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Sample Projects and Publications
Opportunities for High Performance Green Building in the Meadowlands: Warehousing and Distribution Land Use
Warehousing and Distribution land uses have several unique characteristics which present challenges to existing smart growth and green building guidelines. This report addresses these challenges by examining whether opportunities exist to increase the performance of warehouses according to key measures as identified by the green building rating system of the U.S. Green Building Council known as LEEDTM (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This report further outlines a series of strategies for implementing green building policy in the warehousing sector within the Meadowlands District. This research was completed through a process of extensive literature review and phone and personal interviews with the owners and operators of warehouses.
An Analysis of Residential Green Building Best Management Practices: Recommendations to the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission.
Buildings are responsible for nearly a third of the energy and raw material consumption in the United States. Our research suggests that many green building improvements that are beneficial to homeowners, residential property managers, tenants, and area residents can be implemented in a manner wherein their benefits outweigh their costs. These include the introduction of energy- and water-saving techniques and equipment, renewable energy building systems, healthier indoor air quality systems and materials, building material reuse, and the reduction of solid waste. This report also suggests specific strategies for the implementation of a residential green building program in the Meadowlands. The research for this report was drawn from original telephone survey of green home building programs across the United States as well as from academic journals, trade magazines and green building organizational Web sites.
An Analysis of Residential and Local Green Building Initiatives: The Roles of Information and Incentive
There are between 30 and 40 active local and regional green home building programs in operation in the U.S. This work identifies key success criteria among green building programs throughout the United States – with a focus on the roles of information and incentive -- and translates these into actionable strategies. This research finds that often incentives play a larger role during the start-up and initial phases of green home building programs. Most target developers over homeowners/consumers. Data are drawn from an original telephone survey of 15, or approximately one-half of all green home building programs across the U.S., case study of 3 of these, from academic journals, trade magazines and green building websites.
Green Affordable Housing Research
The Center has begun a national study of green affordable housing. The study will specifically examine the costs and benefits of single vs. multifamily housing, fabricated housing, and workforce housing. The study will also examine the successes and shortcomings of green affordable housing projects across the country. The report will also generate specific recommendations for the implementation by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission.
Pilot Program for Assessing Environmental and Economic Benefits of Reflective Roofs
As a result of the replacement of natural settings by the built environment, including the use of dark nonreflective surfaces for roofs, ambient temperatures in urban areas may be 10 degrees higher than surrounding suburban and undeveloped areas. This causes increased cooling loads in the summer, requiring larger HVAC systems in buildings and a greater expenditure of energy, and other deleterious environmental effects. Reflective roofs may reduce building cooling costs, thereby maximizing energy savings, and may contribute to minimizing urban heat island effects. This proposed pilot program would accomplish two objectives: 1) verify a calculation method for estimating the air cooling benefits of reflective roofing in comparison to conventional roofing; and 2) investigate scale issues and the heat island effect. This research would be accomplished through a paired study of buildings with and without reflective roofs. The results from this study would then make it possible to calibrate a model of the effects of reflective roofing and to model the effects of various types of reflective roofs. Funding is currently being sought from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Green Home Builder Consumer Research
The Center anticipates starting this summer a green homes consumer research project on behalf of a developer that would test the marketplace in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for green homes.
Municipal Officials Training in Green Building
The Center has begun the development of a green building training module for municipal officials. It is anticipated that the program will be presented at the November 2006 State League of Municipalities Conference and beta-tested shortly thereafter. Partners include the New Jersey State League of Municipalities and the Municipal Land Use Center at the College of New Jersey. Additional funding is being sought.
Leadership Training in Sustainable Design
The Leadership Training in Environmental Design program would offer monthly seminars on topics including green building, brownfield redevelopment, and the environmental impacts of development to professionals and students from a wide range of fields, including planning, engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, finance, real estate development, and state government. The Leadership Training in Environmental Design would bring together these diverse professionals in a way that would not only help to create trust and understanding, but also prepare these individuals for the cooperative processes central to these endeavors. It is anticipated that funding for this program will be provided by private companies, not-for-profit organizations and public sector agencies, in addition to participant fees.
LEEDTM Evaluation
The Center is in early discussion with the U.S. Green Building Council regarding a technical and policy evaluation of the U.S. population of LEED certified buildings.
Phone: 732/932-4101 x520 - www.greenbuilding.rutgers.edu - Fax: 732/932-0934 |
