June 5, 2013 – The South Carolina Green Schools Caucus held their first gathering this legislative session on Wednesday June 5th at the State House, Gressette Building. The purpose of the meeting was to recruit new members and enlist members to participate in the upcoming worldwide Green Apple Day of Service following the SC Green Schools Summit on September 26th.

Established in 2009 by former Senator Phil Leventis, and now Chaired by Senator Ray Cleary and Co-Chaired by Senator Katrina Shealy, the South Carolina Green Schools Caucus is fostering important dialogue on green schools in the legislature. The Caucus brings together leaders across political parties from around the State, and currently has a total of 39 Senate and House members.

The South Carolina Green Schools Caucus is a catalyst for forward-thinking state legislators to coordinate, educate and reach out to their colleagues and constituents about the many benefits of green schools. These high-performance schools enhance the physical environment for student learning, conserve energy and water, and save taxpayers’ money. This policy area includes construction and renovation of buildings as well as school curriculum, operations and maintenance.

Volunteers from the US Green Building Council South Carolina Chapter, the American Institute of Architects South Carolina, the Conservation Voters of South Carolina, and the Council of Educational Facility Planners International South Carolina Chapter staff the Caucus. These supporters help State legislators work together and with their constituents to take advantage of opportunities to make our schools greener, our students and teachers healthier and our communities more sustainable.

The Green Schools Caucus breakfast and drop-in enlisted 12 legislators to host Green Apple Day of Service projects within their district schools. Green Apple Day of Service is a worldwide event that will take place on Saturday, September 28th. This day of service gives individuals, companies and organizations the opportunity to help transform all our schools into healthy, safe, cost-efficient and productive learning places. The Green Apple Day of Service will bring together thousands of students, teachers, parents and community leaders from around the globe to improve our school environments through service projects, education, community events and more. Our SC Green Schools Caucus of legislative champions will demonstrate the strength and breadth of our movement, leaving a meaningful and lasting local impact on our South Carolina schools. For more information on Green Apple Day of Service please visit: mygreenapple.org.

To learn more or for more information on the Green Schools Caucus, please visit: www.scgreenschoolscaucus.com. For more information on the SC Green Schools Summit, please visit: http://bit.ly/11SpKTt. For information on how you can get involved or volunteer please contact Melissa Le Roy at 843-329-3131 or execdir@usgbcsc.org

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From left to right; Jude Peck, USGBC SC Volunteer/Guest Instructor, High School LEED Green Associates: Chris Dyer, Tyler Anonie, Savannah Anderson and Melissa Le Roy, USGBC SC Executive Director.

May 31, 2013 – USGBC SC Chapter is happy to announce that South Carolina is the first state in the Nation to offer a High School Sustainability Curriculum that boasts graduates who have achieved their LEED Green Associate credentials.

In 2011, the South Carolina Chapter of the US Green Building Council started working with Gilbert High School,  presenting sponsor CMI (Control Management Inc.) and grant funder, the Center for Green Schools to design an 18-week curriculum for the Gilbert HS Center for Sustainable Solutions.  The Sustainability Curriculum program provides an overview of the Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Environmental Design (LEED) process and allows students to explore environmentally conscious design techniques in residential and commercial building construction.  Students learn how to use materials, energy, room size, and orientation to improve building efficiency and minimize environmental impacts.  The program was piloted at the University of South Carolina in 2012 and Gilbert High School has now successfully completed its first semester.

The Center for Sustainable Solutions at Gilbert High School, South Carolina is the first in the nation to offer an educational program dedicated to Sustainability that can boast of graduates who have already achieved their LEED Green Associate certification.  The GHS building registered for LEED Silver offers a renewable energy systems lab, environmental science lab, two conference rooms, and a collaborative learning area.

Five of the Gilbert High School Sustainability Curriculum graduates have now taken the LEED Green Associates exam.  Three of them can now proudly claim to be the first High School students in the nation to graduate from a Sustainability program, pass the LEED GA exam, and hold this Green Building credential.

The LEED Green Associate credential demonstrates a solid foundation in green building principles and practices.  From marketers to lawyers, landscape architects to education professionals, and product manufacturers to policymakers, LEED Green Associates enjoy a broad understanding of sustainability that bolsters their careers and enhances their lives.  LEED Green Associates earn their credential by passing a two-hour, computer-based exam comprising 100 randomly delivered multiple-choice questions.

Melissa Le Roy, SC Chapter Executive Director said, “These new LEED Green Associates along with the other LEED professionals in SC will help to ensure that South Carolina continues to lead in transforming the building industry.”

For more information on the curriculum or to have your school involved, please contact Melissa Le Roy, 843-329-3131 or execdir@usgbsc.org.

About USGBC SC Chapter
USGBC, South Carolina Chapter is a nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to transform the way buildings and communities in South Carolina are designed, built, and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.  The SC Chapter works closely with the U.S. Green Building Council and its Chapters across the country to promote green building education and is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our state through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.

With a community comprising over 1,500 LEED Professionals, USGBC SC is a diverse constituency of builders, architects, engineers, environmentalists, corporations, nonprofit organizations, elected officials, and concerned citizens.

Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of the energy consumption, and 13% of the water consumption.  This makes green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity.  Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and green building has the potential to generate thousands of SC jobs.

LEED

The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings.  Over 51,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising over 10.4 billion square feet in the US and 130 countries.  In addition, there are nearly 32,000 certified homes and nearly 96,000 registered homes under the LEED for Homes rating system.

South Carolina currently has 1,115 LEED Certified buildings: 504 homes, 108 schools, 21 State buildings, and 482 commercial buildings with 13 million SF of certified building space.

By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the community.  For more information, visit www.usgbcsc.org.

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A home once owned by a South Carolina senator’s wife and acquired by the University of South Carolina 50 years ago has been renovated and is earning awards for green building and restoration.

The Spigner House, which forms the campus’ east boundary on Gregg Street, will be awarded the 2013 Preservation/Restoration Award Thursday, May 2, by the Historic Columbia Foundation. The renovations completed last summer earned LEED Gold, making Spigner House the fourth university building to achieve gold status by the U.S. Green Building Council. Other buildings include Patterson and Honors residence halls and the Ernest F. Hollings Special Collections Library.

“LEED certification at the highest possible level is the goal of building and renovation today, and USC is certainly committed to becoming ever more sustainable,” said First Lady Patricia Moore-Pastides who helped guide the project. “In the Spigner House we were able to restore the craftsmanship and beauty of ages past while creating a space that will last well into the future with low environmental impact.”

Acquired by USC in 1963, the former private residence now features entertaining and meeting space on the first floor and houses Carolina Dining/Sodexo offices on the second floor. A number of sustainable features led to the LEED Gold rating including appliances and HVAC equipment that exceed energy performance standards, low-emitting finishes and materials and low flow water fixtures to reduce water use.

Originally built in 1915, it was bequeathed to Henrietta Geddes Baily Spigner, the wife of Sen. Adolphus Fletcher Spigner Jr., by her aunt Annie Gertrude Pressley. Sen. Spigner is a 1903 USC law graduate and served in the S.C. Senate from 1915- 1919, representing Richland County, before being named solicitor for the 5th Judicial Circuit.

USC is a leader in sustainability. The university was named to the 2013 Green Honor Roll, receiving the highest possible score on Princeton Review’s “Green Ratings.” It was the only university in South Carolina and was one of two universities in the Southeastern Conference to earn the top ranking.

All new construction on the university’s campus is built at LEED Silver or higher standards. It’s most ambitious green project is the new Darla Moore School of Business, which It is on track to become the largest LEED Platinum building in South Carolina, with the university pursuing a Net-Zero rating through a partnership between the Moore School and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Contact: Peggy Binette, News & USC Communications

803-777-7704; peggy@mailbox.sc.edu

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We still have room for the upcoming SustainSC 2013 to be held in Myrtle Beach, SC on April 24-26. To register please click here. To view the final program please click here.

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By Mark Godfrey, USGBC SC Chapter Board Chair

As a long-time volunteer, leader and participant in USGBC SC Chapter, it has been a constant source of conversation as to how to engage new members, how to reach new groups, and how to form new partnerships. At first, we tended to lean toward building practitioners, professional organizations, and related non-profits. However, as we grow as an organization, we are realizing that there are many people, groups and organizations out there that are seemingly unrelated, but who offer some surprising commonalities as well as a broader view of what we can be.

When I was asked to participate in a volunteer worker’s conference for members of the United Church of Jesus Christ in Columbia on February 22, I jumped at the chance. I have realized lately that there are many connections between the career I choose, the organization for which I volunteer, and the faith I profess. I was there at the conference to represent all three aspects of my life. Kimberly Lewis, Senior Vice President of Community Advancement, Conference & Events at USGBC voiced the same motivation. “I wanted to bring these two communities together that I care so much about,” Kimberly told the group of church workers. She was the organizer of the session on Green Churches and one of the planners of the conference. Her father is a pastor in one of the denomination’s churches in Baltimore. Joining Kimberly and I was Ryan Snow, one of USGBC’s Community Developers and one of the organizers of the new Faith-based / Community Service & Development Action Team.

The interactive presentation focused on practical ways to incorporate green building methods into church buildings and operations, but also provided an overview of the purpose and motivation of the USGBC. They invited me to put a local face to the organization, but also to show the good things we are doing here in our State-wide community. There was a lot of audience participation and some very good questions. Overall, the attendees showed a good working knowledge of sustainability even though none had direct ties to green building (Okay, there was one girl who was a doctoral student with a sustainability focus who suggested “geothermal” when asked about ways their church could be greener). I think it proves that, even though many people may not be familiar with the technical aspects of what we do as green building experts, they have a sense for what is the “right way” to do things – and a sense for the right reason to do things. Many of the participants either grew up on a farm, had frugal grandparents who didn’t waste anything, or recycled religiously (so to speak).

Many Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and other inter-faith groups already have a focus on sustainability. Kimberly and Ryan hope that this presentation would be a good spring-board to the Faith-based / Community Service & Development Action Team. The USGBC hopes the Team will reach out to many diverse faith-based groups and spread the message of green building.  I hope to continue to connect the dots. There are many reasons to form a common bond with these groups. Some of us probably already have many such bonds. Whether we are a community of designers, builders, organizers or believers, we are still all part of one community – earth. The decisions we make in one aspect of our lives can affect every other aspect. It really can come down to a simple concept (taken in religious or in secular context) – “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

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A bill opposing the use of LEED has been filed in the South Carolina House, co-sponsored by Representative William E. “Bill” Sandifer, III (District 2 – Oconee & Pickens  Counties) and Representative Dwight A. Loftis (District 19 – Greenville County).  Filed on February 21^st, H.3592 proposes to delete the use of LEED from the Energy Independence and Sustainable Construction Act of 2007, the current statute that requires certain state-funded building projects to achieve LEED Silver (or two Green Globes), unless “not economically feasible.”

The bill has been referred to the Public Utility Subcommittee of the House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee.  At the Subcommittee’s first meeting on H.3592, held March 7^th, both the American Chemistry Council and the South Carolina Forestry Association spoke in support of the bill, claiming that LEED discriminates against South Carolina building materials.  Speaking in opposition were USGBC SC Chapter members John Brandon, Keith Sanders, Dennis Knight, and Executive Director Melissa Le Roy.  I submitted written comments for lack of time.

The Public Utility Subcommittee adjourned debate on H.3592 without a date certain, which means that it will taken up by the Subcommittee again at a future meeting.  Their staff tell us that this may be in mid-April.  Meanwhile, the Chapter is receiving advocacy advice from Jeremy Sigmon and Matt Pearce at USGBC headquarters, in the form of issue research, policy briefs, talking points, etc.  They also included verbal comments from Melissa Le Roy during their March 12^th National Advocacy Call.  The Conservation Voters of South Carolina have added H.3592 to their “Hotlist” of bills to oppose.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP

Contact one or more of the Representatives on the House Public Utility Subcommittee to exchange views on H.3592, especially if you are a constituent:

P. Michael “Mike” Forrester, Chairman – District 34 – Spartanburg County

William K. “Bill” Bowers – District 122 – Beaufort, Hampton & Jasper Counties

Grady A. Brown – District 50 – Kershaw, Lee & Sumter Counties

Phillip D. Lowe – District 60 – Darlington & Florence Counties

Dennis C. Moss – District 29 – Cherokee, Chester & York Counties

William E. “Bill” Sandifer, III – District 2 – Oconee & Pickens  Counties

You can use the “Find Your Legislators” search, online at http://www.scstatehouse.gov/legislatorssearch.php, to identify and link to your own federal and state elected officials.  H.3592 is online at http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess120_2013-2014/bills/3592.htm.

As a LEED project team member, e-mail me your project submittal templates for Regional Materials credit that list South Carolina sources for LEED certified projects.

E-mail me your voter registration address (Address, City, and Zip Code) to add to the Chapter membership database, for identifying elected officials with constituents in our Chapter.

Michael P. Criss, AICP, LEED AP

Advocacy Chair

mcriss@sc.rr.com

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Just released are two great reports that represent the Green Building Industry in South Carolina.  They are the South Carolina Snapshot and 2013 South Carolina Green Building Market Activity Report.

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Top 10 Myths of LEED

August 16th

Lecture By: Trident Sustainability Group

GBCI Credit Approved

Ever since LEED was released over 10 years ago, there have been myths and misconceptions about the rating system, process, costs, and implementation. This presentation will cover the top 10 Myths of LEED and how to address them to an often skeptical crowd. With responses based on over 50 LEED certified projects, the presenter Tommy Mistruth with take participants through the myths of LEED while proving insight into applicability, cost and overall value of LEED certification. If you’ve ever been posed a question on LEED, or have some of your own, this is the presentation for you.

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Building Pressurization with Airflow Control

June 21st

Lecture By: Ebtron, Inc.

Building Pressurization is a major part of having a healthy, efficient, better performing building. Maintaining a net positive or neutral building pressure helps ensure that outdoor contaminants and moisture do not enter the building through the building envelope and other unintended locations. Additional benefits include staying compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act which requires a certain threshold for door opening force, helping to ensure occupant’s thermal comfort, and preventing wasted energy. Measuring and controlling airflows is the best method for ensuring compliance with codes and standards for minimum ventilation and controlling building pressure. Introducing more air into the building than what is exhausted through the relief air and/or bathroom exhaust is the key to maintaining a positive building. The main alternative, using a building pressure transducer, has issues like wind effects on the outdoor reference, locating the indoor reference, pressure interactions when multiple AHU’s, zones and transducers are involved. Control diagrams are presented that show how to use airflow measurement to control airflows in the building. The links between airflow measurement, building pressurization and LEED 2009 Credits are discussed. Using airflow monitors to control building pressurization requires accurate, stable devices. The list of things to consider when specifying airflow monitors is presented.

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