Green Buildings and Climate Change Building Smarter and Saving Money The Daylighting Collaborative

Resetting the Green Performance Bar Greening Portfolios Remains a Priority

NAIOP Energy Policy

New Resource on Solar Energy Now Available Sustainable Development National Forum

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Green Buildings and Climate Change In this whitepaper by Building Design + Construction, information on how AEC professionals can have a positive role in addressing climate change is discussed. The report also includes a detailed Action Plan with eight recommendations and 22 specific action items for AEC professionals and firms to implement in their work. To access the report, click on the White Papers link on the left. Note: one-time registration required. Building Smarter and Saving Money Want some insider tips on getting the most from a contractor in today's economy? This report by Lapardo Construction offers 10 construction strategies for offsetting the dramatic increases in material prices to provide considerable savings and help realign budgets with original expectations. The Daylighting Collaborative Looking for resources and tools on daylighting? This Web site features design guidelines, research, articles, Web links, project profiles and more on building design using natural daylighting and related techniques to achieve comfort and energy efficiency. A monthly newsletter addressing key questions to ask when considering a new technology or design strategy is also available. Resetting the Green Performance Bar LEED 2009 passed U.S. Green Building Council member ballot in late November and includes a series of technical advancements focused on improving energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions and a revamping of the certification point system. Detailed information about specific rating system changes can be found in the background documents that accompany the public comment forms on the USGBC Web site. Greening Portfolios Remains a Priority A recent survey of commercial building owners revealed that 60 percent of respondents offer educational programs to tenants, up from 49 percent in 2007. The survey also revealed that nearly 70 percent have implemented some type of benchmarking system to monitor energy usage. The second annual national survey was conducted by Incisive Media's Real Estate Forum, the U.S. Green Building Council and BOMA International. Learn more results and where to obtain a complete report online. NAIOP Energy Policy Are you familiar with NAIOP's energy policy statement? The policy follows NAIOP's Policy on Sustainable Development, which was announced in September 2007. New Resource on Solar Energy Now Available Widespread interest in renewable energy has many building owners considering rooftop solar installations. Few truly understand the challenges of making solar work for commercial real estate. The Hope and Headache: Solar Energy Webinar CD provides background information on solar technologies and the applicability of solar installations on commercial buildings. Aaron Binkley, director, Sustainability Programs, AMB Property Corporation, explores the benefits and limitations of rooftop leases and Power Purchase Agreements, solar feasibility in U.S. markets and the outlook for the growth of the solar industry. This CD contains the audio and PowerPoint presentation from the November 2008 Webinar. To order the Hope and Headache: Solar Energy Webinar CD or to see NAIOP's complete publication offerings on green development, visit the NAIOP Bookstore. Questions? Contact the NAIOP Publications Department at (800) 445-0443. Sustainable Development National Forum Are you actively involved in developing green buildings? Consider joining the new General Forum on this topic. NAIOP National Forums are special interest groups comprised of industry leaders that provide NAIOP members exclusive networking and experience exchange with peers. The new Sustainable Development II Forum will be formed the spring of 2009. We will begin making placements starting in January 2009. For more information, visit the National Forums Web site.