The first thing we look at is roofing. The best way to make this environmentally friendly is to add solar panels. Basically solar panels are put on your roof in the sun and will collect power without adding any fuel or replacing work out parts.  These panels are very popular, modern, green, and used almost everywhere. You might also want to change your roof colour, research indicates that roof colour and the type of material used can help to lower attic temperatures. If you decide to re-roof, consider lighter tiles such as white over the standard shingle roofs and this will reduce heat gain to your attic.

Another great idea is to replace all light bulbs in your building with compact fluorescent ones. Energy-smart bulbs use 70-75% less energy than the incandescent kind and last up to ten times longer! This is just a simple tip but can save you $59 dollars on energy costs over the life of the bulb, which can be anywhere from five to seven years. Also, installing motion detectors outside your home rather than leaving outdoor lighting on all night which will only waste energy, money and disturb wildlife.

One of the most important tips here is do not waste water.  Always check for leaky faucets and get them fixed if you notice a leak as soon as possible. When doing laundry, try to use cold water as much as you can. Also set a good example for your children by teaching them to turn off water while they brush their teeth. Installing low flow showerheads will cut down on water usage and save energy costs.

When heating and cooling your home, invest in a high-efficiency HVAC system that is Energy Star certified and install it in your home. This will reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted and will shave your utility bill.  Look for a product with a higher SEER rating (Seasonal Energy Efficient Ratio). This means that the product meets strict government criteria necessary to be deemed “energy efficient.” The standard is 13 SEER, but many heating and air conditioning products have a rating as high as 18 SEER.  Also, cleaning out your air conditioner filters and replacing them regularly will help to reduce costs. If you are not in your home, adjust the thermostat to accommodate the changing temperatures outside.

Finally, another good tip is to install more fans in your home. Ceiling fans can help reduce your family’s dependence on air condition during the hot summer months. In winter, they push heat down from the ceiling.

For more information on home improvement tips on making your building more eco-friendly, please visit us at www.norsteel.com

Source: http://www.toolbarn.com/blog/post/view/identifier/tips-to-be-green/

Leaves. Image Source: Public domain.

After identifying the primary discussions on green construction, urban awareness, and environmental consciousness among varied sectors (architects, developers, policymakers, appraisers, lenders, builders, homeowners, etc.), the Earth Advantage Institute, a nonprofit green construction organization has identified the top ten green building trends for 2012:

1. Higher Urban Density. Empty nesters and yuppies will be moving in to the city and building laneway homes (similar to a carriage house behind the main house) and accessory dwelling units this coming year. The reason? A sustainable lifestyle and closeness to big city opportunities.

2. Green multifamily homes. An increase in multifamily building certifications is another trend, especially in progressive areas.

3. Home remodels. Many families will also be looking into remodeling their homes to make them much more energy-efficient.

4. Testing of new green materials. Engineers and architects are reluctant to use these new materials right now, but more testing can only contribute to the development and refinement of environmentally friendly technologies.

5. Energy tracking devices. Environmentally consciousness homeowners are increasingly willing to use energy trackers to assess the performance of appliances.

6. Energy education for commercial establishments. By this year, companies will realize the benefits of saving energy.

7. Transparency in marketing. Construction firms and real estate professionals will be compelled to disclose the merits of what they are building and selling. This is a commitment that Norsteel has always done.

8. Valuable and accurate appraisals. With the increasing number of appraisers, it will be a lot easier for buyers and sellers to know the precise value of a green building.

9. Adoption of residential energy ratings for homeowners. With the release of the Department of Energy’s Home Energy Score, it will be easier for homeowners to compare their energy use to others in the same building category and area.

10. Smart grid-compatible high-performance houses. Homeowners will now be able to monitor and control their electricity usage, all through a remote command.

Believe it or not, self storage facilities are have quietly but decidedly moving towards environmental awareness and energy efficiency. If you’re an owner of a storage facility yourself, here are a few tips that might help you lessen the costs of maintaining your business.

Use prefab steel buildings.

Prefab buildings are easy enough to set up, and make the best storage facilities. Storage facilities that are expanding opt for steel prefab buildings, because of its space-saving and energy-efficient qualities. Not to mention that they are easily customizable.

Have a natural garden area to purify runoff water.

Your storage facility can learn from Big Yellow Self Storage in Bromley, London. The business received an Environmental Award for having created garden areas so the runoff water will get naturally purified. This is much better than letting the toxic water go straight to the sewer system.

Replace lighting with fluorescent bulbs.

If you cannot invest on solar panels, you can instead replace your current lighting with fluorescent bulbs. They eat up much less electricity and will even give a laid back retro vibe to the storage rooms of your customers. Another option is to use motion-sensor light bulbs to save energy. This will also save your customers and staff from having to turn on and off the light constantly.

Set-up facilities using recycled materials.

Several storage facilities have gone the extra mile and built facilities made of recycled and reusable materials. This may take a bit of effort, but it is well worth it because the facility will not only be cheaper to put up, but also cheaper to maintain.

Pre-fabricated steel buildings have always been more green than other alternatives, but have only now been associated with the popularity of environmental building practices. And with innovations in building accessories, these buildings will be even more environmentally sound.

Nisku Building. Image Credit: Norsteel Buildings.

Logo. Canada Green Building Council.

If you’re planning to have your building LEED-certified, you first have to know in which specific LEED category your building falls under. Each category has specific prerequisites and a requisite number of points required in order to qualify.

1. New Construction and Major Renovations (NC+MR) applies to major renovation projects and new buildings—particularly to institutional buildings and high-rise residential buildings, whether private or public.
2. Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (EB: O&M) refers to the certification of ongoing operations of existing commercial and institutional buildings. This covers offices, retail and service establishments, institutional buildings, hotels and 4-storey residential buildings.
3. Commercial Interiors (CI) refers to tenant spaces in office, retail and institutional buildings for owners or lesser.
4. Core and Shell Development (CS) is for developers who control the shell base building and entire core, but has no control over the design and construction of the tenant fit-out.
5. Schools, New Construction and Major Renovations (SCH) refer to the certification of new school buildings and renovations of existing ones.
6. Retail, New Construction and Commercial Interiors (Retail NC & Retail CI) is for all retail buildings and for tenant spaces in retail buildings.
7. Healthcare (HC) is for inpatient and outpatient care facilities and licensed long term care facilities. This also applies for medical offices, medical education and research centers, and assisted living facilities. If the renovation is not significant, then they can fall under the LEED EB: O&M category.
8. Homes, obviously, refers to the mainstream homebuilding industry. Homeowners can refer to a LEED for Homes specialist who can help in designing a home that’s in tune with the LEED rating system.
9. Neighborhood Development (ND), unlike the 8 categories, refers to entire neighborhoods and groups of buildings. Single-use neighborhoods can apply for a certification.

Norsteel can offer several Energy Star® certified products, and help you obtain sustainable design and LEED certification in some of the aforementioned categories.

Flat Back Rain Barrel. Image Source: Shopping.com

The trend of greening one’s space doesn’t only happen within commercial and industrial buildings, but within residential buildings and apartments as well. In fact, a lot of neighborhoods are starting to invest in other methods of going green, in composting food waste—a trend that used to be foreign and strange for most families a couple of years ago.

For example, in Minneapolis, several neighborhoods now have a chutes in their buildings designed for organic food that will be composted. This is only one of the several green features to be found in residential apartments across the US.

Another example is a roofing system that can deflect the heat of the summer.  Tanks are added to collect rainwater, so that the money paid by residents for storm water management is significantly reduced while water capacity stays the same.

The HVAC and plumbing system is an important aspect of green residential buildings as well. A lot of residential buildings have increased energy efficiency, improved insulation for doors and windows, and appliances that have a high Energy Star rating. Bike racks are commonly installed as more people are learning to use other forms of transport rather than the private automobile.

Granted that there are certain costs for going green such as operational and maintenance expenditures, but the benefits far outweigh them.  In fact, building developers are willing to develop and pay for these expenses upfront as the market is starting to demand environmentally sound and sustainable practices.

The response of residents has thus far been overwhelming. In fact, a lot of people looking for apartments particularly look for green residential buildings. With the chance of reducing electricity and utility costs by as much as 75%, there’s indeed every reason to look for a green residential building!

While LEED certification is the pinnacle of green building, even smaller efforts to cut costs and save the environment can help. The benefits will far outweigh the costs for residential green buildings.

A representative at Norsteel will be happy to offer their assistance on finding an inexpensive, sturdy and sustainable steel building to meet your requirements.

The total size of existing commercial buildings in the US has reached 60 billion square feet. In the past, most of these had consumed enormous amounts of energy and water. USGBC, however, has made it a point to curb the exorbitant consumption of existing commercial buildings.

USGBC with its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating and assessment system, has launched the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance. Otherwise known as LEED-EBOM, the program was only launched in 2008. Yet, the response of existing commercial building owners and managers has been overwhelming.

In three years, the certifications under LEED-EBOM have caught up with certifications for newly constructed commercial buildings. This month, the total square footage under LEED-EBOM has finally exceeded that under LEED-NC, or certifications under new construction. The difference is around 15 million square feet, as 640 million square feet of certified existing commercial buildings exist, while new construction amounts to 625 million feet.

Around 1.675 billion square feet of all buildings are already LEED-certified. In early 2010, LEED certified buildings have passed the 1 billion mark—and in a little less than a year, the size has almost doubled. By 2012, around 2 billion square feet of buildings is estimated to be LEED-certified. Such is the influential growth of LEED-certified buildings.

A few existing commercial buildings that have been LEED-certified by retrofitting are the Empire State building, the Taipei 101, and the Transamerica Pyramid. Among these three, the Transamerica Pyramid has reached the highest level of LEED-certification with a Platinum status.

What this means is that newly constructed buildings should catch up with existing buildings in terms of LEED certification. For high-grade quality green buildings, Norsteel is the obvious choice.

Green living. Image Source: Plus Point Magazine.

The US Green Building Council (USGBC) has released information on how hotel businesses can manage to stay afloat by operating on green buildingsin order to cut costs and market themselves in an eco-friendly way. By facilitating green hotels, this means:

1. Sustainability of the site. The site on which the building will be built must be sustainable in the first place. This involves open or reflective grid paving, access to convenient public transportation, bicycle storage, and the use of green space.
2. Water efficiency and conservation. As much as 20% of water can be saved by using waterless urinals, efficient landscaping, and excellently made plumbing fixtures.
3. Atmosphere and Energy. Using photovoltaic roof panels, geothermal systems, Energy Star appliances, rooftop solar water hearing system, and heat pumps are a few ways to facilitate a positive energy flow throughout the building.
4. Excellent lighting and indoor quality. This takes into account the coating, painting, and lighting of the hotel. All these will make the hotel breathable for both the hotel staff and your guests.
5. Use of environmentally safe materials. Using recyclable and reused materials, as well as locally produced raw materials, will ensure a high credit rating.
6. Innovation in the hotel business. By being a model to the industry, a hotel can get extra points. This calls for a utilization of the hotel’s creative juices. A few examples include educating the hotel staff and encouraging guests to conserve energy, among others.

The roadmap to green buildings for hotels is rather straightforward, but in no way an easy one. The hard work, however, will pay off, once a LEED certification is awarded by the USGBC. In order to do this, two central aspects of a hotel business are evaluated: the building process and the day-to-day operations.

For LEED certification, there are four levels: certified, silver, gold, platinum. In order to be certified, a hotel must be able to have around 40 over 100 points. There are six credit categories to get a LEED certification.

Green building. Image Source: Green Step.

Commercial building tenants are on the lookout for green buildings and it’s not difficult to understand why. With the growing research on green buildings, more companies are starting to get convinced that the benefits of staying in a green building far outweigh the costs.

Green buildings are the best workplaces

A huge portion of a person’s life is spent in the office. With that, the need for a conductive workplace that offers optimum productivity is clear. Research shows that green buildings offer high productivity gains for employee. Employees who work in green buildings have higher job satisfaction, motivation, and productivity. Naturally, all these translate to a more positive work environment and higher returns for the company.

This only means that a company who stays in a green building gets to retain its most valuable employees. It also means that it gets to attract other employees to join the company.

Corporate social responsibility is promoted

Brand image and reputation are two things that a company can’t easily create. In this aspect, staying in a green building can definitely help. Choosing a green building means that a company is responsible enough to recognize the importance of contributing to the environment. With that comes the positive influence on one’s brand image and reputation.

Sustainability is usually at the core of most company’s vision-mission and goals. However, very few of these companies follow through and use green space as their workplace. Companies that do have reaped benefits and showed significant reductions in terms of their financial expenses. A commitment to having a workplace in a green building will ultimately allow companies to maximize their savings, which can be used to fulfill the other goals and missions of the company.

Norsteel recognizes these benefits, and fully supports companies that establish their workplace in green buildings. With steel prefab buildings, establishing a green office space can be done in a jiffy.

Robin. Image Credit: Identify Birds.

Though solar lighting is easily one of the highlights of green buildings, but they’re not doing birds any favor. In fact, solar lighting may well be the proximate cause for the second top reason for bird kill—birds running into glass windows. In fact, the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Migratory Bird Program reports that around one billion birds die from crashing into glass windows.

Billions of birds are killed every year for the seemingly absurd reason that they run into glass windows. Birds cannot distinguish between open space and glass. Since most buildings take advantage of passive solar lighting, birds easily mistake the interior of green buildings as the extension of the open skies.

As more green buildings with solar lighting are made, birds are increasingly under the threat of running into buildings windows and getting killed. The solution of LEED to this growing problem is to give credits for bird-friendly measures to the overall LEED score of a building.

Measures that are added to building windows primarily center on adding “noise”, which allows birds to tell open space for glass windows. One example is by placing in changes in the UV protection of the glass windows. Note that this won’t only make the building bird-friendly, it will also give additional protection to the building occupants. Another way is to place different coatings on the glass windows. In any case, Norsteel has mastered the art of integrating both advanced and simple technologies not only to protect the building occupants but also birds.

Aside from these building designs, there are also simple ways to make a building bird-friendly, such as turning the lights out when not in use.

Making buildings bird-friendly might seem to be the least of your worries when applying for LEED certification, building codes and the like, but there’s a pending federal law, the Bird-Safe Buildings Act of 2011, which might persuade you to think about investing in bird-friendly structures.

Green Buildings. Image Source: BPN.

While compliance with green building standards is essential in green construction, continuous improvement and maintenance are just as important. Most building owners and construction firms often forget that green buildings have to be continuously improved in order to truly help the environment and reduce energy costs.

To make sure that you get the most out of your green building by reducing electricity and water costs, while also keeping your carbon emissions at a bare minimum, The Building Performance Tracking Handbook might be what you need. Developed by the California Commissioning Collaborative and funded by the Energy Commission, the handbook provides standards of assessment for building improvement.

The handbook provides a standard operating procedure that allows building owners and managers to understand how the building is performing, which parts use the most energy, and how green building expectations are met. By educating building managers about this information, they can identify problems and find solutions. This framework of fine tuning and benchmarking the energy performance of the building from time to time is becoming a popular practice in New York and San Francisco.

Also in the handbook are the basics of green construction. For those who are already on the more advanced levels, there are supplementary resources, which provide a deeper understanding of green buildings. There are also case studies from which building operators can learn a lesson or two on green construction. Commercial buildings can also find out the several benefits that they will gain from green construction, such as reduced energy costs, a higher market value, and higher occupancy rates.

We at Norsteelbelieve that building performance needs to be tracked from time to time. While we lay the groundwork for green steel building construction that complies with the most rigorous standards of green construction, maintenance and continuous improvements continue to play a large part in the development of our products.