LA Growing Green Conference~Tues. Sept 27th~New Orleans

You’re invited to attend the Louisiana Workforce Commission Growing Green Conference on Tuesday, Sept. 27.  More details and registration info attached.

Learn how green business activities are shaping regional economies in Louisiana

• Discover how emerging green industries will impact job growth and demand

• Learn how to find green training programs and job opportunities

• Hear from organizations currently engaged in green business activities such as Free Flow Power, GNO, Inc., South Coast Solar, and Waggoner & Ball Architects

New Orleans/Houma Regional Conference

Tuesday, Sept. 27

8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (Doors open at 7:30 a.m.)

Westin New Orleans Canal Place, 100 Rue Iberville

Canal Place will have $5 parking available for attendees

 

Go to www.laworks.net/green to register today.

 

Click here to download:
Growing Green Regional Conferences.pdf (142 KB)
(download)

Invite to Fit Nation New Orleans

Fit Nation New Orleans: Healthy Communities through Design


When:
 9:30 AM - 2:00 PM* 
SATURDAY, MAY 14

Where: Hampton Inn & Suites New Orleans - Convention Center  
1201 Convention Center Boulevard 
New Orleans, LA 70130

Fit Nation New Orleans is the second in a series of national meetings about  how to design communities in ways that encourage greater physical activity and access to healthier food choices. In part due to increasing levels of American physical inactivity and poor eating habits, obesity and Type 2 diabetes are epidemic and worsening rapidly. 

Fit Nation New Orleans will highlight innovative approaches from across the world and the U.S. in active design, in which community planning, street design, and building architecture create healthier environments for people. From featuring stairs more prominently in buildings, to the creation of walkable neighborhoods, to making recreation spaces more accessible and appealing, speakers at Fit Nation New Orleans will share best practices in active design strategies and policies. 

*Optional workshops to follow 2:15pm - 4:45pm

FREE   4.0 LU, 4.0 HSW   Register for Fit Nation New Orleans 

Organized by the AIA New York Chapter and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in partnership with the Tulane University Prevention Research Center, the AIA New Orleans Chapter and AIA National.

Agenda
9:30am-10:00am: Registration
10:00am-10:15am: Welcome 
10:15am-10:45am: Keynote Address
Dr. Dick Jackson, MD, MPH, University of California Los Angeles, Professor and Chair, Environmental Health Sciences

10:45am-11:45am: Designing Active Communities Across the Globe 
Louise Cox, LFRAIA, RIBA, Intl. Assoc. AIA, President, International Union of Architects

11:45am-12:15pm:  Lunch

12:15pm-12:45pm: Keynote Address 
Kai-Uwe Bergmann AIA, RIBA, MAA, LEED AP, Associate Partner, Director Business Development, Bjarke Ingels Group

12:45pm-1:45pm: Fit Nation: Promoting Healthy Communities through Design & Leadership
Karen B. DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSC, Commissioner of Health and Senior Health Policy Advisor, City of New Orleans
Adetokunbo Omishakin, Director of Healthy Living Initiatives, Office of Mayor Karl Dean, Nashville, Tennessee
David Burney, Commissioner, New York City Department of Design + Construction

1:45pm-2:00pm: Closing

 
 
***************************************
Kate Rube
Active Design Guidelines National Training Manager
Active Design Program, City of New York
Center for Architecture / AIA New York Chapter
536 LaGuardia Place
New York, NY 10012
******************************
 


Global analysis reveals opportunities in Sustainable Industries for the Greater New Orleans region

GNO, Inc. Release


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 10, 2011 Contact Information:Curry W. Smith

Global analysis reveals opportunities in Sustainable Industries
for the Greater New Orleans region
GNO, Inc. will implement the "Sustainable Industries Initiative" to pursue businesses and jobs
NEW ORLEANS -- Today, Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.) announced the launch of the Sustainable Industries Initiative (SII), to position the region as a hub for businesses that help address environmental challenges. Based on analysis that included interviews with over 50 global corporations, it was determined that factors including regulations, resource scarcity, and consumer preferences are driving new demands that can be well met by Louisiana companies.

"Our region has the assets, experience, and brand that give it a competitive advantage in Sustainable Industries," said Michael Hecht, President and CEO of GNO, Inc. "Whether in coastal restoration, waste remediation, or next-wave oil and gas, southeastern Louisiana is perfectly positioned to help the rest of the world solve its environmental challenges efficiently and even profitably."

The SII will guide GNO, Inc.’s business development and innovation strategies. The initiative’s goal is to build and grow a new sector of companies that create products and provide services to manage environmental issues.

To develop the SII, GNO, Inc. contracted a global professional services consulting firm to perform a feasibility study to assess emerging sustainable industries and technologies and to evaluate their alignment with regional capabilities. Based on the study, 13 sectors emerged as strong “fits” for southeastern Louisiana:

  • Coastal Restoration and Protection – Restoration of wetlands and R&D and implementation of preventative measures
  • "Green" Hazardous Waste Management – Collection, transport, processing, recycling, and disposal of waste in a sustainable manner
  • Advanced Biofuels – Plants and equipment to support biofuels derived from plant cellulose or algae
  • Disaster Mitigation and Management – Services, products and R&D for prevention and management of natural and man-made disasters
  • Wastewater Management – Removal of contaminants and pollutants from used water, sewage or storm water runoff
  • Clean Technologies for Oil & Gas – Processes, products and expertise for ensuring a cleaner, low-carbon, O&G industry
  • Waste to Energy – Plants/products to create electricity or heat from incineration, thermal, or non-thermal treatment of waste
  • Sustainable Agriculture – Organic agriculture is a $23 billion U.S. market with double digit growth
  • Bioengineering – Genetic engineering, microbiology and other biotechnology techniques to create biological compounds
  • Waste Heat Recovery – Capture of waste heat, usually from industrial sources, to generate useful energy
  • Sustainable Aquaculture – Farming of aquatic organisms under controlled conditions in both freshwater and marine conditions
  • Biorefinery Development - Manufacturing of components for biorefineries: biomass conversion produce fuels, power, and chemical
  • Wind Turbine Component Manufacturing – Manufacturing of large components for on and offshore wind turbines — blades, nacelles, towers, controls
  • GNO, Inc. will collaborate with the region’s premier research universities, local and international companies, and government partners to implement the SII. Through partnerships with the New Orleans Startup Fund, a nonprofit venture fund focused on business creation and innovation in the 10-parish Greater New Orleans region, and the recently launched Louisiana Sustainability Fund, a private capital fund that will make investments in clean technology and sustainability in Louisiana, the SII will also provide access to capital for local innovation in sustainable industries.

    "This initiative gives our region the ability to leverage ongoing research to create jobs and economic opportunity," said Scott Cowen, President of Tulane University. "Tulane and other academic research institutions in southeastern Louisiana will work closely with GNO, Inc. to ensure that targeted sustainable industries are supported by our efforts."

    "Our commitment to sustainability allows us to not only address important environmental challenges but also discover new business opportunities," said Steve Milligan, Dow St. Charles Operations Site Director. "We are excited that this initiative will examine emerging industries that achieve environmental and economic goals."

    The feasibility study was funded by a $175,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA) and a grant of $100,000 from the Catalyst Foundation. To launch the SII, the blue moon fund has provided GNO, Inc. with a grant of $250,000.

    "From the EDA’s initial investment to the funding provided by the blue moon fund and the Catalyst Foundation, it has been overwhelmingly encouraging to see both public and private support of this important initiative," said Robin Barnes, Executive Vice President of GNO, Inc.

    ###
    About Greater New Orleans, Inc.
    The GNO, Inc. Mission is to serve as the catalyst for wealth creation in the Greater New Orleans region. GNO, Inc. will accomplish this by pursuing an aggressive agenda of business development - marketing the region - and product development - improving regional business conditions through policy, workforce and research initiatives.

    The GNO, Inc. Vision is for the Greater New Orleans region to fulfill its potential as one of the best places in the country to grow a company, and raise a family. The ultimate indication of success for GNO, Inc. will be the presence of a robust and growing middle class in southeastern Louisiana.

    More information can be found at www.gnoinc.org.

     
365 Canal Street, Suite 2300, New Orleans, LA 70130 Phone: 504.527.6900 Fax: 504.527.6970 www.gnoinc.org

agenda and minutes for friday's advocacy meeting

Click here to download:
Advocacy Agenda 5-13-11.doc (31 KB)
(download)

Click here to download:
Meeting Minutes 4-1-11.doc (73 KB)
(download)

April 6-8, 2011: CCIM Green Building Economics & Valuation. Open to all industry professionals

CCIM Green Building Economics & Valuation
A free webinar series courtesy of the CCIM Institute on April 6-8
 
Large Image
 

Highlights

  • Energy & sustainability for commercial real estate
  • Three-part webinar series
  • April 6-8, 2-3PM CST
  • Open to all industry professionals
  • Available free, courtesy of the CCIM Institute

Go Green. Make Green.

In a series of three 60-minute webinars, real estate professionals will learn the fundamentals of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability -- and how to identify and value opportunities that help clients increase net operating income and return on assets.

Course highlights include:


  • Quantitative analysis for solar and energy efficiency projects
  • LEED & Energy Star certification
  • Project financing options
  • Government & utility incentives
  • Industry trends & best practices
  • Action steps for launching a sustainability services practice
  • This webinar is presented courtesy of the CCIM Institute Robert L. Ward Center.

    All industry professionals are welcome to attend, gratis.

    www.greenCCIM.com

     

    Related Links

     
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    GreenPoint Partners

    222 W Ontario
    Suite 520
    Chicago, IL 60654
    View Website

    Dustin Gellman, CCIM

    Course Instructor
    P: 312-725-4678
    M: 773-817-CCIM
    Send Email »

    Richard Juge, CCIM, SIOR

    Course Instructor
    P: 504-383-8966
     
    Send Email »
     
         

    Building Resilience II Workshop, March 17-19, New Orleans

     Building Resilience Workshop II 

    March 17-19, 2011

    New Orleans

     www.resilienceworkshop.org

     

     

    Please join us for the Building Resilience Workshop II.  This year we are featuring speakers in the vanguard of flood disaster mitigation research from the Netherlands,France, Germany, the UK and Australia who will offer innovative suggestions for increasing the disaster resilience of our Gulf Coast region.  See our still-growing list of speakers and panelists at http://www.resilienceworkshop.org/panelist_2011.html .

     

    The lectures and panels from last year’s Building Resilience Workshop (February 25-27, 2010) are summarized athttp://www.resilienceworkshop.org/index_2010_summary.html .  

     

    Registration is now open at http://www.resilienceworkshop.org/register_2011.html .  Fees are low and space is limited, so reserve your place today!   

     

    OUR SPONSORS:

     

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    ABSTRACT of the BRW II:

     

    BUILDING RESILIENCE II

    Implementing Innovative, Sustainable Strategies

    for Disaster Resilience in South Louisiana

    MARCH 17-19, 2011

    New Orleans, Louisiana

     

    New Orleans and Louisiana have survived the catastrophic consequences of Hurricane Katrina.  But the costs have been enormous in terms of human life, the deep and continuing hardships for many survivors, and the loss of traditional ways of life richly grounded in a distinctive cultural milieu.

     

    The challenge of living with water is one shared by deltaic communities around the world.  Nowhere is this more apparent than in post-Katrina New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region, where people live with a daily awareness of the threat, and opportunities, of water.

     

    The Building Resilience Workshop II will focus on the role of sustainability and resilience in mitigating catastrophic disaster.  The emphasis will be on improving the region's resilience by implementing strategies aimed at both avoiding harmful consequences and facilitating rapid recovery from extreme hurricane events.

     

    International experts will share their knowledge of innovative disaster mitigation approaches and long-term transition methodologies, and address such important questions as:

     

    ·         What innovative infrastructure and non-structural solutions can be used to reduce flood risk in south Louisiana?   

    ·         How, in an election-driven political climate, we can develop coordinated long-term strategies to manage transition and facilitate implementation?

    ·         What can we learn from resilient practices that were common in Louisiana's past, and how could they be useful to us again today?

    ·         What are the decisions we must make now to increase our future resilience, robustness, stability and adaptability?

    ·         What strategies are needed to overcome the resistance to change that inhibits the implementation of new ideas?  

     

    For more information, please visit   www.resilienceworkshop.org  

    or contact:    Elizabeth C English, PhD     english@ecenglish.ca      504 717 5098

     

     

    The BRW II is jointly supported by the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Environmental Defense Fund,

    with co-sponsorship from Oxfam America and the Renaissance Reinsurance Risk Sciences Foundation.  

     

     

    MCA GREEN Subcommittee - TREND ARTICLES on Energy Efficiency and the GREEN Movement

    Applying Building Standard Could Slash Energy Use

    02/09/2011

    By Nadine M. Post

    Text size: A A

    Code crafters are lauding a significant process change in reference-standard development that provides markers for progress along the way, directional signals for reaching goals and validation of the standard’s potential impact on energy use and cost. The process, based on energy modeling and analysis, helped the developers of the 2010 edition of the commercial-building energy standard reach their goal of providing a standard that, if followed, could result in a whopping 30% reduction in both energy use and costs compared with use of the standard’s 2004 edition.

    Crafters of the next edition of the energy standard already are using the process again, this time to reach an even more ambitious “50% goal.” Crafters of the next two editions of the model residential energy code—targeting a 30% goal and then a 50% goal, respectively—also are using the process.

    Use of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010, published by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Atlanta, can result in buildings that use more than 30% less energy than those designed to the 2004 standard, according to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), which performed the energy modeling analyses under contract with the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Building Energy Codes Program (BECP).

    “The 30% goal, set by DOE, was very challenging to reach,” says Bing Liu, senior research engineer at the Richland, Wash.-based PNNL and the one credited with the idea of the progress indicators. “It’s a huge change that has changed the expectation of other building energy-efficiency codes,” adds Liu, who also served on 90.1’s mechanical subcommittee.

    PNNL analyzed the impact of the 109 changes to the standard during the 2007-2010 development period, reporting quarterly to ASHRAE committees, as well as after 90.1’s publication in October (ENR 11/15/10 p. 7). PNNL is also under contract with DOE to provide progress indicators for the 90.1-2013 and the International Energy Conservation Code.

    PNNL modeled 16 building types in 17 climate zones for a total of 272 building types and climate-zone combinations, representing 80% of U.S. commercial buildings constructed annually. On a nationally aggregated level, compared with 90.1-2004, building-type energy savings ranged from 8.8% to 38.3% and energy-cost savings from 7.9% to 33.6%.

    PNNL’s work was “important and essential to enable us to measure progress,” says Steve Skalko, manager of regional codes, in Macon, Ga., for the Portland Cement Association and chairman of 90.1 committee. Without PNNL’s final analysis, “we would never have known if we had reached our goal,” adds Skalko, vice chairman of the 90.1 committee until July.

    The analysis was a big help when, in January of last year—only nine months before the standard’s publication—the PNNL team informed the committee it had reached only half of its 30% goal. “When we heard the “15% report,” we did not panic,” says Skalko, because addenda still in process hadn’t been counted.

    But the committee decided to prioritize remaining addenda according to energy impact, and give the high-impact ones special care, so they would win approval. One given extra attention, called the “title, purpose and scope” change, would allow the standard, for the first time, to address plug and process loads, which offered big conservation potential, especially in data centers. “We realized how important that particular addendum was to get savings in 2010 and future standards,” says Skalko.

    The next challenge for DOE is getting the states, especially the reluctant ones, to adopt 90.1-2010, says Diana Shankle, manager of DOE’s BECP at PNNL. “We have a strategy for how to target each state,” she says.

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

     

    Published on GreenBiz.com (http://www.greenbiz.com)

     


    Deep Building Retrofits Drive Big Gains in Energy, Cost Savings

    By Rebecca Cole

    Created 2011-02-07 11:24

    Since the economic collapse, real estate owners have sought ways to cut costs, retain tenants, increase market performance and gain competitive advantage. A deep retrofit can achieve these objectives by turning business-as-usual upgrades into profit centers.

    Existing buildings are full of energy efficiency opportunities waiting to be realized. While some savings are obvious and easy to reach via one-off upgrades of windows, lighting and appliances, by using an integrated, whole-buildings design approach, profoundly larger energy savings can often be gained at little or no added capital cost.

    President Obama's announcement last week of plans to reduce energy use in the commercial building sector 20 percent by 2020 underscored the economic opportunity that retrofitting the U.S. commercial building stock presents -- both to business owners looking to cut down on energy costs, and energy service providers trying to get a leg up in a competitive market.

    Jump-Starting a Constrained Industry

    Estimated to eventually save business owners up to $40 billion a year in offset electricity costs, Obama's Better Buildings program could provide the jump-start the industry needs through proposed tax incentives and creative financing mechanisms to drive job creation and increase building valuation -- while reducing the country's dependence on fossil fuels.

    "With 80 billion square feet of commercial space that needs to be retired or retrofitted over the next 20 to 30 years, there is an enormous market opportunity right in front of us," said Victor Olgyay, a principal with Rocky Mountain Institute's buildings practice.

    While the Obama administration's proposed initiative is a step in the right direction, deep energy retrofits -- those that save at least 50 percent of energy operating costs with positive financial returns -- offer greater opportunities for cost savings by recognizing how efficiency gains in one system can affect other building systems and attributes. These interrelationships often let many small improvements combine to create substantially larger benefits.

    Here is a video of highlighting the deep energy retrofit of the Empire State Building:

    <!--pagebreak-->

    "Many people assume that it is too hard to do deep energy retrofits and instead invest just enough to deliver a return in the shortest amount of time," Olgyay said.  "But in reality, it may be much more prudent to go for a deeper level of investment in order to reap greater energy cost savings for the lifetime of the building."

    Going Deep: Making the Right Investment

    Rocky Mountain Institute's RetroFit initiative, part of the nonprofit organization's larger goal to drive the transition from fossil fuels to efficiency and renewables, aims to encourage the retrofit of the U.S commercial building stock to use, on average, at least 50 percent less energy by 2050, via the wide adoption of deep energy retrofits.

    Work is nearly complete to carry out the award-winning retrofit design of the Empire State Building by RMI and our partners -- the Clinton Climate Initiative, Johnson Controls and Jones Lang LaSalle. The landmark will be 38 percent more efficient and save $4.4 million in annual energy costs and now many other large commercial properties are lining up to follow in the Empire State Building's footsteps, such as the Byron Rogers Federal Building in downtown Denver.

    On track to reduce the building's energy use by 70 percent, the project -- led by the General Services Administration and in conjunction with the design-build team -- will create more than 2,000 jobs while saving taxpayer money through greatly reduced utility costs. Funded with nearly $140 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the building is slated for a series of efficiency measures designed to surpass the federal goals outlined in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

    By targeting diverse projects, RMI aims to better understand the strengths, weaknesses and applicability of various approach to deep retrofits, share these lessons with the industry and ultimately bring deep retrofits to scale. Online resources like RMI's new RetroFit Depot, for example, are available to detail the entire design and execution process, offering case studies, tools and best practices for both building owners and energy service providers.

    "Although RMI has several high-impact pilot projects under our belt," Olgyay said, "reducing energy use on a large-scale in commercial buildings requires widespread industry momentum. Obama's initiative has the potential to move us in the right direction by bringing this opportunity to the public's attention. Now, it's up to the industry as whole to capitalize on it."

    Top image CC licensed by Flickr user paul (dex). Video courtesy of the Rocky Mountain Institute.

     

    GNOF/The Idea Village 2011 Water Challenge-Application Deadline Feb. 21, 2011

    Did you know that an innovative, entrepreneurial water-related business or idea from our area might be the next big global industry for Louisiana? That's what the Greater New Orleans Foundation and the Idea Village seek via the 2011 Water Challenge business competition. We are looking for business ideas that embody Integrated Water Management principles that work with, and help us restore, our natural water systems. These products, ideas or solutions could be simple, homeowner products that re-use rainwater for irrigation, or complex solutions for agriculture or industry,  or municipal water treatment or control systems--the possibilities are endless. 

    Water scarcity, quality and use is seen as one of the great challenges of an increasingly populated planet. As one of the great water-based regions of the world, we know our area can, and should, be a leader in living with water. With this competition we are recognizing that Southeast Louisiana has water wealth. The lessons we've learned, combined with innovative ideas, can restore our coast, rebuild our economy and strengthen our beloved cultural fabric. The 2011 Water Challenge tells the world that we are water leaders!

    The 2011 Water Challenge is a business competition for 9 parishes: Orleans, Jefferson, Lafourche, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John, St. Tammany and Terrebonne. Three finalists will be selected by March 1. Then, on March 21, during the annual New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, the finalists will pitch their business plans before a panel of expert judges and an audience. The winner will receive $50,000 in business development capital along with a package of executive, legal and technical support from the Idea Village, Jones Walker and HP. 

    More information and the online application form can be found at the Idea Village website at http://ideavillage.org. Remember, applicants have only until midnight (CST) February 21 to apply.

    We ask that you freely copy and spread the attached press release to your network and consider this post your invitation to join us. 

    The world's next great water business should be from Louisiana. Be a part of making this happen!

    Click here to download:
    WConepager.pdf (206 KB)
    (download)

    Click here to download:
    FinalPR 1.20.11.pdf (172 KB)
    (download)