TOP NEWS AND OTHER GREEN EVENTS

Save the Date: Green$ense 2008
Mark your calendar for March 5, 2008 and plan to attend Green$ense, the annual premier conference on green building for the Mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley Region. Event offerings range from exhibits, keynote speakers and breakout sessions, to the Shades of Green Awards Luncheon and green development tours.
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October 9 - Special GBA Member Event
GBA members are invited to a spectacular experience on October 9, 2007. Plans are underway for an evening tour of Phipps Conservatory, where the dramatic glass exhibits of Dale Chihuly can be viewed. Mr. Chihuly is renowned for his ability to change blown glass from small objects into large-scale contemporary sculptures. More details are to come on this annual event of art, live music, socializing and refreshments.
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GBA Product Innovation Grants:
Solicitation #1, Request for Proposals
Through a competitive selection process, the Green Building Alliance will award Product Innovation Grants to projects that seek to develop and introduce green building products to the marketplace. Eligible projects are to address key product development challenges, engineering or design challenges, demonstrate a significant degree of innovation, and/or identify a clear path to commercialization. Proposals for this first solicitation round are due September 28, 2007. Applicants may request as much as $100,000 in funding and GBA will award up to a total of $750,000, which is financed in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority.

All Product Innovation Grant documents can be downloaded from http://www.gbapgh.org/grants.asp. Please direct any questions to the Green Building Alliance’s Research Manager at (412) 431-0709 or research@gbapgh.org.
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$2.3M Carriage House Children's Center Seeks LEED Gold
The Carriage House Children’s Center (CHCC), located at 5604 Solway Street in Squirrel Hill, is undergoing a $2.3 million dollar interior renovation project. The Center is seeking a LEED Gold certification for an existing building, as well as an Energy Star rating. The project involves basement and first floor renovations, including expansion of CHCC’s program space by 2,000 square feet and the building of a commercial kitchen. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 40,000-square-foot, four-story building housed The Wightman School until 1979.
[Read a related article]
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Grant Funds Available for Green Affordable Housing
Enterprise Community Partners, a national nonprofit, is pleased to announce this funding opportunity for developers interested in planning, designing and constructing green affordable housing. Grant guidelines and an application are available at www.greencommunitiesonline.org. Grant awards are expected to be made by November, 2007.

For information about the application process, please call (410) 715-7433 or e-mail greencommunities@enterprisecommunity.org.
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LEED-EB Revisions Aimed at Boosting Certifications
As of last May, out of the 824 projects that had been LEED-certified, only 46 (5.6%) had earned LEED-EB certification. U.S. Green Building Council officials recently acknowledged that one of the biggest reasons for this is the LEED-EB application process, which is costly and cumbersome, thereby discouraging many from seeking certification.

As a result, officials are preparing LEED-EB's first major revisions, which are scheduled for release this fall. While a more user-friendly application process is expected to boost interest even without these changes, there are tangible signs that LEED-EB is gaining momentum. At the end of 2006, fewer than 300 properties were LEED-EB-registered. As of late May, 2007, that number had more than doubled. In addition, monthly orders for LEED-EB guides have swelled from about 100 last year to 300 so far in 2007.
Read More.
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September 11 - Canada Export Seminar –
Focus: Construction and
Green Building Products and Services
Sponsored by The Duquesne University Small Business Development Center in conjunction with the Western Pennsylvania Canada Forum.

Doubletree Hotel, Pittsburgh, PA
7:30 a.m. – noon
For more information, e-mail rondon@duq.edu
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WTAE and WPXI Launch Green Initiatiatives
Pittsburgh is a leader among environmentally friendly cities and perhaps soon will also have the greenest news media. Not only is WTAE Channel 4 Action News starting a new series of reports called "Conveniently Green," but WPXI Channel 11 will officially move into a new environmentally friendly building in September and has launched a "Going Green" news series. Reporters for both stations will bring you the latest information about all things green throughout our region.

To find out more, visit WPXI at:
http://www.wpxi.com/goinggreenpittsburgh/index.html
and WTAE at:
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/green-pages/index.html
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Florida's Sweeping New Green Law Expected to Grow Green Building
As businesses sift through Governor Charlie Crist's executive orders to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, many will be affected by sweeping changes in building codes, utility emissions standards and government procurement practices. Developers and brokers will be heavily affected by a provision that all new buildings constructed for government use be LEED-certified Platinum. Currently, no buildings in South Florida meet this certification.

It is expected that developers will see about a five percent increase in construction costs because of more expensive materials and greater planning time. These costs should drop, however, as demand for green materials creates a larger green product supply.
Learn More
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Request for Proposals for 2008 ACI Home Performance Conference
Would you like to present at the national 2008 Affordable Comfort Home Performance Conference that will be held in Pittsburgh next April? Submit your proposal by August 24, 2007 to showcase your idea or topic on the practical application and implementation of innovative ideas in residential buildings. Sessions will attract over 1,100 participants from the private, utility, non-profit, and government sectors.
For details, visit https://secure.affordablecomfort.org/submitproposals.php
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UPCOMING GBA EVENTS