Green building resource centers practice what they preach

Facilities in Michigan and Georgia take on regional responsibility in encouraging green building techniques.

By Source: Mother Nature Network August 19, 2009

Two recently opened green building resource centers show that greening works in theory and in practice, according to Mother Nature Network. Centers like the Project Green Institute in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Southface Eco Office in Atlanta will have a big impact on the industry by practicing what they preach in green construction.

J.S. Vig Construction opened the Project Green Institute to provide guidance for new construction and building retrofits. In addition to being U.S. Green Building Council LEED certified itself and employing LEED AP staff, the institute will offer green construction training courses and maintain an online database of sustainability best practices. Local businesses can contract with the institute for building audits as well as retrofit projects.

Similarly, the Southface Eco Office in Atlanta is a LEED platinum, EnergyStar-rated, EarthCraft Light Commercial-certified building. The office was built as an educational tool to showcase sustainable commercial building practices and products. It has a photovoltaic array that was salvaged from a gas station, a 2,000 sq ft green roof, a high-performance lighting system, and a high-tech window glazing system to switch glass from clear to opaque to conserve energy while maintaining views. Real-time and historical performance data of the Eco Office are available online .

Many green advocates hope that seeing these green features on functioning buildings will convince others that building green can be both practical and cost-effective.