CLEED

Sustainability Consultancy for Cultural Institutions

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@Exploratorium at Pier 15 – 2016 #AIA COTE Top Green Projects

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It is exciting to see that a museum was chosen as one of the 2016 AIA COTE top ten green projects of the year! Check out the specs via AIA below.

From the AIA:

The Exploratorium in San Francisco, CA, is an interactive science museum that also demonstrates innovation and sustainability in its design and construction. The building takes advantage of the historic pier shed’s natural lighting and the 800’ long roof provided room for a 1.3 megawatt photovoltaic array. The water of the Bay is used for cooling and heating. Materials were used that that are both sustainable and durable enough to withstand a harsh maritime climate. The project is certified LEED Platinum and is close to reaching its goal of being the country’s largest Net Zero energy museum and an industry model for what’s possible in contemporary museums.

BY THE NUMBERS:

  • Estimated percent of occupants using public transit, cycling or walking: 47%
  • Daylighting at levels that allow lights to be off during daylight hours: 50%
  • Lighting Power Density: 0.78 watts/sf
  • Views to the Outdoors: 75%
  • Percent reduction of regulated potable water: 50%
  • Total EUI predicted (kBtu/sf/yr): 42
  • Net EUI predicted (kBtu/sf/yr): 6
  • Percent reduction from National Median EUI for Building Type (predicted): 92%

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Photo Credit: Bruce Damonte Photography

 

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Come Join @PICGREEN at AAM’s Annual Conference in DC

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Join PIC Green at AAM’s 2016 Annual Meeting and MuseumExpo in Washington, DC!
Search the conference schedule with keywords ‘sustainable’ or ‘green’ to find relevant sessions. Below are PIC-Green events we hope you will attend.

Mexican Cultural Institute
Reception with Latino, Indigenous Peoples, Asian Pacific American,
DIVCOM, LGBTQ & PIC Green
Thursday, May 26, 2016, 6-8 p.m. at Mexican Cultural Institute
Registration Required ($40)

Creativity and innovation grow out of collaborations strengthened by diverse perspectives. This reception brings together members of the Latino, Indigenous Peoples and Museums, Asian Pacific American networks, as well as the Diversity (DIVCOM), LGBTQ, and PIC Green committees. Join this diverse group of museum professionals for participatory activities, engaging discussions, as well as food, drinks, and live music. All are welcome; you do not need to be a member of one of these professional networks to participate.

PIC Green Informal Meet-Up Happy Hour
Friday, May 27 @6pm-8pm
Momofuku CCDC
Registration not Required

Meet PIC-Green’s leadership, mingle with other members, and get involved!

Sustainability Excellence Awards 2016
PIC Green Breakfast: Sustainability Excellence Awards
Friday, May 27, 2016, 7:30-8:30 a.m. at Marriott Marquis
Registration Required ($35)

Break bread with PIC Green! At this breakfast, we will recognize this year’s winners of AAM’s Sustainability Excellence Award. Come to learn about and be inspired by the good work being done to further sustainability efforts throughout our field. Everyone is welcome!

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United States Botanic Garden
PIC Green Field Trip: Sustainable Museum Tour at the U.S. Botanic Gardens
Saturday, May 28, 2016, 1:00-3:00 p.m. at United States Botanic Garden
Registration Required ($25)

Learn how this organization aligns their mission with environmental, economic and social stewardship in their facilities and operations. The tour includes the newly renovated Bartholdi Park, the SITES program and the Garden’s continually expand sustainable practices.

Hope to see you there!

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Clean Energy Industry To Be Transformed

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Good news for the clean energy industry, as U.S. lawmakers agreed to extend tax credits for solar and wind for another five years. This will give much needed boost to the industry and change the course of how the US deploys energy.

The extension adds an extra 20 gigawatts of solar power— this is more than every panel ever installed in the U.S. prior to 2015, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). This deal is huge it is likely to change the landscape of US renewable energy for the future.

The wind credit will contribute another 19 gigawatts over five years. Combined, the extensions will spur more than $73 billion of investment and supply enough electricity to power 8 million U.S. homes, according to BNEF.

“This is massive,” said Ethan Zindler, head of U.S. policy analysis at BNEF. In the short term, the deal will speed up the shift from fossil fuels more than the global climate deal struck this month in Paris and more than Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan that regulates coal plants, Zindler said.
This is solid boost for the solar and wind industries, the cost of installing has dropped more than 90% since the original tax credits were put in place. Now the industry has 5 consecutive years to hopefully make both solar and wind the cheapest energy in most US states, surpassing natural gas and coal. This is a very positive step in the right direction, it will give us a clear indication of how the markets will react, maybe this is the push we need to make renewables the number one energy source for the US. A good way to start 2016!

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@GCIConservation: #Getty Master Class on Museum Lighting, Options Beyond White LED

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On February 11 & 12, 2016, and the Lunder Conservation Center at the Smithsonian will give a 2-day master class on recent developments in museum and gallery lighting. Although the application period is closed the topic itself is of utmost importance for the green museum world.

As Getty states, “this master class will present a structured framework for understanding and discussing recent advances and methodologies for the effective use and evaluation of the new generation of LED lighting, including the accompanying control options for museum settings. It will specifically address the opportunities and challenges of the introduction of color-tunable LED lighting systems and will explore how these can be utilized in museum exhibits. It will also reflect on energy consumption issues of new LED lighting systems.”

The UK’s Museum Association also did a comprehensive article that is still relevant on whether or not it is time to, it’s worth a read!

 

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@GreenBuild Recap Top 10 #GreenProducts & Technologies

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This year GreenBuild took place on the hill in DC. If you wanted to learn the latest about sustainable building it was the place to be! It featured three jam-packed days of top speakers, endless networking opportunities, showcases, LEED workshops and in-depth tours of green buildings in Washington, DC.

Here’s a short recap from of the best 10 products, technologies and cutting edge ideas. They all can be pretty technical, but I am partial to the last one, USAI Lighting Color Select Tunable Lighting. This kind of controllable lighting could be a key option for museum collections requiring a special spectrum of light. Be on the look out for them!

  1. Johns Manville ENRGY 3.E Halogen-Free Polyiso Insulation
    Johns Manville is the first manufacturer to sell a polyisocyanurate roofing insulation not containing TCPP, or Tris (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate, the halogenated flame retardant used in polyiso and spray foam.
  2. These furnishings are made from natural latex and do not require chemical flame retardants.
  3. The materials that go into the KI Chair come from agriculturally-sourced methane rather than petroleum, which makes the chair carbon-negative.
  4. FocalPoint Bioretention System
    This filtration systems provides the performance of natural storm water filtration on a very small footprint.
  5. Multistack Magnetic Levitation Chillers with Danfoss Compressors
    These chillers cool offices, schools, and large commercial buildings; they are energy-efficient and eliminate the need for mechanical seals, gears, pumps, and many other conventional components.
  6. Fluid-Applied Cat 5 Air Barrier System from Prosoco
    The parts that make up these air barriers are based on the high-performance “hybrid” polymer chemistry, which lacks solvents and isocyanates; in addition, the removal of phthalate plasticizers makes them eligible for use in Living Building Challenge Products.
  7. Clean Energy Collective
    The collective develops locally-sited photovoltaic facilities across the U.S. and engages with local utilities so that local people can purchase and own PV panels within a shared array.
  8. Cascadia Clip Thermal Spacers
    The Cascadia Clip offers support for cladding over insulation, and it decreases thermal bridging more effectively than conventional methods.
  9. Marvin Windows with U.S. Passive House Certification
    Marvin Windows is the first major American window manufacturer to issue a Passive House Institute U.S.-certified window. These windows are available with FSC-certified wood.
  10. This product blends the efficacy of LEDs with the ability to provide users complete control over the color and intensity of their interior lighting.

For for information check out the full article at