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In This Issue: NJATC Issues New Green Jobs Curriculum Multi-Use Fire Station Earns LEED Silver in Alexandria, VA DC Forges Ahead with Green Building Implementation Charlottesville First in Virginia "SmartGrid" Network Light Fair Trade Show Highlights Growth in LED Lighting NJATC Issues New Green Jobs Curriculum 
"The creation of an economically friendly career will be justified by the creation of an advantageous environment for business to create and propel the green technologies revolution. The massive potential for new jobs in green products in the electrical construction industry accentuates the importance of existing electrical industry workers. Electrical construction training within the green jobs field will include Photovoltaics, Fuel Cells, Bio- Mass, and Wind Turbines as examples of electrical generation technologies working in parallel with utility-scale power generation. This creation of a subset of the "smart grid" technologies requires combining the skills of Outside Lineman, Inside Wireman, and Telecommunications workers. Even more important will be the implementation and integration of technologies to improve efficiency of electrically powered systems, through the use of Building Automation Technologies, and to develop an economic solution directed by governmental policies. The traditional skills of electrical workers will continue to be utilized with little or no change. However, there is a consistent over-riding scope and goal of any green project: to ensure that the construction remains environmentally friendly in all the aspects involved. The electrical industry is in a unique position to participate in the green revolution." Multi-Use Fire Station Earns LEED Silver in Alexandria, VA
DC Forges Ahead with Green Building Implementation
With the enactment of the DC Green Building Act in 2005, the District of Columbia boldly led U.S. cities in the fight to combat climate change through application of local policies. The DC Green Building Act’s requirements are phased-in over a six-year period. Currently, required green building standards only apply to public buildings, but similar standards will apply to private buildings as of January 2012. The District Department of the Environment (DDOE) and the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) are hurrying to organize for full implementation of the Act. Local building industry organizations, such as the DC Building Industry Association, are pushing the District to clarify numerous aspects of the Act, including the performance bond requirement used to secure the obligation of developers whose projects are subject to the Act. Another point for clarification is the applicable standard for private projects. The District clarified its intent to update the Act to meet new LEED standards by a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published in the DC Register on May 15, 2009. DDOE proposed to update the currently applicable standards to LEED 2009 and Green Communities 2008. Charlottesville First in Virginia "SmartGrid" Network
The "SmartGrid" Charlottesville project is in addition to 12 energy conservation programs that Dominion Virginia Power plans to offer across its service area pending approval of the Virginia State Corporation Commission. The company expects to seek state approval for those programs in a filing early in July, 2009. The Charlottesville-Albermarle County area was chosen for the project for several reasons. Its varied, hilly terrain provides a test of the two-way wireless communications capabilities of smart meters. It also has a mix of residential, business and institutional customers, and customers have expressed a high interest in actively managing their energy use. [top]
In addition to hundreds of projects receiving certification, more than 3,100 builders have earned the Certified Green Professional educational designation. "We’ve said for a while that green building is a bright spot in a down market," says Robson. "However, the growth of the NAHB National Green Building Program exceeds even our most optimistic expectations." [top] Light Fair Trade Show Highlights Growth in LED Lighting
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National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for the Electrical Industry (NJATC) issued a new curriculum designed to prepare IBEW workers for the growth in green jobs expected to be created by the Obama administration. The news release states:
The Station at Potomac Yard, a partnership between the City of Alexandria, VA and Pulte Homes and Centex, completed the first new fire station constructed in Alexandria in 30 years. The fire station received a LEED Silver certification. The upper levels, which achieved an EarthCraft™ Virginia certification, provide affordable rental housing and parking for residents, with fire personnel and retail customers sharing two levels below. The site maximized the use of donated land, incorporating sustainable design and energy saving principles in all components of the building. Its combined uses provide 44 long-term affordable rental units, and 20 apartments with rents affordable to those working in the City, including first responders and teachers, all close to shopping, amenities and public transportation. For more information, contact Andrea Blackford, Communications Officer, City of Alexandria at 703-519-3489 or 
Charlottesville will be the first city in Virginia and one of the first in the nation to benefit from "smart grid" technology that will make the delivery of electricity more efficient and less costly while improving customer service. Smart grid capabilities also will promote energy conservation and environmental responsibility. Dominion Virginia Power executives joined Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, University of Virginia President John Casteen, state and local officials, and private industry partners to unveil "SmartGrid" Charlottesville. The $20 million program begins with the installation of about 46,500 "smart meters" in the city of Charlottesville and Albermarle County. More than half of the meters have been installed, with completion scheduled by the end of this year. "This program launches a new era in energy efficiency and customer empowerment for Virginia," said Thomas F. Farrell II, chairman, president and CEO of Dominion. "As the smart grid develops, energy conservation capabilities and programs will grow and provide additional benefits for our customers, the environment and our company." 
The results of tax credits and state and local incentives are beginning to show as the number of homebuilders receiving green certifications is increasing. According to the NAHB National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), more than 200 residential projects in 43 states have received the National Green Building Certification, and more than 300 new projects are scheduled for inspections. The National Green Building Program of NAHB requires homes to meet standards for energy, water, and resource efficiency and indoor environmental quality, among others. "The NAHB Research Center has certified projects ranging from affordable starter homes to high-end custom homes with every conceivable amenity," said Joe Robson, chairman, NAHB. "This national certification program clearly is making green building more mainstream."
Braving a bad economy and tiny travel budgets, more than 22,000 lighting professionals and more than 500 exhibitors attended LightFair 2009, held May 3-7 in New York City. You can sum up the biggest news at LightFair in 2009 in just three letters: LED. Despite the fact that LEDs are not yet cost competitive with many conventional light sources and many industry insiders have concerns about the quality of light; the still-developing of manufacturing standards; and the quality of some foreign-made LEDs now on the market; there was no doubt that LEDs are revolutionizing the lighting business. Dozens of booths at the show exhibited LED light sources, LED lighting fixtures, or related products. General office/interior lighting and exit sign applications were the most common applications for LEDs promoted at LightFair, but a surprising number of manufacturers, including GE Lighting; Cooper Lighting, and Schreder Lighting displayed outdoor LED fixtures for parking lots and pathways that have a lamp life of up to 50,000 hours.  |
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