The Yudelson Associates Blog: What's New

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Green Building Construction Skills Lacking, Says WSJ

That’s at least what the WSJ story claims and it does make an argument for government help to re-educate the construction industry work force. I think the bigger issue is in the materials and products space, where the temptation is for architects (and some engineers) to specify products and systems that may not be fully proven, or may not be available through normal supply chains. What the story does indicate is that there will be a considerable market for green building education and training for the next several years, especially in the homebuilding industry. I’m pretty much convinced that commercial construction can do the job on its own, but the homebuilding workforce really needs education in designing super energy-efficient and green homes. (I think everyone in homebuilding should be reading my 2008 book for homebuyers, Choosing Green, as the fastest way to get up to speed on the subject.) There is also a crying educational need for everyone associated with the building industry, such as real estate brokers, appraisers, lenders, etc.

Posted by Jerry on 11/27/2008 at 11:23 AM

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Monday, November 24, 2008

Yudelson UK Column Predicts How New Obama Presidency Will Handle Green Issues

What will become of green buildings, energy policy and climate change responses in the new Obama administration?

It’s clear that there will be a renewed focus on energy efficiency and climate change. However, with key sectors of the US economy in the toilet, probably for his entire first term, a President Obama’s degrees of freedom are limited.

We’re likely to see more symbolism than concrete steps such as cap-and-trade systems and carbon taxes (forget that latter item; it’s a political death trap in the US). What I advocate for the building sector instead is the European approach found in building labeling, per the EU’s Energy Performance in Buildings Directive.

What we will see is far more emphasis on using government facilities as a model for green building and energy retrofits. Look for a modest program of grants to state and local governments (which are basically broke because of reduced tax collections) to retrofit their facilities for energy efficiency and LEED certification. 

Posted by Jerry on 11/24/2008 at 10:51 AM

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Sunday, November 23, 2008

Daytime Cleaning in Green Building Cuts Carbon Emissions 28 Percent

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regional headquarters in Denver is 292,000 sq.ft. in size. According to a recent article, by instituting daytime cleaning, the building is turned off for 42 percent (10 hours) each day, resulting in a savings of 28 percent in energy costs (for lighting and HVAC during the evening) and almost $250,000 per year ($0.80 per sq.ft.) Daytime cleaning also improves quality of life for janitors and quality of cleaning, since it’s easier to catch errors when everyone is there. This is such a simple measure with astounding benefits that you wonder why everyone is NOT doing it! Look for daytime cleaning of offices, factories, etc., to become the next big green building “trend.”

Posted by Jerry on 11/23/2008 at 07:05 PM

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Saturday, November 22, 2008

GreenBuild Expo Shows Growth of Green Building

More than 26,000 people attended the first day of the show, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. What was new this year was the presence of a large number of venture capitalists, said Paul Shahriari, CEO of EcoScorecard, one of the larger exhibitors at the show. It’s clear that people with money to invest see green building as a long-term trend to which they need to pay attention, and Shahriari’s Ecoscorecard software tools received considerable attention.

Posted by Jerry on 11/22/2008 at 05:07 AM

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