Green Building Tours

It's Back - Nelson's GreenSkylines - Green Building Tours is here for 2010.

Buildings account for almost 40% of greenhouse gas emissions annually, primarily from the energy they consume. By changing the way we build we can not only save the environment, but also save ourselves money, while creating more efficient, comfortable and healthier places to live.

The tour takes participants through four local buildings to learn about what makes a building 'green' and how these features can be implemented in your own home or business. Come learn what you can do to 'green up' your buildings.

Tours run Sunday, October 17 from 11am to 4pm

Admission: Students/members $5 - General Public $10

Register at:

The Building Tree - 621 Herridge Ln., Nelson

250 352 7933

or email robin@cascadiagbc.org to reserve your spot.

Space is limited so reserve your spot now!

SUSTAINABLE BUILDING ADVISOR PROGRAM

The Sustainable Building Advisor (SBA) course is a certificate program for the busy professional interested in green building planning, design, construction and operations. The curriculum was developed by the National Sustainable Building Advisor Program (NaSBAP) and leads to CSBA designation. The program format-two days per month for nine months-is designed to give you a variety of information from expert instructors in an efficient learning environment. In-class exercises, discussions and lectures are supplemented by field trips and real-life group projects. The program welcomes a diverse range of students drawn from architecture and planning firms, engineering companies, developers and contractors, government agencies, research insitutions, resource conservation organizations, utilities and environmental consulting organizations and those looking for a new career. For registration or more information visit http://www.brightergreenconsulting.com.

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Nelson: Silver King Campus

• 2750 classes: Oct. 15-16, Nov. 19-20, Dec. 10-11, Jan. 14-15, Feb. 11-12, Mar. 11-12, Apr. 8-9, May 13-14, June 10-11, Fri. & Sat. 9 am-4 pm

Final LEED Presentation

The Kootenay/Rockies Leaf of CascadiaGBC delivered a presentation on March 23 that wrapped up the final LEED credits for New Construction and Major Renovation. The credits focused on materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation in design. Highlights included samples of low emitting paints and wall coverings and information on where we can buy building materials produced locally. In addition, the next presentation series focusing on the Living Building Challenge was presented. Stay tuned for more info on this exciting programme.

The slides for the presentation can be viewed by clicking the following link:

Wrap-up Presentation

Application of LEED criteria to Selkirk residence case study

Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere Presentation

Hello all,

The presentation last Wednesday focused on the application of LEED criteria (specifically Water Efficiency and Energy & Atmosphere) to the Selkirk residence case study. This was the third presentation in our public presentation series that looks at the practical application of green building techniques and philosophy to local scenarios. Our first presentation zeroed in on the Sustainable Sites criteria and can be viewed in a previous posting on this blog

The first category tackled in this third presentation was Water Efficiency. The intent of these credits is to minimize or eliminate the amount of potable water used in building and landscaping maintenance. Highlights from the presentation include using low maintenance, native plant species for landscaping that require minimal to no irrigation. Another idea was to use a rainwater catchment system for flushing toilets and other grey water uses.

The second category brought in ideas around Energy and Atmosphere. Specific criteria examined building performance, building commissioning, renewable and green energy sources and CFC/halon reduction in appliances. Highlights from the presentation include a complex photovoltaic envelope for the south edifice, an innovative solar aquatic wastewater processing plant, buying energy from Bullfrog energy service and computer modeling to discover how the building can save energy.

Stay tuned for our next presentation in the series in the New Year.

To view the presentation please follow the link below.

Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere presentation

LEED Sustainable Sites application to Selkirk Residence case study

The second public presentation was held Thursday, October 9, regarding the Selkirk 10th Street Residence case study as a part of Cascadia Regional Green Building Council's public presentation series . In this presentation we applied the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) sustainable sites credit criteria to the case study, explaining the intent and requirements behind each criterion and how they might apply to the Selkirk residence. Audience members were quick with questions and a lively discussion ensued. To view the powerpoint presentation click the link below:

Selkirk Sustainable Sites presentation

Also, stay tuned for upcoming presentations on the Selkirk 10th Street Residence case study. If you have any questions or comments please contact Robin Urquhart: robin@buildingtree.ca