Goin' Green

Some of Moseley Architects' exciting projects that are pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification include:

• Blue Ridge Regional Jail, Lynchburg, Virginia


• Isle of Wight County Courts Facility, Isle of Wight, Virginia



• Rockingham County Judicial Center, Wentworth, North Carolina



• Shenandoah County District Courts Building, Woodstock, Virginia



• Transylvania Country Public Safety Building, Brevard, North Carolina

Virginia Municipal League's Green Government Challenge

The Virginia Municipal League's (VML) Go Green Virginia initiative (GoGreenVA) recognizes that communities need to take innovative steps to reduce energy usage and promote sustainability. The initiative has several components that will unfold throughout 2008.

Most importantly, member local governments are urged to participate in a friendly competition known as the Green Government Challenge. The "Challenge" is designed to encourage municipalities to implement specific environmental policies and practical actions related to transit, energy efficiency, waste management, land use, and public outreach. This challenge will not only reduce carbon emissions, but can save local governments money.

While this competition is specific to Virginia localities, municipalities in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Maryland might find the "checklist" to be a useful tool for starting discussions and evaluating decisions. Some of the points bear resemblance to different LEED credits, but are all tailored around the goal of reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

VML will solicit an assortment of green best practices from its member local governments during 2008. Local governments will be able to share descriptions of these innovative practices, projects, and policies with other municipalities by posting them to a special section of on the Go Green Web site.

VML is a statewide, nonprofit, nonpartisan association of city, town and county governments that was established in 1905 to improve and assist local governments through legislative advocacy, research, education and other services. The membership includes 39 cities, 157 towns and 12 counties.

For more information, visit www.gogreenva.org.

Government and Justice Projects Going Green

The excitement surrounding green building has reached the local government and justice sectors in Virginia and North Carolina, and some counties are not wasting any time in improving their new facilities by incorporating environmentally sound design principles and practices. The number of LEED registered projects in both states is growing as counties realize the economic, social, and environmental benefits of going green.

Two LEED registered projects in North Carolina, the Transylvania County Public Safety Building and the Rockingham County Judicial Center, continue to stay on track toward becoming LEED certified facilities. What sets these facilities apart from their standard counterparts is a focus on energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality, and waste reduction. Green features the projects will have in common include:

• highly reflective roofing materials to prevent absorption of the sun’s energy and to help keep the buildings cool while reducing the need for mechanical cooling;
• low-flow urinals, toilets, and faucets that use less water than standard fixtures;
• strategies to reduce the use of potable water for irrigation (Transylvania will feature native and drought-tolerant plants that don’t require irrigation, while Rockingham will use a cistern to collect rainwater from the roof for irrigation);
• low-emitting materials to help provide better indoor air quality for officers and emergency personnel;
• waste reduction achieved by recycling construction materials and using products that are made from recycled content; and
• doors, millwork, and casework constructed of Forest Stewardship Council Certified sustainably harvested wood.

You are probably thinking these features cost more, but they don’t cost as much as you might think. The Transylvania Public Safety Building recently proved that going green does not necessarily cost more. A meeting hosted by the LEED accredited professional for the project prior to the bid process helped potential contractors understand exactly what would be required of them as far as documenting LEED strategies, and, as a result, bids came in under budget.

In Virginia, three new justice projects have registered for LEED since January. The Isle of Wight County Courts Facility, the Shenandoah County District Courts Building, and the Blue Ridge Regional Jail are all intended to earn LEED certification. Currently, these three projects are in the early stages of planning for their LEED certifications, and the green features that are most appropriate for each building have yet to be determined. Look for more information on these and other exciting up-and-coming projects in future issues of Green Concepts.

Green Tips

As gas prices continue to edge closer to $5.00 a gallon and concerns surrounding CO2 emissions grow, its important to pay attention to what and how we drive these days. Whether you want to get more out of the vehicle you're currently driving or are ready to buy something new, here are a few things you can do to increase your vehicle's fuel efficiency and reduce the environmental impact you and your vehicle make.

• Watch Your Speed - Driving 75 mph instead of 65 mph will lower your fuel economy by about 10 percent and can dramatically increase tailpipe pollution.
• Open Your Windows - Before turning on your vehicle's air conditioning, open your windows and/or vents to cool off first. You might be surprised at how well it works and it reduces your vehicle's gas consumption and emissions.
• Don't Put the Pedal to the Metal - Flooring the gas pedal not only wastes gas, it leads to drastically higher pollution rates. One second of high-powered driving can produce nearly the same volume of carbon monoxide emissions as 30 minutes of "normal" driving.
• Check Your Tire Pressure - Tires that are not kept at their proper pressure not only increase tire wear and gas consumption, but they cause poor handling.
• Keep Up With Maintenance Issues - Be sure to change your vehicle's oil and get regular tune-ups, which can increase your fuel economy and hopefully extend the life of your vehicle.
• Be a Green Consumer - If you are buying new, consider a hybrid or one of the other fuel-efficient vehicles currently on the market. For more information on what makes and models are available, visit www.greenercars.org.
• Take the Bus - If home and work are along a convenient bus route, consider riding the bus. Instead of driving, you can read, send text messages, knit, or whatever suits your fancy. You won't be contributing to traffic congestion, and you'll be supporting public transportation.
• Get Some Exercise - Walking or riding your bike to work is not only green, it's great exercise. If this is something you've wanted to try, but haven't because your office doesn't have changing or showering facilities, determine what options may be available, poll your co-workers to see how many of them would do the same, then take the facts to your boss for consideration.
• Make Use of Today's Technology - A growing number of companies are giving their employees the option of working from home and telecommuting, which eliminates the need for travel altogether. If you have this option, take advantage of it. If not and it makes sense for the work you do, see if you can bring such a program to your workplace.
• Look Into Commuting Alternatives - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Transportation are teaming up with businesses and others to set up Commuter Choice Programs (www.commuterchoice.com). Companies and communities that make use of Commuter Choice benefits often save money. Alternatives include Commuter Choice tax incentives, transit pass programs, guaranteed ride home programs, vanpool/carpool programs, flextime, staggered work hours, compressed work schedules, and incentives for living where you work.