This Month
>JRGBC Monthly Meeting
>Save-the-Date:  Second Annual JRGBC Green Building Leadership Awards
>LEED Workshops
>Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Low Impact Development Workshop
>Practice Green Workshop
>Regional Leadership Conference on Green Building
>Greenbuild 2006
>Former President Clinton Launches Clinton Climate Initiative
>Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund Requests Applications
>Mini-School of Marine Science:  Global Warming in Chesapeake Bay
>USGBC Seeking New LEED Faculty Members
>New IRS Guidance on Tax Breaks for Efficiancy in Commercial Buildings
>USGBC Updates
>AGC Environmental Agenda
>IEEE Richmond Section Newsletter
>2006 JRGBC Board

JRGBC Monthly Meetings
Thursday, September 21 , 2006
~CANCELLED~
6-6:30pm ~ Social
6:30-7:30pm ~ Program
7:30-8pm ~ Networking

Second Annual JRGBC Green Leadership Awards Luncheon
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
University of Richmond ~ Jepson Alumni Center
10am-Noon ~ Trade Show Exhibits
Noon-2pm ~ Lunch, Program & Awards
2-4pm ~ Trade Show Exhibits

We expect another sold-out event this year, so please look for your invitation to come in the mail in September.

Because of the success of the exhibits last year, we have expanded this portion of the day. If you are interested in exhibiting, please contact the JRGBC office at (804) 288-2950 and ask for Mary Kidd. Or e-mail us at mail@jrgbc.org.

For sponsorship and exhibit information, please click HERE.

To nominate an organization for a JRGBC Green Building Leadership Award, please click HERE.

The JRGBC will present one award in four categories to those organizations and individuals who well-represent the Chapter’s mission. The four categories are: Non-Profit Organizations; Private Sector Businesses ; Government; and Individual.


LEED Workshops
LEED:  Understanding LEED Project Costs & Returns Module
September 28, 2006
8:30am - 12:30pm
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)
4301 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, Virginia 22203

For more information, click HERE.

To register for these or any LEED workshops on-line, visit www.usgbc.org/workshops/register.

Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Low Impact Development Workshop
September 12, 2006
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
9am-4pm
For more information on this free LID workshop, sponsored by the Division of Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance, please click HERE for an agenda.

To register, please click HERE or contact V'lent Lassiter at (804) 371-7500 or v'lent.lassiter@dcr.virginia.gov.

Practice Green
September 15, 2006
Virginia Center for Architecture
8am-4:30pm

A variety of presenters will explain how sustainable design and construction of buildings improves an individual's ability to focus, a company's ability to improve productivity and a community's ability to meet its residents' needs.

For more information and a registration form, please click HERE.

Regional Leadership Conference on Green Building
September 29, 2006
University of Maryland Conference Center
8:30am-3:30pm

For more information, please click HERE.

To register on-line, go to www.mwcog.org or call (202) 962-3355.

Greenbuild 2006
November 15-17, 2006
The Colorado Convention Center
Denver, Colorado

The 2006 registration brochure is now available for download. Please click HERE. Hardcopies will be sent soon.

Former President Clinton Launches Clinton Climate Initiative
President Clinton, Mayor Ken Livingstone Announce Partnership Between Clinton Climate Initiative and Large Cities Climate Leadership Group

Partnership Will Reduce Carbon Emissions and Increase Efficiency In Largest Cities Across the World

Los Angeles , CA – President Clinton today launched the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a Clinton Foundation initiative dedicated to making a difference in the fight against climate change in practical and measurable ways. 

President Clinton was joined by London Mayor Ken Livingstone, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom to announce the first project of CCI, a partnership between the Clinton Climate Initiative and the Large Cities Climate Leadership Group. The Large Cities Climate Leadership Group, chaired by the Mayor of London, is an organization comprised of most of the largest cities in the world that have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

Urban areas are responsible for over 75% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the world. Therefore reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in cities is fundamental to any effort to slow the pace of global warming.

 “It no longer makes sense for us to debate whether or not the earth is warming at an alarming rate, and it doesn't make sense for us to sit back and wait for others to act,” said President Clinton. “The fate of the planet that our children and grandchildren will inherit is in our hands, and it is our responsibility to do something about this crisis. The partnership between my Foundation and the Large Cities Climate Leadership Group will take practical and, most importantly, measurable steps toward helping to slow down global warming, and by taking this approach I think we can make a big difference. I commend Mayor Livingstone and the Large Cities Group for their leadership on this issue.” 

Last October, London convened a meeting of large cities to discuss cooperation on addressing global warming. The Large Cities Climate Leadership Group recognized the need for action and cooperation on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pledged to work together towards that end.

Mayor of London , Ken Livingstone said: “There is no bigger task for humanity than to avert catastrophic climate change. The world's largest cities can have a major impact on this. Already they are at the centre of developing the technologies and innovative new practices that provide hope that we can radically reduce carbon emissions.

“Former President Clinton and his Foundation have proved that they can intervene decisively to make a real impact on one of the world's biggest problems, AIDS. On behalf of the Large Cities Climate Leadership Group, I am delighted to be able to enter into this new partnership to rapidly accelerate cities' response to global warming. Our aim is simple – to change the world.”

The Clinton Climate Initiative will assist the large cities in the group in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing energy efficiency by using the same business-oriented approach that has made other Clinton Foundation initiatives successful. The Clinton Foundation has made a major contribution to the global fight against HIV/AIDS over the past four years by building efficient and effective systems for procurement and distribution of medicine and tests, thus drastically reducing the cost of treatment. More recently, the Clinton Foundation used the same business-oriented approach to make strides against childhood obesity, working with major beverage manufactures to take high-sugar drinks out of the nation's schools.

To enable partner cities to reduce energy use and green house gas emissions CCI will:

1. Create a purchasing consortium that will pool the purchasing power of the cities to lower the prices of energy saving products and accelerate the development and deployment of new energy saving and greenhouse gas reducing technologies and products. This will be similar to the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative total quality management approach that has substantially lowered AIDS drug prices for members of its purchasing consortium.

2. Mobilize the best experts in the world to provide technical assistance to cities to develop and implement plans that will result in greater energy efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

3. Create and deploy common measurement tools and internet based communications systems that will allow cities to establish a baseline on their greenhouse gas emissions, measure the effectiveness of the program in reducing these emissions and to share what works and does not work with each other.

Many cities have worked individually to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions but most of these practices are not in widespread, systematic or coordinated use, thus greatly reducing their effectiveness. CCI will engage the largest cities in the world and allow them to be leaders for all cities by making the direct benefits from the purchasing consortium, technical assistance, and measurement and communication tools available to other cities throughout the world. 

There are a number of practical steps cities can take to increase efficiency and reduce emissions including:

- More energy efficient lighting for traffic and street lights.

- Building codes and practices that make use of more effective insulation, more energy efficient windows, more energy efficient heating and ventilation systems and more energy efficient lighting.

- More energy efficient municipal water and sanitation systems

- Localized, cleaner electric generation systems

- Use of bio-fuels or hybrid technologies for city buses, garbage trucks and other vehicles

- Schemes to reduce traffic congestion

- Reduction of emissions from city garbage dumps and the use of biomass to generate electricity

- More intelligent design of electric grids both across the city and within office and municipal buildings

The CCI—Large Cities partnership begins with 22 of the largest cities in the world participating – Berlin, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Caracas, Chicago, Delhi, Dhaka, Istanbul, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico City, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, Rome, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Toronto, Warsaw and the partnership anticipates that many more cities will join over the next four to six months.

Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund Requests Applications
The Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund Advisory Committee has released their requesting for applications to the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund (Chesapeake Bay License plates income fund).

Applications will be accepted until October 1, 2006.

There is approximately $356,000 available to fund projects that will conduct Bay-related education and restoration activities. Education projects should focus on increasing public awareness of the Chesapeake Bay. Restoration and conservation projects should focus on implementation and on-the-ground activities. There is no limit to the amount of funds that may be requested, though grants are typically awarded only for one-year projects.

Grant funds will be awarded in May-June 2007. Eligible applicants are private not-for-profit conservation organizations, schools and universities, and governmental agencies whose projects are located within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

For additional information, application, guidelines and a list of previously funded projects, please visit the Division of Legislative Services website at:

http://dls.state.va.us/cbrfac.htm

OR contact:
Division of Legislative Services
General Assembly Bldg
910 Capitol Street
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 786-3591

Mini-School of Marine Science:
"Global Warming in Chesapeake Bay "
Wednesdays, Oct. 11–Nov. 1, 2006
7–9 p.m. in the IMAX ® DOME

During this four-week mini-school, speakers from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Office in Virginia will explore the causes and potential consequences of global change in Chesapeake Bay , with particular attention to the effects of increased temperatures, sea-level rise and excessive nutrients. The series will conclude with a discussion of ways citizens can help restore bay health.

Oct. 11
"Global Warming: It's Not Just Hot Air"
There's more to "global warming" then hotter days and nights. Jo in Dr. David Malmquist as he explores how our combined disruption of global carbon and nitrogen cycles places unprecedented stresses on Chesapeake Bay ecosystems. Malmquist, director of communications at VIMS, was previously with the Risk Prediction Initiative, a partnership between climate scientists and insurers concerned with global-change issues.
Oct. 18
"The Coming Storm "
Sea level rose by about a foot in Chesapeake Bay between the "Storm King" hurricane of 1933 and Hurricane Isabel in 2003. How much will sea level rise during the next 70 years? How will a rising sea level affect the bay's shoreline? Jo in VIMS emeritus Professor Dr. Jo hn Boon as he explores how daily, seasonal and year-to-year changes in sea level can help predict just how high future storm tides might reach.
Oct. 25
" Sea Grass? Me Neither!"
Chesapeake Bay sea-grass beds, nurseries for blue crabs and other bay creatures suffered a widespread and troubling dieback during the summer of 2005. Jo in Dr. Ken Moore as he examines how the Chesapeake Bay 's increasingly warm and cloudy waters threaten the existence of the dominant sea-grass species in the lower bay.
Nov. 1
" Five Surprising Ways You Can Help Save the Bay"
Many residents of the Chesapeake Bay watershed know that adding excess fertilizer to their lawns is bad news for bay health. Jo in Dr. Paula Jasinski, head of NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Office in Virginia , as she discusses some unexpected ways that local citizens can help revitalize the bay's ecosystem.

Mini School of Marine Science is $15 for all four lectures or $5 per lecture. $10 for all four /$3 per lecture for Science Museum of Virginia members and students under age 18.

Take all four classes and save!

To register, please call (804) 864-1400 or 800-659-1727, press 2.

Register online now! Click here to register for the entire Mini-School of Marine Science fall 2006 series. ($15; $10 Science Museum of Virginia members and students age 18 and under.)

Or, click on the individual session you wish to attend. (Single classes are $5; $3 Science Museum of Virginia members and students age 18 and under.)

Oct. 11. "Global Warming: It's Not Just Hot Air"
Oct. 18. "The Coming Storm "
Oct. 25. " Sea Grass? Me Neither!"
Nov. 1. " Five Surprising Ways You Can Help Save the Bay"

The Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund helped support Mini-school of Marine Science with funds generated from the sale of Chesapeake Bay license plates. Click here to purchase your Chesapeake Bay license plate.

USGBC Seeking New
LEED Faculty Members
Are you a LEED Accredited Professional who is passionate about green building?  Would you like to share that passion with others?

Apply to become a LEED faculty member, and help USGBC transform the market by educating people all across the United States about the benefits of green building and integrating LEED into their practice.

LEED APs who have been affiliated with a USGBC member company for at least two years and who have at least eight years of professional experience in the building industry are eligible to apply. Click HERE to find more information about what it means to be a LEED faculty member, qualifications, and how to apply.

New IRS Guidance on Tax Breaks for Efficiency in Commercial Buildings
Source: GreenBiz.com

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2006 - The Internal Revenue Service has posted new guidance on how commercial building owners or leaseholders can qualify for the tax deduction for making their building energy efficient. The notice establishes a process to certify the required energy savings in order to claim the deduction.

The commercial building deduction, which was enacted in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, allows taxpayers to deduct the cost of energy-efficient property installed in commercial buildings. The commercial building deduction provides a tax deduction of $1.80 per square foot of floor area for commercial buildings that use no more than half the energy of a building constructed according to current model building codes. A deduction of $0.60 per square foot is allowed for reducing lighting energy use; heating, cooling, and envelope energy use; or building envelope heating and cooling loads by amounts consistent with the overall 50% savings target. The IRS guidance clarifies procedures for demonstrating that the 50% savings target has been achieved, including procedures for obtaining required certifications from qualified experts.

The amount deductible may be as much as $1.80 per square foot of building floor area for buildings that achieve a 50% energy savings target. The notice provides that buildings below the 50% threshold may, nevertheless, qualify for a deduction of up to 60 cents per square foot of building floor area if they meet a 16% energy savings target.

Before claiming the deduction, the taxpayer must obtain a certification that the required energy savings will be achieved. The new guidance prescribes the content of that certification and the qualifications that must be met by the person providing the certification.

The Department of Energy has also announced it will create and maintain a public list of software that must be used to calculate energy savings for purposes of providing the certification. It also provides a process that software developers must use if they desire to have their software included on that list.

The IRS guidance is available for download online ( PDF ).

USGBC Updates
LEED Version 3.0:  Foundation for the future
The future of LEED is grounded in a commitment to continuous improvement today.   Please click HERE for feature article.

Guiding Principles in Practice
We introduced you to the articulation of our Guiding Principles in last month's member newsletter . To learn more, we encourage you to visit our new Guiding Principles site , where each month we're exploring a different principle in more depth. This month, members of the green building community weigh in on USGBC's commitments to promoting the triple bottom line and establishing leadership.

Taking Action on Climate Change
Questions about the future of green building are very much linked to questions about the future of our planet—and lately, that future has been at the forefront of the national consciousness. In response to the need for action to address global climate change, the Clinton Foundation has launched the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a major new program dedicated to making a difference in practical and measurable ways. USGBC is uniquely positioned to support the CCI's efforts, and in association with the World Green Building Council (WGBC) will be partnering with the CCI to share LEED with the world's 40 largest cities—laying the groundwork for positive change on a truly global scale.

Please click HERE for feature article.

Public Comment Period for LEED for Schools Now Open
The first draft of LEED for Schools is now open for public comment.  The comment period will be open for 31 days, from Thursday, August 10, 2006 until Sunday, September 10, 2006 at midnight Pacific Standard Time.

For more information, please ckick HERE.

Final Day for LEED AP Exam Version 2.1
October 31, 2006 is the last day to take the LEED for New Construction V2.1 version of the LEED Professional Accreditation exam.  An updated version of this exam, along with new exam tracks for facilities and interiors professionals, will be launched this fall.  Visit www.usgbc.org/leed/ap or e-mail exam@usgbc.org for more information.

First LEED Platinum Home
USGBC has certified the first LEED Platinum home, a distinctive pre-fab modernist home in Santa Monica, California.

To learn more about LEED for Homes, visit www.usgbc.org/leed/homes.

New LEED Technical Webinar Seminar Series
USGBC and Buildings magazine have partnered to offer a technical webinar series that will help facility owners, managers, and operators implement a sustainable facilities model using the LEED rating system. You can choose from one of four different modules, or save money (and learn more!) by ordering all four at once:
9/14:  Best Practice for Sustainable  Facilities
9/28:  High Performance Operations      
10/12:  Green Cleaning & Site Management
10/26:  Materials Exchange & LEED Program Admin istration
Visit www.buildings.com/usgbc for details and registration.

The Future of LEED
One of the most exciting initiatives currently underway at USGBC is the development of LEED Version 3.0, an advancement of the rating system that will include scientific and technical advancements like bioregionalism, weighting of credits, and life cycle analysis. Instead of treating LEED 3.0 as a separate "event," USGBC is taking advantage of this opportunity to create a comprehensive, continuous improvement plan for LEED. With Seattle-based Paladino & Company as the consultant, the aim is to develop a program of innovations that will improve the technical and scientific foundations of the rating system, decrease costs, and accelerate LEED's adoption by the marketplace.

To kick off this improvement process, we'll be holding a series of workshops throughout the summer and fall to engage leaders from throughout USGBC and the larger green building community. We're especially interested in the needs and ideas of our chapters, and will be reaching out to you as an important part of these workshops.

Tackling the Wood Issue
USGBC's Board of Directors announced on May 23 that it has directed the LEED Steering Committee to address two proposed changes to LEED's wood and bio-based materials credits recommended in a white paper prepared for and accepted by USGBC's Board. As with any change to the LEED rating system, the proposal will follow USGBC's consensus process including being posted for public comment and balloted by USGBC's full membership prior to implementation.  Click here for details.

New Paths to Accreditation
LEED Accredited Professionals now number more than  24,000—and 20 new people add the words "LEED AP" to their business  cards each day. First launched in 2001, the accreditation program distinguishes  professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to successfully steward a  green building project from design to certification, and provides a recognizable,  marketable credential to the market.

Recognizing that different types of building projects  require different skill sets, in fall 2006 USGBC is introducing new exam tracks geared  towards professionals who focus on green building operations and maintenance  (LEED for Existing Buildings) and green interiors design and fit-out projects (LEED for Commercial Interiors). USGBC will also be releasing an updated exam for LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) Version 2.2.  Each of the exams will lead to earning the LEED Accredited Professional  credential. Current LEED APs won't be required to retake the exam after the new version is launched.

For more information visit www.usgbc.org or email exam@usgbc.org .

AGC's Environmental Agenda Commits to Further Environmental Performance of Construction Industry
Washington, D.C. --The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) announced that it has completed a comprehensive agenda for further improving the environmental performance of the construction industry, which "recognizes that the construction process affects the environment," and commits AGC "to helping construction contractors minimize and mitigate the environmental impacts of their . . . challenging activities."
For more information, visit www.agc.org/hottopics.

IEEE Richmond Section Newsletter
Click HERE to view the IEEE Richmond Section September 2006 Newsletter.
The IEEE Richmond Section is a local Section of the IEEE. Additional information about our Section is available at www.ieee.org/richmond.

The IEEE is the world's largest technical professional society with approximately 365,000 members in more than 150 countries. Through its members, the IEEE is a leading authority on areas ranging from aerospace, computers and telecommunications to biomedicine, electric power and consumer electronics. The IEEE produces 30 percent of the world's literature in the electrical and electronics engineering and computer science fields, and has developed more than 900 active industry standards.  For more information, go to www.ieee.org.

The IEEE Richmond Section holds monthly technical meetings. Topics being planned for the September 2006 - May 2007 year include Offshore Wind Power, Nanotechnology, Optics, Computers, Semiconductor Packaging,
Women In Engineering, and Pre-University Education.

You are invited to attend our monthly meetings. We meet on the first Thursday of each month at the Hilton Garden Inn at Innsbrook at 5:30 PM for a Social and Dinner. Our technical meetings start at 7:30 PM.

2006 JRGBC Board
Bryna Dunn, Chair, Moseley Architects
Patrick Farley, Vice-Chair, Watershed
Andrew McBride, Treasurer, University of Richmond
Don Guthrie, Secretary, McKinney & Company

Matte Anderson, Director, Trane
Karl Bren, Director, GreenVisions Consulting
Matt Carr, Director, American Hydrotech
Chris Earley, Director, Timmons Group
Scott Kyle, Director, SKAAT
Sandra Leibowitz Earley, Director, Sustainable Design Consulting
Scott Wheeler, Director, BCWH

Have You Joined the Local Chapter?
If your company is not a member of the USGBC yet, please convince them to join. You can Join locally as an individual through the JRGBC Website. There is a discount for National Members and for students.*(Note: This pdf form may take as long as a minute or two to load the first time. Alternately you can send in this form with a check via standard mail if you would like.)