Green Building Basics                        Green Engineering Course

                  
      OHIO Ecohouse                  Vision OHIO: Master Planning Report

The Basics

Green building is the practice of increasing the efficiency of buildings by decreasing energy, water, and material use, while also reducing building impacts on human health and the environment, through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal — the complete building life cycle.

Traditionally, there are seven main elements of green building.

1. Energy efficiency and renewable energy
2. Water stewardship
3. Environmentally preferred building materials and specifications
4. Waste reduction
5. Toxic material elimination
6. Indoor environment
7. Smart growth and sustainable programs.

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Green Engineering

Students in Ben Stuart's "Green Engineering" winter 2007 course tackled LEED certification principles in a group project. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. Students in the class evaluated existing facilities on campus and described how LEED certification could be achieved through renovations targeting water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. For more information on the project, please contact Dr. Ben Stuart at stuart@ohio.edu.

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OHIO Ecohouse

Building a new building, even if it's a green building, increases our enivironmental footprint. Retrofitting a house is often a better option. When a building is retrofitted, projects are undertaken to increase the efficiency of an old building. Often old applicances are replaced with energy-efficient appliances, installation is replaced and improved, and sometimes alternative energy systems are installed.

The OHIO Ecohouse is an example of a retrofit. Upgrades were made to a building already owned by the university. Upgrades included: energy star appliances, compact fluorescent light bulbs, insulation, a solar electric array, a corn furnace, and a solar thermal hot water system. The Ecohouse hosts open houses; please check the Office of Sustainability website for dates and more details.

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Vision Ohio: Master Planning Report

In December of 2006, University Planning and Implementation (UPI) released a document, Vision Ohio: Master Planning Report (this document is very large).  Part of the document summarized a sustainability plan within Ohio University development.  The plan requires that all design team consultants be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited, in requests for proposals. 

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