Re: GBlist: green building and energy efficiency

["Dr. Carmine F. Vasile" <gfx-ch@email.msn.com>]

Hello Tim:  Regarding your statement: "University officials are a breed unto
themselves, especially with regards to a B-school, but our experiences might
offer you some parallels to what you'll encounter." -- here's two unsavory
experiences & barriers:

1.    After designers of a new Drexel University dorm included our DHR
system, based upon actual measurements shown @ www.oikos.com/gfx/hotels.html
for a New Zealand hotel we gave them a very large "school" discount. The
barrier raised by the builder killed this green technology by demanding over
6 times the discounted price for installation.
2.    In the case of a Stony Brook University dorm then under renovation,
the on-site ESCO ( NYPA) raised the barrier of delay/delay/delay; killing
the project over the objections of the Residance Hall Manager. The
sister-dorm was to be renovated the following year, but NYPA blocked same;
offering no alternative.

Best Regards,
=====================================================
 Dr. Carmine Vasile, CEO
 WaterFilm Energy Inc.,
 P.O. Box 128
 Medford, NY 11763
 Voice: 631-758-6271 [Fax: 631-758-0438]
 Email: gfx-ch@msn.com Web: http://oikos.com/gfx/
=====================================================

----- Original Message -----
From: Tim Nieman
To: Martha Arosemena ; greenbuilding@crest.org
Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2001 11:50 AM
Subject: Re: GBlist: green building and energy efficiency


Martha,

In late 1997, Rice University in Houston announced they were planning to
build a new Business School building on campus. One of the professors, eight
other students and myself formed a group to try to convince the university
to make the building "green".  University officials are a breed unto
themselves, especially with regards to a B-school, but our experiences might
offer you some parallels to what you'll encounter.

In general, we ran into a lot of resistance due to perceptions of what green
building is or is not.  When we first approached the dean, he said "We
aren't building an adobe hut for a business school."  As a result of this
and other misconceptions, we spent a great deal of time providing education
to dispel ideas that environmentally sensitive buildings are outrageously
expensive/ look funny, etc. So, you're likely to run into similar
misconceptions and you'll have to address the education issue to explain
what you want to do and why it makes sense.  Because we were dealing with a
B-school in the oil capital of the world, that meant downplaying the
environmental benefits to some degree, while emphasizing other benefits in
terms of costs, enhanced experience for inhabitants, public relations
opportunities, etc.  In other words, we appealed to what they understood.

In terms of measures that officials would accept, we found that we had to
avoid features that they viewed as extreme. I'll have to go back and look at
the report, but things like PV or waterless urinals were definite
non-starters.  Items that come to mind that were easier to sell included
daylighting, high efficiency windows, non-toxic building materials, and
effective use of space.

In case you are wondering what happened, we had mixed success.  By Spring of
1998, the dean said "Why would anyone build a building any other way?", so
we made some real progress on the education side. However, we didn't get as
many of the measures we had hoped incorporated into the building.
Construction on the $60 million building has begun and should be finished in
2002.

I would be happy to send you a copy of the report that we put together if
you're interested.  Good luck!

Tim Nieman


----- Original Message -----
From: Martha Arosemena
To: greenbuilding@crest.org
Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2001 6:46 AM
Subject: GBlist: green building and energy efficiency


Hi!  I am a graduate student in the University of Texas' Community and
Regional Planning program and am working on a professional report concerning
the feasibility of incorporating green building codes and/or energy
efficiency measures into the Houston CMSA State Implementation Plan (SIP).

I have a couple of questions that I'm hoping that this group might be able
to provide some general answers/leads for additional information:

1. What do you feel are the top 5 or 10 easiest/most likely to be accepted
green building/energy efficiency measures that a city or MSA could require?

2. Do you know of any cities or areas that have done this?  Which ones?

3. What do you feel are the biggest barriers to requiring this and what
would be some ways to remove those barriers?

I know these are rather broad questions - any comments and/or leads would be
much appreciated!

Thanks!

Martha Arosemena
marthaa@austin.rr.com
______________________________________________________________________
This greenbuilding dialogue is sponsored by CREST <www.crest.org>
BuildingGreen <www.buildinggreen.com> and Oikos <www.oikos.com>
For  instructions send  e-mail to  greenbuilding-request@crest.org.
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______________________________________________________________________
This greenbuilding dialogue is sponsored by CREST <www.crest.org>
BuildingGreen <www.buildinggreen.com> and Oikos <www.oikos.com>
For  instructions send  e-mail to  greenbuilding-request@crest.org.
______________________________________________________________________