Masdar Headquarters, (zero waste, zero carbon emission) Masdar City

• Chicago architecture firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill
• 1.4 million sq ft mixed use building
• ground-breaking ceremony on February 9, 2008, will be completed by the end of 2010
• Masdar City will be constructed over 7 phases to be completed by 2016
• buildings solar roof (one of the largest in the world) will be constructed first, and power the construction of the rest of the building
• building will produce more power than it needs
• largest solar thermal driven cooling and dehumidification system
• consume about 70% less water than a typical mixed-use building of its size
• PROJECT ANIMATION
  

Source: http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/33088

Ontario's 1st LEED Platinum Green Building

• Architect: Montgomery Sisam Architects Inc.
• located in Vaughan, Ontario
• 2-storey, 1095 m2 building: office space for 25 occupants and a works garage
• construction is engineered wood framing with brick and wood siding
• cost premium aprox 10%
• expected to achieve a 66 % annual energy savings
• heating: heat pump system with a slinky ground source loop
• cooling: chilled water fan coils supplimented by cooled floor, using the same tubing as the radiant heating system
• concrete “earth tube” delivers outdoor air to the basement mechanical equipment
• 2 heat-recovery ventilators deliver 100 % outside air to the offices via displacement ventilation
• power: partly by photovoltaic system and remaining needs buying electrical power from a supplier of green (renewable) power—Bullfrog Power
• composting toilets (rarely used in offices) and waterless urinals means that the centre uses no water for wastewater conveyance, , together with low-flow plumbing fixtures throughout the building conserve 80% of the potable indoor water normally used in a building of this size
• 95 % of regularly occupied spaces have an abundance of daylighting and 90 % of these spaces have a view to the outdoors
• furniture is certified as “low off-gassing.”

Source: http://www.trca.on.ca/Website/TRCA/website.nsf/frmNewsArticleDisplay?OpenForm&NoteID=NT0001A1E6

Al Gore's Green House

Putting his money where his mouth is...

By ERIK SCHELZIG, The Associated Press

Published: December 28, 2007

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Al Gore, who was criticized for high electric bills at his 10,000 sq ft Tennessee mansion, has completed a host of improvements to make the home more energy efficient...

The former vice president has installed solar panels, a rainwater-collection system and geothermal heating. He also replaced all incandescent lights with compact fluorescent or light-emitting diode bulbs - even on his Christmas tree.

"Short of tearing it down and starting anew, I don't know how it could have been rated any higher," said Kim Shinn of the U.S. Green Building Council, which gave the house its second-highest rating for sustainable design.

Gore's improvements cut the home's summer electrical consumption by 11 % compared with a year ago, according to utility records reviewed by The Associated Press. Most Nashville homes used 20 percent to 30 percent more electricity during the same period because of a record heat wave.

Shinn said Gore's renovations are impressive because his home, which is more than 80 years old, had to meet the same rigorous standards as new construction. It houses his offices and those of his wife, Tipper, as well as a commercial kitchen for formal events.

Sidwell Friends Middle School (Washington, DC)

architect: Kieran Timberlake Associates

• the greenest school in the U.S., the first to earn a platinum LEED rating
• if initial cost of going green is high- savings can be even greater:
  the energy bill for primary and secondary schools in the U.S. is $6 billion--and that's per year (more than spent annually on computers and books combined)

Features:

• constructed wetland (first in Washington, DC), treats building waste water on site - part of a closed system that recycles water back to the building and lavatories
• Green roof vegetation holds and filters rainwater; gutters and downspouts direct rainwater to a biology pond, which supports native habitat. Herbs grown by students on the green roof are supplied to the cafeteria
• Building orientation
• passive and mechanically assisted ventilation
• solar chimneys
• solar panels
  5% of the building’s total electrical load is generated on the roof
  
• double-glazed windows
• Window placement, skylights and reflective panels maximize use of natural light so energy for lighting in this building is 10 – 15% of that of a comparable code compliant building
• Recycled, rapidly renewable and locally produced materials such as cork, gypsum, linoleum, bamboo and wheatboard substrate
  Exterior cladding is western red cedar (reclaimed from wine casks)
• Paints, carpets and adhesives were selected for low emission of volatile organic compounds
• carbon dioxide sensors in the classrooms automatically adjust temperature by detecting how many people are inside

Source: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1663859,00.html

Barratt EcoSmart Show Village (UK)

• Chorley in Lancashire
• 7 special homes which feature the latest energy -
  efficient and 'green' technologies, including wind, solar and geothermal power
• testing these and asking homebuyers whether they want them in their homes
• homes aren’t available to buy
• being evaluated by experts from Manchester University
  

Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (US)

DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. Choose one or both databases to search.

Airdrie Environmental Education Centre (Alberta)

Check out the cost breakdown here.
Building features:

• Straw bale, tight envelope construction solar radiant in-floor heating system
• Photovoltaic electrical
• Potable water collection and filtration system
• Environmentally sound and healthy construction materials including paints & wood treatments
• Energy efficient windows
• Recycled materials throughout
• Solar wall used to warm the fresh air for the “Life Breath” heat recovery ventilator
• Naturalized and xeriscaped green spaces

WIRED Living Home (CA)

• Living Homes with WIRED Magazine
  
• Architect: Ray Kappe
• Cost: $4 million modernist home in Los Angeles
• Size: 4,000 sq ft
• Features: LEED® Gold rating, passive heating and cooling, solar power, automated theatre, temperature, and lighting...
  
• Open later this year for public tours
• For the family that wants all the toys but wants to be as green as they can about it (perfect for my friend DW... if they could just make one half the size at an affordable price!)
  

Source: http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/07/06/prefab-friday-wired-living-home/#more-4903

Google Campus - Solar panels

"It’s a good time to be green, and Google is leading the way. Last year, the search giant Google announced that their installation of the solar panels on their campus, which are expected to provide around 1,600 kw/h. And keeping with their green commitment, they recently launched the Google solar panel project webpage which will help anyone track how much power their solar panels are generating. And now, their newest green initiatives include everything from plug-in hybrids and car-powered homes to carbon neutrality. And to top it off, Google has just announced that it expects to become carbon neutral by 2007. They will do this via a mixture of energy consumption reduction, carbon offsets, and use of renewable resources. They will also be submitting themselves to an independent audit to make sure that they meet this goal every year."

Burj al-Taqa ("Energy Tower")

A Zero-Energy Tower in the Desert
Sarah Rich
June 21, 2007 3:04 PM

German architect, Eckhard Gerber, who currently holds CAD drawings for the tallest zero-emissions, zero-energy skyscraper in the world.
"a giant 68-story building projected to rise to a lofty height of 322 meters (1,056 feet), which would make it number 22 on the list of the world's tallest buildings."

The Lighthouse - Net-zero Carbon Home

Also see: http://www.bre.co.uk/page.jsp?id=959

Apart of BRE Innovation Park

World's Greenest Museum - California Academy of Sciences

"We wanted our building to really reflect our institutional commitment to the environment and its sustainability," said Frank Almeda, senior curator of the academy's botany department.

When completed (2008), it's expected to be the first museum to earn the U.S. Green Building Council's "platinum" certification (LEED) —the highest rating for environmentally sustainable construction, academy officials said. Design by Italian architect Renzo Piano.

The museum will feature... energy-saving technologies... roof will be bordered with solar panels that will provide a portion of its electricity needs... lights will automatically dim and brighten in response to daylight... rooftop skylights and side windows will open and close automatically to heat and cool the building."

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_6095255

Rubloff Hall - Saint Xavier University's (Chicago, IL)

by: Kelly Hladek

• $9 million, 37,000-sq-ft Rubloff Hall, opened fall 2006
• LEED Silver certified
• high-efficiency lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, insulation systems, green and reflective roofing, building computer system (BCS)
• 90 % lighting comes from natural sources
• heating units are 90 %more efficient and 50 % smaller than more traditional units
• 100 % of building's required power purchases are generated from "green sources"
• construction materials- adhesives, sealants, paints and carpets all required the "green" stamp of approval
• construction crews recycled over 80 % of scrap materials
• if constructed in traditional manner, energy costs - $90,000 annually
  New hall will cost - $60,000 annually

Ontario's RE Feed-in Tariff - Progress Report

"It's been 6 months since ... Ontario started its Standard Offer Program (SOP), which created the first feed-in tariff (FIT) in North America for renewable energy in over 20 years.

Since last November (2006), OPA has received applications under the new FIT for 65 wind, solar, biomass and hydropower projects totaling roughly 330 megawatts (MW) of capacity.

... a FIT sets a price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of generated renewable energy that is high enough to properly compensate the generator and make a project profitable."

Source: http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=48565

Ontario Power Authority - Ontario's Standard Offer Program

• Solar PV Projects - 42 cent/kWh
• Waterpower Projects - 11 cent/kWh
• Wind Projects - 11 cent/kWh
• Biomass Projects - 11 cent/kWh

Foster + Partners Winery - Ribera del Duero, Spain

"The building is partially buried in the landscape, hiding itself around the natural topography of the site. That design choice allows, for instance, for the grapes to be poured straight down into the beginning of the wine production process. The different volumes of the building relate to the specific stages of wine making, with the areas that are sunken into the ground providing the best conditions for the fermentation process.

...diminish the impact on the environment... partial burial of the building thermal combined with a green roof on top to control the temperature, and photovoltaics on the roof seal the deal."

Source: http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/05/29/foster-partners-spanish-winery/

Toronto's CNE Hydrogen Village

I don't usually go to the EX but I guess I will be this year!

More information:

• http://keetsa.com/blog/eco-friendly/torontos-hydrogen-village-at-the-ex/
• http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070526.wxhydrogenvillage26/BNStory/Front