Seriously Green - a highly motivated approach to investing in a clean, safe and healthy environment by making the largest investment in energy saving methods, and creating the best opportunity to save the most money.

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Sustainable Sites (SS)

• Use lime to protect surface water from animal waste
  According to the National Lime Association, lime can control the phosphorus and nitrogen production in animal waste and covert it into a useable concentrated fertilizer, thus returning it to the soil in safe amounts. If not neutralized by this new technology, animal (livestock) waste can over-saturate the soil and cause algae to proliferate and damage nearby surface waters caused by the excess run-off. In addition, hydrated lime, with it's high pH level, controls bacteria growth and creates a barrier that keeps flies away.(click anywhere to hide)
• Avoid environmentally sensitive locations
• Install Pervious, Permeable Paving Surfaces
  Porous paving surfaces allow you to park, drive, walk, or ride on a gravel surface without having to design for heavy storm water run-off. The rainwater absorbs back into the ground, helping to restore the local aquifer. This can be a major benefit in industrial areas, where storm water management requires filtration and treatment and the need to provide a "cool" surface is required to reduce heat energy reflection. A product manufactured by Invisible Structures, Inc. can help earn credits under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating SystemT.(click anywhere to hide)
• Install Turf Block Pavers
  Imagine a porous paving area that allows you to park, drive, walk, ride, or lounge on a beautiful grass surface. It performs the functions of asphalt or concrete pavement, but with the aesthetics of a lawn - all while enhancing the environment. Invisible Structures, Inc. provides a system that provides incredible load bearing strength while protecting vegetation root systems from deadly compaction. Suspended pollutants and moderate amounts of engine oils are consumed by active soil bacteria, which are aided by the system's excellent oxygen exchange capacity.
  
  All this and it's made from recycled HDPE plastic! Great stuff, and it can help earn credits under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating SystemT. (click anywhere to hide)
• Locate close to community resources
• Orient building properly in respect to the sun
• Place building properly in respect to the site conditions
• Select site with already established infrastructure

Water Efficiency (WE)

• Implement Grey Water use
• Utilize Rainwater Harvesting
  Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) is a means that captures rainwater and stormwater run-off into a containment chamber to use later, providing free water for irrigation and in some highly sophisticated systems, fresh drinking water.
  Some Advantages to RWH:
  

  • Relatively inexpensive and low operation costs
  • Flexible system can be moved and easily expanded
  • Retrofit to an existing building is simple and can be tied to an established well water system
  • Excellent backup emergency supply
  • Collected water is free from chlorine, lime, calcium and fluorine
  • Excellent source of 'soft water', perfect for organic vegetable gardens
  • Slows down water run-off which encourages deep watering and recharges local aquifer
  • Slows erosion and excess run-off in problem areas

  RWH systems just might be right for you. Please Contact Us at info@wedoitgreen.com for a site evaluation.(click anywhere to hide)
• Install water saving fixtures
  Conserving water is on every body's mind, and it's no wonder. The United Nations predicts that by 2025, over 65% of the world's population will be living in regions where water is scarce, including parts of the United States, which where previously water-rich. Building codes are reflecting the ever increasing need to conserve, and more companies are offering products which help meet these strict requirements. The following are a few of those who have met the challenge to help you meet your water conservation goals and reduce costs.
  
  Sloan Valve Company Their Water Conservation Division offers products that can help achieve multiple credits under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating SystemT and actually surpass the standards set by the 1992 Energy Act. Some of theses products include water-free urinals, automatic shut-off valves and solar powered faucets(click anywhere to hide)

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)

• Use Radiant Heat in floors
• Maintain and install proper attic ventilation
• Install concrete floors
• Moisture content in framing materials
• Protect against radon
• Utilize humidity controls
• Properly exhaust combustion air
• Install fresh air supply and filtering
• Protect against vehicle emission penetration
• Seal heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) ducts

Materials and Resources (MR)

• Use lime to treat drinking water
  According to the American Water Works Association, lime can be used to treat drinking water by removing carbonate hardness caused by calcium and magnesium, adjusting the pH levels to combat corrosion and remove arsenic.(click anywhere to hide)
• Purchase vehicles made of recycled material
• De-assemble old buildings
• Install Earth Friendly Doors
  Even though most doors are manufactured with wood, a recognized renewable resource, we can be more environmentally responsible by making sure those doors we purchase and install are Eco-friendly. Here are several companies helping you meet your Green goals.
  
  VT Industries They offer doors which utilize FSC certified materials; wood product suppliers who's forests' maintain strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. See their Going Green White Paper.(click anywhere to hide)
• Utilize concrete based siding
• Use Concrete with High Fly Ash Content
  Fly ash is another one of those by products destined for landfills across the country, however, someone, somewhere thought to put it in concrete and discovered that it made the concrete easier to work with, stronger and more durable. Using fly ash reduces the manufacture of additional raw materials otherwise needed to produce the building materials used in virtually every building, i.e., mortar, stucco, paints, carpets, ceiling tiles and various other products. Green? You bet!
  
  Headwaters Resources, a fellow member of the USGBC, separates the microscopic, glassy spheres produced by coal burning electric power plants and, sells millions of tons of this stuff every year! (click anywhere to hide)
• Install Ecologically Friendly Countertops
  Many companies are offering products which protect the earth in various ways. Here are a few which can contribute toward achieving credits under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating SystemT.
  
  VT Industries They have introduced their EQcountertops which utilizes a low-emitting particleboard core, incorporates water-based adhesives and use Greenguard certified laminate.(click anywhere to hide)
• Don’t oversize the plan
• Utilize FSC certified lumber
  The Forest Stewardship Council is a non-profit world wide organization which seeks to identify forest landowners and companies who are consistent with the high standards set by the FSC. To achieve this certification, companies must show they are utilizing environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable practices to harvest and manufacture timber and forest products. To see where you can purchase materials certified by FSC and learn more about their certification process, please click on the following FSC logo: (click anywhere to hide)
• Use Engineered lumber products
• Recycle construction waste
• The American Tree Farm System
• The Sustainable Forest Initiative program
• Implement value engineering

Energy and Atmosphere (EA)

• Utilize the Wind to Generate Electrical Power
  Wind Power. A renewable resource that has been used for thousands of years to generate power since the ancient Egyptians sailed the Nile River is slowly becoming more implemented into businesses and homes throughout he country. As long as there's sunshine, there will always be wind. The American colonists knew this when they utilized the wind power to pump water from the ground and to grind their wheat and corn. Today they're called wind machines and are used primarily to generate electricity.
  
  Small wind machines, or turbines, are connected to electric generators which produce the electrical current needed to power lights and appliances. Small batteries are used to collect the extra energy when the wind is really howling. They're designed, however, to slow the wind down and operate at 30-40 percent efficiency. The energy loss is in the form of heat, where the wind is used to cool the machines naturally.
  
  The U.S. now produces billions of kilowatt hours of electricity, enough to power a city the size of Chicago, but is only a tiny percent of the electricity used throughout the country. In California, wind produces 1% of the electricity generated, and by 2020 could grow to 5 percent!
  
  California is, needless to say, leading the way in wind power production, due, in large part, to the tremendous support of the State Legislature (AB970 & AB1685). In addition, the California Public Utility Commission has established an incentive program to help offset the first cost fees associated with the installation.(click anywhere to hide)
• Use superior air and moisture sealing products
• Utilize Geothermal power
• Locate heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) ductwork efficiently
• Size all heating and air conditions correctly
• Utilize Hydrogen Fuel cells
• Utilize insulated glass
• Insulate hot / cold water supply lines
• Install Eco Friendly Insulation
  Wall & ceiling insulation is required by code and it's very easy to meet those requirements, however, those same requirements currently say nothing about requiring the insulation to protect the indoor environment of your home, let alone having any recycled content.
  
  Johns Manville, the only manufacturer that offers a full line of formaldehyde-free insulation, has been selected by the Office of State Architecture of California to provide insulation to California schools. The results are a naturally white glass fiber, bonded together with non-toxic acrylic binders containing no bleaches or dyes, which makes it a no volatile organic compound (VOC) product. This contributes to earning credits under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating SystemT. And because it's made of 25% post consumer recycled material, this makes for a very Green wall! (click anywhere to hide)
• Install Moisture Barriers
  Moisture barriers have been around for a long time, however, a product, helped developed by NASA in the 70's, is slowly replacing the black tar paper we used to cover our homes. It's called Tyvek®, an engineered weather-resistant barrier from DuPontT. It's breathable, which allows moisture molecules to escape the wall cavity, created from condensation, a breeding ground for mold. At the same time, it helps keep unwanted water away from the structure, caused by wind-driven rain and snow, and air infiltration. Together, these characteristics make for a more comfortable, energy-efficient home, or Green building!(click anywhere to hide)
• Install water supply lines away from exterior walls
• Install light colored roof covering
• Plant a garden on the roof
• Install Photo Voltaic (solar) Panels

  PV's, commonly referred to as Solar Panels, could easily reduce your demand from the Electrical Grid. Often times, these "energy catchers" that generate electricity from the suns ultra violet rays, can completely reduce your electric bill to $0.00! Better yet, the electric company could be paying you. By generating your own electricity, we all benefit. You will save money; the Electric Company will stop building expensive new generators (coal burning, river damming) and, we can all enjoy a healthier environment.

  California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has allotted nearly $3 Billion over the next 10 years to put PV's on a million roofs. The CPUC (Public Utilities Commission) manages the California Solar Initiative, the program which provides incentives for existing homes and non-residential customers. The CEC (California Energy Commission) will manage the new home construction segment, helping to create a solar home market called the New Solar Homes Partnership (NSHP).(click anywhere to hide)

• Utilize Structural Insulated Panels (SIP’s)
• Utilize vapor barriers

Innovation and Design Process (ID)

• Appliance leasing
• Design Buildings that Reduce the use of Fossil Fuels
  Buildings around the world are the biggest polluters and CO2 emitters, whereas during the construction process, maintenance and use, a typical building spits out far greater greenhouse gases then the often picked on transportation and industrial sector. According to the EIA (Energy Information Agency), commercial and residential buildings use almost half of the energy consumed in the U.S. These numbers can be greatly minimized through thoughtful planning and smart building techniques.
  
  WJRB Consulting & Design, Inc. is a leader in the development of responsible building designs that reduce the use of fossil fuels by implementing systems that will earn the ENERGY STAR and perform among the top 25 percent of buildings. With more aggressive programs, an owner can meet the design goals of the 2030 Challenge, rating their building among the nations' top 10 percent in energy efficiency, water conservation and fossil fuel reduction.
  
  The 2030 Challenge, adopted by the AIA Board of Directors, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, means a commitment to roll back CO2 emissions in the construction and operation of new buildings. In fact, the State of California has mandated, through AB32, to cut back on greenhouse gas pollutants to 1990 levels by the year 2020.
  
  What does this mean to you? Healthier indoor environments; more energy efficient facilities, thus, reducing operating costs.For Developers and Building Managers; Higher occupancy rates and satisfied tenants.
  
  To help you set your own energy performance goals and find out how much your future project can save in energy cost and fossil fuels; check out the ENERGY STAR® Target Finder. (click anywhere to hide)
• Utilize alternative wall insulation products
• Utilize a Passive Solar design

Easily Green | Moderately Green | Seriously Green

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at wjrb@wedoitgreen.com