February, 2008

VSBN & Dewberry Announce Carbon Trading Workshop

The Virginia Sustainable Building Network, in conjunction with Dewberry, has announced a special workshop on the connection between carbon trading and green building. The one-day workshop will take place at the Dewberry offices in Fairfax, Virginia, on March 6, 2008. The event is being jointly sponsored by Dewberry and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

The workshop promises a thorough overview of carbon trading and what Washington, DC governments and businesses in the region are doing to reduce their carbon footprint. The workshop is scheduled for 8:30 am – 3:00 pm.

The program will feature speakers such as Jay Fissette of the Arlington County Board, Dr. Chris Pyke of CTG Energetics, Inc., Chris Gorthy of DPR Construction, and a panel discussion on Calculating Your Carbon Footprint for Local Governments, featuring John Morrill of Arlington and Cynthia Cummis of Clear Carbon Consulting. Congressmen Tom Davis and Jim Moran have been invited to speak at the program.

A complimentary shuttle will transport individuals from the Dunn Loring Metro (on the Orange line) to the event every 20 minutes, beginning at 7:30 am. Attendees will be transported back to the Metro station every 20 minutes until 4:00 pm. Free parking is also available at the Dewberry building in Fairfax. For more details, or to register, go to: http://www.vsbn.org/docs/20080306_carbontradingregistration.pdf

Or call Annette Osso at VSBN at 703-486-2966.

NCR Chapter Launches Exam Study Groups

The NCR chapter’s first LEED for New Construction and Renovations (LEED-NC) LEED AP exam study group successfully started earlier this month. Due to tremendous demand for these study groups, the chapter is offering a second LEED-NC study group beginning on March 17 in Arlington.

Each study group offers four, two-hour study sessions (at 4-6 pm) led by qualified LEED AP’s, using materials approved under USGBC’s Professional Education Provider criteria. Participants review the LEED rating system using the LEED-NC Reference Guide and additional materials and learning tools provided by the facilitators. Study groups take place in Arlington, VA in offices convenient to the Rosslyn Metro station.

Cost is $175 for members of the NCR chapter and $200 for non-members. Reservations are secured upon payment of the registration fee.

The chapter will also offer a LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) study group starting on April 8 and continuing for the next three Tuesday afternoons (at 4-6 pm) at a location in Northwest Washington, DC. Cost is $175 members; $200 for non-members. To reserve a seat in either the LEED-NC or the LEED-CI study group, visit the Events calendar on the chapter website, www.usgbcncr.org, contact the chapter office at 703-433-0707, or email: info@usgbcncr.org.

Fairfax County Announces Hazardous Waste Dates for Small Businesses

Businesses located in Fairfax County, or towns or cities within the County, that generate less than 100 kilograms of hazardous waste per calendar month qualify as “Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generators.” According to Fairfax County, many building contractors, manufacturing firms, landscape contractors and property managers meet the CESQG definition. Companies meeting the criteria may participate in one of three clean-up days scheduled for 2008 by disposing of waste at the Citizens Waste Disposal Site located at 4618 West Ox Road in Fairfax.

CESQG’s may have difficulty disposing of small quantities of hazardous waste because hazardous waste companies usually have minimums on the amount of waste they will pick up or they charge a fee for service. Typically, the minimum fee exceeds the cost of disposal for hazardous waste. The Fairfax County Clean-up Day then provides a less expensive alternative for small generators.

For more details, go to: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/recycling

WIREC Offers Discount Registration to NCR Members

The Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC) is extending a special offer to members of the NCR chapter. Members can obtain a $200 discount off the conference registration to attend the conference scheduled for March 3-7 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.

To take advantage of the discount, members should enter WIREC063 on the registration form when registering for the conference package.

The WIRE Conference will offer one of the world’s largest displays of renewable energy solutions and efficiency. NCR members will have access to a large exhibit display area as well as a business conference and side events offering technical workshops and other features. WIREC is sponsored by the American Council on Renewable Energy, which represents members from every aspect and sector of the renewable energy industries and their trade associations, including wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and biofuels, hydropower tidal/current energy and waste energy, as well as financial institutions, government leaders, educators, end-users, professional service providers and allied non-profit groups.

For more info on ACORE or the WIREC, go to: www.acore.org.

Position Announcement: EGB Coordinator for USGBC

The USGBC national office is currently seeking a dynamic professional to serve as the Emerging Green Builders Coordinator. The EGB Coordinator will facilitate all aspects of the EGB program. The position involves outreach to university groups as well as to all USGBC chapters to cultivate, educate and activate the future leaders of the green building movement and USGBC.

Interested individuals can view the complete job description at: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CSPageID=63&#EGBCoord

Resumes and letters of interest, with salary requirements, should be forwarded to jobs@usgbc.org or faxed to 202-478-5046, attn: E. Tarring

CareerCenter Needs Your Position Announcements

The NCR CareerCenter, a vital element of the chapter’s website, www.usgbcncr.org, is now open to accept position announcements throughout the National Capital region. The site features open positions placed by employers looking for sustainable design professionals, engineers, architects, etc. The site also offers an opportunity for individuals, at no cost, to post resumes for potential employers.

The NCR chapter is offering a special discount to employers who post new positions before March 15, 2008. For pricing info and tips on how to post a position, visit the CareerCenter today at www.usgbcncr.org/careers/.

Home Sweet Home: Chapter Offers Region’s First LEED for Homes Workshop

The NCR chapter proudly announces that registrations are being accepted for the region’s first offering of the new LEED for Homes technical review workshop. This one-day workshop, scheduled for March 4 at Boland in Rockville, Maryland, provides the key concepts needed for successful participation in the LEED for Homes initiative launched by USGBC last fall. In the workshop you’ll walk through the rating system and learn green design and construction practices, certification and verification procedures and the costs and benefits of LEED-certified homes.

For pricing info and registration, go to: www.usgbc.org/workshops/workshoplist.aspx

Spotlight on Our Premier Sponsors: RTKL

RTKL is a premier, annual sponsor of the NCR chapter. The company is a global, multidisciplinary architecture-engineering leader dedicated to generating sustainable solutions to offer our clients the very best in design integrated with state-of-the-art technologies, processes, and products. With a strengthened resolve and visionary approach, the company is determined to make a difference in the worldwide built environment.

Across cultures, disciplines, and project types, RTKL’s commitment to sustainability provides the common thread connecting how they think, design, interact with clients, and deliver their work. RTKL believes that sustainability starts from within. For decades the company has nurtured a culture that makes sustainability an inextricable part of who they are and how they design.

RTKL boasts a pool of talented LEED-Accredited Professionals and a portfolio of award-winning, environmentally conscious projects, with hundreds more on the boards. But they’re just getting started. The company is constantly evaluating ways to better serve our cities, communities and world by being stewards of our global environments. From grassroots efforts to senior leadership standards, from specific office initiatives to firm wide strategies, RTKL is positioning itself on the forefront of ecological innovation.

RTKL understands the challenges—and necessity—of sustainable development, and they are focused on delivering real-life solutions that make sense for both the environment and their clients' business. Featuring more than a dozen projects that are either LEED-certified, pre-certified, or seeking certification, they continue to expand their sustainable portfolio. The Brickell Financial Centre, once completed, will include Florida’s largest LEED-certified office building. In Washington DC, the renovation of the Ariel Rios Federal Building, headquarters for the Environmental Protection Agency, incorporates new, green concepts into the existing fabric of the historic building. The Walter Reed Community Center, completed in 2007, achieved LEED-Silver certification and is expected to meet Gold requirements.

Note: Each month this newsletter offers a spotlight article on each of our premier, annual sponsors. For info on how your company can join the long list of NCR chapter premier sponsors, visit our website at www.usgbcncr.org and click on “Sponsorship,” or contact the chapter office at 703-433-0707.

Save the Date: The next NCR chapter monthly network event is scheduled for March 25 at Discovery Communications in Silver Spring, Maryland. Theme of the program is, Developer’s Roundtable. We’ll be discussing issues related to Insurance, Financing and Taxes. Watch for details on our website, www.usgbcncr.org in coming weeks.