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<img src="/files/111/sg3a.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="158" align="right" />Advocates of green building, and specifically of the US Green Building Council's (USGBC) <a href="/2007/01/03/concrete_jungle_getting_greener">LEED program</a>, have maintained that green building does not have to mean extra cost. An exceptional case for this argument is found in a recently completed multi-purpose university building. The less-than-poetically named <a href="http://www.shadygrove.umd.edu/about/SGIII/">Education Building III</a> (SG III) at the University of Maryland's Shady Grove campus was built with the intent of attaining LEED Silver certification and ended up being certified as LEED Gold, but <a href="http://www.edcmag.com/CDA/Articles/Web_Exclusive/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000092336">without an increase in the budget</a>.<br />
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The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) is a collaborative effort by eight institutions in the University System of Maryland, begun in 2000. Due to its popularity and convenience, the demand for classes and services at the Shady Grove location grew quickly and necessitated the construction of a new, multi-purpose building with classrooms and services.</p>
LEED Gold Costs an Extra… Nothing
Weekly DIY: Instructables 'Go Green' Contest
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<img src="/files/111/FLGINRLF46WOFZA_MEDIUM.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" align="right" /><br />
Instructables.com is currently holding a 'Go Green' contest for green projects. The contest is being co-sponsored by <a href="http://www.popsci.com/popsci/"><em>Popular Science</em></a> and <a href="http://www.treehugger.com">Treehugger</a>. Prizes include a hybrid commuter bicycle, subscriptions to Popular Science, and T-shirts (what contest doesn't have T-shirts as prizes?). Full details and <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/EERH1BLF40F7ELU?ALLSTEPS">guidelines for the contest</a> can be found at the Instructables site.<br />
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If you aren't already familiar with it, <a href="http://www.instructables.com/">Instructables</a> is a website that offers step-by-step instructions on creating all kinds of DIY projects, ranging from relatively easy crafts to complicated robotics projects. While they are focusing on green projects for this current contest, they regularly have all manner of do-it-yourself projects. The site's focus is on not just making things, but on showing other people how to make the cool things you have made, and how you did it.
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There are many <a href="http://www.instructables.com/tag/keyword:green">green projects</a> on the Instructables site, beyond those that are already <a href="http://www.instructables.com/group/gogreen/?show=instructables&sort=PUBLISHED&limit=500">entries in the current 'Go Green' contest</a>. Anything that you can create, and more importantly, that you can show someone else how to create, is a candidate for this contest:
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"You can <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/E86165FIENERIE2PV6/">reuse vintage floppies</a>, make your own <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/E7MAWRPF2FRVA89/">cloth grocery bags</a>, build some <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/EE28IW9UQ5ES84ILEL/">recycled modular shelving</a>, a <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/E3UXT5HGT7EUOJJIYE/">sun jar</a>, a <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/EMU06ULZ1MEY95WRNU/">solar heater</a>, or a <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/E0T6AVT19OEP286NG5/">wind generator</a>. Move onto <a href="http://www.instructables.com/group/solarenergy/?show=instructables&sort=PUBLISHED&limit=500">solar energy</a>, <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/EHII4ZKZN5EPH67CKF/">worm compost</a>, or even ditch your car for an <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/EI5NYF6F0R12WA0/">electric bike</a>!<br />
Need more ideas? Check out <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/">TreeHugger's</a> great list of <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/gogreen.php">simple ways to Go Green</a>, and the <a href="http://popsci.com/future_enviro/index.html">green coverage on PopSci</a>.<br />
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"So, reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle, and rebuild, then show us what <em>you</em> are doing to make your life a little bit greener!"<br />
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The contest is open through August 19, 2007. If you have submitted an entry to the contest, be sure to let us know about it in the comments. </p>
Fear of a Green House
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<img src="/files/4/sunsetbreezehouse.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="120" align="right" />"Greenfear" is a term I first recently came across in an article on The Daily Green: '<em><a href="http://www.thedailygreen.com/2007/07/25/want-to-build-green-your-neighbors-may-try-to-block-you-is-it-greenfear/4303/">Building Green? Your Neighbors May Block You. Is It Greenfear?</a></em>' The premise is that people are afraid of new and green technologies, and that they will act to block it. In this particular case, a couple in Marin, California wanted to build a house with a number of green features. Neighbors raised objections that "the modernist home would severely clash with the more traditional feel of the neighborhood. Some dubbed it 'trailer like.' A petition against the home was launched."<br />
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While the green elements of the design may not have endeared the plan to the neighbors, the objections seem less about the fact the house was incorporating green technologies and more about just the appearance being out of character with the rest of the neighborhood. In this particular case, the house in question is a rather attractive, contemporary, modular home. It includes such green features as "solar panels, recycled materials and a living 'green' roof." But, it is more likely that the resistance against this house was based on its general appearance, rather than specifically wanting to prevent a house from having the green features that its owners wanted.
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GM Announces Battery Partner for Chevy Volt
Today was a big day for GM’s concept Chevrolet Volt. First, they announced an official partnership with A123Systems for the creation of the Volt’s batteries, then they told Reuters they had a firm production schedule that includes a 2010 sale date. If they stick to it, it will be the first plug-in electric hybrid from any major manufacturer. GM vice chairman of Global Product Development Bob Lutz announced that GM and A123Systems have agreed to co-develop battery technology for the forthcoming Chevy Volt (and other GM E-Flex vehicles) using A123′s nanophosphate battery technology.
"A123Systems is considered a forerunner in the development of nanophosphate-based cell technology, which, compared to other lithium-ion battery chemistries, provides higher power output, longer life and safer operations over the life of the battery."
This does not necessarily mean that LG Chem is out of the running to supply batteries for the Volt or other GM vehicles. The press release from GM notes that both A123Systems and LG Chem are potential suppliers for E-Flex vehicles. "A123Systems and LG Chem are both top-tier battery suppliers, with proven technologies," said Denise Gray, director of GM’s Energy Storage Devices and Strategies. "We’re confident one, or possibly both of these companies’ solutions will meet our battery requirements for the E-Flex system." But the close cooperation between GM and A123 for the development of batteries specifically for GM’s needs makes it more likely that A123Systems will end up as the major supplier for the final product.
New Alternative Fuel Vehicle
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<img src="/files/111/nh3truck02.jpg" alt="" width="270" height="203" align="right" />Right now, a uniquely modified pickup truck is making its way across the country. Starting from Detroit and heading to San Francisco, the vehicles developers are seeking to draw attention to an overlooked fuel alternative. The truck uses a special fuel, something widely available throughout the country, but until now, not widely considered as a fuel for transportation: the truck is carrying three tanks of ammonia in its bed. In addition to being an economical alternative to petroleum fuels, the ammonia fueled vehicle has much cleaner emissions and almost no greenhouse gasses.
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The <a href="http://nh3car.com/index.htm">NH3car </a>(NH3 is the chemical formula for ammonia) is a demonstration project of a University of Michigan graduate student in physics who is studying the use of ammonia as an alternative fuel. The test vehicle can be run either on 100% gasoline or on an 80% ammonia/20% gasoline mixture, and can be switched from one to the other at any time. According to a news story, the test vehicle gets 27 miles per gallon whether it is running on gasoline or the gas/ammonia mix. When gasoline is higher that $2.10/gallon, it becomes more economical to use the fuel mix.
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More importantly, however, the vehicle produces much cleaner emissions than a fossil fuel burning vehicle. Moving to an ammonia fuel system would drastically cut transportation CO2 emissions. Because there is no carbon in ammonia (molecularly, ammonia is one nitrogen atom and three hydrogen atoms), there is no carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide in the emissions from the ammonia combustion. According to the vehicle team, the only by-products are water vapor and nitrogen gas.</p>
