Mix it Up, October!

What's that you say? Fun, socializing, and talking about all things GREEN? 

(Including Sequoia's award winning fried pickles!) 

 Join us for good beers, good food, good conversation and a chance to network with other environmentally minded people at our October Green Mixer! 

Follow the link below for more information: 

October Event! Biotechnology: A Formula for our Future

USGBC-CC is proud to announce the upcoming annual EDC Biotechnology event on October 2, 2012! Follow the link below for additional information.

Registration and Sponsorship information can be found HERE!

Biotechnology (sometimes shortened to "biotech") is the use of living systems and organisms to develop or make useful products, and it is usually seen in agriculture, food production and medicine production. The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity defines biotechnology as: "Any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use."  In other terms: "Application of scientific and technical advances in life science to develop commercial products" is biotechnology.

Fresno's newest LEED Gold Building!

Lance-Kashian & Company Awarded 

Prominent LEED Green Building Certification

Fresno, CA –Lance – Kashian & Company announced today that the Park View Plaza Office Building has been awarded LEED Gold Certification. The LEED rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the most respected certification program for commercial buildings and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human performance.

"The green building movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to respond to the most important challenges of our time, including global climate change, dependence on non-sustainable and expensive sources of energy and threats to human health", said Rick Fredrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "The work of innovative building projects such as Park View Plaza is a fundamental driving force in the green building movement."

This Fresno Office building achieved LEED certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions aimed at high building performance in: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, green building material selection and indoor environmental quality.  "Lance – Kashian & Company has always been concerned about the environment and its tenants, including the newest at Park View Plaza… Plan Financial, so it only made sense to pursue Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design certification for our office building and reduce our overall impact", said Tracy Kashian, Vice-President of Marketing & Public Relations and Member of the Board of Directors of Lance-Kashian & Company.

“We are honored to have been part of the certification efforts for one of Fresno’s greenest buildings”, said Edward Cornejo, President of consulting firm PTL. “Lance-Kashian is truly dedicated to sustainability, and this landmark award is proof of that resolve.”

The Park View Plaza office building, over 175,000 square feet, achieved this prestigious rating by implementing many different best management practices aimed at energy savings including achieving an impressive 89 Energy Star score on a scale 1-100 compared to other office buildings. Water conserving fixture installation resulting in a dramatic reduction in water use in our office which also reduces the burden placed on the local water treatment facility. By purchasing sustainable power from a wind farm, the building is carbon-neutral, and this green workplace uses green cleaning methods that are less harmful to the environment as well as building occupants.

To learn more about Lance-Kashian & Company, visit www.lance-kashian.com

EDC Clean Energy Cluster Event!

USGBC-CC is pleased to promote the EDC Clean Energy Cluster's September 28th program! Learn how water reclamation can save water and energy costs. Attend this event and get the answers you are looking for,seating is limited!

Follow the link below for additional information. 

September Program!

We are pleased to present SAGE as our September presenter, who will be showcasing an Electronically Tintable Glass project. Join us to learn about dynamic glazing, electochromic glass, and their role in sustainability and LEED. Don't miss another great USGBC-CC program!

Bottlemaker, building owners embrace efficiencies & save big

Greg Rhames has been studying energy efficiency like Humphrey Bogart on the case of the Maltese Falcon.

Any clue, no matter how tiny, can yield a break in the case. And in Rhames' Madera manufacturing plant, it's the little things that add up big. Real big.

Rhames, energy manager for Verallia, a subsidiary of winemaker Saint Gobain, rattles off the upgrades and system refinements at his facility like only somebody intimately familiar with their complex industrial workings can. His fixes havve resulted in energy cost savings of about 20 percent.

Put another way: Utility bills have gone from $1 million a month some years back to about $800,000.

"A little savings can go a long way," Rhames says.

Less power, more cash

Energy efficiency continues to gain proponents across the corporate spectrum, especially as its value can be immedicately seen in reduced energy and operations costs. With recent federal encouragement through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, local governments have taken up the banner, installing myriad retrofits and sometimes preventing economic-related layoffs in the process.

Green Mixer Next Week!

USGBC Central California Chapter organizes lively and informative monthly networking events and programs with the intention of unifying the broader green community of the Central Valley. The July monthly event will be Green Drinks mixer which is intended to be a casual evening of fun and networking. 


Continue your Independence Day celebration with us at Sequoia Brewing Company in Tower District on Thursday, July 5th for the mixer! We will eat/drink local and enjoy some live music! 


See Flyer Here! 

Job Opportunities!

Processes Unlimited (ProU) is a full-service organization offering extensive technical and operational expertise in a wide variety of industries. In order to meet or surpass their clients’ high expectations, they are constantly on the lookout for industry-leading talent to join our elite team of professionals. 


Recently, Inc. 5000 named Processes Unlimited one of the fastest growing private companies in America and for the past two years in a row ENR has named ProU as a “Top 500 Design Firm.” They encourage innovative thinking, creativity, a positive attitude and a desire to have fun at work. Employees of ProU currently enjoy a flexible work week, team building events, profit sharing and more.


Check out their current job postings, including 3 in the Fresno area: http://www.prou.com/jb_search_result.php 

Energy efficiency: Some states perform better than others

The top states for encouraging energy efficiency are Massachusetts at No. 1 and California at No. 2, according to a clean energy research organization.

Both have strategies and programs in place to enhance the clean energy mix of their energy production and encourage a shift to cost-saving measures and clean energy. Their efforts have been followed, mimicked and analyzed many times.

But the bottom performers? Not so much.

"There is plenty of room for improvement," say Michael Sciortino, Rachel Young and Steven Nadel in "Opportunity Knocks: Examining Low-Ranking States in the State Energy Efficiency Scorecard." They work for the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, a nonprofit research and policy analyst.

The worst 10 states in promoting energy efficiency in descending order, with the last being the worst, are: South Dakota, Alabama, Missouri, West Virginia, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Kansas, Mississippi, Wyoming and North Dakota. ACEEE ranks the states according to policies and programs that advance efficiencies in buildings, transportation and industry.

EPA honors highly efficient building designs

Efforts to save energy by designing more efficient buildings continue to gain steam.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently recognized about 100 commercial building design projects estimated to be nearly 40 percent more energy efficient than typical buildings. The agency made the announcement at the American Institute of Architects National Convention in Washington, D.C. The projects were submitted by 43 architecture firms and achieved Designed to Earn the Energy Star certification.

Projects that receive Designed to Earn the Energy Star certification are In total, the projects recognized at the convention are estimated to prevent nearly 175,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually and save more than $23 million in annual energy costs across 10 million square feet of commercial space.

"These new building design projects are helping to save energy and money from the ground up for American families and businesses," says Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, in a statement. She says they range from skyscrapers to rural elementary schools.

Net-zero construction gains ground in U.S.

Apollo 11 touched down on the Sea of Tranquility with the world watching.

The date was July 20, 1969.

"Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed," the spacecraft announced. Some hours later Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong took man's first steps on the Moon followed closely by fellow spaceman Buzz Aldrin.

Their footprints at Tranquility Base likely remain, a small sign of a massive accomplishment.

NASA's back in the historic footprint game again but in an entirely different way. The space agency, now somewhat redirected and fiscally leaner with the closure of the Space Shuttle program, has been constructing a facility that takes inspiration for its name from Tranquility Base and seeks to be a landmark in another sense, leaving as little footprint as possible.

Here on Earth

Sustainability Base, at Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., has been dubbed NASA's latest mission on Earth. The facility has received LEED platinum certification, the highest level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating by the U.S. Green Building Council. Its design incorporates natural lighting, shading and fresh air. The interior boasts non-toxic materials and is, according to NASA, "a living prototype for buildings of the future."

UC Merced sets sustainable bar way, way up

The newest campus in the University of California system is quietly becoming a sustainable model and developing a reputation as a center for world-class research.

The University of California, Merced just had its seventh building certified gold by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, program.

Its long-range plan, which embraces economic, social and environmental sustainability in campus facilities, was named to the American Institute of Architects' Committee on the Environment Top 10 Green Projects program.

And physics professor Sayantani Ghosh, along with Richard Inman, Georgiy Shcherbatyuk, Dmitri Medvedko and Ajay Gopinathan recently won recogntion of their research in renewable energy in the clean energy press.

Renewable research leader

Zachary Shahan of cleantechnica.com explains the research breakthrough as an effort "to redesign luminescent solar concentrators in order to make them more efficient at sending sunlight to solar cells."

Trend to slash high-rise electric bills sweeps industry

King Kong immortalized the Empire State Building -- more than once.

And while its status as the biggest and tallest has been eclipsed a number of times since Pres. Herbert Hoover turned on the lights May 1, 1931, the iconic skyscraper continues to lead the nation. However, now it's gaining fame as perhaps the best known energy efficient high-rise.

Others have followed, drawn by the prospect of saving money in a turbulent economy through relatively simple and cost-effective upgrades that can pay off in a matter of years. The U.S. Green Building Council says green commercial building retrofits actually exceeded new construction some months in 2011.

"Deep energy savings (30 percent to 40 percent) can be mined from existing buildings," says a July 2011 study by Vancouver, Wash.-based New Buildings Institute.

Energy Star fast tracks

A barometer of the trend has been the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's list of cities with the most buildings qualifying for Energy Star status. Energy Star certified buildings use an average of 35 percent less energy and are responsible for 35 percent less carbon dioxide emissions than typical buildings. Buildings are responsible for about 40 percent of carbon dioxide emissions, while commercial buildings make up half that.

WET Center Tour and Presentation!

Please join us on Tuesday, May 1, 2012 for an overview and tour of the Water, Energy, and Technology (WET) Center at California State University Fresno, home to the Claude Laval Water and Energy Technology Incubator and the testing facilities of the International Center for Water Technology.

We will kick off the evening with a USGBC Central California Green Social (with snacks!) at 5:30pm, followed by a WET Center Tour, Presentation, and Video from 6:00pm to 7:45pm. Don't miss this great opportunity!

Flyer and More Information Here! 

Location: 

Water, Energy & Technology Center

at California State University, Fresno

2911 Barstow Avenue

Fresno, CA 93711

Time: 

5:30pm Green Social

6:00pm Tour/Presentation Begins

Expect to learn about:

• The BlueTechValley – it’s mission, goals, impact, initiative, and next steps. 
• The Water, Energy and Technology (WET) Center, its role in the BlueTechValley and how it’s supporting the development of (clean) sustainable technologies and the triple-bottom line companies that commercialize and make these technologies available to the mass market.
•  The support resources for new and developing technologies and businesses available through the WET Center – and how to connect.

Upcoming Presentation! Designing a Net Zero Project

Please join us 

for an evening presentation:  

Designing a Net Zero Project 

 June 5th!!!

5:30pm - 7:30pm

Relax and connect with others at our evening Green Social, followed by an exciting informative Presentation about Designing a Net Zero Project by esteemed Architect and LEED AP, Edward Dean, who will discuss the modeling and design of a net zero library in Berkeley, CA.  To bring relevancy to the uniqueness of the Central Valley, Edward will model Fresno specific data and discuss the strategies that work in our climate! This event promises to be amazing and we look forward to sharing it with you! 

Information for the event will be available the USGBC-CC website very soon! 

 First 2012 Solarthon coming up on April 21st in Madera!

Families in the Parksdale community of Madera are getting excited for the Central Valley Solarthon! On April 21st, their streets and roofs will be jam packed with individual volunteers, job trainees and corporate sponsors, working together to bring solar power to their homes while raising money for clean, affordable energy and green job training around the Central Valley. Haven’t signed up yet? Hurry, just a few spaces remain!

www.solarthon.org/centralvalley

2012 Fresno Earth Day!

Fresno Earth Day is April 14th! Please join us to celebrate!

USGBC Central California Chapter is participating in the upcoming 2012 Fresno EarthDay Celebration! Come join the fun! We are expecting over 1000 participants this year! 

When: Saturday, April 14th, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  

Where: 2672 East Alluvial Avenue, Fresno, CA 93720 

Activities include a variety of excitement, from a Bike Blender to Composting Worms to taking Tours of a Green Building to a Green Car Show! There will be plenty of activities for children, live music, exhibitor booths, food, and more. 

The mission of Fresno Earth Day is to inspire people to make changes in their daily lives to improve the health of our valley and planet. Through collaboration with partner organizations, businesses and individuals, Fresno Earth Day promotes education, networking, individual and collective action, and celebration.

Find more information at  http://www.fresnoearthday.org/ 

Help power Earth Day 2012 by pledging an ACT OF GREEN!  

Job Opportunity!

PAID INTERNSHIP AVAILABLE! 

Learn to measure greenhouse gases in your community while gaining valuable real-world experience. 

Preferred majors: 

Environmental Science

Land Use/City/Urban Planning

Engineering

Biology

Public Policy

Sustainability-Related Majors

Find more information HERE and a job description HERE. 

LEED Classes!

Attention:  All Green Industry Providers, Business Owners, Developers, Architects, Engineers, Contractors, and Potential Green Job Seekers

Market yourself or your company!  Your local U.S. Green Building Council and Central CA Builder’s Exchange have partnered up to offer you a series of LEED classes!

LEED Green Associate (first step to becoming a LEED AP)-

Friday, March 9, 9:00-5:00

LEED for Building Design and Construction (excellent preparation for the exam)-

Friday, March 16, 9:00-5:00

LEED Project Management Experience (your chance to work on a real project)-

Friday, March 30, 9:00-5:00

Typically, these classes can run from $500-$800 a piece, but we are offering them for just $175.00! 

See attached the flyer for more information.

ALL USGBC Members will receive $50.00 off of the registration!

That’s right, if you become a member of the US. Green Building Council Central CA Chapter for just $50.00 (if your business is already a corporate member or $70.00 as an individual), you will save $50.00 off of the registration.  There are many other benefits to becoming a member (and no other obligations).   Please contact me and I will help you with your membership:  michelle@greenexpectations.net

Also, for current LEED AP’s, these classes can count toward Credential Maintenance hours.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER for LEED CLASSES!

Stay tuned for more classes to come:  LEED Project Experience, LEED EBOM, CalGreen Inspector Certification, HERS, BPI, etc.

Register for Valley Go Green!

USGBC Central California Chapter, Southern California Edison, and Coalition for Clean Air are pleased to invite you to the Valley Go Green Summit at SCE Energy Eduction Center (Agtac) in Tulare. Registration is free to anyone interested in learning about creating a sustainable Valley. Representatives of local government, education, economic development, non-profit organizations, construction, and design industries are encouraged to attend. We have many interesting educational presentations and panel discussions being offered and are extremely pleased to feature guest speaker Terry Tamminen, president/founder of Seventh Generation Advisors. Read Terry's bio here!

Register online here!

Registration starts at 8:00am and the expo booths will be available from 8:00am to 6:00pm. See full schedule here!

To learn more about Valley Go Green Summit, visit http://usgbccc.org/vgg.html! We look forward to learning and seeing you on February 23, 2012!