'Thermal Mass Construction INC' has developed a set of building materials and procedures that allow us to build residential or commercial structures 100% off the grid. With our “Thermal Mass Green Building System” we have a set of options for the level of efficiency a home buyer/owner can afford to achieve according to their budget including the amount of government subsidies and tax credits are available at the time. A client may have certain restrictions on the size and scope of a new build, or the amount of retrofitting they can do at a time.  Yet we are able to offer sustainable energy efficiency in varying degrees to our clients that can be built one phase at a time according to their needs and budget.

Using the materials and procedures developed by Thermal Mass Construction INC new construction for a client is priced at approximately $100 a square foot for the panels and assembly of the structure itself in terms of new construction, which leaves considerable room for profit by the local contractors. Our “Thermal Mass Green Building System” incorporates the heating & cooling system into the mass of the structure itself by way of thermal mass insulated concrete panels that have radiant loops embedded in them.  The system can gather heat from a solar array that is connected to a heating manifold, heating the water in the radiant system to 100+ degrees, or can work in concert with a geo thermal deep well recovery component.

Clearly this isn't a green building issue, but seriously how is it possible that the Republican-led House of Representatives made it an immediate priority to cancel the House cafeteria’s four years of biodegradable food and beverage packaging and bring back the Styrofoam?  This is a case of flipping the bird to former Speaker of the House - Nancy Pilosi, Dem's, the environment and clearly showing some lack of  initiative on the the GOP's part to create jobs and work on some serious budget issues.   

Given our current high and rising oil prices, producing these products that will take a half a millennium to break down, what is this high minded decision all about?  Clearly bio-degradable products are key, but if composting is not available, these products can't be placed in the recycle bin.   The initial cost is higher, but the long term goals of producing and composting everyday take-out products that are corn-based are a much better option the petroleum based products that may be cheap on the customer end of the production cycle, but cost more over  our lifetime. 

Today marks the start of the panel portion of NewNoise Santa Barbara, a music conference and festival here in town. What brings us here today is a panel discussing the role of sustainability in music, and how musicians are putting in the effort to reduce their impact on the road. Topics covered so far have focused on the use of the internet to bring people together. Whether that means joining non-profits with musicians, or allowing musicians to broadcast directly to their audience over the computer. The panel is ongoing, and I will be updating this blog with specific details. We're streaming the discussion live through the link below, so join in to learn all about it!

Live stream link: http://bit.ly/avvima

The Green Building Expo Online Event Series continued yesterday with a multi-hour event focused on Remodels and Retrofits. The event was a big success and started off with a round table discussion answering attendee questions live on everything from home performance tips to tax incentives for energy efficient construction. From there the event moved towards an individual presentation by Jean Carroon on sustainable preservation. It's amazing to think that our current building stock accounts for around 40% of total energy use and carbon emissions in this country.

Following Jean's presentation was a talk tailored towards home performance, and Lucas Johnson shared words of wisdom on the necessity for a home performance assessment. More states are making these necessary before a home or building is sold, but there is a lot of work left to do in this arena. Audience participation yesterday was very high, and I found myself running out of time posting questions to Jean. It seems that there is a large number of professionals out there interested in or already involved in the reuse market that are seeking guidance.

Lately I have been reading more and more in the news about an upturn in starts and building activity. It's nice to see something positive, especially in an industry that's been hit pretty hard this past year and half. According to a recent statement by Eric Belsky, Managing Director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, we should see a healthy rise in home improvement activity this fall and into 2011.

Yesterday, Green Building Pro and Green Building Expo hosted the Green and Sustainable Schools online event. The half-day event consisted of a panel discussion on green schools, followed by three webcasts. Several hundred people were in attendance live and took part in the first of a series of online events within the virtual environment.

I was particularly impressed by the subject matter experts, who spoke on a variety of topics including daylighting, facilities management, school retrofits, and the costs & benefits of going green in education. The audience was very enthusiastic and a seemingly endless list of questions poured through for the speakers. A major part of the event was the fact that AIA members and LEED APs could earn Continuing Education credits by attending the sessions.

For those of you who want a new, worthwhile , well paid  career "Run don't walk into Green"

But how do you get started?

Take some courses
Read
Get involved
Network
Go to trade shows
commit yourself
Get with a good company
Get certified
Be passionate about what you do
Help others save money or add value
Understand the financial part

Chris J Hillman
Business Manager
Allied Business Schools Green Division
chillman@alliedschools.com
714 365 1074

Hello Green Building Pros,

My name is Kelly Moore and I have a new building system to introduce to your community.

My company is, iGreen Construction, Inc.

We have a booth at the Green building Focus in Birmingham, Al. on the 25th/26th.

We will have a booth #401 at the show. I will be going public for the first time with my new "ISAP" Insulated Structual Aluminum Panel Building system that includes the walls and roofs... The system uses no wood and I feel is the first true "GREEN" building ststem. The system saves 65 to 70% on energy bills without any other Green upgrades. We make the idea of a "SUBZERO" home very affordable. The system cost no more than a traditionally built home... Please check out our web site and hope to see you at the show... We are looking for dealers all over the country, locally built to reduce cost and carbon footprint.  Your own "GREEN" business...

Kelly Moore 561.309.2420 www.igreenconstruction.com

Today, I read a book entitled, "Green Recovery," by Andrew Winston, the co-author of "Green to Gold." First off, I highly recommend this book because it provides best practices that corporations are using today to "help build a leaner, greener world." Andrew Winston provides a simple green roadmap for businesses to follow: Get Lean, Get Smart, Get Creative, and Get [Your People] Engaged.

The grand opening of Green Building Expo was a great success with over 3000 attendees during the two day event.

We will be running monthly smaller shows through out the rest of the year and will be adding new booths to the virtual marketplace too so you'll always find great new information about green building products and techniques.