Nicholas Brown, Author at Green Building Elements

Nicholas Brown

writes on CleanTechnica, Gas2, Kleef&Co, and Green Building Elements. He has a keen interest in physics-intensive topics such as electricity generation, refrigeration and air conditioning technology, energy storage, and geography. His website is: Kompulsa.com.

Invesco Purchases LEED Platinum Arlington Building For $90M

August 7, 2014

Architecture, Design, LEED

Invesco Real Estate, an Atlanta-based company, purchased the office complex at 1776 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, West Virginia for $90 million, or $650 per square foot for a total 139,394 square feet. This is the first property under the current US Green Building Council’s Core & Shell certification program to receive LEED Platinum certification in Arlington. The building was developed by Skanska, and it has sustainability-enhancing features such as a building dashboard that enables monitoring of tenants’ energy consumption, air sensors to…

R.K. Pachauri: India Urgently Needs “Green Buildings”

July 21, 2014

Architecture, Design

R.K.Pachauri, an internationally acclaimed environmentalist who chaired the IPCC, said that India urgently needs more green buildings, an especially radical departure from conventional building design. He said: “There has to be radical departure in the construction of new buildings. There is a change in culture which has impacted the consumption of energy, water and other resources. Our rating system has taken stock of buildings and we have prepared a knowhow to get truly green buildings, during an interview with IANS.…

San Diego Airport Receives LEED Platinum Certification

June 30, 2014

Commercial Buildings, Design, Energy, Energy Efficiency, LEED, Recycling

NORESCO’s Sustainability Services group guided a Green Build terminal expansion at SDIA (San Diego International Airport), earning it a LEED (Leadership In Energy And Environmental Design) Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council (USGBC®), which is the highest LEED certification there is. That means that relatively speaking, this is a stupendously energy-efficient structure! NORESCO managed Terminal 2 West during its design and construction phases. This project, which is the airport’s largest upgrade yet, comprises 10 new gates, a 460,000 square-foot…

Houses Passes Two Energy Efficiency Bills

June 24, 2014

Commercial Buildings, Design, Energy, Energy Efficiency

The US House of Representatives passed two energy efficiency bills, one of which is to better assist schools with energy-efficient enhancements, and the other instructs the Department of Energy to research the effect of insulation on energy and water usage on federal buildings. The School Energy Efficiency Bill – H.R. 4092 This bill creates an office within the Department of Energy to “coordinate federal, state and local programs” which will help schools reduce their energy usage, according to The…

How Ventilation Helps Keep You Cool

June 21, 2014

Design, Energy, Energy Efficiency

There is a common concern about ventilation bringing warm air into rooms. While this is true, it still helps to keep you cool by blowing out the even warmer air inside your home, and by helping to reduce humidity which makes you feel warmer. In many cases, it may be warmer inside your home than it is outside because your home will absorb heat from the sun and then trap it. Ventilation blows the resulting hot air outside. How Ventilation…

Ford Reduces Water Usage Enough For 1 Billion Showers

June 18, 2014

Commercial Buildings, Design, Inspiring Pics, Water Management

As water scarcity is reported around the world, some large organizations have tried to reduce their environmental footprint by conserving water. In some regions wasting water means someone else will have to do without. To address this growing problem and save some money to boot, Ford Motor Company has initiated a water conservation effort at its facilities globally. This has resulted in a water usage reduction of 61 percent (10 billion gallons), which is equivalent to 1 billion 5-minute showers. Overall, the…

48 More Kohl’s Store Branches Given Green Certification

June 13, 2014

Design, Education, Energy, LEED

Kohl’s has received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings) certification for 48 more of its store branches. This brings the number of LEED-certified Kohl’s stores up to 432. That is 37% of their 1,160 stores. Stores that qualify for this certification include Energy Star certification, commitment to green power, waste recycling, water-saving plumbing fixtures and participation in green cleaning and sustainable purchasing practices, according to Kohl’s. Kohl’s is clearly making a significant effort to improve the sustainability…