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GBI Launches Pilot Program:
Green Globes™ for Continual Improvement
of Existing Buildings
Starting in January, the GBI will begin pilot testing a new
module to complement the Green Globes environmental assessment and rating
system for New Construction—Green Globes for Continual Improvement of
Existing Buildings.
A web-based system designed to give building owners, facility
managers and others a practical and cost-effective way to assess and improve
the performance of commercial and institutional buildings, the new module will
allow users to:
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Assess and benchmark building performance,
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Develop comprehensive action plans for improvement,
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Evaluate and compare multiple buildings within a portfolio,
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Foster increased environmental consciousness while training operational staff
to reduce costs, and
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Improve tenant relations by demonstrating a commitment both to the environment
and occupant health and comfort.
The system features an online questionnaire that can be
completed in 2-3 hours providing users have access to information such as
energy and other utility bills. Questions are divided into six areas of
assessment, each focusing on one aspect of the building’s operation or
management, and each weighted based on its environmental impact.
Like Green Globes for New Construction, the existing buildings
module is already widely used in Canada—under the
Green Globes name and as the basis for BOMA Canada’s Go Green Plus
program. Go Green Plus was recently chosen by Canada’s
Department of Public Works and Government Services for use with an estimated
300 buildings within its portfolio.
For more information or to pilot-test Green Globes for
Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings, please send an e-mail to
cipilot@thegbi.org.
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Fireman’s Fund Introduces
First-ever
Green Building Insurance, Recognizes
Green Globes
 The
Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company now offers the first-ever insurance
products designed to encourage and promote green building. The new types of
coverage are for commercial structures and include:
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Certified Green Building Coverage – Designed for buildings that have
achieved Green Globes or LEED certification, this coverage includes a 5% credit
for “green” features.
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Green Upgrade Coverage – This coverage allows non-green buildings and
personal property items to be replaced with green alternatives following a
loss. If the entire building is destroyed, it will be rebuilt to Green Globes
or LEED standards.
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Building Commissioning Coverage – Following a loss to a building system
(i.e. HVAC, lighting, plumbing or safety), this coverage provides for an
engineer to commission the repaired or replaced system.
“In addition to being
energy-efficient, healthier and better for the environment,
green buildings are generally built to higher standards
of quality,” said GBI
executive director Ward Hubbell. “It makes
absolute sense that the Fireman’s Fund would
encourage the development of superior buildings—and
we’re
delighted that they’re using Green Globes to
further this cause.”
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The introduction of an existing
buildings module to complement Green Globes for New Construction creates a much
needed link between sustainable design and long-term operational performance.
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Trane’s
contribution to green building can be seen in its line of energy-efficient HVAC
systems and services, including its TRACE software program—which allows
the design stage analysis of building systems and equipment based on energy use
and life cycle costs.
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For those seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using renewable energy,
geothermal heat pumps offer a variety of practical benefits—including
lower utility bills, quiet operation, and reduced maintenance. |
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By the end of this
year, an estimated 20% of home builders in urban areas are expected to have
access to a green building program developed by local home builder associations
in partnership with GBI.
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 The
William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas recently earned
a two-globe designation under the Green Globes environmental assessment and
rating system for its environmentally progressive design.
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GBI Releases Draft Standard
As part of the process to establish Green Globes as a
consensus-based standard recognized by the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI), the GBI has released a Draft Standard for Trial Use (DSTU).
The intent is to complement ANSI procedures by encouraging comments from a
broader group of stakeholders. The GBI has received ANSI approval for this
additional review process and will use the comments to inform the ongoing work
of its Technical Committee and Sub-committees.
Users are invited to submit comments on the draft standard
by email, mail or fax until December 31, 2007. Electronic
and hard copies are available free of charge from the
GBI web site.
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Ecobuild
Federal Workshops
Washington, DC
As a major sponsor of Ecobuild Federal, the GBI will host two workshops
designed to provide insight and strategies for using the Green Globes system to
improve the environmental design and performance of commercial buildings, as
well as a keynote address on the need to refocus green building strategies on
building performance.
Green Globes for Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings
Dec. 5, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Green Globes for New Construction
Dec. 5, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Keynote Panel Discussion: Building Performance—Going Beyond Ratings
Dec. 6, 10 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
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