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October 2017 — Property Management Quarterly — Page 23
Association: USGBC
I t’s hard to believe that winter
is right around the corner.
Here at the U.S. Green Building
Council Colorado, the chang-
ing of the season has us look-
ing back on what we did in 2017 as
well as looking forward.
While we all know that green
construction has a notable impact
on the environmental health of the
state, it has an immense impact on
our economy as well. Between 2015
and 2018, green building in Colo-
rado is expected to contribute an
astounding $24 billion to the gross
domestic product, creating more
than 280,000 jobs and approximate-
ly $16 billion in labor earnings.
In 2016, Colorado moved from
fifth to second place on the list of
the top 10 state for LEED, an annual
ranking that highlights states
throughout the U.S. that made
significant strides in sustainable
building design, construction and
transformation over the past year.
Colorado had a total of 92 LEED
certified projects representing 3.17
gross square feet of certified space
per resident. Furthermore, it is one
of two states to have made the top
10 list every year since 2010, joined
only by Illinois.
• Events and key findings. USGBC
Colorado has always worked on
the principle of partnership and
education, which we accomplished
through a range of events foster-
ing awareness among communities
and individuals. In April, USGBC
Colorado hosted the annual Rocky
Mountain Green conference in Den-
ver, focused on themes of sustain-
ability related to social justice and
human health. The
10th annual con-
ference united over
400 participants
including industry
leaders, experts
and professionals
to inspire, connect
and advance sus-
tainable building
within the region.
In August, USGBC
Colorado held its
annual Commer-
cial Real Estate
Institute Forum, this year focusing
on the National Western Center,
which is one of the North Denver
Cornerstone Collaborative projects.
The NDCC is a collection of major
redevelopment projects in the area,
with the goal of building a more
sustainable and connected North
Denver. The Forum was attended by
more than 100 participants and fea-
tured a panel discussion from indi-
viduals involved in the redevelop-
ment. The robust dialogue fostered
a better understanding of future
opportunities for the forum’s par-
ticipants, made up mostly of design,
construction, real estate develop-
ers and building managers, on the
unique elements of regeneration
and how LEED certification will help
meet the overall goals for the NDCC
master plan.
• New technology platforms.
Beyond events that help connect
participants and increase aware-
ness, USGBC began widespread
use of the Arc digital platform.
Arc allows any project – whether a
single building, a community or an
entire city – to measure improve-
ments and benchmark progress,
providing new and more transpar-
ent ways to share information. LEED
certified buildings can use Arc to
improve and benchmark against
other buildings around them. Exist-
ing buildings that have not certified
can use Arc to identify potential
sustainability improvements to
eventually achieve LEED certifica-
tion.
The green building movement
increasingly relies on technology
and data and is focused primar-
ily on performance. Arc represents
a new era for green building – the
platform takes LEED to the next
level through the shared use of
technology, feedback and recogni-
tion of excellence.
Seventy-two projects across Colo-
rado have enlisted Arc technology,
and 45 of these projects are LEED
certified. Some notable examples
of facilities making use of the tech-
nology are Colorado’s State Capitol
building and the Colorado Conven-
tion Center, both located in Denver.
• State and local leadership. We’ve
been working to support the Ener-
gize Denver initiative by offering
how to benchmark education and
Energy Star “jam sessions,” which
connect volunteer energy experts
with building managers to answer
questions about complying with
Denver’s new benchmarking ordi-
nance. The ordinance requires
owners of buildings over 25,000 sf
to annually benchmark the build-
ing’s energy use. Over the course of
seven months, close to 200 people
participated in these free trainings
organized by USGBC Colorado.
In addition to the Denver bench-
marking initiative, we are proud to
support Colorado’s continued dedi-
cation to the Paris Climate Agree-
ment. In July, Gov. John Hickenloop-
er announced that the state would
join the U.S. Climate Alliance, and
signed an executive order pledging
to reduce statewide greenhouse gas
emissions in accordance with the
agreement. Fifteen mayors across
the state also pledged to uphold
the specified standards, joining
353 mayors from across the coun-
try who did the same. Committed
cities include Denver, Fort Collins,
Boulder, Breckenridge, Telluride and
Aspen, among others.
• Looking ahead. This was a big
year for us, but we’re even more
excited about the year ahead. We'll
have more collaboration with local
and regional communities, par-
ticularly as we prepare to host the
National Green Schools conference
in partnership with Rocky Mountain
Green, our flagship event scheduled
for May 2-3 in Denver. Additionally,
the implementation of technology,
like Arc, will increase intercon-
nectedness between buildings and
communities to usher in new ways
forward. USGBC Colorado also plans
to place emphasis on projects that
promote indoor air quality and
health, and to continue its com-
mitment to working with all eight
Mountain West communities to
make significant improvements to
the market for green buildings.
We hope you join us in our mis-
sion to make Colorado greener and
healthier!s
Patti Mason
Director, U.S. Green
Building Council
Colorado, Denver