Terminal Market’s Building J Location: Description: Project is aiming to achieve LEED Silver certification through the use of several sustainable features, including an extensive green roof. Link: http://marketingexcellence/projectprofile_preview.aspx?id=10&project =13111 Jomax Hotel Location: Description: A very sustainably designed hotel which is aiming for LEED gold certification. One feature included is a variety of green roofs on various parts of the building. Link: http://marketingexcellence/projectprofile_preview.aspx?id=10&project =11527 Sources Banting, Dr Doug et al. “Report on the Environmental Benefits and Costs of Green Roof Technology for the City of ” Oct. 2005. Accessed on . http://www.toronto.ca/greenroofs/pdf/fullreport103105.pdf A comprehensive report on the benefits and costs of green roofs, and how they apply specifically to Berndtsson, Justyna et al. “Runoff water quality from intensive and extensive vegetated roofs“ July, 2007. Accessed on . Accessible on www.sciencedirect.com
Studies the levels of certain chemicals and pollutants in runoff from several green roofs, in comparison to similar standard roofs. Carter, Timothy and Fowler, Laurie. “Establishing Green Roof Infrastructure Through Environmental Policy Instruments” May, 2007. Accessed . available at www.springerlink.com Discuses strategies for implementing green roof technology on a large scale through political changes to infrastructure Cantwell, Sen. Maria. “S.320: Clean Energy Stimulus and Investment Assurance Act of 2009” Jan. 2009. Accessed . http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-320 A bill introduced to the senate which offers tax incentives for the construction of green roofs (among other things) Choi, Charles Q. “Green Roofs Curb Global Warming, Study Finds” Oct. 2009. Accessed . http://www.livescience.com/environment/091005-green-roofs.html An article about green roofs and how their use can mitigate the precence of green house gasses. , Corrie et al. “Green Roof Valuation: A Probabilistic Economic Analysis of Environmental Benefits” Mar. 2007. Accessed on . Accessible on http://pubs.acs.org/
consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are predicted to both quadruple (Science for Global Insight, 2010). Since green walls insulate buildings, which helps reduce energy consumption, and provide natural air filtration, which helps improve air quality, the demand for green walls will continue grow. The cost per square foot roughly ranges from US $100.00 to $175.00 depending on the size and the plant material. Green walls insulate buildings and provide sound absorption. Green walls remove volatile organic compounds from the air and can improve the mental health of nearby persons. They require standard plant maintenance with the possible added difficulty of being high in the air and difficult to reach. Figure : Green Walls (Econoplas, 2007) Technical Description Green walls are interior and exterior walls that have vegetative covering and come in a variety of designs and sizes with a wide range of practical decorative vegetation. They utilize almost any type of plant, depending on the region (Smith, 2010). Orientation, climate, sunlight, wind exposure, and maintenance regimes all influence the palette of plants suitable for any given project (Plant Connection, 2010). There are two major types of green walls. A green façade, which uses climbing plants to form a wall covering, and a living wall, which uses modular plants in a panel system. Green walls are also known as bio-walls, vegetated walls, eco-walls, and vertical gardens (Capital Regional District, 2010). No matter what it is called, green walls have made quite an impact. Even Time Magazine recognized its possibilities and named green walls the 31st best invention of 2009 (Time Magazine, 2009).
Table 1: Types of Climbing Plants Name Description Examples Considerations Source Self-clinging Climbers (Adhesive Pad Climbers and Clinging Wall Climbers) Both use lateral shoots with glandular discs that adhere to any surface and have strong roots that grow over long distances without any auxiliary support. Ivy Parthenocissus tricuspidata Climbing Hydrangeas Hydrangea petiolaris May cause harm to buildings by damaging sidings and mortar with their invasive adhesive pads and roots, so they should only be used with a support system and proper maintenance to avoid structural damage , 2008 Vine Climbers A strong affinity to grow upwards by winding around the support with circular movements of their stem tips. Slow to moderate growers need support space of mm, and very vigorous species can be up to 800 mm apart. Wisteria Wisteria Sinensis Honeysuckles Lonicera Hops Humulus Lupulu Morning glory Ipomoea Hederacea Vertical supports might be needed in most cases, but spacing between vertical supports varies depending on the species. Stainless Steel Solutions, “Planting Advice” 2009 400
Leaf-twining and Tendril Climbers Use their leaves to hold on. Primarily deciduous, but they hold on to the system with their brittle stems in the winter. Slow to moderate climbers need a grid size of 150x200mm, and vigorous climbers need a grid size of 300x500mm. Clematis and Nasturtiums Tropaeolum Passion flowers Passiflora Grape vines Vitis Ampelopsis Ampelopsis Brevipedunculata Vertical and horizontal supports recommended for leaf-twiners and tendrils. Stainless Steel Solutions, “Planting Advice” 2009 , 2008 Ramblers and Scrambling Plants Holds on to the supports with thorns, bristles, and prickles. Can be used over stretches of horizontal growth with a small vertical range. Horizontal supports are ideal, and optimum vertical spacing is roughly 400mm. Spry Should not be used where people can easily come into contact with them because they are so jagged. Not ideal for vertical growth. Stainless Steel Solutions, “Plant Advice” 2009
This site talks about different techniques to hang a green wall. Econoplas. “Green Walls/Facades” 2007. Accessed . Photo Source. Living Walls. “Living Wall Planting Ideas” 2010. Accessed . Here is a company’s professional opinion on the best plants and planters for living wall systems. Faculty of Applied Science. “Successes of Green Walls” Copyright Queen’s University. Accessed . This site discusses the positive mental health effects associated with green walls. Gavin. “Green Wall Panels” 2009. Accessed . It provides some dimensions on green wall panels. Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. “2008 Awards of Excellence: Aquarium – Green Wall Design” 2009. Accessed .
Photo Source , “Permeable Surfaces”, 2008, Accessed . The ’s Program for Resource Efficient Communities’ fact sheet on permeable pavements. , “Porous Asphalt”, Accessed . The ’s fact sheet on porous asphalt. Wanielista, Marty; Chopra, Manoj, “Performance Assessment of Portland Cement Pervious Pavement”, 2007, Accessed , Available at A research paper on the performance of a pervious pavement project constructed in . Wible, Daniel, Cahill Associates Environmental Consultants, “Porous Pavement/Groundwater Recharge”, 2008, Accessed . Presentation on porous pavement including its history and several case studies. Wong, Eva, “Reducing Urban Heat Islands: Compendium of Strategies Cool Pavements“, 2005, Accessed .
advantage in a rain garden and provide the most cleaning and filtration benefits to the environment” (LID, 2007). Therefore, the seeding or early planting of drought resistant plants known to develop deep roots would be ideal. Potential Benefits Bioretention areas increase groundwater recharge, enhance the landscape, provide wind breaks, absorb noise, provide wildlife habitat, and reduce the urban heat island effect (MAPC). In addition, bioretention areas provide the following benefits: Conserves or establishes a unique and historical sense of natural identity (i.e. native plants) (, 2007). County, Promotes environmental education and responsibility (, 2007). Increases aesthetic appeal and thus real estate values by up to 20% (, 2007). Lessen storm-water runoff flow A study done in 2005 in showed that 98.8% of inflow from roof and precipitation was released through subsurface flow (Dietz, 2005). Improve storm-water quality According to ’s County best practices manual, bioretention areas have shown to efficiently reduce the following pollutants/contaminants (EPA, 2000). Total suspended solids – 97% Total Phosphorus – 35%-65% Total Nitrogen – 33%-66% Copper – 36%-93% Lead – 24%-99%
Sources Countywide Clean Water Program, “Stormwater Technical Guidance: Vegetated Swales”, 2006, Accessed Feb. 2, 2010. A stormwater technical guidance handbook writted by a consortium of local agencies for developers, builders, and project applicants within . Beuttell, Kevin. “A Paradox of Nature: to be Dry”. 2008, Accessed . An article written by a Stantec employee on the proper design of rain gardens in order to maximize aesthetic appeal and performance. Beuttell, Kevin. “: A Dry Design Approach”. 2010. Accessed . A presentation by a Stantec employee on why designing bioretention areas to be dry is more effective than conventional methods. , Mark; Acomb, Glenn, “Bioretention Basins/Rain Gardens”, 2008, Accessed . The of ’s Program for Resource Efficient Communities’ fact sheet on bioretention basins/rain gardens as part of ’s field guide to low-impact development. Watershed Association, “Vegetated Swales”, 2008, Accessed Feb. 1, 2010.
An information sheet on vegetated swales, written as part of the , MA Watershed Association’s low-impact development best management practices. Dietz, Michael; Clausen, John, “A Field Evaluation of Rain Garden Flow and Pollutant Treatment”, 2005, Accessed , Available at Published research by the of and Engineering on the field performance of rain gardens constructed in Erosion Control and Storm Water Management Manual, “”, 2007, Accessed . A fact sheet on bioretention areas written as part of . stormwater management manual. Hunt, W.F.; White, N.M., “Bioretention Performance, Design, Construction, and Maintenance”, 2001, Accessed . Several biortention cell case studies in are presented and analyzed for field performance. EPA, “Low Impact Development: A Literature Review”, 2000, Accessed . “A literature review was conducted to determine the availability and reliability of data to assess the effectiveness of low impact development
(LID) practices for controlling stormwater runoff volume and reducing pollutant loadings to receiving waters”. EPA, NPDES, “Proposed National Rulemaking to Strengthen the Stormwater Program”, 2010. Accessed . EPA, “Stormwater Phase II Final Rule: An Overview”. 2000, Accessed . EPA, “Stormwater Technology Fact Sheet: Vegetated Swales”, 1999, Accessed . The EPA’s fact sheet on vegetated swales written as part of their stormwater technology fact sheet. Idaho Department of Environmental Quality “”, 2005, Accessed . A bioretention fact sheet written as part of the Department of Environmental Quality’s Stormwater Best Management Practices Catalog. Lake Superior Streams, “Bioretention Basins”, 2005, Accessed . An entire site devoted to encouraging proper stormwater management techniques including information on bioretention areas and their specific designs within the area of MN and WI.
Landcare Research, Manaaki Whenua . “LIUDD Case Studies”. 2010, Accessed . Low Impact Development Center Inc, “Bioretention”, 2007, Accessed . The site offers general information on several low-impact development technologies including bioretention areas. Low Impact Development Center Inc, “ Design Templates”, 2007, Accessed . The ’s site on bioretention areas offers good design and performance information as well as templates. Metropolitan Area Planning Council, “Bioretention Areas”, Accessed Feb. 2, 2010. A fact sheet on bioretention areas wirtten as part of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s smart growth section. National Research Council, “Urban Stormwater Management in the ”. 2008. Accessed . ’s County, : Environmental Services Division, “Bioretention Manual”, Dec. 2007, Accessed .
Typically rainwater harvesting systems consist of a catchment area, a treatment process, a storage tank, and piping to the intended use, as shown in . For most domestic rainwater harvesting systems the catchment areas consists of the building’s roof. The treatment, size of the storage tank, and the extensiveness of the rainwater’s piping system all depend on the final use of the rainwater. Figure 17: Rainwater Harvesting System (Zhang, 2008) There are a variety of ways to ensure water quality of rainwater. A very common feature of a treatment system is a first flush device. A schematic of a first flush diagram is shown in . The device works by filtering the rainwater to separate debris, and then storing this runoff in a chamber, allowing contaminants to settle and be released through a small hole in the bottom. The cleaner water at the top of the chamber is allowed to flow to the storage tank (Cross and Duncan, 2007). This device prevents larger debris from entering the storage tank. Figure : First Flush Device (Cross and Duncan, 2007) After the water is filtered by a first flush device it is stored in a tank. The size of the tank greatly affects the economic feasibility of the system, as the cost of tank installation tends to be the largest component of rainwater harvesting system’s cost (Chilton et al, 2000). Therefore when designing a rainwater harvesting system it is very important to size the storage tank correctly. The quality of rainwater collected also needs to be monitored if it is to be used for drinking. This is because rainwater can be contaminated with microbes,
This is a case study of a Stantec project which consisted of installing a SSF wetland to help a town better treat it’s wastewater. Manios et al. “Construction Simplicity and Cost as Selection Criteria Between Two Types of Constructed Wetlands Treating Highway Runoff.” Technological Educational of and . . Copyright Springer Science+Business Media 2009. Accessed . This is a report comparing the effectiveness and economic feasibility of SF and SSF wetlands in treating highway runoff in . Neralla et al. “Improvement of domestic wastewater quality by subsurface flow constructed wetlands.” , . . Copyright Elsevier Science Ltd 2000. Accessed . Availale at Sciencedirect.com This 1999 study in tracked the water quality of effluent from 8 subsurface wetlands for 2 to 4 years each. Puigagut et al. “Subsurface-flow constructed wetlands in for the sanitation of small communities: A comparative study.” Technical of , Campus Universitario, Centro de Nuevas Tecnolog´ıas del Agua, and on. . Copyright Elsevier B.V. 2007. Accessed . Available at Sciencedirect.com. This is a report on the status of constructed wetlands in . Rousseau et al. “Constructed wetlands for water reclamation.” UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, , and Université Laval. . Copyright Elsevier B.V. 2008. Accessed . Available at Sciencedirect.com.
This paper gives an overview of treatment performances, reuse possibilities, operation and maintenance requirements, costs and constraints interfering with the application constructed wetlands. Song et al. “Seasonal and annual performance of a full-scale constructed wetland system for sewage treatment in .” Technological University and . . Copyright Elsevier B.V. 2005. Accessed . Available at Sciencedirect.com. A study conducted from 1999-2004 in Rongcheng, Shandong Province, China found that a subsurface flow wetland reduced SS by 78%, BOD by 70%, COD by 62%, total coliform by 99.7%, fecal coliform by 99.6%, ammonia nitrogen by 40%, and total phosphorus by 30%. Vymaza, Jan. “Horizontal sub-surface flow and hybrid constructed wetlands systems for wastewater treatment.” Science Direct and Duke University Wetland Center, Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Durham, NC 27708, USA. . Copyright 2005 Elsevier B.V. Accessed . Available at Sciencedirect.com. This is a report on the effect constructed wetlands have on the quality of water they treat. It focuses on wetlands constructed in and the history of their development. Yang et al. “Ecosystem service value assessment for constructed wetlands: A case study in .” University, , and Université du Quebec à Montréal. . Copyright Elsevier B.V 2008. Accessed . Can be found at Sciencedirect.com.
Best Warm Season Grass Bermudagrass Buffalograss Carpetgrass Centipede Figure : Warm Season Grass (American Lawns, 2010) Alternative Ground Covers Barrenwort is a perennial covering that blooms in spring and thrives in partially shaded areas. Bishop's weed can be plain green or multicolored, and it spreads easily in the sun or shade. Cotoneaster is typically a hardy, low growing, small leaf shrub that can handle dry slopes. Heath and Heather are low-growing plants that have tiny flower spikes in spring (Heath) or fall (Heather) and can occupy shaded or sunny areas. Bugleweed has green, purple-tinted, or variegated leaves that produce white flowers in the spring. Cinnamon fern grows best in shady areas and spreads slowly.
(American Lawns, 2010) Appropriate Plant Selection Drought Tolerant Flowers Achillea (Yarrow) Alyssum Asclepias (Butterfly Weed) Beebalm Bougainvillea California Poppy Campis (Trumpet vine) Cosmos Cranesbill Geranium Daylily Euphorbia Fairy Duster Gaillardia Goldenrod Greek oregano Heliopsis Iris Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker) Lamb’s Ears Lavender Oleander Orange Jubilee Penstemon Perovskia (Russian Sage) Portulaca Rudbeckia Tradescantia (Spiderwort) Veronica Yellow Bells Zinnia Drought Tolerant Grasses Feather Reed Grass Fescue Fountain Grass (Pennisetum) Maiden Grass (Miscanthus) Switch Grass (Panicum) Drought Tolerant Shrubs Amelanchier (Shadbush) Aronia (Chokeberry) Buddleia (Butterfly Bush) Hypericum (St. Johnswort) Juniper Potentilla Viburnum (Hedding. 2010 & Iannotti, “” 2008)
Iannotti, Marie. “Xeriscape Gardening – Planning for a ” 2008. Accessed . This link discusses how xericaping helps conserve water. Klimchuk, Amanda. “Xeriscaping: Procedure, Analysis, and Recommendation” 2008. Accessed . Further details about xeriscaping practices are discussed. Landscape . “Site Analysis” 2010. Accessed . Details about how to prepare a site for xeriscaping are discussed. Landscape Design Advisor. “Natural Outdoor Living with Xeriscape Landscape Design” 2007. Accessed . The seven xeriscaping topics are the main focus of this site. Michaels, Patricia A. “An Introduction to Organic Management” 2005. Accessed . This link gives information about how to thwart off insects naturally.
Describes all aspects of absorption chillers McQuay Air Conditioning. “Centrifugal Chiller Fundamentals” 2000. Accessed on Jan.29, 2010. A manual detailing the function of a centrifugal water chiller. , University of “Legionnaires Disease - Information Sheet” Nov. 2009. Accessed on Feb. 1, 2010. http://www.uottawa.ca/services/ehss/legionnaires.htm Gives the basic fact about the symptoms and transmission of legionnaires disease Patil, Anish et al. “Sustainable District Heating System: A Multi-Actor Perspective” 2006. Accessed . Available at http://ieeexplore.ieee.org An analysis on a theoretical project on how to make a district heating project feasible by getting the right parties involved in its planning and initiation Pöyry Energy Consulting “The Potential and Costs of District Heating Networks” The Department of Energy and Climate Change”. 2009. Accessed .
Brian, Marshal; Bryant, Charles, “How Air Conditioners Work”, 2000, Accessed , Available at EPA, “Air Handler Condensate Recovery at EPA”, 2009, Accessed Jan. 25, 2010, Available at EPA, “Process Water Efficiency, HEALTHCARE - TOP 5 GREEN BUILDING STRATEGIES” 2007, Accessed . Available at: EPA, “Top 10 Water Management Techniques”, 2010, Accessed Feb.23, 2010. Johnson, Gregory. “HVAC Design for Sustainable Lab”. 2008, Accessed . Maddaus, William. “Realizing the Benefits from Water Conservation”. 2001, Accessed . South Regional Water Planning Group. “2011 South Regional Water Plan”. 2008, Accessed Feb. 23. 2010. Tolat, Deepa. “Using LEED on Laboratory Projects”. 2008. Accessed . Weynard, Phil. “Condensate-Free Water” . Accessed . Avaiable at Wilson, Alex; Navaro, Rachel. “Alternative Water Sources: Supply-Side Solutions for Green Buildings” . Accessed . Wilson, Alex; Navaro, Rachel. “Water: Doing More with Less”. 2008, Accessed .
lowest. IE if the fuel is waste wood from a wood processing plant then the operating cost may be much lower than a system based on fuel such as natural gas heating oil. This also depends on other factors such as the capital costs, financing cost and operating and maintenance cost. “ Employee 2: “Cogeneration and district heating can be economically feasible, given the right energy cost environment, and in areas of high energy demand density. District cooling in my experience has been less economically attractive. “ Employee 3: “It seems to me that DHS can show cost benefit if there is a substantial new demand (new building) contemplated. We studied the potential for the Town of Truro, NS where a new hospital was to be built within reasonable distance to a potential DHS plant. In the case of , the economics are questionable because a lot of government funding was used. This was justified in terms of using as a demonstration of what could be achieved by DHS. Anecdotal information indicates that the provision of DHS to small-size commercial/residential clients is clearly a loss-situation. Discussion of pay-back period is not really relevant. It is generally accepted that “pay-back period” is a very crude measure of success. DHS is a community facility that embeds many non-financial benefits that a municipality would want. For example, the energy can be provided from natural resources (biomass, geothermal, etc.) on a scale that individual clients would not be able to install. Therefore, they could not achieve the lower cost per unit of energy output. Also, a centralized DHS plant could include for power generation (, Bay Area Health Commission) using natural gas.” What kind of energy savings were projects you worked on able to generate? Employee 2: “Total energy savings have been relatively minor, due to efficiency gains. The primary environmental driver has been fuel switching to a cleaner fuel. “