Mohanned Zuhairy

Joe Kennedy

Environmental Systems

Green Retrofit

One of the single most effective green strategies available right now is to design and

build environmentally friendly structures. It not only make a significant progress toward a

sustainable society, but also creates numerous of green jobs to boot. Considering the impact that

buildings have on our resources in the U.S., they presently account for the following data of

consumptions (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency):

• 12 % of potable water consumed (The U.S. Green Building Council says buildings

consume five billion gallons of potable water per day just to flush toilets.)

• 30 % of raw materials used

• 30 % of waste produced

• 30 % of global warming pollution

• 48 % of total energy use (Some estimates say that buildings consume as much energy as

industry and transportation combined.)

• 76 % of electricity used

In 1993, a coalition of construction industry leaders with environ mental concerns

founded the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC; www.usgbc.com). In 2000, the USGBC

inaugurated its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards (ten other

countries have similar green building standards) and a rating system for certification (certified,

silver, gold, and platinum) (Bronwyn, 115).

The rating system looks at each building’s environmental performance, from energy and

water consumption to indoor air quality and use of renewable materials. Since the first building

was certified in 2000, over 1,000 have received certification and nearly 8,000 are in the pipeline

as of September 2007. These include all types of structures, such as hotels; libraries; community

centers; condominiums; banks; museums; schools at all levels of education; medical centers;

federal, state, and local government buildings; private homes; manufacturing plants; and

skyscrapers. Adherence to LEED certification is voluntary and largely left up to the client, but

USGBC estimates that in 2007 about 3 % of new building starts now have some earth-friendly

features, and the number grows every year (Bronwyn, 115).

Other groups are instituting green changes. Architecture 2030, a visionary group of

architects that formed in 2002, has called for a progressive reduction of global greenhouse gas

emissions through both new green construction and the renovation of existing buildings. Their

goal is to achieve carbon neutral status from all buildings in this country by the year 2030. On a

broader front, the EPA’s Green Building Workgroup (formed in July 2003) signed a

memorandum of understanding with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 2005,

whereby both parties committed to increasing the sustainability of future buildings (Bronwyn,

116).

Building green encompasses to everything from where and how a structure is sited on the

land, to how efficiently it uses resources, to how environmentally friendly the products are that

go into its construction and maintenance, to how it handles waste, and so on. From floor tiles,

insulation, and windows, to roofs, parking garages, and HVAC systems, every aspect of a

building can be designed to use fewer resources and make less of an impact on the planet

(Bronwyn Llewellyn, 114).

The advantages from green retrofitting and green buildings that they conserve natural

resources by using recycled, reclaimed, or sustainably produced materials. They improve air,

acoustic, thermal and water quality. They converse water and reduce solid waste while they

enhance and protect ecosystems and biodiversity. In the long run, they save money through

reduced energy and resource consumption, while contributing to the overall quality of life in the

community.

Not only do green buildings have a positive effect on the environment, they improve the

health and well-being of their occupant, too. Extensive data confirm the obvious: People, who

live or work in healthy, attractive environments that make use of sustainable practices, such as

improved air quality and natural light, enjoy life more and perform better. Test scores are higher

for kids in green schools. Morale is higher for workers in green offices. A building that is also a

good environment pays for itself not just in lower operating costs but also in the health and

productivity of the people who occupy it. In addition, most importantly for your purposes here,

experts say the green building boom presents innumerable opportunities for green jobs (Bronwyn

Llewellyn, 116).

Retrofitting commercial buildings and homes to make them more energy efficient is

probably one of the most promising avenues of all for green jobs. Unlike the new construction of

green buildings, which uses the same crews that do non-green work, retrofit projects always

create new jobs because this work on existing buildings otherwise would not be done.

Remodeling or retrofitting an existing building to green standards poses its own

challenges distinct from those in new construction, including the range of existing conditions, the

custom nature of the work, occupants, integrating the old with the new, and the diversity of

projects, from gutting a room to tearing a structure down to the framework and rebuilding.

Green retrofitting and renovation are certain to accelerate because they make good

economic sense. The McGraw-Hill study mentioned earlier found that green renovation is

rapidly growing in popularity—and accounts for nearly 40 % of current home remodeling

(McGraw-Hill Constructions). The most used green products for remodeling include replacement

windows and HVAC systems, but even basic attention to a range of existing, non–energy-

efficient systems, such as cleaning and unblocking air ducts, could save $20 billion of the

commercial building sector’s annual $120 billion energy tab (McGraw-Hill Constructions).

The Apollo Alliance, a San Francisco-based organization that is promoting job growth

and freedom from foreign oil, sees the great potential in green retrofitting jobs. It lists trade-

specific workers who will be essential to retrofit work, including HVAC, plumbing,

refrigeration, and sheet-metal workers to retune or replace systems, install control systems on hot

water heaters, and reduce water usage in showers and washing machines; lighting and electrical

workers to upgrade inefficient lighting fixtures, add lighting controls such as photo cells,

electronic time clocks, and sensors, and/or completely replace lighting systems; glaziers to install

skylights, weatherize windows, install glazing that helps control heat gain/loss, and replace old

windows with new, energy-efficient models; roofers and insulation installers to markedly

increase the R factor. (Homes and buildings “built to code” generally only meet the absolute

minimum R factor). Even planting trees to provide shade and re-landscaping with native plants

that need less water or maintenance count as green upgrades (Apollo Alliance Project).

Many building professionals recognize that a tipping point has been reached in the green

building realm, pointing to new national building standards by the National Association of Home

Builders and the increased interest in designing structures that reduce fossil-fuel consumption,

make use of renewable energy sources, and incorporate reusable, recycled, and sustainably

produced components. Architecture, construction, and retrofitting offer some of the most

immediate and abundant sources of green jobs, in particular the C40 Cities and Clinton Climate

Initiative’s Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program (Clinton Foundation). These fields

encompass an enormous variety of subcategories involving the design, manufacture, sales, and

distribution of green materials and fixtures (PV panels, solar water heaters, insulation and

carpeting made from recycled materials, and so forth), the building, installation, and maintenance

of energy-efficient components, which in some cases will require special expertise, and many

related jobs (Clinton Foundation).

Construction of new green buildings will not directly generate as many new green jobs as

retrofitting because, for the most part, the work will not differ significantly from traditional

construction, and the same crews can do both types of building. Nevertheless, many contractors,

builders, and others are beginning to specialize in green construction because it is good for

business. A resource like the exhibitors’ list and program for USGBC’s Greenbuild International

Conference and Expo (in Boston in 2008) is a great place to look for architects, code officials,

engineers, educators, developers, interior designers, landscape architects, government agencies,

product manufacturers, educational institutions, and others whose interest is primarily green.

In 2007, the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) gave green retrofitting a shot in the arm

with the announcement of several new partnerships representing hundreds of millions of square

feet of public and private real estate throughout the country. In Chicago, the work includes

overhauling the country’s largest and tallest buildings, Merchandise Mart and the Sears Tower.

CCI is also collaborating with GE Real Estate to identify and implement retrofit projects

throughout GE’s global portfolio, which includes over $72 billion and 385 million square feet in

assets in thirty-one countries (PR Newswire). USGBC and CCI established a Green School

Program to reduce the energy consumption of K-12 school buildings nationwide, “a powerful

way to show the next generation how we can all make a difference in this world,” noted USGBC

President Rick Fedrizzi. Moreover, if all that were not enough, CCI is working with the

American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment to retrofit hundreds of

colleges and universities across the United States (Clinton Foundation).

Empire State ReBuilding program is the fine example of how famous buildings have

been retrofitted. Empire State building retrofitting project began in 2009. The project intended to

replace all 6,500 windows of the skyscraper with the new energy-efficient windows, while the

building's air condition system, as well as lighting systems are also being upgraded. According to

previous calculations, it is expected to reduce energy consumption by over 35% (Empire State

Building).

Another example of green retrofitting of famous buildings is Eiffel Tower in Paris,

France. This project was created to reduce Eiffel's Tower energy consumption by replacing its

illumination system with a low energy LED. Despite its futuristic look it also improved its level

of carbon emissions, thus further carbon reductions by growing 600,000 plants on the world

famous structure. The company behind the project claims that 87 tons of CO2 could be removed

from the Paris sky each year (Architectural Record).

Older buildings present unique retrofitting and renovating challenges, particularly if the

renovation is to result in an environmentally friendly structure. Two of the earliest such projects

include the headquarters of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the National

Audubon Society in New York City. Both older buildings were significantly retrofitted and

“turned green” in the 1990s. These two reflect extensive top-to-bottom work, but even the most

elementary modifications in buildings can mean savings.

A $51 million renovation of the 235,000 square-foot Howard M. Metzenbaum

Courthouse in Cleveland, Ohio, turned the building green. Originally constructed in 1910, the

courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (United States Courts). Despite

the challenge of having no structural drawings for the building, the renovation incorporated ADA

and security features, new technology upgrades, and updated circulation routes. The renovation

also earned LEED certification for its green components. Reusing the building itself was a

sustainable choice, but the design and construction team pushed the green idea further with

aggressive waste reduction and the reuse of materials, the use of low-emitting materials,

daylighting, carbon dioxide monitoring, real-time systems monitoring, and humidity and

temperature controls.

There are over 120 million homes in the United States, with about two million new ones

built every year. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, those residences account for 22 %

of the energy consumed in this country and 74 % of the water. They also account for 21 % of

carbon dioxide emissions. Indoor air pollution can be four or five times that outside (U.S.

Department of Energy). Thus, it is important to shift toward more sustainable home building

practices. As we can see, in the United States, as well as many other countries implementing

different green retrofit programs in order to improve their energy security, tackle fuel poverty

and save our climate in order to create comfort conditions for the future generations.

References

Apollo Alliance Project (2014) “About the Project”. Retrieved 20, 2014 from

http://www.bluegreenalliance.org/apollo/about-the-project

Architectural Record (2014) “Eiffel Tower Retrofit with Glass Floors and Solar Panels”.

Retrieved November 13, 2014 from http://archrecord.construction.com/yb/ar/article.aspx?

story_id=id:dDzuer9xyGglZxerffs2xBXpLlvoUfSTUUvdklOtVaZCtgDrxoLcLuthOQnDFCRg

Bronwyn Llewellyn A. (2008) “Green Jobs. A guide to Eco-Friendly Employment”.

Adams Media

Clinton Foundation “Energy Efficient Program”. Retrieved November 20, 2014 from

https://www.clintonfoundation.org/our-work/clinton-climate-initiative/programs/energy-

efficiency-program

Empire State Building (2009) “Sustainability & Energy Efficiency”. Retrieved

November 13, 2014 from http://www.esbnyc.com/esb-sustainability

PR Newswire (2008) “GE Real Estate Launches Green Initiative”. Retrieved November

19, 2014 from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ge-real-estate-launches-green-

initiative-58767157.html

McGraw-Hill Constructions (2013) “World Green Building Trends”. Retrieved

November 20, 2014 from

http://www.worldgbc.org/files/8613/6295/6420/World_Green_Building_Trends_SmartMarket_R

eport_2013.pdf

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “Why Build Green?”. Retrieved November

13,2014 from http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/pubs/whybuild.htm

U.S. Department of Energy “2012 Renewable Energy Data Book”. Retrieved November

18, 2014 from http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy14osti/60197.pdf

United States Courts “How Green is My Courthouse?”. Retrieved November 20, 2014

from

http://www.uscourts.gov/news/TheThirdBranch/07-09-01/How_Green_is_My_Courthouse.aspx