Tidewater Current | Spring 2012
Transmitting news and infomation about sustainable endeavors in Coastal Virginia and beyond. Updated Weekly.
Building and Infrastructure:
For the most up to date newss and even more clips, visit the TidewaterCurrent Snip.it collection.
LOCAL & REGIONAL NEWS: (scroll down to see more news)
6.10.12 - Crisper Products investing in Orange County - www2.starexponent. Aquaponics facility to be sited between Gordondsville and Orange, VA. Fish and produce will be grown naturally in a closed recirculating systems. No pesticides will be used and fertilizers for the produce are provided by fish (trout, shrimp and tilapia). Wind turbines and solar panels will help power the greenhouse facilities. Crisper Products will deliver North up to Baltimore and DC and South to Richmond and Charlottesville and West to Fredericksburg.
6.6.12 - DC high school students learn green roof design - examiner. Fish and Wildlife Service Grant for innovative storm water management funded the GreenWorks-Phelp High School Project that will teach 20 students how to build green roofs. Once completed, 4 demonstration roofs constructed by the students will reduce runoff and thereby reduce pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
5.18.12 - New EcoVillage in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia - webwire. Floyd EcoVillage under construction in the New River Valley of Virginia. The 75 acre community is looking to bring together folks who "want to live and work in an environment that encourages sustainability." They are aiming for net zero energy construction and will use local materials.
5/171/12 - Apple to use only green power for main data center - reuters. Apple's data center in Maiden, NC rated LEED Platinum will soon sport 250 acres of solar panels and a biogas fuel cell plant. The facility will be coal free by the end of 2012.
5/11/12 - Langley Wins Two Blue Marble Awards - nasa.gov - Hampton, VA - NASA demolition and construction teams honored for their environmental stewardship in the removal and development of structures at Langley. - http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/researchernews/rn_bluemarble.html
5/9/12 - Green Building - Charlottesville - Green roofs sprouting around community - cvilletomorrow.typepad - Tuesday the James River Green Building Council hosted a presentation on the benefits of green roofing and highlighted area projects like the City Hall building pictured.
5/8/12- Hot Water and Electric Power from Combined Home Solar System - appliancemagazine - Raleigh, NC - Homebuilder Meritage offering combined solar pv/thermal systems with new homes along with smartphone-enable HVAC control.
5/8/12 - Green Roofs Grow a Whopping 115% in 2011, Industry Announces - builderonline - Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, an advocacy group, reports that Washington, D.C. tops the metro rankings for installed green roofs with 800,000 sq. feet installed in 2011. The group notes, that the green roof industry grew 115% in 2011. The living roofs remove air pollutants, reduce runoff and reduce heating and cooling needs.
5/7/12 - GSA RELEASES GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION SYSTEMS REVIEW - altenergymag - Three certification systems passed GSA screening criteria: Green Building Initiative's Green Globes, U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), and the International Living Building Challenge.
5/2/12 - DIY Shed Plan Makes a Home Attainable - jetsongreen - Online source for Green House Plans: FreeGreen.
4/30/12 - Full compliance with energy standards now required in Va. | The News & Advance
4/26/12 - Gereau Center(Franklin VA), CEED wins national award - The Franklin News Post
4/23/12 - New "green" Germanna building also a classroom - Water, Earth and Sky | Blogs.Fredericksburg.com
4/22/12 - - (Falls Church, VA ) Family takes long, winding road to their 'green' house | USATODAY
4/20/12 - Adam Cohen (of Virginia) talks at Ryerson on Passive Commercial Buildings, 2012 | YouTube
4/18/12 - Hampton Roads Green Building Expo - FREE - VB Convention Center - Info
4/18/12 - (VA) CEED Becomes First Public School to Use Passivhaus Technology in the U.S. | Green Building News
4/16/12 - The Green Building Code Bible Gets a Much-Needed Update (LEED 2012 to include location and transportation to encourage walkable communities/public transport)- David J. Unger - Technology - The Atlantic
4/14/12 - Solar-powered Asheville business campus would shine light on sustainability | The Asheville Citizen-Times | citizen-times.com
4/10/12 - Zero Carbon Cement Production with Solar Thermal (from George Mason University) | CleanTechnica
4/10/12 - (VA) CEED up for national award | ZeroEnergyConstruction
4/5/12 - GE LED Retail Lamps Deliver a World of Savings to Johnny Janosik World of Furniture : Press Releases : News : GE
4/5/12 - What's Apple up to now in Maiden, North Carolina? - Apple 2.0 - Fortune Tech
4/3/12 - GREEN House raises $1,000 for (VA) water research institute - Campus - The Daily Northwestern - Northwestern University
4/3/12 - Eyesore or inspiration? Raleigh's AIA-NC building - Features - Technician - North Carolina State University
4/3/12 - Now hear this: The Army isn't abandoning LEED | GreenBiz.com
4/2/12 - Apple's NC Data Center to Include 24 Fuel Cells : TreeHugger
4/1/12 - Superheroes of the sustainable home building movement (EarthCraft VA)- AGBeat
3/29/12 - Green construction - As sustainable trend grows, even a car wash opts for green | VirginiaBusiness.com
3/29/12 - Comments sought for solar program | WAVY.com | Richmond, Va.
3/27/12 - US Army Abandoning LEED Certification (developing own green standards) | EcoGeek
3/23/12 - USGBC Blog: $2 Billion Home Energy Rebate Program Introduced in Congress | USGBC Blog
3/19/12 - Greenroofs.com Projects - WaterShed House
3/18/12 - 7 Indoor Plants That Purify the Air Around You Naturally | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World
3/7/12 - Home Depot Creates Products List for LEED | JetsonGreen.com
3/7/12 - Update: More Details on Apple's NC Solar Farm | Renewable Energy News Article
3/6/12 - Solar Energy Generates Cash for Dorcas Ministries | CaryCitizen
3/2/12 - Time to Support PACE Financing! (It's Good for You) - CleanTechnica
MORE NEWS: Please visit the TidewaterCurrent Sustainable Design-Green Building Snip.it Page for current news and more clips.
6.7.12 - Green residential projects transforming Allston neighborhood - The Boston Globe. Landlord turning 2 block area into a Green zone. New construction is LEED certified, while exhisting building will get green upgrades like rooftop solar panels. Tenants will be required to sign a "Green Declaration" promising a commitment to energy and water conservation as well as recycling and composting. The author notes that there are similar green residential area in other cities as well.
6.6.12 - Charlotte, NC - Spotlight Solar.
Beautiful solar structures.- spotlightsolar.
6.6.12 -Wind Mapping Study Looks at Turbine Feasibility for Boston High-Rises - marketwatch.
A sky farm of ten 50 kW vertical axis turbines on top of high-rise can supply 10% of energy demand. Info at: http://easternwindpower.us/about/
6.4.12 -Austin's 16th annual cool house tour.
5.28.12 - Whitley County project producing houses with little or no energy costs | GreenSpot | Kentucky.com. Affordable net zero community developed in Whitley, Kentucky. Designed with Passive House standards the homes cost about $200,000 to build. But with various grants the homes are being sold at $110,000 - $ 115,000. They served as a learning opportunity for the builder who was able to reduce costs as the development progressed. With no net annual energy bill, the new owners are getting an awesome deal. Hope to see more of these programs.
5.28.12 - An Earth Shelter For The Ages In Michigan « - earthtechling. Biodynamic farm hosts earth shelter home and barn complex that operates completely off the grid. The earth insulated passively designed home maintains a comforatable winter temp with solar hydronic heating and PV panels for electricity. Article includes links to vides series documenting construction.
5.27.12 - Net Zero Is Bliss At Maharishi University In Iowa « - earthtechling. MUM Sustainable Living Center functions entirely off the grid and and is net energy positive producing more energy than is consumed. There are also water purification and waste water treatment systems on site that utilize plants, algae and bacteria. Visit the TidewaterCurrent Sustainable Design-Green Building Snip it collection for more green building clips.
5.26.12 - In historic Anna Maria village, green energy flourishes - heraldtribune. Sarasota- Eco Village conserves historic buildings, resources and attracts shoppers. A Florida couple redevelops shopping community to net zero and LEED Platinum certifications. 8 historic homes sporting 400 solar panels produced 85 MW hours of electricity while only consuming 81 MW hours. They capture and store rainwater for toilet flushing and irrigation.
5.24.12 - How a White or Green Roof Can Keep Your Building Up to 84% Cooler This Summer - inhabitat. Study conducted by Columbia University and the University of New York finds that a living roof was 60 degrees cooler than a black roof. They also improve air quality, reduce storm runoff, provide habitat and area aesthetically pleasing.
5.24.12 - 2012 Affordable Green Neighborhoods Grant Program Applications Being Announced for Release by BofA and USGBC - loansafe. Bank of America grants $500,000 to be distributed in $25,000 awards to developers of affordable community green housing projects. USGBC will be accepting applications until August 10.
5.22.12 - Form follows function for Barcelona's Solar House 2.0 - gizmag.
Barcelona Public Information Center Solar home boasts protrusions that limit solar gain in summer but let in winter sun and support solar PV panels optimally angled to capture energy. Average energy production daily is 100 kWh while only 20 kWh used.
Net Zero Construction - Phipps Conservatory Opening Celebration of the Center for Sustainable Landscapes Today - phipps.conservatory.
May 23 - The new Center for Sustainable Landscapes opens today at the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh. Lauded as one the greenest buildings on earth, the facility is utility independent. Capturing all it's energy and water and treating wastewater via constructed wetlands. The building has attained the highest green standards, including LIVING, LEED and SITES. - http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/center-for-sustainable-landscapes-at-phipps-conservatory-to-open-in-july-637162/ - View Photo Tour: http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/photophippsbldg052312.aspx - Listing of all the green innovationns at: http://phipps.conservatory.org/project-green-heart/green-heart-at-phipps/center-for-sustainable-landscapes.aspx
5.23.12 - New Davies Student Center will run completely on renewable energy - weau. University of Wisconsin Eau Claire students pay for green student center. Each student pays $20 a year for sustainable projects. For the student center, they agreed to purchase Renewable energy credits to provide all the their energy from wind.
US Develop Billion Dollar Green 'Practice' City - designbuildsource.com.au
5/14/12 - The Centre for Innovation, Testing and Evaluation (CITE) is a City being developed to test "green" technologies in New Mexico. According to Pegasus Global, the developer, testing can be performed on numerous energy, food, water, and structural applications.
5.21.12 - Awesome slideshow. Archi-future: 13 Green Buildings That Will Blow Your Mind (PHOTOS) - huffingtonpost
Ancient 'air-conditioning' cools building sustainably - CNN.com - Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Pools of water at the base of the building provide evaporative cooling. Stepwells loweri building temperatures by 20 degrees.
5/10/12 - FLOW Harnesses Tidal Waves to Create Energy and Music - inhabitat - In Northern England Upon the River Tyne sits a structure that captures tidal energy and makes music. The public art project also serves as a river research station. - http://inhabitat.com/flow-harnesses-tidal-waves-to-create-energy-and-music/
5/10/12 - Technology Spotlight: Solar Windows - sustainablebusiness - Pythagoras solar windows installed on the Chicago Willis Tower for testing. Two windows on the 56th floor have solar cells inserted between window panels. The cells prevent heat gain and reduce cooling costs and generate electricity. - http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/23693
5/9/12 - German Passive House Tours North America - builderonline - German Passive House open for tours at this summer. Cambridge 06.18.12–06.27.12; New York 07.10.12–07.19.12; Washington DC 07.31.12–08.09.12; Chicago September 2012; Denver October 2012
5/9/12 - Morphosis Architects Chosen To Design First CornellNYC Tech Building on Roosevelt Island - inhabitat - Cornell University chooses Morphosis Archtects' Thom Mayne to design the first net zero building on it's new Roosevelt Island campus. - http://inhabitat.com/morphosis-architects-chosen-to-design-first-cornellnyc-tech-building-on-roosevelt-island/
5/7/12 - One of Earth's Greenest Buildings Opens in Pittsburgh on May 23 - marketwatch- Net Zero Phipps Center for Sustainable Landscapes to pursue living building status. Site will contain a restorative landscape, wetland water treatment system, pv, geothermal and wind power as well as passive heating, cooling and lighting.
5/5/12 - HGTV Green Home 2012: Serenbe's story - proudgreenhome - Serenbe - Sustainable Community outside Atlanta - Home of the 2012 HGTV Green Home - This home and more open for tours - http://www.accessatlanta.com/AccessAtlanta-sharing_/eco-homes-and-green-1430961.html
5/5/21 - Biochemist creates CO2-eating light that runs on algae - No electricity needed - algae light powered by absorbing carbon dioxide | EcoGeek
5/3/12 - West End wetlands would provide recreation, clean water - billingsgazette - We need to see a project like this in Virginia. Wetland parks provide water treatment, recreation, flood protection and wildlife habitat.
5/2/12 - Super-green 'Full Plane Passive House' being built in Portland | Daily Journal of Commerce
5/2/12 - American Rivers : Benefits Of Green Infrastructure: Salty Is Not A Good thing.
5/1/12 - Infiniski adapts its shipping container houses to suit local conditions and resources | GizMag
4/30/12- Check out one of Idaho's greenest homes on Earth Day - www.kivitv.com
4/29/12 - Water Management Scheme Saves Every Last Drop | Earthtechling
4/27/12 - Smog-Eating Architectural Panels - CleanTechnica
4/27/12 - Condo Owners Fight Homeowner Associations For Their Right to Install Solar Power | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building
4/26/12 - New York Council Is Set to Encourage Greener Buildings With New Zoning Rules - NYTimes.com
4/25/12 - Nashville Riverfront Transformed From Wasteland to Cumberland Play Park for Families | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building
4/24/12 - Hanwha Solar Panels Atop Disney's Vision House - Solar Novus Today
4/24/12 - EWHA Woman's University is a Green-Roofed Constructed Canyon in Seoul | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building
4/24/12 - Green Infrastructure Could Save Cities Billions - Technology - The Atlantic Cities
4/23/12 - Could universal design be the next mainstream movement in architecture, planning? | Phys.org
4/21/12 - Reliable Steel to Build Phototronic Living Homes Using Sustainable Materials by GigaCrete - MarketWatch
4/20/12 - Snoozebox is a portable hotel made from shipping containers | GizMag
4/20/12 - Oasegroen Greens Up Dull Interiors With Living, Breathing Moss Walls | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building
4/20/12 - NASA's New LEED Platinum Sustainability Base is the Greenest Federal Building in the US - PHOTOS | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building
4/20/12 - Visiting Rural Studio's Modern Architecture in Alabama - WSJ.com
4/20/12 - Are straw bales the future of sustainable building? - Green Living - The Ecologist
4/19/12 - 2012 AIA COTE Awards Announced : TreeHugger
4/19/12 - (Vt University) Student Compost To Heat Chilly Vermont Greenhouses | EarthTechling
4/19/12 - How to install a green roof | MNN - Mother Nature Network
4/18/12 - How to Green Southern Cities Built in the Age of Cars and Air Conditioning - Design - The Atlantic Cities
4/18/12 - Technology Spotlight: Solar Roadways | SustainableBusiness.com
4/17/12 - McCormick Distribution Center (MD) Achieves Net-Zero Energy Status (with solar installation) · Environmental Management & Energy News · Environmental Leader
4/17/12 - Inside The London Neighborhood That Will Be Built By Ikea | Co.Exist: World changing ideas and innovation
4/15/12 - How green is a parking lot? New efforts to test infrastructure - KansasCity.com
4/15/12 - Biggest Green Multifamily Housing Project (Sort Of) | Earthtechling
4/13/12 - California Considers Net Metering Change - Solar Novus Today
5/9/12 - Virtual Program - Bioclimatic Design: A Primer for Green Building is New Education Program on LearnVirtual- seattlepi.com
4/13/12 - Bringing Solar to the Masses: Community Shared Solar Gains Popularity Nationwide | Renewable Energy News Article | RenewableEnergyWorld.com
4/13/121 - A building that gives back to the Earth (Living) - VanCouverSun
4/12/12 - How green is a parking lot? New efforts to test infrastructure - Wire - Lifestyle - bellinghamherald.com
4/11/12 - Phipps Center for Sustainable Landscapes (Living Building) to Feature PPG Glass - MarketWatch
4/11/12 - Habitat 44 is a Glass-Clad Greenhouse Housing Project in France | Inhabitat.com
4/11/12 - VERDMX’s Soaring Vertical Gardens Clean Mexico City’s Air | Inhabitat.com
4/10/12 - Lush Living Wall Masks the Construction Site of a New Philadelphia Shake Shack | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building
4/10/12 - Floating Pools Among Resident Ideas for East River 'Blueway' - DNAinfo.com
4/10/12 - Street Lamp and Fitness Equipment Blend Into Smart Lighting Concept | Treehugger
4/9/12 - Subsidized Housing Goes Super-Green In Hawaii | Earthtechling
4/9/12 - Building Codes: Simple Energy Savings - CleanTechnica
4/9/12 - Net-Zero Building Program Certifies First Two | Earthtechling
4/6/12 - Dutch Kills Green Revamps Queens Plaza with a Wetlands Park, Bike Paths and More | Inhabitat New York City
4/6/12 - Google saves energy by cooling its buildings with ice | Grist
4/6/12 - Dirt is making a comeback | Philly.com
4/6/12 - The Largest Multi-Family Project in The U.S. Pursuing A Gold Level Certification with The National Green Building Program | Virtual-Strategy Magazine
4/6/12 - New Solar Panel Kit Could Make Solar Easier for Homeowners - CleanTechnica
4/6/12 - Solar Leases Attracting New Demographic | RenewableEnergyWorld
4/5/12 - SOLarchitect Helps You Design Your Own Rooftop Solar Power System - CleanTechnica
4/4/12 - Oregon home to meet trifecta of green rating systems (Minergie, LEED, Passive Houss)| Daily Journal of Commerce
4/4/12 -Bishan Park: Singapore Transforms a Concrete Channel Into a Vibrant Riverside Park | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building
4/4/12 - Compact Shipping Container House Challenges Space Requirements in Colorado | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building
4/4/12 - The Congress for the New Urbanism Turns 20 | MNN - Mother Nature Network
4/3/12 - Architects' Answer to Rising Seas: Floating Homes -- Architecture News: Digital Wire - Architectural Record
4/3/12 - Grow Living Buildings in London With JAILmake's Reseeding Bricks | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building
4/2/12 - 'Natural builders' take green building one step further | Daily Journal of Commerce
4/2/12 - Representatives of the Passive House Institute are opening their first stateside offices in New York City to facilitate training in the ways of Passive House. | Inhabitat New York City
4/1/12 - Zero-Energy Buildings Attainable Across Climates, Researchers Say - EBN: 21:4 | BuildingGreen.com
3/30/12 - Old concrete canal transformed into a green park |Ecofriend
3/30/12 - Green Building Precedent Set – Hammer & Hand and Scott|Edwards Architecture Begin Nation's First Commercial Passive House Retrofit | Seattlepi.com
3/29/12 - E+ is a Verdant South Korean Home Blanketed in Greenery and Solar Panels | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World
3/28/12 - Active aggressive: Holistic green home building movement coming to America | MNN - Mother Nature Network
3/27/12 - Paving paradise: It's time to reinvent the parking lot | MNN - Mother Nature Network
3/27/12 - Sustainable cities of the future | MNN - Mother Nature Network
3/25/12 - IBA_Dock: The green, floating building | GizMag
3/24/12 - These vertical forests will soon dominate Milan's skyline | io9.com
3/24/21 - House of hemp? Pushing cannabis as a construction material - latimes.com
3/23/12 - Green Development Has A Community Motivated | Earthtechling
3/22/12 - EXCLUSIVE PICS: Sunshower SSIP is a Pre-Fab, Hurricane-Resistant Home in New Orleans | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World
3/21/12 - BBC Nature - Rooftop blooms help pollinators
3/21/12 - Rainwater Toilets in Apartments Add Value for Developers - Businessweek
3/21/12 - New Jersey Ranch Home Marketed As "Tear-Down" is Eco-Renovated Instead | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World
3/21/12 - The Deep Green Building Next Door | Earthtechling
3/20/12 - School of the Arts is a Vibrant Green Addition to Singapore's City Center | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World
3/18/12 - Passive House in Westport offers tours to the public | thehour.com
3/16/12 - Portland Builds Over 100,000 Square Feet of Greenroofs in 2011, By Casey Cunningham - http://www.greenroofs.com/content/Portland-Builds-Over-100000-Square-Feet-of-Greenroofs-in-2011.htm
3/15/12 - Doing More with Less: Why America Can Lead the World toward Sustainable Cities | Jacob Scherr's Blog | Switchboard, from NRDC
3/14/12 - Container homes: out-of-the-box thinking | Inman News
3/14/12 - Solar-Powered Housing for U.S. Military, from SolarCity & U.S. Bancorp - CleanTechnica
3/14/12 - Sustainable SITES Landscape Design: Green Building Excellence | WomensRadio
3/13 12 - LEED Platinum Point Champ: Atlanta's Perkins+Will | Earthtechling
3/13/12 - A Greener Strategy for New York's Runaway Sewage - NYTimes.com
3/13/12 - Solar-Powered Prefab Skyville Complex Commences Construction in Singapore | Inhabitat
3/13/12 - Sidewalks in Bellingham, WA are Paved With Recycled Toilets | Inhabitat
3/12/12 - LEED Platinum Home Takes Modular To Green Limit | Earthtechling
3/12/12 - Sustainable Housing and Green Building News: Underground Eco Park in Progress on NYC's Lower East Side | ENN.com
3/12/12 - Peconic Bay House is a Solar Powered Eco Prefab in Shinnecock Hills | Inhabitat New York City
3/12/12 - The Caterpillar House is a Modern Rammed Earth Ranch House in California | Inhabitat
3/7/12 - Tap turned on at new Lothians water treatment plant | Edinburgh and East | STV News
3/7/12 - eco-PERCH is a Shapely Green Tiny Retreat | JetsonGreen.com
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