News: LEED Archives

Upcoming tour highlights some of Knoxville's most efficient buildings

By Shelley Phillips on April 16, 2013 9:55 AM

The first annual GREEN + GO Sustainable Knoxville Green Tour will offer an inside look at some of Knoxville's high-performance buildings 9 a.m.-2 p.m. May 4.

The open house tours, organized by the East Tennessee Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, will present the features and benefits of sustainable construction. Participants can visit up to eight sustainable buildings in the Knoxville area that represent a variety of green design strategies.

Sites on the tour include:

Scripps Networks Interactive Headquarters, rated LEED Gold

Knoxville Transit Center, LEED Silver

Three Rivers Market, Designed to meet 2010 LEED Retail NC

UT's Ayres Hall, Historic LEED Renovation at LEED Silver

UT's Living Light Solar Decathlon House

Ijams Nature Center and solar array

Sustainable Future's Net Zero Office

The Spectrum Solar Exhibit at East Town Mall.

Continue reading Upcoming tour highlights some of Knoxville's most efficient buildings.

Volkswagen flips the switch on 9.5 MW solar park

By Shelley Phillips on January 29, 2013 9:43 AM

Chattanooga is now home to the biggest solar installation in Tennessee and for a U.S. auto factory.

That's according to Volkswagen, which powered up its 9.5 MW solar park at the Chattanooga location last week.

The system will provide 12.5 percent of the already LEED Platinum-certified plant's electricity. That jumps to 100 percent during non-production periods, according to the automaker.

The Volkswagen Chattanooga Solar Park occupies 33 acres, or half of the 66-acre land parcel adjacent to VW's state-of-the-art manufacturing plant. The solar park contains 33,600 solar modules from JA Solar designed to produce 13.1 gigawatt hours of electricity per year -- equivalent to the energy consumed annually by around 1,200 homes in the area.

The solar installation is part of VW's "Think Blue" initiative for all Volkswagen plants to achieve more efficient use of energy, materials and water and produce less waste and emissions, said Frank Fischer, CEO and chairman of Volkswagen Group of America.

Photo: From left to right: Dr. Andreas Haenel, Phoenix Solar AG/ Jim Coppinger, Mayor Hamilton County/ Frank Fischer, Volkswagen Chattanooga/Matt Kisber, Silicon Ranch/ Ron Littlefield, Mayor Chattanooga/Wolfram Thomas, Volkswagen AG/ Dr. Murray Cameron, Phoenix. Photo courtesy of Volkswagen.

VW adding solar park to Chattanooga plant site

By Shelley Phillips on March 20, 2012 7:40 AM

Volkswagen will spend about $30 million to build a 9.5 MW solar power facility next to its Chattanooga plant.

The solar park will supply more than 12 percent of the factory's power and be one of the largest solar facilities in the state, reports Mike Pare in Chattanooga's Times Free Press daily.

VW executives add it will be one of the largest private solar facilities in the region and the largest such project for the company worldwide.

According to Volkswagen, two companies will build and run the plant -- Phoenix Solar, a German business with U.S. headquarters in California, and Silicon Ranch Corp., which is based in Nashville.

Plans for the solar generation contributed to VW's LEED rating for the Chattanooga site.

East Tennessee schools recognized for sustainability efforts

By Shelley Phillips on March 13, 2012 1:02 PM

Education around East Tennessee is getting a little greener on both the inside -- through student programs -- and on the outside -- including upgrades to campus buildings and equipment.

Maryville College received a STARS Bronze Rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements in January of this year.

In February, several area high schools and elementary schools were recognized by the East Tennessee chapter of the US Green Building Council at the High Performance + Healthy Schools Symposium.

The recipients included the Knox County Schools in the Outstanding School District category; Oak Ridge High School and White Pine Elementary School for Outstanding School; E.L. Ross Elementary School for Outstanding School Group; and Johnson City Power Board for Community Outreach.

Continue reading East Tennessee schools recognized for sustainability efforts.

Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant earns LEED Platinum

By Shelley Phillips on December 13, 2011 8:41 AM

Judith Webb, chief marketing officer of US Green Building Council, presents platinum certificates to Volkswagen executives.

Volkswagen's Chattanooga manufacturing plant has received a platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building certification program.

The facility is the first automotive manufacturing plant in the world to receive Platinum certification, the program's highest level.

"Volkswagen Chattanooga's LEED Platinum certification is the fulfillment of a promise that Volkswagen has made around the world and in this community that we will work in harmony with the environment," said Frank Fischer, CEO and chairman of Volkswagen Chattanooga.

Continue reading Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant earns LEED Platinum.

UT students turn home into living experiment in sustainability

By Shelley Phillips on August 26, 2011 9:04 AM

University of Tennessee students and faculty from multiple departments and disciplines have worked since 2008 to design and build a model home to showcase cutting edge sustainable building practices.

Now, thanks to their work -- along with multiple grants from local, state and federal partners -- and partnership with Clayton Homes, the test home is complete. The project was estimated to cost $300,000 to $400,000, said Matt Lyle, a former research assistant on the project, although future homes would cost less than the prototype.

The home's first occupants, Mary Leverance, a UT graduate student, and her husband, Ken McCown, chair of the landscape architecture department, moved into the 750-square-foot house in July, reports Megan Boehnke in the Knoxville News Sentinel. A team of students will monitor their energy and water use to evaluate the effectiveness of green technology used in the home. Tours of the home will be available next month.

Features include:
floors made of sustainable materials,
efficient appliances,
solar panels to heat water
a rain water collection system

The team is also seeking LEED Platinum status on the home.

Once the project is complete, the home will be sold and funds from the sale will go to fund other similar projects.

For more information about the project as well as a blog from the residents, visit A New Norris House.

Whirlpool plant aims for LEED Gold

By Shelley Phillips on April 25, 2011 8:03 AM

Whirlpool is aiming for a first with its $120 million new plant in Cleveland, Tenn.

The plant's construction is on track to receive LEED Gold certification -- the second-highest rating in the U.S. Green Building Council's rating system. It would be the first Whirlpool manufacturing plant in the country to be LEED certified, writes Mike Pare of the Chattanooga daily Times Free Press.

Dicky Walters, plant leader for Whirlpool's Cleveland division, said in the article building plans include using natural lighting significantly, roofing material reflecting solar energy rather than absorbing it, and water-efficient fixtures.

Read the full story "Whirlpool plant going up" at the Times Free Press

NNSA celebrates Earth Week

By Shelley Phillips on April 19, 2011 8:26 AM

The National Nuclear Security Administration, part of the Department of Energy, is sharing its commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency by setting up a Green Week website, reports News Sentinel writer Frank Munger on his Atomic City Underground blog.

"Investing in sustainability and energy efficiency are critical ... Earth Day is a day we can reflect on what we are doing to improve our work and environment," said Don Cook, deputy administrator of the NNSA.

Cook said personal efforts include recycling, using mass transit and taking advantage of modern facilities and equipment and best practices.

NNSA labs are are working on national environmental challenges in climate change and energy infrastructure. The organization has given out more than $150 million in energy savings performance contracts and pursued LEED certification at several facilities.

Each day, the NNSA Green Week website will focus on a different story that highlights the connection between NNSA's commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency and NNSA's efforts to invest in the future of the nuclear security enterprise, implementing President Obama's nuclear security agenda, and improving the way the enterprise does business.

The Department of Energy also operates Energy.gov and the accompanying Energy Blog year round to promote energy saving projects and investments. For consumers, it offers the Energy Savers Blog, detailing ways individuals can reduce energy consumption.

Transit companies minimize petroleum

By Shelley Phillips on April 12, 2011 11:22 AM

In addition to our winning Green Achiever stories, GoGreenET also highlighted several other environmentally friendly companies and practices in the April Greater Knoxville Business Journal.

Bus riders in Knoxville can't find much cleaner rides.

KAT's converted nearly 100 percent of its fleet to hybrid electric vehicles and the remainder run on clean fuels such as propane and biodiesel.

Passengers can park and ride from the new $27 million Knoxville Station, which is seeking to become certified under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program. Green amenities include a geothermal heating and air conditioning system and a green roof planted with drought-resistent, sun-loving plants.

Continue reading Transit companies minimize petroleum.

"Green Buildings for Cool Cities" event includes green building tour

By Shelley Phillips on March 23, 2011 11:00 AM

The City of Knoxville will take part in the national "Green Buildings for Cool Cities" campaign this Saturday with tours of two local "green" buildings.

Knox Heritage's Victorian "Green House" and the city's new LEED-certified transit center will showcase the energy-efficient building practices that make them unique

There will be an open house at the Victorian Green House from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and guided tours at the John J. Duncan Jr. Knoxville Station Transit Center at 2 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., on March 26.