Pertinent Policies Archives - Lorax Partnerships | Green Building Consulting Services

Fitwel v2.1

Well, well, well. Have you heard about the newest release of Fitwel? The Center for Active Design (CfAD), operator of Fitwel, announced some exciting new changes to Fitwel yesterday! In just two years on the market, Fitwel has over 700 registered projects, with about 90% of the portfolio consisting of existing buildings. This is a…

LEED v4.1: The Good, The Bad, and the… Helpful?

Are you struggling with your LEED v4 project? It’s not just you! USGBC has heard from LEED users, seen the light, and made adjustments. In case you missed it, on January 21, 2018, USGBC released the LEED v4.1 beta versions of BD+C, ID+C, O+M, Residential, and Cities & Communities rating systems. While a new version…

2012 NGBS Registration Deadline Approaching

Attention! The Registration Deadline for 2012 NGBS is Monday, December 31, 2018, 5:00 PM. Do you have a residential project in need of a green building certification? Time and again, the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) proves to be the the most cost effective rating system for qualifying residential buildings, specifically related to soft…

Discovering and Financing Energy-Saving Opportunities

Last week Katie and Tim attended the DC Sustainable Energy Utility office’s presentation on Discovering and Financing Energy-Saving Opportunities in Your Building. The facilitators of the forum were representatives from Urban Ingenuity, a DC based Financial Services Organization that “provides innovative solutions to develop and finance advanced energy projects, building retrofits, and state of the…

LEED Certification and Registration Fees Increase

On December 1, 2016, GBCI adjusted the LEED registration and certification fees for the first time since 2010. LEED registration provides your team with access to LEED Online and now access to the fully integrated arc platform. LEED Online allows you to track LEED credits and strategies and facilitate LEED certification from start to finish.…

LEED v2009 Registration to Close

As the green building and sustainability industry evolves, so too does the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. October 31, 2016 marks the final day to register any LEED project in the v2009 rating system before LEED v4 takes full effect. Additionally, projects currently registered within the LEED…

Breaking Down Barriers to Community Solar

For Marylanders, there are several barriers to entry for renewable energy usage through solar panel installation. For example, renters might not be allowed to install solar on their homes, some buildings might have too much shading for solar to be feasible, others might not be able to front the installation cost. Luckily, Maryland is testing…

PACE 101: How It Works

At Lorax, we find, the largest barrier to adopting renewable energy systems for private property owners is the lack of financing options. Slowly but surely, counties in Maryland are adopting the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing method to make renewable energy a more feasible option. Here’s how Tim explains the program: The PACE program…

Attention! Attention! Change in LEED!

A significant change in LEED is just around the corner! In early March, USGBC membership approved a ballot measure to update the minimum energy efficiency requirements for LEED v2009 projects. The minimum energy efficiency requirement for LEED BD+C and ID+C v3 rating systems is getting more stringent on April 8, 2016. The new minimum threshold…

Multifamily Influx and NGBS

As apartment buildings continue to emerge steadily in the greater Baltimore area, Lorax has found itself welcoming an influx of green multifamily residential projects into our portfolio. A contributing factor to the increase in green multifamily residential buildings is the recent update to the Baltimore City Green Construction Code (BCGCC) and Baltimore’s adoptions of the…