Waste to Wattage: Idaho Business Review Breakfast Series

Article written by Charlie Woodruff

Public and private interests in Idaho have developed an array of ways to convert waste material to energy.
In Ada County, landfill gas has been converted to electricity for years. Now the Ada County landfill has two energy generators, with another two proposed. The number of dairy methane digesters in Idaho could double next year, thanks to efforts by the dairy industry to cut its carbon footprint and by investors hoping to profit from energy production.

And researchers around Idaho are looking for other ways to harness the energy of waste wood, waste hot water, and other materials.

Industry leading panelists who are participating in the roundtable discussion:

Erin Searcy, Ph. D. – Biofuels and Renewable Energy
Ada County Commissioner Sharon Ullman
Ada County landfill director Ted Hutchinson
Don Sturtevant, PE, CEM - Corporate Energy Manager
Peter Richardson – anaerobic digesters
Mark Stokes – Idaho Power

Join the Idaho Business Review as their expert panelists discuss the costs and benefits of many different types of waste-to-energy projects and how they fit into Idaho’s diverse landscape and economy.

Tags: Energy, Free, Idaho, renewable energy, Waste
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City of Boise Requests 2012 Building Excellence Award Nominations

Article written by Charlie Woodruff

Tags: Architecture, Award, Boise, BOMA, Building Excellence, Construction, Green Building
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Free Indoor Air Quality Workshops in Idaho

Article written by Charlie Woodruff

The Idaho Indoor Environment Program, in partnership with Washington State University and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Tools for Schools Program, is hosting 3 FREE one-day Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) workshops around the state. Building maintenance staff in both the private and public sector are encouraged to attend.

Subjects to be covered include:

• Healthy Buildings A-Z
• Energy Efficiency and Money Saving Tips
• Improving Building Performance
• Quality Building Maintenance
• Radon, Mold, and Other IAQ Issues

Space is limited!
Please call or email Troy Tillman to reserve your place.
(208) 334-5964
tillmant@dhw.idaho.gov
A limited number of scholarships are available to help with travel costs.

BOISE – March 6th:
Red Lion Inn
(Selway Sawtooth Room)
1800 Fairview Avenue
Boise, ID 83706
Check-in 8:30 am
Course 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Lunch on your own

POCATELLO – April 3rd:
Clarion Inn
(Carnelian Room)
1399 Bench Road
Pocatello, ID 83201
Check-in 8:30 am
Course 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Lunch on your own

COEUR D’ ALENE – April 10th:
Best Western
(Cataldo Room)
West 506 Appleway
Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814
Check-in 8:30 am
Course 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Lunch on your own

Download the IAQ workshop Flyer

Tags: Building Performance, Energy Efficiency, Free, Healthy Buildings, Indoor Air Quality, Mold, Radon, Workshop
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Lunch Lecture Series: Sustainability Beyond Building

Article written by Charlie Woodruff

Thursday, March 1^stNoon-1:30pm

Meadow Ranch by Active West Builders - LEED-ND Certified development in northern Idaho

Idaho Power, 1221 West Idaho St. Boise, ID

$10 members, $12 nonmembers, brown bag free

rsvp for lunch to rsvpATusgbcidaho.org by 2/28

menu: chicken enchiladas and beans from Life’s Kitchen

Sustainability Beyond Building

LEED For Neighborhood Development: A Tool to Retrofit the Suburbs

Join us for this 1 ½ hour webinar presented by national experts in green building and sustainable development.

The global economic crisis has shown that the rampant outward growth of most American metropolitan regions is both environmentally and financially unsustainable.  With large retailers going out of business and many suburban jurisdictions looking to alter their zoning codes and encourage more compact development, there are many opportunities to create walkable, urban places in the suburbs. Learn how LEED for Neighborhood Development can be used as an urban design tool in appropriate suburban locations to encourage this type of development through certified pilot case studies.

This webinar is approved for 1.5 hours of LEED Specific (ND) GBCI hours as well as 1.5 AIA/CES LU/HSW/SD hours.

Session Objectives

• Gain knowledge about the LEED-ND Rating System and its applicability from pilot case studies.
• Compare LEED-ND technical strategies from certified pilot projects located in suburban areas.
• Explain the challenges faced by LEED-ND pilot projects and the strategies used to overcome them.
• Identify key reasons why development teams of owners chose to pursue LEED-ND certification for a suburban development project.

Tags: AIA CES, CMP, GBCI credit, LEED-ND, lunch lecture, Neighborhood Development, sustainable development, webinar
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2012 Future City Competition- USGBC Idaho Chapter Green Schools

Article written by Charlie Woodruff

From the beginning of the school year through January 21^st the USGBC Idaho

Chapter Green Schools Committee was involved in theFuture City Competition. Candess Packard, Idaho Chapter Green Schools Committee Chair, and Hans Glenn and Idaho Chapter volunteer, committed themselves to Fairmont Junior High as mentors to a team of kids who were interested in being champions in sustainable city engineering.

What is Future City?

The Future City Competition is a national, project-based learning experience where students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade imagine, design, and build cities of the future. Students work as a team with an educator and engineer mentor to plan cities using SimCity™ 4 Deluxe software; research and write solutions to an engineering problem; build tabletop scale models with recycled materials; and present their ideas before judges at Regional Competitions in January. Regional winners represent their region at the National Finals in Washington, DC in February.

Teacher Karen Andreason had this to say about the Future City Competition: “I want to thank the USGBC Idaho Chapter for their commitment to teaching children from our school, Fairmont Junior High. They inspired these children to be more involved in our community and taught them the importance of sustainability. We had the faculty and parents involved and all of them enjoyed seeing an improvement in their child’s life within school activities. I refer this program to any school, parent, and child that is looking for a real life experience and wanting to learn sustainable engineering, city planning, or just looking to involve your child in something we can’t teach in our public school standard curriculum. I am so grateful to Candess Packard and Hans Glenn for all of their passion to green schools and the time they gave for our future generations.”

Student Noah Belveal, 7^th Grade said: “The Future City Competition changed my life. I really enjoyed coming in after school every day to learn about sustainability and I never liked technology before I participated in this competition. I now would like to continue learning about sustainability and maybe even go to college for engineering. Thank You to the USGBC Idaho Chapter Green Schools Committee.”

Student Chloe Hugon, 7^th Grade said: “I hated doing boy things but after participating with the Future City Competition and realizing how the boys needed us girls on their team and how engineering needs girls as well, I really enjoyed learning about sustainable city planning and development. I think I’ll do more with sustainability in the future after learning what it does for the environment and our animals. I want to be a sustainable vet someday. Thank You USGBC Idaho Chapter Green Schools Committee.”

The Green Schools Committee would like to give a big round of applause to the 2012 Future City Idaho Regional Competition Winners:

1^st Place Winner: Homedale Middle School, R.A.I.N.
2^nd Place Winner: Idaho Distance Education Academy, Subarashi-Toshi.
3^rd Place Winner: Sacred Heart Catholic School, Dajim.
4^th Place Winner: Lewis and Clark Middle School, Chanson de L’eau.
5^th Place Winner: Lake Hazel Middle School, STRATA, Inc.

If you would like to know how you can be involved within the 2013, Future City Idaho Regional Competition please contact Lynn Olson at: lynnmolson@msn.com

Reference: http://www.futurecityidaho.org/

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