Energy cost solutions group

Author: Energy Cost

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MLS listings with ‘green’ features get higher offers

MLS listings with ‘green’ features get higher offers

Recent research has found that buyers will pay a premium for homes that are environmentally friendly and have lower energy bills, but real estate agents don’t often actively promote green features.

From 2008 to 2013, for example, only about 14.8 percent of high-performance homes in the Washington, D.C., area were listed using existing green fields in the Multiple Listing System (MLS), according to a study conducted by the Institute for Market Transformation, Elevate Energy, and a unit of the Rockville, Md.-based Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS).

In the latest study, CoreLogic found that just 3 to 5 percent of listings use green fields when available in a given market – which, according to the National Association of Realtors®, includes 79 percent of the 100 biggest metro areas in the country.

“Agent training and education will encourage adoption and greater use of the new green fields,” according to MRIS.

Meanwhile, recent research by Elevate Energy finds that Chicago-area homes that disclosed energy costs when listed with Midwest Real Estate Data LLC (MRED) sold at a higher price: Attached homes listed for $352,000 sold for an average $4,576 more and spent 25 fewer days on market when energy costs were disclosed.

MRED, the City of Chicago, and Elevate Energy issued a challenge to area agents and realty firms to use MRED’s digital energy cost disclosure fees on all eligible listings; make a staff member responsible for training activities on the Energy eCompliance tool; and add energy cost disclosure fields to their listing process.

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SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION ANALYSIS FOR STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION ANALYSIS FOR STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS

The engineering community has been striving to design more sustainable buildings in an attempt to reduce both environmental impact and energy use during all phases of design, construction and operation. Design professionals currently have very limited guidance or tools to incorporate life-cycle and sustainability concepts into their designs. After reviewing the capabilities and limitations of four current life cycle analysis (LCA) computer programs, this research has selected the Athena Impact Estimator v4.0 to perform parametric studies of structural members made up of different construction materials. The energy consumption values are calculated and compared for columns, beams, concrete suspended slabs, precast double-tee sections and various other floor types. While Athena did offer some insights based on its LCA results, this research has concluded that existing
LCA and sustainability analysis programs have too few options to meet the current needs of design professionals. A more accurate, sophisticated whole-building LCA tool needs to be developed to assess sustainable properties of design alternatives and to produce the most sustainable structural systems.
For more information and full article, contact Jason Biondi, jbiondi@ecsgllc.com

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Green Luxury

Green Luxury

The hotel industry is beginning to implement green design and construction practices, saving energy, water, and resources and thus helping to preserve the environment. In addition, green building practices also can provide healthy and comfortable indoor environments to hotel occupants including guests and employees. However, there is the potential for conflict between green building practices and hotel guests’ satisfaction and comfort, as the conservation of resources could detract from the quality of a guest’s visitor experience. This study adopted a case study approach to identify and analyze green design and construction practices that create a green and luxurious environment without damaging the hotels’ financial position. An in-depth literature review was conducted to identify green design and construction practices, design features of premium hotels, and major design conflicts between the twin goals of green building and a luxurious hotel environment.

Two LEED platinum hotels (the Proximity Hotel and the Bardessono Hotel, both in the United States) were selected and data collected on their green design and construction practices, luxurious design features, and operation and maintenance practices from multiple sources, including the owner, designer, contractor, engineer, and LEED consultant. From the perspective of the entire lifecycle of the building, this data was analyzed to identify green design and construction practices that not only provide a green, luxurious environment but also enhance the hotels’ financial strength.

For more info and complete study, contact Jason Biondi- jbiondi@ecsgllc.com

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A brief comparison of LEED and the National Green Building Standard for new, single family homes projects.

A brief comparison of LEED and the National Green Building Standard for new, single family homes projects.

A member of AIA Cincinnati’s Committee on the Environment just finished working on a very detailed comparison of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes Rating System and the National Association of Home Builder’s National Green Building Standard (NGBS). The impetus for this study was a forward-thinking incentive program offered by the City of Cincinnati that gives a 100% tax abatement to buildings that achieve LEED Certification. The local NAHB chapter would like the tax abatement extended to cover NGBS certification as well, so the city’s Office of Environmental Quality commissioned the study to be performed by members of AIA Cincinnati. This comparative study looks at the requirements and rigor of each rating system, the verification and testing requirements involved and even the cost of each certification. The analysis makes it very clear that the two rating systems are substantially similar in their requirements as well as their means and methods for compliance verification. There are, of course, some minor differences, but overall, both rating systems are comparably rigorous. The one major difference between the two systems that the study revealed was the requirement to meet Energy Star performance and testing that is built in to the LEED Rating System. The NGBS takes a less stringent approach to verifying energy performance relying more on energy modeling than site verification. The final recommendation of the study was that NGBS Certification should be an acceptable rating systems for attaining the tax abatement if it is used in conjunction with an Energy Star Label. Click here to read the full final report or download a PowerPoint presentation about the study.
– See more at: http://www.buildingmygreenlife.com/leed-vs-ngbs/#sthash.XnQMSUSi.dpuf

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Miami continues to get greener each day

Miami continues to get greener each day

Miami continues to get greener each day. Miami Tower is the latest building to join the other LEED

Buildings that makeup the Miami skyline:
“Miami Tower has always been multi-colored. Now, it’s a lot greener. The iconic office skyscraper that lights up the Magic City’s skyline is the newest LEED-certified building in the urban core. Located at 100 Southeast 2nd Street, the 623,000-square-foot office tower earned LEED EB Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council under the Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance standard. With this recognition, Miami Tower becomes the third class A office tower in the city’s urban core to earn LEED EB certification. Just in the past four years, 98 civic and commercial buildings and interiors — ranging from schools to community centers, retail stores and new and retrofitted office buildings — have been LEED certified, with scores more in the pipeline.

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Get Greener

For many big developers in Miami, LEED certification is no longer just an option: The city’s Miami 21 zoning overhaul, which went into effect last year, requires large buildings in and around downtown, as well as civic and park buildings, to be certified for LEED silver”…..More at MiamiTower gets LEED Certification | KW Com

Indeed LEED certification has grown tremendously throughout South Florida in recent years.

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LEED Plaque

“The trend was pioneered by colleges, public and private schools and government agencies that adopted LEED certification as a requirement for all major construction and renovation projects. But it has now been embraced in a big way by large commercial developers and the corporate tenants they serve, especially in the highly competitive Class A office market. Developers and leasing agents say upscale buildings that can’t boast LEED certification suddenly find themselves at a distinct disadvantage. Engineering and architectural firms, meanwhile, have scrambled to get their professionals trained in LEED design to keep abreast of the competition.”

‘It’s unbelievable how much the world has changed in three years,’’ said William Holly, who developed Miami’s first LEED-certified new office tower, the 14-story Miami Green building next to the Douglas Road Metrorail station in Coral Gables in 2008, only to lose it in the real-estate crash’

….More at South Florida buildings aiming for green standard « Behm Brokeragemercial Miami

For more information on LEED Certification, check out the video below:

Jason Biondi

Energy Cost Solutions Group

P 305 787 4133

M 786 897 7783

F 786 472 6812

3250 Mary St.

Suite 305

Coconut Grove, Fl. 33133

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Home Innovation Lab Retreat

Home Innovation Lab Retreat

Home Innovation Research Labs Verifier Retreat is an invitation-only event for our most active and experienced verifiers.

The goal is to get together to talk about potential improvements to the verification/certification process and forms/reports, discuss business development opportunities, share ideas on what’s working, learn new ideas from other Verifiers with different business models, provide feedback to the Home Innovation Green Team on marketing, and participate in strategic planning for the certification program.