Members: We're looking for projects for our upcoming Massachusetts LEED Project Showcase!

The Massachusetts LEED Project Showcase 2013 is coming!

When: Thursday, October 17, 2013; 6:00 - 8:00PM

Where: Google's LEED Gold space at 3 Cambridge Center in Kendall Sq.  

What to expect: Short presentations, networking, learning, light appetizers and beverages.

Cost: $25 USGBC MA members, $40 for non-members, sponsorship opportunities available

Here is our invitation letter to our members (you too could become a member!) - and please take a look at the links to see the event page and consider registering a project for the Showcase!

Dear Colleagues in Green Building,

Thank you also for being a dedicated Member of the USGBC MA Chapter. As I went through this list, I am amazed at all the great LEED projects I can connect to a name. I want more of these projects to be better known.

Your work has helped move the Commonwealth to the forefront of sustainable planning, design, construction and operation of buildings and communities. We want to celebrate your efforts, and those of your teams, by having your LEED certified projects showcased at an exciting event to be hosted at Google’s facility in Cambridge on Oct. 17th, 2013.

The USGBC MA Chapter is hosting this inaugural LEED Project Showcase as a way of gathering our community of practitioners, raising the profile of our LEED buildings, and sharing information about innovative practices in design and construction.

I hope you will consider joining us. There are many ways to participate. We are seeking basic information about each of your projects so we can highlight these stories on our website and create opportunities for team building among the many disciplines involved in projects. We want the story of these projects whether located in Massachusetts or designed/created by you or your firm outside of the state. There are also several sponsorship opportunities to allow for better exposure, including event boards and tie-ins with our media partner, the New England Real Estate Journal. We are also seeking sponsors that want to present information about their projects live at the event. If you would like to sponsor multiple projects that you've been involved in, please let me know.

We anticipate an enjoyable and informative gathering and hope that you and members of your project team will submit your projects' narratives and attend the event.

I'm hoping this may be a way to connect with more of the people who have supported our mission to make every building a green building, through your daily work. 

Thank you for your efforts in promoting the design, construction, and operation of sustainable buildings and communities in Massachusetts! I look forward to hearing from you.

Grey Lee

MA LEED Project Showcase

Are you ready?!

October 17, 2013, live, at Google, it's:

The Massachusetts LEED Project Showcase!

We are celebrating the achievements of LEED certifications - every project team should come. We want to see and hear about these green buildings. At this inaugural episode, we'll be reaching back to the beginning of 2012 - almost 200 projects have attained certification since then. Let's highlight them all!

If you know of a project, and know a project team member or person otherwise central to the project, please let us know so we can reach out. Each project has the opportunity share their story with the community and to create a board to display at the Showcase. For those that are interested there are a variety of sponsorship packages to connect with the event.

When: Thursday, October 17, 2013; 6:00 - 8:00PM

Where: Google's LEED Gold space at 3 Cambridge Center in Kendall Sq.  

What to expect: Food, drinks, short presentations, mingling, learning

Cost: $25 USGBC MA members, $40 for non-members, sponsorship opportunities available 

We look forward to seeing you at the Massachusetts LEED Project Showcase in October!

IECC 2012 is Now the State Energy Code

by Carrie Havey

On July 9th the Massachusetts Board of Building 

Photo credit: www.mass.gov

Regulations & Standards (BBRS) voted to adopt the most current version of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC 2012). This makes Massachusetts one of the first states in the nation to adopt the new code, and represents a 20% increase in energy efficiency over the current statewide energy code. The results of this change - the state base code is now equal to the energy efficiency requirements of the Massachusetts Stretch Energy Code. 

 

The Stretch Energy Code was added to the state building code in 2009 and provides an option for cities and towns to adopt an energy code that requires greater energy efficiency in buildings than the base code that is otherwise mandatory for municipalities across the state. Currently, the Stretch Code has been adopted by 131 municipalities in Massachusetts. 

 

So, for a short while, the Stretch Code and the MA state code will be one and the same, until the State determines what the change in the Stretch Code will be. Our Advocacy Interest Group is following the issue and meeting with partners next week to outline a strategy to make sure we get an ambitious next Stretch Code. Contact Norm Lamonde if you are interested in knowing more.

Green Apple Day of Service

The USGBC's Center for Green Schools is once again promoting Green Apple Day of Service to advance healthy, sustainable schools! 

 

The inaugural Green Apple Day of Service held on September 29, 2012 had more than 1,250 service projects in 49 countries. The second Green Apple Day of Service will be held September 28, 2013 - advocates around the world, including students, teachers, parents, business owners and more will come together in support of healthy, sustainable schools by participating in local service projects.

The Green Schools Committee of USGBC MA Chapter is aiming to have more than 50 projects registered across the state in 2013. Mygreenapple.org has put together a terrific list of resources to describe and support organizing a day of service - and we have pulled the following list of resources to help you help us spread the word:

• About the Green Apple Day of Service

A one-page information sheet describing the Green Apple Day of Service.

• 2013 Green Apple Day of Service Webcasts

Free 20-minute-or-less webcasts that will introduce you to project ideas, volunteer recruitment tips, fundraising ideas and more.

• Step by Step Toolkit for Organizing a Day of Service Project

The Project Captain Toolkit covers how to get a Day of Service project started, establishing project goals, getting volunteers and organizing your project.

If you have questions or if your company is looking to partner with a local school to execute a project, please let us know - we are happy to help!