Greening existing buildings is needed to combat global warming

Like a pop star in an L.A. nightclub, green buildings are turning heads with their bamboo flooring and energy efficient designs. What about their seasoned counterparts? Historic and existing buildings comprise the vast majority of buildings. Ignoring this sector of the built population is like only providing healthcare for the youngest member of the family.

Some builders and developers have been focusing on retro-commissioning existing buildings. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines for existing buildings were released four years after the criteria for new buildings (Herrera, 2007).

Buildings are responsible for more greenhouse gases than automobiles. Watch this video for more on this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X0tS7Yb1Y4.

The Rose Smart Growth Investment Fund acquires commercial buildings for upgrading to LEED-EB (existing buildings) certification. The Joseph Vance building in Seattle--built in 1929 by architect Victor V. Voorhees—is one of their charges. Their acquisition manager Nathan Taft said that focusing on the “huge consumers of energy” in existing buildings is very important when considering that 99 percent of buildings are already built while one percent is under construction (Herrera, 2007).

The cost of renovating Joseph Vance to Energy Star and LEED-EB standards was $3.5 million. Existing windows were rehabbed adding weather stripping and Mecco shades (which automatically roll down diffusing light when desired). Natural ventilation was used for cooling while some HVAC units were decommissioned. Existing steam heating was upgraded with valves allowing tenants to control their unit temperatures instead of the previous region control. The original high ceilings were exposed by removing drop ceilings which provided more natural lighting and visual appeal (Herrera, 2007).

Other renovations included using low VOC paint, carpeting was removed exposing the original terrazzo floors, and installing ceiling fans. For minimizing water usage, motion sensors on faucets and low flow toilets were installed. Tenants were educated about the waste disposal, composting and recycling programs (Herrera, 2007).

This is a wonderful step toward increasing the number of green buildings that can be targeted by builders and developers. On a more personal level, we call all work to make our existing homes more environmental friendly. Watch this video to see how one home owner in Maryland upgraded his home with solar panels, corn heating, energy-efficient appliances and good old-fashioned effort to reduce his family’s carbon footprint http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q85lrWqnUsI.

We all have a responsibility to look seriously at our own energy usage and do what we can to minimize it. To do this right, we need to work at it. Some considerations include: driving less, greening our homes, eating locally-grown foods, recycling more and consuming less. Ignoring our individual energy consumption has made us “energy fat.” It is time to slim down and share the environmental smorgasbord with the rest of the Planet Earth.

Bibliography

Herrera, Tilde, “Untapped Green Within Graying Buildings,” GreenerBuildings.com <http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=35827>

YouTube.com <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q85lrWqnUsI>

YouTube.com <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X0tS7Yb1Y4>