Resources
Chapter Meetings
Get the details on our chapter meetings in Reno or Las Vegas. Dates and times are posted on the Events Calendar. Meetings are open to the public and everyone is welcome.
State and Local Rebates, Incentives and Programs
A list of resources and financial incentive programs for green building, renewable energy and water conservation pertaining to the State of Nevada. Also, the U.S. Green Building Council has put together some excellent Government Resources designed to support federal, state and local governments in their pursuit and development of green building programs and initiatives.
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Receive periodic information from USGBCNV including meeting updates and newsletters.
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ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007 (I-P units) available online
ASHRAE and the US Department of Energy are making Standard 90.1-2007 (I-P Edition) available for free download (PDF) in an effort to further promote energy efficiency.
Standard 90.1 has been a benchmark for commercial building energy codes for over 35 years. It is an indispensable reference for engineers and other professionals involved in the design of buildings and building systems. The 2007 edition serves as the basis of many building codes.
High Performance Building Perspective and Practice
Rocky Mountain Institute® has produced a compelling film series that promotes cost-effective, high-performance building design and construction.
The latest in the series, "High Performance by Integrative Design," provides an in-depth look at how the integrative design process happens. The film includes examples of design teams collaborating in new ways to integrate high-performance design elements for optimal performance, such as daylighting, energy efficiency and renewable energy.
See the design process unfold and learn about the Charette process on projects such as the Empire State Building retrofit, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Phipps Conservancy, the Desert Living Center, Willow School and Chicago Botanic Gardens. Also check out the case studies and accompanying downloadable PDFs for each of these exciting projects.
This video includes a segment featuring the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas, home of seven LEED Platinum buildings designed by local architects and USGBC-NV members.
RMI's first film, "High Performance Building: Perspective and Practice," makes the business case for building green. The film features interviews with CEOs, business executives, developers, school administrators, government officials, building managers and design professionals who recognize the benefits of green design.
Visit RMI's Built Environment website for more details and to view the films online. Thanks to the folks at Rocky Mountain Institute for this excellent resource!
Green Your Home
The U.S. Green Building Council has created a wonderful resource that anyone can use to improve their home in a green kind of way. The Green Home Guide contains a vast array of tips and knowledge, including: 5 Gorgeous Green Countertop Materials, 10 Ways to Beat the Heat, 15 Green Projects for Under $500, 45 Ways to Green the Not-So-New House, and to prove that not every article starts with a number, Sustainable Landscaping Saves Water, Cuts Environmental Risks.
If you are venturing beyond the basics into the realm of remodeling, the REGREEN Program may be right up your alley. Created through a partnership between the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Foundation and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the REGREEN Residential Remodeling Guidelines are an invaluable resource that is helping transform our existing housing stock into green, high-performing and more comfortable homes. Another great resource is the Green Bathroom Remodeling Guide.
Of course, if you're looking to build or purchase a new home, be sure to become familiar with the USGBC's LEED for Homes green building rating system which raises the bar on healthy, high-performance, environmentally-friendly home construction.
Greening the Codes
The white paper from the U.S. Green Building Council, Greening the Codes (PDF), explains how building codes are beginning to broaden their charge to include human and environmental impacts of buildings into their health and safety mission.
Position Statement on Energy in Nevada>
The U.S. Green Building Council - Nevada Chapter knows that LEED-certified green buildings play a key role in addressing some of the most important issues of our time. The implementation of the 2030 Challenge, as a strategy to increase building efficiency and the use of renewable energy, will result in carbon neutral buildings by 2030, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Please download and read our Position Statement on Energy in Nevada (PDF) and share it with others. The references included in the statement provide valuable information and we encourage you to explore them in depth.
A member poll indicated overwhelming approval of the position statement.
Dr. James Hansen, Nation's Top Climate Scientist
Open Letter to Governor Gibbons
Dr. James E. Hansen, Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, is considered by many to be the nation's leading scientific authority on climate change.
The Desert Research Institute recently awarded Dr. Hansen the Nevada Medal for his outstanding contributions to educating the public on this important issue. Dr. Hansen wrote an open letter to Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons with the subject line "A Plea for Your Leadership." It is well worth reading.
Because the LEED green building rating system results in more energy-efficient buildings, it has a direct, positive impact on the issue of climate change. Please read Dr. Hansen's letter to better understand why high-performance green buildings are so critically important to Nevada and the world.
David Suzuki Addresses USGBC Members
Award-winning scientist, environmentalist, and broadcaster David Suzuki is one of the most influential and inspiring speakers of our time. His keynote speech at USGBC Member Day 2006 was an impassioned call to action — and now you can experience it again. Visit the USGBC web site for an excellent video of Dr. Suzuki's USGBC Member Day keynote speech from Denver, Colorado. You can even download the video to watch on your iPod®.
2030 Challenge - Face It Webcast
Web cast from January 30, 2008 is a must see, with clear information on what climate change is all about and what's being done to address it.
Learn how green building is a major component in the quest to solve global warming and revitalize our economy. This is a very good presentation by Ed Mazria.
Free archived web cast from the New York Academy of Sciences.
Speakers:
- Dr. James Hansen, NASA GISS
- Edward Mazria, AIA, Architecture 2030
- Chris Luebkeman, Arup
- Susan Szenasy, Metropolis Magazine
On Feb. 20, 2007 this live web cast went out to hundreds of thousands of participants in over 47 countries around the world. This historic event has been archived and is still available online.
It was extremely well done and is recommended viewing for all design professionals, government officials, city planners, code officials or any others with an interest in the issue of, and solutions to, global warming.
