for the past twelve months, total square footage of my house, my heating source, my utility provider, and my zip code. Shortly after I received an email from my utility provider, indicating my property had been assigned an Energy Audit company. An Energy Audit was then scheduled at a time convenient for me. The cost of my energy audit was $100 and took approximately two hours. The energy audit was an amazing experience to watch. I was able to be an active observer for a blower door test at my home. It was a great experience to say the least.

A few days later the final report of my energy audit was emailed to me. The report contained the suggested fixes for my house to improve efficiency. For me, the fixes included reinsulating the ceilings, walls, and basement along with air sealing. The report also indicated the cost for the work to be completed. The NH Saves program currently provides a $6,000 credit per calendar year. The total for my fixes was approximately $12,000 not including the NH Saves credit. I made the decision to move forward with all fixes and pay the difference out of pocket. The Auditor mentioned that I could have reapplied for the program the following year to receive the $6,000 credit again, but I chose to get all the work done at once.

Work was scheduled for the fall of 2022 and was anticipated to take four days. The company performing the work did a great job. They were informative, clean, and timely. Additionally, they took photos of their work for record. Shortly after the work was finished, a third-party inspection was completed on my home.

I am happy to say that I have noticed a huge impact from the NH Saves Program. In a single winter year, I went from ordering heating oil four times a year to only two. My house feels warmer even when the furnace is not running. I have noticed that outside noises are duller.  I am excited to continue to see the savings for the next few years as my expected payback is only four years.

The New Hampshire Chapter of the USGBC recently hosted a webinar to learn about solar for municipalities.  Revision Energy’s Rachel Eades presented on the latest policy updates, Inflation Reduction Bill impacts to municipal solar projects, and important considerations for a successful solar installation.  The webinar started with an overview of the electricity cost in NH and potential climate change impacts to our state if we continue with business as usual.  She provided a great background on how solar energy works, the types of systems, equipment, and a sample construction timeline.  Then we looked at financing options and project economics.  One of the components of the Inflation Reduction Bill is the 30% “direct pay” rebates for solar installations for municipalities and non-profits.  Rachel also provided action items for those municipalities looking to install solar in their town.  Finally, she stressed the importance of community engagement, outlining a clear vision for the project and ensuring buy-in from all stakeholders.  The NH Chapter is grateful for Rachel’s time and sharing her knowledge on this important topic.

2022 Annual Meeting Recap

United States Green Building Council New Hampshire Chapter's Annual Meeting took place on December 8, 2022, at the Southeast Land Trust in Epping, NH. SELT’s building is a recent LEED certified building. The night started off with networking and drinks as USGBC New Hampshire has not hosted an in-person Annual Meeting since 2019, then continued to a building tour. It was stunning to see how millwork sourced from the site was used inside the building in offices and public spaces. The building was designed to accommodate for growth in SELT’s organization. Following the building tour, attendees were able to network and snack on some Popovers, salad and fruit provided by USGBC New Hampshire. A panel discussion with SELT, Sheldon Pennoyer Architects, Chapman Construction / Design, and Resilient Buildings Group moderated by USGBG New Hampshire’s President, Doug Shilo took place where attendees could learn more information on the design development, construction, and sustainable features of SELT’s building. Board members were introduced and a summary of chapter events from 2022 was shared with attendees. To wrap up the evening, USGBC New Hampshire announced the Building of the Year Award. This award goes to the project with the highest number of LEED points built in the state of New Hampshire. The winner for 2022 is the Ruth Lewin Griffin Place apartment building. Thank you to all who attended our 2022 Annual Meeting.

A shoutout to our event sponsors: Bruss Project Management, Chapman Construction / Design, Resilient Buildings Group, Revision Energy, and Sheldon Pennoyer Architects.

Have a safe and happy New Year!

The NH Chapter of the USGBC recently toured the Goel Center for Theater and Dance at the Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, NH.  The 63,130 square foot building won the NH Chapter’s 2021 Building of the Year Award for having the highest number of LEED points.  The building received 60 points and is certified LEED Gold.

The building has multiple theater stages, dance studios, scene shop and classrooms to support the school’s performing arts programs.  The exterior of the building has a minimalist design with limited strategically located windows (at the end of corridors, for example), front entrance and southwest corner.  Although few, the windows provide a connection to nature and provide natural light.  At night, the murals inside the building create a warming light through the windows that invites students to the building.  Since this is a theatre building, acoustics were important to the students and event attendees.  Acoustical ceiling and wall panels were used throughout the reception area and corridors to help control the sound.

The energy efficient building utilizes a geothermal heat pump system and LED lighting to reduce energy consumption.  Lighting controls allow students and staff the ability to adjust light levels based on activities.  Stormwater runoff is captured in the nearby rain garden which also provides greenery for the outdoor space.  Custom bike racks are located close to the front and back entrances to promote alternative transportation.  The project also transformed the street adjacent to the building for pedestrian use and connecting the Center with the academic campus and athletic facilities.

Written By: Laura Samoisette, High Performance Buildings Project Manager at Resilient Buildings Group

The November 12th the Public Utility Commission (PUC) order has caused a string of confusion amongst those who are in the NHSaves pipeline. The drastic cut of 40-60% of the NHSaves budget proposed in the PUC order would have been catastrophic to the NH energy efficiency industry and a stomp on all progress made to date. In November 2020 the NH Public Utility Commission rejected the 2021-2023 three-year energy efficiency plan to boost energy efficiency rebates and incentives for homeowners and businesses. In addition, commercial and industrial customers in particular were facing a Systems Benefit Charge of 168% under the PUC order. Many of us fought long and hard to keep the budgets up in the interest of the people. The problem is now (mostly) resolved, with HB549 being signed to law about a month ago. We in the energy efficiency industry are relieved, as it means we still have jobs identifying projects and facilitating their incentives. However, I’ve found that many clients today are questioning why their energy efficiency awards are less than what they were expecting.

The current NHSaves program budget is set to 2020 levels with the signing of HB549 instead of what many were expecting to be a notably higher 2022 rate. We have essentially taken a step backwards in the budget available to assist project owner’s and their teams. We are now seeing the 2022 close-out of several projects started in 2021, whose owners are expecting the incentives rates that were set when they engaged their projects, or even higher assumed 2022 levels. These projects are receiving adjusted incentives rates because currently the 2020 rates are in effect.

Let’s be clear, energy efficiency incentives are never guaranteed until you sign an acceptance letter. Registering or engaging your project with your utility provider does not ensure that you will receive all the incentives you are filling out paperwork for. There are many reasons for this: your initial assessment may be inaccurate, the year you are filing in may lapse and budgets for the program are typically adjusted annually and in some cases the budget may already be spent. My experience has mainly been working to facilitate NHSaves Path 3 incentives- electric and natural gas savings over code and Path 4 incentives- energy efficiency equipment. Engaging early and frequent communication is key to receiving maximum incentives. Here is some helpful advice for proceeding with these programs:

●     Engage early and have frequent communication with your utility provider in order to receive maximum incentives.

●     Fill out paperwork early to avoid issues.

●     Ask about the possibility of incentives on equipment that is just out of reach of that

SEER threshold, it never hurts to ask.

●     For path 3, work congruently with a technical assistance vendor to find cost-effective

solutions for pushing the energy efficiency of your project. You will be awarded in the

end with larger incentives check as well as lower operating costs. Not to mention free

assistance from professionals with many years of experience to pull from.

Written By Grady O’Rear

According to the United Nations, “Food …. lies at the heart of trying to tackle climate change, reducing water stress, pollution, restoring lands back to forests or grasslands, and protecting the world’s wildlife.”

With the many threats humanity faces brought about by COVID-19, much emphasis in the green building sector is focused on IEQ improvements and workplace best practices. While these initiatives provide important opportunities to mitigate risks, there are other built environment tools and features that can help curb root causes that lead to the emergence and reemergence of infectious disease as well as greenhouse gas production, pollution, and land degradation. Let’s explore some of them.

Reduce Natural Resource Extraction. The green building industry has a strong commitment to conserving natural resources. For example, most of us are aware that we can:

• ·         Prioritize development in urban areas
• ·         Promote passive and active solar design and construction
• ·         Make electricity and water use more efficient
• ·         Generate and use more renewable energy
• ·         Reuse and recycle materials
• ·         Select and install local materials that are environmentally benign
• ·         Plan and utilize state-of-the art storm water management systems.

But there is another arena of activity within the built environment that can bring significantly beneficial results that is lesser known and rarely emphasized – promotion of low on-the-food-chain eating. Here are some of the reasons this area of environmental impact needs to be prioritized:

• ·         A recent United Nations report on climate change warned that “The rearing of livestock generates 14 per cent of all carbon emissions, similar to the amount generated by all transport put together. Currently, farmed animals occupy nearly 30 per cent of the ice-free land on Earth. The livestock sector generates a seventh of global greenhouse gas emissions and consumes roughly one-third of all freshwater on earth.”
• ·         Although still under debate, many scientists believe there is convincing evidence that COVID-19 got its start in non-human animals. They contend that like MERS, SARS, HIV, Influenza A and Ebola, the coronavirus is zoonotic – it originated in animals and jumped to humans. Moreover, health experts warn that the problem isn’t the animals, it’s us. Agricultural intensification, deforestation and urbanization are responsible because they bring animals in closer proximity to humans.
• ·         Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs), according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are agricultural businesses in which animals are kept and raised in confined situations. Rather than grazing in pastures, fields, or rangeland, these enterprises congregate production facilities, animals, feed, manure, urine, and dead animals within a small land area. Among other negative impacts, AFOs contaminate surface and ground water and contribute to air pollution. There are approximately 450,000 AFOs in the United States.
• ·         The potential for transfer of pathogens among animals is higher when they are in confinement. Asymptomatic animals may carry microbial agents that can infect humans.

These data point to animal food production, as practiced today, as detrimental to humanity and the planet. In addition to changing our own dietary habits, what can the green design and construction industry do to change this picture?

Use and Advocate for Built Environment Incentives. The industry has taken some important initial strides in this area. LEED now offers several credits that address food production issues. Below are some examples of additional actions that can be taken:

• ·         Explore and utilize plant-based food options in the workplace and at company events.
• ·         Educate colleagues and clients about food-related best practices and their impacts on sustainability goals.
• ·         Utilize Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) scoring metrics. ESG investors recognize the direct link of financial performance with environmental and social impacts. Last year, 60 top global businesses committed to publicly support and transparently share ESG reports. The time is ripe for ESG + Nutrition.
• ·         Consider R&D Tax Credits for companies that work to create or improve outcomes that promote plant-based products and diets.
• ·         Create and submit additional LEED food-related credits.
• ·         Influence other green building rating systems, standards, and codes to create, recognize, and promote food-production incentives.

Elegant solutions can be described as ones that simultaneously address multiple concerns and risks. Efforts to promote plant-based diets rank high on the list. It’s an amazing and timely opportunity for the green design and construction industry to pick this low hanging fruit and benefit from its profound effects.

This year’s Annual Meeting took place in early December virtually. Even though this was another tough year of the pandemic, we were able to do four Green Egg in-person building tours and start selling logoed merchandise. The Green Egg events included touring the USGBC NH 2020 Building of the Year winner, the NH RANG Hooksett Field Maintenance Shop, a co-gen plant at UNH Durham, William Boyce Thompson Field House at Phillips Exeter Academy and Kingston Hall at Southern New Hampshire University. All tours were informative about current green building practices in New Hampshire.

The 2021 Building of the Year Award went to The Goel Center for Theater and Dance at Phillips Exeter Academy. The building received 60 points and is certified LEED Gold. Be sure to continue to check your emails for updates on the Green Eggs tour of this building!

Eric Corey Freed’s keynote was about “The Urgency of Carbon”. Eric Corey Freed is an award-winning architect, author, and lecturer and currently serves as Senior Vice President of Sustainability for CannonDesign, leading the healthcare, education, and commercial teams toward better and higher performing buildings. For over 20 years, he was Founding Principal of organicARCHITECT, a visionary design leader in biophilic and regenerative design.

As a mentor and lecturer, Eric brings a high level of passion and drive for sustainability and challenges those he teaches, speaks to, and practically everyone he meets to think, design, and present outside of the box and outside their comfort zone. As a facilitator, adjunct professor, and lecturer, Eric has educated more than 300,000 people across all 50 states and 7 countries on issues related to sustainability, high-performance building, and the built environment and does so in his own comedic and entertaining style.  

Eric was previously the Chief Community Officer at EcoDistricts, a nonprofit that helps cities and developers create regenerative, resilient, and socially equitable neighborhoods for everyone, and Vice President of the International Living Future Institute, a nonprofit that developed the Living Building Challenge, a global, regenerative, deep green building standard. He is the author of 12 books, including "Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies", "Sustainable School Architecture," and “Green$ense for your Home”. His latest publication, "Circular Economy for Dummies" was released in the Spring 2021.

Eric is considered a leader in the field and was previously named “Best Green Architect" in 2005; "Best Visionary" in 2007; and "Green Visionary" in 2008.  In 2012, he was named one of the 25 "Best Green Architecture Firms" in the US, and one of the "Top 10 Most Influential Green Architects."  He also holds a prestigious LEED Fellow award from the US Green Building Council. Eric’s keynote was engaging as he delighted attendees with his knowledge on the circular economy and global climate change. The entire keynote was recorded and can be found on our website.

Through your donations we were able to raise over $300.00 to the following local organizations: Bridge Street Recovery, Family Promise, NeighborWorks Housing Solutions, and Families in Transition. One of our USGBC NH members even won a Door Prize that consisted of items for a covid-19 survival kit. Thank you to all who joined us, and we look forward to what 2022 brings!

Have you heard of Belfor Property Restoration, Servpro, or CRP Contracting? These are some of the largest property restoration companies in the U.S.

Companies like these typically provide residential and commercial fire, water, wind, mold/biohazard cleanup, disinfection, and reconstruction services.

For example, Belfor with over 7,000 employees and more than 150 locations in North America boasts over 450 locations around the world. Servpro has grown since its founding in 1967 to more than 1,700 franchises with over 1,900 locations in the United States and Canada.

Why are such companies important stakeholders in sustainability?

Property restoration services are increasingly needed to address the greater frequency and intensity of both small-scale and large-scale disasters. The annual market of the American property restoration industry has skyrocketed to well over $200 billion. During the past three years, 60% of restoration contractors surveyed predicted American industry revenues growing in the 25% range each year.

For example, on the small-scale side of the disaster continuum, let’s take a quick look at some data about water and mold damage. According to Water Damage Defense, an estimated 14,000 people in the U.S. suffer water damage at home or work each day. And within a homeowner’s lifetime, 98% of basements in the U.S. will flood.

Mold growth often accompanies water damage. Mold growth can also occur without water damage. A case in point, some modern, energy saving homes have very tight building envelopes, but were constructed without frequent air exchanges. Under these circumstances, with or without the owner’s knowledge or awareness, mold can thrive due to limited air movement.

On the macro-level, the chart below from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows the alarming trend line of climate and weather disasters in the U.S. overtime that cost $1 billion or greater. Over the period from 1980 to 2020, these disasters cost over $2.2 trillion.

What are the implications for green design and construction?

Historically, USGBC Chapters have focused on green built environment projects that either involve new construction or remodeling. Architects, engineers, and construction (AEC) personnel deserve accolades for helping green buildings become more of the norm.

However, there is a gap between the green building community and the property restoration community. The green building community has been squarely focused on eco-friendly new construction and remodeling for decades; the property restoration community has an interest in green design and construction, but this hasn’t been their primary area of emphasis.

Concerted efforts by the green community must be made to bridge this gap. Beyond the collaborative business potentials, the existential threats from climate change, including sea level rise, wildfires, superstorms, earthquakes, epidemics and pandemics, and mass extinction demand is integration.

Here are a few kick-off ideas for USGBC chapters and green AEC professionals:

• 1)      Reach out to property restoration companies in your area. Create forums that may be of interest to them. Work toward their joining your USGBC chapter or other green building associations. Gain understanding about the work they do and discover synergies together.
• 2)      Give greater emphasis to resilience. Explore the use of the RELi™ 2.0 Rating System (RELi 2.0). It’s a resilience-based rating system for neighborhoods, homes, commercial buildings and infrastructure. Learn about FORTIFIED. This insurance carrier financed home, commercial, and re-roofing program uses research supported approaches to strengthen buildings against severe weather.
• 3)      Support green/disaster recovery/resilience training and credentialing. Associations like AIAand ASCEas well as NIBShave developed important initiatives that can help inform professionals and be woven into webinar presentations. Some non-profits like Green Advantage offer ANSI-accredited credentials that can be utilized to advance green/disaster recovery/resilient means, methods, materials, and best practices for construction-related personnel.

This is just a partial list of ideas to consider. I’m sure you and other readers can add more. By working together, these two industries can make critical strides toward greater sustainability in the built environment.