 |
||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||||
Flickr Photostream
Posts Tagged ‘Sustainability’
« Older EntriesFirst Commercial Roof-Mounted Wind Turbine Installed on Environmental Education Center in Harford County
Monday, June 27th, 2011
Harford County Public Schools recently installed a new 1.5kW roof-mounted Wind Turbine, courtesy of a Federal Grant, at the Harford Glen Environmental Education Center in Bel Air, MD. The turbine is a Honeywell WT6500 Gearless Blade Tip Power System, and is approximately 8 ft. in diameter. It is mounted on the roof of the Dining Hall at the Harford Glen campus, an environmental education center & MAEOE Green School that also features a ground-mounted solar array, composters, rain barrels and a new greenhouse. The U.S. Green Building Council’s Maryland Chapter held a Northern Chesapeake Branch event at the School on June 15th to commemorate the installation.
The Wind Turbine was a collaborative project between Harford County Public Schools and Frederick Ward Associates (FWA), with structural engineering support from Baker Ingram Associates. FWA prepared the roof-mounted design, provided project management, and completed permit documents in support of the project. Originally slated as a 60’ pole mounted horizontal-axis turbine, the Honeywell turbine was chosen when funding for the concrete footing as well as available ground space became problematic. The Honeywell turbine is unique in that it creates power at the blade tips and can create energy with wind speeds as low as 2 mph.
This project will be a great asset to the school system, as many Harford County fifth graders and others will be able to learn about renewable energy and how it works. The School District’s Resource Conservation Manager, Andrew Cassilly, mentioned that the school will be able to utilize a web-based monitoring readout to educate the students about net metering, utility rates, and energy output, and an outside area at the school will be set up to read the electric and natural gas meters as part of their STEM (Science Technology Engineering & Math) curriculum.
CCooper
Community
Community, Sustainability, Wind Turbines
1 Comment »
Garrity Renewables
Friday, May 13th, 2011
Today’s post is the first in a series we’ll be writing to highlight fellow businesses that value sustainability. At Frederick Ward Associates, all our work, whether it’s surveying or architectural design, focuses on building a more sustainable community. Learn about Veteran Compost, another organization with the same focus and fitting topic the week after International Compost Awareness Week.
From Combat to Compost
When US Army Combat Engineer Officer Justen Garrity returned home to Maryland from Iraq, he didn’t expect he’d find himself unemployed. However, with the economy struggling, veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars have the hightest unemploywment rates. Garrity decided to explore entrepreneurial opportunities that would help other veterans while focusing on his interest in sustainable energy.
Now, Garrity operates Veteran Compost, providing organic waste collection, compost equipment and finished compost while employing our nation’s veterans and their family members. Veteran Compost is the only worm composting operation in Maryland. Their worms take ordinary compost, and over 30 to 60 days, transform it into a high quality vermicompost. For example, they gutted a former horse barn and fitted it with long bins, which hold thousands of composting worms.
The environmental impacts of his composting business are substantial. For every ton of compost Garrity produces, two tons of carbon are kept from our environment in comparing traditional waste disposal methods. In addition, the compost that Veteran Compost produces offset the use of traditional inorganic fertilizers.
Veteran Compost currently markets its compost as bagged products at local Farmers Markets, gardening shops, and the like. Garrity hopes to expand his business into downtown Baltimore, utilizing a warehouse for the composting process and eliminating the need for the majority of his transportation, which is the biggest component of his carbon footprint. Garrity also spends a lot of time in Educational Outreach programs, promoting composting and dispelling myths about the industry.
Veteran Compost partners with businesses and institutions in the Harford and Howard County areas to recycle their waste. Currently in Maryland there are no credits or initiatives for businesses and institutional to utilize renewable methods such as composting, although they exist in other states such as California.
pgessleman
Sustainability
compost, Sustainability
No Comments »
Baltimore City Raises Standards for Green Building
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
In August 2007, Baltimore City established Green Building standards for new or significantly changed spaces and buildings over 10,000 square feet. As of July 2010, building owners who request permits have to submit documentation proving that their building will earn a LEED silver rating, or an equivalent rating, at minimum. Recently, Baltimore City’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) released the Baltimore City Green Building Standards, or BCGBS, which will act as an equivalent to the LEED Rating System.
Designed by Michael Braverman, Permits & Code Enforcement Division Deputy Commissioner; the Baltimore Office of Sustainability; and consulting firm Terralogos the BCGBS was created to make the green building registration process easier and more affordable to residents and companies in Baltimore. The new rating system features less paperwork, more credits, and no additional costs aside from standard permit fees.
Unlike LEED, a building earns BCGBS certification as a receipt of the Use & Occupancy Permit. The City accomplishes this through a “pledge” credits, meaning that the owner promises to remain green after occupancy by contracting green cleaning, re-commissioning, allowing public access to open space, or providing expanded recycling. The City is aggressive in following up to ensure that owners honor their pledge, and will even issue citations and fines for not keeping up with their promised responsibilities.
While citations and fines may be aggressive, the DHCD will be flexible in enforcing the BCGBS. It has provided credit waivers and alternate compliance paths for unique projects and circumstances. DHCD foresees that some building types may be excluded from complying with green building requirements.
Baltimore has not yet incentivized the law to provide tax breaks or fee waivers for projects reaching three or more Green Stars (or LEED Gold/Platinum) or projects under 10,000 square feet complying with BCGBS or LEED. GSA and federal agencies requiring LEED Silver buildings have hinted that the two Green Stars is an acceptable equivalent; however, the design team must clarify this with the client agency before choosing a compliance path. DHCD has withheld the one Green Star rating for small projects and single-family homes in the future expansion of the requirements. The neatest thing – a net-zero building automatically earns a two Green Star rating under BCGBS.
The City made it a point during a USGBC seminar on October 6th that they are absolutely available to help owners, developers, contractors, and designers navigate the process to ensure a quick and successful turnaround of the permit. They are eager to make the program a success and a benchmark for other cities to build on. The BCGBS program is still in its infancy with inconsistent submission methods, a mostly untested process, and inexperienced inspectors. Baltimore and DHCD view the next year as chance to work out the bugs and better streamline the process.
MGrabenstein
Sustainability
Baltimore City Green Building Standards, Green Design, LEED, Sustainability
1 Comment »
What to Know Before You Commit To A Rooftop Solar Array
Monday, October 25th, 2010
If you’ve been thinking about renewable energy systems and want to take advantage of tax incentives, grants, and current pricing available for rooftop-mounted PV (photovoltaic) systems, there are several factors to consider before you act.
Have a comprehensive strategy that considers the roof membrane, type of Solar panel system, electricity generation, maintenance, and provisions for downtime.
Carefully review existing roof and future maintenance needs. The roof may possibly only last half as long as the PV system you’re about to install. Also, to maintain the PV system efficiently, the roof will be accessed more than a standard roof – it will have different heat patterns, drainage runoff, expansion and contraction, and racking system concerns.
Know your PV Financing agreement. Most require a constant power feed from the PV Panels, and contain penalties if the power is interrupted for maintenance, roof repair or equipment failure. Penalties, lost incentive payments and replacement costs can be extremely high, and need to be factored into the analysis for any rooftop PV system.
Have the right team. It is advisable to hire the right team to work with before, during, and after the PV system installation. Qualified solar professionals, architects familiar with renewable energy systems, and roofing industry professionals are just some of the consultants who could be on a building owner’s team for a large rooftop PV project. There could also be financial and legal professionals involved for many projects.
Keep in mind that some technical factors could affect the PV system’s performance, such as the module orientation, including solar declination and panel tilt angle (which should equal latitude), the site’s solar insolation level, and the potential degrading of the particular PV panels selected.
Make your choices carefully. While it can be a lucrative business decision to place a solar array on an existing empty roof, it is critical to make sure your roof and PV array are compatible for the long term. Getting knowledgeable architects such as those at Frederick Ward Associates and/or roofing professionals involved could be wise considering the nuances involved. Racking system options (including weight on the existing building’s structure), potential roof membrane failure, and roof maintenance and replacement all need to be considered prior to beginning a rooftop solar power generation project.
Frederick Ward Associates is currently working on four photovoltaic projects in Maryland – three rooftop arrays and one ground-mount array.
CCooper
Architecture, Frederick Ward, Sustainability
Frederick Ward Associates, Sustainability
No Comments »
Frederick Ward Associates Focuses on Sustainability at Energy-From-Waste Talk
Monday, October 18th, 2010
A few of us from Frederick Ward Associates attended a recent Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Chesapeake Post meeting September 16th, where Richard Hergenroeder, Director of Environmental Science of Covanta Energy, presented a very interesting talk on “Green Remediation and Energy from Waste”.
Hergenroeder indicated that Energy-from-Waste facilities are “green” because they reduce municipal landfill burdens posed by disposal of non-hazardous waste. Waste-to-energy facilities also provide an alternative to onsite landfill construction, procure a long-term source of renewable energy, and decrease export of waste from communities with little or no landfill capacity to other facilities.
During his presentation, Hergenroder highlighted that the U.S. EPA has stated, “Energy-from-Waste produces electricity with less environmental impact than almost any other source. After seeing a pictorial demonstration on how these facilities operate, it seems that they are a no-brainer and should continue to be the wave of the future as society continues to move towards becoming more greener in technology and practice.”
As an architecture firm that values sustainability, Frederick Ward Associates believes Harford County is very fortunate to have an Energy-from-Waste facility located on Magnolia Road in Joppa. The facility, which began operations in 1988, is owned by the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority and is operated by the Energy Recovery Operations, Inc. Designed by Consumat Systems LLC and constructed by Tyger Construction, the facility has a capacity of 360 tons per day of unprocessed solid waste. They process an average of 10,000 tons of waster per month which creates an average of 50,000 pounds of stream that is used by Aberdeen Proving Ground.
Learn more about what Frederick Ward Associates values.
jmettee
Frederick Ward, Sustainability
Frederick Ward Associates, Sustainability
No Comments »
Frederick Ward Associates Builds a “Cool Roof” at Local Elementary School
Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010
Last week, Frederick Ward Associates’ President, Craig A. Ward, and several members of the firms Architecture Department participated in a ribbon cutting that highlighted the new energy efficient roof on the Ring Factory Elementary School. The new roof is not only Energy Star rated by the U.S. Department of Energy, but it is also a “cool roof”. The Harford County Government and the Board of Education partnered in funding the new roof, which also received federal grants. The grant was received from the USDOE, funded through The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
‘Cool roofs’ reflect solar radiation, reduce the heat conducted into buildings and directly reduce air-conditioning use. Frederick Ward Associates was the architecture firm selected to design the replacement of the school’s fiberglass asphalt shingled roof with a fully adhered 60 mil PVC roof with decorative PVC extrusions that emulates the look of a a standing seam metal roof.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Star website advises that solar reflectance is the most important characteristic of a roof product in terms of yielding the highest energy savings during warmer months. The higher the solar reflectance, the more efficient the product is in reflecting sunlight and heat away from the building and reducing roof temperature. Frederick Ward Associates’ sustainable roof design will contribute to increased energy cost savings at Ring Factory Elementary.
ESteere
Community, Frederick Ward, Sustainability
Community, Frederick Ward Associates, Sustainability
No Comments »
Frederick Ward Associates Hosts Sustainability Seminars
Friday, September 17th, 2010
Note: The Sustainability Seminars have now been postponed until Spring 2011. Stay tuned – in the spring, we’ll have all the information about how to register for these classes.
Frederick Ward Associates will soon be hosting a series of Sustainability Seminars at Harford Community College. The first series of “green” seminars will take place September 30, with the informative events continuing through November 11.
The courses will cover the latest in green strategies, tax credits for green initiatives, green residential design, updates on Maryland storm water management regulations, and plenty more diverse topics that can help you incorporate sustainability into your business. Chuck Cooper, Kevin Small, and Gerry Powell, all knowledgeable members of the sustainable design community, will be presenting the four seminars. There are also plans for a second series of seminars that will run through Spring of 2011, featuring hands-on demonstrations such as how to build a rain garden, do’s and don’ts of composting, and use of rain barrels. Other topics will include green advocacy and community involvement, and renewable energy.
The events include opportunities for networking and a continental breakfast. It’s a perfect opportunity for development professionals, realtors, attorneys, environmental activists, bankers, builders, contractors and anyone interested in the future of energy efficient building. You can register for the series here.
CCooper
Community, Frederick Ward, Sustainability
Community, Frederick Ward Associates, Sustainability
No Comments »
Dishing Up Maryland
Monday, July 26th, 2010
Local, sustainable, food has become an important pillar of the green culture and the explosion and growth of farmer’s markets all around Maryland and the entire country is evidence to its popularity. A new, must-have, addition to your sustainable library is Dishing Up Maryland by Lucie L. Snodgrass, a Harford County writer and farmer (and wife of green roof guru Ed Snodgrass).
Dishing Up Maryland is a beautifully designed and photographed book which is a cook book of local favorites, but also tells the stories of farmers, farms, waterman, and restaurants across Maryland that have embraced the sustainable, organic, and local philosophy of food. Recipes are also organized by season which enhances the emphasis on eating what is fresh and available throughout the year.
Many northeast Maryland businesses are featured including Broom’s Bloom dairy (try their lamb stew recipe), the Fair Hill Inn (quail with oyster stuffing), Spring Valley Farm (blueberry fruit kuchen), and One Straw Farm (fattoush salad), the oldest and largest organic produce farm in Maryland.
This book is a winner – check it out.
CWard
Community, Sustainability
Dishing Up Maryland, green culture, local food, Lucie L. Snodgrass, Sustainability
No Comments »
Maryland Green Registry
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010
Building a smarter, greener, more sustainable Maryland is as easy as putting proactive environmental practices to work right in your own organization. The Maryland Green Registry is a voluntary, self-certification program offering tips and resources to help organizations set and meet their own goals on the path to sustainability. Being a member has its benefits.
Membership Benefits:
-
- Maryland Green Registry window decal to display at your facility
- Use of the Maryland Green Registry logo
- The posting of your environmental profile, as approved by you, on the Maryland Green Registry website
- Free technical and informational assistance to help members implement environmental best practices
- Information about upcoming webinars and conferences
- Eligibility for annual Maryland Green Registry Leadership Awards.
The Green Registry and Frederick Ward Associates
Frederick Ward Associates was just formally accepted to the Registry. We are one of the first architecture and engineering firms in Maryland to join and are proud to be a part.
Visit the Frederick Ward Associates profile at The Green Registry.
CCooper
Community, Frederick Ward, Sustainability
Community, Frederick Ward, Maryland, Maryland Green Registry, Sustainability
No Comments »
Smart Growth in Maryland
Friday, May 7th, 2010
Maryland is moving into it’s second generation of “Smart Growth”.
A brainchild of the late 1990′s, Smart Growth was Maryland’s plan to increase the sustainability of the region through a variety of government program changes and alterations. Ten years later, Smart Growth has been deemed a “flop” after its energetic beginning under Governor Glendening.
Following numerous changes under the Ehrlich and O”Malley administrations the program has taken an ultimate turn into something refurbished, called “Smart, Green, and Growing.” This program has a renewed emphasis on new energy. The plans are much bigger than the original Smart Growth program, as they are incorporated at much higher levels in the state government and in new laws. Amongst the new plans, counties have a higher responsibility for meeting new, stricter preservation goals and encouragement of sustainable communities.
While the progress and impact of this program is still being made, the recession has hit the plans in an unforeseen way. Regardless, the future will show if this new efforts will meet with more success than those of the past. This article, reprinted from the March 2010 issue of “Planning” outlines the structure and charge of the new Smart Growth Program in Maryland.
CWard
Frederick Ward, Sustainability
Smart Growth MD, Sustainability
No Comments »
