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Q&A from the Corner Office

Kelly Liyakasa

Oct-30-09, 08:36 AM

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Topics: Green

As founder and chairman of the Fairchester Green Building Council, Donald van Rhyn said the new nonprofit organization is on a mission to develop a robust green marketplace and to drive measurable change in carbon emissions.

Q: What ‘green’ initiatives are Fairfield County business owners developing?

van Rhyn: “A growing number of regional business owners and building managers are taking significant steps toward reducing their carbon footprint by using a range of technologies. The current focus is on improving existing buildings.
“For instance, Merritt 7 in Norwalk has achieved an energy-usage ranking that puts this six-building complex in the top 4 percent of all comparable buildings nationwide as well as having the first existing building in the state to achieve LEED certification for demonstrating responsible use of energy, water and materials.

“Metro Green Apartments in Stamford, the initial project of a Neighborhood Development pilot program, has numerous green features such as a building envelope with recycled content and high performance, recycled cellulose insulation. The 240-unit complex also captures rainwater in underground storage tanks, which is used for irrigation on the property and in the building’s laundry room.

“The leaders in our region are incorporating sustainable attributes into the management of their buildings. Reckson Associates regularly uses high-efficiency lighting and recycled ceiling tile. New window and building curtain wall systems and insulated roofs reduce air infiltration and improve efficiencies. These considerations are also introduced as a sustainable palette within their tenant office construction, which parallels LEED Commercial Interior standards.
“The Darien Library, built by The Ashforth Co. of Stamford, is a LEED Gold project. Some of the major highlights of this project include geothermal wells used as both a heating and cooling source; choosing materials to minimize maintenance; an onsite water retention system and the use of gray water in the building.

“The Fairchester GBC holds monthly meetings on topics of interest such as LEED accreditation, the legal implications of going green, ‘how to’ seminars and building tours of local green projects. Our next event will demonstrate Portfolio Manager, the EPA’s free benchmarking tool for measuring energy efficiency.

“Future plans call for a Green Building Technology Database to showcase exemplary attributes of local green buildings. The database will serve as a research tool for people interested in specific technologies, enabling them to find commercial space that is green or examples of techniques they are considering.”

The website is fairchestergbc.org.

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