Learn Section

In this section our visitors will find answers and explanations on different aspects of green building. Below you’ll find resources produced by staff writers and a wide variety of articles submitted by professionals from the New England region. We have also listed some articles written by noted industry leaders which are posted at other helpful sites.
Icon Key:   = Commercial   = Residential   = both

 

Our Contributing Writers

Air Quality, Indoor

  • Environmentally Friendly Buildings
    Ron Arena - Chem Scope
    Ron Arena, Founder and President of Chem Scope, Inc. writes about some of the most common causes of poor indoor air quality and some preventative measures that we can take.

Case Study

  • Not Your Typical Solar Company
    Buildingctgreen.com staff

    Soltage, Inc. is a full service renewable energy company that develops and operates solar energy stations on client structures across the USA. Soltage bears 100% of the capital cost and risk associated with turn-key construction of the PowerStations and provides the clients with stabilized and reduced cost electricity under a long-term Solar Power Sales and Services Agreement.

    Trust Invests in Frog Hollow Neighborhood
    Reprinted with permission from Billings Forge
    The Melville Charitable Trust is a national philanthropic leader in the movement to end homelessness and is known for its investments in educational, research and advocacy efforts to find and fight the causes of homelessness.

  • Mohawk Fine Papers Goes Carbon Neutral
    Reprinted from Auggie V's Green Blog May 13th, 2007

    Just outside of Albany is a great green company that has embraced sustainability to the point that as of July 1, 2007 it will increase its purchases of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to 100,000 MWh, which will offset emissions from 100% of the purchased electricity used at its NY and Ohio operations. Mohawk Fine Papers is the largest manufacturer of premium printing and writing papers in the country.

    Green Lodging is For Everyone
    Staff Writer - buildingctgreen.com
    At first glance, the Ramada Inn at Bradley Airport, Your Gateway to New England, appears to be just one of many roadside hotels on the Ella Grasso Turnpike catering to travelers who need to be near the airport. However, look closer and you’ll notice that’s the only thing this hotel has in common with its neighbors.

  • Power Project Profile (pdf)
    The included pdf is being used with permission of UTC Power

    UTC Power and East Hartford High School team up for this case study of power security, energy efficiency and environmental responsibility - The PureComfort™ 240M solution.

  • It’s Not Just About the Crop At This Farm
    Reprinted from Auggie V's Green Blog

    Farms have played a key role in Connecticut’s economy dating back to the time the state was first settled in the 1600s. The land here is good for growing and our workforce has always been and remains, skilled and hard working. Prides Corner Farms and agra-business in Lebanon, CT has embraced the triple bottom line.

  • Foodshare's Green Building Story
    Brian Woodman Jr. - Journalist

    The private non-profit organization Foodshare is seeking LEED certification for its new building in Bloomfield CT and Brian Woodman Jr. brings this green building's story to you.

    Connecticut Getting More Green Office Space
    buildingctgreen.com staff

    More and more green commercial properties are becoming the norm in Connecticut. In about five-ten years, if your building isn’t green, you’re done. This article looks at a few examples of great green commercial properties that will make one or several Connecticut companies very productive and their employees very happy.

Commissioning

  • Commissioning A Building
    Tom Nichols - 4Elements Group, LLC

    Tom and Jack of Indoor Air Services in Stamford help our readers better understand commissioning. Is there a boat involved? No. But Tom and Jack will tell you all about Retro-commissioning and Re-commissioning and what you need to know as a building owner/operator. Stay tuned, commissioning is coming to a home near you.

Energy Topics for Business

  • 24 NO-BRAINERS For Greening Your Next Project
    B. Alan Whitson - Corporate Realty, Design & Management Institute

    B. Alan Whitson, RPA, offers a checklist of 24 green ideas to consider for your next low- to mid-rise green building.

  • Green Buildings and the Energy Challenge
    Mike Smalec - Connecticut Natural Gas and Southern Connecticut Gas

    Mike explains to us why whether you’re planning a new building or retrofitting an existing one, distributed generation and natural gas cooling are important considerations for your green building.

  • Incentives to Install Distributed Generation
    Reprinted from CT-CLIC Quarterly Newsletter November 2006

    If you’re not familiar with Distributed Generation (DG), the term refers to electricity generation that occurs at or near the site of consumption, as opposed to most electricity which is generated at a remote site and transported by long-distance transmission lines to the consumer. Connecticut businesses can now benefit from distributed generation.

  • Curtis Packaging Leads By Green Example
    160 year old firm gets hip with some wind power and helps the Newtown community at the same time.Curtis Packaging, one of the nation’s leaders in packaging design and printing is one of the first printing and packaging companies in the nation to be both Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified and use 100% renewable energy. Learn about this industry leader and its commitment to environmental stewardship.

eWaste

  • The Economics of eWaste
    Staff writer - buildingctgreen.com
    Several recent announcements indicate that electronic component manufacturers are making stronger efforts to be better environmental stewards by producing eco-friendly products. They are also hoping to increase market share by reaching out to the growing number of buy-green consumers.


General Green

  • Batteries, Bacteria & Beer - In the Quest for Energy, Microbes Might Make a Difference
    Posted with permission from Nerac, Inc.
    By Wendy Dickerson and Euan Morton, Nerac Analystsm
    One technology that has been emerging over the past decade, involving microbial fuel cells, is quickly becoming an economically viable source of energy. By adding the right kind of bacteria to biomass, including industrial waste, we can generate electricity. Maybe not a lot of electricity right now, but that could change as the technology develops and applications diversify.

    When Will the Climate Change for Climate-Change Legislation?
    By Rachel Barron, reprinted with permission from Greentech Media
    Dan Reicher, director of climate and energy initiatives for Google.org and former U.S. assistant energy secretary, spoke earlier this month at the Clean-Tech Investor Summit in Palm Springs, California about national U.S. legislation to combat climate change and how it could still be years away.

  • Ten Green Stories for Connecticut in 2007
    buildingctgreen.com Staff
     AuctorVerno, LLC and buildingctgreen.com have announced the 2007 CTGreen10, recognizing the ten best Connecticut green stories for the past year. AuctorVerno's staff has selected stories that include energy projects, education, recycle and reuse, commercial, school and residential building projects and green transportation.

  • Green Brands 2.0 - An ImagePower® Survey (pdf)
    Landor Associates, Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, and Cohn & Wolfe
     This survey explores Americans’ perceptions of green practices in business – be they right or wrong - gauges their level of involvement in improving the state of the environment, and identifies which brands they think are best at being green.

  • Clean Tech & the Art of Long-Term Thinking
    Ron Pernick, Clean Edge, The Clean Tech Revolution

    Ron explains why he thinks that the art of long-term thinking, "thinking like a mountain", should be a key tenet for companies, governments, investors and others striving for clean-tech success.

    It’s Easy Being Green in New England: Choices Expand for Environmentally Friendly Meetings
    Bruce Fears, President, ARAMARK Harrison Lodging

    Bruce has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He is responsible for ARAMARK’s operations at more than 50 conference centers, corporate training centers and specialty hotels in educational environments, as well as 16 national, state parks and other resort operations across the United States.

  • The Future of Mass Market Organics
    Nerac Industry Report

    Sales growth in the organic food market over the past 15 years has surpassed overall growth in U.S. food sales. As a percentage of overall food sales, the market share for organics has steadily increased. However, it is possible that the 15-20 percent annual increases in organic food sales cannot be sustained because supplies cannot keep up with demand.

    Managing Your Carbon Footprint…Why, When & How
    Report from The Conference Board

    According to a study done by The Conference Board on carbon-specific decision-making, a company’s choice to manage its carbon footprint and seek related new businesses may range from the simple to the complex, with the organization’s unique circumstances being a decisive factor. The report also finds that the influencing factors for this decision will generally embrace both external and internal drivers.

  • Hartford Habitat Builds One of the Greenest Homes in Hartford County

    Staff Writer - buildingctgreen.com
    Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity is building 33 houses in Swift Village in the Northeast neighborhood section and a duplex soon to be ready for occupancy might be one of the greenest homes in Hartford County and maybe Connecticut.

  • Nine Green Stories In Connecticut
    buildingctgreen.com
    The 2006 CTGreen9 is a collection of 2006 Connecticut people, places and/or things are case studies of corporations, educational initiatives, NGOs and governmental entities that are committed to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

  • Neither Red Nor Blue Connecticut Was a Green State In 2006
    Staff Writer - buildingctgreen
    Much of the Connecticut news headlines were dominated this past year by the elections. Connecticut was watched by the nation as Senator Lieberman was challenged by Ned Lamont and two key congressional seats were at stake that could change the balance of power at the U.S. Capitol.n business stories from the year 2006.

  • No Flush Urinals - One For The Boys
    Staff Writer - buildingctgreen.com

    Patrick, one of our researchers and a huge Red Sox fan explores the ins and outs of waterless urinals. Where does he start his research? His own little place of worship, historic Fenway Park.

 

Geothermal

  • Geothermal Energy – Steamy or Subtle
    Anne Mackenzie, Build Green Limited, Sydney, Australia and Christchurch, New Zealand
     Anne, a friend of buildingctgreen.com helps us to better understand geothermal and gives site visitors an introduction to this alternative energy source. Anne also lists some very cool resources. You have to check out the groovy glow-worms.


Green Business

  • Print Media Likes the Green Angle
    buildingctgreen.com staff

    As if the media wasn’t awash with green building and green business stories already, a new study released reveals that green business stories in the news are up this year compared to last year and we’ve only seen the beginning. According to the findings readers and advertisers want to see more green stories.

    ‘Green’ Commitment Pays Off for Dry Cleaner
    Reprinted with permission from Green Earth Cleaning

    Shawn McCann placed his bet on the future six years ago, while his competitors stuck with the tried and true and scoffed at him. Today, as he opens his eleventh environmentally-friendly dry cleaning plant here, his bet is paying off big.

  • Green Businesses Get Insurance Discounts
    Reprinted with permission from sustianablebusiness.com

    After a decade of touting the superior quality of Green Buildings The Tower Companies is the first company in the Washington DC region to receive a 5% discount on property insurance because the insurance industry says Tower's green buildings are less risky.

  • Stealing Green
    By Charles Shaw
     Mega-corps GE, BP and Wal-Mart have joined the chorus for sustainability by re-branding themselves as green. Charles Shaw interviews Joel Makower, a pioneering green business consultant whom the Associated Press has called “the guru of green business practices,” and who contends it’s more than just PR.

  • How Green Is My Company?
    Dees Stribling - The Slatin Report

    This reprint, courtesy of theslatinreport.com, is the first of three reports from the 2006 Corporate Real Estate Conference, "Gloablization, Sustainable Development and the Corporate Real Estate Mission."

Green Building Diaries

  • Habitat For Humanity: Green Home Diary

    Staff Writer - buildingctgreen.com
    In April of 2006, Hartford Are Habitat For Humanity began construction on a duplex home using green building technology. Buildingctgreen.com was able to diary the project, allowing our visitors to learn about constructing a green home from the ground up.

  • 30 Lewis Street: Green Building Diary
    Staff Writer - buildingctgreen.com

    30 Lewis Street: the former University Club of Hartford wass being rehabbed into office space by Lewis Street Partners, LLC


Investing - Socially Responsible Investing

  • Doing Well By Doing Good - Interest in Socially Responsible Investing Rises
    By Dan I. Olson
    Many investors have strong opinions that don’t involve their views on interest rates and stock prices. They want their holdings to reflect their values by avoiding companies that profit from activities they oppose, and supporting those that behave in ways they consider appropriate or responsible. At the same time, they still want to earn a reasonable return on their portfolios.

Lanscaping Green

  • Landscaping Your Commercial Property: Why Going Green Makes Cents
    By Margie Holly, Brickman

    As the weather warms and many commercial property owners have been focused on the insideof the building, the same focus should be considered when developing sustainable exterior landscaping strategies. Margie Holly, Communications Manager at Brickman, a national commercial landscaping firm, forwarded an article to us regarding the environmental benefits and cost savings of sustainable landscape management.

    Tips on Lanscaping Your Property Green
    Thomas Benjamin, LEED-AP - Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
    Tom Benjamin, RLA is the Senior Landscape Architect at Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. based in Watertown, MA with offices in Middletown CT. Tom gives our visitors some tips on how to landscape your property using sustainable landscape architecture practices.

  • Green Roof Tops are Becoming the Rage In Green Building
    Jared Markham and Melissa Spence, Weston Solutions and GreenGrid®.
    Green roofs are becoming more and more popular, especially in urban areas. Jared and Melissa report on this growth industry in green building from the 4th Annual Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Conference held in Boston, May 2006.

LEED

  • LEED Spells Opportunity for Connecticut's Schools
    By Erin N. Cooper AIA, LEED
    Erin N.Cooper is an architect and Project Manager at Amenta/Emma Architects where she leads the firm’s sustainability committee. Erin is a LEED Accredited Professional with expertise in high performance buildings and integrated design. In this article, Erin updates our visitors on current and future trends in green school construction in Connecticut.

    CT GBC Membership Gets LEED-EB Update
    Caroline Howe - Connecticut Green Building Council
    Caroline, a student at Yale University and a student member of the CT GBC tells us how existing buildings are judged and in what categories they are rated when being held up to the LEED-EB standards.


Lighting

  • The Romance of Fluorescents
    Reprinted with permission from Warfel Schrager Architectual Lighting, LLC
    We'd like to keep you up to date with the latest trends in lighting. Lighting is both a science and an art: the art uses principles that have been around since candlepower was produced by candles. The technology changes so fast email may not be quick enough to get the news out fast enough.

Question & Answer - The Interviews

  • Q & A With American Green Holdings CEO Dale Wiley
    Buildingctgreen.com staff

    American Green Holdings (AGH) which is based in Crane, MO and with operations in Connecticut as well as California and Texas, announced earlier this month that it had launched a new on-line green auction site at BidForGreen.com. The site matches buyers interested in using biodiesel and other green products to quality sellers who can provide them with excellent service. buildingctgreen.com staff interviewed Dale Wiley, the CEO of AGH and discussed his company's green business model, the state of bio-fuels, the company's cool relationship with rock stars and his thoughts on the state of green business.

  • Fuel Cells and the Whole Foods Store In Glastonbury
    Printed curtesy of Living on Earth

    The Whole Foods store in Glastonbury, Connecticut is the first supermarket in the country to get all its power from a stationary fuel cell. The Green Grocer Host Bruce Gellerman, a regular feature on Public Radio International, talks with Bob Remick, director of the National Renewable Energy Lab, about how fuels cells work and the promise of fuel cell technology and Bob Byron of UTC Power, which supplied the new power source. This is the text of that interview.

    Center at Yale Developing Next Generation of Green Leaders
    Staff Writer - buildingctgreen.com

    Yale University has graduated a few of the greatest thinkers and leaders in American history and today's global economy. If Bryan Garcia the new Program Director of the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale can influence the present student population, they will all play a role in the emerging and blossoming green economy. We recently caught up with Bryan and discussed the Center and its mission.

    Bigelow Tea Bags Some Solar Energy
    Staff Writer - buildingctgreen.com

    The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund announced that it was assisting Bigelow Tea , with a grant to purchase solar panels that will be installed at the company’s offices in Fairfield, CT. Buildingctgreen.com staff got a chance to catch up with Bigelow’s Vice President of Manufacturing, Dean Hearst and discuss why the family owned tea manufacturer made the investment in green energy and what are the other sustainable business practices this industry leader incorporates in it's business model.

    Garick Aims to Green Connectiuct's Economy
    Staff Writer - buildingctgreen.com

    Connecticut’s growing green economy got a boost in December 2006 when Garick Corporation, based in Cleveland Ohio made a commitment to Connecticut and its economy by purchasing New Milford Farms from Nestle Water. Garick, a leading manufacturer and distributor of natural resource products servicing the landscape, recreation, lawn, garden and construction industries, plans to attract food and organic green waste generators in the Northeast.

  • UTC Power Produces Sustainable Energy Solutions
    Staff Writer - buildingctgreen.com

    The U.S. economy is getting greener by the minute. The companies that produce products that feed this growing economy will only benefit in the long run. UTC Power, with headquarters in Connecticut, is one of these companies and is an industry leader in environmentally advanced technologies. Whether it is a PureComfort® solution or PureCell™ system for on-site building power or PureMotion™ power plant for transit buses, UTC Power has sustainable solutions available today and working on more for tomorrow.

  • Q & A With CT Green Building Council President F. Todd Renz
    Staff Writer - buildingctgreen.com
    F. Todd Renz, newly elected President of The Connecticut Green Building Council (CT GBC) as well as President of O,R&L Construction, spent some time with buildingctgreen.com staff and shared his vision for the council and discussed green building in Connecticut.

  • A Discussion With Master Green Builder Steven Soler
    Staff Writer - buildingctgreen.com
    Within the next year, the green building community nationwide will know about Georgetown (Redding) Connecticut, if they don’t already. Green buildings will dominate the old Gilbert & Bennett Wire Mill and create a strong sustainable community with a very hip town center. The project is being done by Georgetown Land Development Company (GLDC), a socially conscious real estate development firm in Georgetown. GLDC President Stephen Soler took some time to meet with us and discuss the project

  • Q & A With U.S. Green Building Council President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi
    Staff Writer - buildingctgreen.com
    U.S. Green Building Council President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi, who spoke in Connecticut on April 27, 2006 at Yale, was able to give us some time so we asked and he answered. Among other things, Rick touches on LEED 3.0, gives his opinion on Connecticut as a green building state and on the lighter side, chooses one when asked 'Red Sox or Yankees'.


Recycling

  • Fine-Tuning Recycling In Newtown
    Reprinted with permission of The Newtown Bee
    Collectively, Newtowners are more successful recyclers than the residents of other towns in the region, leaving 36 tons of materials for recovery and reuse in bins at the side of the road in an average week.

Roofing

  • The Recycled Roof
    Reprinted with permission from EcoStar® Carlisle
    A roof to a house should be more than icing on a cake. EcoStar® recycled emulated slate roofing tiles provide a great complement to an environmentally friendly themed house or building.

Windows

  • Selecting Windows is Not Always Easy
    Staff Writer - buildingctgreen.com
    One of our buildingctgreen.com staff writers explores windows and how to select those that are right for you. On the surface, one would think it would be easy. But like any specialty, the window industry has its own jargon that needs to be interpreted.

Wood

  • Why certified wood?
    By Tom Degnan
    Tom Degnan is buildingctgreen.com’s wood guy. A licensed forester who runs a forest land management consulting business in Old Lyme, Tom’s article lets our visitors learn about what is “good” wood and how do you identify it.

 

Other Learn Resources

  • Global Survey Shows Green Construction Costs Are Lower Than Believe
    World Business Council for Sustainable Development Report
    Key players in real estate and construction misjudge the costs and benefits of green buildings, creating a major barrier to more energy efficiency in the building sector, a new study by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) reports. The findings are disclosed in a new report titled "Energy Efficiency in Buildings: Business Realities and Opportunities," which summarizes the first phase of the WBCSD's project.

    Educated Incapacity: Are We Smart Enough to Save the Planet?
    Jerry Yudelson - iGreenBuild.com
    While many people call for buildings to be more energy-efficient, and while we certainly know how to do this from building science, the practitioner level is plainly just a weak reed to lean on at this time. Jerry details his reasons for this and explains how things can be different going forward.

  • Facility Management - The Big Picture
    Source: GreenBiz.com
    This is a great introduction for the building owner or manager to learn the basics of how to “green” a building. From water use to energy conservation to cleaning “green” this GreenBiz article includes some case studies and best practices

  • Flex Your Power
    http://www.fypower.com
    Though based in California, this site is full of great information for any location. It has information on best practices in energy efficiency and conservation that Connecticut residents and businesses can put to use. While this is the land of Yankee ingenuity and we are pretty savvy when it comes to these topics, this site does have some good information that all of us can learn from.

  • Home Energy Do-it Yourself Audit
    This site is a must for the AA personality type who has to know what they’re doing when it comes to being energy efficient. We put bctg.com staff on the case and they reported back that the site was easy to use and a lot of fun. Check it out.

How to submit a learn article
Do you have knowledge of a new method or emerging sustainable solution that you’d like to share with our visitors; then you may want to submitting a Learn Article. And if we really like it we can feature it on the front page or in our monthly e-newsletter. All submissions will be considered but are not guanteed to be posted. To Submit an article send an email to senioreditor@buildingctgreen.com