Now that Rhode Island has its own chapter affiliated with the U.S. Green Building Council, the local group plans a conference in early 2009 with the Rhode Island Builders Association and establishment of a demonstration house to illustrate the techniques of “green” building standards.
That’s according to Connie McGreavy, a Warren resident who chairs the state chapter and who was a main force behind its formation. The Rhode Island group won provisional status Oct. 1, McGreavy said, after clearing a number of hurdles designed to prove to the national organization that the local chapter has “staying power” and “good leadership,” McGreavy said.
“It’s a tough economy and a tough time of the year to be spending money,” McGreavy said, “but I think people see the value of learning more [about green building] and getting involved. Rhode Island can climb out of this economic hole, and all the experts point to retrofitting existing buildings [as the most attainable goal].”
Formation of the local chapter started in April when a group of interested parties brainstormed to begin the organizational work. Provisional status came six months later. Nineteen volunteer experts, all members of the U.S. Green Building Council, make up the board of directors of the state group, according to McGreavy. They include representatives from: the state departments of administration and education; educational institutions such as Bryant University, Brown University and the University of Rhode Island and several major businesses, including Gilbane Inc. and Bank of America. The board has met twice, in November and in December.
The first project on the new chapter’s drawing board is establishment of a demonstration house that will be renovated in accord with national Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards “to show how green you can go,” McGreavy said.
The group is in the process of finding a suitable house, either a foreclosed or rental property owned by a nonprofit housing corporation, and has tentatively identified a Providence structure for this purpose. The renovation will be videotaped and made into a documentary for use as a “teaching and learning tool” to illustrate green building standards, McGreavy said.
In 2009, the group is planning “no less than” six public workshops, one every other month. “There are not a lot of these programs locally,” McGreavy said, “and when they are offered in the Boston area, they sell out overnight.” The workshops increasingly are in demand because of the growing interest in LEED certification. The LEED standards have been adopted by all 50 states and even some cities and towns.
A major goal of the new Rhode Island chapter is to educate builders in green building techniques, so the group is working on a joint conference with the Rhode Island Builders Association in January or February. The building association is made up mostly of residential builders, according to McGreavy.
She noted that there is a “proliferation” of green building standards, and “they’re confusing.” “The quicker we can demystify these standards for these people in the trade, the easier it will be for them,” McGreavy said. “Our goal is to educate builders in Rhode Island so they can give their clients what they’re looking for.” Real estate agents and appraisers also would gain a lot from the joint conference, she suggested.
One key reason why the state needs its own council chapter is because energy costs can be so high, not only in Rhode Island but throughout the Northeast. The most prominent area where green building can make a difference is in controlling these costs, McGreavy noted, through use of energy-saving appliances, lighting and heating systems. “The technology to reduce energy use is extraordinary,” she said, “and not necessarily a huge expense over the life of your house.”
The chapter’s projected budget for 2009 is approximately $100,000. “I am extremely confident that we will find supporters and sponsors to enable us to provide the education and training we need to jumpstart the green economy locally,” she said.
Since starting a membership drive in November, the local chapter signed up 45 members in one month, but works with a database of more than 800 contact names compiled since at least April, according to McGreavy. Close to 75 companies in the state are members of the national council, including 35 corporate members that joined the national group in just the last seven months, she said. The URI Energy Expo alone, held in early November, yielded 85 names for the database.
The state chapter knows of 37 LEED-registered projects currently under way in Rhode Island and six others that, as of November, were planning to register, McGreavy has said. There are 132 LEED-accredited professionals in the state.
An environmental scientist with a bachelor’s degree in the same subject from the University of New Hampshire, McGreavy owns and operates Conserve By Design LLC out of her home in Warren. •
