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Friday, March 20, 2009 at 11:08 am
2001: That's the magic number. If you own a 'fridge that is from the year 2001 or earlier, there's a pretty good chance that it is sucking way more enrgy than a newer Energy Star® model. TheGreenGuide.com has a good article on how to save energy (and money) with some best practices in maintaining your most energy-consuming product in the home: click here for more.
Monday, March 16, 2009 at 8:53 am
We recently revamped out site layout and loogo design. Send us your feedback by clicking here!
Friday, March 13, 2009 at 1:09 am
Did you know that 186 localities, 44 states & 15 public school jurisdictions include mandatory LEED provisions? The LEED Rating System is rapidly becoming the benchmark for green buildings and it is spreading like wild fire through government and institutional agencies. USGBC release an interesting list of the various agencies now requiring LEED. Click here to read more.
Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 8:54 am
We are proud to announce that Borges and Associates (http://www.borgesarchitects.com) will be hosting our upcoming seminar in Miami on Saturday, March 21. Click here for more information about our LEED Prep Seminars.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at 11:39 am
Monday, March 9, 2009 at 4:00 am
![""]("http://i.treehugger.com/files/th_images/Aqus.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1236586143862")
Image © Treehugger.comToday's product spotlight is the Aqus from Watersaver Technologies. This ingenious device allows you to reuse graywater from your sink in your toilet. This can save a load of water and is rather inexpensive relative to the potential return in water savings. The new model even supports a dual flush toilet system! Click here to view the marketing PDF release from Watersaver Technologies.
Saturday, March 7, 2009 at 2:04 am
Ready to join a winning team with flexible hours and great compensation? We're currently looking for talented LEED APs looking to advance their careers as LEED Instructors. We are interested in the following locations:
Miami
NYC
Tampa
Atlanta
Boston
Dallas
LA
DC
Chicago
Please forward your resume with cover letter to jobs@LEEDTeacher.com.
Thanks,
-The LEEDTeacher Team
www.LEEDTeacher.com
Friday, March 6, 2009 at 4:48 am
The most common request we have been getting these days is about the necessary steps for taking the LEED AP Exam. So for those who have made up their minds that now is the time to take & PASS the exam, here's what you need to do:
Download the abbreviated Reference Guide for free from the USGBC to see what you're getting yourself into (http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=1095). No need to print it, we include it in our course packages. :)
Decide that you are serious about taking your exam. Make a schedule. Stick to it.
Visit the USGBC website to purchase the LEED-NC v2.2 Reference Guide (http://www.usgbc.org/Store/PublicationsList.aspx?CMSPageID=1518). While the Reference Guide is very imporant as a study tool, consider sharing it with some co-workers or friends to offset the cost. Also, check out eBay or CraigsList for a used copy. Another possible place to look is the AREforum (http://www.areforum.org/forums/forum12/).
Schedule your...
Thursday, July 2, 2009 at 5:21 am
We got an update from the USGBC today about their current LEED projects and other interesting facts. As of June 30, 2009, there are:
-21,252 registered Commercial LEED Projects
-2,878 Commercial LEED Certified Projects
-14,662 registered Residential LEED Projects
-2,263 Residential LEED Certified Projects
-20,030 USGBC Members
-114,291 LEED APs!
The number of LEED APs has almost tripled over the past year making it even more important to become accredited as an essential part of staying competitive in the market place. Contact us today for more information on how we can help you achieve your goal of becoming a LEED AP.
Monday, March 16, 2009 at 9:02 am
As you probably already know, the deadline to register for the LEED®-NC V. 2.2 AP Exam is rapidly approaching (March 31!). There are a number of excellent reasons to get on board to take the exam before the transition and below are a few of the best reasons:
The test is currently a 2 hour format. Moving forward, it will be 4 hours long!
The new exam will require for all test-takers to not only prove past LEED project experience within the last 2 years, but also industry knowledge.
There will be a $100 application fee plus a $450 exam fee for a total cost of $550 to take the exam.
There are now 3 different types of credentials instead of just 1. All 3 have different requirements which are explained below.
The final date to register for the current version of the exam (v. 2.2) is March 31 and the final date to sit for and pass the exam is June 30 (UPDATE: Click here for the most recent press release from GBCI regarding the deadlines!). Here's a...
Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 9:36 am
We just added a new seminar for New York City on Friday, March 27! Click here to learn more.
-The LEEDTeacher Team
Sunday, March 1, 2009 at 8:41 am
The Cx Process always seems to be one of the parts of a LEED project that gets greeted with the least excitement, especially since it is an additional first-cost that many projects typically do not plan for. While it may seem a bit painful, it definitely does have its benefits. Click here to read a very interesting study on the efforts of 9 different projects and how they benefited from implementing a CxA on their job.
Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 9:00 am
I just came across the most recent release of the abbreviated Reference Guide for LEED 2009. Click here to download the PDF.
Please note that this material WILL NOT be on your exam if you register prior to March 31st. The USGBC has not released a date certain for the new version of the test, but it look slike it's going to be this summer some time. Be sure to check back often for updates!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 2:57 am
Here's a list we compiled of the more common acronyms you'll see in the reference guide. Bookmark this page...it may become your best friend.
Organizations and Agencies:
AIA American Institute of Architects
ANSI American National Standards Institute
ASHRAE American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-conditioning Engineers, Inc.
ASTM American Society for Testing Materials
AWEA American Wind Energy Association
CEC California Energy Commission
CFR Code Federal Regulation
CIBSE Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
CIWMB California Integrated Waste Management Board
CRI Carpet and Rug Institute
CRS Center for Resource Solutions
DOE U.S. Department of Energy
EIA Energy Information Administration
EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
FEMA U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency
FSC Forest Stewardship Council
GBCI Green Building Certification Institute
IESNA Illuminating Engineering Society of North America
IMEX Industrial Material Exchange
ISO...
Sunday, February 15, 2009 at 1:56 am
Business Week's website has a great running list of articles that cover advancements in the world of electric cars. Looks like GMM and others are on the right track to creating some environmentally-friendly cars in the near future... Here's the link: http://bx.businessweek.com/electric-cars/
Friday, February 13, 2009 at 8:27 am
We received multiple requests for another LEED-NC Seminar so we added one for this coming Wednesday, February 18th. The seminar will take place from 9am - 5:30pm and will be hosted at our Miami office.
Overview:The purpose of this 8 hour course is to familiarize the individual with the LEED-NC Rating System and Credits as a supplement to individual preparation. We start with an overview of the LEED-NC Rating System and then proceed to explain each credit within the 6 sections. The session is concluded with an introduction to computer-based testing and a ‘road map’ for the remainder of your preparation. Participants are expected to bring their own copy of the most recent LEED–NC Reference Guide. Don’t forget pen & paper to take notes!
Areas Covered:
LEED Rating System Overview
LEED Credit Intents & Requirements
Project & Team Coordination
Implement LEED Process
Technical Analyses for LEED Credits
Collateral:
Digital Copy of...
Friday, February 13, 2009 at 11:34 am
Here's an article on an interesting round table discussion regarding the future of green:
"On January 27, the National Building Museum held a "Sustainability Roundtable" as part of its ongoing For the Greener Good lecture series. Architectural Record Editor in Chief Robert Ivy, FAIA, and National Geographic Editor Dennis Dimick, along with Museum curator and roundtable moderator Susan Piedmont-Palladino, AIA, discussed the effect of climate change on the built environment, the natural world, and politics. If you didn't get to ask a question during the presentation, or even if you didn't attend it at all, you still have a chance to learn more from the panelists, who will be taking questions until February 24 about their views on "the future of green." Their answers to selected questions will be posted on the Museum's Web site in late February. Submit your question now."
Click here to view the original article on...
Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 1:22 am
Even though the AEC industry is going through some serious problems right now, there are numerous studies that have shown Clients are still very much interested in the added-value of working with a 'green' design firm. That being said, now is definitely a great time to stay ahead of the competition and get your team LEED Accredited.
Here's the article from greenbiz.com:
"CHICAGO, IL., and WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Thinking of curbing or curtailing sustainability efforts because of the troubled economy? Think again, says a new study by global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney, whose research indicates that firms with "true commitment to sustainability" outperform industry peers in the financial markets. "The most sustainability focused companies may well emerge from the current crisis stronger than ever," said the authors of the analysis, "Green Winners: The Performance of Sustainability-Focused Companies in the Financial Crisis," A.T. Kearney...
Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 11:58 am
This is an excellent article from Greensource that talks about the June 2008 decision to include timber as part of the Lacey Act. Read on for more.
POLICYWATCH: Certified Wood Debate Heats Up
11/2008
By Tristan Korthals Altes
Passed in the u.s. in 1900, the Lacey Act put an end to the sale of illegally hunted animals. Congress has amended the act several times since then, adding more animals to the list, as well as some plants, and in a June 2008 vote it added the protection of timber. Effective as of November 2008, timber harvested illegally outside the U.S. cannot legally be sold here. Wood certification, which safeguards the source of lumber from environmental, social, and legal perspectives, has been a niche environmental issue dominated by debate about its role in the LEED rating systems. But with wood’s inclusion into the Lacey Act, wood certification became, virtually overnight, the law of the land.
Illegally sourced wood is banned by Congress, while the debate over...
Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 10:49 am
FROM WASTE TO RESOURCE WITH PLASMAby Bruce Mulliken, Green Energy News
In a perfect world everything that is built or manufactured would be designed from the beginning to be reused or recycled at its end of life. Every bit of plastic, metal, glass, paper, silicon, stone and cement would find another use or be rejuvenated to become a new raw material and be the basis for yet another product.
As we know the world is not a perfect place and we’re not as smart as we think we are. Our products are so complex and ever-changing that to include reuse or recycle in every part or component is far beyond our capabilities. Instead, we recycle some but throw much away. Our landfills are our manmade mountains that are getting bigger by the day because our waste disposal options are few.
But our trash can be a source of energy. Much of what we throw away is made of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen, the same elements that make up the fuels we burn.
Some of what we toss aside will eventually decay...
Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 4:37 am
Greenbiz wrote a very interesting article on energy consumption and the attainable goal of reducing coal-fired energy by 60 percent. Here's the article:
"An assessment of the "electric productivity" of the 50 states indicates that shoring up performance gaps through energy efficiency could not only cut consumption by 30 percent, but also eliminate the need for more than 60 percent of coal-fired generation, according to a new study by the Rocky Mountain Institute.
The RMI study, "Assessing the Electric Productivity Gap and the U.S. Efficiency Opportunity," determines the productivity rate of each state by measuring how much gross domestic product is generated for each kilowatt-hour consumed.
The results varied widely among the states. The five showing the highest electric productivity rates are New York, Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware and California. The bottom five are Idaho, South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky and, in last place, Mississippi.
If states were...
Monday, February 9, 2009 at 11:36 am
Have you taken the time to join your local chapter of the USGBC? It's a good idea to do it sooner than later to stay up-to-date with LEED and sustainable design practices. Click here to find out how to register.
Monday, February 9, 2009 at 11:28 am
The USGBC recently announced a phaseout plan for the new LEED 2009 Rating System. Click here for a PDF that shows the transition period. Read the full article here: A Message from USGBC'sPresident, CEO & Founding Chair
We will be updating our educational products & consulting services concurrently with the updates.
