Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center achieves LEED Honors

The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center has recently been awarded a LEED Gold Certification. This makes the museum/park the first to do so in Pennsylvania, and only the fourth in the country to achieve such a level of LEED certification.

Highlights of the Museum and Visitor Center's environmental responsibility include:

• Geothermal heating and cooling system: 207 wells, average depth of 550 feet use the earth's constant 55-degree temperature to heat and cool the facility
• Wetlands restoration: Nearly two acres of wetlands were restored during Museum and Visitor Center construction
• Native plants: Native, drought resistant plants that were used throughout the facility's campus require no irrigation
• Timber reuse: Existing timber was reused in the building's construction
• Recycling: A facility-wide recycling program was adopted
• Construction waste reduction: Metal, cardboard and wood was separated during construction to minimize waste
• Storm water run off minimization: Storm water run off was reduced through the use of underground storage tanks
• Plumbing: Low flow toilets and sinks were installed
• Reduced off-gasses: Off-gassing from carpets, glues, vinyl and paints was reduced
• Low-emission vehicles and carpooling: Parking spaces will be labeled for preferred use by hybrid vehicles and by carpoolers
• Green power: Green power credits will be purchased
• Regional materials: Twenty-five percent of the building materials manufactured locally, and 50 percent were harvested locally

For an article containing more information on the project and certification, CLICK HERE

Vegetated Sound Barrier: Just Add Water

The Ohio Department of Transportation is  experimenting with a greener approach to dampen the sounds produced by highway travel. The vegetated sound walls work similar to the Chia Pet concept, where bags of soil are stacked into a wall, then seeded, creating a natural sound barrier free of concrete. There is added maintenance that comes with such a barrier, including watering and weeding, but the visual picture of grass over concrete has many people willing to compromise.

Over the next two years, ODOT will determine how much water and maintenance the wall of vegetation will need. The department plans to look at whether the wall of plants and grass can survive Ohio's weather, and whether it can cut down on as much noise as a concrete wall

There have been similar projects, such as in Wisconsin where a sound wall was constructed from plastic forms filled with soil and plants in 1994, but removed it in 1996 after a portion of the barrier collapsed and weeds spread. The only similarity between Ohio's wall and the one that failed in Wisconsin is its triangular shape.

For an interview surrounding the project, CLICK HERE

Hopefully this idea will catch on and lead to the greening of other aspects of highway travel.

Have a great weekend

Local Townships Receive Funding for Alternative Energy Projects

In an effort to further Pennsylvania’s initiative to become a leader in sustainability, PA’s Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) recently announced over $18 Million in funding to support alternative energy projects. This will fund 37 individual projects in 16 different counties, including Montgomery County, which was awarded funds for four different solar projects.

The solar projects will have an installed capacity of more than 24 megawatts and will generate at least 26,600 megawatt hours of electricity annually, or enough to power approximately 2,700 Pennsylvania homes. In addition to generating 26,600 solar renewable energy credits a year, the systems will annually save $5.2 million during each of the next 20 years.

Blue Renewable Energy LLC will receive a $127,100 solar energy program grant to install a solar photovoltaic system at the Ancillae-Asumpta Academy campus in Cheltenham Township. The 100-kilowatt rooftop system will generate 110,000 kilowatt hours of energy annually, which could save the school nearly $14,000 in energy costs every year. The total project cost is $516,436.

Lower Moreland Township School District will receive an $851,000 solar energy program grant to install three solar photovoltaic systems. The cumulative, 575-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system will include a 143-kilowatt rooftop system for Lower Moreland High School, a 154-kilowatt rooftop system for Murray Avenue School, and a 278-kilowatt rooftop system for Pine Road Elementary School. The system will generate 670,000 kilowatt hours of energy annually, which could save the school district nearly $84,000 in energy costs every year. The total project cost is $3.2 million.

Colonial Solar LLC will receive a $704,450 solar energy program grant to install two solar photovoltaic systems at schools in the Colonial School District in Plymouth and Whitemarsh townships. The cumulative 700-kilowatt system will include a 440-kilowatt rooftop device for Colonial Middle School and a 265-kilowatt system for Colonial Elementary School. The system will generate approximately $880,000 kilowatt hours of energy annually, which could save the district nearly $110,000 in energy costs every year. The total project cost is $3.2 million.

500 Virginia Solar LP will receive $759,360 solar energy program grant to install a solar photovoltaic system on an office building in Upper Dublin Township. The 950-kilowatt rooftop system will generate 1.3 million kilowatt hours of energy annually, which could save the company $161,000 in energy costs. The total project cost is $4.4 million.

For more information on the funding, as well as a complete list for projects across the state, CLICK HERE

Green Ways to Beat the Heat!

Brace yourselves because today is going to be warm, just like yesterday, the day before that and tomorrow. To sum it up, it is going to be hot. But before you crank up that thermostat, lets look at some greener options to beat the heat, while saving some green in the process.

1.) Use a programmable thermostat: A programmable thermostat allows you to set temperatures to best fit your cooling needs. Consider setting the temperature higher while at work, or during the cooler mornings/nights, which can help keep you cool while limiting energy use.

2.) Consider using a fan: A fan costs much less to operate than an air conditioning unit and will instantly make a room feel 4 to 6 degrees cooler. Ceiling fans will work great for frequently used rooms, while a house fan could pull in enough fresh night air to cool the whole house!

3.) Keep the Sun Out: Consider installing sunblockers on windows, which reduce the amount of sunlight and heat entering a room. These include blinds, curtains and shades. Using sunblockers in a room can reduce heat gain in a well insulated house to 1 degree an hour.

4.) Cook Cool: Using a stove, toaster or any kitchen appliance that uses heat can boost a rooms temperature by up to 10 degrees. Consider making dishes that do not require cooking, or the use of an outside grill to keep the heat outdoors.

5.) Turn the lights off: Or at least consider cooler bulbs. Compact fluorescents use 75% less energy than your standard incandescent bulbs and emit 90% less heat.

Regardless of what techniques you use, make sure you keep your home at a safe and healthy temperature and stay well hydrated during this heat wave. With forecasted highs of 99 both today and tomorrow, an excessive heat warning and an Air Quality Action Day already in place, keeping cool is the number one priority! For more green ways to beat the heat, CLICK HERE

The heat wave looks to break later this week, but until then, remember when we were sick of days like this?

Bicycle and Pedestrians Trips are on the Rise

And so is the funding being directed towards bicycle and pedestrian improvements. While the above graphic may look simple, it shows a significant increase in both pedestrian and bicycle trips over the past 20 years, as well as a significant increase in funding. According to The National Bicycling and Walking Study: A 15 Year Status Report, In 1992, less than .25% of Federal Transportation Funding was directed towards Pedestrian and Bicycle projects, but that percentage has grown to nearly 2% in 2009, jumping a whole percent between 2008-2009.

Supporting Pedestrian and Bicycle projects not only boasts environmental benefits, but also creates healthier lifestyles, lowers personal costs of transportation and increases a persons quality of life.

For more information and a copy of the The National Bicycling and Walking Study: A 15 Year Status Report, CLICK HERE