Living Green on the Front Range
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Tips and Tricks for Sustainable Development |
| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Apr 07 2008 at 10:55 AM |
provided by Land Images, LLC
Are you thinking that this might be the year to green up your business, or push you place of employment in that direction? Land Images, a local landscape architecture firm, is a role model for small to mid sized businesses. They have provided the following "Tip and Tricks for Sustainable Development" to help businesses get started in greening up their facilities. Most of these tips can be applied as well if you are planning a sustainably-built house.
1. Integrate sustainable design features into a development early. It is the choices that we make during the design of the project that will determine whether the development will be sustainable or not.
2. Have “Life Cycle Analysis” Performed on the project. This will allow you to evaluate and determine not only the initial costs, but also the economic and environmental costs over the lifetime of the project.
3. Set your budget and goals upfront. In general, with as little as a 2% increase in budget, owners have achieved certification for their project according to the LEED green building rating system.
4. If possible, confer with professionals experienced in green building techniques before you select a site. Certain sites may qualify for better assistance, or be more conducive to certain sustainable measures. Certain aspects that can be optimized with the appropriate site include minimizing or maximizing solar heat, redeveloping a brownfield, using an in-fill strategy, or locating in an existing structure.
5. Keep in mind sustainable design principals
• Optimize site potential
• Minimize non-renewable energy consumption
• Use environmentally preferable products
• Protect and Conserve Water
• Enhance indoor environmental quality
• Optimize operational and maintenance practices
6. Hire professionals with training in sustainable design. For example LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited professionals. LEED® is a process that quantifies sustainable developments. Consultants with LEED® AP designation have educated themselves on all aspects of sustainable design and passed a test proving their capabilities.
7. Use available support from the municipalities/counties/ or other entities in the area that you are developing in. There is lots of help, both with technical and financial assistance, available for developing in sustainable ways. Some sites to find information include:
• www.goodtobegreen.com/FinancialIncentives.aspx
• www.dsireusa.org
• www.xcelenergy.com/docs/ConservationProgramsSummariesCO.pdf
• http://fcgov.com/climatewise/
• http://fcgov.com/utilities/programs-services.php
8. Use the web as a great resource. There are now hundreds of great websites available with information on sustainable design. A few great ones include:
• www.usgbc.org
• www.greenbuilding.com
• www.smartcommunities.ncat.org
• www.bgbg.org
9. Visit other sustainable developments in the area. A list of sustainable projects can be found at
www.usgbc.org/LEED/Project/CertifiedProjectList.aspx
www.usgbccolorado.com/green-buildings/index.html
10. Research new innovations in construction products. Better products are introduced all the time that can reduce the amount of irrigated water that you use, the amount of energy that you use constructing and operating a building, and the amount of pollution in stormwater runoff.
11. Make sure to capitalize on your success. Green certification of your project and sustainable design in general is a great marketing tool. Both the press and the public are interested in green achievements.